Schemes and Fleshly Bargains
After handling lunch on the beach and returning to the cave to maintain his tools for the evening meal, Lee Seong-un was deep in work when...
"Hey, can we talk for a sec?"
He could already guess why Lee Seo-hee was sidling up to him and whispering. "You think I have to go just because you say so?"
Seo-hee froze for a moment with a blank look, then leaned in close to his ear. "...That's not what I meant. I have something important to tell you. It'll only take a minute."
It was obvious she was scheming to use him to screw over Baek Jin-ah, but hearing her out wouldn't hurt. If anything, he was curious what kind of plan she'd pitch and how she'd try to butter him up.
He grabbed the bamboo spear he'd been fixing and headed out of the cave toward the forest. Seo-hee followed smartly behind.
"You saw it earlier, right? That Baek-chin bitch is totally out of control."
Starting with the beach incident that afternoon, Seo-hee launched into badmouthing the absent Jin-ah.
"Think about it."
"Think about what?"
"I'm short and weak, so I'm no threat. But Baek-chin? She's different. She's still active, so her body's in top shape. And besides..."
He'd expected some fresh angle after years since high school, but it was just the same old predictable divide-and-conquer bullshit—empty words that left him disappointed.
"And what I said yesterday still stands. If you help me until rescue comes, I'll make sure you have enough money to live on for life..."
"You think you know when rescue is coming? And your money promise is just a blank check with no contract."
Seo-hee smirked and spat out some shameless line about going on faith.
"You wouldn't know, but my family's really rich. Way richer than Baek-chin's family—you can't even compare."
She went on bragging about being in Korea's top 1%, tight connections in politics, the works.
"You've been here a long time, so I'm not asking you to just blindly trust me. But don't regret it later."
Her groveling attitude from yesterday was gone, replaced by that arrogant, haughty vibe. He pondered how to put her in her place.
"What was that shit you were yapping about on the beach yesterday?"
"Huh? What did I say?"
"I'm curious about this thing where you begged your parents to save your friend who almost got fucked over."
In that instant, Seo-hee's smug smile and cocky gesture froze solid.
"I don't know. I just heard it was a fight between teammates that got out of hand."
She quickly schooled her face and played it off like no big deal, but that reaction screamed there was some juicy secret buried there.
"Don't wanna talk? Fine, don't."
He left it at that and walked off without a second glance. He could force her mouth open anytime he wanted, but saw no need right now. A sociopath like Seo-hee, who wouldn't even trust her closest friend and was ready to sell her out, would no doubt put Baek Jin-ah's weakness on the bargaining table by tonight to save her own skin—he could see it coming a mile away.
"Here. I washed it clean and refilled it with fresh water."
Back in the cave, Jin-ah held out a PET bottle full of fresh water. It was broad daylight, no need for torches, but her fawning attitude screamed for praise.
Back in high school, Jin-ah had this queen-bee aura no one but Seo-hee could approach. Now she was wagging her tail like a mutt begging for her master's pick. It had to be this deserted island's magic—if they'd washed up in normal society, he'd be the one groveling by now. The thought drew a hollow chuckle.
"It's dirty from your spit, so of course you refilled it."
"...Ah, yeah."
She wilted at a few words from him, but bounced back quick, ready to do whatever he ordered.
There's definitely something that went down between those two.
Back in high school, Seo-hee and Jin-ah had stuck together like shadows. Even accounting for the boat—or yacht—wreck that stranded them here, their vibe was off. No love lost. But one thing was clear: both bitches were fawning hard to get in his good graces.
Whatever their backstory, no need to dwell on it now.
"Hey, anything you want me to do? I can do it better than Lee Seo-hee..."
As he stood lost in thought, Jin-ah couldn't handle the silence and gingerly threw shade at Seo-hee while begging for orders.
"Then let me grope your tits."
"......Huh?"
The silence echoed through the long, lonely cave, and Jin-ah instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. That contemptuous glare from her eyes at dawn hit him again, reigniting the thrill that heated his blood.
"I'm not asking to fuck you or anything. Just a quick tit grab. Why the overreaction?"
"N-no, it was just so sudden. But I'll do better than that Seo-hee bitch at anything. And you'll need labor too..."
He snorted at her pivoting to "labor."
"You know how long I've been here?"
He tapped the notches carved daily into the cave wall with his bamboo spear.
"Five fucking years. Five years alone on this shithole island with jack shit."
The cave was dim even in daylight, but her stunned, dumbstruck face lit up clear as day at "five years."
"I could fuck you anytime I want. But I'm asking nice. Like a person."
"Th-then... could I just give you a handjob instead...?"
She'd rather jerk him off herself than let a stranger maul her tits. Fair enough.
"Okay."
"Huh?"
"Sure. Your offer."
No reason to say no. He'd planned to drag it out until they begged anyway. Her volunteering first was a bonus.
"Ah... um... y-yeah..."
Her eyes shook at the easy yes, a weak echo of agreement ringing out. Words spit out to dodge the discomfort of a grope had become reality.
"When?"
"Huh? Um... after dinner...?"
"Once the blonde bitch crashes. Rest up for now."
As he grabbed his bag to pack tools for the evening hunt, shell-shocked Jin-ah snapped to and offered her hand. Then she stuck by his side, asking what to pack, all fawning subservience.
In a normal Korean society, he'd be lurking on the edges of TV and SNS, spying on their skyrocketing lives, drowning in endless inferiority and pain.
"What's with you?"
"Grab the bag."
"Ah, yes! I'll carry it."
Five years and two days adrift on a deserted island. For the first time, he felt glad and relieved to have castaways. He must've gone pretty damn crazy himself.
Unlike lunch, dinner came easy. Fish guts left from lunch plus palm fruits scattered everywhere. Before heading back to the cave after eating, he'd combined them into a trap wedged in a rock crevice where beach met forest.
A few hours later, taking Seo-hee and Jin-ah back, a single coconut crab—big enough to stuff two or three people—had taken the bait.
Catching coconut crabs wasn't easy. They hid in tree shade, rock cracks, or caves by day, emerging only at night. He'd figured dozens of traps might snag just small hermit crabs, but one trap nabbed this monster? Luck from yesterday carrying over?
"...That thing's edible, right?"
Seo-hee gawked at the crab's grotesque shell as he hoisted it by the back.
"Starve then."
His all-purpose cheat code on a deserted island slipped out, and she babbled nonsense about its blue shell, possible poison, how they'd all die.
"What a fucking noob."
Jin-ah sidled up at some point, sneering pityingly. Seo-hee's eyes turned venomous.
"Baek-chin. You talking shit to me?"
"Yeah. To you, Seo-hee."
He wanted to step back and watch the fireworks, but...
"Both of you shut your traps and grab the stuff."
Bright daylight was one thing, but lingering as pitch black descended was suicide.
With crab and torch in hand, the two broke off their staredown, snatched their gear, and trailed close behind.
Beast cries rippled like dominoes along the path to the cave. A humid wind whispered eerily through the trees, thickening the air with creepy tension.
Seo-hee and Jin-ah, who'd been glued to his back, shuffled to his sides, shoulders hunched, steps slowing.
It slowed him a bit, but they reached the cave mouth without incident.
"Huuuuaaa..."
"Hah, hah...!"
Seo-hee collapsed to the ground, tension draining. Jin-ah braced shaking knees, panting dryly.
"Hungry? Then sort this shit out quick."
Dangle food as hostage, and they dropped their break, grabbing gear and heading inside.