Chapter : 29
“I haven’t timed it recently.”
“Your last record?”
“Fourteen seconds.”
“That’s fast. Then you’re running the relay. Even if you don’t want to, you have to. We don’t have anyone else.”
Sejin wrote Yushin’s name onto the list.
“Are you running too?”
“Yeah.”
With his lean build, he did look like someone who’d be good at running.
“Are you taking the boat home too?”
“No.”
After answering curtly, Sejin continued calling out students one by one, filling in the list for each sports event before returning to her seat.
Friday homeroom had a lighter, more excited atmosphere than usual.
It was the weekend, and the students who had stayed in the dorms all week were finally going home.
“Just because it’s Friday, don’t go wandering around. Go straight home. There’s only a week left until exams. Don’t get cocky thinking you’re some kind of ‘on-time admissions fighter.’ Prepare for your midterms. That’s all.”
After homeroom ended, Yushin passed by the hallway and noticed Class 3 was still in session.
At the very back of the classroom, among students of average height, one broad back stood out unmistakably.
Iseol pointed at an empty seat and asked,
“Where’s Kim Hee-rok?”
“He ran off during cleaning time.”
The students answered in unison.
Like it was no big deal.
“Again?”
Iseol let out a sigh.
Her eyes met his.
When Yushin gave a light mock salute, he smiled back.
He looked far more at ease than when he had been on the run.
Back when they were driven out of Seoul, he had never imagined he’d be living such a peaceful, ordinary life.
It had seemed like a fight that could only end with one of two deaths—either Kang Hansu, vice chairman of JS Capital, or his brother.
Yet now, an ordinary day felt this precious.
That such days were possible on an island like this felt almost like a dream.
At the library, Yushin spotted Sejin sitting by the window with a book open, tying her hair before settling in to study in earnest.
Despite plenty of empty seats, Yushin sat down right next to her.
“What are you doing?”
“Studying.”
“Go somewhere else. There are plenty of seats.”
“This isn’t your assigned seat.”
Sejin shot him a sideways glance, then turned her attention back to her book.
“Do whatever you want.”
She immediately immersed herself in her studies.
Her concentration was astounding.
Once she started studying, it felt like books could be flying around, people shouting, fists being thrown—and she still wouldn’t blink.
She had a habit when she was deeply focused.
Especially when solving difficult math problems, she’d bite down on her lower lip.
Seeing her doing it again now, it was clear the problem wasn’t going well.
After hesitating for a moment, she turned to Yushin and asked,
“Do you know how to solve this problem?”
It was a question about finding the value of a function.
Yushin considered it briefly, then began writing out the solution.
On Fridays, all scheduled activities ended before 4:30 p.m., and most of the teachers took the 5:05 ferry back to the mainland.
As usual, Iseol arrived at the passenger terminal with Na-eun in Junpil’s car, completed the boarding process, and got on the boat.
That was when her phone rang.
The caller was Taesin.
Iseol stepped out of the cabin to answer.
“Have you boarded?”
“Yes, just now.”
“Have you thought about the location-tracking app?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“It’s pretty chilly out there. Don’t stay outside—go back in.”
What?
Is he watching me right now?
Iseol looked around, but Taesin was nowhere to be seen.
All she could see was the endless sea and rows of large and small fishing boats lined up at the pier.
“Where are you right now? Are you nearby?”
“No matter how much you look around, you won’t find me.”
There was amusement in his voice.
“You’re giving me chills. How did you do that?”
She heard a low chuckle.
“Call me when you arrive.”
“We’ll see.”
“That much you can do for me, right?”
“…Fine.”
Iseol was about to add that nothing would happen and he didn’t need to worry so much, but she spotted Junpil approaching and ended the call immediately.
“Who was that?”
“No one. It’s nothing.”
Junpil looked unconvinced but didn’t press further.
“It’s cold. Let’s go inside.”
“It’s okay. I’ll stay out a bit longer.”
Junpil took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
“Then at least wear this.”
She felt uneasy, as if Taesin might be watching from somewhere, but it wasn’t really any of his business.
“Thank you.”
“Grandma, I’m home.”
When she arrived at the snack shop, a young man who had been clearing tables turned to look at her.
“Who… are you?”
She didn’t recognize him.
He looked to be in his early twenties, thin, wearing glasses.
“Oh, you must be her granddaughter. Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Shin Kang-hoon. I work part-time here.”
“Is Iseol here?”
Her grandmother emerged from the kitchen.
“Yes, Grandma. I’ve been telling you to hire help, and you never listen—what happened?”
“He seemed pitiful, so I told him to stay for a while. His leg isn’t well, no one would hire him, and he had nowhere to go.”
Did that mean she’d let a stranger stay in the house?
“Grandma, wait a second.”
Iseol took her grandmother aside into the kitchen.
“You can’t just let anyone into the house like that. How do you know he’s trustworthy?”
“He’s not a bad boy. You can tell just by looking.”
“I know you’re good at judging people, but still… letting a stranger into the house…”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, but we had a break-in not too long ago.”
“A break-in? Did you report it to the police?”
“Nothing was stolen, so what’s the point? Seems like the thief ran off when he saw Kang-hoon. That actually put my mind at ease. He fixed the broken door, carries heavy things for me, and he’s polite. He’s useful, that boy.”
Iseol glanced at Kang-hoon from behind as he diligently wiped tables and guided incoming customers to their seats.
Just as her grandmother said, he walked with a slight limp.
He didn’t look like a bad person.
She had been worried about her grandmother struggling alone—maybe this was for the best.
He’s not someone connected to Choi Mugwang, right?
“Grandma, two rolls of gimbap, one serving of tteokbokki, and two servings of sundae.”
Rolling up her sleeves and tying on an apron, Iseol began making gimbap.
After the dinner rush passed and customers thinned out, the three of them finally sat down to eat.
Kang-hoon wasn’t very talkative.
“How old are you, Kang-hoon?”
“Twenty-five.”
“We’re the same age.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Since we’re the same age, should we speak casually?”
“Ah… I feel like I shouldn’t.”
He rolled his eyes and hesitated.
“If it’s because of Grandma, it’s fine.”
“It’s not exactly that… I feel like I’d end up in serious trouble later on…”
Unsure what kind of trouble he meant, Iseol tilted her head.
“Do whatever you’re comfortable with. But judging by your Seoul accent, you’re not from around here, right?”
“I lived in Seoul, but my family’s situation got bad, so I wandered wherever I could earn money. Then I injured my leg, and now no one will hire me. I ran out of money. I hadn’t eaten properly for days and collapsed in front of the shop. Your grandmother fed me and gave me a place to sleep, and I’m really grateful.”
“Please take good care of my grandmother.”
“Don’t worry about me—eat your food while it’s hot.”
Her grandmother placed some meat into Iseol’s rice bowl.
After finishing their meal while chatting about this and that, Iseol rolled up her sleeves to do the dishes.
“Leave it and go upstairs. You’ve got Kang-hoon here, so don’t worry and rest. Those dark circles of yours are practically down to your chin.”
Since she really wasn’t feeling well after drinking too much the night before, she reluctantly backed off.
Going up to the second floor first, Iseol opened the door to the room her father used to use—it must have been given to Kang-hoon.
Everything looked the same, but Kang-hoon’s laptop and personal belongings sat on the desk.
Nothing seemed particularly strange.
Maybe I really am being too suspicious.
He’s someone who helped Grandma, after all.
But that night, while Iseol was sleeping deeply, she sensed a presence in the darkness and jolted awake in fright.
At first, she thought it was a dream.
Or maybe just her imagination.
But the pitch-black figure stood there in the darkness, perfectly still.
