Day 13 on the Deserted Island – Noon
It was noon on the 13th day on the deserted island. Perhaps because of last night's intense release of pent-up lust, Jin-ah Baek didn't lift her heavy eyelids until much later than usual.
...Did I sleep in my swimsuit? Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she fiddled with the swimsuit strap draped over her shoulder. She vaguely remembered tossing it off, but seeing it back in place, she racked her brain—only to brush it aside as hunger gnawed at her, her hand stroking her famished belly.
Jin-ah Baek threw off the wild boar hide blanket and headed out of the cave.
"Ah... so warm...."
Tilting her face up with eyes closed, Jin-ah savored the deserted island's murderous sunlight at her leisure. With the chill that had bound her body gone, she did some light stretches to loosen her stiff muscles, ending with a big stretch.
Shaking off the post-sleep lethargy, Jin-ah—now wide awake—went back into the cave and roused Seo-hee Lee, who was still deep in slumber. Seo-hee woke in a daze and tried to flop back down, but Jin-ah dragged her out and made her stretch anyway.
Grumbling about what the hell this was, Seo-hee nonetheless felt her sleepy haze lift as she moved, gradually perking up.
The two prepared their late breakfast—which doubled as lunch. With only coconuts to eat, there wasn't much prep needed.
"Haaa... I'm starving...."
Seo-hee devoured the juice and flesh greedily, but it barely took the edge off, so she sighed and complained of hunger.
"Baek-jjin. Heading to the coast again today?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Hmm... think I'll tag along."
Jin-ah Baek, sensing how much Seo-hee had changed since yesterday, couldn't hide her delight.
"What's got you so happy? Were you lonely going alone~?" Seo-hee teased, and Jin-ah pulled a straight face like what the hell are you talking about.
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Better to forage together than you running around solo."
"...You're not just mocking me?"
"I'm saying it's 'cause I feel bad you were spinning your wheels alone. Take it at face value."
Jin-ah knew Seo-hee wasn't the type to notice someone's hard work or join in—she was more likely to mock it outright, a total personality wreck. They say near-death experiences change people... has she really turned over a new leaf?
Jin-ah pegged it to the brush with death a few days back; since then, Seo-hee's tone and attitude felt nothing like the girl she knew. Still, even feeling grateful, an undercurrent of unease lingered for some reason.
But dividing the area to forage as a team beat going solo and coming up empty. That said, her eyes drifted to Seong-un Lee, still sprawled on the mattress in the cave.
"Then who's watching him?"
"Fever's way down from yesterday, so he should be fine, right?"
Seo-hee answered indifferently, but her eyes were different—sharp, like a predator warning don't you dare poach the prey I've marked, knowing full well what Jin-ah had gotten up to last night.
"...Mm. Better than yesterday, so probably no issues in the meantime."
In truth, Seong-un's body—honed by five years on the island for wild survival—had exceptional recovery. With Jin-ah's diligent ointment and meds, he should've regained consciousness today under normal circumstances. But last night's depraved tag-team by the two women had sapped his stamina and vitality to the root, pushing his awakening pathetically into a few more days.
"Yeah, probably. If he's lucky, he might even come to by the time we get back."
Oblivious to those facts, the pair chatted. Seo-hee half-assed her replies while keeping a sharp eye on Jin-ah.
Unlike Jin-ah, who had Seo-hee pegged, Seo-hee didn't know Jin-ah all that well. But one thing she knew for sure: her taste in men.
From childhood, Jin-ah's parents had laid down a track called "sports" with no real goal, just endless forward motion. She needed outlets to breathe. As an athlete, she ignored body-wreckers like booze or smokes, but hilariously, she had zero qualms about men.
Acting all iron-wall pure every time she hooked up, but this is her type? Seo-hee smirked inwardly.
Jin-ah only showed at friend-forced blind dates reluctantly. If no one met her standards—which never happened—she'd freeze the room with obvious disinterest.
But the losers who showed up were all trash anyway—thanks for the favors.
Whenever Jin-ah tanked the vibe, the guys were invariably shiny-packaged garbage. Seo-hee exploited their weaknesses—suing some, pimping others—for twisted fun and material gain.
If even Baek-jjin acts this gaga in front of me, he must be prime... right?
Watching Jin-ah's devoted nursing, Seo-hee reflected on her own humiliations at Seong-un's hands post-wreck. The raw shame of slave treatment still stung—she clenched a fist—but recalling his lower half melted her anger like snow.
...Whatever. He looks broke as hell. But tall, ripped, packing—that's enough.
Settling her materialistic compromise, Seo-hee licked her lips lewdly, anticipating tonight. Confirming Seong-un stable, Jin-ah grabbed her bamboo spear and backpack from against the cave wall, gearing up for the coast. Seo-hee snapped to, scanning for what to bring—spotting something.
Under uncleared dirt, a wild boar leg bone peeked out. She scooped soil with a coconut shell.
"You coming?"
"Yeah, hold on!"
Seo-hee followed Jin-ah out, clutching the leftover boar bone from last time.
****
Jin-ah Baek and Seo-hee Lee arrived at the deserted island's coast. Before diving in, they divvied tasks efficiently.
Jin-ah—with superior stamina and hunting experience—took foraging around the coast. Seo-hee claimed the open beach to catch rescuers' eyes.
"Fuck... so damn heavy."
Seo-hee huffed after placing the last big rock in her massive SOS signal. Tempted to crash in the palm shade, some whim made her bend again, gripping the boar bone tighter.
Using it like a brush, she gouged deep into the sand: HELP—bigger than the rock SOS.
"This oughta shut Baek-jjin up."
Proud, she dashed to the shade.
"...Wish we had a phone for pics."
Hugging her knees, staring at the endless ocean beyond, Seo-hee muttered idly.
With her task flawless—no room for gripes—she shifted to her real goal.
What a pain in the ass. Still, gotta keep her quiet.
Wiping sweat, biting her lip. During the crash probe, Jin-ah blurting it was her drunken fault would screw her. Normally, booze mishaps got buried with cash and clout. But her three missing travel buddies? Equals or better pedigrees.
Those fuckers need to die.
Eight years friends with Jin-ah since high school freshman year. But the other three? Lifelong ties from parents' circles—family-deep entanglements.
So for her own skin, Seo-hee desperately wished those near-siblings-as-good-as dead and washed up as corpses.
No tears from her if they croaked, but one nature doc scene stuck: baby hippo savaged by croc at the river. The herd's vengeful shredding of the croc—brutal.
Family vibes were off too. Parents always cleaned her messes, but pre-trip warned: no next time.
Born the precious youngest, Seo-hee grew spoiled rotten into a selfish sociopath. But if this DUI truth exploded? Family survival meant carving out even their golden girl without mercy.
"Sigh. Time to poke trash."
Rest over, she rose, shading scorching sun, prodding wave-tossed debris with the boar bone. Grimacing at filthy driftwood and rotten kelp—then, amid dark seaweed clumps, something gleamed, snagging her eye.