* * *
Thankfully, I always made sure to carry plenty of water, so there wasn’t much risk of running out.
“Here, drink this.”
“You carry water around?”
Woo Jaehyun took the bottle lightly, his eyes widening in surprise.
If he knew everything I had stashed away, he’d probably faint in shock.
I pulled out another bottle of water, glanced around cautiously, and walked over to Cha Rui.
There was no way I could just ignore him—we were all suffering together here.
“Hunter Cha Rui, would you like some water?”
But Cha Rui didn’t even spare me a glance, slicing through bamboo like it was nothing.
Woo Jaehyun’s brows furrowed deeply, as if he couldn’t understand me at all.
“Hyung, I told you to leave him alone. Why do you keep bothering with him?”
“We don’t even know exactly what kind of dungeon this is yet. It’s safer to stick together.”
That was part of the reason, sure, but to be honest… I just couldn’t help but worry.
Even if I tried to ignore him, my gaze kept drifting his way, entirely out of my control.
It was like ‘Seo Inho’s’ body reacted on its own.
“Anyway, I should gather some banana leaves and vines.”
Luckily, I’d seen this stuff somewhere before, so the necessary materials popped right into my head.
While I busily collected materials, the other two, both stronger than me, started building a temporary shelter.
It looked a bit rough around the edges, but surprisingly, we worked well together, so it didn’t take as long as I expected.
Before I knew it, the bright blue sky had turned a soft orange.
I plopped down on the sand with a heavy sigh, completely exhausted.
I’d sweat so much I could taste the salt in my mouth.
My energy was drained, so I just sat there watching the sunset, when I sensed someone approaching.
No doubt it was Woo Jaehyun, so I spoke without even turning my head.
“Should we try to catch some fish?”
“Fish?”
“We’ve got a little food, but not enough for everyone. And it’s too dangerous to go deeper into the forest with nightfall coming.”
Sure, we had enough water, but the energy bars we brought barely covered the three of us.
Earlier, I noticed some people didn’t even have proper drinking water.
At my words, Woo Jaehyun let out an incredulous scoff.
“You’re planning to feed everyone else too?”
I hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, fully aware how pathetic I sounded.
“…There’s a kid, you know.”
“That’s not even a real kid. You know it’s just an extra.”
“I know, but…”
Seeing that kid fall asleep crying… I couldn’t just brush it off.
This was basically a chronic issue for me at this point.
I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.
Woo Jaehyun got to his feet and grabbed my wrist, looking beyond annoyed.
“Let’s just hurry and catch some before the sun sets.”
He strode off toward the shore, dragging me along, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.
Just like before, he didn’t seem the least bit shy about taking his clothes off.
When he kicked off his shoes and dove straight into the ocean, his figure looked almost unreal, like something out of a commercial.
I couldn’t help but stare for a moment, mesmerized, then pulled off my hoodie, folded it neatly, and stepped into the water.
It was my first time actually wading into the ocean.
Up until now, I’d only ever looked at it from afar.
What the hell have I been doing for 28 years?
I snorted at myself, finding the whole thing ridiculous, as the sand slipped between my toes and made me squirm.
“Whoa, there’s a ton of fish.”
Even at a glance, the water was swarming with fish brushing against my legs.
One even darted between them, and I quickly reached out—only for Woo Jaehyun to splash me with water.
“….”
What the hell is he doing now?
I shot him a sharp glare, but he just grinned shamelessly like some damn kid.
I swallowed my sigh and reached for the fish again, but of course, more water came flying at me.
“Ah, you bastard! Cut it out!”
I couldn’t hold back and splashed him right back, but the retaliation that followed was practically a tidal wave.
Water crashed down on me so relentlessly I could barely keep my eyes open, swinging my arms blindly in defense.
Fine. Let’s see who wins.
I figured as long as we were both regular people, I had a decent shot.
But then, Woo Jaehyun vanished underwater like he was dodging, only to surface suddenly and hoist me over his shoulder.
“Ah, hey! Wait, don’t throw me—!”
I smacked his back with my fists, but it only made my hands hurt.
“Then grant me a wish?”
“Are you insane?”
I wasn’t dumb enough to fall for that trick again.
But then his big hands grabbed my thigh, and he spun in place like he was gaining momentum to actually toss me—what is this, shot put?
At that point, I desperately clawed at his back, but I ended up flying through the air anyway.
“Haha!”
But as I soared, laughter burst out of me before I could stop it.
I even gulped down a mouthful of seawater, coughing and still laughing like an idiot.
Why… why is this so fun?
I tried to steady myself, but slipped and collapsed back into the water, still chuckling like a lunatic.
I always thought people playing like this looked dumb, but doing it myself?
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun.
It suddenly made sense—the way kids giggle running through fountains for no reason.
“Hyung, you look like a completely different person when you laugh like that.”
But Woo Jaehyun’s teasing voice made my smile fade immediately.
Is this what they call a reality check?
My mood plummeted as fast as it had lifted.
“Shut up and catch some fish…”
Damn it, I almost got swept up by him.
Embarrassed, I cleared my throat and lunged at a passing fish with my dagger—only to stab uselessly at the sand.
“They’re faster than I thought.”
I tried several more times, but either my reflexes sucked or my hands were cursed.
All I did was jab the empty water.
Thinking maybe the spot was no good, I turned around—and immediately lost all motivation.
What the hell…
Why was he carrying that thing around?
A ridiculously expensive-looking spear was loaded with fish, practically overflowing.
Every time he stabbed the water, more fish lined up, like it was nothing.
“….”
I stared at the dagger in my hand, then shoved it back into my item pouch.
Yeah, I should just stick to what I’m good at.
I gave up on the fish and started collecting seashells and conch instead.
I was so focused, picking out the biggest ones, I didn’t notice how far I’d wandered down the shore.
“This should be enough.”
I rubbed my stiff neck and lifted my head, only to lock eyes with pale grey ones.
My body froze on instinct.
…Damn it.
I’d unconsciously come looking for Cha Rui again.
At this point, it was obvious—‘Seo Inho’ still had lingering feelings for Cha Rui.
Or maybe resentment.
Thinking I might actually get strangled this time, I tried to quietly slip away, but something about Cha Rui’s expression was… strange.
For just a fleeting moment, he looked at me with eyes full of complicated emotions, then quickly turned away.
Seeing that, for some reason, I couldn’t make myself leave.
In the end, after a brief internal struggle, I walked over to where Cha Rui was sitting.
I forced myself to ignore the sharp, hostile gaze he shot me, as if nothing had happened, and quietly sat down at the edge of the tree beside him.
Rubbing my thighs nervously, I hesitated, wondering what to say, before cautiously opening my mouth.
“Uh… I lost my memory.”
“What?”
“There was… an accident. I hit my head. So… I can’t remember anything from before.”
“……”
“It seems like… I knew you, Hunter Cha Rui, in the past…”
I trailed off, biting down on my lower lip.
My heart was pounding uneasily from the burning gaze I could feel beside me.
He’s going to stare a hole through my face at this rate.
Barely managing to calm my racing heart that felt like it might explode any second, I continued speaking.
“So… what I mean is… If I’ve been bothering you somehow, I’m sorry.”
In the end, all that came out was yet another apology.
It was ‘Seo Inho’ who ruined things with Cha Rui, so I couldn’t understand why I kept going around apologizing for him, just like with Do Soohyuk.
“You seriously… can’t remember anything?”
Cha Rui slowly leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.
Then, as if muttering to himself, he whispered softly.
“How convenient.”
There was a strange emptiness in his voice.
Unlike the blazing campfire in front of us, his eyes had grown cold and distant.
Mid-June, the start of summer.
Maybe because it was the last summer of our teenage years, that summer felt unusually short.
“Hey, Seo Inho. You in here?”
Cha Rui, dripping with sweat from running around the school, swung open the infirmary door and glanced inside.
As usual, the nurse was nowhere to be seen, the room quiet and empty.
When the gently swaying curtains by the wide-open window finally settled, Seo Inho’s figure appeared.
Lying sideways on the infirmary bed with his eyes closed, his face looked endlessly neat and composed.
Seeing that pale, fair face, Cha Rui’s lips curled into a smirk without him even realizing.
“You little shit, why didn’t you say anything when you’re here?”
* * *
