At that moment, Darwin was startled. As he looked up, he saw his wife sitting in front of him, undergoing an examination by the medical personnel stationed on Mount Hallasan.
Without asking much or speaking further, Darwin approached Veronica. Once his wife had finished the examination, he immediately took a kneeling position right in front of her. Without hesitation or caring about the people around them, he tightly embraced his wife.
“Where were you, Ve? I was even searching all around for you!”
Darwin didn’t loosen his embrace at all. He continued to hold Veronica’s body tightly, releasing the anxiety and fear that had overwhelmed him.
“I was scared, Win. After the fog, suddenly I couldn’t see you and the whole group ahead of me,” the woman recounted.
Darwin eventually eased his embrace. Lowering his gaze, he then stared directly into Veronica’s deep black eyes.
“Then, who helped you until you could return?”
“After losing sight of all of you, I kept trying to slowly navigate the path. When I reached one of the checkpoints, I accidentally met another group that happened to be descending as well. So, I decided to join them. Once there, they immediately contacted the authorities and eventually brought me here to meet Kennedy.”
“But why didn’t we cross paths? We all went back up to find you,” Randy responded in confusion. He, too, was present there and couldn’t resist asking Veronica, who seemed to have successfully and safely overcome the ordeal.
“I’m sure Veronica went down a different route. In Hallasan, the descent path is divided into seven sections,” Darwin explained to Randy.
Veronica, who had heard Randy’s previous question, nodded. She confirmed the explanation Darwin had given to her cousin.
“I didn’t know which path to descend,” Veronica replied. “At that moment, I just wanted to get down quickly and reunite with all of you.”
Darwin visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He offered countless expressions of gratitude in his heart for finally being reunited with Veronica.
“I apologize for not taking care of you. I promise something like this won’t happen again. Even if we’re separated, I’ll do my best to find you as soon as possible.”
***
After checking themselves and ensuring that Veronica was in perfect condition, Darwin and his two cousins decided to return to the resort. Originally, they were supposed to depart for Seoul tonight and stay there until it was time to return.
However, due to the incident involving Veronica, Kennedy decided to postpone their departure until the next morning. She wanted Darwin, Kennedy, and Veronica to rest until their conditions were completely stable as before.
“I suggest that after cleaning up, you all just rest,” Kennedy instructed as she and Randy stood right in front of the resort door that Darwin and Veronica were occupying. “Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we’ll leave for Seoul around nine or ten o’clock,” he continued.
Darwin, who was also standing by the doorway, nodded. After this, he planned to rest immediately. What he had experienced today had drained both his energy and his mind.
“Yes, Ken. We’ll rest right away. Thanks a lot for both of your help.”
“Veronica,” Randy called. His face clearly displayed a serious expression. “Honestly, I’m so relieved you’re safe. If you only knew, Darwin was almost going crazy searching for you. He was really worried. He almost cried when the mountain authorities suggested delaying the search until tomorrow morning.”
“No need to exaggerate,” Darwin interjected. Even at a time like this, Randy found a way to tease and bring up what had happened.
“Oh, really?” Veronica responded right away, addressing what Randy had said earlier.
“I swear, I’m not lying or being overly dramatic. I’m telling the truth. Darwin was visibly scared of losing you. He—-”
“That’s enough… enough…” this time Darwin quickly cut in. Shortly after, he pulled Veronica inside the resort. “It’s late. The two of us need to rest. You guys, please return to your rooms as well. We can continue our conversation tomorrow morning.”
Without further ado, Darwin closed the room door right then and there. They took turns to clean themselves. When it was time to sleep, Darwin approached Veronica and spoke to her as she sat with her legs stretched out on the bed.
“Why aren’t you resting already?”
Veronica looked at Darwin. A moment later, she shook her head.
“Not yet. I’m still stretching my muscles. Besides, my legs are really tired.”
Darwin nodded. He moved closer and took a seat right next to Veronica’s legs.
“Would you like me to give you a massage?” Darwin offered without any hesitation.
Veronica smiled. Her heart suddenly warmed after hearing Darwin’s offer, which sounded so sincere.
Somehow, she felt that her husband’s attitude, from the moment they descended the mountain until they reached the resort, showed a level of care and sweetness that was out of the ordinary. Perhaps he also felt guilty for neglecting Veronica and letting her be lost for a while.
“Are you sure you want to give me a massage? You must be more tired than me, Win.”
Although she did feel quite sore, she pitied Darwin if he went through the trouble of massaging her feet. After all, he must have been much more exhausted than her throughout the day.
“It’s no problem, Ve. I’m fine.”
Darwin then brought his hand to touch Veronica’s leg. He started massaging gently and slowly. He alternated from the right leg to the left.
“That’s enough, Win,” Veronica ordered after feeling much more comfortable. “My legs feel better now.”
“In that case, it’s time for you to sleep. Like Kennedy said, tomorrow we’ll be heading to Seoul and staying there until it’s time to go home. So, to avoid exhaustion, you should rest quickly.”
Veronica nodded, obeying all of Darwin’s instructions. After lying down, she could see her husband following suit, slowly crawling onto the bed. He pulled the blanket and covered Veronica’s entire body.
“Win,” Veronica called before Darwin lay down. “Thank you so much for being worried and for trying to find me when I was lost earlier today.”
“No need to keep talking about it, Ve,” Darwin replied. “Besides, it’s my duty to take care of and protect you.”
Veronica smiled faintly. As a husband, Darwin was undoubtedly wholeheartedly fulfilling his role and responsibility.
“Anyway, I’m really thankful for everything you did for me today.”
Darwin didn’t respond. Instead of replying, he moved his face forward and then kissed Veronica’s forehead before deciding to go to sleep.