Chapter 303
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 303
Chapter Title: The Stranded Whale
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What are the chances of encountering a whale while visiting the beach?
Not in the ocean, but on the sandy shore.
Stunned by the unimaginable sight of a whale, people stared blankly. A few raised their phones to record.
The whale seemed to have been washed ashore with the high tide, only to be left stranded on the sand as the water receded. Only a few puddles of water remained around it.
Seojun slowly walked over to examine the whale.
The whale, its eyes closed as if unconscious, was breathing with difficulty. As Seojun observed it, he noticed its skin drying out under the hot sun. He knew he had to do something about that before anything else.
Seojun spoke to Jack, who was standing behind him.
“Jack, you said there were towels in the car, right?”
“Yeah, but they’re for after practice, so there are four at most.”
Jack replied with a look of regret. Four towels. It wasn’t nearly enough to cover a whale the size of a car. Seojun nodded, his expression somber.
“It can’t be helped. Just bring what you can. The whale’s skin can’t dry out. And something like a tent to block the sun… we don’t have anything like that, do we?”
After a moment of thought, Jack shook his head.
“I don’t think so… I’ll go get the towels first.”
“Thanks.”
Seojun and Jack’s conversation reached the ears of the people who had been murmuring amongst themselves at the unexpected appearance of the whale. As they watched Jack sprint toward the parking lot and Seojun carefully inspect the whale, one by one, they began to speak up.
“Excuse me… we have a pretty big beach mat. What if we use that to cover it?”
“I have a towel.”
“Hyung! Use this!”
At their words, Seojun smiled faintly.
“Thank you. Could you please lend a hand?”
“Lend a hand? We all have to save this whale together!”
A large, middle-aged man’s voice boomed, and everyone nodded in agreement.
“First, we’ll soak towels in water and place them on the whale. For those with anything that can be used as a sunshade, please cover the whale with them.”
At Seojun's direction, the people sprang into action. Being at the beach, there was no shortage of towels. Everyone, without exception, ran to the sea, soaked their towels, and brought them back. Soon, the whale's back was completely covered with dripping wet towels.
In the meantime, Jack returned with the towels.
Panting from his hurried trip, Jack glanced between the wet towels covering the whale and the four towels in his own hands before speaking.
“…I guess I didn’t need to go after all.”
“Haha. You’re right.”
Seojun, who was tying a beach mat to a tree branch, couldn’t help but laugh at Jack’s comment. Jack shrugged and quickly joined in on building the sunshade.
“One, two!”
They all raised the poles they were holding at once. Beach mats, originally brought to be spread on the sand, were tied to tree branches and tent poles to create a sunshade for the whale. Seeing the whale covered in wet towels under the quickly assembled shade, Seojun and the others let out a sigh of relief.
“This should be enough shade, right?”
“Now we just need to keep pouring water on the towels so they don’t dry out.”
Seojun and the others nodded in agreement with the woman who had readily offered her beach mat.
“I brought a bucket!”
“Here’s one too!”
Even without Seojun saying anything, everyone knew what was needed. People asked around at nearby shops or borrowed from others, gathering buckets that had been brought for playing in the sand.
*Splash!*
Seawater from a bucket cascaded over the towels covering the whale.
“Here!”
“Let’s go again!”
The receding tide had created some distance between the water and the whale. People formed a human chain from the sea to the whale, passing buckets of water down the line. Jack, who was closest to the whale and dousing it with water, swallowed hard and spoke to Seojun.
“This isn’t going to be enough. Did you call the authorities?”
“Yeah. I called right after you left. The manager said he contacted a rescue team. No idea when they’ll get here, though.”
Even as they talked, Seojun and Jack’s hands never stopped moving. While others had already tired from carrying countless buckets and had been replaced, the two boys were still full of energy.
The two boys had been the first to act upon discovering the whale.
That was why people’s eyes were drawn to them.
‘He looks familiar, somehow.’
Activating his ability to check on the whale, Seojun splashed water where it was needed most.
“But now that it’s on land, it’s feeling the full force of gravity. It’s bearing its entire body weight.”
Seojun and Jack’s clothes were getting soaked. They didn't even have time to adjust their slightly askew caps as they continued to pour water.
The sight of people gathered around the massive whale drew in more onlookers. They would look surprised at the makeshift tent and the towel-covered creature, then take the place of those exhausted from carrying buckets.
From children to adults.
No one could bring themselves to leave the side of the listless whale.
“When that happens, its own blubber crushes its internal organs. The lungs are especially compressed, making it hard to breathe.”
That was why a whale, which surfaces to breathe, was suffocating to death on land.
“I see.”
A shadow fell over Jack’s face.
“The rescue team needs to get here before it stops breathing completely…”
Seojun glanced toward the distant sea, then back at the whale. Its dark eyes, slowly blinking open and shut, looked pitiful. Jack asked.
“Is it a calf?”
“Yeah. It should still be with its mother…”
*Splash!*
Another bucket of water was poured over the whale.
The people who overheard Seojun’s explanation began to discuss among themselves.
“Should we try to pull it with a car?”
“I don’t know. Judging by its size, one car won’t be enough…”
“And a car won’t be able to get it to a depth where it can actually move.”
The only answer was the rescue team.
As people waited for them to arrive, Seojun circulated his vital energy to help the whale continue breathing. He was forcing it to breathe and its blood to circulate, but this was merely first aid. The rescue team had to get here soon.
Its large, gentle eyes blinked with great effort.
Having recently read the Book of Life, Seojun’s heart ached for the creature even more.
***
“We patrol like this twice a week.”
A boat with the name SEA SAVER written on it cut through the waves. A woman in an orange life vest smiled as she watched a pod of dolphins in the distance.
A large camera lens was pointed at Kate Ohas, the team leader of SEA SAVER. A documentary producer opened his mouth to ask a question.
“These days, the beaches…”
-Team leader. We’ve got a report!
At the sudden voice, Kate instinctively grabbed the crackling radio, and the producer quickly shut his mouth.
“Where?”
-A whale has been found at Mydeman Beach. It’s on the sand, about the size of a mid-sized car. They say it’s not a dolphin!
“Jess! Head to Mydeman Beach!”
As the SEA SAVER changed course, the documentary producer, camera operator, and staff, all wearing life vests, expertly found their footing. They had experienced several such dispatches during the four days they had been filming the SEA SAVER documentary on marine life rescue.
“Of course, I have no idea how well this will do in the ratings…”
The ocean, covering 70.8% of the Earth.
And the creatures that live in it.
SEA SAVER, dedicated to protecting those creatures.
But as the days went by, public interest dwindled.
That was why SEA SAVER had decided to produce a documentary to rally support, and they were currently working with ABS Broadcasting.
“Relay this to the caller!”
Kate, the one in charge, strode quickly toward the smaller boat loaded onto the SEA SAVER.
“Tell them to block the sun and keep pouring water on it!”
“Um… I think they’re already doing that.”
“…What?”
Hearing her team member who was walking beside her, Kate tilted her head. The team member held out his phone to her.
“It’s being streamed live on N-tube right now.”
***
[Saving a whale at Mydeman Beach! Live now!]
-Can they actually save it like that?
-Doesn't look like they can.
-Two dolphins were found last week, they died.
-This one's bigger, so it'll be tougher.
Tom, a man who had been passing heavy, water-filled buckets, raised his hand. Someone who had been waiting behind him took his place and continued passing the bucket along.
Tom collapsed onto the sand. Next to him sat his friend, who had been helping him move buckets just five minutes earlier. Rubbing his aching arms, Tom spoke.
“When’s the rescue team getting here?”
“Several people called it in, so they’ll come. They have to, with this being streamed on N-tube.”
“Filming something like this… I don’t know if I should call it amazing or…”
Tom clicked his tongue in disapproval. His friend, sitting next to him, shrugged.
“Still, people nearby are coming because of these videos.”
As his friend said, the crowd had grown since earlier, allowing the initial helpers to take a break.
“But seriously, aren’t those kids amazing?”
“They really are.”
The two boys stood at the very front, pouring water on the whale.
Water was being poured from six directions, and while the people in the other four spots had been replaced, the two boys remained firmly in their positions, checking the whale’s condition and dousing it with water.
Their shirts and pants were soaked, but they didn’t seem to mind at all, earning them looks of admiration.
“Their stamina is incredible. Are they athletes?”
“Maybe. The one on the left looks familiar.”
Tom stroked his chin as he looked at Jack Smith’s face. For some reason, the boy on the right looked familiar too.
‘But man, he’s practically glowing.’
Perhaps it was because of the water droplets splashing off the whale, or maybe it was because the boy’s actions had deeply moved him, but it seemed like a light was emanating from the two boys, especially the one on the right. Tom wasn't the only one who felt that way.
There was something about the boy that just drew your eye. But before Tom and his friend could think about it further, their attention was diverted elsewhere. A cheer erupted from one side.
“Oh! A boat!”
“SEA SAVER is here!”
“Mom! The boat’s here!”
The cheers of the crowd made Mydeman Beach buzz with excitement. Hearing the commotion, Seojun and Jack briefly turned to look toward the sea. A large boat was visible on the vast, blue expanse.
[SEA SAVER]
The white letters on the boat were clear to see.
“They’re finally here!”
“Yeah. I think we made it in time.”
Seojun and Jack’s eyes met, and they broke into wide smiles.
The SEA SAVER approached the beach. It stopped at a certain distance, and a smaller boat was launched. The white boat kicked up a white spray as it sped toward them.
The dramatic scene, like something out of a movie, drew cheers from all around.
-They’re here!!
-So cool!
-Man, this is like watching a movie!
The boat reached the shore, and Kate and the SEA SAVER team disembarked. A few people flinched at the sight of a person with a camera following them, but they didn’t stop passing the buckets.
Kate shouted in a loud voice.
“I’m Kate Ohas, team leader of the SEA SAVER rescue team. Thank you all so much for your help. Please, leave the rest to us now!”
Another round of cheers and applause erupted.