Bob, bob—the boat floats across the sea. I don’t even know how much time has passed anymore.
Slosh, slosh—I haven’t eaten a thing, but nausea keeps rising up. My mouth is bone-dry under the scorching sun. The sea was pristinely fucking beautiful, but it reflected the sunlight. The rays were so searing that I wanted to just rip out these damn eyes.
“Ugh, fuck, my head’s killing me…!”
Director Hwang was sprawled out on the boat like laundry, retching disgustingly. A sour smell wafted over on the sea breeze.
“…This fucking shitty seasickness.”
Everyone was half out of it because of the waves rocking the boat. Woonghee’s cheeks and kneecaps were flushed bright red like ripe strawberries. As red as salmon cooked evenly on both sides in a heated frying pan. He didn’t give a damn whether Tula was rolling around over there or whatever.
And so they kept bobbing along on the same sky, the same sea…
“Hey, block it, block it…!”
Suddenly, a voice shouted as if it would smash his skull. Splash, splash—water was filling up inside the boat. That damn hole had burst open. The problem was that the resin used for repairs had melted, unable to withstand the strong sunlight.
“Fuck, our luck really is shit!”
Woonghee quickly took off his top and plugged the hole. The seawater surged in like waves. Woonghee gasped for ragged breaths as he lay flat. He pressed his body against the boat’s floor, blocking the fierce stream of water.
“Bail! Hurry up and bail the water!”
It was complete chaos. Director Hwang and Tula immediately rushed over. They started frantically scooping out water with their palms. They filtered out the water like dogs digging a hole.
But this damn force of nature—it wasn’t something human strength could overcome. The seawater was rising much faster. The small boat tossed precariously, maintaining a precarious balance.
“Fuck it, that’s it. Let’s just give up on everything! We’re all fucked anyway! That’s why I said—why were you in such a rush to run away like a dog that needs to shit?”
As Director Hwang exploded in rage and thrashed about, Woonghee twisted his lips.
“If you’ve got the energy to bitch like that, either bail the water or lie down here yourself!”
His slender leg nimbly tripped Director Hwang’s thick ankle.
“Aaaagh!”
As Director Hwang’s large body fell backward, the boat rocked greatly. Woonghee stepped on his flailing back and fixed him in place like a thumbtack. Then he scooped water with both hands and bailed frantically. The water was draining faster than before, but honestly, he could feel it too.
If they ran out of strength like this, it was only a matter of time before the boat sank… This was the vast ocean, and even if they swam, he didn’t know how long they could last.
It was when they were all feeling despair. Tula discovered something and started pointing.
[L-look at that, it’s an island…!]
Woonghee and Director Hwang, who had been struggling under his feet, both whipped their heads around.
“What? What the fuck are you saying…?”
“Island, I think he’s saying island…”
Woonghee blinked, unable to believe it. Are there mirages at sea too? What I’m seeing with my own eyes, is it really…
“We’re saved! Fuuuuck! Yeah, there’s no way heaven would abandon me!”
In his dimly brightening vision. While the world was completely red with the morning glow, there was something that stuck out.
An island. It was an island. And in the middle of it, what he could see was definitely…
“A house, over there… I can see a house!”
Woonghee’s voice trembled. Joy, relief, hope. Unbelievable emotions rushed in all at once like waves. His eyes became bloodshot red, as if tears would pour out right away like a collapsed dam.
In the distance, a low, small roof was visible. Under the morning sky tinted with a rapturous red light, it lay there like a ray of miracle.
Two whole months. It was the first proper house he’d seen in two months.
“It’s real, it’s a house… We survived…”
Woonghee walked weakly to the edge of the boat and collapsed on the spot. He covered his face with both hands and let out short, ragged breaths.
[Let’s go, let’s go quickly!]
Splash! Tula dove into the sea without hesitation. Rising up like a dolphin, he smiled brightly and started pushing the boat carrying Woonghee from behind.
He wanted to reach that place quickly. He wanted to survive. With that thought, Woonghee also jumped into the sea. The sound of water droplets bubbled up. The cold seawater felt so refreshing that he even felt relieved.
With just the two of them pushing the boat where only Director Hwang remained, they reached the beach like that.
“…Crazy, it’s trash.”
The island’s sandy beach was littered with garbage everywhere. Things like water bottles, wooden chopsticks, snack wrappers, beer cans were randomly wedged between the rocks. This place really, truly was a place where people had lived.
Director Hwang put a beer can to his mouth and shook out the alcohol pooled inside to drink it. Following that, he made a “keu” sound and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Fuuuck, when was the last time I tasted this sweetness!”
Regardless of that, Woonghee quickly moved his feet. He headed straight toward the house.
The house was located close to the beach, with a completely rusted roof. It looked like some sheet metal had been attached. Also, from the walls came a disgusting rancid smell—just how much piss had been splashed on them?
But still, where else could compare to this? Cement. He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d seen cement. He ran breathlessly toward the front door. His feet sank deep into the sand and he stumbled once. Still, he panted and ran on all fours like a dog.
“H-hello?”
Woonghee, who had reached his destination, knocked on the door with his fist. But there was no response from inside. He couldn’t hear any signs of life either.
[Let me try.]
Tula babbled something in Tagalog from the side, but the result was the same.
“Is there no one here?”
Could this be an uninhabited island too? Is this house also abandoned? Everyone just rolled their eyes at the anxiety that came crashing down.
“Fuck, just open it! You can break the door and open it!”
He was already dying of anxiety, and Director Hwang was throwing a fit on the side. Woonghee felt irritation surge up for a moment and stepped forward. Squeezing out what little courage he had, he carefully opened the iron door…
“Ugh, fuck, what is this smell!”
At the disgusting smell that hit their noses, everyone hastily covered their nostrils with their arms. Inside, white dust had settled hazily. Moreover, footprints were densely stamped on the floor…
What caught his eyes next was crocodile skin that had been peeled off. Was it dried to be sold?
There were definitely traces of people having lived here, but it seemed to have been empty for quite a long time. He was trying to gauge just how long that gap in time might be when curses came from one side.
“Motherfucker!”
Startled, Woonghee’s back trembled. Following that, with a crash and bang, Director Hwang burst out of a room.
“Cigarettes! I hit the jackpot, when was the last time I saw cigarettes!”
He had already picked up a cigarette that was half-burned and hurriedly shoved it into his mouth, licking it with his tongue. His insides churned as if his organs would twist, so Woonghee immediately turned his head away.
Then he slowly moved his feet to one side.
“Hello?”
Is it really true that no one’s here? Woonghee’s steps stopped as he wandered around opening doors one by one. He had discovered the kitchen.
And that definitely was…
Woonghee rushed hurriedly to the kitchen and opened a jam jar placed on the table. Then he scooped up the contents inside with his finger and took a bite. The savory and sweet taste of peanut butter swirled in his mouth. After that, as if possessed by a hungry ghost, he devoured it ravenously.
“Crazy… it’s so fucking delicious…”
He carefully sucked on even what was stuck to his fingers, not wanting to miss any.
After soothing his maddening hunger like that, he opened the refrigerator door attached to the wall. White light poured out. Electricity was running. Hope filled Woonghee’s small chest tightly.
Fortunately, it was quite full inside. His eyes spun wide. Which one should I eat first? He grabbed the milk first among them. He quickly checked the expiration date. Today is, what day is today? As Woonghee folded his fingers one by one counting, a different light appeared in his eyes.
“What… it’s only been a week?”
Right away, gulp, gulp. He swallowed the lukewarm milk down his throat. A slightly sour taste brushed the tip of his tongue, but that wasn’t even a problem. His head cleared with the cool liquid going down his throat.
“Hey, milk, milk!”
When he handed milk to Tula who had followed in, even the guy who usually hated white milk bent his head back and drank it hurriedly. Keurk—the guy even belched.
“I’m sure of it. Someone was living here until recently.”
All sorts of household items are stocked in the refrigerator. Look, aren’t there even clothes hung on the clothesline? So won’t they come back soon?
For now, he took out food from the refrigerator randomly. And just in case the remaining food would spoil, he closed the refrigerator door again.
“Huh…?”
Why didn’t I see this earlier? Were my eyes blurry from hunger? A scrap of paper attached to the refrigerator door belatedly caught his eye.
It was a calendar. He picked up the calendar that had stopped two months ago and flipped it backward. This month had a circle marked on the 15th. The scrawled language below it looked like Filipino. Conveniently, there was a local person next to Woonghee.
“Tula!”
Woonghee suddenly thrust it in front of the guy’s eyes, asking ‘What does this mean?’ Then Tula’s eyes widened greatly.
[Oh, this is….]
