“This is terrible. This is why buildings shouldn’t be built facing west.”
Mother tossed the garlic she was peeling onto the cutting board with a thud. Her eyes scanned the sea and the sunset pouring over it outside the window with dissatisfaction. Her emotional state was deteriorating as she worked in the fish restaurant. When she was in a good mood, she would say the red sunset was beautiful, but when she was in a bad mood, she would grumble that the setting light induced depression. If that was the case, why had she come down to this seaside in the first place?
Life had been sufficient without a father. Then suddenly, a month ago, Seoyoung was dragged down here by her mother’s hand. Her mother had always prioritized her own life over her children. She hadn’t been affectionate, but she hadn’t been sensitive either—until recently, when she began to grow sharp over insignificant matters. Seoyoung instinctively knew that her mother’s condition was the same as her own.
Just like now—sweaty palms, racing heart. The feeling of a dry mouth and taut veins.
“What are you doing? Don’t stop reading.”
It was because Seoyoung never knew when her mother would curse and hit her on the head.
Seoyoung quickly turned her head and resumed reading the book.
“W-when the wolf comes, n-never open the d-door—”
“Don’t stutter, Seoyoung. Read smoothly. Why can’t you do that?”
“If y-you’re not the wolf, show me your f-f—”
“Foot! Not f-foot, but foot, foot!”
The more her mother reprimanded her, the more Seoyoung’s tongue stiffened. Perhaps the adults were right—maybe she was stupid. She had never stuttered before, had always scored 100 on school tests, and could understand books quickly, but if she couldn’t express that, then she really was deficient.
“This is tiresome.”
Mother looked at Seoyoung as if she were pathetic and turned her head away. Just then, the tide was coming in. Two black cars could be seen following the dark blue coastline, heading toward them. Mother’s eyes narrowed in distortion, and the blood drained from her face instantly.
“Come here, Seoyoung.”
Mother stood up abruptly, hugged Seoyoung, and carried her to the storage room in the corner. After looking around, she pushed Seoyoung into a large grandfather clock in the corner. The clock, engraved with “Congratulations on the Opening. From the Muan Township Mayor,” had broken long ago and was left abandoned on the floor.
“M-mom…”
“Stay here quietly.”
“Mom!”
Seoyoung called out to her mother desperately again. She instinctively knew that her mother was about to leave her behind. Her mother’s anxiety was rapidly permeating Seoyoung, building upon what was already there and worsening.
Mother paused for a moment and looked at Seoyoung. She seemed to be conflicted about something, but soon her eyes cooled quickly as if she had made a decision. She left the storage room and returned with an old rabbit doll in her hand.
“Here. Hold onto this. Don’t come out no matter what, and don’t make a sound. If you’re discovered, say you don’t know anything. Understand?”
Mother roughly put the doll in Seoyoung’s arms, then pulled over a dusty fake Benjamin plant to hide the grandfather clock. The worn, crude leaves poorly concealed Seoyoung.
“Mom!”
Seoyoung’s desperate voice grew smaller with her tears. But Mother turned away without hesitation, ultimately ignoring Seoyoung’s desperate calls.
After the door slammed shut, silence fell.
Why? Though she could stretch her legs and leave, though the fake plant could easily be moved aside, why couldn’t she move a finger?
Seoyoung was scared. Her mother’s depression, the urgent situation that made her abandon Seoyoung, and the terror that something massive was approaching this place—it all paralyzed her.
The sound of waves in the distance was chilling. How much time had passed? Bang! When the sound of something breaking came from downstairs, Seoyoung trembled violently. Covering her mouth with both hands to suppress her tears, she swallowed her breaths with hiccups.
I’m a little lamb. Right now, a hungry wolf is looking for me outside. I must not be discovered.
Crash! Bang! The sound of things falling over and breaking on the first floor was clamorous. Shortly after, the sound of several people coming up to the second floor could be heard. Soon, the second-floor hall outside the door became noisy. The sound of tables being pushed by feet, kitchen items clattering and rolling around, and the rough words and curses of adult men pierced Seoyoung’s ears.
Seoyoung desperately hugged the doll and lowered her head to avoid being discovered.
After a while, the door creaked open, and someone entered. Seoyoung froze, swallowing her tears.
Don’t cry. If you cry, the wolf will find you.
The deepening sunset tinted the room orange. The person who entered seemed to be looking around, as it was quiet for a moment. Step, step. The regular, quiet footsteps began to be heard again.
Through the crude Benjamin plant, she could see it was a tall man. One wearing a school uniform. Tap, tap. He was casually scanning the surroundings while tossing an apple up and catching it. Huh. Seoyoung trembled desperately trying to hold back her tears. But the more she tried to swallow her breath, the more stubbornly it persisted in her throat. That was when the footsteps stopped.
In the strange silence, a soft laugh like air popping could be heard.
“Hide and seek, hide and seek. I can see your hair.”
The man approached slowly, humming a tune like a child enjoying a game of hide-and-seek.
“Where, oh where are you hiding?”
Finally reaching Seoyoung, the man extended his long leg and pushed the Benjamin plant aside. Rustle, rustle. The sunset light flooded in where the plant had been moved. Seoyoung raised her head with trembling eyes, unable to breathe. At that moment.
“Found you. My baby?”
The smiling face of the man was right in front of her. Just as she was about to scream in surprise, he placed a finger on his lips.
“Shh.”
As if under a spell, Seoyoung’s gaze was forcefully drawn to him.
Black… no, blue eyes were in front of her. It felt like dark blue waves surging intensely over white foam-like whites of his eyes. Below that, pale skin, moist lips, and a strange smile combined to create a face that was both beautiful and eerie. Seoyoung had never seen anyone like this before. Was that why? Seoyoung desperately endured his gaze, which was too intense for a child to bear.
“Want one?”
The man kindly offered an apple. At that moment, her stomach growled. Even though she wasn’t hungry, saliva pooled in her mouth like a trained animal. As if bewitched, she reached out to take the apple, and the man smiled with satisfaction. As if pleased with a pet moving according to his will.
At that moment, the sound of others approaching was heard. The man rose and turned, blocking the grandfather clock where Seoyoung was hiding from their view. Simultaneously, two men entered.
“There’s no one here.”
“Ah.”
One of the men tilted his head at the young man’s words.
“I said there’s no one here, you fucker. Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
His low voice was intimidating despite his smile. The big man flinched and quickly lowered his head to the boy who was much younger and smaller than himself.
The two men left again, and no one else entered. The young man knelt down again to look at Seoyoung. He pushed Seoyoung’s messy bangs aside with his long fingers, like moving a curtain, and stared into her eyes.
“You look plain now, but you’ll be pretty when you grow up.”
Each word the man spoke was deeply imprinted on Seoyoung’s heart.
“Stay well hidden, my baby.”
He spoke as if greeting a close friend and turned around. A man waiting at the door offered him a cigarette.
“Would you like a smoke?”
“You’re a bad adult. Offering cigarettes to a high school student.”
“Most kids these days smoke anyway.”
“Am I like most kids?”
The cold waves surged in the eyes of the man who asked with a smile, without any change in his expression.
“I-I’m sorry, young master.”
The big man once again fidgeted nervously and lowered his head.
“Why are you so scared?”
The young man playfully eased the tension. He took the cigarette that had been offered to him, threw it on the floor, and walked away. Giant-like men quietly followed behind him. Over the footprints they left behind, the man’s whistling sound settled.
Hide and seek, hide and seek. I can see your hair.
In the silence that followed again, the sunset through the leaves, and the sound of waves. Seoyoung thought of the content of the last fairy tale book.
The last little lamb was not discovered.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
