Soochan and his younger sister Soo-ah grew up together on the island of Hwado. Their mother decided to move to Hwado—where the air was clean and fresh—because their father’s lungs had been damaged from factory work.
Hwado means “island of flowers,” but it was a remote, nearly deserted place with only two households left. Including Soochan’s family, there were just three households in total. There were no children their age to play with.
So the two siblings had only a radio with very few channels, satellite TV, each other, and the animals for company.
Back then there was no gas, so they had to boil water over fire. No supermarkets or convenience stores existed; everything came once a month by boat, so they had to catch or gather their own food.
Life was lacking in every way, but Soochan—who preferred simplicity over complexity—never hated island life.
If he was hungry, he went to the mountain or the sea to gather something. If he felt lonely or bored, he hugged the dog. He could endure it. For his father’s sake, that much sacrifice was nothing.
But his sister Soo-ah was different.
She hated wasting her youth trapped on the island. With only her four-years-older brother as the only male around, the tiny island felt like a well with no future, no dreams—just a frog stuck at the bottom.
So as soon as she became an adult, Soo-ah left Hwado. When they went to the mainland together to get medicine for their father and renew her ID, she left only a single letter and disappeared to Seoul.
Their parents said nothing when they heard the news. Their father swallowed his tears, blaming himself. Their mother just let out a deep sigh.
That heavy atmosphere felt unbearable to Soochan, so he forced a smile.
“Soo-ah will come back soon once she realizes city life doesn’t suit her. How long can someone who can’t even recite the multiplication table survive in the city?”
But contrary to his hopes and expectations, Soo-ah never contacted them for five whole years. Not even when their parents passed away…
After Soo-ah left, Soochan lost six people. That first year, the elderly Mrs. Yang from next door passed from old age, and soon after, Mr. and Mrs. Park from the other neighboring house passed away together.
Then his father, whose lungs were already weak, closed his eyes while still searching for the daughter who had gone to the city. The following year, his mother—sick at heart—passed away as well. She too had desperately longed for news of her missing daughter, but Soochan could do nothing.
He couldn’t leave his frail mother behind to search for Soo-ah, whose whereabouts were unknown. In the end, he became the last resident of Hwado, guarding the island alone. And when his loneliness reached its peak…
Even his last remaining friend left this world. That friend was Maru, the Jindo dog Soo-ah had raised since elementary school. The two had been best friends in the world.
They understood each other without words; they comforted each other when lonely or in pain. But no old dog can stay by its master’s side forever. Parting was inevitable.
“What a smart guy you were… Sorry to see you go.” “Thank you for the kind words.”
Beside the sorrowful Soochan stood a man. Dark-skinned, sturdy build, in his 50s. His name was Jang Dal-soo—the man who delivered daily necessities to Hwado.
He was the son of the late Mrs. Yang. While he was away working on distant boats, his mother passed away, and Soochan’s family had watched over her final moments and delivered her last words. Because of that, he felt deep gratitude toward Soochan and his family.
Soochan knew this too. That’s why, when Maru died, he immediately contacted Jang and asked him to come to Hwado. Except for his long-lost sister, Jang was the last person who truly worried about him.
Jang also knew how lonely Soochan was. After his parents passed, Jang visited at least once a month, sometimes every two weeks, just to keep him company. It was his way of repaying the favor for watching over his mother’s deathbed.
“Soochan-ah. How about going to the city now?”
Jang cautiously spoke while baiting his hook, watching Soochan’s expression. Having grown up on Hwado himself, he knew better than anyone how cruel it was to stay. Hwado was a truly isolated island with no tourists. No special resources, no scenic spots. It offered no future to its residents. Telling someone to live here forever was practically exile.
“I’m fine.” “Come on, think about it seriously. You’re already twenty-seven. Time only goes forward. How long are you going to waste your youth on this island? You should get married, have kids.” “…I’m not thinking about marriage. I just… like it here.”
Jang frowned at Soochan’s words. He knew better than anyone how lonely Soochan was. And yet he says no thoughts of marriage? It had to be a lie.
“I know moving to the city feels unfamiliar and scary. But it has to be better than being stuck alone on an island. Think about it seriously.” “…”
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Soochan fell silent at Jang’s words. He knew Jang was saying it out of genuine concern, so he couldn’t respond. In fact, he had been thinking the same thing.
He had realized long ago that staying on the island offered no future—the day his sister left. If he left the island, he could finally live a real life. But leaving Hwado was not easy for Soochan.
At first it was responsibility—he couldn’t abandon his sick parents. But now, that had become his entire life. He had grown too accustomed to island living and its ways.
Unlike his sister who left early to find her own path, he could no longer even imagine life anywhere else. Meeting new people, making new friends—those things now felt frightening and difficult.
“It pains me to see it. A young man with so many years ahead wasting his youth on this island.”
Jang clicked his tongue. To him—who had also grown up on Hwado—Soochan was like an engine left forgotten in a warehouse. Just dust it off, fill it with fresh gas, and it could roar through life. But left unused too long, the wires had rusted and the engine refused to start.
“I understand what you mean. But… I really like it here.” “Don’t say things you don’t mean.” “I’m serious.” “Sigh…”
Hearing Soochan’s words, Jang felt his heart burn even though he wasn’t the parent.
‘Such a good-hearted kid with strength, endurance, and grit. If he just left the island and did manual labor, he’d thrive. But he lacks the courage. Really frustrating. So frustrating.’
Jang was a compassionate man. That’s why he truly worried about Soochan’s future.
“Uncle, you’ve got a bite.” “Right.”
He regretfully pulled up his rod. With a casual flick, a fish came up. A small rockfish, barely half a span long.
“Ugh, no fun at all. This little guy won’t even make a snack. Guess I’ll let you grow up and come back later.”
Jang released the rockfish. Then Soochan’s rod bent. He reeled steadily and pulled up a plump flounder.
“Wow, that’s a monster. Sashimi would be delicious.” “Take it home and share with your family when you go.” “No way. You eat it. You live alone—you should at least enjoy good food.”
Jang pretended to be angry at Soochan’s kindness. Not because he was jealous of the bigger catch. Just because Soochan wouldn’t listen to him.
‘I’d love to drag him away by force… but I can’t do that.’
Watching Soochan remove the hook from the flounder’s mouth, Jang shook his head. This island had no future. That’s why he kept advising Soochan—but whether to follow that advice was entirely up to him. He wasn’t family or even a close friend; meddling too much would be ridiculous.
Jang stood up.
“You really won’t go?” “Sorry.” “Tsk! If you’re staying on the island, at least let me bring you a puppy next time. My friend’s dog just had pups.” “…It’s okay.” “Won’t you be lonely alone?” “……”
Soochan couldn’t answer right away and closed his mouth. Truthfully, he desperately wanted a new family. But he didn’t want to bring a puppy to this lonely island just to satisfy his own desire. If he died first, the puppy would be left alone. If the puppy died first, he would experience the same pain again.
“If I ever need help, I’ll ask first. Uncle.” “Sure. You’re not a little kid anymore. You can take care of yourself. I’ll be going now. Work is busy, so I’ll come next month. Take care of yourself until then.” “I’ll see you off.” “The boat’s right there—what see-off? Stay here and catch more flounder!”
Jang left. Soochan watched the boat disappear for a long time before resuming fishing. Soon the float bobbed again, and the rockfish Jang had released came back up.
“You and I are both fools, aren’t we? We know it’s the wrong choice, yet we keep making the same mistake.”
Soochan spoke to the rockfish with the hook in its gill. He knew following Jang was the right choice. He knew it was for his own good.
But whenever the topic came up, he retreated like a coward. He had lived on the island so long that going back out into the world terrified him. He feared he might never return once he left—or that he would face his own helplessness outside.
“I guess I’m as stupid as you.”
He spoke to the suffocating rockfish. Its gasping gills looked exactly like himself—repeating the same foolish choice even though he knew it was wrong.
“Let’s go home.”
He released the rockfish and carried the bucket with the flounder back home. He planned to go out again before it got too dark.
His steps back were heavy. In the past, Maru would have led the way, guiding him home… Now he had to walk this path alone. Lonely and desolate.
“The stars are falling, but there’s no friend to watch them with.”
Night fell, and a shooting star streaked across the distant sky. In the past he would have made a fuss to his family about the amazing sight. But now, as a loner, even that beautiful shooting star left only bitter self-mockery.
As Soochan climbed the darkening path, a low stone wall and the old brick house beyond it appeared. It was the only house with lights on among the silent, dark ones.
Seeing his home, he let out a deep sigh.
It wasn’t because he had left the generator running and wasted fuel. It was the sudden realization that no one was there to greet him—no parents, no sister, no Maru wagging his tail.
Even if today was okay, thinking about coming home to this emptiness every day made his chest ache already. Loneliness gnawed quietly at his heart like bugs in a rice bin.
Soochan forcibly steadied himself. He took deep breaths to keep loneliness from breaking him and entered the house.
“I’m home.”
With a creak, he opened the door. He hadn’t expected an answer—but today was different.
Boom!
A loud noise drowned out the creaking iron door. Something breaking. The direction was clearly inside his house.
“What? What’s that sound?”
Startled by the noise, Soochan hurriedly opened the door and went inside. The sound grew louder.
Boom! Boom! Boom-boom! Squeak! Kiiing!
It came from the basement storage where he kept tools and canned goods. Heavy things falling, furniture breaking. It sounded like a struggle. And then came the cry of an animal.
“A dog? No way. There are no wild animals here…”
Hwado had no animals. Maybe rats, but nothing big enough to wreck furniture—no boars, stray dogs, or cats. The biggest animal had been Maru.
“Did Uncle Jang have an animal on the boat? No—if something that big was on board, he would’ve noticed…”
Confused, Soochan stared at the firmly closed basement door. The commotion continued inside.
“I’ll check it out.”
He grabbed the harpoon leaning against the door. An aluminum harpoon with a fork-shaped tip. Whatever animal had broken in, he planned to drive it out with the harpoon.
Boom! Boom!
The noise grew louder, followed by a “Kiiiik.” That was the sound of Soochan opening the basement door. Inside the darkness, something moved busily.
Large shapes tumbled over each other in the narrow basement. About the size of large dogs. Fear came first, but as someone raised on the island, he bravely turned on the light.
The old bulb flickered on, illuminating the basement. At the same time, the culprits unlawfully invading Soochan’s basement storage were revealed. Seeing them, Soochan was stunned.
“What the… foxes and… monsters?”
There were two foxes and frog-like monsters fighting fiercely, attacking each other.
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