Five Years and Four More Days on the Deserted Island
Eleven days—five years on the deserted island plus four more. Staring at the empty fish trap left me feeling down. Not a single fish, not even a hermit crab. That morning, I'd quelled my hunger with one of Baek Jin-ah's energy bars and a coconut, but those finite, precious rations had to be savored.
"Hey, take this and go fishing."
"Huh? You can fish with this?"
"Or starve."
"Fuck. Why's it always me?"
He pulled out the two bamboo fishing rods poking from her bag, attached the line twisted from plant fibers, and threaded a few chunks of wild boar meat onto the hook he'd fashioned from straightened nails as bait.
"See? I'm leaving it here. You go over there, and you head that way."
"Where are you going?"
"Setting coconut crab traps. Fish while I'm gone. Yell if something happens."
Grabbing the leftover coconuts from breakfast and more boar meat for bait, he headed along the beach to the coconut crab habitats, setting several traps.
The wind's too damn humid.
On the way back, the muggy breeze from afar carried a sticky dampness. He didn't know exact dates or seasons, but humid winds like this always heralded the rainy season's torrential downpours.
Should've kept that boar meat instead of tossing it.
The thought of smoking yesterday's discarded meat flickered briefly. But without proper knowledge, and given the island's shitty conditions, it spoiled fast no matter how much smoke he used. Plus, the rotten stench had attracted beasts and bugs for days of hell.
"No time for that."
The sky was still clear, but rain felt imminent—he had to hustle anyway.
"Catch anything?"
Asking Baek Jin-ah, who stood blankly at the spot he'd shown her, she shook her head: nothing.
"Listen."
"Yeah? Huh?"
The hook at the line's end just glinted; the bait was gone clean.
"I threaded it two or three times, right?"
"Yes. Just like you showed me..."
"Try it."
Threading boar meat from the coconut bowl onto the hook was no issue.
"I've never fished before..."
"It's fine. First time and all."
"Pardon? Th-thank you?"
"Why say it like a question?"
He'd expected his usual mix of curses and scolding for incompetence, but the unexpected encouragement left her flustered—and her honest bafflement was hilarious.
"Wh-why are you laughing?"
"'Cause you were fucking cute. Drooling spit and pussy juice just from me touching you a bit."
"...Perverted fuck."
She crossed her arms over her chest, face and tone dripping disgust.
"A horny bitch like you making that face just makes me harder."
"...Fine, go fuck with Lee Seo-hee then."
"Yeah. Fish hard. Unless you wanna starve."
When the equatorial rainy season hit, it didn't stop after an hour or two. Shortest was days; longest, a week of world-devouring floods. But he kept it to himself. Warning them early would just breed pointless anxiety and fuck up their fishing. He headed toward Lee Seo-hee.
"Catch anything?"
"You think I'd have something already, realistically?"
Fishing hatless under the blazing sun had her irritable, but she caught herself, glancing at him sheepishly with a fake cough.
"Anyway, how long do we gotta do this?"
"Hate it? Quit. Starve."
"...Got it. I'll fish hard."
The backtalk queen suddenly compliant? Weird.
"You're in the way. Go."
"Fuck off yourself. Fine."
With both bitches fishing diligently to avoid going hungry, he could finally stretch and prep to enter the sea.
"Wh-why are you stripping?"
"Gonna swim."
"...To suicide?"
"You nuts?"
Ignoring her bullshit, he stretched, grabbed his thinly split bamboo spear, and waded in.
Eyes are gonna sting like hell, fuck.
Opening eyes underwater was insane, but the initial burn faded into tolerance.
Clear day helps, but currents are fierce.
No stopping now. He swam toward the coral reefs, took deep breaths, and scanned for prey. Fish darted about, but they were small—without rubber-band tension, spearing was tough. He resurfaced repeatedly, diving through the reefs, but nothing edible.
Keep this up and I'll lose face.
Repeated dives sapped stamina and warmth—not just pride at stake, but who knew what those two might pull. Then—
There.
Sand rippled faintly; a broad octopus stirred. About 3kg by size, oddly strolling sand instead of hiding in rocks. Didn't matter. Catch it, save face, secure food.
Surface for air? Nah, it'd bolt. Gripping the spear straight, he descended, holding his breath to the limit, creeping silently for the perfect moment. Treating it as one shot, he closed in slow. The octopus, crawling sandward, froze.
Aim for the head, thrust with all force—the impact felt good, but no slacking. Ink-squirting struggles; he shoved the spear deeper.
Die, fuck!
Lungs burning like fire, he thrashed desperately for life, just like the octopus. Finally, the inky blackness dispersed, sea reclaiming color. The octopus dangled limp, weakly spurting pale ink.
No time for triumph. Spear in hand, he swam up fast.
Haa!!! Haa!!!
Breaking surface, fresh air flooded his shrunken lungs. Any longer, and he'd have ended like the limp octopus on his spear.
Balls are gonna freeze off.
Delayed joy hit, then bone-chilling cold.
"Whoa, you actually caught it?"
Onto hot sand, Lee Seo-hee and Baek Jin-ah—fishing done—approached, marveling at the octopus dangling mid-spear.
"How'd you do it?"
"It actually works."
Breath ragged, he feigned calm. Empty-handed with their mockery? He'd have beaten them senseless. But hauling prey from the depths—starting with yesterday's boar—earned their first looks of genuine respect.
Heading back with coconuts post-hunt, Lee Seong-un arrived at the cave and ordered the two to haul in the firewood and dry branches left outside. He himself rushed the smoldering logs from the entrance inside.
Kwarung—!!
Shwaaaa!!
As if waiting, thunder roared; soon, pounding rain hammered the earth, filling the cave.
"Almost got soaked."
"It's pouring buckets."
Lee Seo-hee and Baek Jin-ah called it luck, but leaning against the cave wall, Lee Seong-un pondered deeply. Island rainy seasons lasted days to over a week. Knowing this, he had to ration cave food until it passed.
"Fuck, our shoulders are touching."
"You're the one scooting over, fuckhead."
As the pair bickered at eye contact, he snapped at them to shut up; only rain's roar echoed.
Sunk in thought, Lee Seong-un gathered and inventoried cave food instead of idling. Baek Jin-ah's backpack held five energy bars, a pack of individually wrapped chocolates, the octopus he'd speared, and 15 coconuts picked en route. Not much for three adults, but he sat them on the cave floor and briefed on the rainy season and rations.
"So you're rationing food, right?"
Baek Jin-ah raised her hand; he nearly snapped it was obvious but swallowed it.
"No telling when rain stops. Eat reckless, we starve dead."
"Coconuts outside—grab 'em and eat?"
Lee Seo-hee's point was valid, but he smirked.
"Why laugh? Did I say something wrong?"
Not wrong. Risk the rain, pick coconuts, survive. But—
"You blind to that slope?"
His chin pointed outside: cascading rain turned the incline into a raging torrent.
"Slip, you're swept away dead."
"For real?"
Doubtful Lee Seo-hee apologized quick as he approached.
"I warned you. Do what you want."
But brushing past her dismissively, he flopped on the mattress. Witnessing his nonchalance, Lee Seo-hee and Baek Jin-ah finally grasped this was no joke.