Chapter 32

Still worried about his friend, Manuel replied with a serious expression.

“No, he hasn’t come back yet.”

Rather than living in constant anxiety from now on, she secretly hoped Declan wouldn’t return, though she didn’t show it.

An unspoken silence settled over them. A moment later, breaking that silence, Manuel spoke.

“I know a spot where there are lots of fish. It’s a place where you can catch them just by reaching into the water and rummaging around—want me to catch some for you from there?”

Come to think of it, a few days ago, she had eaten the fish Manuel caught and grilled, and it had been quite tasty. On top of that, there was a spot where you could catch fish just by plunging your hands into the water and rummaging around. Losing interest in the construction supplies abruptly, Isu stood up from her spot.

“I’m going to try catching fish myself. But is that place far from the beach?”

Manuel rummaged through the construction supplies and picked up a thick wire shaped like a skewer. Then, looking out past the pine hill toward the beach, he replied,

“It’s not far, but the water depth is deep. I think you’d only be able to catch them if you know how to swim.”

“Swim…?”

Having lost her memories, she couldn’t answer whether she was good at swimming or not. But she wanted to test the waters by easing into shallow water first. Finding something similar to the skewer Manuel was holding, Isu grabbed it and replied,

“I’ll go try it, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll find another method.”

Manuel took off his T-shirt and trousers, draped them over the tent, and took the lead.

“Then let’s go, I’ll help you.”

She figured just being told the fishing spot would be enough to be grateful, but she followed behind him without saying anything extra. It was out of fear that Declan might leap out from somewhere. Plus, there was always the chance she might wander into the sea alone and get swept away by the waves.

The slippers, two sizes larger than her foot size, had somehow grown familiar. As soon as they stepped onto the beach, fine, dry sand sifted into her slippers, but she liked the warm temperature of the sand. Since wearing slippers was pointless anyway, she slipped them off on one side of the white sandy beach before heading down.

Today, the sunlight was exceptionally harsh. The calm, pale blue ocean flaunted its clear beauty, showing off its pristine depths so transparently that even the underwater reefs were visible.

The water was so clear she felt refreshed just looking at it. Had the ocean always been this clear? Busy worrying about survival until now, she hadn’t realized the scenery could be this breathtaking.

“Wow, seriously…”

It was a place she would have wanted to visit as a tourist at least once. Once she escaped this place, she wouldn’t look at the ocean for a while, but it was definitely a place she’d remember fondly someday.

Taking in the sprawling open sea, Isu breathed in deeply. The smell of the ocean, the smell of the breeze, the smell of the sand. All those scents purified her mind.

“…It’s pretty.”

She murmured in quiet admiration as Manuel put down the box to hold the fish and gestured with his hand to the right.

“It’s that spot where the rock stands tall. Unfortunately, the water is deep there, and the bottom barely reaches even my height, so it’ll be hard for you to catch them yourself.”

Following the tip of his tanned hand, a dark brown rock island jutted up through the calm sea.

Isu filled three water bottles she had brought from the quarters with seawater and dropped them onto the beach.

Manuel scooped up water at the point where the seawater rose to the tops of his feet and splashed it against his chest.

As she tried to follow suit, Isu hesitated for a moment. Wandering defenselessly into a place as deep as Manuel’s height with plenty of rocks around seemed like asking for trouble. If she happened to fall into rough water like that, she’d end up buried beneath the waves.

On top of that, if she went in wearing her jacket, she’d worry about her laundry, and if she swam in just her underwear, she’d be self-conscious about Manuel’s gaze.

While she was hesitating, Manuel took a step forward into the sea and continued,

“No matter how I think about it, it’s dangerous, so you wait here. The water depth drops off in an instant. Lose your balance, and you’re done for.”

Looking out at the distant rock island sharp as a blade, Isu nodded.

“Then I’ll wait right here.”

Manuel replied like a dependable older brother. “Alright, I’ll catch as many fish as you need.”

There was a problem with accepting that so easily. If possible, she wanted to cook fish she had caught with her own hands and give it to Hayden. If she told Hayden she was giving him fish Manuel had worked hard to catch, he might find it unpleasant. Besides, it didn’t seem like Hayden would eat it with any joy.

Watching Manuel leap headfirst into the ocean, Isu called out loudly,

“No, fish might come to the shallow areas too, so I’ll try my best as well!”

Soon after, rolling up her trousers to her thighs, she stood at a spot where the water depth reached just below her thighs. Then, to look for fish, she immediately submerged just her face into the water.

The world grew as silent as a lie. All she could hear was the rolling swell of the ocean.

Thanks to the water temperature being similar to her body temperature, it felt as comfortable as a mother’s womb.

Opening her eyes, she beheld a breathtaking view of sunlight piercing through the ocean and shimmering like a mirage. As she cast away her fear and expanded her field of vision, fine sand, seaweeds, and palm-sized silver fish welcomed her.

The scenery was vastly different from above the open, unobstructed sea. Half water, half fish. Just as Manuel had described, it felt like all she had to do was wave her hand and fish would get caught.

She extended her index finger long and wiggled it gently like bait. A silver fish, hovering around her with wary caution, cautiously approached.

Waiting while holding her breath, the creature nudged the tip of her index finger. It was the golden opportunity. In an instant, Isu straightened her hand out and scooped the creature up.

However, because its body was too slippery and she missed it the first time, she used the skewer for her second attempt.

The number of fish caught and dropped into the container using that method had already reached four. Manuel, who had been hoping to catch a larger specimen, was nowhere to be seen.

Since four fish were plenty to boil porridge for three people, including Manuel, she figured it was fine to head back. Returning to the beach and peering into the container, Isu gazed twenty paces out toward the spot where Manuel had been hunting.

Yet Manuel, who had been swimming and kicking up splashes just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen. Had he changed his hunting spot? Or was he diving deep?

Struck by a strangely ominous feeling, she stood on her tiptoes. At that moment, far from the rock island, at a spot over thirty paces deep, she saw Manuel thrashing about.

“Manuel? Manuel!”

Splashes erupting from Manuel’s hands soared high into the sky. Strained groans echoed desperately.

He had definitely fallen into the water. Isu’s complexion turned as pale as if she had seen a ghost.

“Manuel! Manuel!”

Her mind raced in a blur. Should she run straight back to the quarters and call Hayden?

“Manuel, Manuel! What do I do, what do I do?!”

Running back to the quarters and back would take five whole minutes, and by then Manuel would be dead. On top of that, she was already worried about Hayden’s condition…

There was no time to stamp her feet in panic. Tossing her jacket onto the sandy beach, she stripped off her trousers right then and there. She decided to head near the water where Manuel had fallen and throw her trousers out so he could grab them.

If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have cut her trouser legs, she regretted as she sprinted.

At the point where the water reached her waist, she leaped forward powerfully, immersing her whole body and cutting through the current.

The thought that it’d be a miracle if she could even swim while touching the ground was rendered completely obsolete as her body surged forward smoothly. Every time she kicked her legs and reached out her hands, getting closer to Manuel felt like a miracle.

“Haah, haah, haah!”

She was amazed and stunned by how well her body was swimming while tilting her head to catch her breath.

Before she knew it, she had closed the distance right up to Manuel’s nose. Fearing that getting any closer would mean getting struck by Manuel’s thrashing arms as he fought for survival, she threw her trousers toward his outstretched arm.

Manuel caught the trousers in one go. With no time to spare, she swam back toward the beach with all her might.

Her thighs ached from kicking her legs to drag along the backward-pulling weight, but she endured it just to survive.

When she reached the point where the water’s surface only came up to her thighs, a strange mix of fear and overwhelming emotion welled up inside her, almost making her burst into tears.

More important than that right now was Manuel’s condition. Forcing her emotions down hard, Isu made Manuel sit down on the beach.

“Haah, Manuel, Manuel? Haah, haah, are you alright? Manuel, open your eyes for a sec.”

Manuel repeatedly belched and coughed, vomiting up water. Then, gasping for breath as if he were about to pass out, he said,

“Haah, haah, I-I almost died. I really, haah, I really thought I was going to die.”

Hearing a coherent answer rather than just ragged breathing made her tension instantly deflate. It was such a relief that Manuel wasn’t badly hurt.

“Manuel, ah… thank goodness, thank goodness.”

“Thank you so much. My leg suddenly cramped up, and I lost my balance while panicking. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve died. You’ve saved my life twice now.”

Sitting down next to Manuel, Isu patted her thighs with her fists. They felt bruised and aching because she had suddenly forced them to exert so much power.

Gradually regulating his breathing, Manuel looked Isu up and down. Even when fully clothed, Isu’s voluptuous figure had been apparent, but stripped down, her body exuded a raw sensuality. His gaze kept wandering down to her slender calves and fleshy thighs.

Then he stared intently at her curved, contoured waist. A dark red lip mark at the very end of her ribcage fueled his anger.

“Isu, did Declan do this?”

Dazed and trying to catch her breath, Isu startled awake and stood up. Since he was asking, she should answer yes or no, but for some reason, she felt too self-conscious to get the words out.

“Ah, this…? No, Declan didn’t do this.”

Perhaps overcome with anger, Manuel’s ears turned red as he stood up.

“You don’t need to cover for Declan. I was planning to beat him to a pulp the moment he got back anyway.”

“This wasn’t Declan, it was…”

“That bastard, didn’t he try to rape a roe deer before coming after you? I knew he was obsessed with women, but I didn’t know he’d stoop that low. I’m going to give him a proper warning so he never pulls a stunt like that again.”

In Manuel’s heart, there mingled a sense of friend-like worry for Declan and a desire to protect her. Sensing that, Isu cautiously opened her mouth.

“Yeah, I hope you step up so no other woman falls victim to Declan from now on. But as for this mark, it wasn’t left by Declan; actually…”

“……”

“I’ve actually gotten into a deep relationship with Hayden.”

Manuel’s eyes widened in shock, and his breath hitched.

“Hayden…?”

He looked like someone who had been struck unexpectedly by a sledgehammer. His complexion didn’t look good either, so she stepped forward to check on him, but he took a step back and said,

“Sorry, I should’ve noticed sooner when you and Hayden were sticking close together. I just didn’t expect someone as quiet as you to end up in that kind of relationship with Hayden so quickly.”

“……”

“N-no, sorry, I’m just too flustered to find the right words. Anything I say right now will probably just come out wrong, so I’ll go first. See you later.”

Manuel hurried away like a beast hiding after taking a fatal blow.

Watching him go left her feeling conflicted. Should she have announced her relationship with Hayden more cautiously?