//TN: Happy holidays, everyone!
Day 1 of being stranded on a deserted island.
Bo-boom!!
Outside the villa, the wild storm was still raging on.
'I'm glad the guy who built this had a strong sense for safety.'
At least the villa remained intact, which was fortunate.
Stifling a sigh, I lay down on the living room floor.
Next to me, Cha Eugene did the same.
[I like to think about it this way. The outside world has been devastated by a zombie apocalypse! That's why we're staying in this comfortable shelter among ourselves.]
"Yeah. That's extremely comforting."
"Hehe."
Don't laugh, you rascal.
I forced out a laughter, but my mind was still somewhat troubled.
'What about the filming?'
If we lose several days of footage like this, we would really be screwed...
[Hyung, we can't film now anyway. Just relax~ and enjoy the time here.]
"...!"
[There's no need to worry about something beyond our control.]
...He stated it very straightforwardly.
I remained silent for a moment, then looked outside at the pouring rain and accepted it.
'Well, what can I even do about the weather?'
After all, it was an improvised production, and messing up one show won't be a big deal. I just need to do well in the next one.
"Yeah. You're right."
"Exactly!"
I lay in the living room, gazing at the rain outside, passing the time not thinking about anything until mealtime.
And during lunchtime.
With all seven of us eating the same preserved food, it really felt like we were in some kind of disaster movie.
"Hmm, should we go check the barn and see if there are any eggs?"
"Sejin-ah, you'll get blown away."
"All right."
After eating the lackluster meal twice, time seemed to drag on.
Moreover, the already slow smartphone data service started to stutter even more.
'It really feels like we're isolated...'
Thanks to this situation, there was truly nothing to do.
Being exempt from cleanup after being in charge of today's meal preparations, I sat in the living room, which offered the best view of the weather, lost in thought.
We had run out of board games to play, and we couldn't go out to obtain any supplies...
Zzzt. Clack.
"...!!"
It was at that moment...
All of a sudden, everything went pitch black.
"Huh??"
"Is everyone okay??"
It was a power outage.
On the deserted island, there was no other source of light outside at night, creating complete darkness.
I immediately sat up.
At that moment, someone grabbed me by the shoulders.
"Hyung!!"
"Yeah."
...It was Cha Eugene, bringing laundry into the living room.
After identifying the voice, I recognized the voices of the other guys.
"Guys, let's not move for now and get used to the darkness first."
That was Ryu Chungwoo.
"Y-yes...!"
"Whoa, had it happened five seconds earlier I would have had to stop in the middle of washing the dishes."
That was Seon Ahyun and Keun Sejin.
Cha Eugene was next to me, and Kim Raebin was on the couch.
The remaining one was...
'Where's Bae Sejin?'
At that moment, I heard the sound of someone falling down, followed by the sound of a stifled shout.
Mmph!
"...!"
"Hyung!"
Fortunately, the voice that returned sounded fine.
"...I'm okay!"
However, his voice was slightly shaky. I shouted in the direction where the voice came from.
"What happened?"
"I... I saw something strange... No, don't come! I'll go to you."
"No, please stay there."
You're the one who shouldn't move.
I turned on the flashlight function on my smartphone and stood up.
"I'll come with you, hyung!"
It's okay to come with me but stop strangling me.
With Cha Eugene in tow, I quickly joined the others who had rushed over with the flashlight.
"Sejin hyung, are you there?"
Bae Sejin was lying awkwardly on the floor. He must have been scared of the darkness as his complexion brightened up when the smartphone flashlight hit him.
"Is your leg okay?"
"...I'm okay. There are no problems."
Bae Sejin held Ryu Chungwoo's hand as he spoke and got up from his position without any problems. However, he seemed a little tense.
"Over there... I think I pushed something when I fell."
Bae Sejin swallowed nervously.
"Something... came out."
I immediately moved the smartphone flashlight in the direction he was pointing.
It was a slightly pushed cabinet.
And behind it... was a door?
What was revealed by the light was a dull coloured fire door.
"Heol."
"What is this?"
It seems that Bae Sejin was able to find that because of the faint glow on the floor. It looked like they used some sort of glow-in-the-dark paint.
"Wow, is this some kind of secret room?"
"In my opinion, it seems like it's used for evacuation!"
"That makes sense."
The guys speaking to each other in a hushed voice, soon came to a very sensible conclusion that 'It's better not to trespass into someone else's private property without permission.'
'...It seems to lead underground.'
Based by its structure, it seems that the area beyond that gate was connected to the wildflower path.
Behind me, Keun Sejin muttered eerily.
"Isn't this situation exactly like that? We're isolated in a snowy mountain cottage when something occurs behind a hidden door-... Ugh!"
"No."
Stop those horrifying... no, nonsensical stories.
I smacked Keun Sejin on the back and returned to the living room.
The others followed suit, stopping by their respective rooms to find their smartphones.
"Phew."
"Should we use these to find flashlights?"
"The flashlight was in the pantry next to the entrance. I'll go get it."
"Ooh~"
With Ryu Chungwoo's help, we secured a flashlight, and things became somewhat more manageable.
The problem was that we had no means to recharge our smartphones now.
'I should use it sparingly.'
Since the power was out, there was no other option. I clicked my tongue.
"Hmm, since it could be dangerous, why don't we all sleep in one place?"
"Sounds great!"
"Let's talk about scary stories!"
That day, we all gathered in the living room for the night.
It took me extra energy delivering Cha Eugene's request of translating his scary story he told in English.
And on the next morning.
The situation took an even crazier turn.
"Th-the chicken coop...!"
"Wha...? It's being swept away??"
Due to two days of continuous rain, water had flooded the front yard.
Due to this, the chicks that had flown through the open shed door due to the high winds were about to float away and be swept down the yard.
On the flowing muddy water, a bunch of yellow blobs gradually drifted farther away...
Cluck, cluck, cluck!!
The chickens were crying pitifully.
"No!!"
"W-we have to save them...!"
In the end, in our desperation, we all rushed out to the barn, without bothering with umbrellas or raincoats, wearing only our pajamas.
'This is insane.'
"Grab them! Grab them!"
"Guys, be careful not to slip! Keep your body low!"
Luckily, the guys who had been exercising regularly were there, so no one ended up face-first in the muddy water.
And after many twists and turns, the chicks were all rescued.
Let's just say that Cha Eugene and Ryu Chungwoo played a significant role in this.
"Thank goodness!"
"Phew..."
Holding soaked little yellow blobs in both hands, they staggered back to the barn to try to restore everything.
"Phew, what a relief."
"While we're at it, let's get some eggs too!"
I wondered what was the point of squeezing the water out of their clothes when they were already completely drenched by the pouring rain, but in any case, the guys were proud of themselves as they cleaned up the mess.
And... about the eggs...
'Hmm.'
I ruffled my hair and then spoke.
"Should we eat one chicken?"
"What?"
"Huuuh??"
"There are five hens, so I thought we could catch one."
"...!!"
With seven adults, we shouldn't have a problem catching a single chicken.
Kim Raebin nodded his head.
"That's a good idea. Consuming too much preserved food isn't good for your health..."
"No!! No! You can't!!"
"Oh, my goodness, Moondae-ya! How could you say that to these little chicks that you just rescued!!"
"They don't understand what I'm saying. And besides, were they not raised to be eaten in the first place?"
Ironically, the ones who would probably enjoy eating the chicken the most were the most opposed to it.
Cha Eugene was particularly vehement in his opposition.
"We're not eating them!! We're raising them well!"
He even passionately explained 'The Little Prince and the Rose' analogy in English.
[Just as the rose in 'The Little Prince' was special to him, these chickens are special to us, right?!]
All right, I got it.
"Haha, okay. Let's just take the eggs then."
With Ryu Chungwoo's final word, Kim Raebin secretly whispered to me.
"If we're going to catch a chicken, I strongly suggest that we don't share it with Cha Eugene."
"..."
Anyway, after all the chaos, we returned indoors with eggs in hand.
But there was another problem waiting for us.
"...The water was so cold."
"I know right."
Due to the power outage, we had no hot water, so we had to endure a cold shower. Bae Sejin, who showers with hot water even in the middle of summer, appears to have had a quite shocking experience.
'This won't do.'
It was fortunate that the kitchen stove ran on gas rather than induction, so we could at least keep the food warm. However, this also had its limitations.
So, after the meal, I brought up the topic with the guys who had filled their stomachs with white rice, semi-cooked fried eggs, and canned tuna with chili pepper.
"First, we need to figure out what to do about the electricity."
"...That's right."
"That's true, but... we don't have any specialized knowledge about it."
Right. The problem was that everyone had overlapping professions. There was an ambiguous silence among those who had dedicated their lives to artistic talent.
At that moment, Bae Sejin spoke up with an unsure face.
"Maybe we just need to flip the switch in the circuit breaker box?"
"Oh."
"Ah, that could work!"
Right. There was a chance that it had something to do with the switchboard's circuit breaker going down.
I stopped midway through a fairly pessimistic line of reasoning that went something like, 'What if we've been getting our electricity from solar power, but with the sun not showing for the past few days, the electricity has been cut off...'
'Then the solution might be simpler than I thought.'
Ryu Chungwoo crossed his arms.
"Hmm, where could it be? I didn't see it under the porch or on the outer wall."
"Sh-should we ask...?"
With that, we tried to text the PD, but the attempts were frequently unsuccessful. We couldn't seem to get a good signal.
"Could the connection be messed up because of the high winds?"
"It could be because we're out in a remote place. It's been spotty a few times so far."
"Hmm."
After some consideration, we all came to the same conclusion.
"Since we have nothing else to do anyway, how about looking for the circuit breaker box or whatever it is?"
"Let's do that~"
And so, we roughly divided into pairs and trios, each carrying a flashlight, and began exploring every nook and cranny of the house.
Well, we should find it before the sun sets.
* * *
"Hmm, it doesn't seem to be here."
"..."
Why couldn't we find it?
- Anyhow, there's a good chance well find it, right?
- Right.
I was in charge of searching the ground floor with Kim Raebin and Keun Sejin. These kinds of things were usually located in the corners of the first floor.
However, after a considerable amount of time searching, we still couldn't find the circuit breaker.
"Could it be on another floor?"
"It's possible, but...."
Wasn't it usually on the lower floor of a house?
At that moment, Kim Raebin raised his hand.
"Could it be behind the secret door that Bae Sejin hyung found last time?"
"...!"
"Oh, that could be possible."
I recalled the dull-coloured fire door hidden behind the cabinet.
'It's certainly... possible.'
It seemed to lead to the basement, so there could be a boiler room and a switchboard there.
"Shall we check it out?"
"...Okay."
I headed with these guys to the corner of the corridor where the cabinet was.
The further we went in that direction, the darker it got as there were no windows. Despite it being daytime, I had to turn on my flashlight.
"Good thing you brought this~ This is almost scary!"
"It's important to have good visibility."
We quickly arrived in front of the cabinet. Once we pushed the already half-pushed cabinet aside, a rather large fire door became visible under the light of the flashlight.
'...That's a bit much for a boiler room entrance.'
"Should I open it?"
"...It's okay."
It would be better for the person holding the flashlight to open it.
I grabbed the handle of the fire door and turned it. The door was not locked.
Creak...
The door creaked open with an uneasy sound, as if it had not been opened often enough.
Inside, it was pitch black and quiet without any lights.
When I shone the flashlight inside, we could obscurely see a set of stairs leading downward.
"..."
"..."
"...This is kinda scary."
No, it was just because of the mood.
"Let's go."
"Wait!"
"Wh-why don't we join the others who are searching elsewhere and move together?"
"I mean, Moondae, you're scared too, right~? It's written all over your face."
Due to the active insistence of the two cowardly guys, we waited for a while and had the search team on the second floor join us.
"Ah, here."
"Wow!! It's pitch black!"
It was Bae Sejin and Cha Eugene.
I doubted whether that team combination had already finished their search on the second floor... but either way, now that we had joined forces, we might as well proceed.
With the five of us, we kept the fire door open and relied on the flashlight's beam as we walked down the stairs.
Perhaps because it was underground, the temperature was low, and there was a rusty fishy smell.
Step.
"Why on earth did they make this place like this?"
"It's the owner's taste, I suppose."
"True."
Step.
"...I've been thinking about it."
"Yes."
Bae Sejin stopped on his tracks.
"Why did this person build a villa on a remote island like this...?"
"..."
In an instant, the atmosphere became tense.
"...Well, maybe they preferred the peace and quiet~"
"But they provided it for variety show purposes."
Bae Sejin spoke, looking like he was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"If I preferred peace and quiet, I wouldn't have done something like that."
"..."
Once again, everyone fell silent, but soon various desperate justifications were brought up from different corners.
"They must love variety shows!"
"They might have had close connections with the broadcasting station!"
"...Right. Sorry."
Bae Sejin meekly kept his mouth shut.
I twisted my slightly stiff neck and pointed forward.
"I think we're all the way down."
"Ah."
Before we knew it, the stairs ended, and we were at the bottom.
The enormous chamber... was filled with what looked like wooden crates stacked in all directions.
"Oh, is this a warehouse?"
"It appears to be."
Slightly relieved, the other guys' voices brightened.
'The circuit breaker...'
As I continued to search the wall with my flashlight, I unexpectedly discovered something.
"...!"
"Huh?"
It was another door, a double door, to be exact.
There was nothing particularly unusual about it. However, what had flowed out from under the door was...
Keun Sejin spoke in a trembling voice.
"...Isn't that blood?"
Blood?
Indeed, thick, crimson liquid was slowly oozing along the floor from under the door.
"..."
Upon realization, I understood what the rusty smell I had been smelling until now actually was.
'Iron.'
It was blood.
"...!!"
"Uaagh!!"
"Uwaah!!"
Panicked screams filled the chamber.
I staggered backward.
'Report it...'
Where the fuck am I supposed to report this? What is going on?
[Oh my god, what the hell is this! That's blood!!]
"I told you something was off!! Ahh!!"
"Go up, go upstairs, right now!"
And at that moment...
Click...
Suddenly, the lights came back on.
In an instant, my vision cleared.
"...??"
"Huh?"
It was a soft, ambient light source. In an instant, the atmosphere was completely transformed.
The place that had felt like a gloomy warehouse was... in fact, an artistically designed cellar.
"...?!"
The wooden boxes we had seen earlier seemed to be arranged for artistic purposes.
Anyone could see that the storage room had a well-designed interior.
And the door I saw...
"...Isn't that a freezer?"
It indeed was.
What I had mistaken for a door was... a modern grey shimmering freezer.
"..."
I briskly walked over and opened the freezer door.
The remaining coldness in the air made my nose feel cooler.
Various sausages and meat products were slowly defrosting inside, with red liquid dripping down below.
It was the source of the metallic smell.
"..."
"..."
A long, long silence hung in the air.
"Ah, so this is where you were."
"M-moondae-ya, we found the circuit breaker box...!"
"...Guys?"
"H-hello...?"
While the team that found the circuit breaker on the third floor made their way down, the rest of us just stood there, dumbfounded, ruminating in our own foolishness.
I won't deny that I was included in the rest of those guys...
* * *
"Still, it's a lot of meat."
"Yeah, it's just that we mistook it for human meat."
Shut up.
After coming to our senses, we took out the meat that had not yet thawed and was edible from the freezer.
We would have to apologize to the owner of the villa later, but because this was due to a natural disaster, I hope they will understand given the circumstances.
"See! See! We did well not to catch them!"
"...Indeed."
I silently nodded in affirmation as I looked at the frozen native chicken Cha Eugene held up.
"The fridge upstairs is working again, so let's move some of the things we can eat."
"Yes~"
'Well, at least I didn't leave an idiotic image behind...'
I was inwardly relieved but soon came to realize that my relief was in vain.
...These days, cameras seem to have longer battery life than I thought.