TIN 136

Unlike in person, the man in the photo had dark eyes, perhaps wearing contacts. Seokyung blinked slowly, trying to maintain composure. Then, with a casual face, she drew out her response.

“No…haven’t seen him. Who is he?”

Though she didn’t know why they were looking for him, she couldn’t just turn him in. The boy was clearly on the run, and if caught, he’d likely meet an unfortunate fate.

“He’s someone we’re looking for. Are you certain you haven’t seen him?”

“No, it’s my first time seeing him. Is he some sort of criminal?”

She deliberately asked nervously, as if frightened, to emphasize her ignorance. Though she thought her acting was natural enough, the man responded in a mechanical voice.

“If you’re lying, there could be trouble. Are you absolutely sure you haven’t seen him?”

“…Are you threatening me?”

Suddenly irritated, Seokyung frowned sharply. As she was about to tell him to leave if that’s how he was going to talk, a new voice came from behind him.

“Henry.”

It was just one word, but it sent chills up and down her spine. The drawling voice burrowed into her ear like a snake. Just as Seokyung swallowed hard, a strange man approached the gate.

“Step aside.”

“…”

Henry took a step back. The person who appeared in his place was a man so tall he seemed to nearly touch the top of the gate. Even Seokyung, who rarely had to look up at others, had to raise her head.

Meeting his gaze, Seokyung froze momentarily. His eyes were so light they seemed transparent, barely even seeming human.

Those eyes, bright as molten gold, appeared almost yellow in the light. The black pupils contrasted like deep caves. It was an eye color she’d never seen before, yet she immediately realized one thing.

‘…A Dominant Alpha.’

The legendary Dominant Alpha, said to be one in the world. A being rare even among the precious Alphas. A man with eyes that didn’t just glimmer weakly, but seemed to have captured the sun itself.

Just after a Dominant Omega had been here, another rare trait had appeared.

“You say you haven’t seen this person?”

Though the leisurely question was informal, Seokyung didn’t dare point that out. His downward gaze, that arrogant look, seemed to declare his inherent superiority.

Should she tell the truth now? It would be a lie to say she hadn’t considered it. Her trembling fingertips were nothing less than her instinct’s warning signal.

But before Seokyung could move her lips, she felt a hand pulling her arm.

“I told you we haven’t seen him.”

It was Grandma. Having approached without notice, she grabbed Seokyung’s arm and pulled her behind herself. Even though Seokyung was much taller, it was as if she was trying to protect her somehow.

“This child is too busy gathering seaweed to know what’s happening in the world. And I’m not well enough to go anywhere.”

While Seokyung’s busyness might be true, the latter was definitely a lie. Her grandmother was healthy enough to stay overnight at a friend’s house far away just last night.

“Why do you people always look for people this way? We don’t know anything, so please leave.”

‘…Always?’

As far as Seokyung knew, there had never been high-ranking officials coming to search for someone in this neighborhood. Yet her grandmother reacted as if this wasn’t the first time, showing clear disgust.

“You turned this neighborhood upside down before too…”

The hand gripping Seokyung’s arm trembled slightly. While it might seem like fear, Seokyung recognized the emotion in her grandmother’s expression. Anger and sympathy that was larger than fear.

‘The world must have really tormented Ji-soo.’

“…”

She slowly turned to look at the man. Those yellow-glowing eyes still gazed emotionlessly at Seokyung and her grandmother. From his blood-red lips came a languid voice that contrasted with his indifferent expression.

“You’re making me out to be some villain.”

The thought occurred to her. Perhaps the people who had pursued Ji-soo were Alphas like this man. Perhaps they had searched this place thoroughly with those beast-like eyes.

“Why do you threaten and frighten people?”

The man chided Henry in an emotionless, calm tone. His bright smile was inappropriately radiant and beautiful for the situation. When his elegant eyes curved gently, the surreal smile sent chills up and down one’s spine.

While Seokyung had never seen anyone more beautiful than Ji-soo, this man possessed looks so perfect it felt dangerous. However, despite his dazzling smile, his gaze toward them was utterly cold.

“It’s not my concern who turned this place upside down…”

The man’s eyes moved slowly, as if searching for something. After carefully examining everything from grandmother and Seokyung to the yard where seaweed was spread out, he suddenly let out a short exclamation.

“Ah.”

“…!”

As the smile vanished from his face, Seokyung startled and turned her head. Her heart sank as if she’d committed a crime. Simultaneously, the man’s lips twisted slowly.

“Found it.”

The quiet voice brushed past her ear. Seokyung’s face turned pale as her eyes widened.

What the man had discovered was the women’s shoes that Ji-soo’s child had left behind earlier.

***

The boat cut through the water, leaving a long wake. The sound of waves mixed with the whirring of the motor. Riding the shaking boat through the sea felt like being trapped in an unrealistic dream.

I gripped the boat’s wheel, gazing at the scenery spread out in the distance. The fishing boat, barely big enough for one person, was what I’d borrowed from Seokyung at that house. Though “borrowed” might not be the right word, since I wouldn’t be able to return it now.

‘You’re going to that island?’

Both of them had shown reluctant reactions when I said I was going to the island where Yoon Ji-soo had lived. They suggested I stay one more night, saying there would be nothing there anyway. They were probably worried about me, but I had no time to delay further.

‘No, I’m leaving.’

Though I’d arrived at the sea by train, I was still being pursued. I felt like Joo Do-hwa would discover that I’d arrived here, that I’d returned to this place. Even if I could manage one night, staying in one place for two days made me feel anxious.

It couldn’t be helped. Joo Do-hwa had done everything I’d thought impossible. Blocking sea routes, issuing wanted notices, turning marketplaces upside down to catch merchants.

I didn’t believe there were no CCTVs on the trains he ordered to be searched one by one. Even if there weren’t, he would have at least gotten the passenger lists. While he might not have noticed my presence, once he realized Kei had been there, it would only be a matter of time before the investigation net closed in.

So I had to leave. Not staying stagnant in one place, but flowing like a river toward the sea.

‘Just tell me how to get there.’

Fortunately, the old woman had thoroughly explained the island’s location to me. Which direction to go, what to be careful of, and roughly how long it would take to get there.

‘It takes a long time. You’ll barely see the island after half a day.’

She said even with a full tank of gas, it would be close. While there was a risk of drifting forever if something went wrong, none of it scared me. Having lived my whole life longing for the sea, even getting lost on the water would be romantic.

The map was nothing more than a few lines drawn, and the only means of navigation was a compass mounted on the boat. I couldn’t even gauge if I was going the right way or making progress. At some point, even the mainland disappeared from view, giving me a sense of complete isolation from the world.

But that made it all the more refreshing. The sky remained blue and clear, and all that lay before me was the open sea. The vast blue ocean seemed large enough to easily embrace someone like me.

As the sun that had been hovering in the middle began to set, rocks started appearing here and there. I reduced speed at these protruding obstacles and carefully compared them with the old woman’s map. Though not exactly matching, their size and location seemed roughly similar.

“…”

Could it be…

The hope that welled up didn’t betray me this time. When I turned the boat past a rock-like reef, something began to appear in the distance.

What at first looked like a reef gradually revealed its true form as the distance closed. A small island with lush greenery covering its round surface.

“Ah.”

It was the place the old woman had told me about.