Chapter 4.2

“Why him? Once you leave this island, there are plenty of women who’d love you!”

“Paolo. Quiet. I don’t want to wake him up. I’d like to leave here quietly.”

“If the boss’s boss finds out, he might kill both me and this guy!”

“Don’t worry, as long as you keep your mouth shut.”

“That’s not the issue! Why a man? And that damned Asian!”

Just as Paolo was shouting with wide eyes, Eunwoo was calling for Tom beyond the door. Giovanni frowned and sighed.

Lately, nothing was going according to plan.

Hearing Eunwoo’s cries, Paolo reacted even more violently. His actions of kicking the door and cursing showed his hostility toward Eunwoo.

“He’s Korean.”

“Whether Korean or Japanese, that’s not the point! If the organization finds out, they’ll laugh at you! Rumors will spread that you’re obsessed with a guy’s ass!”

“Paolo. Shut up.”

Paolo, excited, was breathing heavily and couldn’t stay still.

Since deciding to take Lee Eunwoo, he knew he’d have to face this once, but he was starting to get annoyed.

He wanted to leave the island quickly, but time was being wasted arguing with Paolo.

“That guy, he must have been sent here by another organization! I’ll kill him for your honor!”

“Paolo!”

The guy with the gun approached the door. Giovanni quickly tried to stop him but couldn’t take the gun away. Before he could intervene, Paolo fired at the door.

Bang.

Giovanni, furious that Paolo had fired without permission, raised his voice, and Paolo retorted defiantly.

While they were briefly arguing, Eunwoo’s cries for Tom made Giovanni’s head throb.

Eunwoo and Paolo. Being with both of them was not only chaotic but also infuriating.

“I’ll make sure to kill him!”

“Paolo!”

Enraged that Eunwoo was still alive, Paolo opened the door without hesitation. Sighing, Giovanni reluctantly followed him in and saw Eunwoo with his eyes tightly shut.

It was clear he was trembling with fear, but he couldn’t afford to be affectionate here.

“Is it you? A guy seducing the boss?”

“Paolo, put the gun away.”

Paolo waved the gun around nervously, raising his voice at Eunwoo. At that moment, Eunwoo, who had belatedly noticed Giovanni, opened his eyes wide.

His face showed a mix of relief and betrayal. A complex expression.

Of course, this situation must be very confusing. Tied up tightly, Eunwoo threw a pleading look to be untied, but that was also difficult.

Knowing his personality, he’d surely run wild like a colt as soon as he was freed.

Sure enough, not only his body but his mouth should have been gagged too. Provoked by Eunwoo’s curses, Paolo fired at him again.

At times like this, it was fortunate that Paolo’s shooting skills were terrible.

“Just a pretty-faced Asian! You’re ruining the boss’s honor!”

It seemed unlikely that these two would get along. After silencing the noisy Eunwoo by knocking him out, Giovanni took Paolo’s gun and, with a cold expression, gave an order.

“I thought I made myself clear. Paolo.”

The air in the room grew heavy with that one word.

Sensing Giovanni’s mood was serious, Paolo stopped causing a commotion. He just silently moved Giovanni’s luggage to the boat.

He hadn’t brought much to the island. With the internet and Nutflix available on the island, a few clothes and a tablet PC were all he needed.

Finally, after changing the unconscious Eunwoo into his clothes and carrying him, Giovanni boarded the boat, which left the island quietly.

As Giovanni absentmindedly looked back at the island, he saw a monkey wearing Eunwoo’s sunglasses waving at them.

Giovanni had never seen the monkeys so happy before. Relieved that they seemed to welcome Eunwoo’s departure, he sighed.

If he had left Eunwoo there, a fierce war would have surely ensued. The island, with the unconscious Eunwoo gone, looked more peaceful than ever.

ᰔ • ᰔ • ᰔ

Eunwoo opened his eyes with a start and was left speechless as he gazed at the vast ocean before him. Just moments ago, he had been trapped in a strange room, and now he was at sea again.

Every time he opened his eyes, the location changed, and it was getting to the point where he was scared to open them.

Where on earth is this? As he quietly surveyed his surroundings, Eunwoo realized something was wrong with his hands. Although he wasn’t bound all over like before, his hands were tied as if he were a criminal.

How did I end up like this? As if being stranded on a deserted island wasn’t bad enough, now he was caught in this ridiculous situation.

He thought he had lived a decent life, so why was God giving him such trials?

Just then, he heard voices. The memory of almost being shot flashed through his mind, and Eunwoo quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. It seemed to work, as no one paid him any attention.

Thinking his method acting had succeeded, Eunwoo cautiously opened his eyes and began to observe his surroundings more closely.

The ship seemed ordinary enough. It looked just like the one he had taken to Boracay, but there were no people around. Clearly, this ship wasn’t meant for tourism.

Then what was it for? As he pondered the purpose of this suspicious ship, a more pressing realization hit him. He was tied up on this strange ship in the middle of the ocean. If he were thrown overboard, he’d definitely become fish food.

Snapping back to reality, Eunwoo opened his eyes wide. There was no way he could die such a meaningless death. He hadn’t struggled this far just to end up as fish bait.

Just wait and see, I’ll find a way to escape from here.

First, he had to deal with his bound hands. He tried biting the rope with his teeth, but it wasn’t as easy as it looked in the movies.

“Damn, whoever tied this did a hell of a job.”

Feeling like his teeth might fall out, he gave up on that and looked for another way.

Unlike his frantic state, the atmosphere on the ship was peaceful. As he calmly scanned his surroundings, his eyes landed on an orange tube tossed in a corner of the ship.

Yes, that’s it! He’d grab that and jump into the sea, swimming as far away from the ship as possible. He had survived once with a tube before, so he felt confident he could do it again.

Of course, surviving in the vast ocean with just a tube would be tough, but it was better than dying here.

Keeping a close eye on his surroundings, Eunwoo stood up and walked over to where the tube was. With only his hands tied, walking wasn’t difficult. Just as he grabbed the tube and grinned triumphantly, someone shouted.

Instinctively, Eunwoo dropped to the floor and pretended to sleep. Luckily, he wasn’t caught, but the familiar voice piqued his curiosity.

Cautiously, Eunwoo peeked in the direction of the sound.

He spotted Tom standing by the railing, talking on a phone, and was shocked.

That bastard had a phone! So he could have left the island anytime he wanted? Did he deliberately mess with me all this time?

A flood of memories from the cursed island flashed before his eyes. The humiliation of not being able to wash, eating larvae out of hunger, and having his phone stolen by monkeys fueled Eunwoo’s anger.

Overwhelmed by shock, Eunwoo glared at him as if he could kill him.

No wonder, for someone who had been stranded for so long, he looked too good. Eunwoo was so furious he felt like he could shoot him if he had a gun.

While he was silently cursing with his eyes, another man approached Tom. So, there was another one? Well, they must be in cahoots to be on the same ship.

Recognizing the man who had almost killed him, Eunwoo cursed inwardly as the man nudged Tom and gestured towards Eunwoo.

Did they notice I was awake? Panicked, Eunwoo tried to return to his spot, but Tom was already coming his way.

Damn it, don’t come! Don’t come! As Tom entered the ship, Eunwoo had no choice but to clutch the tube and lie flat on the floor, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Are you awake?”

Even in this situation, Tom’s historical drama tone made Eunwoo refuse to answer. He shook Eunwoo, but Eunwoo kept his eyes tightly shut.

He feared that if he opened his eyes, Tom would throw him into the sea. But Tom didn’t do that. Instead, he grabbed Eunwoo by the collar and forced him into a chair.

As if that wasn’t enough, he kindly tied Eunwoo’s hands to the chair in front of him. Peeking through narrowed eyes, Eunwoo felt a surge of anger as he saw his hands bound to the chair. His escape plan was now in ruins.

“You bastard.”

The curse slipped out before he could stop it, and Tom frowned.

“Bastard?”

What? Does that bother you? Did you expect me to say something nice in this situation? Since he was already caught, there was no point in hiding anymore.

Ignoring Tom, who sat beside him, Eunwoo stared straight ahead.

He hoped Tom would offer some explanation, but Tom remained silent. In the heavy silence, the voice of the man standing by the railing echoed loudly. The man called out to Tom, saying Giovanni.

Giovanni? What did you see? What is he saying?

“Are you angry?”

Breaking the long silence, Tom finally spoke. Took you long enough to ask. Though curses rose to his throat, Eunwoo gritted his teeth and answered.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“What are you?”

“What am I?”

He didn’t hide his discomfort at Eunwoo’s question. With a handsome frown, he glanced at Eunwoo and let out a chuckle.

Laughing? You find this funny? Annoyed by his laughter, Eunwoo laughed along before turning serious.

“I asked what you are! Where are you taking me? You’re not going to throw me into the sea, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what, are you taking me to sell my organs or something?”

Being an entertainer, he had managed his body fat and skin, so his organs were clean and free of visceral fat. Terrified by the thought, Eunwoo asked, and Tom answered without hesitation. No. Relieved, Eunwoo sighed, but it was too soon to relax.

“Then where are you taking me?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to leave the island?”

“So? Is that why you’re taking me?”

“What if it is?”

This bastard is playing with me.

Just as he was about to demand why Tom hadn’t left the cursed island when he could, Eunwoo forced himself to calm down.

Provoking him wouldn’t do any good in this situation.

After all, his life was in the hands of this crazy guy, so he had to beg for his life from now on.

“What are you? You’re not a businessman, are you? Is your name fake too?”

Eunwoo anxiously watched for any sign of confirmation. The lack of response suggested he was right. Wow, this guy. No matter what, lying about his name was too much.