Bring It On! - Chapter 17

Chapter 17.

The campfire we’d kept going through the night had, of course, gone out by morning. For breakfast, we tossed coconut flesh and berry-like fruits into our mouths. The food shortage still hadn’t been solved. Since it was raining today, we couldn’t go into the sea to collect the fish traps, and with the ground muddy and visibility poor, hunting was difficult too.

It was one of those days where we just had to settle for expanding the shelter.

Jay split logs and rolled them over to me, and I stacked them neatly in turn. That was how we divided the work. We were fully absorbed in the task when we suddenly heard cheerful chattering through the sound of the rain. I turned to Jay’s side and saw Suho driving an axe into a piece of wood.

“Suho! Don’t stay out in the rain. Ho inside!”

I shouted, and Suho handed the axe over to Jay. But rather than going inside, he kept talking animatedly beside Jay. I let out a sigh and walked over to him.

“Lee Suho.”

“Just leave him. He wants to help.”

Jay wiped the rain from his eyes with his sleeve as he spoke.

“He can’t get sick.”

“But I’m already soaked anyway…”

Suho tugged at the bottom of his T-shirt with both hands, stretching it as he spoke. His voice trailed off as if he realized mid-sentence he was about to get scolded.

“Nope. Jay, if Suho sneaks out again, send him back firmly.”

“You heard that, kid? Don’t come out. Stay holed up in the house, yeah?”

Jay gave Suho a light push on the back. With both of us telling him to go back, Suho made a pitiful face but said nothing, turning to head back to the shelter.

“Change into dry clothes right away!”

I saw him nod gloomily before disappearing inside.

Only after confirming Suho had gone in did I return to the work. My back ached like it was going to snap, and every joint in my hands throbbed painfully. But when I looked at the newly built shelter, more than half done, pride swelled in me enough to ignore the pain. 

It was more spacious than the temporary one we had before, so the three of us wouldn’t have to sleep crammed shoulder to shoulder anymore.

“Let’s call it a day.”

The thick black clouds that had seemed to swallow the sky were finally beginning to thin out. I tied my messy hair back into a ponytail as I felt the rain lighten into a drizzle.

“Ugh, I’m so bored!”

A voice that definitely shouldn’t have been heard here brushed past my ear, sharp and intrusive. I turned toward the sound, and of course, it was Suho again, bouncing around beside Jay. The dry clothes he’d changed into were now spotted with raindrops again. A wave of heat surged up in me.

“Lee Suho!”

The shout burst from me without thinking. Suho flinched. He must’ve known he was in trouble because he immediately clung to Jay’s thigh, trying to read the mood. But Jay sensed the tension and subtly pulled his leg away from Suho’s grip.

“Didn’t you hear what I said earlier?”

“…I did…”

“I told you not to get sick. Do you want to get sick again?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Not what, exactly?”

“I’m just… bored being alone all the time.”

“You think we’re out here playing or something?”

“Hyung…”

Suho tugged lightly at Jay’s clothes, asking for help. But Jay simply gave him a cool, unfamiliar look, as if wondering, Who even are you?

“What’s with you?”

Jay completely ignored Suho, likely afraid of getting caught up in the fallout. But despite Jay’s efforts, my anger spread to him too.

Suho might act on impulse because of his age, but Jay was an adult. I’d emphasized it again and again. If Suho had snuck out behind my back, Jay should’ve forced him back inside.

“Jay, seriously? Why did you just let Suho be out here?”

“Hey, get back inside.”

“He’s already soaked. What’s the point in sending him in now?”

“I told him to back off earlier. He just didn’t listen.”

“Then you should’ve kept telling him until he did! Or carried him in yourself!”

“He’s got legs. Why should I do that for him?”

His refusal to admit even the slightest fault made my frustration boil over. I lowered my head and pressed my fingers to my forehead. There were already too many things on my mind, and with both Jay and Suho acting like this, I felt like my insides were twisting with stress.

“…Next time, I’ll be firm.” 

Jay finally muttered, his tone more submissive now that he’d noticed my mood.

My heart pounded with rising anger, but yelling wouldn’t solve anything. It would only sour things further. So I simply nodded and took Suho’s hand.

Suho followed quietly, without protest or resistance. Once we got inside the shelter, I dried off his hair and skin and made him change into dry clothes.

I couldn’t even begin to guess how much laundry this would make for today.

“I’ll bring you dinner later, so just eat inside today. You can go out after the rain stops, okay?”

“Okay.”

The rain was still drizzling, but the clouds had mostly cleared, and we had plenty of dry leaves stored up. It was enough to make a fire.

Jay and I hurried to prepare dinner before it got dark. I took Suho’s share and brought it into the shelter, and just as I feared, something was off about him. He said he felt fine, but his cheeks were flushed, and sweat beaded on his forehead, even though the weather wasn’t hot.

“See? You’ve got a fever.”

“It’s not like before, though,” Suho replied timidly.

“Eat, brush your teeth, and go to bed early. The rain should be totally gone by tomorrow morning. Then I don’t care if you throw rocks at the sea or dig stuff up. Got it?”

“Yeah!”

Jay, now cheerful, nodded and picked at some fish meat.

Suho had a slight fever, but this wasn’t the first time. I told myself it would pass without issue. As I sat there comforting myself, Jay called over, “What’re you doing? Eat up.”

Sure, we’d raised our voices a bit today, but we’d still managed to get a lot done despite the downpour. We hadn’t found any new food sources, but it wasn’t the worst day. That’s how I chose to end it.

But the truly worst moment came the very next day.

The weather after the rain was blindingly clear. Humidity had skyrocketed thanks to puddles everywhere.

I woke to a musty smell and sent Jay and Suho to wash up at the stream while I retrieved the traps from the ocean. Only one fish had been caught.

I moved the trap again today. I’d been relocating it every day, but I was beginning to question whether it even mattered.

I placed the lone fish in the pot and filled it with seawater. My body still felt grimy from not being able to wash during the rainstorm.

“They should be done by now.”

I stood up, planning to head toward the stream when I saw them returning, looking freshly washed. Jay walked ahead, and Suho followed a few paces behind.

Wait, quietly?

Suho was never this quiet. Did they fight? The two of them bickered constantly, but never held grudges. They just weren’t the type to get hurt by blunt words.

But today, something felt… off about Suho.

I picked up my pace and walked toward them. That’s when I noticed. It wasn’t that Suho was sulking. His expression was focused, like he was deep in concentration.

And in his hand was something unmistakable. Jay’s gun.

My pupils widened in disbelief. My mind froze, heart pounding.

I had to get that gun away from him, but if I shouted now, he might panic and pull the trigger. In those few seconds, a thousand fears raced through my head.

“Why is your face like tha—”

Jay, seeing my expression, turned around. He spotted the gun in Suho’s hand and instantly reached for his back pocket. It was, of course, empty.

Muttering a sharp curse, Jay rushed toward Suho.

Just as Suho noticed the movement and looked up, Jay snatched the gun from his hands.

“Hey, kid! Do you have any idea what you were touching?!”