SACCHARIN
CHAPTER 30

 

Lying down and staring at the ceiling for a while, I eventually moved my arm to pull the curtain fully around my bed. I must have adjusted after ten days—this rock-hard mattress didn’t even feel uncomfortable anymore.

Honestly, I was pretty sensitive when it came to sleep, like the princess and the pea from the fairy tale. If even one thing felt unfamiliar—the texture or scent of the blanket, the height of the pillow, or the firmness of the mattress—I couldn’t sleep.

I wasn’t even the type to enjoy traveling. Even during my exchange student days, I remember struggling so much just trying to get used to sleeping in a foreign bed.

But no matter how picky I usually was, after standing and working all day, I was so exhausted that even if a boulder had been under the mattress, I would’ve knocked out the second my head hit the pillow. Just goes to show how comfortable—and sheltered—my life had been up until now.

So sometimes, I found myself thinking—if I can get through this ordeal, maybe I’ll be able to handle whatever life throws at me in the future.

Every night, I made the same little wish. That if I could ever go back to my old life, I’d live with a grateful heart for everything.

“…….”

I lifted my head and looked at the clock hanging above the door. The ballerina had said I had an hour—so maybe there were still thirty minutes left?

After hesitating a bit, I pulled the charger out from under the mattress. The room was set up like a hospital ward, and there was a built-in outlet in the wall above my head.

Click.

After plugging it in, I pulled the phone from where I’d hidden it close to my chest. As I connected the charger to the phone, my heart started pounding like crazy.

What if someone suddenly came in? I should’ve locked the door before charging. I felt like punching myself for being the one to give in first, but it was already too late.

Charging…

Seeing the lightning symbol and the charging icon on the screen, I let out a breath of relief. It was a working charger. Maybe I’d just leave it in for ten minutes, then unplug it.

It’s not like I could carry the phone around all the time anyway. Now that I had the charger, I could find little pockets of time to charge it out of sight.

But a new problem came up. The desire to check if Shin Chi-woo had sent a message started swelling inside me like an overinflated balloon.

What should I do?

It’s just ten minutes of charging. Maybe it’s okay to turn it on just for a moment, then switch it back off. No one’s around anyway.

From that moment on, I sat there with the phone in my hand, debating whether or not to press the button. It felt a little pathetic, like waiting for a crush to text back. I knew it wasn’t the same thing—but it still hurt my pride.

After hesitating again and again, I finally pressed and held the power button. What a weak-willed idiot. I was disgusted with myself, but it was too late now.

…Of course. I knew he would message me.

As soon as the phone finished loading, a notification popped up in the message inbox. I quickly tapped the envelope icon on the screen. Embarrassing as it was, I felt a flicker of excitement and joy—something I hadn’t felt on this island in a long time.

「You’re not mad at me, are you?」

Seriously, what the hell. He poisons you, then hands you the antidote. Who wouldn’t be upset after the way he talks?

I read the message over and over again. It felt like he’d sensed the anger in my last reply. Otherwise, there’s no way Shin Chi-woo would say something like this.

To be honest, just because we’d been secretly messaging back and forth these past ten days didn’t mean I fully considered Shin Chi-woo to be on my side. Whatever else had happened, I couldn’t just let go of what he did to me the day we parted.

「Why do you have to say things so cruelly, even if you mean the same thing? And that day, on the boat, you put your mouth… you put your…」

“God…”

I was typing furiously before I froze, finger hovering mid-air. You can’t go through life saying everything you want to say.

Delete. Delete. Delete.

I erased and rewrote the message over and over until the screen was left blank. In the end, I chose to report just the facts, keeping my emotions out of it.

「The person you told me to find—was she the ballerina? She came to see me just a while ago. I got the charger, too.」

Just sending that simple message had taken over ten minutes. Still, if I waited too long, I might get caught. Maybe it was time to turn the phone off again. There was no guarantee he’d respond right away.

But just as I hit send, the screen suddenly changed. He was calling me.

What the—why is he calling all of a sudden? What should I do? Do I answer?

Sneaking a glance at a phone and actually taking a call were two completely different things. If it was truly urgent, he’d just send a message. Scared, I waited for the call to time out on its own.

And just as I expected, the screen flipped from the missed call notification to a new message.

「It’s safe right now. Pick up.」

Was there a hidden CCTV in the room? The way he acted like he could see everything—it was both unsettling and oddly reassuring.

I slightly pulled back the curtain and looked up at the ceiling. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t see anything that looked like a lens. Where could he be watching me from? I was still wondering when the second call came in.

First, I unplugged the charger. Holding the phone tightly in my hand, its screen flashing silently in vibration mode, I slipped under the blanket. I even tucked my head beneath the pillow—doing everything I could to soundproof myself.

“……”

Swallowing hard, I tapped the call button. But I couldn’t bring myself to say “Hello.” I was too afraid of the consequences of having recklessly turned my phone back on.

— It’s okay, Seo Wan-yi.

Shin Chi-woo’s voice came through the speaker. It was a little deeper than I remembered, slightly hazy—maybe because we were on a remote island and the call quality was poor.

— Just a short call is fine. Don’t be scared.

Maybe it was because I’d felt like I’d been walking naked across thin ice for the past ten days, but the way he gently said my name stirred something in me. Like swallowing a spoonful of hot jelly.

“Really?”

— Yeah, really.

I hadn’t realized just how nerve-wracking it would be to talk to someone secretly, under the covers. Even my ear pressed against the phone was pulsing with my heartbeat.

— But because of wiretapping risks, we have to keep it under three minutes. You’re not hurt or anything, right?

“No… I’m okay.”

— You cried, didn’t you? Why does your voice sound like that?

“No, I didn’t cry.”

The emotions had welled up, but I hadn’t actually shed tears. I did my best to hide the trembling in my voice and stay composed.

It felt like he knew everything. His tone was soft and careful—almost like he was acknowledging he’d been wrong.

— Why wouldn’t I worry about you? I’ve been thinking about you all day.

“You ever think that maybe the way you talk earns you a slap?”

— Not really.

“……”

— But maybe I’ll try to be more mindful next time.

It was a feeble effort at change, but I decided to acknowledge it. I was in no position to pick a fight anyway.

Clearing my throat for no reason, I answered in the gentlest tone I could manage.

“Thank you.”

— Don’t say stuff you don’t mean. My head’s killing me trying to figure out how to get you out of there.

“…Really?”

— Just hang in there a little longer until we secure your safety. I know it’s hard….

“Okay.”

— Don’t cry.

“I’m not crying.”

— Anyway, time’s up. I’ll be in touch. Take care of yourself.

After warning me about wiretapping earlier, Shin Chi-woo ended the call with precision. Three minutes feels like a long time when boiling instant food—but today, it felt far too short.

Back on the home screen, I first checked the battery. I’d only lost about 3%, which was fine. I’d just need to sneak in short charges whenever I had time.

I unplugged the charger from the wall and stuck it into the pocket of my pants. Thinking it over, hiding it under the mattress didn’t seem smart—it could be too easily discovered.

Important items should always stay on your person. Just like this necklace, these watches, and the rings.

I turned to my right, hugging the blanket tightly.

Staring at the wall, its paint chipped and peeling in places, I replayed my encounter with the ballerina in my mind. Then, suddenly, I lifted my left hand to my face. Thanks to him returning my jewelry, I’d been able to use it on this island like a wild card.

“……”

On my left ring finger was a plain, unadorned band. When I bent it slightly to test the metal, I could tell it wasn’t silver—it was definitely platinum.

I gently pulled the ring off and examined it again. I’d looked at it countless times, but it was clearly a ring that had seen use. It was old—full of tiny scratches that came only with time.

Which made me wonder—

Why did Shin Chi-woo give me this?