TIN 137

I hadn’t expected to find it so easily. The possibility of getting lost couldn’t be ignored, and in the worst-case scenario, I thought I might drift at sea after running out of fuel. Having set out prepared for all of that, I was ready to humbly accept whatever outcome awaited for me next.

But I found the island faster and more easily than expected. The moment I spotted the new landmass in the distance, I felt an indescribable emotion overcome me. It was so overwhelming that I wondered if I was seeing a mirage.

But the island was real. The distance steadily closed as the boat moved, and it didn’t suddenly disappear from sight. As the vague outline gradually grew larger, my heart began to race uncontrollably in my chest.

I pushed the boat to its maximum speed and focused solely on moving forward. The bow might have gotten scratched by protruding reefs here and there. But I was already so captivated by the island before me that I barely noticed.

When I reached the island, not knowing how to dock, I simply charged straight toward land. The boat cut through the sand and crashed onto the beach. Though I fell with a thud from the impact, I jumped over the boat’s railing before I could even feel the pain.

“Ugh…”

The ankle pain was temporary. The bandage Seokyung had carefully wrapped and the soft sand helped ease the foot pain. I barely managed to slip on the borrowed slippers and stumbled across the beach.

With each step, the sand crunched underneath. The beach, scattered with coral and shells, was much more barren than I remembered. The sparse, dry grass growing here and there plainly showed this was an uninhabited island.

“…”

Like a lost person, I stood still on the beach for a moment, staring at the sea. They say long ago there used to be garbage floating in the seawater, but now it was clear enough to see through. Even when I stayed on the island, the only things that drifted ashore were corpses at most. My younger self never knew how a person could dispose of such bodies.

“So this is…”

Is this really that place? Is this truly the island where I stayed, where I lived with Yoon Ji-soo?

I turned unsteadily. The familiar yet strange environment lacked just one certainty needed for unbridled joy. Since there must be countless uninhabited islands like this, I needed proof that Yoon Ji-soo had really settled here.

There was no need to walk along the beach. I pushed through the thick grass and headed straight into the island. While I had a map at sea, now there was nothing. I just kept walking endlessly, relying only on intuition.

Unknown insect sounds chirped in my ears. The sky that had been clear without a single cloud now had fluffy clouds drifting across it. Strong winds brushed through the undergrowth and tall trees swayed weakly.

“Hah…huh…”

My steps grew faster and faster. At some point, I was practically running through the vegetation where no path remained.

Just a little more, just a little more, I thought as I walked, when suddenly something caught my foot.

“Ah!”

Fortunately, I didn’t fall. After barely maintaining balance, I realized what I’d tripped on was some kind of debris. It was a plastic bottle, its corner jutting out from the buried earth, something that didn’t belong on this remote island.

“…”

A trace of human presence. Evidence that someone had lived here.

An inexplicable expectation swelled up inside me. Even as I moved forward, my fingertips trembled for no apparent reason. Though it wasn’t cold at all, my teeth chattered with each gust of the wind.

And finally, I discovered an abandoned house. A dwelling too small to be called a home, now desolate from lack of human touch.

It was a very old house. No, more like a container with a roof. The walls were stained with dirt, and the entrance was warped, covered in tree roots. Vines from unknown origins had crept down the roof, hanging like curtains around the windows.

But I knew this house’s original appearance. How white those walls had been, what sound that door made when opening, what view could be seen through the windows, and even the person who had stayed inside.

‘Where have you been all this time?’

The face that had greeted me with a bright smile was still vivid. Having seen the photos at Seokyung’s house, it wasn’t difficult to recall her gentle smile. The woman had somehow drawn close and kindly extended her hand to me.

‘Let’s have dinner, you must be very hungry?’

“…”

As if enchanted, I reached for her hand. But my left hand, extended toward the woman, awkwardly swept through empty air instead of touching her. When I blinked, even the woman who had been smiling at me had vanished without a trace.

“…Ha.”

A sigh that erupted from deep in my chest scattered into the air. My legs nearly gave way, almost making me collapse to the ground. Tears I hadn’t noticed rolled down my cheeks and dropped to the floor.

“Ah…”

I had come home. To the place where I had lived with her, where I had spent half of my life. To this unforgettable place that held all my childhood memories.

I roughly wiped away the single teardrop with the back of my hand. Dragging my aching leg, I approached the entrance, grabbed the doorknob, and forced it open. Though I thought it wouldn’t open due to age, surprisingly, the door opened smoothly.

“…”

The fallen dirt raised a cloud of white dust. Since it wasn’t too much, I covered my nose and mouth with one hand and stepped inside. Carefully stepping over the tree roots into the house, I saw the cramped interior that could be taken in at a single glance.

‘Wash your hands and sit down. Make sure to dust off the sand.’

Instead of warm food, the table against one wall was covered in dirt-mixed dust. The two chairs, set only for two, could no longer serve their purpose with broken legs. The floor that was always kept clean was now littered with fine sand and leaves, and the ceiling maintained a precarious state, half-collapsed.

‘Tomorrow, should we fix that leaky spot?’

“…”

‘Can you help? You’ve grown so much, my baby.’

The gentle touch stroking my head felt distant like a dream. I slowly raised my hand to brush the back of my head, then stared blankly at my palm. Looking around in a daze, I could see torn blankets that could no longer serve their purpose.

‘Let’s go to bed early today.’

“…Why?”

I blinked. Though no tears came, my vision became blurry. The laugh that escaped out of my mouth was a mockery of myself for hoping despite knowing better.

“Why aren’t you here either…?”

Obviously, Yoon Ji-soo wasn’t here. Even the traces of someone having lived here had faded too much with time. If I hadn’t known this place, hadn’t remembered it, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine it looking like this.

“Ha…”

My breath caught, and I unconsciously collapsed to the floor. Looking blankly up at the ceiling, warm sunlight streamed through the cracks. Vines that had crept in from outside extended all the way to the shelf attached to the upper wall.

I closed my eyes tightly. The unknown wind sound seemed just like that person’s voice.

‘Did you collect seashells again?’

“…”

‘No, we don’t have any place to put them anymore.’

“…”

‘Then let’s pick just two. How about that?’

If only time could stop right here. So I wouldn’t have to think about where to go, what to do.

It felt like all strength was draining from my body. Everything I’d desperately clung to felt futile and meaningless. So powerless I couldn’t even lift a finger—all I could do was blink quietly.

I looked around the house again. Broken furniture, torn blankets, scattered clothes, and tin cans rolling in corners. And between them…

“…?”

I snapped to attention. There were unfamiliar footprints on the dirt-covered floor. Slightly smaller than mine, traces that shouldn’t be here.

“That…”

Why are they here?

I didn’t even have time to stand up. Just as I wondered about this, I heard rustling movements from somewhere. Before I could react to the sound from outside the door, I felt something cold against the back of my head.

“…”

“…”

It felt like my breath had stopped. The peaceful silence suddenly felt precarious, like walking on ice.

Click, the sound of a gun being cocked. I slowly realized what was pressed against my head was a gun barrel.

My body instinctively stiffened as a familiar woman’s voice settled behind me.

“Who are you?”