Chapter Text
The waves crashing against the shore are the only sound in the surrounding area except for his brother's hurried steps through the sand as he runs along the beach, yelling, for god knows what reason. Bogeol squints, one hand over his forehead to keep the sun out of his eyes and to make out the tiny lone figure of a person in the far distance.
Going nearer he realizes that the same person, a young woman, is holding onto Woohak’s drone as she shakes it hard, curious eyes examining the device before she chucks it carelessly onto the ground a few feet away. His brother immediately makes a dive for the same but Bogeol can't tear his eyes away from the woman in front of him.
There's no way it is who he has been searching for all these years , he thinks belatedly. It can't be. It's been fifteen years. No one has heard of a person surviving for fifteen years on their own after being stranded somewhere this far away from civilization. The woman stays rooted to her spot, face pale as if she has seen a ghost. Her gaze flits in between him and his brother who is busy trying to get the sand out of his precious drone, mumbling frantically under his breath.
She approaches Bogeol hesitantly, hand outstretched until she is just a few steps away from him and when her trembling fingers brush against the fabric of his shirt, she snatches her hand away like she has been burned.
“Are you- are you real? I- am not dreaming?” she stutters out after a few moments, voice hoarse from misuse and Bogeol finds himself shaking his head.
“Are you for real?” she asks again. Steps forward and reaches out to cup his face with both her hands like she needs to confirm it once more. Her hands are rough, mottled with cuts and bruises, cold against his flushed skin. Her eyes search his desperately and he knows, he knows its her but how-
“What's- what's your name?” he asks, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
“Name? M-my name?” she echoes, uncertain. “Mokha. Seo Mokha. Who are- how are you here- I-”
Her voice cracks and he is too busy trying to wrap his head around the situation to notice she has begun to start crying until her hands shake underneath his own where he holds them against his face.
Oh . He didn't even realize he was doing that. His larger hands engulf her smaller ones and he draws them away from his face gently only for her to grab at him in a moment of desperation, arms going around his neck. She breaks down into loud sobs, burying her face into his neck and her body shakes with the overwhelming relief that seems to have overcome her in a matter of mere seconds.
“I got you. I got you, you are okay,” he mumbles. His head spins as he holds her carefully against himself- like he is afraid to hurt her. He is afraid to hurt her. The worn threadbare shirt she wears is a little too big on her small frame not to mention its totally damp and he is suddenly afraid she is going to catch a cold. Her wet hair sticks to her face and to his own shirt as she dampens it with all the tears she can possibly cry. It's an uncomfortable feeling but he can hardly notice it as he tightens his grip on her just a tad, flinching when he feels a light hand on his shoulder.
“What's happening?” his brother asks in concern. A flicker of guilt passes over his face, knowing he should have caught onto the woman’s distress earlier before he had fussed over his drone but what's done is done now.
“I- we need to take her back. To the mainland. Let's finish up with the cleanup for now. Will you tell the others that hyung? I’ll help her to the boat.”
“Of course,” Woohak replies. He throws a last worried glance at the both of them before he is running back to their little group, disappearing around the rocks.
“Hey- let's go back yeah? Can you walk?” Bogeol asks once her sobs have reduced to occasional sniffles. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I am okay,” she manages to answer, gaze flitting down somewhere over his chest. “Are you- really going to take me back?”
“Yes. You are okay,” he repeats. She probably needs to hear it more to actually believe it.
“What are you doing?” she asks when he suddenly spins and crouches in front of her.
“Get on. You look like you will collapse any moment.”
Her grip is hesitant at first, breaths coming out in warm puffs against his neck and a gasp escapes her when he easily hoists her up on his back, one hand going under her knee to hold her up more securely. He walks back slowly, letting her get used to the feeling. She swings her feet a bit with the momentum. The shoes she is wearing are tattered and worn but he still recognises them from years ago when he had practically forced her feet into them, while the rain poured on. He can't believe she has held onto them all these years.
He takes her straight to the boat, setting her down on the raised platform thats runs against the railing on the deck. A blanket is handed to him, probably from their emergency stash onboard. Bogeol wraps it around her, tucking it under his chin. She grips onto it gratefully, shivering when the wind blows in their direction. He kneels down in front of her, going to remove her shoes as she makes a noise of surprise at the back of her throat.
“What- are you doing?”
“You'll catch a cold if you keep those on your feet. They are too worn anyway,” he says. She laughs under her breath.
“A cold. I don't think I have caught a cold in years. Living out in the wind and rain for so many years like this does that to you.”
“I wouldn't risk it,” he simply answers. “May I?”
She nods. He pries them off, placing them beside her. Her toes flex, all covered with dirt and sand from the beach earlier. He brushes it off absentmindedly with his hand.
“It's cold, yeah?” he asks after a few moments of silence. Her eyes dampen slightly but she resolutely stays quiet. “It's okay to admit it. You don't have to be so strong anymore. You did well. All out here on your own, I can’t even imagine it.” He gives her a reassuring smile and receives a weak smile in return. It holds a certain sadness in it. Something tightens in his chest.
“Your hands are warm," she says instead. He cups her hands between his own in answer.
“Better?”
“Yeah.” They stay like that for a while till the others get everything back on the boat. Someone hands her a bottle of water and a whole roll of gimbap and she extracts her hands from his grip to accept the food. He helps her unwrap it as she scarfs down the food hungrily, cheeks puffed with the huge bites she takes and it reminds him of a chipmunk.
“Slow down. You’ll choke on it,” he instructs. She scrunches her nose at him in return, turning away to look at the sea. He follows her gaze and when he looks back he is surprised to see her staring at him.
“I can't believe I am going home. You’ll- take me home right?”
“Yes I’ll take you home. Do you know- where you want to go?”
“I want to find someone,” she says immediately. “I want to let him know I am alive. Ki-ho he-” she trails off, frowning.
“We’ll help you find him,” Woohak pipes up from beside her, busy filming her with a camera. “Your friend.”
“Thank you,” she says, ducking her head slightly in gratitude. Her gaze drifts back towards the sea and silence falls between the three of them. The boat continues to rock with the motion of the waves and Mokha soon drifts off, probably worn out as her head falls against Bogeol’s shoulder. The blanket slips off and Bogeol leans over to tuck it back around her.
He continues to watch over Mokha while she sleeps as the island disappears behind them into the mist.