A Campfire for Two

"Boss!"

"Ms. Choi Yuri!"

They shouted until their throats were raw, but no answer came back.

Only the gloomy roar of the rain blanketed the mountain.

Only minutes earlier the workshop had been filled with unbroken laughter. Now anxiety and restlessness had replaced every smile.

A sudden downpour had hit during the trek. Then the landslide followed.

Kang Taeseong and Choi Yuri vanished from sight in an instant. Disappearing completely meant they had not merely slipped a little. Everyone immediately understood how serious the situation was.

"Call 911! Call emergency services!"

The report went to the resort staff, and a rescue team was dispatched at once. After a while the distant wail of sirens reached them.

"Rescue team!"

Every head turned. Several rescuers climbed quickly to the site and began surveying the area at once—collapsed mounds of earth, a severed walking path, a swollen mountain stream. The lead medic’s expression grew steadily harder as he took in the scene.

"Where were they last seen?"

"Over there."

An employee pointed with a trembling voice.

"They slipped right there… and both of them fell down together."

The rescuer stared in that direction for a long moment without speaking. Then he let out a quiet sigh.

"Hah…"

The people around him grew visibly uneasy.

"What’s wrong?"

Park Soyeong asked urgently.

The rescuer opened his mouth with a troubled look.

"The scale of the landslide is larger than we expected."

"…"

"The ground was already weakened by the heavy rain, and the soil gave way all at once."

He looked down toward the valley. The stream, swollen with rainwater, was far more violent than usual.

"The river’s risen a great deal as well."

His voice dropped.

"To be honest, this is going to take quite some time."

The air around them grew heavy.

"When you say it will take time…"

Someone asked in a shaking voice.

"Does that mean a rescue will be difficult?"

"It’s not an easy situation."

The rescuer tried to convey the conditions as objectively as possible. He spoke carefully.

"Forcing an entry risks additional accidents. We need to secure a safe zone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first and then expand the search area."

The briefing continued on site. Park Soyeong listened with a blank expression. Rescue is difficult. It will take time. The words circled endlessly inside her head.

And yet, for some reason, a strange thought slipped past.

Why does it have to be with Choi Yuri of all people?

It was a thought she herself could not understand. Kang Taeseong and Choi Yuri were in danger. They were stranded in this downpour. The first thing she should be worrying about was whether the two of them were even alive.

Yet the thought that rose first in her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mind was simply that the two of them had gotten tangled up again.

Yuri and the boss… again…

It had been like this lately. He had grown closer while teaching her to work out. They had stood side by side in the group photo. At the workshop they had naturally ended up on the same team. And now, even in a life-or-death moment, they were together.

Perhaps the two of them were destined to share the same fate—

Slap.

Park Soyeong struck her own cheek with her palm. Startled gazes turned toward the sound, but she had no attention to spare for them.

…What is wrong with me?

Choi Yuri was her precious fellow new hire. Kang Taeseong, too—his first impression had been terrible, but now he was her boss, more precious than anyone.

"…"

Park Soyeong lowered her head. The moment she realized what she had been thinking, her face hardened.

I’m crazy.

This was a situation where she should first be worrying whether the two of them were still alive. And yet all she could focus on was the fact that they were stuck together.

"I’m ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the worst… really."

She bit down hard on her lip until she tasted blood.

I’ve gotten strange.

When had it started? When had the way she looked at Kang Taeseong changed from the beginning? At first he had simply been someone to be wary of. Now her heart was shaken by the sight of him growing closer to someone else. It was a change she did not even want to admit to herself.

Park Soyeong clenched both fists tightly.

No.

All of that could be sorted out later. For now she would think only of the two of them returning safely. This time she would think of nothing else. The boss and Choi Yuri—as long as they were unharmed, that was enough.

Crack. Pop.

A campfire burned quietly deeper inside the cave. Outside, the rain still fell. In contrast to the pouring water, the interior of the cave was strangely peaceful.

"Honestly…"

Choi Yuri pouted.

"You could have just said I needed to take them off because my body temperature was dropping."

She sat in front of the fire wearing Kang Taeseong’s hiking jacket. Her own clothes hung from a branch, drying right beside the flames. At the moment she wore only her underwear underneath. Through the loose fit of the oversized jacket, pale skin showed in teasing glimpses. Yet because Kang Taeseong’s frame was so massive, the clothes tailored to his build still had plenty of room even on her petite figure. The sleeves completely covered her fingertips, and the body of the jacket was as wide as a blanket. Covering herself was no problem at all.

"You didn’t have to say it in a way that would confuse a person."

"I’m sorry."

Kang Taeseong immediately bowed his head.

"I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to explain properly."

"No, well…"

Choi Yuri averted her eyes for no particular reason. She understood, of course. They had suddenly fallen into the mountains and been thoroughly soaked by the rain. Still—walking straight up to her with that deadly serious face and telling her to take her clothes off. No matter how she thought about it, anyone would have been startled.

She let out a small sigh.

"I really was shocked. Seriously."

She puffed her cheeks a little as she spoke.

"If you suddenly tell someone to strip like that, of course they’re going to freak out."

"I’m sorry."

Kang Taeseong bowed his head once more. There was no room for excuses. No matter how urgent the situation, he had left far too much unsaid.

"Or…"

Choi Yuri suddenly put on a mischievous expression.

"Should I take the hiking jacket off too? Even now?"

Kang Taeseong’s head snapped up in alarm.

"What?"

"If that’s the kind of thing you want, Boss."

She gave the zipper a little tug.

"I mean… I already owe you, so."

"Wait, wait."

"Boss… you pervert."

Faced with the little devil version of Choi Yuri, Kang Taeseong’s expression froze solid.

"Ms. Choi Yuri."

"Yeees?"

"Absolutely not."

He spoke with a deadly serious face.

"Absolutely not. Please do not misunderstand me like that."

The reaction was far too frantic. Choi Yuri stared blankly at him for a moment. And then—

"Pffft."

She finally burst out laughing.

"Ahahaha! Ahaha!"

Kang Taeseong looked away in flustered embarrassment.

"Hehehe. I was just teasing."

"That kind of teasing is bad for the heart."

"You can get flustered too, Boss?"

Choi Yuri’s eyes went round as she spoke. The Kang Taeseong she had always seen at the company was invariably calm. No matter what happened, his expression never changed. In front of the employees he always looked composed and unhurried. And yet right now he was looking thoroughly flustered and at a complete loss.

…Unexpected.

Choi Yuri’s lips curved upward. It was a side of him she had not known until a moment ago.

He’s built like a mountain and looks like a bear, yet he gets flustered by a little teasing like this?

Kind of cute, actually—

In a better mood for no particular reason, Choi Yuri stretched her hands toward the fire.

"Mmm."

Warm heat wrapped around her fingertips. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The trembling that had shaken her body until moments ago had already improved a great deal. It was because Kang Taeseong had so quickly assessed a physical condition she herself had not even noticed.

How on earth had he made such an accurate judgment?

"But Boss."

"Yes?"

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That my body was in bad shape."

"Just…"

After a brief hesitation, Kang Taeseong answered.

"Instinct."

"Instinct?"

"Yes."

He nodded.

"You’d been in the rain that long, and your body was shaking."

"Hmm… I see."

He had no choice but to gloss over it. The truth was that he had been able to grasp Choi Yuri’s condition so quickly not because of any gut feeling of his own, but because of a skill.

Immediately after they were stranded, Kang Taeseong had hurriedly purchased the skill. He had bought it to scout the surroundings and check whether there was anything that might help while they waited for rescue. But once he actually used it, he discovered an unexpected function. It could examine not only objects and the environment, but a person’s condition as well.

When he looked at Choi Yuri’s body and activated the skill, information had appeared at once.

That was why he had rushed over so desperately. He had been misunderstood by Choi Yuri, but as long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.

More than that, Taeseong found himself focusing on how useful the shop skills were.

Shop skills are more useful than I expected…

Charisma of the Wicked had made opponents back down in a crisis. Observer's Eye had given him the information needed for survival. How many more skills were still waiting to be discovered?

I need to gather more points.

If only to prepare for the dangers he would face from now on, he needed to stockpile more points.

It was while Taeseong was thinking that that Choi Yuri carefully spoke up.

"Boss."

"Yes."

She hesitated before continuing.

"How about… speaking more casually?"

Kang Taeseong blinked.

"All of a sudden?"

Choi Yuri twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"Keeping up the whole ‘Boss, Boss’ thing even in a situation like this just feels too distant."

After a moment’s thought, Kang Taeseong nodded.

"Shall we, then."

"Really?"

"Speaking casually isn’t exactly hard."

"Wow! The boss’s casual speech!"

As her energy rose, Kang Taeseong turned the question back on her.

"So if I’m speaking casually, what are you going to call me, Yuri?"

"Eh."

At that question Choi Yuri froze. Now that he mentioned it—he had said he would speak casually, but she was still…

"Boss?"

The title that had stuck to her tongue came out automatically.

"Am I the only one still stiffly calling you Boss?"

"Hmm…"

Choi Yuri fell into thought. The most common form of address would of course be—

"Taeseong-ssi?"

She tried it quietly, but it still felt distant.

"Too stiff. Way too businesslike."

Then Kang Taeseong spoke with a completely serious face.

"You may call me Uncle Taeseong if you like."

"…"

Choi Yuri blinked.

"Uncle?"

"Yes."

Kang Taeseong’s attitude made it sound like the most natural thing in the world.

"Boss."

Choi Yuri spoke while holding back a laugh.

"We’re only ten years apart."

"Isn’t ten years a fairly large gap?"

Kang Taeseong asked back in all seriousness. At that, Choi Yuri tilted her head.

"Is it? It doesn’t feel that big to me."

After thinking a moment she added,

"These days lots of people who are ten years apart still hang out like friends, you know."

Kang Taeseong looked at her with mild surprise. To him ten years was a considerable difference. To Choi Yuri it was not. Her way of thinking was far more open than he had expected.

"You’re much more open-minded than an old fogey like me…"

"Pffft! Boss, where did you even learn a word like that?"

"Was it trendy?"

"Just saying that already means you’re not an old fogey. Hmm, what would be good…"

Choi Yuri sank into thought for a moment. Then—

"…!"

Something seemed to occur to her; her eyes rolled thoughtfully.

"What is it?"

Kang Taeseong asked. Choi Yuri looked away.

"No, just… ahem…"

After hesitating several times she carefully opened her mouth.

"Should I… try calling you Oppa?"

Kang Taeseong’s eyes widened slightly.

"…"

No answer came. He simply stared at Choi Yuri with a flustered expression.

Huh?

At that look, Choi Yuri’s mischievous streak rose again. The sight of that cool, capable man rendered completely speechless by nothing more than the single word “Oppa”… felt a little cute.

…I want to tease him.

Choi Yuri tilted her head slightly. Half joking, half serious—with a feeling even she could not quite name—she carefully spoke.

"Tae… Taeseong Oppa."

Kang Taeseong blinked. It was a form of address he had not expected. Choi Yuri, too, only then fully realized what she had just said.

"…"

Her face grew hot for no reason. It was nothing more than a single ordinary title. Why was her heart tingling like this?

Choi Yuri looked away for no particular reason. Unlike usual, Kang Taeseong’s reply did not come at once. After a long silence that seemed filled with thought, he opened his mouth in a very low, slow voice.

"…Alright, Yuri."

"Eep…!!"

Choi Yuri’s eyes went wide. She had been the one who asked for the casual address first. Yet the moment she was actually called by her name, an indescribable tingling sensation raced through her entire body.

"……"

Silence settled between them once more.

Crack. Pop.

Inside the quiet cave, only the sound of the campfire burning softly filled the air. In the darkness the single small flame that alone gave light quietly illuminated the two of them.

Choi Yuri suddenly thought,

It feels like a campfire.

The situation itself felt exactly like they were having a campfire. Of course it was not a proper campfire. Torrential rain. Sudden stranding. A dark cave. Something she would never have experienced under normal circumstances. And yet, for this moment alone, she strangely did not dislike it. Rather, it felt like a memory that would stay with her for a long time.

Taeseong Oppa.

Silently turning the title over in her mind, Choi Yuri quietly gazed at Kang Taeseong—the bear-like man who was carefully avoiding her eyes, the tips of his ears oddly flushed.

And without realizing it, she smiled a small smile.