“Kids!”
Since I wasn’t leaving the house, now even Aunt didn’t bother coming inside the house. Though she seemed to ask Mom about me once a day. Worried someone might see, I quickly approached, held the Haechis in my arms, looked around swiftly, and quickly entered the house. I brought a blanket, covered us with it, and looked at the Haechis. They whimpered and snuggled into my arms.
“I’m sorry, the situation was a bit difficult so I couldn’t go.”
– Kyiing….
“It’s not that I dislike you. It really wasn’t a situation where I could go out….”
Strangely, as if they could understand my words, when I answered, the Haechis burst into tears and rubbed their faces against my legs. I smiled while stroking both their backs. They worried a lot. Thinking I abandoned them. Thinking that’s why I wasn’t going….
“Is Bihyeon-nim worrying a lot?”
– Kkuwoong.
I see. It seemed he worried even more than I thought, so a bitter smile came out. I wanted to go see him right away too. But if I did, Aunt would come inside the house again and look at me every day with those creepy eyes. It was called looking, but it was no different from surveillance. As if preventing me from meeting the god.
‘As expected, Aunt is….’
I couldn’t be certain because Mom didn’t tell me in detail, but that didn’t mean I knew nothing. Rather, being beside Bihyeon and becoming accustomed to the clear energy, I might have been the first to notice implicitly.
– Kkuwoong.
A Haechi that was clinging to me looked at the bracelet on my hand and opened its eyes wide. Then it whimpered and bit it with its mouth. At the action of trying to break it off, I flinched. This is….
“…It really is a bad object, isn’t it?”
– Kyiing…!
It tapped the bracelet with its front paws as if telling me to take it off right now. I wanted to take it off from the start too. It wouldn’t come off as if someone was tightly gripping my arm, so I was leaving it on. Mom also said it didn’t seem like a good object and that she’d find a way to remove it, but this bracelet was still on my wrist. A bracelet of woven red straw that looked ominous just looking at it. I stroked the Haechi’s back.
“It can’t be helped. Mom will definitely take it off soon.”
Mom even regretted saying she should have received the god. I felt so sorry that I even cried quietly in secret from Mom and Dad.
“Will you tell Bihyeon-nim? That I can’t go for a while.”
– Kkuwoong….
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely be able to go soon.”
It seemed like Mom would enter the room soon. I held the Haechis in my arms, went out to the yard and let them go.
“Make sure to tell him. That I’ll definitely go to meet him again.”
– Kkwoong!
The Haechis who nodded their heads with serious faces went out to the yard and their figures disappeared in an instant. Ha, I let out a sigh and made eye contact with Aunt who was wandering around the village. At that moment, I got goosebumps again and stepped back. Aunt’s eyes, which had raised the corners of her mouth into a grin looking at me, weren’t smiling at all. Those eyes looked at my face, then headed to my arm. I averted my eyes first and quickly entered the house. I grabbed the blanket I’d taken out, covered myself with it, and trembled. It was sad that I couldn’t see Bihyeon-nim, but it was much sadder that Aunt had become distant from the aunt I knew. I also had an ominous premonition that she could never return again.
* * *
Spring came. Aunt was busy looking after the village again, so I could finally leave the house. The god had left Aunt, but strangely the village was prosperous. Enough so that all the villagers wouldn’t have to starve. Since the health of the twins who barely survived in the village and mine was very good, the people came to follow Aunt extremely. As if Aunt had become a god.
“Phew.”
I wanted to go out right away but held it in. I watched for several days that Aunt was busy before coming out, so it should be okay. Mom also said it would be okay for a while. I clenched my fist tightly and climbed the mountain. After a very long time, I went to the stone pile, sat down, and closed my eyes. I blamed myself for coming out in such a hurry that my hands were empty.
“I’m sorry. I came out of the house in such a hurry that I couldn’t bring anything….”
I moved my lips and opened my eyes. Today I didn’t feel any presence from behind. Did Bihyeon-nim give up on me? Did he forget me after not seeing me for so long, or did his affection fade….
“Aunt is strange. I’m scared, God-nim….”
My hands trembled as I looked at the stone pile and shook my head vigorously. No, I didn’t come today to say such bad things.
“It will surely get better, right…?”
I smiled weakly while looking at the stone pile, then rubbed my eyes feeling like I might cry. Rustle. Only now was there a presence from behind. After such a long time, I felt the familiar clear energy and slowly turned around. Bihyeon, who was looking at me with sunken eyes, lowered his body, sat down, and spread his arms. My emotions welled up as I moved my lips, then quickly ran and was embraced in his arms. It was a familiar yet sweet and refreshing scent.
“It’s been a long time.”
“…Yeah.”
“Have you been well?”
“I spent my time waiting for when you’d come.”
“You should have been well anyway.”
“Yeah. I think I was doing fairly well.”
“Hey, don’t just say it like that.”
Hehe, as I was smiling, Bihyeon lifted me up.
“Do you have to leave quickly again today?”
“No, I think today will be okay.”
“Do you want to explore the mountain? Or shall we go eat something delicious?”
“I want to greet the people at Bihyeon-nim’s house!”
He who wore a gentle smile opened the door while holding me tightly. Bihyeon, who was crossing through the door, suddenly turned around sharply, then soon set me down in the yard. First of all, the Haechis ran to me whimpering and hugged me. When I hugged them both tightly and smiled brightly, the fox and bear who came out with bowls from behind greeted me brightly.
“You came? Really… Why are you coming after such a long time, causing such a fuss?”
“You came?”
“Yes! I came. It’s been a long time. Wow… that tree grew so much? It’s pretty!”
“Yeah, it grew vigorously.”
They said flower petals were scattering a lot, and the tree planted in the yard had already grown large. I watched the petals falling from the tree that was planted first and reached out my hand. I jumped trying to catch them and waved both hands around. Beside me, the Haechis ran around following me and opened their mouths to catch the petals. Bihyeon, who had requested food and was watching what I was doing, approached closely. That’s when it happened. The one who caught exactly one scattering petal.
“Wow! Look at this, Bihyeon-nim, I caught this!”
I caught it because it was regrettable that it was scattering, and because it was so pretty. When I smiled brightly, Bihyeon also smiled following me.
“Yeah, luck seems to be coming to you.”
“Then I’ll give this to Bihyeon-nim.”
I smiled “hehe” and grabbed Bihyeon’s hand, pressing the petal firmly into his palm.
“It’s a gift containing my feelings. I’m so happy and joyful to see Bihyeon-nim today.”
And I closed my eyes as if casting a spell.
“May Bihyeon-nim also be full of good fortune.”
He slowly tilted his head. At the surprised reaction as if hearing such words for the first time in his life, I hugged Bihyeon tightly.
“I feel good, I’ll make lots of delicious things today!”
“Wow, I’m looking forward to it.”
I clapped my hands and smiled brightly at the bear’s loud voice. I should play with the Haechis until the food is ready. When I was about to smile and bend down, Bihyeon grabbed my arm.
“But what’s this?”
Bihyeon’s face, pointing at the bracelet Aunt put on me, was a bit stiff. His frowning face seemed to blame himself for only noticing this now.
“Ah, this….”
“Who gave this to you?”
It seemed I shouldn’t honestly say it was Aunt. When I moved my lips, Bihyeon frowned as if he had a sense of who it was.
“Has it gone that far. I somewhat expected it when she abandoned the god she served.”
“…She’ll definitely come back.”
I immediately noticed he was talking about Aunt. When I spoke in a dying voice, Bihyeon averted his eyes. He seemed to be conflicted about whether he could be honest with me. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I don’t know everything. In truth, I probably knew that it was too late now and Aunt couldn’t come back….
– Kkeuwoong….
A Haechi who was looking back and forth between me and Bihyeon came to my feet and rubbed against me. At the comforting appearance, I tried to smile but felt like tears would burst out. Bihyeon approached me and hugged me. He didn’t say anything more, but I was the first to realize that he didn’t give any affirmation to my words.
Heueu. Eventually tears burst out. It was probably a complex feeling. The actions Aunt had done to me until now were too painful and scary, and I pitied Aunt who had become like that. And strangely, the happiness that had come to our village now seemed like something that would be taken away soon… So because I was so scared, I cried wailing.
“You must have been scared.”
“Yes… I was scared. And I was so sad.”
“Yeah… You must have been.”
He who patted my back let out a long sigh.
“Bihyeon-nim, what about our aunt? What do we do now….”
He who was moving his lips eventually closed his eyes tightly and pressed his mouth shut. Realizing that the words that would come after wouldn’t be positive words at all, I let out my voice and cried even louder wailing. In the end, I couldn’t eat and fell asleep exhausted from crying.
After sleeping for quite a while, the place I woke up was our house. When I asked Mom how I got here, she said the door inside the house suddenly opened, Bihyeon appeared and handed over me who was sleeping. At the words that he stayed briefly and left, I was curious what conversation the two had, but Mom only smiled weakly and didn’t give any answer. So I could notice. They talked about Aunt. And today the time we could have spent together passed by with me just sleeping emptily…. When I woke up, the bracelet on my arm was broken. Moreover, seeing that Bihyeon-nim packed food for me in a really large container made me even more upset.
* * *
The next day, and the day after that too. I climbed the mountain for over a week and went to Bihyeon’s house. It was thanks to Aunt saying she would offer prayers to the god and entering the house without coming out. I took naps in his room and saw Bihyeon-nim’s friends who stayed very briefly… They were truly happy days.
And today was also supposed to be such a day. After going to the stone pile to offer prayers, I placed the potato I brought and was waiting for Bihyeon. I definitely was… but the rustling sound and the presence I felt from behind was different from usual, so I was scared to turn around.
Rustle.
The sound of footsteps approaching quickly. I clenched my fists tightly wanting to run away right now. When I finally turned around, Aunt was looking down at me with ominous eyes.
