I’m a Human Part-Timer at a Non-Human Cafe, But… 22

Had he been watching me the whole time? My eyes met directly with Bihyeon’s.

At that moment, I averted my eyes. I felt like the identity of these complicated emotions would be discovered, so I didn’t have the confidence to face him right now.

‘I can’t breathe…’

I slowly closed my eyes and exhaled a long breath.

* * *

I heard the sound of murmuring.

What? Is someone around? My ears are ringing. Who is it…

– Please bestow blessings upon us.

My ears weren’t ringing. I let out a low groan at the voice echoing in my head.

– Your.

My stomach churned and my head seemed to hurt.

– Precious things.

– Your.

I frowned and opened my eyes. Before my eyes, I saw humans with smiles stretched from ear to ear cruelly tearing someone apart.

– Flesh.

Humans were crunching on someone’s arms and legs.

I couldn’t be sure whether they were human or not. Humans eating humans… that can’t be. Humans aren’t such depraved beings.

“…Huh?”

In the middle of them, Bihyeon lay covered in blood.

A grotesque and cruel sight with his arms and legs cruelly severed and ominous-looking talismans stuck all over his body as if to bind him…

His eyes, with his head turned to the side, were unfocused.

– Please bestow blessings upon us.

I shook my head and staggered backward, then tripped over my own feet and fell. Frowning, I touched my waist and jerked my head up. I raised my hand—those with faces covered in blood were all looking at me.

They staggered toward me, dripping blood and chunks of flesh from their mouths.

I instinctively backed away and held my breath.

“Gasp…!”

I opened my eyes wide and clutched my chest tightly.

As my hands trembled, I looked around and saw a somewhat familiar scene. It was Bihyeon’s palace. I exhaled roughly, then saw someone grabbing my arm and forcefully shook it off.

Bihyeon, who had been beside me trying to wake me up, opened his eyes wide.

“Huk, heok…”

I raised my eyes to look at him, then immediately squeezed them shut. Tears fell with a patter.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”

Why am I here? Ah, I was invited to a meal. When did I fall asleep again?

I clearly remember eating deliciously, taking snacks, and waiting for the Mountain God at the pavilion.

Ha, as I exhaled, something fell from my body with a thud and I opened my eyes. It was his durumagi that had been covering my body.

I tried to grab it tightly but stopped my hand in mid-air. My vision kept turning red, so I raised my hand to cover my face.

My hands trembled violently.

“Did you see something bad in your dream?”

Bihyeon, who had slowly taken my hand, asked. Somehow his voice sounded gentle.

“…Yes.”

“What on earth did you see to be like this?”

“Bihyeon-nim was…”

“Yes, I was.”

No.

Instinctively, I felt I shouldn’t say it. I felt like if I said it, it would really come true…

I lowered my hand and spoke quietly, then immediately shut my mouth tight. As I couldn’t meet his eyes and looked elsewhere, I heard the sound of someone knocking on the door with a thump, thump.

At the same time, my head turned. Beyond the door, I could see the towering figure of the Mountain God.

Creak—

The door opened and the one entering looked at us and tilted his head.

Bihyeon nodded to him, stood up, and went to the dining room saying he would get some food from Hyeonwoong.

I rubbed my eyes roughly and exhaled with a whoosh.

While I wiped away my tears, the Mountain God, who approached very slowly while shrinking his body, plopped down beside me.

Without asking anything, he just silently looked at me with kind eyes. I grimaced feeling choked up, then took a deep breath.

“Did you see something bad in your dream?”

The Mountain God gazed intently at me as I finally calmed down after taking deep breaths repeatedly.

His eyes held worry. Thanks to that, my heart calmed down even more. I forced a smile and nodded slightly.

“Yes… but it probably doesn’t mean anything.”

Though it was a dream that was too vivid and unpleasant for that. I decided to try to ignore it.

“Nothing seen in this place is meaningless. It’s a place where deities dwell.”

“…Pardon?”

“Especially so for you.”

I blinked and lowered my head. Then shouldn’t that not be the case? If such a cruel and frightening thing has meaning, isn’t that too horrible…

Whether it was something he had already experienced or something he would experience in the future, it shouldn’t happen.

The Mountain God, who patted my hand from the side, spoke quietly.

“Looking at your eyes, it seems it wasn’t about you. Hmm… Bihyeon?”

“…Yes. I saw Bihyeon-nim with his body all torn apart.”

When I finally closed my eyes tightly and spoke, the Mountain God let out a deep sigh.

“His body all torn apart… and someone beside him was eating Bihyeon-nim’s body.”

Though I was speaking calmly, my hands were trembling. I stared blankly at my fingertips, then clenched my fists tightly. Why does my heart… feel so heavy when I talk about this? My insides felt uncomfortable, so I exhaled deeply.

“It was such a frightening dream. So…”

I raised my hand to touch my forehead and slowly shook my head.

“I just, I just wish it was only a dream.”

Pat.

The Mountain God gently stroked my head. Even though the dry branch touched me without warmth, it felt so warm that I bit my lip hard in an effort not to cry, tasting blood.

With a flutter, baby birds perched on my shoulder. When my eyes stung and I rubbed them and looked at the birds, they rubbed their cheeks against my cheek. It seemed like they wanted to comfort me.

I carefully patted the heads of those birds.

“…What you saw seems to be Bihyeon’s past.”

Something he had already experienced. Such a horrific thing.

“The beings who ate his flesh… were they humans?”

The Mountain God gave a bitter smile.

Yes, that’s why he hates humans. Because humans committed such a horrible act.

‘And yet Bihyeon-nim is so kind…’

“Um, Mountain God-nim. Could you please keep what I said secret from Bihyeon-nim…?”

If it were the future, I would have to tell him immediately, but if it was the past, I thought there was no need to tell him. I didn’t want to make him recall bad memories. Such horrible memories.

The Mountain God silently patted my head once more. As I touched my fingertips, my eyes met with Bihyeon coming out of the dining room. The one coming out with snacks approached me, pretending not to notice my reddened eyes.

“Ah… right. I have something to give you.”

“Hm?”

I turned my head to avoid his gaze. I brought over the shopping bag I had set aside and took out the ribbon to show the Mountain God.

“Yes. You must have been concerned about that.”

“Yes. And I thought it would suit you, Mountain God-nim. It’s not expensive but…”

“Will you tie it for me?”

He gave a gentle smile and lowered his head for me.

I carefully tied the ribbon where his original string had been. The Mountain God, who had been sitting still with his eyes closed, raised his head when I removed my hands. The way he smiled while slowly caressing the ribbon seemed to indicate he was pleased with it.

“It’s warm.”

The Mountain God, who continued to stroke the ribbon, laughed softly.

“Yes, truly beautiful flowers will bloom.”

“I hope so.”

I gulped down the tea Bihyeon had brought and stood up abruptly.

Just as I was about to say I would be going now, the Mountain God looked at my shopping bag and pointed inside.

“You have a good item there.”

“Ah, this… a regular customer at our cafe gave me this handkerchief.”

After thinking, I took out the handkerchief from the shopping bag and showed it. The Mountain God smiled kindly and nodded.

“All items find their rightful owner.”

Saying so, he gently stroked the handkerchief.

“This must be an item for a precious connection.”

I held the handkerchief tightly and smiled slightly.

“I’ll treasure it well.”

Even if the owner of that connection isn’t me.

I looked at the handkerchief for a long while, then carefully put it in the shopping bag and bowed to Bihyeon and the Mountain God.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Rest more before you go.”

Looking at Bihyeon who gently urged me, I slowly shook my head. When I avoided his gaze again and waved to the birds, Bihyeon grabbed my arm.

“…Bihyeon-nim?”

“What time do you want to go to the festival? We haven’t decided yet.”

Right, we had decided to go to the festival together.

Come to think of it, we hadn’t decided anything about when to meet or when to go to the festival location. I stared blankly at Bihyeon, whose words had become slightly faster than usual, then blinked.

What? Is he trying not to send me home right now?

‘But… is it okay for me to go with him?’

Shouldn’t I just deliver the cake and go home? Given my current state, and I’m…

I’m human. And one who’s cursed at that.

Bzzt—

Aunt

What on earth are you doing going around like that?

Aunt

Now give up and come home right away

Feeling the vibration, I was looking at my phone when something dripped onto the screen.

Drip—

“Ah.”

When I hastily covered my nose, Bihyeon jumped up and blocked my nose with his sleeve. I could feel his panic in his urgent action.

Blood close to black…

It was blood with an ominous energy flowing through it, a bit too ominous to just call it blood.

My hands flinched, then I pushed Bihyeon’s shoulder away. What if this blood harms him? What if it hurts them… Even as the nosebleed continued to flow, I staggered backward out of worry for those present.

“I’m, sorry… I’m sorry.”

What do I do?

As I squeezed my eyes shut, the Mountain God from behind lifted me up with his branches. Then he slowly headed toward the room.

“Mountain God-nim, the blood! It’ll get on you!”

As I struggled, he just laughed kindly with a ho ho and sat me on the veranda.

Bihyeon, who received a towel brought by the fox and quickly approached me, blocked my nose.

He fidgeted with his lips, then met my eyes and sighed quietly.

“…I guess it’s because you haven’t been sleeping lately.”

“You don’t get this color of blood just from lack of sleep.”

“That… ah, I’m sorry, I’ll wipe the yard later.”

“Never mind, so sit down. Haru, call Malgeum.”

The fox, who had been looking at Bihyeon with troubled eyes, soon went outside.