I exhaled quietly, then walked toward the door. I felt a gaze watching me from behind.
Is it Bihyeon? But I didn’t bother to turn around.
“Door-door. Can I ask you a favor? Just open somewhere close to my house, anywhere is fine.”
Creak—
The door opened, so I grabbed the doorknob and pushed hard. I thought it would open the door to a nearby alley, but when I raised my head, what I saw was the inside of my house.
The moment I thought “Huh,” my body crossed over and the door closed as is. When I turned around, I could see our firmly closed front door.
I blinked, then turned around again and looked inside the house.
It was truly a dreamlike day.
Dreamlike, but also an incomprehensible day. A feeling like I had uncovered something I shouldn’t know. It was an unpleasant sensation, as if I had forcibly faced a secret he had been hiding tightly.
“Ha…”
What on earth is this… My head was complicated. Staring blankly while brushing down my face, I took off my shoes.
Thud—
As soon as I left the entrance, the flower I had attached to the door fell.
I turned around, bent down, and grabbed it.
Huh? Why is this suddenly…
Thud— Drip—
As I grabbed the flower that was now completely stained black, something viscous dripped next to it. I felt an ominous energy. At the unpleasant sensation that made my spine tingle, I frowned and slowly moved my gaze to the side. Something that had fallen with blood wriggled and moved.
I couldn’t tell what it was, but my whole body was telling me that it was something extremely terrible, that I had to run away immediately.
‘But… where to?’
“…Cough!”
Something surged up from inside, so I hastily covered my mouth.
After retching and coughing repeatedly, I confirmed that what I barely spat out was dark red blood and sat down, backing away from the entrance.
While I barely exhaled, footsteps from outside echoed through the hallway.
Thud— Thud—
And the footsteps stopped right in front of where I was.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang. My body trembled, so I barely raised my head to check the intercom. Nothing could be seen outside. Then, someone’s pale face appeared briefly, and they tilted their head while pressing their eyes close to the intercom camera.
I raised my hand to cover my mouth. My hands were trembling violently.
‘…Aunt?’
The person visible on the intercom was definitely my aunt’s face.
But she, whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time, had changed a lot somewhere. Her face was the same, but the atmosphere and eyes…
“…Not yet… that damn blessing hasn’t disappeared yet…”
Bzzt—
“This needs to disappear quickly so I can kill this thing…”
The one who had been peering at the intercom and pressing their eyes close suddenly smiled with a mouth stretched from ear to ear and moved away.
Suddenly, several voices overlapped and reached my ears. It seemed like a man, seemed like an old person, and also seemed like a child.
I squeezed my eyes shut while firmly covering my mouth.
“But soon. It’s soon.”
Swoosh, swish.
While muttering, the sound gradually became distant. Along with the retreating footsteps, the sound of several babies crying softly echoed.
I frowned and bit my lips tightly until they bled, and even after the sound completely disappeared, even after that, I remained frozen in that position trembling for a long while. How much time had passed like that? At the sound of my phone vibrating, I gasped and exhaled urgently, lowering my head and breathing roughly.
Staring blankly at the floor, I reached out my hand to grab my phone.
‘What… is this…?’
When I barely grabbed my phone with trembling hands, I realized that my fingertips had become slightly transparent.
Surprised by seeing that hand, I dropped my phone.
“Ugh… Cough. Cough…”
My insides were too hot and a cough came out, so I covered my mouth and coughed repeatedly.
Each time, dark red blood fell with a patter.
My whole body hurt too much. It hurt as if someone was cutting all over my body with a knife, so groans naturally came out.
As I lay on the floor curled up, someone carefully stroked my hair with a rustle.
I raised my head while tears dripped down.
A mask with countless eyes. The one wearing pure white hanbok caressed my head, then took one petal I had been clutching tightly in my hand.
At that moment, the pain dulled a bit and the burning hot feeling inside subsided.
Blinking blankly, I slowly closed my eyes.
“…Please do it.”
My mind was hazy, so I don’t know what I’m saying.
The touch of the one who had been silently and quietly stroking my head stopped for a moment.
“That person… forever… please don’t let them know…”
I didn’t know who I was addressing. What am I even saying right now…
I smiled weakly.
I couldn’t hear what the last words I said were, even as I was saying them.
Thud, tears flowed down.
What did I say?
I don’t know. My head was dizzy, so it was no longer possible to endure.
* * *
‘Yoon-ah.’
I was praying.
That my small gift today could make the day of you who are busy taking care of the world a joyful one. While making a small prayer, I put down the flower I had been clutching tightly and raised my head to turn around.
‘Bihyeon-nim!’
I saw Bihyeon with a kind smile. I smiled and ran toward him as he held out his hand, then hugged him tightly. He, who was much taller than me, lifted me up and turned around.
That place was always kind but filled with the scent of the slightly cold forest.
A place where petals swayed down, danced on the wind, and animals played together. A place where a stream sparkled in the sunlight and flowed down, and birds sang beautifully… In the sky, two large haetae circled around us and kicked vigorously toward the air to draw a rainbow, deer and rabbits followed behind him, and a small bird perched on my shoulder and tilted its head.
I reached out to feel the wind, then smiled brightly and hugged Bihyeon’s neck tightly.
“Ah…”
As soon as I opened my eyes, tears fell with a patter.
My body didn’t move well, so I barely moved my eyes to look around.
An empty house. A powerless body lying on the cold floor…
Rattle— Clatter— Rattlerattle.
While staring blankly, I realized the door had been shaking since earlier and raised my head.
I blinked, then groaned and moved my body to get up. When I checked the intercom, there was no one outside. And I moved my body to approach the door and checked outside through the lens. As expected, no one was there.
Rattle—!
“…Door-door, is that you?”
Since there wasn’t even an ominous energy, I was standing there blankly, then when the door rattled desperately enough, I asked quietly.
Clatter.
The door moved weakly.
I raised my hand to stroke the door, then leaned my back against it and slowly sat down.
Bzzt— Bzzt—
Leaning my head against the door while looking inside the house blankly, I raised my arm to check my fingertips. Right now, my hand had returned to normal.
Bzzt—
Thud. I dropped my hand and closed my eyes.
Then at the continued vibration, I picked up my phone.
There were several calls from the boss and from Bihyeon. Ah. When I checked the time, a day had already passed and it was past midnight.
…This crazy Yoon Hansol, just how long did you sleep? You promised to cover the part-time job in the morning. I set all the alarms, so why…
Though I was very surprised inside, my body wouldn’t follow. While forcing my body up, I called the boss.
[Sol…! You…! Are you okay? Huh?]
“…I’m sorry, boss. Should I quickly prepare and come even now? It’ll take 10 minutes. I’m really sorry…”
[You have nothing to be sorry about! Your voice sounds too bad. How about just resting? No. Just come out to the cafe and rest! That place is too ominous.]
“I’ll be right there.”
I hung up the phone and looked at the flower stained black with an expressionless face, then struggled to get up and entered the bathroom.
After roughly washing up, I came out, put on clothes, and opened the front door. Right in front, I could see inside the cafe.
“Door-door. Thank you.”
I didn’t have the strength to walk there.
I smiled weakly, then crossed the door and entered inside the cafe. The boss, who had been fidgeting anxiously while looking at their phone, was surprised and ran to me.
Grabbing both my arms and looking me over here and there, they shook their head and dragged me to sit in a chair. The fish, who must have been drinking coffee at their seat, also approached me with surprised eyes.
“Hey! Sol, you…!”
“What on earth is this…”
The boss, who stroked my face, trembled their hands slightly at a loss.
“What do I do? What should I do when a human is sick? No, a human who has received this much curse, how on earth…”
The boss, who brought a first aid kit and took out all kinds of medicine to hand to me, choked up.
“…What should I do… to protect you…?”
I stared blankly at the medicine piled up in my hands, then smiled weakly.
I wanted to say that right now you look like you’ll collapse more than me, but I gave up because I didn’t have the strength.
“This won’t do. If you have nowhere to go, sleep at the cafe today.”
I’d like to take you to our house, but I don’t know if your body can endure it…
I smiled slightly at the boss’s muttering words. As if thinking I would refuse, they held my hand tightly.
“Sleep in the staff break room inside. I’ll bring you a blanket. Okay? Not your house. Your body can’t endure anymore.”
I was about to say it’s okay, then nodded. It was because I couldn’t bring myself to ignore the consideration of the one whose face looked more pained than mine.
I have no energy. While staring blankly at my toes, I slowly got up. Then the boss firmly grabbed my hand again and fidgeted their lips. Eyes full of worry, shaking as if anxious…
Looking at the boss moving as if to get water, I met eyes with the fish who draped an outer garment around my shoulders.
“Your complexion looks too bad.”
I smiled weakly. Then his eyes wavered.
“I’ve been thinking for a while… Sol. You, by any chance…”
“Yes.”
There’s a long silence. He, who had been opening and closing his mouth inside the fishbowl, soon slowly wrapped my hand.
As if not wanting to say it, he ended up shutting his mouth tight. So I also didn’t say anything.
Looking at the medicine still piled in my arms, I picked up a painkiller.
Looking at him moving saying he should at least bring a blanket, and the boss checking if there’s water or other medicine, I slowly closed my eyes.
