GB 10

The sailors who had stepped aside against the wall until their superior, Yoon Moo-hwa, passed by, slowly followed him with their eyes after he went by. Number 8 hesitated at the pouring gazes, and Yoon Moo-hwa, noticing that small reaction, turned around. Number 8’s body was lifted again into his outstretched arms.

It was already strange to see ‘that’ Yoon Moo-hwa holding a child, but the sight of a dirty child, clearly from a pirate island, speaking informally to Yoon Moo-hwa was even more peculiar.

Yoon Moo-hwa entered his room, leaving behind the sailors exchanging glances. Only then did he put the child down on the bed. Number 8 felt somewhat disappointed and rubbed his arms.

“It’ll be very different from swimming.”

The man, letting out a short laugh like a snort, took off his combat uniform. Number 8 watched him, dangling his feet that didn’t yet reach the floor.

His body, methodically undressed, had many scars here and there. Before Number 8 could examine each one with wide eyes, the man had already changed into his duty uniform. With his all-black outfit like when Number 8 had first found him, plus a tie and tie pin, his appearance was complete, like stars shining in the night.

After changing, Yoon Moo-hwa turned around and met eyes with the child who was looking at him in awe, as if he were some magnificent work of art.

Yoon Moo-hwa smiled and smoothed his tie.

“I’d like to give you even a button, but officer’s items can’t be traded privately.”

“Officer? Privately?”

“I’ll teach you what those mean next time.”

Soon after, an announcement signaling departure sounded. Everyone had to go to their positions. Unless he was Number 8’s memento, Yoon Moo-hwa had to go to the radar room.

“Can you stay alone?”

Yoon Moo-hwa approached Number 8, kneeled to meet his eyes, and asked.

“Without going out anywhere?”

At the playful voice asking back, a smile escaped Yoon Moo-hwa’s lips.

“Yes. Exactly opposite of the cave.”

“Okay… I’ll stay hidden quietly.”

“You don’t need to hide. The ship might rock a lot. There will be announcements when that happens, but if you feel dizzy, it’s okay to throw up anywhere. You might fall, so hold onto this bed railing tightly.”

Number 8, who had thought of the ship’s movement as just like swimming, nodded half-heartedly with a look that said, ‘That much?’

The man, now dressed smartly and shining even more than when first found, stood up. Number 8’s gaze naturally followed him up.

After a moment of consideration, Yoon Moo-hwa stopped thinking. If the waves got too rough, well… he’d think about it then. The child who survived in that jungle-like harsh forest probably wouldn’t get hurt easily.

As the man who had helped him fully onto the bed was about to leave, Number 8 grabbed him suddenly.

At the returning gaze, Number 8 tried to lift the corners of his mouth, but even to himself, he could feel his cheeks trembling.

“I’m, I’m scared, no. It’s not that I’m scared. What if something happens, like throwing up, and I need you?”

“Me?”

Number 8 nodded.

There were too many people here. It surpassed the number Number 8 had seen in his entire life. Just counting the people he’d seen since boarding the ship until now seemed to be that many. If he could count higher numbers, it would have been more accurate…

Among them, who should he grab and ask to find whom? It was obvious they wouldn’t understand if he asked them to find his memento. That was a secret between the memento and him.

The man who had been staring at him for a while slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. Then he spoke in a slow and clear voice.

“Ask them to find Yoon Moo-hwa.”

Yoon Moo-hwa.

At first, Number 8 couldn’t even repeat the unfamiliar name out loud.

Yoon Moo-hwa. The man had a name. Of course he did. From the looks of it, he seemed to have been on ships from early on.

“Tell them to find Lieutenant Yoon Moo-hwa.”

“Yoon Moo-hwa…?”

The name… that name, despite hearing it for the first time, fit him so well that it felt natural. To the point where it was unimaginable for him to be called by any other name.

“Yes. That’s my name.”

Yoon Moo-hwa… Yoon Mu Hwa… Leaving behind the child muttering his name like a new toy, Yoon Moo-hwa left the room.

His figure quickly disappeared. Into the corridor thick with the smell of fuel. Into the bustle of people rushing to their positions for departure.

As the man, Yoon Moo-hwa, had said, the sea was quite different from what Number 8 had imagined.

As the waves grew rough and they closed the deck doors, bringing all sailors inside, Number 8 vomited once and held tightly onto the bed to avoid being tossed around.

Just as he was getting tired of waiting for Yoon Moo-hwa’s footsteps among those skillfully traversing the corridor, Yoon Moo-hwa appeared. He was holding a white sailor-collared outfit and a cup of instant noodles. Surprised at the crumpled pile of blankets visible as soon as he entered, he soon smiled faintly at Number 8’s apology, who was sniffling and mumbling with tears and snot.

“I, I threw up… Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Yoon Moo-hwa replied casually, putting the cup noodles and clothes on his small desk. Then he pulled away the blanket that Number 8 had wrapped around himself and pushed it into a corner. Fortunately, no filth had gotten on the child’s body.

“It’s dirty…”

“It doesn’t matter. Many people are like this their first time.”

In severe cases, some would vomit for a month straight until their throat became inflamed. But after a maximum of one month, they would get used to ordinary waves. They’d sleep soundly at night, even when tied down.

“It should be less now.”

They had reopened the deck doors.

As they approached the naval base, the waves gradually subsided. Yoon Moo-hwa opened the lid of the cup noodles filled with boiling water. As the spicy and savory smell filled the room, Number 8 looked both nauseous and very hungry.

“How about it? Can you eat?”

At the question asked with a small smile, Number 8 considered and then nodded.

Yoon Moo-hwa offered a spoon with a fork attached. Number 8 emptied the cup noodles as if eating porridge. After the meal, he took Yoon Moo-hwa’s hand and headed to the shower room.

As it wasn’t the usual time to use the shower room, it was empty. Yoon Moo-hwa taught him how to use the shower and told him to call if he had any difficulties, then pushed Number 8 inside.

While leaning against the door outside the shower room with his arms crossed, several sailors passed by. How many light salutes did he receive? There was a knock from inside.

“Are you done washing?”

“Yeah.”

Number 8 poked his head out, his face flushed from the hot water. Yoon Moo-hwa pushed in a large towel and clothes. A moment later, the towel came out first, followed by Number 8 dressed in an outing uniform that would be issued to female sailors with small builds.

“The clothes are too stiff, it feels weird…”

You grumble when you’re shy. Just like a child.

Hiding such thoughts out of consideration for Number 8, who hated being called a child, Yoon Moo-hwa wrapped the wet hair in a towel and replied, “It’s fine. It suits you well.”

It wasn’t just flattery; the white sailor-collared outing uniform really did suit him well. Thinking he wouldn’t need to wear pants, Yoon Moo-hwa had only given him the top, which turned out to be the right choice. Yoon Moo-hwa picked up the child and quickly crossed the narrow corridor back to his room.

“What happens now?”

Number 8, who hadn’t uttered a word in front of the sailors they’d encountered, finally asked cautiously when they were alone.

He seemed to be a perceptive child. Yoon Moo-hwa swallowed the words that the pirate group, whom Number 8 had believed represented all adults in the world, would go to jail and face trial, and that children his age would go to a shelter.

Of course, Number 8 should also go to a military-run shelter. That was the principle. It seemed like it would be good to tell him this in advance, but the words wouldn’t come easily. Having already greatly disappointed and made the child cry once, he didn’t want to be a bad adult who made him cry again.

“For now, we’re going to the base.”

Yoon Moo-hwa said casually as he dried Number 8’s hair with the towel.

“Base?”

Number 8 asked, his head shaking this way and that as the towel rubbed.

“Will we part ways there?”

Number 8 asked as if he had already predicted the future.

That was correct, but Yoon Moo-hwa frowned slightly before speaking.

Finally, he answered like this:

“Yes.”

“The promise to ride a boat together… has been kept. So, so that’s right. That makes sense.”

Number 8 gave up quickly. Was this learned or innate? Yoon Moo-hwa decided to consider it learned. After all, the child had shown stubbornness when insisting he wasn’t a child.

And as Yoon Moo-hwa had guessed, Number 8 was barely hiding his deep disappointment.

He desperately wanted to ask if they would never meet again after parting, if this was like when adults would throw something especially sweet and tell them to give up on meat.

A mature silence, hard to believe with a young child between them, passed. The man, with the name Yoon Moo-hwa that was still unfamiliar but as impressive as him, put the towel aside and turned Number 8 around.

“Look over there.”

Yoon Moo-hwa was blunt. Blunt but kind. The captain had been blunt and cold, but Yoon Moo-hwa was different. That kept making things difficult for Number 8.

With reluctance, he turned as Yoon Moo-hwa guided him. He sat Number 8 on the bed and pointed out the small, round window.

There was something so enormous that even a part of it was hard to make out.

“That’s the naval base we’re going to.”