The Ruined Family Trip (3)
In the front yard of the completely wrecked pension, the sharp scent of butane gas mixed with the sizzle of pork neck grilling over open flame.
Hyunwoo had kicked the charcoal fire away earlier, leaving the group with nothing but portable burners. On one, thick cuts of pork neck and garlic browned to a perfect golden edge; on the other, ramen bubbled away.
"Hyunwoo, it's burning. Turn the heat down a bit."
Hyunjin pointed at the burner, offering her unsolicited advice. Hyunwoo shifted the tongs in his hand and let out a dry chuckle.
"Burning? It's just a little browned."
"You used to insist it wasn't burnt and nearly made us eat completely charred meat."
"That was...! The grill plate was weird that time..."
At the wronged look on Hyunwoo's face as he got scolded, Iseo and Hyuna—who had been chewing quietly beside them—burst out laughing.
Purple fog pressed in from every direction, an unfathomable void yawning beneath them. Only moments earlier the five of them had been shaking with the terror of death, yet the warmth of the burners and the rich smell of meat had stirred their appetites enough to push the darker thoughts aside, if only for a little while.
"Here, this batch is done too. Dig in."
Hyunwoo snipped the pork neck into generous pieces with kitchen shears and set them in a bowl. Hyuna was the first to stretch out her chopsticks and pop a piece into her mouth.
"Mmm~! Meat really tastes best when someone else grills it for you!"
"Am I a stranger to you?"
"Don't know~ Don't know~"
"This kid..."
Hyuna chewed with exaggerated cuteness; Hyunjin clicked her tongue in disbelief.
Then her gaze landed on the two bottles standing neatly beside the ice box. Once power failed, the pension's ancient refrigerator had begun warming fast, so they had pulled the less temperature-sensitive items out of the ice box and packed the fresh food in their place. Left standing forlornly without a home were glass bottles of deep purple liquid—the bokbunja wine Hyuna had secretly bought.
"Kang Hyuna, so why the hell did you buy that? What were you planning to do by feeding it to Hyunwoo?"
"Ah, right! Bokbunja wine! Unnie, this stuff is seriously delicious!"
Hyuna dashed over, snatched up a bottle, and sparkled with excitement as she started twisting the cap. Hyunjin's brow furrowed.
"Hey, Kang Hyuna. Do we look like we're in a position to casually throw a drinking party? In the first place—"
"Noona, leave it."
Hyunwoo picked up a paper cup and cut across her words.
"Everyone's been through a lot. Just one cup each. I'm not saying we drink until we're wasted."
Hyunjin knew a single cup was harmless. The problem was that some people couldn't handle even that.
"Hyunwoo's right, Hyunjin."
Soyul's gentle voice joined in.
"Everyone's nerves are shot after brushing death today. Especially you—it's good to feel responsible, but if you stay this tense your body locks up and you can't properly..."
Who do you think I'm like this for right now...
Hyunjin heaved a long sigh at the two of them, then finally let the stiffness leave her face.
"Hah, fine. One cup each. Only one. Drink more and start acting up and I'll smack you."
Bokbunja wine glugged into the paper cups. The rich, sweet berry scent mixed with the acrid smoke and teased their noses. Hyunwoo and the others raised their cups.
"Well, to not dying. Cheers."
"Cheers~!"
Clink—
The cups touched. The sweet-and-tart wine slid down their throats, and the tension in their bodies loosened as gentle warmth spread through them.
"Haa... sweet."
Hyunwoo wiped his lips and exhaled a breath thick with alcohol. The bone-deep exhaustion seemed to settle quietly under the liquor's influence.
But as time passed, Hyunjin's worries began to come true.
Soyul was the first to show it. Always a lightweight, her cheeks flushed a soft pink the moment she finished half a cup. She swayed a little, then naturally scooted right up against Hyunwoo's side.
"Hyunwoo..."
"Yeah, Noona. What is it?"
"Earlier... I was really grateful."
Soyul looked at him with unfocused eyes and gently rested her head on his shoulder. A faint apricot scent rose as something full and warm pressed softly against his arm. The sudden firm-yet-yielding sensation sent a sharp thrill racing up his spine.
Soyul Noona gets like this again the second she drinks... Last time it was already hard enough to hold back...
Hyunwoo forced his gaze toward the burner flame and swallowed hard. The razor-sharp look his sister Hyunjin shot him while chewing meat was just the bonus.
I tried to stop her because I knew Soyul would end up like this...
"Han Soyul, stop rubbing your chest on my little brother. The kid's pants are going to burst."
"Aww~ Hyunjin, you... After everything Hyunwoo went through today, you're fussing over this? Hyunwoo, how is it? Want me to do more?"
"Ha... haha..."
Soyul smiled bashfully, linked her arm through his, and tried to pull him even closer. From the other side, Iseo's eyes flashed.
A few sips of bokbunja wine had already painted Iseo's face a deep red. She wrapped two thick slices of pork neck, garlic, and a generous scoop of ssamjang into an enormous lettuce wrap, then scrambled over to sit beside Hyunwoo and held it out to his mouth.
"Hyunwoo Oppa! Eat this!"
"Huh? Uh... Iseo, thanks."
He opened his mouth and took the wrap. Iseo tried to hide her burning face as she shyly tugged his arm closer. Then she downed the rest of her cup in one go, made a decisive face, and sandwiched his hand firmly between her thighs before locking her arm around his so completely that he couldn't pull free.
What's with this one too?! I'm going crazy...
The mild buzz from the wine had just started to loosen him up; now the merciless pincer attack from both sides was becoming pure agony. Hyunjin and Hyuna watched him with matching looks of pity and disdain.
Look at that dopey face. Two girls sandwiching him and he's in heaven, isn't he? What does Soyul even see in this kid...
Iseo is wasted on him... Why does Oppa make her go that far? Playing with a girl's heart like that—trash.
"I'm really glad Oppa was there... I survived because Oppa held me..."
Watching her precious friend stick to her annoying older brother and act all sweet made Hyuna's mood sour.
"Hey, Yun Iseo! Don't play favorites!"
Hyuna tapped her chopsticks against the bowl in sharp reprimand. Iseo's face went even redder as she waved her free hand.
"I-It's not like that! I'll wrap one for you too, so shut up!"
Hyunwoo couldn't help a quiet snort of laughter.
Once the meal wound down and the trash was cleared, eldest sister Hyunjin stood and took charge.
"Alright. Stomachs full, nerves a little calmer—time to plan for tonight. We still don't know where we are, and I'm not even sure this place has a real night..."
She pointed at the gear piled in one corner of the terrace.
"The rooms are gone, so we're sleeping on concrete. We brought the tent and mats for the valley, plus a few big blankets for after water play when it gets cold, so..."
"Noona, use the tent without me. I'll just spread a blanket on the ground."
Hyunwoo's calm offer made Soyul wave both hands in protest.
"Don't say nonsense. You suffered the most today. You sleep in the tent. If we squeeze close it'll be fine. Turn sideways and stick together and there's plenty of room—"
"That's right! Sleeping stuck together should work! Or I'll just sleep on top of Oppa!"
"...What?"
Did she secretly pour herself another cup?
While Hyunjin eyed Iseo with open suspicion, Hyuna freaked out and started smacking her friend's back.
"Ow..."
"The tent's a four-person, so if we pack in we can all fit. Hyunwoo's big, but the rest of us are small, so..."
"No. Thinking about it—one person, no, two people need to stay awake."
Hyunwoo cut firmly across Hyunjin's words.
"We have no idea where this is. Someone has to keep watching the surroundings. One person might doze off, so two should stand watch."
With so few of us the rotation's going to be brutal... but it's necessary. Hah... night watch, of all things.
Everyone agreed. They drew lots with chopsticks for the order, then cleaned up the area as the darkness deepened further—though whether this pitch-black place even had a true night was anyone's guess.
After the tent was hastily pitched and three of them crawled inside to sleep, Hyunwoo and Iseo sat on two camping chairs under a shared large blanket and fell into a brief silence.
Barely out of the military and I'm standing night watch again... This sucks...
What is Oppa thinking right now? Not about Soyul Unnie... right?
"Um..."
"Iseo..."
"Ah—Oppa first!"
"Uh, yeah. Iseo, something that's been bugging me—your hand that touched the grill. Is it okay? It must've been hot."
"Hehe... I'm fine! You know I've got tons of calluses from years of training. A little hot metal won't hurt me!"
Iseo had been a shot-put athlete through high school. Back then she had been round, solid, packed with muscle—almost a different person from the girl sitting beside him now. Even the current Hyunwoo, still carrying the bulk from military training, wouldn't have bet on winning a one-on-one against that version of her.
Quitting while she was still performing well just so she could study and attend the same university as Hyuna had been a disaster for her coach; the man had apparently clung to her for months trying to change her mind.
In the end she studied like crazy and still applied downward to our school. Friends really matter at times like that... If Hyuna had been a little smarter, Iseo could've gone somewhere better...
The fleeting thought that maybe she had chosen their university because of him rather than Hyuna crossed his mind, but he immediately scoffed at himself for the self-important fantasy.
What is Oppa thinking about again? Still can't forget Soyul Unnie's chest from earlier, can he...
Whether the two of them were lost in their own scattered thoughts or not, the purple fog continued to swirl around the group.
Hyunwoo stared blankly up at the night sky—no, at the pitch-black void overhead.
It's quiet...
Right then.
Tss... tss-tss...
Something moved through the purple fog; the sound brushed past Hyunwoo's ear. His eyes narrowed to sharp slits in an instant.
That's not wind. There hasn't been any wind here at all...
Tadadak!
Sssssk... krrrk...
It was a creepy noise, like a giant centipede or some shelled creature gnawing on rock. The oily smell and acrid smoke from the grilled meat, the faint blue glow of the lines binding the ground—something in the fog had caught the scent of life and mana and was being drawn toward them.
—Swoosh.
Two small pupils, glowing a bizarre blood-red, flashed once inside the fog and then slithered out of sight.
Hyunwoo bit his lip and groped for anything he could grip. Every hair on his body stood on end under a crushing wave of danger.
"...Oppa?"
"Something... is coming...!"
"...!"
A grotesque shadow swam silently through the fog, heading straight for the sleeping pension.