Deliberate Stranding
The day before spring, To think the first thing I do at a ski resort is get stranded! Mina thought as she felt the biting wind slapping her face, her eyes fixed on Seok-jun’s back. He advanced steadily, planting his ski poles with the practiced ease of a tourist, clad in red-and-black ski gear from head to toe.
She hadn’t particularly wanted to visit a ski resort, but there was a faint pang of disappointment that her first act at this long-awaited tourist spot was an intentional stranding. Still, what troubled her more right now was the ski suit itself. There was nothing wrong with it—which was exactly the problem.
It’s too hot!
The goggles hugging her eyes, the helmet, the tightly sealed ski suit and all its equipment were bound to feel stifling, but Mina had never been one to feel the cold much. Wearing the suit made her feel like she had stepped into a steam bath. At least the one Seok-jun had handed her ventilated well; even when sweat broke out, it didn’t turn unbearably clammy. That was something.
My chest feels tight.
Since the suit hadn’t been tailored for her, the fit was naturally awkward. After all, these clothes had originally been meant for Seok-jun or Lee Jun.
“I bought these new for this job, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“But then Lee Jun won’t have one, will he?”
Seok-jun glanced at Lee Jun, then walked over and gripped both the man’s shoulders.
“From now on, you’re the bait.”
“Whoa! Bait sounds awesome!” Lee Jun bellowed, voice ringing with theatrical enthusiasm even through his helmet visor.
“Is becoming bait really something to celebrate?!”
Seok-jun’s shameless command was one thing, but the sight of Lee Jun genuinely thrilled to be used as bait was another. Still, watching the way he pranced about on his own, Mina could guess why the eccentric man was so delighted.
Thankfully the oversized suit left some breathing room below her chest, letting a little air circulate and cool her sweat. At least she wasn’t the only one baking in this freezing weather.
Ugh. Intentionally getting lost is harder than I expected.
They knew the route but deliberately veered off it, and the path grew rough. On top of that, the unfamiliar ski boots and skis made every step feel clumsy and exhausting.
They had been trudging along for some time when—
“Mina.”
“Ah?! Y-yes?”
She had been following Seok-jun half-consciously through the endless snow and unchanging scenery. His voice snapped her back to attention.
“We’ll reach the destination in about ten minutes. Start preparing.”
“Understood.”
At her reply, Seok-jun picked up a sharp stone he had found along the way and began scraping his own ski suit just enough to fray the weave. It looked like self-harm at a glance, but Mina followed suit without hesitation, scratching her own suit.
“Focus on the knees and elbows—areas that would naturally get scuffed if you fell. Just enough to look like they rubbed against the ground.”
Following his guidance, she gently scored the fabric so it wouldn’t tear like over-peeled fruit skin. Defacing a brand-new ski suit with a rock in the middle of a skeletal forest felt strangely wrong, but it had to be done.
“Disguise?”
“Yes. A disguise.”
Before heading out, Mina had heard the full plan from him.
“We’ll pose as tourists who got stranded at the ski resort while making our way to the village where the missing family once lived.”
According to him, that village was the most likely culprit. She understood the logic, but still asked, “Why?”
“Because every villager’s testimony was identical—excessively so.”
“If the testimonies match…”
The police had questioned the village, and every resident claimed the family had simply gone to the nearby ski resort for a day trip. Normally the investigation would have ended there. But the fact that every single villager repeated the exact same story raised red flags.
Even in a tight-knit community, people had their own lives. This village depended on tourism—ice fishing, sledding, ice-sculpture experiences alongside the ski resort—while many families farmed cabbages for their main income. Busy people like that all happening to witness one family heading out for fun on the same day? Suspicious. Especially when tourists’ cars would have been mixed in the parking area, creating plenty of room for confusion.
“Even then, it might not have drawn much attention,” Seok-jun had said.
But the tourists’ statements changed everything. Police had asked every visitor staying in the village at the time, and not one of them had seen the missing family’s car leave. The black-box footage from parked vehicles—checked with the owners’ permission—showed the car departing at approximately 2:30 a.m.
“That’s where the villagers’ matching testimonies became damning.”
Even though the family had left on a moonless, pitch-black night, every villager claimed to have seen them heading to the ski resort that same day. Three days later, a snowplow driver clearing a massive drift on the roadside to the resort discovered the bodies and reported it around six in the morning. Sightings of a giant shadow near the slopes had then prompted a hunter-led investigation team.
“We can’t assume every villager is guilty, but it’s very likely they helped conceal the crime.”
“How could they… Why would anyone do that?”
“Reputation,” Seok-jun had answered. Villages that relied on tourism were especially sensitive about their image. His explanation still echoed in her mind as they worked on their disguises now.
“This should be enough.”
“Really? You think this will pass?”
Mina turned this way and that, inspecting her suit. The damage didn’t look severe at all. It almost seemed too pristine—wouldn’t that raise suspicion?
“Deliberately wrecking the clothes too badly when we can’t afford real injuries would look even more suspicious.”
He was right. They might have to fight; actual wounds could become a liability.
“Mina, you remember our cover story?”
“Uh, yes. We’re a couple who got lost while skiing, right?”
At his confirmation, Mina’s face flushed. She had no real objection, but pretending to be a couple with someone she was already conscious of made her wonder if she could pull it off.
“If it’s too uncomfortable, we could change it to senior and junior from a college MT who got separated—”
“Couple is fine.”
She answered before he could finish. The rainbow-tinted goggle lenses stared at her blankly, and Mina realized what she had said a beat too late.
“Ah, um, that’s—not what I meant! It’s a misunderstanding!”
She couldn’t claim zero ulterior motive, but a misunderstanding was still a misunderstanding.
“I just… don’t have great memories of MT.”
Nothing particularly memorable came to mind. Back then she had been obsessed with magic-power training; she hadn’t even understood why anyone would waste time on something as frivolous as an MT. The only memories that remained were the occasional boys who tried talking to her and the girls who whispered behind her back.
“Hmm. I see.”
Seok-jun nodded as if that made sense. Mina let out a relieved breath—only for him to add with a small smirk:
“Since it’s what you wanted, Mina, I’ll be counting on you for the next little while.”
“Ehh?!”
When she looked up, he was already chuckling. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward the empty slopes.
“Hellooo!! Is anybody out there?!”
Cheating jerk!
The way he bellowed like a genuine lost tourist made Mina realize his game. She shot him a resentful glare, but it only made her feel hotter. Since the words were already out, she had no choice but to join in.
“Is anyone there?!”
She hadn’t expected an actual answer. The shouting was simply to avoid suspicion if they were spotted before reaching the village.
“Who’s there?!”
Yet the reply came almost immediately from somewhere not far off, though the speaker remained out of sight. Mina glanced at Seok-jun; his goggle lenses turned to meet hers—he had sensed it too.
“How far away did the voice sound?”
“Not far. If we crest that hill, we should see them right away.”
Her ears had pinpointed the direction perfectly, so they whispered quickly.
“At that distance, he definitely would have heard your voice, Seok-jun.”
“It could be a coincidence or a mishearing. We need to stay cautious until we’re sure.”
It already felt suspicious, but nothing was confirmed yet.
“There are people here! Please help us!”
Seok-jun shouted back toward the voice. Moments later, a human figure cautiously peeked over the hill.
“What are you two doing all the way out here?”
The man looked like a local. He wasn’t wearing ski gear, but he had ear muffs, a thick cloth mask covering his nose, and a bulky padded jacket. He seemed ordinary, yet Mina felt her nerves tighten. Still, she stuck to the story they had rehearsed.
“We got lost somehow. Could you tell us where we are?”
“Come on, hurry. The village is close—just a short walk.”
Luckily he didn’t seem suspicious. He waved them over, and Seok-jun and Mina fell into step beside him.
“Whew, you must be from the ski resort. How’d you end up lost?”
“We were on a course when a snowstorm hit and we took a wrong turn.”
Deviating from the beginner slope would naturally lead toward this village, so the excuse fit perfectly.
“Was the resort even open today?”
“Wasn’t it always open?”
Mina answered smoothly; they had anticipated the question. The police and villagers clearly wanted to keep the incident at the tourist spot quiet.
“Huh. Must have mixed up the dates.”
He brushed it off with a vague reply. They kept the conversation light as they walked, and by the time they reached the village the sun was already sinking behind the mountains.
Exactly the time they had hoped for.
Seok-jun checked his phone.
“We’ll call a taxi and head back.”
“Wait, why not stay and rest a little?”
“We’re already exhausted from being stranded—what are you talking about?”
Mina’s pleading tone made Seok-jun answer in an irritated drawl. She had worried that polite speech between a supposed couple would look strange, but—
“J-just…!”
“Keep using polite speech. It’s better if we act like we’ve only been dating a short time.”
Mina had never found it easy to speak casually with him. Whenever she tried to drop the honorifics or use his name, stray thoughts and nerves made her stutter.
“If you’re tired, just stay here awhile! We’ve got ice sculpture rides and sledding right over there!”
“There’s a resort, though. Wouldn’t it be better to rest there?”
When their fake argument seemed to be going nowhere, the villager finally cut in, unable to watch any longer.
“Listen to your girlfriend and stay. There are plenty of inns nearby.”
“But we already paid for the resort…”
Seok-jun let his words trail off. The man shook his head.
“Taxis don’t come out here anyway. It’s completely dark now.”
“Ugh…”
In the end Seok-jun pretended to relent and followed the man’s guidance toward an inn. However—
“What a mess… We didn’t expect any guests today, so none of the inns are open.”
“No way.”
“I’ll call a taxi.”
“Hey, don’t be so hasty!”
When Mina looked crestfallen and Seok-jun lifted his phone, the man waved his hands frantically.
“There’s an empty room at my place. Just stay one night!”
“Wouldn’t that be an imposition?”
“It’s only one night. The inns will open tomorrow.”
In the end they followed him and stepped into a room.
“If anything’s uncomfortable, just say so.”
“Thank you.”
After the man closed the door and his footsteps faded into the distance, Mina gave Seok-jun a small nod. She had worried they might be discovered, but the disguise had worked perfectly.