SACCHARIN
CHAPTER 26

 

Once I thought that I might’ve made the same choice, I finally started to understand the people living in the shadow of Pyeonjae Trading. From those on this island to even Shin Chi-woo and my dad.

Of course, since they were involved in manufacturing and distributing drugs, if things went wrong, they’d likely spend a long time in prison. But honestly, I thought it was more likely they’d be killed to keep them quiet than handed over to the police.

They were probably here on this island, risking their lives for a shot at big money. Or maybe they were just swearing loyalty to Chairman Pyeon.

“By the way… did something really happen with Chief Shin on your way here?”

“No… well… no. Nothing happened.”

“That’s not true… my gut says otherwise.”

“……”

“Well… for someone like you, I guess even that stone-faced bastard Shin Chi-woo might’ve been tempted.”

If Glasses was calling him a block of stone, he must be the type who doesn’t usually get close to women. Thinking back to how sensitive and prickly he was, it didn’t seem too far-fetched.

“Well… it was just, sort of… it wasn’t a big deal… no, nothing happened.”

I awkwardly avoided her eyes, smiling and mumbling nonsense. Glasses let out a long sigh. Maybe she figured it hadn’t been consensual, because the pity in her eyes suggested she’d bought the lie.

“You’ve got a rough road ahead of you.”

“…What?”

“Getting tangled up with someone worse than a viper means even if you survive, it won’t feel like living. Just look at Gombo.”

“……”

“Only believe the things you want to believe about the rumors floating around here.”

“Ah… okay.”

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

The deal was sealed. Glasses gave my shoulder a pat like she was saying, “Let’s do our best,” and I gave her a smile in return. I was relieved the exchange had gone smoothly.

As Glasses opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom, the tension in me finally unraveled with a long sigh. My shaky knees and pounding heart weren’t so easy to calm down.

I bent over the sink and splashed cold water onto my flushed face several times before I finally came to my senses.

When I lifted my head and looked into the mirror, my face was a mess. I’d acted tough while trembling inside—I thought I was going to die from the pressure. I’d pretended to be a seasoned negotiator, but truthfully, I’d been scared the entire time she might hit me.

Dad… I’m so exhausted I could die.

I came to this factory thinking only of life or death, but it turns out, relationships with people are the hardest part. Still, considering what I got from Glasses, I think she paid more than enough for that watch. It was a meaningful trade.

From my standpoint, I had no choice but to win over Glasses first. Because she was one of the few people who could freely leave the island.

“When are you coming back if you go now?”

“Probably the Wednesday after next, since there’s a weekend in between.”

“I ran out of face masks. Could you pick some up for me, yeah?”

“Depends on how you behave.”

 

Last night, one of my roommates got her regular leave. She probably left the island on the same boat I came in on, captained by that guy with the baseball cap. After briefly reconnecting with the outside world, she’ll probably return with a pile of stuff people here asked her to bring.

At first, I thought people on this island were divided into workers and managers. But watching them closely, I realized they actually distinguish each other by who can leave and who can’t.

 

“If you really don’t believe me, check at the department store during your leave. See if it’s genuine.”

Just like I said, people like Glasses can return to the mainland anytime they want. Normally, they take a week to ten days of leave to visit family.

They lie to their families, saying they’re working overseas or, in the case of men, that they’re out on deep-sea fishing boats. Glasses was one of those people.

Of course, there were the opposite cases too. Ironically, most of the people who couldn’t leave the island were here by their own choosing—like Chef Kwak. Everyone said he couldn’t live without drugs.

“By the way, you’ve heard, right? I used to run a Michelin one-star restaurant.”

I figured there must be a decent amount of leftover scraps during the process. They gather the highly purified drug powder and supply it cheaply to those who want it. That’s probably why addicts can never leave this island.

What’s the point of a life where you abandon your family and friends just to chase your own pleasure until you die? I can’t understand them, but I doubt they care if I do.

There were only two people who were forced to be here: the scarred ballerina everyone calls Gombo—and me.

Someone worse than a viper, huh…

But I couldn’t shake off what Glasses said at the end. Since she mentioned the ballerina, it seemed like she was referring to Chairman Pyeon Jae-ho. Was it also a warning about Shin Chi-woo? Or maybe both?

Shaa—.

The more I thought, the hotter my face became. I splashed cold water over it again, trying to cool my flushed cheeks.

People really do have different sides. I thought Glasses was just a bully, but it turned out she had a surprisingly broad perspective. She even noticed I was crying at night on purpose—clearly, I still had a long way to go.

Maybe the hardships on this island will actually help me in life someday. Of course, that only works if I survive and make it home.

God… I’m dying here.

The girl in the mirror looked like she was carrying the weight of the world. I’d made it through one crisis, but who knew what mountain I’d have to climb next? Still, the one fortunate thing was that I still had enough bribes left to win people over.

My right wrist felt bare, but I was wearing watches on my left—two of them, even.

I took off one of the slightly more valuable watches and moved it to my right wrist. Then, out of habit, I touched my collarbone and smiled faintly. I couldn’t wear all the rings on six fingers, so I’d strung them up like pendants on a necklace.

The chain already had one charm, but now it was loaded down with all sorts of things—it made my neck ache, but they felt like my trusty allies, so it was okay.

 

“You’ll need this more than those little things when you go to the factory. Use it as a bribe.”

After observing this island’s little ecosystem for ten days, I realized there was more than enough useless cash around. What people really valued here were flashy luxury goods that could be flaunted on the spot. That must’ve been why Shin Chi-woo returned the watches, rings, and necklaces to me with all those flimsy excuses.

Please… I hope Shin Chi-woo keeps his promise before I run out of weapons.

Luckily, I’d managed to win over Glasses with a watch. But I was sure there were people out there who couldn’t be swayed by material things.

Once my racing heart calmed down, it became easier to breathe. I opened the bathroom door and left the cafeteria. My face had already regained its composure as I quickly made my way toward the dorm.

“……”

The dorm was a long, single-story building with rooms split on either side of a central hallway. Other than the bathroom and showers, every room was a bedroom, each divided into several partitions.

“I’m back.”

Perfect. Since no one replied, it looked like I had the room to myself. I shut the door and scanned the room to check if anything had changed.

Each room usually held five people and looked like the shared rooms you’d find in a hospital. The beds weren’t like the ones you’d have at home—they looked more like hospital beds. Even privacy curtains were installed from the ceiling.

Beep beep beep—ding.

I opened the tall wardrobe next to the bed and grabbed some underwear and basic toiletries. Towels, shampoo, conditioner—all the basics—were in the shower room, but honestly, using communal stuff grossed me out.

Still, in a place like this, I couldn’t afford to be the only one acting all picky. It was better to adapt.

Holding a small pouch, I left the room and headed diagonally across to the shower building. Before undressing, I first stepped into the bathroom inside the showers. I carefully checked that no one else was in there, then went into the last stall and locked the door.

Click.

You know how bathroom stalls sometimes have gaps where you can see people’s legs or an open top? Among all the bathrooms I could access on the island, this was the only one fully enclosed. That’s why I figured it was the safest place.

Still wearing my pants, I sat down on the toilet and placed the toiletry pouch on my lap. Then I carefully pulled my phone out of the work uniform pocket.

I held the power button down and, for no reason, turned my head to check my surroundings. Even though I knew I was alone, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.