02. Wrong Delivery

The redevelopment surveyors who'd been swarming in and out of the island every other day had gone quiet for a few days—and then, just as things on the mountain were finally settling down, the phone rang.

"We told you plainly that we won't consent. So don't waste your time coming out here and—"

So this is what they mean by adding insult to injury.

The mountain business was only just getting sorted out, and now the surveyors were shaking the island all over again.

"I'll be right there. Wait for me."

God, I am so sick of this island. Yun-seo hung up and glared at her own feet, and San, who had been carefully watching her face, sidled up with a question.

"Something happen?"

"San, I'll be back in a bit. Just stay here for a minute."

"Sounds serious. I can help, you know. This is exactly the kind of situation where you seize the initiative—hit them with pure visual intimidation."

He wrenched his broad, slab-like shoulders back with a deep, menacing pop of bone. For a split second the sheer force of it tempted her, but there was absolutely no way.

He was a doctor in name, after all—shoving his own patient into danger was beyond unacceptable. No matter how hale and healthy he looked, the man had been stabbed and washed up on her shore as an intensive-care patient.

There was no telling what might happen if he collided with hired thugs. And besides, he was in a position where he had to keep his identity hidden, one way or another. Worst of all… if any of those goons happened to know San.

"If anyone sees the two of us leaving the house together, they're going to get the wrong idea. And I really, really hate misunderstandings like that."

Yun-seo shook her head, her expression firm.

"Is that what matters right now? From what I can tell, this looks dangerous."

"It's not. I've been through this plenty of times. They only ever threaten with words—these people aren't the type to actually cause real harm."

"…If you say so."

"So don't move from this spot until I'm back. Watch TV if you get bored, and if things look clear, you can quietly head over to the health post. I'll leave the house key hanging in the mailbox."

At Yun-seo's worried plea, San exhaled a long, low breath, as if weighing something carefully. Then, with the face of a man who had reached a decision, he flashed a wide grin.

"Don't worry about a thing. I would never put my teacher in a difficult position."

It wasn't exactly the most reassuring answer, but for now she had no choice but to trust it. Yun-seo hurriedly grabbed her outer coat and headed out the door.

The sky was blazing hot, as if a storm might descend at any moment, and on top of that came the shouting match between the surveyors and the villagers.

The courtyard of the community hall was already pure chaos. It was the same ugly standoff as always, but no matter how many times she went through it, Yun-seo simply could not get used to it.

She was still terrified. She still wanted to run. Honestly, all she'd have to do was close her eyes and pretend not to know anything…

But tragically, she was the only young person on this remote island. And every time she thought about turning away, she saw the faces of the elderly villagers, who stood to lose the homes they'd spent their whole lives building.

Just as she'd told San—they had only ever threatened with words, never violence. All she could do was pray, once again, that today would pass without incident.

"Heyyy!"

She marched into the courtyard with her fists clenched tight, and one of the surveyors spotted her and raised a hand.

"Long time no see, Teacher. Been keeping well?"

The man with his hair bleached white to the roots grinned and spat a wad of phlegm. Her body flinched, but determined not to show an ounce of fear, Yun-seo drew in a deep breath.

"Our boss is reeeal upset with you all. Told us to wrap this up fast, and he is not in a good mood."

CLANG—!

The man kicked the metal basin sitting in the courtyard without a shred of hesitation. As the household goods went clattering and tumbling across the ground, the villagers, unable to bear it any longer, finally raised their voices.

"Y-you godless punks! Where do you think you're pulling this crap, in front of your elders?! Were you raised without a mother and father?!"

"What was that?"

The man's head rotated slowly toward the gathered villagers. Then, having utterly erased the frost-hard glare that had frozen his face a second before, he put on a sullen pout, as if he'd been grievously wronged.

"Grandma, that's cold. I mean, whatever else, dragging my parents into it is a bit much, no?"

Muttering to himself, he ground the scattered shards of the basin into the dirt beneath his heel, crushing them flat. The unhidden violence of it sent Yun-seo's heart pounding hammer-blow after hammer-blow.

"I'm sure your circumstances are tragic and all, but we get paid to do this, so cut us some slack, yeah?"

It made her sick—men who trampled other people's lives to earn their pay, making excuses like they were just some put-upon office workers. That was hardly something to announce with pride to the whole world.

"Take one more step toward the villagers. Just one."

Yun-seo planted herself squarely in front of the man as he lumbered toward the villagers.

"Or what? What're you gonna do?"

"I won't stand by and watch."

If she showed even a flicker of fear here, they would only see her as easy prey and push harder—so she straightened her spine and said it.

With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone, opened the camera app, and hit record. The surveyors scoffed and swaggered closer.

"Awww, taking a selfie? With us? Come on, boys, give the lady a peace sign. Peace!"

The man threw a heavy arm around her shoulders, jabbing his face in close for the shot. The reek of stale cigarette smoke hit her and her stomach lurched, but she gritted her teeth and shoved the lens right up into their faces.

"I'm calling the police. All of this is illegal—threatening elderly people into stamping consent forms against their will is intimidation and extortion. I will handle this through the law, so—"

"So speaks the counselor. What's your read on that, counselor?"

Counselor? Yun-seo's eyes darted between the surveyors, and a man in a crisp, immaculate suit stepped forward, pushing up his glasses.

"There was no coercion or threat involved; we are merely requesting consent for land acquisition through lawful procedure. If anything, your unauthorized filming could constitute a violation of portrait rights and defamation, so I'd advise you to be careful."

A bloodless, mechanical tone. The bleached-haired man wriggled his body and lifted his chin smugly.

"You hear that?"

"I'm filing charges right now. This is all intimidation and violence! You even—sexually harassed—"

"Go ahead. We'll file counter-charges."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"What did that grandma call me just now? A godless punk raised without parents? Isn't that criminal defamation, counselor?"

"Well, that's…"

"Every single time I come here, these old coots scream filthy curses at me that I can't even repeat, and the emotional damage is severe. I'm practically at the point of needing psychiatric care. And look, I don't want to send a bunch of old folks my grandparents' age to prison either. So—"

At the man's jerk of the chin, the so-called lawyer pulled something from his briefcase. The bundle of papers he held out toward the villagers fluttered in the wind.

"Unless you want that, sign the forms and let's be done with it. I want to stop coming to this godforsaken island too. I get seasick, you knooow!"

The man whined like a toddler, drumming his heels against the ground. Yun-seo twisted her body and wrenched the arm crushing her shoulder away with all her strength.

"Agh—!"

Caught off guard by the unexpected force, the man lost his balance and crashed to the ground on his rear end. For a long moment he sat there in a cloud of dust with a foolish grin, then lifted his head and let out a long, slow sigh.

"Fuck. I've humored you long enough."

Clicking his tongue in irritation, he rose slowly, brushing the dirt from his trousers—and the look in his eyes sank, in an instant, into something vicious.

"We're not trying to rip you off. We're paying out full compensation, aren't we? Take the money and go live on the mainland. There's nothing here to look at anyway—this place is a bleak little rock. Why the hell are you so hung up on it?"

"How dare you tell people to abandon the place they've lived their whole lives? Easy for you to say, isn't it?"

"Well I would take the money, bow real pretty, and say thank you kindly. Wouldn't you, boys?"

At the man's cue, the surrounding surveyors bent at the waist in perfect unison, sneering at Yun-seo.

"So let's sign this while I'm asking nicely. Yes?"

Snatching the document bundle out of the lawyer's hands, he wiped every trace of playfulness from his face and shoved it right up to Yun-seo's nose.

She was terrified—but her grip on the phone only tightened. Chin lifted, she fired back, sharp as a blade.

"Fine. Let's do it by the law. We'll just have to see who wins. A-and I'm still recording every second of this."

"Ooh, then upload it. If you can."

The man's face twisted ugly as he reached his hand up over her head.

He's going to hit me.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Yun-seo stumbled backward—and before she'd managed even two steps, she collided with something solid blocking her way.

A chill swept over her, sudden as a cold front.