Codename Vestia

Chapter 15: Joonie

“What are you doing, Major?”

Gamal asked.

Doyeong removed the splint from his leg. When he tried moving his leg lightly, he felt no pain. Finally, his leg had completely healed.

Seeing this, Gamal asked, “Is it all better?”

“Yeah.”

Doyeong answered as he pushed the wooden splint aside. Gamal said, “That’s a relief.”

It was sincere, after all. Even though Doyeong had been injured by accident, Gamal had felt sorry every time he saw him limping around.

Yet, he suddenly felt a twinge of worry, and it didn’t take long to understand why.

Doyeong stood up. “It’s time to start preparing.”

“For what?”

“To go home.”

Gamal’s face suddenly stiffened. In the meantime, Doyeong got up and began packing his things.

“You can’t go.”

But Gamal spoke up. Doyeong stopped.

“No one has ever left.”

When he turned around, he saw that Gamal had a resolute expression on his face.

“Johannes also had a wife and child on the mainland. But he couldn’t leave. And neither can you, Major.”

Gamal was still hiding something. Even though Doyeong knew this, his instincts kept trying to cover up the obvious truth, as he felt inexplicably drawn to Gamal.

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s someone waiting for me outside.”

Doyeong had anticipated that Gamal would resist. For whatever reason, Gamal was extremely wary of anyone being discovered off the island.

But then Gamal hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously, “Is it… a woman?”

Gamal wasn’t giving him a straight answer, so Doyeong didn’t feel like replying properly either.

“Yeah.”

After all, his mother was a woman, so it wasn’t exactly a lie.

Gamal pursed her lips tightly, then stubbornly shook her head. “There’s no way out.”

“You’re a vampire. You can swim, build a raft, do whatever it takes.”

“Why would I?”

Gamal asked back as if she truly didn’t understand.

“I’m not leaving the island.”

“Why not? What’s here, anyway? Nothing but damned sand and taro!”

Doyeong finally raised his voice, frustrated by Gamal’s obstinate attitude. But Gamal, having gone through this kind of situation many times before—since everyone who had been stranded here must have resisted in their own ways upon realizing they couldn’t return to their lives—remained calm.

“You can’t go. There is no way out.”

“Fine.”

Doyeong spoke quietly. Gamal hadn’t expected this kind of response, so she was slightly taken aback.

Gamal wasn’t particularly good at hiding her emotions, so Doyeong knew she was surprised. But he didn’t care.

“Suit yourself. I’m leaving, no matter what.”

Doyeong said coldly and turned away. In that moment, Gamal, who had suddenly approached, tried to grab his arm.

“No, you can’t.”

Doyeong slipped away from her grasp and grabbed Gamal by the collar.

Gamal flinched. But Doyeong yanked her closer, pulling her in. Gamal could have resisted if she had wanted to, but she was caught off guard and stumbled forward.

Doyeong spoke in a low, resolute tone, already having made up his mind.

“This time, you’d have to break both my arms and legs.”

Then he let go of her collar, as if even touching her disgusted him.

“It’s dangerous.”

Gamal spoke up without thinking, watching Doyeong turn away. Doyeong looked back at her with an annoyed expression.

“What is?”

Gamal bit her lip before she spoke.

“If you leave this island, you’ll die. There’s Mot.”

Her face was so grim that, for a moment, it was hard to believe this was the same Gamal he knew.

Doyeong later learned that “Mot” was a deity of death from ancient Middle Eastern mythology. But even if he had known at that moment, he wouldn’t have cared.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Doyeong turned away and left. Gamal stood there, dazed, like a puppy that had lost its owner.

***

Doyeong didn’t waste any time and started building a raft.

In the end, if he wanted to escape without Gamal’s help, he had no choice but to make a raft. Fortunately, he knew how to build one.

Moreover, over the past month, he had scouted the area and noted trees suitable for making a raft, so he already had a clear plan in his head.

The lack of a proper knife was the biggest inconvenience, but recently, he had found a rusty, mid-sized blade in the woods, more of a hunk of metal than a proper knife.

No matter how much he sharpened it, it was still too dull for cutting, but at least he could hack things down if he needed to.

Gamal was nowhere to be seen. But Doyeong didn’t care. If Gamal had helped, he could have finished the raft in a day, but it wasn’t impossible without her help either.

Doyeong brushed off his hands. After such intense work, he was drenched in sweat.

Rustle.

A sound caught his attention. Doyeong quickly turned around.

“Gamal?”

There was no reply. Silently, Doyeong picked up the knife lying on the sand. He approached the now quiet bushes.

He pushed aside the foliage, but there was no one there. The area was eerily still, as if it might have been a passing animal. Just then, a bird suddenly fluttered away from somewhere deeper in the forest.

This place was a strange island. That much was certain.

***

In the morning, when Doyeong woke up, he saw Gamal’s spot was empty. It seemed she hadn’t returned during the night.

She clearly had her reasons, but without explaining them, it was impossible for him to simply understand her. He had a life waiting for him outside, and he couldn’t even notify his family and friends that he was alive. How could he just accept, “You can’t leave,” and decide to settle down here?

Clink.

The mobile hanging from the ceiling swayed, and the glass caught the light, glinting.

Doyeong remembered the look on Gamal’s face when he said he was leaving, a look as if her world was collapsing. He let out a sigh.

“If only she would just explain.”

But whatever her reasons were, he wasn’t going to stop trying to go home, so perhaps it was better not to know at all.

Thinking this, Doyeong got up and stepped outside. And then he was stunned.

“What….”

The raft was completely destroyed. It was broken beyond repair, to the point where he couldn’t gather the materials to rebuild it. And there was only one possible culprit.

“That bastard…!”

“Gamal!”

Doyeong shouted with all his strength. His voice echoed in all directions, but Gamal did not appear.

He gritted his teeth and started building the raft again.

***

Doyeong had not gone inside the log cabin. Instead, he had laid out a spot next to the raft and was sleeping there. The campfire, now reduced to ashes, flickered with its last embers.

Gamal crept quietly toward the raft. From the looks of it, Doyeong must have made rafts before, as it was already quite well constructed. At this rate, it would be ready to set sail in two or three days.

Just as she reached out her hand toward it—

“Don’t touch it.”

Doyeong’s voice startled her. She flinched. He looked over at her, his expression showing that he hadn’t been asleep at all.

“Do you have the right to lay a hand on that?”

The glow from the dying campfire reflected in his eyes. But Gamal bit her lip and clung to the raft.

The raft, heavy enough to need an entire squad of men to lift, floated in midair, sand slipping off of it. Gamal hurled it down, smashing it to pieces.

Thud! Crack!

The loud sound of debris flying and rolling echoed around them.

Doyeong cursed harshly and stormed into the log cabin. Gamal lingered by the door. After a moment of gathering her resolve, she finally opened it.

“Major….”

“Get out.”

It wasn’t even worth raising his voice. Gamal had no right to do this to him.

But instead of leaving, Gamal stepped inside.

She collapsed to her knees, crumbling to the floor, and tears began to fall. Doyeong’s eyes twitched slightly.

“If you think crying….”

He intended to say something more, but even crying, Gamal looked beautiful. No, she looked even more beautiful with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Major. I’m sorry….”

Gamal wept, her sorrowful appearance enough to move even the heart of a stone statue, like a dol hareubang. She cried in such a mournful, pitiful way.

“I’m sorry. Truly….”

And then she finally managed to speak the words that had been stuck, impaled in her heart.

“I want you to live.”

Mot never spared anyone she loved. For her, to care for someone was akin to handing them a ticket to the afterlife. So the only way to save Doyeong was to make sure he stayed here, out of Mot’s sight.

Silence fell between them.

Suddenly, Doyeong let out a sigh and lay down.

Gamal, puzzled, looked at him. Doyeong, lying on his side, was staring straight at her. His eyes, which had a soft glow, no longer seemed angry. Instead, they gave off a deep and contemplative vibe.

Doyeong spoke in a way that would linger in her mind for a long time.

“Come here.”

Gamal was surprised but quickly approached, worried he might change his mind. As she got closer, Doyeong nodded toward the space next to him.

“Lie down.”

Like a subordinate obeying an order, Gamal quickly lay down beside him.

She hesitated for a moment before gently placing her hand on him. Doyeong spoke up.

“You’re heavy. Don’t press down.”

“Sorry.”

Gamal quickly withdrew her arm. Then, unsure of where to put her hands, she hesitated before lightly gripping the edge of Doyeong’s T-shirt.

Doyeong didn’t know why he felt the urge to protect her. Was it a byproduct of his military instincts, or was it because of this paradoxically endearing vampire?

“You’re warm, Major,” Gamal whispered softly.

“I used to sleep hugging a pig,” she added.

Doyeong looked down at her, incredulous.

“Are you comparing me to a pig now?”

“It wasn’t cold, but it was warm. The pig got hurt, so I didn’t do it again after that.”

Doyeong held back a sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

“Now it’s story time, huh? You really don’t know when to stop.”

Then, he turned and embraced her.

“Major…?”

Gamal froze at the sudden gesture. Doyeong’s scent was suddenly so close. It was a blend of warm sunlight, soft fabric, and a faint trace of sweat, likely from working all day under the sun.

“When I hug you, it doesn’t hurt.”

Listening to the sound of his heart pumping blood, Gamal closed her eyes.

“Yeah. It’s warm.”

***

Doyeong felt the sunlight on his eyelids and opened his eyes. Gamal was gazing down at him. Startled, he pulled his head back.

“What’s this?”

Gamal, her eyes unusually bright, replied, “I was watching you, Major.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I felt like it.”

Gamal tilted her head, as if wondering if there was anything wrong with that.

“Oh, fine.”

Doyeong was too tired to argue.

“It’s hot.”

The temperature had risen while they slept, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. Doyeong grabbed the back of his T-shirt and pulled it off over his head.

“I need to wash up.”

Muttering to himself, he got up and walked out of the log cabin.