Conquering the Coconut Crab
The coastline, where the fierce rain had finally eased, was a mess of traces left by the storm that had swept through. Even as her feet sank deep into the wet sand, Jin-ah Baek spotted the trap basket point that Seong-un Lee had set up in advance.
Most of the trap baskets had been swept away after the stormy rainy season ended, but luckily, one bamboo trap basket buried in the sand remained intact.
"There it is!"
Inside the trap basket, a small fish pierced by sea urchin spines and two sea crabs gnawing at its flesh clacked their claws. So this is why guys get hooked on fishing. Though she hadn't made or set it herself, Jin-ah Baek remembered the thrill of fishing with Seong-un before the rains, and a pleased smile spread across her lips.
I'll eat the sea urchin right here.
After stowing the two sea crabs in her backpack, Jin-ah cleared out the dead fish and began stabbing the sea urchin with her bamboo spear. She knew the basics—like removing the guts before eating—but hunger left no room for thought. As the hard shell cracked open, revealing the yellow roe, she carefully scooped it out and ate. It was the exact same taste as the expensive delicacy she'd tried on a trip to Japan years ago, so she scraped every last bit from the shell.
"...Wish I could mix it with rice, grill some seaweed, and make a roll."
But forcing herself to forget the sea urchin's flavor, Jin-ah picked up her bamboo spear and headed toward the forest and rocks close to the shore.
Nothing here...
After searching for a while with no sign of the huge, grotesque coconut crab, she gave up and tilted her head toward the tall palm trees piercing the sky. Her plan was to knock down some palm fruits hanging at the top of a tree that looked at least 10 meters high.
"If I throw the spear, it'll fall... Huh?"
Aim the bamboo spear at the palm fruit—right then, something eerie caught her eye at the edge of her vision. A coconut crab, mottled in deep blue and brown, was crawling up the rough palm trunk.
"Eek...?!"
A wave of disgust hit her like she'd spotted a massive bug, making her shoulders twitch. But the chills were fleeting; the intense survival instinct of finding precious food took over. The sharp spear tip, once aimed at the palm fruit, now locked onto the coconut crab's hard carapace.
"...If I catch that thing, I'll eat like a queen today."
Remembering the taste of the coconut crab Seong-un had caught before, Jin-ah swallowed hard and gripped her spear tighter. It had been 12 days since they washed up on this deserted island. Whether her weakened body could accurately spear the crab high up on that palm tree was anyone's guess. But Jin-ah had been blessed with natural athleticism since childhood—she'd tried every sport there was. Above all, she couldn't forget the mouthwatering taste that would satisfy her hunger. She focused every nerve on the spear tip. The moment the coconut crab became her sole, crystal-clear target, she hurled the bamboo spear with all her might, squeezing out every ounce of strength.
Thud—!
With a dull rupturing sound, the bamboo tip struck the carapace dead-on. The coconut crab lost its balance and plummeted through the air.
Splat—!
Mud, soaked and sticky from the rain, splattered everywhere. Jin-ah flashed a triumphant smile, unable to believe she'd really pulled it off.
"No time to stand around."
Upside down and buried in the mud, it looked like a giant spider, evoking disgust and chills—but starvation made that irrelevant. Jin-ah grabbed her fallen bamboo spear and pounded the flailing coconut crab's underbelly until its struggles visibly weakened.
"Okay, that do it?"
She set down her backpack and used the spear tip as a lever to carefully flip the crab over. Every nerve was on edge, fearing those hideous, massive claws might snap out and sever her fingers the moment she approached. But the coconut crab was done for. The spear's impact plus the fall from 10 meters had left it groggy. And after Jin-ah's finishing blows to its vulnerable underbelly, it couldn't even twitch a leg.
"Yeah, not moving now, right?"
After one final smack to the head with the bamboo spear, Jin-ah finally relaxed. She shoved the coconut crab deep into her backpack and zipped it shut tight. The heavy weight pressed on her shoulders, but compared to the promise of a full belly, it was nothing.
First, gotta gut it and clean out the innards, right?
Recalling how Seong-un never butchered game near the cave, Jin-ah headed to the shore instead of back to the cave.
Like this?
Remembering how she'd glimpsed him gutting over his shoulder before the rains, Jin-ah processed her catch from the backpack. The shell cracked in the process, mashing some meat, but the result was satisfactory enough.
The deserted island's sky was darkening toward sunset.
"I-it's lit! Baek-jjin, dry grass, quick!"
"Yeah! Here!"
At a spot away from the cave entrance, Seo-hee Lee finally sparked a flame using a crumpled plastic bottle as a lens. Jin-ah hurriedly shoved in the pile of dry grass she'd gathered.
"Haa, now I can breathe..."
It had taken an hour just to get the fire going, leaving Seo-hee drained, but pride swelled in her for starting her first-ever fire. Still, she had to tend it, so she fed it the scarce dry twigs and logs she'd found, stabilizing the flames.
"Seo-hee. Here."
"Yeah. Just stick 'em by the fire?"
Seo-hee took the two sea crabs skewered on wooden sticks and positioned them slantwise near the bonfire. Meanwhile, Jin-ah placed the coconut crab—its shell moderately cracked by bashing with a rock—on layered palm leaves over a U-shaped fire pit and carefully slid it between the flames.
The recent rains and landslide had wiped out their cave supplies. Even the large clam shell they'd used as a pot had shattered while digging in the dirt. This cooking method was the best the two starving women could come up with.
As they waited for the coconut crab to roast between the fire pits, Seo-hee and Jin-ah sated their hunger with the slightly charred sea crabs.
"...Th-think it's done?"
"...Wait a bit more. If it's undercooked, we'll get sick."
The sea crabs' piercing shells and bitter char only made their stomachs growl louder. Finally, after what felt like forever, the crab meat turned white. Jin-ah slowly pulled out the palm leaves. Without a word, they both dug into the perfectly roasted flesh. Since it was baked unshelled, the meat was a bit tough. Still, they devoured every bit, washing it down with palm fruits for dessert.
"Aah, so fucking full~"
"Me too~"
Fire and food—in society, infrastructure as basic as air. But here on the island, producing it themselves turned it into a miraculous achievement. The two basked in the bonfire's warmth, beaming with childlike pride.
"That guy's something else."
"Yeah. Not just surviving alone, but us too."
As the accomplishment high peaked, Seo-hee mentioned Seong-un, and Jin-ah agreed with pure sincerity. Realizing just how massive his presence had been, their chatter naturally faded.
"Living here five years for real. What a beast. Baek-jjin, think you could?"
"No way. How do you survive five years in a place like this."
"Right? No phone, booze, car—bare-handed? Impossible. And sorry."
"...Sudden sorry for what?"
It was out of nowhere. The crackling firewood and flickering red flames in the deserted island night must've turned them sentimental. Seo-hee apologized again to Jin-ah with a wistful gaze, like she was confessing in church.
"Because of me we... No, I got nothing to say. If I hadn't gotten drunk, hadn't grabbed the wheel, this wouldn't have happened."
Seo-hee, the clear culprit behind their stranding—the ruthless egoist and sociopath who never admitted fault, always blaming others even family or friends. Her apology left Jin-ah stunned.
With bellies pleasantly full and the bonfire dancing under the night sky, Jin-ah—usually immune to such moods—missed that it was just Seo-hee's act for self-preservation.
"Nah, whatever... It couldn't be helped. Blaming you or me now changes nothing."
Seo-hee inwardly smirked at how easily she'd fallen for it, repeating her sorries and thanks.
"Enough, okay? We, uh, need hot stones, so I'll grab some..."
Embarrassed, Jin-ah fled into the cave, touching her flushed cheeks and shivering. Seo-hee, guess she's come to her senses a bit. Missing the manipulation, Jin-ah smiled faintly as she loaded stones and pebbles into her backpack. Then she gazed down at Seong-un, dead asleep on the mattress.
He's alive.
She'd worried he'd screamed himself to death in that short time, but his steady breathing brought relief.
"...Fucking loser punk."
Squatting, Jin-ah looked at his peaceful face and recalled their first day on the island. Back then, she'd seen him as a dangerous drifter, not even human. Now, he didn't scare or anger her like before. That moment when oxygen thinned and dizziness set in—he could've escaped alone but clutched her and Seo-hee, desperately clawing out of the wreckage. It was burned into her mind. Of course, Jin-ah knew it wasn't pure compassion. It was to pay back the hellish bullying from high school with his own hands.
"...Idiot. Who asked you to save us."
Her words were sharp as thorns, but the hand brushing his hair back from his forehead overflowed with affection.