Chapter 19
Crackle, crackle.
The now-familiar sound of the campfire.
But today was a little different from usual.
Sizzle.
The sound of something cooking mingled with it.
A faint wisp of smoke rose with a savory aroma.
Tonight's meal was fish and crayfish Tae-seong had caught.
"...Crayfish?"
"Yeah. They were under the rocks in the stream."
It didn't even surprise her anymore.
"You caught fish, and now you've brought back crayfish too?"
Despite her disbelief, a smile spread across her lips.
Having more food to eat was a good thing.
They skewered the fish on branches and set them beside the fire, while roasting the crayfish whole.
The hard shells, black at first, began to change color little by little as they neared the flames.
Sizzle.
A faint sound came from between the crayfish shells as the smell of them cooking spread.
"..."
At the delicious smell, Yu-ri swallowed without realizing it.
Gulp.
"That looks delicious..."
The words slipped out before she knew it.
Tae-seong chuckled.
"You must be pretty hungry."
"N-No."
Yu-ri hurriedly looked away.
"It just smells good..."
But it was too late for that excuse.
Her stomach had already answered honestly.
Five days had passed since they'd been stranded.
At first, she'd been scared.
Of being left in some unknown mountain.
She'd been anxious, not knowing when they'd be rescued.
But everything had changed after Tae-seong started taking action.
He went around the area every day and brought back the things they needed.
Most of it was fish, along with a whole armful of edible berries.
And sometimes, he even brought back mushrooms.
Of course, he didn't just bring back anything.
She had no idea how he could tell, but he picked out only things that were safe to eat with uncanny accuracy.
Meanwhile, Yu-ri took care of other things.
Gathering leaves to sleep on.
Washing their smelly hiking clothes and making sure the campfire didn't go out.
At some point, dividing up their roles had become completely natural.
Just as if they'd lived this way their whole lives.
'...Now that I think about it.'
Yu-ri suddenly thought.
'We look like some kind of primitive tribe.'
Though there were only two of them.
People in the old days must have lived like this, too.
One person would go out and find food.
While the other tidied up the place they'd be staying.
A life where each of them provided what the other needed.
'It's like a husband going out to work and a wife doing the housework...'
Yu-ri stopped short at the thought.
"..."
'No, what am I thinking?'
Yu-ri's face turned slightly red.
This wasn't a life she should get used to in the first place.
They were stranded.
They needed to be rescued as soon as possible.
So why was she so comfortable? Why did this feel so natural?
It almost felt like they'd come camping rather than gotten stranded.
'This is all the boss's fault.'
Wasn't it because he was so capable that her sense of danger had naturally faded?
"It's ready."
At that moment, Tae-seong's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Let's eat."
"Yes!"
The answer came out unconsciously.
Yu-ri was more surprised by her own voice.
"Ahem..."
She cleared her throat softly.
Yu-ri's body had already grown accustomed to the food Tae-seong provided.
One way or another, the body couldn't lie.
*
The rescue team's search was running into difficulties.
It was already the fifth day.
The window for survival had effectively passed.
The landslide had completely reshaped the terrain,
and the sudden downpour had raised the water level in the stream.
It was an environment where even experienced rescuers couldn't be sure of surviving if they were dropped there without proper equipment.
And two ordinary people, a man and a woman, had fallen into a place like that.
"If we consider the worst-case scenario..."
The rescuer let his words trail off.
He couldn't bring himself to say the rest, but everyone knew what he was trying to say.
Too much time had already passed to be sure they were still alive.
"Still..."
Another rescuer spoke cautiously.
"If they managed to secure drinking water, there's a chance. Assuming they weren't injured."
It was a hopeful assessment.
The rescue team hadn't given up, if only because of that one possibility.
They searched the mountain day after day.
The company employees did the same.
Fatigue showed on their faces.
They'd been taking part in the search for days without getting any proper rest.
Of them all, Assistant Manager Park So-young was in the worst condition.
The employees going out on searches with her exchanged worried looks.
"Assistant Manager Park seems to be taking it pretty hard."
One employee said quietly.
"I know. She was really close with Ms. Choi Yu-ri."
"She seemed pretty close to the boss, too."
Park So-young was so overwhelmed that she couldn't even pay attention to the employees' whispers.
"So-young."
Lee Ju-hee approached with a worried expression.
"Are you okay?"
"..."
There was no answer.
Park So-young was staring blankly down the mountain.
"So-young."
"Hmm?"
Park So-young came back to her senses belatedly and turned her head.
Lee Ju-hee let out a deep sigh.
"This won't do."
"What won't?"
"At this rate, you'll be the one to collapse first."
"..."
"Leave the search to us and get some rest."
"I can't."
Park So-young's answer was firm.
"I'm going, too."
"You..."
Lee Ju-hee couldn't say anything more.
She'd seen her eyes.
The eyes of someone who couldn't give up, filled with that particular kind of determination.
Park So-young passed Lee Ju-hee and looked back toward the mountain.
'If only I'd known this would happen.'
Regret came rushing over her.
She should've been more honest.
When they took a picture together, she should've asked him to come stand by her.
While they were grilling meat, she should've tried to talk to him a little more.
On their nighttime walk, she should've gotten closer to him instead of talking only about work.
She'd thought he'd always be by her side.
She'd thought they'd be able to talk again anytime.
But you never knew what might happen.
Sometimes, you only realized how much space someone's presence had filled after they were gone.
'Boss.'
Park So-young bit her lip.
'Please, be safe.'
Just then,
"We found something!"
A voice called out urgently from far away.
Everyone turned to look in that direction.
"We found a trace!"
*
Night fell once again.
But tonight was a little different from usual.
The rain that had started falling in the evening still showed no sign of letting up.
Whoooosh.
The sound of rain continued without interruption beyond the cave entrance.
After spending several days in the mountains, they'd thought they were used to most kinds of weather.
But a cold, rainy night like tonight wasn't easy.
The campfire was especially troublesome.
The flames that would normally crackle and give off warm heat were flickering feebly, perhaps because of the damp.
Yu-ri cupped her hands and blew into them.
"Haaah..."
A small yawn escaped her.
Now, as soon as the sun went down, sleepiness naturally came over her.
On the first day, she'd been anxious from the moment the sun set.
The mountains were truly pitch-black after dark, nothing like the city.
The darkness, where she couldn't see a foot ahead, was terrifying all on its own.
But after several days, things were different.
Now she got sleepy around this time.
They got up at dawn, when the sun began to rise, and stayed active until it set, when they'd get ready for bed.
Before she knew it, her daily routine had naturally adjusted to life out here.
So it was about time to go to sleep.
"Mmm..."
It was just a little cold tonight.
She tried to act like she was fine, but she couldn't hide the slight trembling of her shoulders.
Tae-seong noticed right away.
"You're cold, aren't you?"
"N-No, I'm fine."
The answer came out of habit.
But Tae-seong didn't look convinced at all.
"People who are fine don't shiver like that."
"..."
Tae-seong pulled his coat a little closer over her.
Then he moved to sit a little closer to Yu-ri.
Close enough for their shoulders to touch.
"It'd be better if we stayed close tonight."
"Pardon?"
"The fire's weak."
Tae-seong said calmly.
"We don't have a choice if we're going to keep warm."
"R-Right. We don't have a choice, yeah."
Yu-ri hesitated for a moment.
The distance hadn't bothered her until yesterday.
But for some reason, she was more conscious of it today.
They were close enough to feel each other's warmth.
It was awkward at first, but as time passed, she gradually relaxed.
"You worked hard today, too."
Tae-seong said from beside her, leaning against the rock.
Watching him, Yu-ri smiled slightly.
"...You too, oppa."
The words came out playfully.
After a moment of silence, Tae-seong chuckled.
"First I'm the boss, and now I'm oppa again?"
"Hehe, why not?"
Yu-ri turned her head for no particular reason.
"Don't you like it?"
"No, that's not it..."
Tae-seong said, holding back a laugh.
"The crayfish must've been pretty good."
“I'm not acting this way because of the crayfish, okay?"
Yu-ri protested.
Instead of answering, Tae-seong chuckled softly.
The night was pitch-black.
The weakened campfire burned quietly.
Crackle, crackle.
The campfire's faint light.
The sound of rain pouring outside the cave.
Tae-seong's dependable shoulder touching hers.
All of it came together to create a strangely comforting feeling.
'This isn't so bad, either.'
When she'd first ended up here, she'd wanted to go back as soon as possible.
Back home. To her familiar daily life.
But now, after several days,
she'd realized that the time she spent here wasn't as bad as she'd expected.
In the mornings, she'd check the campfire and wait for Tae-seong to return from finding food.
They'd eat together and talk about trivial things.
Unlike in the city, she didn't have to worry about other people's eyes.
What clothes she wore, or how she looked.
What kind of person the company thought she was.
None of that mattered.
All she had to think about was getting through the day.
That was all.
'...It's comfortable.'
Yu-ri gazed at the campfire.
At work, and at home,
she'd never felt this kind of comfort before.
It was like time was passing slowly.
Of course, she couldn't stay here forever.
Someday, she had to go back.
She knew that.
But she couldn't help feeling this way for some reason.
'Just a little longer.'
Yu-ri's eyes slowly closed.
'Just a little more...'
She wished this time could go on.
That's when it happened.
Rustle.
"...!"
Yu-ri's eyes snapped open.
She heard a faint sound.
It wasn't the familiar sound of the wind.
The sound of someone stepping on fallen leaves.
Something was coming this way.
Tae-seong rose to his feet at the same time.
His eyes sharp, he surveyed the area like a wild beast on alert.
"O-Oppa..."
Yu-ri said in a small voice, her body trembling slightly.
Unconsciously, she clutched the hem of his hiking jacket.
Tae-seong raised a finger to his lips.
It was a signal to be quiet.
The two of them stared into the pitch-black darkness.
Their hearts began to beat faster, and a faint voice came through the sound of the rain.
"...Is anyone there?!"
It was a person's voice.