Endless Rain and Looming Futures
The moment he woke up in the morning, he drew a long horizontal line with four slashes. If Lee Seo-hee and Baek Jin-ah hadn't washed ashore, he would've made love to a fresh Sophia like always.
'Fuckers showed up, but at least my mind's at ease now.' The maddening loneliness was completely gone, but the downpour outside the cave was unchanged from yesterday.
'If the rainwater keeps pooling, it'll be a pain.' He could bail it out with leftover coconut shells from yesterday's meal, but if it kept up like this, it'd be trouble.
"Hey, quit sprawling like a dick and get up."
"Ugh?!"
He kicked Baek Jin-ah, who was sleeping weirdly hugging her bag, and watching her jump up with that ridiculous noise was a sight to behold.
"Ah... my head."
"Catch a cold?"
"Just from waking up..."
"Then wake Lee Seo-hee. Time to eat."
Baek Jin-ah got up slowly, giving him a wary glare that felt off, and her voice was hoarse unlike yesterday—worrisome.
"Hey."
"...What?"
"Sleep on the mattress if you're cold. You're at least useful."
Baek Jin-ah's sleepy daze vanished in surprise, then she nodded shortly in thanks and kicked at Lee Seo-hee sprawling on the mattress.
'Gotta torment 'em when they're in top shape.' Even with the ongoing rain, Baek Jin-ah's labor was vital—he couldn't let her get sick. Plus, her juicy reactions made teasing her fun. Anyway, her slightly hoarse throat worried him, and eating only cold stuff would chill her more, so hot food for breakfast sounded good.
Unscattered rain clouds hung heavy in the cold evening.
"Eh... this is all for today?"
Lee Seong-un divided a single-serve energy bar into thirds for dinner, handing out individual chocolates and hot water from the packet.
"High calories."
"Won't even fill my stomach..."
"Shut your mouth and eat."
Offended by Lee Seong-un's "shut up," Lee Seo-hee grumbled under her breath as she picked at her portion.
"When's this rain gonna stop?"
Baek Jin-ah gazed out at the cave mouth. Lee Seong-un answered honestly: shortest four days, longest over a week.
"...Basically monsoon. No, typhoon level."
Thunder and lightning cracked the sky violently as fierce rain and wind whipped around. Baek Jin-ah hugged herself, shivering at the sight.
The deserted island's dark night, endless downpour, and cave environment piled up, plummeting the temperature viciously.
Lee Seong-un carefully poured boiled fresh water from a shell over embers into a hollow coconut.
"Share it."
In the sharply dropping chill, the warm water had minimal effect, but better than nothing. Feeling a bit warmer inside, the two women perceptively passed the leftovers to Lee Seong-un.
'Subtly sweet—nice.' Already lukewarm from the cold, the water still carried the faint sweetness of coconut, refreshing his mouth.
But no time to savor. With wind and rain battering the cave entrance, he couldn't let the heated stones cool.
"Here."
Lee Seo-hee brought wild boar hide at the perfect moment; Lee Seong-un snarked praise, saying she'd finally grown some sense.
"I-I'll help too."
Baek Jin-ah watched the two seeming unusually close, anxiety flaring. She'd shuddered at yesterday's lewd sight, but feared it might've been the trigger pushing her out of Lee Seong-un's favor.
'I'm useful. Even I'd pick the obedient one over...'
Chewing over his morning words inwardly, Baek Jin-ah convinced herself she was indispensable. But yesterday's scene was too vivid a problem.
Countless thoughts flashed through Baek Jin-ah's mind. She knew the answer but refused to accept or act on it.
'Cold...'
Baek Jin-ah propped her backpack against the blowing wind and rain, but it was pathetically small against nature.
'Not doing it today...'
Unlike yesterday, both slept peacefully; she regretted her prideful stubbornness. But yielding it might've landed her in yesterday's scene—she hugged her knees tighter at the thought.
Wearing t-shirt and shorts from her bag to fend off the cold, but as night deepened, temperature plunged terrifyingly.
Envious of the two sleeping hugging heated stones and gravel in boar hide, Baek Jin-ah inched closer unwittingly.
'...As long as I don't lie down with them.'
She'd shifted near the mattress where Lee Seong-un and Lee Seo-hee slept together. That should suffice; hugging her knees, she endured, endured—but the heat from mere centimeters away touched her skin.
Entranced briefly by the warmth, Baek Jin-ah unfolded her legs and edged toward the mattress.
'...Kinda toasty.'
Careful not to wake them, she touched the boar hide; her near-frozen hands thawed sweetly, a sensation long missed.
She wanted to stop and return, but already addicted to the warmth.
'No. If they catch me... big trouble?'
"...What're you doing?"
"...!!!"
Meeting eyes with the soundly sleeping Lee Seong-un—who even spoke—Baek Jin-ah, lost in warmth, froze in shock without screaming.
"...Lie down."
"...Y-Yes?"
Lee Seong-un, now up, nodded at his spot; a dumb reply leaked from frozen Baek Jin-ah.
"Get some shut-eye."
He headed to the cave mouth, gazing at the rain. Doubting his sudden kindness, but unable to resist the soft bed and warmth's temptation.
'...Smells a bit, but nice.'
Enveloped softly, body warming, Baek Jin-ah sank into deep sleep like losing consciousness.
Lee Seong-un, watching rain from the entrance, returned to the mattress and checked the blissfully grinning Baek Jin-ah.
'Better leave her be.'
Suppressing a laugh at her candy-sated smile, he leaned against the cave wall.
Sleeping off-mattress was rare for Lee Seong-un; he closed his eyes briefly.
'Rescue teams won't search in this weather.'
Opening eyes to confirm the storm outside, his gaze shifted to the mattress.
Trapped in this cramped cave till rainy season's end. Suddenly, high school classroom scenes overlapped—stifling silence he once called hell.
Bullying others was mere prankish fun; he was treated like a sandbag that could break without consequence.
Unlike then, the wretched victim Lee Seong-un was now the sole alpha here.
His former tormentors became less than betas, their lives hanging on his whims.
'Rain making me all sentimental, fuck.'
Reflecting on his life, Lee Seong-un spent the sleepless night in quiet contemplation.
Deserted island: five years and six days.
Roasted coconut for breakfast, skipped lunch—wasting time till dinner felt criminal.
"Hey, what's Korea like these days?"
Lee Seo-hee and Baek Jin-ah, bored like him, explained how fast the world had changed.
"Bullshit. Who folds their phone like that."
"It's real. Everyone's using foldables now."
"That's for niche tastes. Most stick to bars."
After five years stranded, had the world changed that much?
"So you're saying phones this size fold and unfold?"
"Yeah. Screen's here when folded."
Their faces said no lie.
"Delivery fees start at 5,000 won base now."
"Fuck. Used to be free or 500 basic."
"Inflation. But 4,000 monthly sub makes it free."
"Chicken? How much for chicken?"
Nearly 30,000 won—he couldn't help but scoff.
"No way. That much in a few years? Back in my day..."
World changed, prices soared while trapped here—surprising yet unbelievable.
"Military's down to 18 months too."
"Wha—hold up?"
Baek Jin-ah mentioned army next; he nearly ignored, but sudden worry hit.
Even if rescued safely, revived from missing/presumed dead—even with exemption or public service, would the draft board let a top-grade like him slide? Then another two—no, 18 months wasted pointlessly, fuck?
"What's wrong?"
"You said your family's in law."
Pretending ignorance of her background, he voiced his anxiety to Lee Seo-hee.
"Huh? You didn't go?"
"No warrant, so no."
"Your look... thought you survived it."
"Shut your trap. So, what happens?"
Lee Seo-hee claimed ignorance, proving useless again, but promised her family firm would check if rescued back in Korea—an empty check.
"Ah... suddenly feel like shit..."
"They let you use phones in army now, even order delivery."
Baek Jin-ah tried comforting, but no dice. Phones? Delivery? Not the issue.
Rescued after five years—then what? Locked in army 18 months? Fuck that future.
"Baek Thickhead, I know your brain's shit, but think before speaking."
"You're the retard bringing up army. And quit bullshitting about the firm."
The two started bickering, headache brewing; to vent this shit mood, he needed something.
"...Hey, Lee Seo-hee. Baek Jin-ah. Tits out."
They paused fighting, staring like he'd spouted nonsense; too lazy to explain simply.
"Bare those udders. Let me grope some tits."