Wow. I think this is the first time I’ve fainted since leaving that house.
Would this man just leave me on the floor and go? The ambulance should come quickly. Even while collapsing, I was thinking such thoughts when it became completely dark before my eyes.
Just who cursed me? The person around me who could place such a strong curse…
I was trying to comfort myself saying no, but the person I thought of now was only one after all.
Ah… I don’t know. My head was too dizzy, so I gave up thinking for now and completely lost consciousness.
***
Numerous scratches carved on a child’s wrist and scars and bruises on the body. I saw my young self curled up inside the largest jar among many jars. Not only a narrow attic without even a window, but inside a jar… Just looking at it was suffocating. Seeing myself wearing white clothes, crying breathlessly while muttering please take me out, I sat down in front with a thud and sighed.
This dream, it’s been a really long time. Is it because of the person I thought of at the end?
‘Please take me out… please, Aunt. I’m so hungry and it hurts…’
‘Rather… rather just… take me too… Mom… Dad…’
I slowly recognized it was a dream, so thinking I’d wake up, I told my young self who was crying sadly in a small voice.
…Don’t die yet.
Because you’ve already left that house and are living well bravely. Even though debt is piling up and it’s quite hard working part-time until your body breaks, you’re free. You’re doing what you want to do. Of course, you did meet non-human beings…
Still, life is livable enough now.
Ah, it seems I’m really waking up from the dream now. Since things are getting hazy.
Exhaling a long breath and opening my eyes, I slowly blinked while looking at an unfamiliar ceiling.
Usually in dramas and such, isn’t it a white ceiling with a hospital smell?
Why are animals wearing hanbok looking at me? A tiger and a white fox wearing beautiful hanbok… wait. Could these two be together? No, is it even a fox? It seems to have three tails.
Kyaaa.
Thinking it might still be a dream, I stared at those two for a while, then sat up abruptly and a white towel fell with a thud onto the colorful blanket.
A white towel? And not a hospital bed but a beautiful blanket? The fox who had been watching me get up smiled and took the towel. Ah, did they nurse me?
“Um, hello. But who are you…?”
“Oh my, you’re awake!”
“Let’s tell Bihyeon-nim.”
Bihyeon? The name is familiar?
Ah, it’s that man’s name.
He didn’t leave me on the floor! Just that fact alone is quite touching, but… somehow I have an ominous feeling that I’ve come to that man’s territory. Because just looking at these cute animals wearing hanbok, it wasn’t ordinary.
While watching the backs of the tiger and fox who hurriedly went outside, I fiddled with the blanket. As I glanced around and was looking at the door and the patterns engraved on the old-fashioned furniture, the paper door opened and a man with a familiar face strode inside.
…Is this man going to a fashion show?
He wore black hanbok with a slightly open chest and a black durumagi with beautiful gold embroidery resembling his eye color draped over his shoulders. The man moved his snake-like pupils and looked at me, swoosh.
Since he was dressed like that instead of a suit, he really didn’t seem human.
The atmosphere too, and the energy…
“Uh, um… thank you for help— no. Thank you for saving my life…?”
Perhaps my reaction was funny, he laughed haha languidly and leaned against the door.
Bihyeon gestured to the fox, and the fox hurriedly came in, spread a table in front of me, and poured tea. And beside it, they placed a round pill with a thud, then stared at me with eyes sparkling to a burdensome degree.
“It’s medicine to stabilize your mind and body. Hurry and take it.”
“Yes… thank you.”
“It’s good if you chew it, but it’ll be incredibly bitter. You can also swallow it whole.”
The bitter smell rose from far away, so even though my hands were trembling, I smiled at the fox.
After eating this, I’ll liv… I can live, right? When I glanced at the man, he was leaning against the wall thinking other thoughts, then looked at me. He didn’t seem to be thinking of stopping me from eating this.
“Eat it. Right now you’re fine because of my energy, but you’ll suffer quite a bit later.”
Isn’t this man actually incredibly kind? He didn’t even leave me on the floor and came and gave me a stabilizer. Of course, that smell was terrible. After trembling my hands, I put the medicine in my mouth and swallowed, then quickly put the lukewarm tea in my mouth.
…The taste was as terrible as the smell.
I covered my mouth and turned my head slightly, and the fox laughed huhu, took out a candy from their pocket, handed it to me, and patted my back as if saying to eat it quickly.
“Th-thank you.”
I quickly put the candy in my mouth and rolled it with my tongue, and finally my mouth became sweet.
Phew, I was breathing small breaths when the tiger walked over on two legs and stared at my face intently.
I slightly leaned my body back to avoid the tiger’s face, then laughed awkwardly, haha. The tiger’s tail swayed slightly.
“Fascinating, it’s been a while since I’ve seen such clear human energy. Not even screaming when seeing us.”
“Right? The energy is even incredibly sweet.”
As expected, the tiger talks too.
The teeth shown when opening the mouth were too scary, but to not show it, I desperately pretended not to see and turned my gaze away.
I’m not tasty if you eat me, animal friends. I haven’t eaten and lived, so there’s no flesh…
I smiled awkwardly while desperately sending SOS requests with my eyes to Bihyeon asking to save me.
He who had been leaning against the wall smiling and watching quietly slowly approached, grabbed my wrist, rolled up the sleeve, and checked the condition.
…Wow, I usually bruise easily because my skin is sensitive.
Perhaps because he grabbed tightly during the accident, I belatedly confirmed the bruise marks were severe as if I’d been badly beaten by someone. I slightly grabbed his hand and lowered the sleeve.
“Wh-where is this? Um… as expected, Bihyeon-nim’s house?”
“Well… that’s right. Haru. Go get the medicine.”
Bihyeon who answered me speaks while drawing a languid smile at the corners of his mouth. Of course he’s not talking to me…
Wondering who Haru was, I glanced back. The fox who reacted immediately and raised their head smiled brightly.
“Yes—.”
Laughing huhu and elongating the end of words, the fox who rode on the tiger’s back went out to the hallway.
The man who grabbed my wrist again, rolled up the sleeve, and checked the bruise roughly looked over my body with his eyes to see if there were other injuries.
His smiling face had eyes as cold as usual, but… still, it somehow seemed like he was concerned, so I laughed for no reason. What. It doesn’t seem like he terribly dislikes me. There’s worth in diligently baking cookies. As expected, the rule that everyone becomes gentle before delicious things wasn’t wrong.
“Apply medicine and go home. I’ll open the door for you.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
My hand isn’t injured, so I can open the door myself though.
Actually, I could apply medicine at home too. …But how do I get home? Looking outside through the gap in the opened door, the surroundings all seemed to be mountains. There are no mountains near my house though? I think there was one low mountain after riding in a car for a long time. Don’t tell me I came all the way there.
“Um, Bihyeon-nim. Do buses run here?”
“I said I’ll open the door.”
I nodded for now at the voice speaking while laughing haha.
…Yes, I can open this door and go out, but you’ll have to open the main gate for me to leave. The main gate several times my body size looked extremely hard to open alone with my strength.
Realizing he wouldn’t explain any further here, I just closed my mouth.
An awkward silence continued, so I turned my head and scratched my cheek. Light footsteps were heard from the hallway and the door opened again.
Bihyeon, who received the medicine the fox brought, slowly grabbed my sleeve and applied the medicine. It was quite a careful touch.
He’s applying it incredibly delicately. To the point of being ticklish…
Ah, right. Earlier I was too flustered so I don’t think I greeted properly. He’s a man who saved my life, but it didn’t seem right to end with such an insincere greeting, so I bowed my head and spoke seriously.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Actually, even if you hadn’t saved me, I would never have resented you.
After finishing applying the medicine, he raised his head and looked at me.
It was slightly strange eyes. This time too, containing an emotion I couldn’t define.
“Thank you.”
He didn’t answer until the end. He just finished applying the medicine, stood up, and gestured with his head as if telling me to come.
Following behind him, I bowed to the fox and tiger.
Bihyeon who went to the main gate and opened the door looked at me. I wonder if I can catch a taxi. The moment I took out my phone from my pocket and slowly raised my head, I saw my house right in front of the gate.
…Huh? Wh-what?
Thud.
Bihyeon who lightly pushed my back out of the gate closed the door with a thud without any greeting.
Kyaa. I opened my eyes wide and staggered, barely catching my balance. When I turned around, the huge main gate was gone and only the alley I pass through when coming home was visible.
‘Wh-what the hell?’
It was like being bewitched by something.
So this is what he meant by opening the door. Wow, thinking it’s an ability modern people need, I slowly turned my body and headed home.
Today there was no talisman or anything in front of the door, but it was strangely unsettling.
I sighed and went inside, then immediately sprawled out in front of the entrance. Wow, I don’t even have the strength to crawl to the mattress.
I was spacing out when I belatedly remembered and hurriedly picked up my phone. Several missed calls, texts, and messages—it was quite chaotic. Above all, there was a text from the convenience store boss saying they were sorry and thank you for everything until now.
Sigh.
I held my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut.
Why doesn’t my life have any comfortable days…?
‘No way, it can’t be.’
I stared blankly at the family photo a bit far away, then closed my eyes.
‘Back then too, and now… it can’t be my aunt.’
Am I just hoping it’s not my aunt…? Right. That seems right. I was hoping it wasn’t my aunt.
Sigh… I let out a heavy sigh, then soon opened my eyes and stared blankly at the air.
***
Sleep paralysis and nightmares the whole time I slept…
In the end, perhaps I caught a fever, my physical condition was a mess too.
With a haggard face, I came into the café holding a shopping bag containing walnut pie, egg tarts, and apple pie while grabbing my trembling legs.
Ding-a-ling, when I opened the door and entered, the boss and customers I’d grown a bit close to came rushing over as if they’d been waiting and checked my condition.
