Chapter 12
“Huh!”
I hurriedly looked at Kim Doyun. With a rigid face, he glared at the clouds, then gestured to me to press myself close to the tree. I was about to sit down next to him following his signal, but…
The once-peaceful forest transformed into chaos in an instant. Everything was shaking, and the screams of trees echoed from all directions. I could see broken branches falling like sharp spears everywhere.
I tried to lower my body to avoid them, but my feet kept slipping. Though it hurt when I fell, I quickly curled up and pressed my body against the tree trunk. The world was convulsing.
*Flap flap*
The windbreak I had made fluttered wildly in the air. It flew away, unable to withstand the shaking ground, but I had no time to worry about that. It was clear as day that if I let go for even a moment, I would plummet to the ground below. Even if I were lucky enough to survive, I might die crushed under the trees collapsing from all directions.
Remembering the man who had been crushed under a street tree when the vibrations first began, I gritted my teeth and held on. A heavy branch fell from the sky, striking my arm as it flew by. Though I wasn’t seriously injured, I was so startled that I let go of what I was holding, and my body was thrown outward with the vibrations. I frantically waved my hands, but there was nothing to grab onto.
Through the dancing leaves, I could see the dark blue sky. The dark clouds, though still covering the sky but smaller than before, and the strange patterns embroidered as if to grasp the world. Unlike the chaotic ground, the sky was so peaceful. In that moment, I was dazed.
“Snap out of it!”
Kim Doyun shouted sternly. I came to my senses with a start and pressed my body against him as he guided. If Kim Doyun hadn’t grabbed me, I would have fallen headfirst.
Even the massive tree we had made our base started to twist its body. Though I was too disoriented to think clearly, one thing was certain: if I let go of Kim Doyun, of the tree now, I would surely die.
I held onto Kim Doyun with all my strength. Though my skin was scratched and mercilessly crushed against the tree’s texture, I put more strength into my body as I embraced him. Kim Doyun, who had stiffened at my sudden action, also embraced me and clung to the tree. Thump-thump, both Kim Doyun’s and my hearts were pounding together.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, everything seemed to glow hazily. Confirming that it was bright daylight, I rubbed my eyelids and got up. My limbs ached from being hit by branches, but I didn’t mind.
The branch where we had slept was broken in half and entangled with other trees. I fumbled through the branches and looked ahead. Trees were all fallen as if something had stirred them up. Even the massive tree we were on was no exception, but thanks to the collapsed trees and vines entangled around it, the giant tree was barely standing.
The tree’s appearance resembled the Leaning Tower of Pisa, making me reluctant to move carelessly. It seemed like the tree might collapse entirely if I moved even a little. I carefully turned around.
“Oh.”
And I discovered Kim Doyun, collapsed with a pale face, leaning against the tree. At first, I thought he was sleeping because he was so quiet, but that wasn’t the case. Alarmed by his bluish face, I hurriedly approached him. My worry that the tilting tree might collapse completely flew out of my mind.
I was about to grab his shoulders and shake him, but then remembered it’s not good to shake someone who’s unconscious. Instead, I carefully moved his arms and legs to check if he was injured. Despite some areas being covered in dirt, there were no visible major injuries.
Sighing in relief, I looked down at Kim Doyun’s face, but suddenly became worried. What if he had hit his head?
“…Doyun. Kim Doyun.”
I called his name and tapped his face. My voice trembled and my mind was in chaos. What would I do if he was really injured?
My mind, which had gone blank, gradually became calm as I looked at Kim Doyun who wouldn’t wake up. My mouth continued to call his name and try to wake him, but my mind busily prepared for the possibility that he was injured. No matter how urgent the situation, I couldn’t abandon Kim Doyun who had been helping me all this time. I needed to search through the collapsed trees to find vines. After making a pulley-like system with vines and wood, I’d get down from the tree, then carry him on my back and then…
I firmed my resolve. If Kim Doyun had a serious head injury, there was only one option. We needed to get to the hospital quickly.
Following my determination, I thought about how to safely move him. Carrying him on my back would be good, but the path would be rough, so it wouldn’t be easy. Given my still-recovering ankle and leg, it was clear that moving wouldn’t be straightforward. Maybe it would be better to tear off a sturdy vine and tie us together. I had seen a picture of a child being carried with just straps before—I couldn’t remember the exact arrangement, but I thought if I wrapped it in a zigzag pattern, it might work somehow.
“Ugh…”
But Kim Doyun groaned, trembling. I abandoned all my thoughts and approached him. Kim Doyun rubbed his head, shook it, and then slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were dreamy, like someone in a dream, which made me worry he might be suffering severe aftereffects from hitting his head.
“Are you conscious?”
“…Seongho?”
“Yes!”
I must have spoken too energetically out of joy. As if his ears were ringing, Kim Doyun frowned and covered one ear. I felt sorry and lowered my head.
“I’m, I’m sorry. I was just so happy… I thought something was wrong with you, and I was really scared.”
“…Ah, I see. I must have lost consciousness for a moment.”
“Did you hit somewhere badly… Is your head okay?”
“I’m fine. No injuries, I’m perfectly alright.”
“But if you fainted…”
“I must have built up some fatigue.”
Kim Doyun responded nonchalantly and got up. Despite having lost consciousness and still looking pale, his actions were too normal. Even though I insisted that he should rest, he brushed off his clothes and looked down at me.
Kim Doyun’s face changed subtly. He lowered himself and stared at my face, examining various parts of it.
“…Is there something on my face?”
I touched my face. There were no sore spots, and my fingertips didn’t find any wounds. Thinking something dirty might be on it, I was about to rub it with the back of my hand when he stopped me and said:
“The bruise has disappeared.”
“What?”
I raised both hands to feel my face. Though I couldn’t feel it that way, I was so happy to hear that the bruise was gone that I kept touching my face for a while. Do bruises disappear this quickly? It hadn’t been that long… Given the situation, I had completely forgotten about the bruise, and I was really glad that the bruise made by the meteor shower hadn’t caused any problems.
But Kim Doyun kept looking at me. Realizing how silly I must look, smiling and touching my face, I quickly lowered my hands. Then he smiled gently.
Is this what they call a flower blooming? Though his complexion was still a bit blue, his bright smile was so nice that I found myself staring at him without realizing it.
“That’s a relief. The bruise is gone.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“But there’s still a bruise here.”
Kim Doyun looked at my right temple with a genuinely concerned face. I rubbed where his gaze had landed. So there’s still a bruise here. Well, bruises don’t heal that easily. Sighing, I was about to touch my temple again.
But Kim Doyun reached out first and gently rubbed the area of my temple. In that moment, the spot where he touched tingled and my spine chilled. I hadn’t felt this when I touched it myself just before. My body stiffened. Seeing my confusion, Kim Doyun smiled that beautiful smile again and said regretfully:
“I hope it heals soon.”
“…Y-yes.”
I appreciated his concern, but at that moment, he was somewhat frightening. He wasn’t threatening me or making a scary face—he was just showing concern and smiling beautifully—but I couldn’t understand why I found him scary.
I had felt embarrassed or uncomfortable around Kim Doyun before, but never scared. As I raised my head to figure out why, for a brief moment he appeared pitch black against the morning sun. Once again, an inexplicable chill crept up from my toes. The urge to avoid him suddenly surfaced.
“Are you in pain somewhere?”
But it was only for a very brief moment; the knotted feeling in my chest melted away like snow. As Kim Doyun lowered his head, I could clearly see his clean eyes looking down at me, brimming with concern. He began massaging from my hand to my wrist with his large, warm hands. I could see my fingertips trembling.
“Shall we rest somewhere else before continuing? You don’t look well.”
“Ah, no. I’m fine. This place seems dangerous, so we should leave quickly.”
“But…”
“I think I was just a bit tired too.”
With no way to explain my fear, I used the fatigue he had mentioned as an excuse. He made an ambiguous expression that seemed both understanding and not, then nodded. I responded with a slightly awkward smile to his admonition not to overexert myself.
I tapped the bruised area with my palm. How could I think such thoughts about someone as dependable as Kim Doyun?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
