Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Piggy
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Doyoung flipped to the next page of the letter.
[But Gamal did not share my feelings. And what I hoped for from her was not something like physical love. I could not even dare to hope for that.]
Seeing that passage did not suppress the jealousy creeping up inside him.
[We were like Dante and Beatrice, revering and respecting each other as mentor and disciple. Counting the countless sunrises and sunsets, we talked about everything. I felt like I had peered into the depths of Gamal's soul. No one had peered so deeply into my soul as Gamal. Gamal called herself a vampire. But I thought she might be something like a spirit of nature, neither human nor monster. Manifested to teach me what I truly desired.]
The letter went on to describe what Johannes had experienced and felt while living on this island, but there was nothing of great importance to Doyoung.
Rustle.
Doyoung set the letter down. As he gazed at the sea, a soft breeze ruffled his hair.
In the end, he was just another Johannes.
Even if he died without leaving this uninhabited island, Gamal would live on here and meet the next man who came along.
Meeting someone, parting, meeting again—it was the same flow as any human life, with the difference that for some, that cycle spanned an entire lifetime.
And Doyoung had no intention of getting trapped in that flow.
Just then, he suddenly realized that quite some time had passed and frowned slightly.
"Why isn't she coming?"
That was when it happened.
A wild boar suddenly burst out from the bushes beyond. Doyoung flinched in surprise and instinctively reached for his gun at his waist. But of course, there was no gun.
Yet the wild boar collapsed to the side with a thud. It was already dead.
Gamal popped up behind it, smiling like a puppy seeing its owner.
"Major!"
Doyoung was dumbfounded.
"What..."
"You said you wanted meat, Major."
Doyoung stared in bewilderment at her face, beaming like a puppy awaiting praise.
***
When he was young, there was a grumpy cat living at a house in Doyoung's neighborhood.
The cat was grumpy with everyone, but for some strange reason, it liked Doyoung. And one day, it started bringing him mice, birds, lizards, and such.
The cat's owner said it was a sign of affection. That it meant, "I prepared this for you," something precious by its own standards.
It seemed this female vampire liked him.
Doyoung thought.
It was not particularly unusual for a woman to like him, but the problem now was that she was the vampire essentially holding his life in her hands.
Moreover, Doyoung did not think Gamal was sincere.
She seemed to have lived alone for a long time, so she had probably instinctively taken a liking to him, the first man she'd met in ages. After all, he was a young, healthy man who was not bad-looking.
So, it would not have mattered if it had been William or John who came to the island instead of him, as long as they met similar conditions.
"Major."
Just then, Gamal appeared from behind a tree and called out. Long hair cascaded from under the straw hat she had woven herself. She looked refreshingly summery, like she belonged in an ion drink ad.
"I'm going to pick some flowers."
Doyoung set his book down and said,
"I'll come with you."
Gamal blinked.
"Together? But your leg..."
"I've got strong splints—what's there to worry about?"
Doyoung held out his hand as if to say, come on and help me up already. Gamal hesitated but approached and helped him stand.
"The flowers are far away."
"I've been stuck around here so much, it feels like I'm being raised in captivity. Let's go somewhere farther."
Doyoung leaned on Gamal and took a step forward.
There was hardly any pain in his leg now.
He had a robust constitution to begin with, and with all the good food and rest, his leg had healed faster than expected. He could already walk to some extent, but Doyoung was not yet sure if he should reveal that to Gamal.
"Not tired, Major?"
Gamal asked then.
"I'm fine."
Seeing her like this, she did not seem to be hiding any intentions harmful to him. So it might just be his imagination, but if it was not, that was a problem. For now, he needed to pretend his leg was not fully healed.
And so the two set off.
Even though his leg had improved a lot, walking for the first time in a while—pretending it was still inconvenient—made Doyoung sweat quite a bit. When the back of his T-shirt grew damp with sweat, Gamal asked,
"Want to rest?"
"Yeah."
Gamal helped him sit on a rock by the lakeside. She scooped water into a wooden bowl from her crossbody bag and handed it to him.
"Here, water."
"Thanks."
Doyoung took the bowl and drank. But Gamal was looking at him with an oddly moved expression, so he asked what that reaction was about.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
Gamal answered shyly and turned away.
'What now?'
Doyoung had no idea it was because of his unconscious "thanks" and just thought she was an odd one.
He looked up at the sky. A cliff loomed to the side, punched in like a giant's fist, forming a half-roof over his head. Cool air lingered in the shade where Doyoung sat.
Below the cliff, the lake's water flowed into a deep, shadowed interior.
Birds soared across the clear blue sky.
Doyoung lowered his gaze to Gamal, squatting by the water's edge.
If she had truly lived as long as she claimed, it was a miracle she remained so untainted by the years. But now he thought he understood.
It was partly her nature and partly from sleeping so much, but above all, it was because she lived on this island. The near-primordial natural environment left no room for corruption.
Nature had preserved the being that was Gamal.
Feeling his gaze, Gamal turned. Her clear, transparent red eyes met his. Light shimmered down upon her.
"Feeling okay now?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
Doyoung naturally placed his hand on Gamal's shoulder.
She looked at him. Flowers seemed to bloom in the eyes gazing up at him.
Had she looked at all the men who came to this island this way?
No, he did not think so.
His instincts told him otherwise.
Flutter.
Doyoung snapped to attention at the sound of a bird taking flight.
As he watched it vanish into the sky, Gamal looked toward the forest where it had risen. And just as Doyoung turned that way, she quickly said,
"Let's go."
Doyoung looked at her again. It felt somehow like she was trying to divert his attention.
But it was just a hunch, so he said nothing. The two continued on. After a while, Gamal climbed a near-precipitous hill first and extended her hand.
"Careful. It's steep."
Doyoung took her hand. She pulled him up. And just like that, another world unfolded. Doyoung was speechless, as one often is before a grand vista.
As far as the eye could see, red flowers bloomed in wild profusion. The sight was overwhelming.
Doyoung could not tear his eyes away as he asked,
"Were they always here?"
"No."
Gamal answered.
"I found them up high and brought them here to plant."
Doyoung looked at her in surprise.
"All of them?"
"Worried there wouldn't be enough time?"
Doyoung gazed at her steadily.
"Learned sarcasm?"
Whatever. Doyoung looked around the flower field again and asked,
"When did you start planting them?"
"Right after I came to the island. I needed food. But I thought they'd all die soon when I went to sleep. They don't grow here naturally."
As mentioned, the flowers were a cold-climate variety.
Gamal murmured, looking at the field.
"But they didn't die."
Gamal always made that face at times like this. Looking like a thoughtless fool one moment, then piercing deep like a knife the next.
"They got stronger. Adapted to the new land and grew bigger."
"Pretty. Even if it's strange."
The waves of crimson flowers should have looked eerie, like rippling blood, but they were beautiful, reflecting a sheen as the wind brushed over them.
Just like Gamal's eyes. Ominous in theory, yet not at all.
"Yeah. Pretty."
Gamal said, gazing at the flowers.
Doyoung could picture her planting them. Alone on the empty island, before FloSS was developed. Wearing the straw hat she wove herself.
Just imagining that image filled him with pity and affection.
Before he knew it, his hand was cupping her cheek. Gamal gently closed her eyes.
Their lips met.
Doyoung knew he would regret this moment.
There was no future for them. Not just because he had to leave the island, but because she was a vampire and he was human.
Even in this world, he had never imagined falling for a female vampire, so the lifespan gap in such couples had never really hit home.
But as she had for the past three thousand years, Gamal would remain like this, while he aged.
Even so, he understood why so many vampire-human couples chose to be together, deciding to enjoy what time they had. Nothing felt more right than this moment.
***
The two watched over the flower field together for a while. The surging red waves never grew tiresome. Instead, it brought a sense of pride, like beholding a long-labored creation.
After all, it was the landscape Gamal had so carefully crafted.
"Shall we go?"
Doyoung asked. Gamal nodded and helped him up. Doyoung leaned into her a bit more. Noticing the subtle difference, Gamal's cheeks flushed slightly.
They retraced their steps down.
"Water."
Then, as his throat grew parched, Doyoung said.
"Here."
Gamal pulled a water bottle from her crossbody bag. But their hands missed each other, and the bottle rolled away. Gamal dashed after it.
"Ah, wait."
Doyoung chuckled at the sight. Then, lowering his head unconsciously, he saw it.
Footprints.
Clearly imprinted in the dried, hardened mud.
Bare feet, male by the size. And quite large-built.
"Major?"
Gamal called when Doyoung did not follow. He calmly stepped on the footprints in the mud with his own foot.
"Let's go."
And walked on.