Standing on solid ground and breathing in the cool breeze, Jeong Taeui felt much better. He rubbed his stomach, and the nausea subsided. Taking a deep breath, he patted his cheek.

“It’s not far from here to the accommodation. About a 10-minute drive… you could walk if you want, but it might take a few hours.”

Gable spoke bluntly, as if feeling some pity for Jeong Taeui’s pale face. Hm, Jeong Taeui patted his stomach a few times, feeling the wind blow past and breathing in the air that no longer smelled of fuel, he felt much better. He couldn’t handle even a 10-minute drive, let alone a longer one. Normally, he wasn’t prone to motion sickness.

Jeong Taeui looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set. In a few hours, darkness would soon envelop everything.

“Do you have a map?”

Gable nodded, perhaps realizing that Jeong Taeui’s question meant he had decided to walk.

“I know the way. You want to walk?”

Gable spoke while looking down, and Jeong Taeui realized his gaze was checking the condition of his bandaged leg. He sighed and shook his ankle.

“Walking would be better, after all, I don’t have to run. Is the path too rough?”

“Not really, but are you sure you’re okay?”

Jeong Taeui smiled brightly at Gable’s question and nodded. Then, he added,

“My leg is fine. If I have a map, even without you, I can get there because the map will guide me.”

Jeong Taeui added – “I may look like this, but I’m pretty good at reading maps.” Gable nonchalantly shook his head and began striding forward. Jeong Taeui scratched his head, then shrugged and followed him. Looking at Gable’s back, about ten steps ahead, Jeong Taeui marveled silently.

“Truly a man of few words.”

“Yeah, he’s always been like that.”

Ilay replied beside him, and Jeong Taeui glanced at him.

“You two know each other?”

“Yes. He often worked with James. When I was young, he used to come to my house frequently. After that, he moved departments, so I rarely saw him.”

Jeong Taeui nodded, thinking about the man named James he had met once at Kyle’s house. Well, if he worked under Kyle, he must be quite familiar with him.

Jeong Taeui slowly looked around and followed Gable, who maintained a reasonable distance, not too close but not too far, as if minimizing his presence.

After leaving the airstrip, the three walked along the main road for a while and then turned into a wide alley. They then came to a broad asphalt road wide enough for two cars to pass. Only a few cars were scattered along the road, and the quiet sidewalks were shaded by trees.

Gable stopped at the crosswalk ahead, waiting for the red light to turn green on the quiet road. Seeing Gable’s somber expression as he watched the traffic light, Jeong Taeui smiled and stood behind him. Girls cycling by glanced curiously at them. Jeong Taeui chuckled at their innocent eyes peeking out from under their headscarves. The girls gradually disappeared, looking rather surprised.

“I thought this was Africa, but it’s a Muslim city.”

“This island is considered a sanctuary for Arabs. It’s not a place where a specific industry can develop or receive government aid. Most of the people here live off the money spent by the super-rich Arabs. So the culture is heavily influenced by Islam. You can think of it as a small town in the Middle East. Therefore, do not laugh or talk with the local women.”

Gable spoke bluntly.

“Oh, I see.”

Jeong Taeui scratched his head, pondering: “I’m not sure if I did anything risky just now.”

The traffic light turned green.

Jeong Taeui suddenly felt at ease on this quiet road, with only a few cars and the occasional pedestrian. After walking for some distance, Gable passed a small mosque and turned into an alley ahead.

It wasn’t a wide road but a narrow alley just wide enough for a car to pass through, winding through houses built like a maze. The houses with bare plaster walls lined both sides of the alley, occasionally a child would dart out of a wooden door, or an old man would sit sunning himself on a chair by the gate, leisurely holding a pipe. Beyond the fences, lush tree branches shaded the sunlight and drooped down. Whenever the wind blew, the leaves rustled, creating a pleasant sound.

“I like this place.”

Jeong Taeui suddenly said softly. He didn’t intend to say it aloud; it just slipped out unconsciously.

Gable turned around, and for the first time, Jeong Taeui saw a faint smile on his lips. But the smile quickly disappeared.

“It’s very quiet and peaceful, an excellent place to live.”

“Oh.”

Jeong Taeui realized without him needing to say it explicitly. This man liked the place too. Jeong Taeui smiled, feeling slightly more at ease.

At that moment, Ilay, who had been silent beside him, suddenly murmured.

“Perfect for a few months of rest or vacation. But being far from the mainland can be inconvenient if you need something immediately.”

“But even though it takes a bit of time, there’s nothing you can’t find here. Besides, Baheb Street—a seaside town on the southern part of the island—hosts a night market in Dar es Salaam once a week. Most surfing enthusiasts go there because of the strong waves. If you go there, you can buy most of what you need.”

“A night market?”

“From six or seven in the evening until midnight at Baheb’s central square. Besides the commercial market, there’s also a space for people to trade various items like at a flea market. Sometimes you can find interesting things, so it’s always crowded.”

“Haha.” – Jeong Taeui nodded and said – “That place must be fun.”

After a moment of silence, he asked again.

“Are there many tourists coming to Seringe?”

Gable shook his head.

“Ordinary tourists don’t come here often because they usually go to Zanzibar, which is closer to Dar es Salaam. Middle Eastern royalty and wealthy merchants are the ones who frequent this place. They have mansions here and come to relax. From summer to autumn, during this time when the tide rises, there are quite a few young people who like surfing, but only for a short period. After that, there are hardly any tourists.”

Jeong Taeui was lost in thought for a moment, then asked softly.

“So, if there are any foreign tourists walking around here at this time, they would be noticed immediately.”

Gable did not respond. He merely slowed his pace slightly and then continued walking without a word.

He had mentioned that he couldn’t be completely sure if Jeong Jaeui was here or not. If he were here, rumors would have spread if anyone saw such a tourist. If a non-African or non-Arab person wandered the streets, they would stand out.

“Gathering information around here is useless.”

Gable, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. Jeong Taeui didn’t reply and continued to listen.

“The area with the villas of the Arab tycoons is farther when you enter Baheb. But it’s almost isolated from other parts of the island. Rumors from this place can reach there in no time. But rumors from there will never reach here. Useless.”

“Why would my brother be there…?”

“If he’s not there, then there’s no place left on this earth for Jeong Jaeui.”

Gable concluded. Then, taking a step, he moved ahead, leaving them about ten paces behind. Jeong Taeui licked his lips and humbly watched the man’s back before murmuring.

“Did I say something to anger him?”

“Huh? Oh. That’s just how he is. A bit indifferent.”

“….”

Jeong Taeui thought to himself that he wasn’t that bad and followed Gable. Then, he suddenly felt someone looking at him. Taeui turned his head and met Ilay’s gaze.

“….Huh?”

“You’re right.”

“…..? About what?”

Taeui’s forehead wrinkled, and he tilted his head to look at him before asking again. He tried to recall what he had just said but couldn’t figure out what Ilay was referring to.

“As you said, foreigners stand out here, especially Asians. If they aren’t locked up somewhere, they would be easily spotted.”

“Oh? Yeah, right. Hyung, if he’s really confined in a mansion and doesn’t go outside, what can I do? I won’t be able to meet him at all.”

Jeong Taeui frowned and muttered to himself. If he knew which villa it was, he would have no qualms about sneaking in at midnight. But he couldn’t blend into every villa in that Southeast area. What to do now? Jeong Taeui sighed. His brain couldn’t come up with a good solution. It seemed like he should return to his rented room, rest, take a bath, and think carefully about it.

Looking at Taeui scratching his head and saying: “I’ll find him somehow”, Ilay clicked his tongue.

“If we’re talking about standing out, you’re the same….”

“Hmm? Ah, right. If there’s a rumor about an Asian person wandering around here, it would probably reach my brother, and he would get curious and come out to see…. No way. He’s not the kind of person who likes to listen in on everything or has that kind of curiosity.”

So he would rather spread the rumor that “An Asian named Jeong Taeui is here” than “An Asian is here.”

He said, and Ilay didn’t respond.

As Gable had calculated earlier, after two hours of walking, they arrived at the inn. The sun had set, and night had fallen. Opening the wooden door of a house with a large stone wall surrounding it in a dark alley, Gable stood waiting for the two who lagged behind by dozens of steps.

Two hours of walking on the quiet, cool streets were comfortable and pleasant.

He would stay in this place for about a month. Maybe his brother was somewhere on this island, perhaps resting in a quiet and comfortable space like this.

Jeong Taeui smiled. Then he slipped through the wooden door that Gable had opened.

***********************

“I feel like I just accidentally stumbled into a tourist spot in a Muslim country.”

Jeong Taeui muttered inadvertently.

The accommodation was a small two-story house for backpackers. Though small, everything was fully equipped. In the middle of the first floor was the living room, next to it was a spacious kitchen, and next to that was the laundry room and workroom. He didn’t look closely, but it seemed there were a few more rooms at the end of the hallway. And on the second floor, there were three or four rooms with a corridor in the middle.

From the window of the second-floor room, there was a spacious garden planted with fruit trees, next to a swimming pool. Fruit was scattered on the grass, and a hammock swayed in the wind among the trees.

“This place really is for backpackers… I wonder if the inn business here is good because there aren’t many tourists. Are there any other guests besides us?”

“Maybe it’s been booked entirely. Unless you plan to spread rumors everywhere to find someone.”

Jeong Taeui opened the window wide and sat on the window sill. He looked down at the garden and then turned his head when he heard a voice a few steps away. Ilay was also entering.

They were welcomed by a young receptionist named Anna. Perhaps she was even younger than Jeong Taeui. Anna led them upstairs and introduced them to the best rooms with plenty of sunlight. She arranged two rooms next to each other for them. Gable’s room was on the first floor.

Perhaps noticing Taeui’s confusion at the sight of the young hostess who seemed not yet of age, the girl smiled and said: “I am the owner of this place.” Then she winked playfully and went downstairs.

“This street is really quiet. I want to buy a house in a place like this, build an inn, and live leisurely, occasionally hosting guests from near and far.”

“Such an old man’s hobby.”

Jeong Taeui said softly as he sat on the window sill. In response, Ilay’s laughter filled the air.

Jeong Taeui turned his head to glare at him. Ilay walked into the bathroom in the room and started undressing as if preparing to take a shower. His room must have a bathroom too, so why was he showering here?

Jeong Taeui tilted his head, but his mood was still very good, so he looked out the window again. Soon, the sound of water flowing softly in the bathroom could be heard.

Jeong Taeui sighed contentedly. He had spent nearly a day getting here from Hong Kong. Even though he hadn’t done anything all day but talk, spending an entire day on a plane and then in a car was still quite tiring. But the good thing was he arrived here in the evening. If he rested and slept well, he would easily adjust to the jet lag by the morning.

He liked this island, the island where he would stay for the next month.