NINE
He grabbed a fishbone. Screech screech. He scraped the sandy beach. How many hash marks had he drawn like that already?
Now a month and two weeks had passed. Was it in anticipation of the coming disaster? The island was completely covered with a sharply edged atmosphere.
“Aah…”
He let out a sigh in despair. His split lips stung. Since he couldn’t properly intake vitamin C, mouth sores kept appearing at every turn. The sharp taste of blood pooled on the tip of his tongue.
“Haah, fuck, there’s really not much food left now…”
Paeng Hana tore at her hair. The food supply was also bottoming out. Depletion was faster and more certain than expected. Humans couldn’t survive on meat alone. Carbohydrates, vitamins, oil, salt, insect repellent…
If even one of these ran out, they couldn’t survive.
Eventually, one by one, they’d really start dying. No, how could a corpse walk off the island? They’d just rot and decay here.
Still, it couldn’t be helped. Humans could only survive if they filled their bellies.
“Th-this is all?”
It was Lee Ijun receiving food in the front row. With eyes smeared in madness, he glared at the thug bastard.
“You bastard, am I a bird?! How am I supposed to live eating something like this!”
What Lee Ijun received was merely one can of tuna. To endure four days with that. It was far too cruel a treatment.
“I need to eat and live too, you rag bitch.”
The bastard was shameless even in this state. He lazed around and just ate whatever food the thug threw him.
The two now fucked anywhere. They shoved hallucinogenic mushrooms down their throats and rolled back their eyes. Now they’d torn to shreds even their shallow pride.
Having thrown away even their last dignity like that. What barely came back was that can scrap.
“When this fucking bastard was crazy and rolling his eyes to attack me, when was that!”
Lee Ijun screamed his lungs out. His lips were also all split, with bright red blood flowing down the corners of his mouth.
“Then don’t eat it if you don’t want to, you fuck. Whining so disgustingly.”
The thug snatched the can away with a swift motion. He was going to take it away just like that. As if he hadn’t even received the rice cake payment, it was truly merciless and cold-hearted handling.
“Even when fucking, your hole was so fucking loose there was no pleasure in sticking it in.”
The tuna can wasn’t simply food here. It was the last trace of remaining humanity. It was an important lifeline that filled the belly, built up strength to leave here, and let them eat salt.
“This bastard…!”
Enraged, Lee Ijun rushed at him. He bit down hard on the thug’s thick wrist.
“Aaaaargh!!! This crazy bastard…!”
The scream was sharp as if tearing flesh. Lee Ijun’s jaw trembled violently. His eyes were completely rolled back—he really looked like he’d tear apart and devour the thug like that.
…Vicious bastard.
Just watching made my skin crawl. No one even thought to stop them. Director Hwang was throwing a fit about starving to death.
“Ah, what are you doing! I’m dying of hunger, hurry up and give it.”
Food talk even in this situation. Really, everyone had lost their minds.
Soon, a slapping sound rang out. A hand like a bear’s paw mercilessly struck Lee Ijun’s cheek.
“…Aack!”
From that stinging impact, Lee Ijun rolled around the sandy beach. The thug didn’t care. Rather, his expression was as if annoyed.
“Next!”
At that short and cold single word, the tension escalated even more.
Woonghee, who was right next in line, approached hesitantly. Thud, thud! Food poured into Woonghee’s hands. Wh-what’s all this? Unable to believe it, he just blinked.
Four cans of tuna, one instant rice, and he even received a can of corn.
Is all this really mine?
Just by crawling under Managing Director Gi, his treatment had completely changed. He felt a gaze from far away. It was Lee Ijun. With blazing eyes, his shoulders were trembling violently.
“Ugh, fuck, shit!”
Director Hwang rushed forward in front of the bastard. Where Director Hwang had passed, the bastard had already disappeared without a trace. Haah, Woonghee let out a sigh. He crouched down as if collapsing to one side.
“Woonghee-ssi.”
When he turned his head to the side, it was Paeng Hana. Her jet-black eyelashes that drooped like fox fur fluttered.
“Are you okay? You didn’t get heat exhaustion, did you?”
As she said, his body felt strange. Heat rose hotly on both cheeks, and his crotch kept tightening moistly.
“No, your face looks fresh as usual but… your complexion isn’t good. You look totally out of it. It’s like you caught a cold too.”
“It’s because mosquitoes bit me, I couldn’t sleep well because of it…”
He attached such an implausible excuse. With his hand, he fiddled with the collar area for no reason. Inside the shirt, reddish heat marks had risen like kiss marks.
The bright red marks remaining on white skin. They looked strangely suggestive at first glance, but they were really just mosquito bite marks.
“Why do you always get bitten by mosquitoes like that, Woonghee-ssi?”
Poke, the woman’s long fingernail dug into Woonghee’s skin. Screech, she drew a line downward. Goosebumps rose on his nape with a shiver. Feeling a gaze from somewhere, he rolled his eyes sharply.
Sure enough, from a slightly distant spot, the man’s eyes were fixed on him. Roll, Woonghee returned his gaze to its original position. Gulp, dry saliva went down on its own.
“Woonghee-ssi, did you see where that bastard Director Hwang went?”
At Paeng Hana’s voice coming from right beside his ear, Woonghee gently furrowed his brow.
“No.”
Woonghee shook his head. The woman was talking right beside him. Yet all his sensory feelers were poured toward the man. Having buried his body in a chair pulled from the cruise, he was slowly resting his forearm on his thigh.
With both eyes fixed on him.
No, to be precise, it would be correct to say he was glaring at the fingernail stabbing his nape.
The man had been glaring at him just like that for the past few days. Well, Woonghee was in almost the same situation. It felt like his pheromone scent was still wrapped around the tip of his nose…
“That guy’s been suspicious lately.”
He keeps disappearing alone, the woman whispered. It was precisely from that point in time. From the point when he mistakenly thought he was clinging to Managing Director Gi.
What on earth was he trying to do? Director Hwang frequently scanned the surroundings, watching carefully, and muttered like talking to himself.
‘Ah, fuck, my stomach hurts like hell again today. Did the corn go bad? I need to go take a shit quickly.’
Even though no one was listening, he’d mutter like making excuses to himself and disappear somewhere with a swift motion.
“Be careful of that bastard. You never know when he’ll stab you in the back.”
At the woman’s words, Woonghee slowly nodded. Since he was someone with a shady background, he definitely needed to be cautious.
***
And it was precisely that dawn. Woonghee was heading to the valley. To wash off these pheromones on his body.
But wasn’t some miscellaneous smell coming from somewhere?
‘Huh…’
Sniff, sniff, sniff. Woonghee’s small nose twitched. This stink-like pheromone was definitely Director Hwang’s. His heat period probably hadn’t ended yet. Pheromones that hadn’t been properly managed were caught here and there.
He was definitely around here.
At this gloomy hour, what the hell is he doing again?
Stealthily, he put strength into his tiptoes, trying not to make a single sound. His heart beat as if about to burst. He held his breath, lowered his body, and approached slowly, very slowly in that direction.
“……”
He pushed away with his forearm the leaves that grew densely and blocked his view. He secretly pushed his eyes through.
“Ugh, tsk tsk.”
Director Hwang was moving his body busily. More diligent than when hunting, than when building a raft, than when washing himself. He was curious about what he was doing, but that large bulk blocked his view so he couldn’t see well.
Finally, it was when Director Hwang turned his back. Something bright orange sharply scratched past his eyes.
In that situation, he should have held his breath, but too surprised, Woonghee unwittingly let out a scream.
“Wh-what is that…!”
Before the words even finished, Director Hwang swiftly turned his head toward him.
“Y-y-you…! That’s a life…!”
Director Hwang’s eyes flipped back completely. What arrived faster than words was those eyes. Eyes filled with madness. Insane murderous intent was flashing from him.
These weren’t eyes trying to persuade or make someone understand. That was a threat. Eyes mixed with uncontrollable anger and fear, enough to tear someone to death right now.
“Shut your mouth…!”
The bastard rushed at Woonghee in an instant. There was no time to dodge.
He violently pushed through the bushes. Branches snapped with cracks and flew out, and his footsteps were heavy. Enough to make the ground shake.
Thudthudthudthud!
In those few short seconds, the air became sharp as an awl and it felt like all the beasts in the mountain were freezing. A solid, thick hand roughly covered Woonghee’s mouth. The smell of sweat and blood mixed together wafted strongly.
“Shhhhh.”
Rough breath was expelled from his mouth. Then, words spat out as if biting down hard on his tongue.
“Shut your mouth, before I really kill you.”
Woonghee couldn’t even dare to breathe in. Words that couldn’t escape stayed only on his lips. Both eyes were wide open as if he’d seen a ghost.
‘Life…’
What he just saw was definitely… a lifeboat!
