episode_0005

*

Sola was looking at the horizon from the lighthouse.

A space of about three *pyeong* (approx. 108 sq ft) with a large brazier in the center.

Sitting here was her job.

It was a bit stifling for her, given her energetic personality, but she still liked this space.

Because she had spent her whole life on this cramped island, the tall lighthouse, with its far-reaching view, was the only way to broaden her world even a little.

She also liked managing the lighthouse itself.

The fact that ships wandering the night sea would lose their way if she let the fire go out gave her a strange sense of superiority.

Of course, just sitting and looking back and forth between the water and the brazier was incredibly boring, but playing with the cat she had started raising recently helped alleviate the boredom.

The island was her only world and her prison, but the lighthouse was her job and the castle she ruled.

The lighthouse was quiet.

Everywhere else on the island, the sound of the waves crashed in her ears, but on the lighthouse, even that sound was faint.

Sola was looking at the sea, feeling the texture of the cat’s fur in her arms.

Thump. Thump.

Footsteps echoed.

It meant someone was climbing the lighthouse.

“It must be Anna.”

Sola murmured softly.

The *shinbu-nim* (Priest) was out of the island right now, and Lucia wasn’t fit enough to climb the lighthouse stairs, so it wasn’t a difficult deduction.

“Ugh, did I do something wrong again? No, I didn’t?”

Sola scratched her head and let go of the cat she was holding.

The cat leaped onto the unlit brazier and slowly lowered its belly to the floor, settling down.

At the same time, Anna came up to the lighthouse and called Sola.

“There you are. Ugh, so tired.”

“Anna, why are you here? Did I do something wrong again?”

“No, I just didn’t see you around, so I was wondering if you were causing trouble somewhere, but you weren’t anywhere on the island. So I thought I’d check here, just in case.”

“Well, where else would I be besides here?”

Sola said with a smirk.

Anna, out of breath, slowly took a few breaths before continuing.

“Yeah, well… You’re only supposed to do the lighthouse work at night, right? Only on foggy days during the day, but it’s clear today, so why are you here?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Sola trailed off rarely and averted her gaze.

Anna looked at Sola strangely, then nodded as if she realized something, and said.

“Ah, you’re here to see the *shinbu-nim* (Priest) come back?”

“Ah,”

Sola stiffened as if embarrassed.

Anna looked at Sola with narrowed eyes.

“What is it? You always gave *shinbu-nim* (Priest) a hard time? Why, do you miss him since he’s not here?”

“Yeah.”

“Liar, you’re probably waiting for meat, not *shinbu-nim* (Priest).”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are, you usually go around playing all over the island during the day.”

“Haha…”

Sola gave an awkward laugh.

Just listening to her, it sounded like Anna was worried about Sola, but Sola actually felt uncomfortable with Anna.

Even when she was busy, Anna always found out where Sola was and what she was doing.

Even when she secretly went down to the pebble beach at the end of the island to fish, or when she went to steal fruit from the fruit trees on the island’s hilltop, Anna always found Sola.

And then she would scold her.

To Sola, Anna was like a slightly scary older sister.

“It’s almost night, and I don’t think *shinbu-nim* (Priest) would cross the night sea in that small boat, so I thought he might be coming soon…”

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest) probably won’t be back today, right? It’s not a distance you can just go back and forth in a day.”

“That’s true, but…”

“… Could it be,”

Anna said in a slightly heavy voice.

“Are you worried that *shinbu-nim* (Priest) won’t come back?”

“…”

Sola turned her eyes away from Anna and looked at the horizon again.

Anna began to speak to Sola, as if pressing her.

“That’s not going to happen. You were like that when the *sunyeo-nim* (Nun) was here too. I’ve told you so many times, if they were irresponsible people, they wouldn’t have been assigned here in the first place.”

“… Anna.”

“Don’t worry, Sola. *Shinbu-nim* (Priest) isn’t going to leave us.”

Sola shook her head.

“That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t think *shinbu-nim* (Priest) will betray us. Neither *sunyeo-nim* (Nun) nor *shinbu-nim* (Priest). They’re all good people.”

“… Then?”

Sola lowered her head slightly and continued.

“I’m scared. Anna…”

“Sola?”

“Lucia and Anna, you lived in the outside world, so you know what it’s like, right? I’ve never left this island in my life, so I don’t know what’s out there.”

“…”

“So I’m scared… Because I don’t know what’s outside the island, because I don’t know what’s happening beyond that horizon.”

“… I see.”

Anna awkwardly agreed and then slowly closed her mouth.

Sola’s green eyes were deeply sunken.

It was a serious face that was so different from her usual self.

Anna stared at Sola quietly.

Sola was definitely a childish troublemaker, and like a younger sister who never listened, but at the same time, she also had a surprisingly bright side.

In the first place, managing the lighthouse itself required above-average observation and judgment.

Because firewood was limited, she had to carefully observe the weather and only light the fire when necessary, and as far as she knew, Sola had never made a mistake.

Lucia was quieter, but Sola was probably smarter.

Anna, who had been watching Sola all along, honestly thought so.

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest) will come, if nothing else happens.”

Sola murmured.

“No.”

“… Huh?”

Anna said to Sola in a firm voice.

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest) will definitely come. He’ll definitely come no matter what happens.”

Sola laughed and replied.

“Haha, you’re so sure, how do you know what’s going to happen outside? What if a bad person attacks him…”

“No, he’ll still come.”

“Huh…?”

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest) is incredibly strong.”

Anna said, hugging her own arm.

Then she smiled faintly and continued.

“No, you can tell just by looking at his face. Honestly, *shinbu-nim* (Priest) looks like a total thug…”

“What’s a thug?”

“Ah…”

That’s when it happened.

In Sola’s peripheral vision, she saw a small dot approaching from the sea in the distance.

“Isn’t that *shinbu-nim* (Priest)?”

“Huh? Really… Is he coming this early?”

The two clung to the wall of the lighthouse and stared at the dot on the sea.

A small dot swaying uneasily on the rolling waves.

A small wooden boat.

The same boat that *shinbu-nim* (Priest) had taken this morning.

“See, I told you so?”

“Wow! Meat!”

Sola shouted and ran down the stairs.

“Hey! Not on the stairs… Ugh, never mind.”

Anna looked at the boat that *shinbu-nim* (Priest) was on one more time and then slowly went down the stairs.

The two went to meet *shinbu-nim* (Priest) at the end of the island where the boat would dock.

Lucia, who had heard the news from the excited Sola, also followed the two, dragging her uncomfortable legs, and Anna supported Lucia.

About an hour after the three went out to meet him, the face of the *shinbu-nim* (Priest) on the boat became clear enough to see.

Sola said in a puzzled voice.

“Huh… *Shinbu-nim* (Priest). He doesn’t have any luggage?”

“Yeah, I thought he’d bring a lot of stuff since he said he was going shopping.”

Then Lucia slowly opened her mouth.

Her voice was full of uneasy trembling.

“A, Anna, Sola… Lo, look over there.”

“Huh?”

“… *Shi, shinbu-nim* (Priest)… His face…”

At Lucia’s words, Anna carefully looked at *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) face.

“…!”

*Shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) face was all red.

“Blood…?”

“What?”

Sola and Anna jumped into the sea right away.

The position of the boat *shinbu-nim* (Priest) was on was already shallow enough for the two to reach.

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest)!”

Anna grabbed the boat that *shinbu-nim* (Priest) was on and looked at *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) face up close.

*Shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) face, no, *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) whole body was covered in blood.

The black *soutane* (Priest robe) had darkened and become even more murky.

“What! *Shinbu-nim* (Priest), how did this…”

“Ugh…”

When Sola reached out and shook *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) body, *shinbu-nim* (Priest) let out a shallow groan and then collapsed like that.

Sola was startled and cowered.

Anna said to Sola urgently.

“Sola, we need to lay *shinbu-nim* (Priest) down quickly, let’s pull the boat to the island first.”

“A, alright.”

Sola grabbed the bow of the boat and started swimming, and Anna, who was a little taller, started pushing the boat from behind.

Lucia seemed to have understood the situation and was walking towards the inside of the island.

The side she was heading for had a vegetable garden where medicinal herbs were grown.

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest)? *Shinbu-nim* (Priest)!”

When the bottom of the boat touched the sandy beach, Anna slowly knelt down next to the boat and shook *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) body.

“Anna…”

“He’s conscious… That’s a relief. Can you get up? I’ll help you.”

*Shinbu-nim* (Priest) nodded and put his arm around Anna’s neck.

It was a godsend.

If *shinbu-nim* (Priest) had passed out, the two of them would have had to lift and carry him, and *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) physique was quite large even among adult men, so it would have been very difficult.

Letting out a small grunt, Anna lifted *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) body and estimated the weight for a moment before saying to Sola.

“I think I can do it alone. Sola, help Lucia and bring the medicinal herbs.”

“I… I don’t know medicinal herbs,”

“Lucia knows. Hurry!”

“A, alright!”

Sola started running in the direction Lucia had gone.

“*Shinbu-nim* (Priest), *shinbu-nim* (Priest)? What on earth happened?”

“… I’m sorry…”

“… Huh?”

“I couldn’t bring… anything…”

“… Is that what’s important right now?”

Anna slowly began to move her feet in sync with *shinbu-nim* (Priest).

As if he had been injured, the salty blood was constantly gushing out of *shinbu-nim’s* (Priest) arm, which was placed on Anna’s shoulder.