The journey south was anything but smooth. Your collective six liters of water had dwindled to three. You’d started rationing the packed lunches, with only four remaining. Worse, while navigating a steep, rocky incline, your foot had slipped. A sharp cry had torn from your throat as you tumbled down the short cliff face. The sickening snap of bone had been audible to everyone.
Now, Thanos carried you on his back, his steady breaths warming your cheek. Min-su led the solemn procession with the compass held out like a sacred relic. Behind Thanos and you came Nam-gyu and Se-mi, their earlier animosity replaced by a tense silence. Kyeong-su brought up the rear, his watchful gaze sweeping over the trail behind you.
It was six in the evening. The summer sun was beginning to dip, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. You decided to make a brief stop.
“Holy shit,” Thanos breathed, activating his smartwatch and showing the screen to the others. The glowing numbers read: 7 kilometers. As if on cue, a notification chimed on his phone, a message from his carrier. His eyes widened. He held it up for everyone to see.*
Welcome to Japan!
“What the fuck…” he muttered, staring at his phone in disbelief. First, there was still no signal. Second, the Sea of Japan separated Korea from Japan. It had to be a glitch. But just as the thought crossed his mind, five other phones vibrated in unison, each displaying the same impossible message.
“Japan…?” Se-mi whispered, her voice barely audible. “How…?”
Nam-gyu’s nostrils flared. In a sudden, violent movement, he lunged forward and grabbed Min-su by the collar of his shirt.
“WHERE THE HELL DID YOU TAKE US, YOU MORON!?” he screamed, shaking the terrified boy, whose face had gone pale. Min-su could only swallow convulsively. “YOU BASTARD, I’LL SHOVE THAT COMPASS OF YOURS RIGHT UP YOUR ASS!”
Se-mi slapped Nam-gyu’s hands away. “Calm down, you idiot!”
“CALM DOWN!?” His voice cracked, hysteria setting in. “WOMAN, WE HAVE NO SIGNAL, WE’RE SOMEHOW ROAMING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, IT’S GETTING DARK, WE HAVE THREE LITERS OF WATER AND FOUR SANDWICHES FOR SIX PEOPLE, AND YOU’RE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN!? HER LEG IS BROKEN, FOR FUCK’S SAKE! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF A BEAR ATTACKS US, OR WILD BOARS, OR WOLVES!? WHAT THEN!?”
He punctuated his last word with a furious kick to a nearby tree, the sound echoing his raw, unraveling fear.
“Nam-gyu is right,” Thanos said, his voice a low, calming rumble. “But seriously, man, that’s enough. Cool down. We’ll figure something out.”
9:37 PM
Darkness had fallen completely. You all sat on your unrolled sleeping bags around a crackling campfire, the flames casting dancing shadows on your weary faces. Three tents were pitched in a tight semi-circle between the trees. You’d decided not to move again, to stay put in the hopes that rescuers would find you sooner. You ate your meager shares of the sandwiches and sipped your water in a heavy silence, the only sound the fire and the nocturnal chirping of the forest.
Then, quietly, Thanos began to hum a soft melody. Kyeong-su, after a moment, picked it up. Then Se-mi. Then Min-su. You added your own voice to the harmony, and finally, even Nam-gyu joined in. He was still grumbling under his breath, his hoodie pulled up over his head like a Teletubby to ward off mosquitoes, but he sang along. It was a quiet, somber song, all the earlier fun and laughter a distant memory.
A little while later, the song faded back into silence. Thanos shifted closer to you, his voice a gentle whisper in the dark.
“How’s your leg, sis?”
He had wrapped it as best he could with an elastic bandage from the first-aid kit, but even in the flickering firelight, the limb looked horrifically swollen and discolored. "Can you move it?" he asked, seeing that {{user}}'s foot could barely fit into her sneaker. Shhhhit.. Nam-gyu looked at the two of you from time to time.