2
# Chapter 2
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The old diesel engine continuously spewed out an irritating, grating noise.
Every time the bow cut through the white, breaking waves, fierce seawater splashed against his face.
Im Seok-ho stood leaning against the side of the boat, taking the salty sea breeze head-on. Despite the boat's constant
rocking, his posture remained remarkably steady.
"Hey! Hold on tight! A big swell is coming!"
Park Seong-cheol, who was holding the steering wheel, shouted in a voice tinged with a metallic rasp.
The moment his words left his mouth, the old fishing boat surged upward before crashing back down with a heavy thud.
Seawater splashed in every direction, but Seok-ho didn't even blink as he gripped the railing firmly.
Park Seong-cheol clicked his tongue as he pulled his cap down over his head.
"You're a young fellow, but you've got some guts. You insist on going there even in this weather. Don't you get
seasick?"
"I'm used to waves like these."
At Seok-ho's calm response, Park Seong-cheol narrowed his eyes.
"I thought you were a landlubber, but looks like you've spent some time on boats. Worked on a tuna boat or something?"
"I worked for a marine surveying company. We traveled by boat, inspecting underwater terrain and ship structures."
"Ah, I see. No wonder the way you handle the waves didn't look ordinary."
Park Seong-cheol nodded and roughly turned the steering wheel.
As the boat changed direction, a mass rising abruptly from the gray sea in the distance came into view.
It was Haewoldo.
The island felt much harsher and more isolated in person than it had on the satellite map. The coastline surrounding the
island consisted almost entirely of sharp cliffs, while the color of the sea grew darker, like thick black ink, the
closer it came to the island.
Park Seong-cheol pointed toward the waters around the island with his chin.
"See how the water's swirling over there? It's a damn troublesome area. Reefs are spread all over the bottom. Even the
fishermen around here try to avoid docking anywhere near that place whenever possible."
Seok-ho silently gazed at the sea.
Just as Park Seong-cheol had said, the current was no joke. Waves surging in from the open sea crashed against the reefs
surrounding the island, creating white foam.
To an ordinary observer, it might have looked like nothing more than rough waves. But to Seok-ho, who had analyzed ocean
currents for over ten years, the complicated swirling movements beneath the surface were clearly visible.
The seabed drops sharply here.
The currents collided from different directions before bending inward. If a boat entered incorrectly, its hull would
inevitably be torn open by the reefs.
But looking at it from the opposite perspective, areas with terrain like this tended to have abundant food, naturally
attracting fish.
"Captain, the current near the pier is relatively calm."
"That little piece of breakwater blocks some of the wind. But the pier's practically collapsed too, so docking is a real
pain. Be careful."
The boat entered a small bay on the southern side of Haewoldo. As the waves that had been raging outside entered the
island's sheltered waters, they became considerably calmer.
However, as Park Seong-cheol had warned, the pier was in terrible condition. Half of the concrete structure had been
torn away, while the wooden posts had rotted, leaving behind nothing but grotesque skeletal frames. White seagull
droppings had hardened all over them.
"Doesn't look like we can get too close. We could break the propeller if we're not careful!"
Park Seong-cheol reduced the engine power and looked troubled. A gap of roughly two meters remained between the boat and
the pier.
Seok-ho picked up a thick mooring rope from the storage area.
"I'll cross over first. Just turn the boat slightly."
"What? Hey! You'll slip!"
Before Park Seong-cheol had time to stop him, Seok-ho stepped onto the bow railing and leaped across.
Splash.
His feet landed steadily on the crumbling pier. He immediately crouched down, wrapped the mooring rope twice around a
protruding rusted steel reinforcement bar, and tied it securely. His movements were clean and efficient, without a
single unnecessary motion.
Park Seong-cheol let out a disbelieving chuckle as he watched.
"Well, I'll be damned. You're flying around over there. You said you worked for a surveying company, but you tie ropes
like a proper sailor!"
Seok-ho smiled faintly and began receiving the luggage from the boat. There was a large backpack, a tent, and a cooler
filled with enough food and drinking water to last several days.
After unloading everything, Seok-ho untied the mooring rope and tossed it back onto the boat.
"Thank you for bringing me here. I'll contact you the morning after tomorrow."
"All right. See you in two days. Don't start a fire in some reckless spot because you're cold at night and end up
causing a forest fire! If your phone doesn't get a signal, try heading toward the summit. You can occasionally get a
signal up there."
"Understood. Have a safe trip back."
The engine roared roughly, and Park Seong-cheol's old fishing boat slowly left the pier, leaving behind a trail of white
foam.
Seok-ho watched the departing boat before slowly turning around to face the island.
The sound of the wind and the waves. And the occasional cry of a seagull.
Complete isolation, without even a trace of human warmth.
Seok-ho took a deep breath. The smell of earth entered his nostrils along with the salty scent of the sea.
"All right, let's take a look around."
He moved farther into the pier with his backpack still on.
Up close, the deterioration of the facilities was far worse than it had appeared on the satellite map. The pier's
surface had caved in at various places, and one wrong step could easily result in a twisted ankle.
I'll have to redo the concrete pouring from scratch. Before an excavator can get in, reinforcing the docking facilities
will have to come first.
After passing the pier, he immediately encountered the remains of a collapsed warehouse. The roof had apparently been
blown away by a typhoon, leaving only a bare framework behind, while more than half of the walls had crumbled.
Weeds had grown waist-high around the warehouse.
Seok-ho kicked aside the overgrown grass with his boots and examined the inside of the warehouse.
The foundation framework is surprisingly sturdy. If I bring in some workers to clear out the trash first, remove all the
slate roofing, and then add sandwich panels, it should work fine as a material storage area or temporary accommodation.
His mind was already spinning with construction estimates, as though he had an Excel spreadsheet open in front of him.
How large should the generator capacity be? Where should he install a small seawater desalination system to supply
drinking water? What angle should the solar panels be set at for maximum efficiency?
It wouldn't be cheap, but it wasn't an impossible project either.
He took his smartphone out of his pocket. At the top of the screen, the antenna indicator displayed the words No
Service.
"Seriously, there's no signal."
Just as Park Seong-cheol had said. Installing a communications repeater would also be a top priority.
Seok-ho put his smartphone back into his pocket and looked up at the unpaved mountain path leading toward the center of
the island.
At the end of the path, overgrown with small trees and thorny bushes, a white structure rose above the vegetation.
It was Haewoldo's abandoned lighthouse, which he had confirmed on the satellite map.
"I should check out the view."
Making his way uphill through the dense vegetation was quite a chore.
The mountain path appeared to have been abandoned for decades, with thorny bushes of unknown varieties covering it.
If he hadn't brought thick work clothes and boots, his legs would have been covered in cuts by now.
By the time beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a spacious flat area at
the summit.
An old lighthouse stood alone in the middle of the summit.
"Looks like it hasn't been maintained in a long time."
The white paint had peeled off in numerous places, exposing the cement underneath, while a large padlock, covered in
bright red rust, was firmly fastened to the metal door.
He remembered reading in the auction information that this place had once been used by Haewoldo's last lighthouse
keeper.
Seok-ho fiddled with the rusty padlock for a moment before walking toward the cliff behind the lighthouse.
A dizzying drop opened up beneath his feet, revealing a sweeping view of the distant waters of the southern sea.
"Wow."
A short exclamation escaped his lips.
It felt as though the tightness in his chest had suddenly been released.
Deep blue waters stretched endlessly below him, while the distant horizon met the sky. The cool sea breeze eased the
sweat on his forehead.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Seok-ho slowly surveyed the terrain surrounding Haewoldo.
From this high vantage point, the flow of the water was even more distinct.
The area behind that protruding reef should be a prime spot.
The fierce currents from the open sea struck the reef, split apart, and curled inward.
Terrain like this allowed plankton to gather and provided shelter for small fish. Naturally, larger predators would also
be drawn to the area.
It was a premium fishing spot that would make anglers' eyes light up.
Fix up the pier, repair the warehouse, and make a few rooms.
All he needed was a small boat for himself.
A fishing pension.
No complicated human relationships, no being crushed under paperwork and performance targets. No supervisors to worry
about, and no site managers who dumped all the blame on others.
A life with nothing but the sea, nature, and visiting guests.
The investment potential is definitely there.
Seok-ho plopped down onto a rock.
His entire fortune amounted to 300 million won.
He would have to bet 260 million won of it on this abandoned, uninhabited island.
Some people might click their tongues and call it madness. Buying a rocky island without a single electrical connection
using money that was barely enough to secure a rental home on the outskirts of Seoul.
But in Seok-ho's eyes, this island seemed more valuable than any apartment or commercial property.
"Looks like it's worth a shot."
Seok-ho grinned at the sea.
The emptiness and sense of defeat he had felt when he was pushed out of his job as though he had been fired had already
been washed away by the wind.
In their place, a pleasant excitement began to rise.
He stood up again. He needed to head back toward the pier before sunset, pitch his tent, and prepare for the night.
Seok-ho glanced back at the old lighthouse one last time, then began walking down the mountain path while humming softly
to himself.