episode_0005

“I knew they would become like that sooner or later. It took a long time.”

“That’s right. Why would you consult with him about your worries?”

“I was really frustrated and almost died during that time.”

“But Hyun’s abilities are for sure. We are amazed by our friendship, and now he’s even dating that lady… Wow…”

During school break time, Jinho looked at me and sighed quietly.

“I still can’t believe it when I think about it again. Are men really just attracted to looks?”

“Stop saying weird things. It’s the heart that matters, not the face.”

“I really want to hit you hard…”

“What’s the point of being good-looking? Your sense is just crustacean level. Where in the world can you find someone who just blindly follows a woman’s lead?”

Listening to the conversation between me and Jinho, Ina, who was nearby, fanned herself in frustration.

“If it were me, I would have flipped out by now.”

“Hey, compare yourself to yourself. Do you think everyone else is like you? Saying rude things to a refined lady…”

“You’re really hopeless. Come here!”

“Ouch!! Hey, help me out!”

Although Jinho pleaded for help while taking a step back, I shook my head.

“You can take more hits.”

“Did you hear that? Stay quiet.”

“My arm! My arm! It really hurts!”

“Be quiet!”

Ina beating Jinho like a hawk was now a familiar sight. It didn’t excite me anymore.

But it wasn’t really because we had a bad relationship, but rather because it was their way of expressing affection.

Jinho and Ina were like older siblings who took care of me.

So when the two who always bickered became like that, it was truly a strange feeling.

And at that time, I thought I was the only one who liked Yeon, so I also wondered if such a day could come for me.

Looking back, it was really unbelievable that we became like that.

We were the same age and went to the same school, but no one would think that I, a country bumpkin, and Yeon were alike.

Moreover, Yeon was from a prestigious family.

Since I knew all these facts well, except for Jinho and Ina who already knew, I didn’t reveal to anyone that we had become like that.

If we had met somewhere other than the village or if Yeon had been healthy, it might not have been so difficult for us to have this kind of relationship.

“Hyuna, by the way, is Seoyeon feeling better now?”

Excitedly patting Jinho, Ina asked with a relieved smile.

“…Yes. She said she’s feeling better.”

“Really? That’s a relief. It seems like her body is a bit weak due to her precious upbringing.”

“I think so too. But more importantly, we…”

I gave a vague answer and changed the subject to let’s all go out together next time.

I always avoided talking about Yeon’s illness because I couldn’t reveal everything.

But contrary to my answers or wishes, Yeon’s illness was getting worse day by day.

Even the time she could be active during the day was getting shorter, and as the lunar cycle repeated, the pain was increasing exponentially.

Yeon, who had exceptional magical abilities, said that her particle hypersensitivity was also deteriorating rapidly.

At this rate, she might not even see the sunrise of the new year at 17 years old.

I deliberately turned a blind eye to such facts and tried my best to create memories for Yeon.

And just because she was with me, Yeon enjoyed every moment.

“Hyuna… sigh.”

It was a Sunday like any other. From the early morning rain to the sound of knocking on the door.

When I opened the door in my pajamas, I saw Yeon standing there with an umbrella.

“…I’m sleepy…”

Yeon naturally snuggled into my arms. I chuckled at her small, fidgety movements.

The chilling sensation of cold skin was keenly felt.

It was almost as if she was a corpse, I thought.

Yeon-i always made an effort to look fine whenever she went outside, and it was no different now.

But on Yeon-i’s face, the signs of illness that couldn’t be concealed by light makeup were prevalent.

All I could do was smile and greet her.

“Did you sleep well? By the way, what’s in that basket?”

I tried to divert my attention to the basket Yeon-i was holding.

“…Oh, this…”

Yeon-i lifted the edge of the cloth covering the basket slightly.

Unexpectedly, inside the thickly lined basket was a wild kitten.

The kitten looked very unwell at first glance.

Apart from weakly trembling limbs and shallow breathing, there was no other movement visible.

“I found it collapsed outside this morning. So…”

Whether she saw herself in it or not, Yeon-i couldn’t just leave dying creatures alone.

She would water withered plants to make them bloom, and she would return fish that jumped out of the water back to safety.

Although it seemed like she had the same intentions this time, the severity of the situation was the problem.

We had no knowledge of how to help, and there were no animal hospitals nearby to treat animals found in the water.

“What can we do…? Poor thing…”

Tears filled Yeon-i’s pretty face.

Her sadness didn’t sit well with me either.

Unable to just stand by, I thought of various ways to help, and suddenly remembered something I had read in a book.

It mentioned that in emergencies, some creatures would drink blood to replenish nutrients.

The book talked about animal blood, but humans are animals too, so there shouldn’t be much of a difference.

Although it seemed reckless, I couldn’t think of any other way at the moment.

I asked Yeon-i to wait for a moment, went to the kitchen, and brought back a kitchen knife.

Then, with a puzzled expression, I swiftly cut my palm in front of Yeon-i.

Soon, along with the throbbing pain, I began to feel a warm liquid flowing.

“Hyun… Hyun-ah!”

“Ow… Just wait a moment…”

Seeing my impulsive action, Yeon-i screamed almost like a scream.

The pain was more severe than I had anticipated, causing my face to involuntarily grimace.

Nevertheless, I had to finish what I had started. I lay my palm on the kitten’s mouth.

Surprisingly, the kitten began to eagerly suck the blood I offered.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but it felt like vitality was returning to the kitten’s body.

After hearing my belated explanation, Yeon-i exploded in anger.

“…Idiot. What if you had caused a serious wound? What if it was a vital spot? I’m upset…”

“…I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. But this kitten really seems to be sucking my blood. It’s almost like it’s draining me dry.”

“What? That’s absolutely not okay… Just wait a moment.”

Whether it was a last-ditch effort for survival, the kitten was now fiercely licking my palm.

Seeing this, Yeon-i fell into deep thought for a moment.

Then, without a moment to spare, I pricked my fingertip slightly and brought it to the kitten’s mouth, just like I had done before.

“What are you doing!”

“I’m feeding it my blood. If it keeps sucking all your blood, what will you do?”

“You’re the patient here! What if something goes wrong…”

“I just made a small cut, it’s fine. And I don’t want only you to get hurt. I’ll feed it too.”

This time, I was the one who got angry, but Yeon-i vigorously shook her head from side to side.

Yeon-i occasionally showed a rare stubbornness, and it seemed like now was one of those times.

I couldn’t overcome her fierce resistance, and in the end, the kitten licked Yeon-i’s blood for a long time.

Afterwards, we received a scolding from our mom and tried to mend the wounds. Yeon-i spent all her time at our house, then put the cat back in the basket and left.

I worried about the shock Yeon-i would receive. Upon calm reflection, it didn’t seem likely that the fragile kitten, who had only lost a bit of blood, would survive.

Mom also mentioned that since the kitten’s food was limited, its condition might worsen.

She even went on to lecture us again about the possibility of wild animals spreading diseases.

However, the next day, my expectations were pleasantly shattered.

When I went out to the sound of knocking on the door, I saw Yeon-i with a joyful face and the cat in her arms.

What was surprising was the cat’s condition. It looked so healthy and lively that you couldn’t even think it was the same kitten from the day before.

The cat even meowed and roamed around the living room. It seemed to recognize us as its saviors and followed us very well.

In the end, Yeon-i and I decided to continue taking care of the cat. After much deliberation, we even gave it the name Peanut.

However, due to Mom’s cat fur allergy, Peanut ended up being raised at Yeon-i’s mansion.

And perhaps due to getting caught in the rain, I ended up catching a cold afterwards. I had a high fever for two days before finally being able to get up from bed.

Or maybe, as Mom suggested, I caught some kind of illness from the cat. Either way, Peanut became a new addition to our daily lives.

Time continued to pass. And after a few months, it was time for Yeon-i to prepare for the end, as her illness should have worsened to the point where she couldn’t bear it anymore.

But Yeon-i was still alive.