Geulgeulgeul

Bucking the Island

Impulsive relationships are bound to lead to unintended consequences. The dictionary calls them mistakes or stains.

My parents made two mistakes when they gave birth to me and Seo Ho-jin. It doubled their already burdensome debt. Even though I was the one who fed, put Seo Ho-jin to sleep, and cared for him, I was brainwashed by South Korea's spoon-fed education system, and I developed a shitty feeling toward both of them. Love for the person who gave birth to me. Even when I was sobbing and unable to sleep, trying to put little Seo Ho-jin to sleep, I thought parents were truly amazing.



At the age of 11, I witnessed my first double suicide. Not someone else's, but my parents'. I couldn't even scream. I was afraid Hojin would wake up. I still vividly remember them kicking and thrashing.

Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't have a brain. I quickly climbed up onto the chair. A pale face filled my eyes. I struggled to untie the rope with my 11-year-old hands. I didn't feel sad. Because I'm not dead yet. Because your debt hasn't been transferred to me yet. The man pushed me away with trembling hands. I fell to the floor without being able to do anything. There was a loud noise. Hojin woke up and cried. Tears of resentment flowed out. Don't be ridiculous... I'm still alive... I muttered as I looked at the two people who were lying down.



A staggering amount of debt was returned to my name. I looked to see if I had insurance, but the news of the two of us having life insurance, which I hadn't even taken out because I was too busy paying the interest, crushed my last hope. I had to pay off the debt urgently, but with no savings left, I was quickly being chased. I didn't even have much baby formula left. The corpses barged into the house without warning. I hugged Hojin tightly, who was startled and sobbing. The corpses looked me over and whispered among themselves. The largest of them brandished a knife and said, "Honey. You should go make some money, right?" I was forcibly abandoned on a remote island, leaving little Hojin behind. And the only way to make money with the job I barely managed to get was...



"ah..!"

“Why do you seem to be thinking differently, Hoyoon?”



This is how you deal with horny bitches.



“Concentrate.”



Of course, I had to be able to use it regardless of the context, because customers have different tastes.









 Bucking the Island
Kang Yi-chae and Seo Ho-yoon









The long affair was over. I patted the old man, who was still in the throes of pleasure.



"money."

“Haha. That’s harsh. Since you liked it too, can you lower the price a little?”



I laughed out loud. He must have thought I was good at sex because I pretended to be happy a few times. I got up from the bed and encouraged him. I spoke with as much force in my voice as I could, pretending to be as pitiful and helpless as I could.



“Even if you say you received money, there are still eyes to see and ears to hear. I want you to come often, hyung...”

“Okay, my cat wants it so I have to keep my promise.”



Two thick envelopes clung tightly to my hands. Today's earnings were quite generous. This was a bonus. I took the man's hand and gave it a quick kiss. It was a sign that the rich sucker was coming back.





/





Because Pleasure Island is more active at night than in the morning, most of the workers were already asleep by morning. I dragged my tired body toward the dawning sea. I sat on the sand and watched the blue waters return.



“Have you eaten?”

- What should I say first when I call you after such a long time? Isn't it normal to ask how you are doing first?

“Okay, okay. Have you eaten?”

- ...... I'm annoyed. Oh. I ate.



The voice of the guy I hadn't heard in a long time had gotten much deeper.



“Good job. Did you grow taller? I wonder what you look like in person.”

- Then come. Or at least let them come. Confirm life or death with a photo or a video call. They're not idols. No, they're even harder to see than idols.

“Oh my. It’s expensive, Hojin.”



I didn't intend to stop her from coming from the beginning and even lie to her. I didn't want to bother telling my younger sibling, who thought I was just an office worker on the island, and there was no benefit to finding out. It was just my own way of showing affection.



- Okay. You look cold. Go inside.

“Look at what he said to his brother.”

- Come and scold me.



Seo Ho-jin then abruptly hung up. Is this a young teenager going through puberty? He's so cranky. Seeing his younger brother grow up well without any problems made me feel a lot better.





/





When I entered the room, a boy was sitting there. Wondering what was going on, I called Madam. He answered quickly, unusually for his usual tone, and I knew it couldn't be work. I nodded.



“What is it?”

“Uh, Hoyoon, this might be a bit confusing, but please help the new kid get used to the room. It’s my sister’s wish.”

“Why should I do that?”

- I'll give you more money. You'll be leaving soon after paying off all your debts anyway, so it's a bit much to leave a handsome kid behind and let him rot away, right? Okay?



I sighed. I rubbed my head nervously. My brow furrowed. What a fucking nuisance... I glanced at the boy sitting on the sofa. He was definitely better-looking than the other guys there.



“Still, this is...”

“I’ll give you 13 percent more. Please, Hoyoon..”

“...... Tsk. Okay.”



I'm leaving soon anyway, so this is it. I looked at the faded grapefruit-colored hair. What a shameless face...



Two fully grown men were sleeping in one bed, but there wasn't enough space. Luckily, it was a king-size bed, otherwise one of them would have slept on the floor.



"what's your name?"

"why."

“We have to go together now, so I should at least know your name.”



He immediately asked for my name. It wouldn't be that interesting to find out. Anyway, the immature kids were getting a lot of attention.



“Seo Ho-yoon.”

“...That’s a pretty name.”

“Pretty is freezing to death.”



The blackout curtains were the wrong size, failing to fully block out the sunlight. I could hear the sound of fabric rustling. Was it the light or my first night on the island? I felt like I was having a terrible time sleeping.





/





(delete)



I looked down at the pristine white bedsheets, still bearing the marks of a tedious affair. Weren't they originally gray? What the hell kind of jerk came in here for... I grumbled as I peeled off the sheets. The once fluffy fabric was now clammy.



Arriving at the terrace where the washing machine was, I encountered an unwelcome presence. I ignored him and quickly started the washing machine.



“Hello, Hoyoon.”

“......... Oh, okay.”



After straining his throat for a while to force a high-pitched moan, his voice cracked. He stared at the washing machine running silently. He felt a vibration in his pocket. The recipient was Madam. He felt like shit. How long had it been since we had sex and he was still accepting customers?



I leaned on the terrace and took out a cigarette. The sea breeze was blowing and it was difficult to light.

Ah, okay. I guess it's not the right time. I threw the lighter on the table. He picked it up and started talking to me.



“Would you like me to light a fire for you? I’m good at lighting fires.”

"what?"

“No, it’s just… I don’t think you’re smoking because of the fire.”



I nodded without saying anything else.



“Ask.”



He nodded, looking at the cigarette he was holding. Ah. I quickly put it in my mouth. He stood facing the opposite direction of the wind. He covered the end of his cigarette with his hand, flicked it around, and lit it easily. The tobacco burned. A wisp of smoky smoke rose. Yes, this is it. I took a deep breath and exhaled. He covered his nose and stepped back.



There wasn't much conversation. That allowed me to blankly focus on the present moment. The sound of the washing machine turning, the boat welcoming new customers, the tiresome sound of crashing waves. And the handsome, unsullied baby next to me.

…A baby? I looked over. My eyes met with a grapefruit-headed figure staring back at me. What kind of baby is that? I guess I've gone a bit crazy because I've only interacted with older people. Haha. I guess that makes sense...



“What’s your name?”



He smiled faintly with an old face. His voice also seemed a bit more excited.



“This is Lee Chae. This is Kang Lee Chae.”

“Yes, Kang Ichae.”



Even though I called his name, I couldn't think of anything to say. A brief silence passed. This time, I felt I had to say something, even if it was ridiculous.



“From now on, wash the bed sheets in the room I stayed in.”



His eyebrows, which were the same color as his hair, twitched. Kang Yi-chae smiled as if nothing had happened.



“Please call me anytime.”



I felt guilty for making him do unnecessary work. I rationalized it by saying I was giving him work to gain experience, even though he still knew nothing.





/





A loud alarm went off. I fumbled with my pillow, my eyes half-open. It became quiet. It became quiet on its own, without me even touching anything. Did Kang Yi-chae turn it off? I lay back down and closed my eyes. It seemed useful at times like this.



“Should I wake you up in 5 minutes?”

“Uh... Wake me up in 10 minutes.”



I definitely felt like there was someone by my side for the first time in a long time. It felt... not bad.





/





    굵은 밧줄이 주위에 맴돌았다. 어린 호진이의 울음소리가 머리를 물렸다. 날카로운 책들이 후두둑 떨어졌다. 남자와 여자의 축 처진 인영이 허공에 떠다닌다. 씨발. 끝없는 암흑을 달리고 또 달렸다. 밧줄은 가는 길마다 띄워져있고 호진이의 울음소리는 머리에서 떠날 기미조차 안 보였다. 최악이었다. 생각이 제대로 들지 않았다. 눈앞이 하얗게 먹혀갔다. 숨이 턱턱 막혔다. 꿈이잖아. 씨발 꿈이잖아. 좀 깨 개새끼야. 이런 내 아우성을 뇌에서도 인식했는지 시야는 전환되어 교복 입은 호진이로 바뀌었다.



“Haa... Hojin.”



I felt like I could breathe again. I wanted to run and hug her right away.



“I told you to come. I told you if you couldn’t come, I’d go find you. I miss you. I miss you, hyung. Don’t die. If you do this, what’s the difference between you and those people? Don’t go.”



Seo Ho-jin sank to his knees and muttered something incomprehensible. Hey, what are you talking about? Dying? Who's dying? Your brother is right here, right in front of you. He knelt down to Seo Ho-jin's level. What's going on? Ho-jin, tell your brother. Seo Ho-jin remained silent for a long time.





/





….-…! Brother… Brother!







“Huh. Huh.”

“Hyung. Are you okay? I woke you up in a hurry because you were frowning and having trouble breathing... What’s wrong?”



As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Kang Yi-chae's surprised face. The side effect of the sudden great shock was a misjudgment. Even in the dark room with only one lamp on, Kang Yi-chae's grapefruit-colored hair was so noticeable. In order to cover up the shitty feeling with a fucking feeling, I grabbed the back of Kang Yi-chae's neck and recklessly planted my lips on it. I made sure Kang Yi-chae didn't have a chance to panic, and didn't even think about pushing away. I tenaciously and stickily tied my tongue first. The brat who had been holding his body tightly now relaxed and left it to me. It was comfortable. He almost felt like a doll. I placed my hand on Lee-chae's shoulder, who had lost his way.

Eyes tightly shut, face flushed. Kang Yi-chae's expression, which I confirmed with a quick glance, was typical of someone in love. It was definitely an effective method. A kiss without money, with someone who wasn't even a customer. Just listing the words made it fucking awful. Just looking at the words made it sound like... Instead of feeling like shit, I felt relieved. I was annoyed. I pulled my face back from where I had been pressed.



“What the...!”



Kang Yi-chae covered his mouth with his hand and stood a distance away. Whenever he saw her, a strange feeling settled over him. It was always like that. It happened even though we hadn't seen each other for long. I couldn't accept feeling emotions I didn't know existed.



“...... Hey. Don’t act so innocent. You’ll have to do worse things than this in the future.”



I was pissed. Apologizing wasn't enough, but I shamelessly justified my mistake. It's because he's annoying. It's because I'm unlucky. It's because I feel weird just looking at him. It's because his faded grapefruit hair suits him so well.

X Again... I got up from my seat and approached Kang Ichae who was standing in front of the door.



“Get out of the way.”



If only Kang Ichae hadn't been there, I wouldn't have felt this way. He made me feel emotions that even I couldn't explain.