episode_0038

I heard a sound in my dream.

*Heavy panting.* *Heavy panting. Heavy panting.*

It sounded like a wounded wild boar breathing heavily.

A wild boar…? An animal?

It’s dangerous if there’s an animal…

That thought suddenly occurred to me, and I barely managed to lift my heavy eyelids.

“Heavy panting. Heavy panting.”

It was real.

I saw an animal through my blurry vision.

‘It’ was sitting on a rock a little distance away, catching its breath.

When my vision cleared a little more, As soon as I realized its identity, I jolted awake.

“……?!”

It was Fosao Ahjussi.

Goosebumps erupted.

I thought I had completely shaken him off. How did he follow me?

Fosao Ahjussi’s appearance was more wretched than before.

At first, his outer coat was completely soaked, so I thought he had fallen into a stream. But it turned out it was all sweat.

Even now, sweat was pouring down his neck and head.

…Ah. I hate it. I really hate it. I never thought he would follow me this far.

I need to put distance between us again, starting now.

*Slide.*

The moment I pulled my knees in to get up.

“Ah.”

This is bad.

I had no strength at all.

My ankles and calves were stiff, making it impossible to move.

Hearing the sound, Fosao Ahjussi turned this way.

“Tia? Y-you’re awake?”

I tried to steady myself by holding onto a tree… but it wasn’t just my legs. My waist and back too. My entire body ached as if it would break.

Like when I first held a wooden sword and trained.

I barely managed to stand, but my legs were trembling.

If a gust of wind blew, I felt like I would collapse.

I cautiously took a step.

“Ugh!”

It hurts. This jolt of pain, from the soles of my feet on the ground all the way to my knees.

No doubt. My feet were swollen.

Ahjussi asked.

“W-where are you going…?”

“…….”

Another step. I clenched my teeth and walked.

Eventually, if I just keep walking, it will get better.

I don’t have time to lie down and be sick in a place like this.

*Wobbling.*

I began to walk with trembling legs.

My steps were much more unstable and slower than yesterday.

“Y-you should rest a little! You’ve w-walked too much right now. If you overexert yourself like that……”

He kept saying something from behind. I didn’t want to listen.

If I had to rest, I wanted to rest alone.

I didn’t have the luxury to stay like this. I had to get to Deseo and obtain Dienbus as soon as possible.

*Plod.*

I took a heavy step and lifted my head.

“…….”

*Whoosh-.*

I saw that peak.

Strangely, it looked higher than yesterday. I could also see the rough rocks that had been hidden by the fog.

With these trembling legs now, I didn’t think I could possibly… climb it.

“T-Tia! It’s too much to cl-climb in that condition… It would be better to rest a bit before going…”

“—Don’t interfere.”

I didn’t even want to hear it anymore.

I placed my foot on the sloped rock to climb the peak. Just doing that was hard enough to make cold sweat run down my back.

The Ahjussi who was sitting got up.

“Tia….”

“Don’t follow me!”

I screamed without realizing it. And immediately regretted it.

I should have saved even the strength to scream. It seemed my body was in such bad shape that I couldn’t even ignore that man.

“Tia, I’m j-just too worried about you…. I saw earlier… that there seems to be a w-way back too……”

“…….”

“It’ll be a bit of a detour… b-but you don’t necessarily have to overexert yourself… How about that way…?”

There’s a way to bypass this peak?

I thought the only way was this high peak, since the surroundings were all cliffs and dead-end precipices.

But Fosao Ahjussi, perhaps having looked around the entire area, said there was a way back.

“…….”

I looked at the peak again. I didn’t want to admit it, but Fosao Ahjussi was right.

In this state, I couldn’t climb. My legs were so stiff that I would be lucky just to climb one rock.

At the same time, I felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, there was a ‘way back’.

Fosao Ahjussi pointed to the left.

“Th-this way.”

I slowly lowered the foot I had placed on the rock.

I needed to be rational.

Crossing this peak would be much faster, but I also had to consider the strain on my body.

If I collapsed here, I wouldn’t be able to save Luca in the end.

The Village Head-nim had said so too.

That only rushing forward with enthusiasm would ruin things.

If I could return safely, even if it took a little longer, choosing that path was the right thing to do.

I turned my toes to the left and walked in the direction Ahjussi pointed.

“Wait a minute… N-no—I’ll t-tell you the way—!”

He took the lead on his own, even though I hadn’t said anything. I left him be. After all, I didn’t know the way, and I didn’t want to get angry.

Soon enough, a sloped path that circled widely around the cliff appeared.

It looked narrow from the outside, but if that Ahjussi could safely enter… it seemed wide enough.

As we entered the sloped path, Fosao Ahjussi reached out his hand.

“…W-want to take it…? You might fall……”

“No.”

“Ugh. O-okay….”

Ahjussi scratched his head.

We quietly walked along the sloped path like that.

How long did we walk?

*Rumble-!*

*Drip. Drip drip.*

I had thought the sky looked cloudy since I woke up. A sudden downpour began.

It was midday, but the sky was filled with dark clouds, making it gloomy.

If this keeps up, the sun will set even faster.

*Pouring-!*

The raindrops, which had been falling one or two at a time, soon grew thicker. And began to pour down as heavy rain.

“Ugh—. The rain is r-really coming down—.”

Ahjussi, having emerged from the sloped path, went under a large tree.

And he gestured for me to take shelter from the rain here for a moment, but I lightly ignored him. Because I disliked being close to that Ahjussi more than getting my clothes wet.

I passed the tree.

Ahjussi shouted something again. The rain was so fierce that even his slurred voice couldn’t be heard.

*Pouring down-!!*

Now the rain was pouring so heavily that everything before my eyes seemed white.

“…….”

This wasn’t a sudden downpour. It was a storm. A very powerful one.

Despairingly, the sky was completely gray as far as the eye could see.

The hard ground turned into a complete muddy mess, and water began to fill my boots. My clothes were completely soaked, and my skin showed through.

*Rumble!*

Had it ridden on winter’s wind? The raindrops were extremely cold.

Each raindrop that hit my skin felt like being pricked by an ice pick.

*Whoosh-!*

With the cold wind blowing on top of that, my whole body froze. My teeth chattered involuntarily.

“Haa….”

Misty breath escaped my lips.

It was cold. I hugged my arms around myself, and they were surprisingly cold.

My body was so cold it felt like touching ice… and I hadn’t known?

“Tia!”

From behind, Ahjussi ran towards me, splashing through the mud.

“Tia! Th-there’s a cabin…! Let’s take shelter from the rain th-there……!”

“Haa… Haa….”

I looked in that direction. It was blurry, but not far away, there was a building that looked like a ‘cabin’.

To think I hadn’t even seen that. My… vision had become very narrow.

Fosao Ahjussi swallowed hard and asked.

“Sh-shall we go?”

“…….”

There was no other way. First, I had to find shelter from this cold rain and wind.

When I nodded, Ahjussi went down to the cabin, saying he would check if anyone was there first.

A moment later, he waved his arms widely at me, indicating no one was there.

I entered the cabin as if chased by the storm.

“Haa… Haa….”

The interior was dilapidated. There were traces that someone had lived there once, but the owner seemed to have been gone for a very long time.

The floor was thickly covered with dust, cobwebs hung in various places on the ceiling, and unknown insects could be seen crawling around.

Although it was a harsh environment, I was simply grateful that the wind and rain couldn’t get in.

“Hoo—. The house is a m-mess—. Heh heh……”

Ahjussi roughly brushed the dust off the floor with a straw mat hanging on the wall.

Then he went into the kitchen and examined the hearth. He was diligently looking at various things and doing something… but I didn’t want to pay attention.

“Haa….”

I sank to the floor and caught my exhausted breath. Water dripped from my wet shirt and pants.

It was too cold. I shivered and pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them.

My clothes were damp and uncomfortable, and I wanted to take them off and dry them right away, but I couldn’t because Ahjussi was there.

“Tia. H-how is your body?”

“…….”

I felt dizzy. With my eyes closed and my head on my knees, it felt like the whole world was spinning.

“You don’t look well… Are you… are you hurting somewhere?”

“……Ugh!”

The moment Ahjussi approached, ‘that smell’ wafted in. I was already dizzy, and smelling that foul odor made me gag.

“Tia…?”

“Go away!”

I screamed with all my might. My head throbbed hotly.

“You stink… don’t come close….”

“……Ooh.”

Ahjussi lowered his gaze and backed away.

All I could hear was the sound of rain hitting the ceiling and water trickling from the eaves.

As I sat quietly, drowsiness slowly crept in. I was barely clinging to my fading consciousness when I suddenly heard a rustling sound.

I squinted my eyes open.

“……?”

Ahjussi was taking off his outer coat and confidently walking into the storm.

*Pouring down-!!*

And he scrubbed his body vigorously while being completely drenched by the rain. His face showed no concern even as thunder and lightning struck.

The sight was so shocking that I couldn’t even turn my head away.

It was as if… a wild boar was bathing.

“…He’s crazy.”

Only that thought came to mind. You couldn’t do such a strange thing unless you were out of your mind.

“…….”

Surely… because I said ‘he stinks’. Was he washing himself with rainwater?

*Squish-!*

He even wrung out his wet clothes with all his might, washing them.

A moment later. Ahjussi, having finished his shower and laundry, came back into the house, dripping water.

Surprisingly, that foul odor was no longer there. Or rather, it had faded to the point where the musty smell of the house was stronger.

Fortunately, I could breathe a little more comfortably.

Ahjussi spoke to me again.

“Tia.”

“…….”

“Do I, do I—still stink?”

I shook my head, my face still buried. Because if I said he still stank, he’d probably jump into the rainwater again. I shook my head, not wanting to see that grotesque sight.

“N-no! Heh heh. Th-that’s a relief….”

Ahjussi shambled into the kitchen. And started diligently doing something again.

*Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!*

It was the sound of something rubbing at a fast pace.

Glancing sideways, I saw Ahjussi gather kindling in front of the hearth and diligently rub bamboo together.

Was he trying to start a fire? Starting a fire in this damp cabin was almost impossible. Needless to say, if the kindling or bamboo was wet.

*Scrape! Scrape! Scrape!*

The sound didn’t stop. His arm strength would give out first at this rate,

Ahjussi silently continued to try with a serious expression.

…I’m tired.

The scraping sound gradually faded away. My eyes slowly closed.

***

“Tia.”

“…….”

“Tia. W-wake up….”

I opened my eyes at the voice calling me. It was already night.

The storm seemed to have subsided, as rain was pattering down.

The inside of the house was dark, but strangely, the kitchen alone glowed brightly.

Soon, I could hear it. *Crackling. Pop.*

The sound of flames burning. As soon as I saw that warm light, warmth seeped into my chest.

Fosao Ahjussi said proudly. “I started a fire…. Heh heh. S-sit over there…”

I was already moving. As if possessed, I dragged my aching body and approached the beautifully burning flames.

I sat in front of the hearth. Warmth clung to my body and face.

It was so comforting… I wanted to stay like this forever.

Ahjussi asked. “…Heh heh. H-how is it? It’s warm, right?”

“…….”

“Rest well. Don’t, don’t mind… me.”

All my strength drained away. I closed my eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.