134340 |JJK FF|

Chapter 42

By the end of the next month, Jeongguk was growing agitated.

So much so that any type of conversation Yumi tried engaging in was haphazardly dismissed.

"Have you tried looking up the trees?" Yumi asked.

"Mhm, no."

"Do we have enough firewood for the night?"

"Hmm. Later."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"That's good."

"... So, my pants are on fire."

"Okay."

He'd disassociate on normal days, disappear for a while sometimes, and mutter to himself.

"No... ship? It's been more than a month--hyung won't--"

He'd pace the length of the shore, not even trying to calm himself. More than a month passed, he was still stuck on this island. It had been over a month since he last saw his sick friend.

Taehyung... would he still be conscious when Jeongguk will see him?

Would he remember, still?

Would he be breathing?

He didn't bother trying to squash out the voices this time, knowing that this time, they might just be right.

"How about you sit back down?" Yumi's voice felt like it was coming from far away, "You prowling the shore won't make them sail any faster,"

He did not answer. Back-tracing his path, he rushed to the nearest tree, raced to its top and attempted to search the sea. Water... everywhere. No damn ship.

"Hey!" He heard a call from below, and Yumi stood there, waving a stick at him. "I had a thought. Come help me with this!"

He let out a small breath. He wasn't sure how useful whatever she was doing would be, but he felt the need to work. He might just pluck out every strand of hair he had out of agitation if he stood idle.

"Come here!" Yumi yelled as he followed her to the sandy shore. She placed the branch she was holding on the ground carefully. 

Jeongguk frowned, craning his neck slightly. He wasn't sure what that deformed pattern was supposed to be.

"What... is that supposed to be?"

"An 'H', of course!" She said, "Help me with the 'E'."

Oh. he understood what she was trying to do and shook his head.

"It won't work," he said miserably.

"Why not?!" She looked up in surprise, "It is the first thing you find in any guide! If we write a big fat 'HELP', one of our friends might see it, and they'd know we're here!"

His shoulders slumped. For more than a month, he wasn't sure if they were even alive. Or even Yoongi. And they still hadn't found a cure or even what caused this illness. But as he looked at her encouraging expression...

He knew he couldn't bring himself to get mad at her, or even the other humans. Even if they failed and all of them were sentenced to death. Even if his friends all died and his efforts would go down the drain. For humans who have been in Pluto for only a couple of months, they had all done well, adapted in a way he never thought was possible. He wouldn't blame them if they failed, only he could be blamed. And if they did succeed...

"They are in a ship," he gloomily reminded her, pushing the thoughts out of his head.

"That's a convertible vehicle! I can't see why they wouldn't try to fly now, it's an emergency,"