Chapter 133: Kim's Driftage
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 133: Kim's Driftage
We decided to have lunch with the fish we caught from the sea.
Usually, when there’s cooking to be done, I’m the one in charge, but for today, I decided to yield the position of head chef to Minami.
It only made sense. Unlike me, who had just learned by watching my father, Minami was a hidden master who had acquired all sorts of cooking certifications.
I, with only a year or two of experience at best, was in no position to compete.
And just as expected, Minami showed off her incredible cooking skills, commanding the small kitchen inside the boat.
The result was a magnificent spread, prepared in no time at all.
Starting with the delicacy of sea fishing—freshly sliced raw fish—we also had Aji fry made from horse mackerel, and Namerō, made by finely mincing the remaining mackerel and mixing it with miso, green onions, and ginger.
Considering the poor cooking conditions on a boat, the number of dishes was more than plentiful.
We set up a table on the deck and sat around it to eat.
The cool sea breeze, the delicious food, and the enjoyable company made the meal taste even better.
As we were eating, the President pulled something out from under the table.
It was a small container filled with a side dish.
"President, what's that?"
The President blushed slightly as she spoke.
"It's kimchi I made myself. I heard that Koreans feel something is missing if there's no kimchi with their meal. I didn't know, but Minami secretly brought it along."
…I felt like she had a strange misunderstanding about Koreans.
It’s true that a meal feels a bit empty without kimchi, but I’m the type to prioritize how well foods pair together, so I don’t look for kimchi with just any dish.
But given the effort she put into making it, I couldn't possibly not try it.
I picked up a piece of the kimchi the President offered with a shy expression and took a bite.
Crunch!
The texture was crisp and alive, like fresh kimchi, as if it were made with fresh cabbage rather than fully pickled cabbage.
The subtle sweetness that emerged the more I chewed, the sharp spiciness of the chili powder, and the faint saltiness of the fish sauce created a truly perfect, authentic Korean kimchi.
"Where did you learn to make this? It's made perfectly."
"I'm glad it suits your taste. I just did as Minami told me."
At that, Minami, who was sitting next to me, puffed out her chest proudly.
"I also have a Korean cooking certification. Making Korean food is really popular among high school girls these days."
No wonder the flavor was so authentic; this one had a hand in it.
In any case, the kimchi itself was delicious, so I decided to praise her honestly.
"It's delicious. You'll make a great wife."
The President, startled, muttered, "A wife?!"
Minami, beside me, spoke with a look of disbelief.
"I can't believe people still use such cliché compliments these days."
"Really? I was just speaking from the heart."
Her usual villainess-like aura tended to overshadow it, but if you just listed her qualities, she was truly prime bride material.
I could only wonder why a person like her didn't even make it into the popularity rankings in the original work.
Well, in rom-coms, characters like the President are usually relegated to being comic relief, so I suppose it couldn't be helped.
"Th-thank you, Yoo-Sung. I didn't expect such high praise."
"It's a dish you made just for me. Of course, I should be grateful."
I said, putting another piece of kimchi in my mouth.
Eating it with the slightly greasy Aji fry made it a true rice thief; there was no other way to describe it.
After our late lunch, we unfolded sunbeds on the yacht's deck and enjoyed some sunbathing.
I had put on sunscreen, but I only lay there for about an hour, since getting too tan could get me mistaken for a delinquent.
After thoroughly enjoying our vacation on the yacht, we decided to head back to the island before it got too late.
That's when the problem occurred.
"…Young Lady, we have a problem."
"What? What is it?"
"The boat is low on fuel."
Minami, who had come out onto the deck, pointed to the gauge inside the cockpit.
The red needle was pointing almost to empty.
But it wasn't completely gone yet.
I asked hurriedly.
"What about the reserve fuel? You must have some prepared, right?"
Minami shook her head, her expression stiff.
"It seems the people who used the boat before us used it and didn't bother to refill it."
"How could they…."
The Vice President, who had been listening from the side, said,
"The radio? There must be an emergency radio, right?"
"That too seems to be out of range. We're too far out at sea."
I don't think we'll be able to send a distress signal unless we move the boat closer to land.
"Hmm…."
The Vice President let out a low groan at Minami's explanation.
The President, who had been listening quietly to their conversation, asked in a calm tone.
"Then, Minami, how far can we go with the remaining fuel?"
"At most, about 50 kilometers. It could run out even before that."
"Were there any islands nearby?"
Minami paused in thought for a moment, then clapped her hands as if she'd remembered something.
"Come to think of it, I think I saw a deserted island on our way here."
"Can we make it there with the fuel we have left?"
"Yes. Easily."
The President crossed her arms and said,
"Then let's do this. For now, we'll head to that island and wait for rescue. If we don't return by evening, won't Mr. Mejiro and the others at the mansion call for help?"
The Vice President agreed with her opinion.
"I believe that's a good decision, Young Lady. It would be faster to land on an island and send a distress signal than to just drift aimlessly at sea. We have emergency rations, but there's always the 'what if'."
"Then it's settled. Let's turn the boat around and head to the nearby deserted island."
"Yes!"
Perhaps because the situation was her fault, Minami answered with more discipline than usual before heading into the cockpit.
Soon, our white yacht began to speed back along the route we had come.
*
After cutting through the sea, the yacht finally docked at what appeared to be a deserted island rich with vegetation.
All over the island, there were coconut trees, making it look like we had arrived in a tropical region.
At least we wouldn't have to worry about something to drink.
Splash!
"Ugh!"
"Young Lady, please be careful. The water is cold."
"You should have said so sooner! Shinji!"
"You jumped in before I had a chance to speak, Young Lady."
Since we couldn't bring the boat close to the shore, we had no choice but to get off in deeper water.
For me, the water only came up to my waist, but for the President and Minami, it submerged almost their entire upper bodies.
Thanks to that, I ended up carrying the backpack containing the emergency rations and the portable radio all by myself.
The Vice President offered to help if it was too heavy, but I had no intention of complaining about something this minor.
What's the point of building all these muscles if I don't use them at a time like this?
After landing on the deserted island, we stood on the sandy beach and looked around.
Lush thickets, a wide beach, and a low mountainous area spread out before us.
If it weren't for our situation, it was a landscape that would have surely drawn exclamations of awe.
"There's no one here."
"It's a deserted island, after all."
The Vice President replied to the President's obvious statement with an equally obvious one. He took off his sandals, shook the water out, and looked at Minami.
"Right now, we're the only ones who can protect the Young Lady. So stay sharp, Minami."
"Yes!"
Both of them, unlike their usual selves, were tense, creating an atmosphere that felt like a real-life emergency.
Immediately after, the first thing we did was check if the radio could pick up a frequency.
Zzt! Zzzzt!
But the radio was still dead. Minami put it down with a frustrated look and explained to us.
"I think we'll have to climb somewhere high and try again. It seems the signal can't reach us because we're at too low an altitude."
"The highest place around here would be…."
The Vice President, looking around, pointed to a small mountain located in the center of the island.
"That's the only place."
"Then what should we do?"
At the President's question, Minami fell silent for a moment before speaking after some thought.
"For now, Oppa and I will take the radio and the transmitter and climb that mountain. In the meantime, Young Lady, how about you prepare a place to stay for the night, just in case?"
"We also need someone to keep watch over the sea. We might spot a passing boat while we're away," the Vice President added.
Their opinions were perfect, with no logical flaws to argue against.
Except for one thing.
"Wouldn't it be better if I went instead of Minami?"
Minami shook her head.
"This happened because of my mistake. If it's a difficult task like climbing a mountain, it's right for me to do it."
"And Minami was raised as a ninja since she was a child. She has better stamina than most adult men."
With the Vice President's support, Minami wore a serious expression, insisting she could do it.
With them being this insistent, I couldn't argue any further.
"Alright. Then the President and I will guard this place."
The Vice President pushed his glasses up with his middle finger and said,
"I'm counting on you to protect the Young Lady, Yoo-Sung."
"Don't you worry. If anything dangerous happens, I'll protect her with my life."
To reassure them, I struck a pose that emphasized the muscles in my right arm.
The Vice President nodded with a relieved expression, slung the transmitter bag I handed him over his shoulder, and headed toward the small mountain in the center of the island with Minami.