He was wearing his uniform, likely having just returned from an investigation. Though he had undone a couple of buttons on his shirt and slung his jacket over his arm, he still carried the air of authority that came with it.
Neither of us had expected to meet here. For a moment, we both froze in shock, unable to move. The only sound breaking the silence of the forest was the rustling of leaves in the wind. Then, he was the first to speak.
“Why are you here?”
What was I supposed to say? That I had gone out for a walk, only to find myself here without realizing it? That I had wandered into the storage house, lost in memories, and was startled by a bug on my way out? No matter what I said, it would probably sound ridiculous.
The best thing to do in this situation was to leave as quickly as possible. Without answering, I simply bowed my head slightly and tried to walk past him. The path he was standing on was the only way back to the mansion.
“Wait a second.”
Of course, he wasn’t going to just let me go. His grip on my arm made me frown instinctively. Though he quickly loosened his hold as if realizing his mistake, he still didn’t let me go.
“Let me go.”
At the return of my formal tone, he let out a heavy sigh. His brows furrowed slightly, irritation flickering across his face before he smoothed it out again. Then, he pulled me toward him.
Before I knew it, I was right in front of him, so close that the tips of our shoes nearly touched. My vision swayed from the sudden movement, and when I looked up, I was met with piercing red eyes staring down at me with intensity.
“If you’re using formal speech to create distance, I told you to stop. It’s useless.”
“I’m not trying to—”
“And if you’re pushing me away, then stop even more.”
He cut me off sharply. I felt like if I ignored his warning and opened my mouth again, he might actually sink his teeth into my throat. His expression was fierce, baring his teeth slightly in frustration. Then, with a deep sigh, he ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, messing it up.
Noticing my fearful reaction, he finally let go of my arm. His previously tense expression relaxed into a smile, and he bent slightly to tap my cheek lightly with his fingertips, as if soothing a child. The way he treated me snapped me back to reality.
“I refuse.”
At my firm rejection, the smile on his lips stiffened. I needed to get out of here immediately. If I stayed any longer, he would see right through me, past the walls I had put up.
The moment I turned away, a strong arm caught me around the waist. I struggled, flailing my limbs, but it was no use. He had already trapped me completely in his hold.
“What are you—”
“In a few days, I have to return to District 1.”
It was just a statement of an inevitable farewell, yet I couldn’t hide my reaction—my body flinched involuntarily. Letting out a deep breath, he rested his forehead against my shoulder. The soft strands of his hair brushed against my neck, sending a ticklish sensation down my spine.
“When I leave this time, I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“……”
“Seo-yul hyung, are you okay with that? We just barely met again, and now we won’t see each other for a long time.”
The answer was already decided. I had to say that I’d be fine even if I never saw him again. Clenching my fists tightly, I parted my lips—but pathetically, no sound came out. I had lied about so many other things so easily, yet this was the one lie I couldn’t bring myself to say.
“Seo-yul hyung, please…”
His desperate voice made my chest tighten. Even now, when we stood in completely different positions from the past, he was still pleading with me. Begging me to look at him. Begging me not to abandon him.
What the hell was I to him, for him to act like this?
Was it because I pulled him out of that storage house? But I had only done that to survive. I had tried to change my fate in this cursed world where I was destined to die—it was never about saving him in the first place.
And more than anything, I was the one who sent him back to District 1, even though he never wanted to go. Because of that decision, for the past eight years, our district—District 5—had received electricity, allowing it to develop this much.
So my answer was—
“I’ve never once missed you.”
“……”
His arms, which had been wrapped around me, flinched violently. With a long exhale, he lifted his forehead from my shoulder. Before he could say anything, I quickly added,
“I’ve never missed you. Not even once. So stop deluding yourself, and once you’re done here, go back to your district.”
“…Is that really true?”
His voice was cold, as if he already knew I was lying. My throat felt dry as I swallowed hard, but I forced myself to nod and respond with an unwavering, “Yeah.”
The arms that had been holding me loosened. Without hesitation, I pulled myself out of his embrace. The scent of flowers that had begun to cling to me made my skin crawl—I hastily brushed off my clothes before it could seep in any deeper.
As I frantically dusted myself off, trying to rid myself of even the slightest trace of him, he simply watched me in silence before letting out a hollow laugh.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You really think I’d believe that—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. His jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his face tensed, his teeth grinding hard enough to carve deep dimples into his cheeks. His eyes glared at me with a sharp, deadly intensity, as if he wanted to strangle me right then and there—but couldn’t, and that fact alone infuriated him.
Staring at him, I delivered the final blow.
“Never come back.”
At that moment, the flames that had burned so vividly in his eyes collapsed into ruin.
***
I fled through the western forest, leaving him behind. Branches and leaves lashed against my skin, scratching and stinging, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get away from him.
To be precise, I wanted to escape to a place where I could think about him just a little less.
The moment the words “Never come back” left my lips, he crumbled. Was it because everything he had believed in until now had been utterly denied? His red eyes wavered endlessly, and his lips parted slightly—yet no words came out.
I ran, leaving him frozen in place like a fool, too shocked to react. If I had stayed a second longer, my resolve would have wavered, and I might have taken back what I said.
I walked aimlessly, my mind too scattered to pay attention to my surroundings. I didn’t see the gnarled tree root protruding from the ground, and before I knew it, I tripped and fell forward.
My body hit the ground hard, and a sharp pain shot through me. I curled in on myself, instinctively raising a hand to cover my mouth, stifling the pained sound that threatened to escape. If I made any noise, he might still be close enough to hear and come running.
“…It hurts.”
How old was I now, and yet I still managed to trip over something so obvious? I pushed against the ground, staggering as I got to my feet. When I looked down, I saw my clothes were completely covered in dirt and dust.
“The butler’s going to lose his mind when he sees this.”
I tried brushing the dirt off with my hands, but it was no use. Giving up, I trudged toward the mansion. Once I emerged from the forest, the familiar path leading to the estate came into view. Normally, the servants would be gathered around, chattering as they worked, but today, the area was eerily empty.
‘It’s better this way.’
If anyone saw me like this, the whole mansion would be in an uproar. Han Jae-hoon, who was supposed to be resting, would probably jump out of bed in a panic. And Se-yul… I didn’t even want to imagine his reaction.
I just needed to slip in through the side door and hide these filthy clothes. Eventually, someone would find out, but as long as it wasn’t right now, that was enough. I just needed a little time—at least until I could get my thoughts in order.
“Sir?”
Just as I reached for the door handle, a voice called out from behind me.
Was it a servant returning from their tasks? There was no good reason for anyone to see me like this, so I ignored them and tried to slip inside. But before I could, heavy footsteps rushed forward, and a hand grabbed my shoulder.
“You’re Han Seo-yul, correct?”
I pushed the hand away and turned around—only to find a wall in front of me. No… not a wall. A man. A massive man.
Had he just been chopping wood? He was holding a heavy axe with a sharp, gleaming blade in one hand. I instinctively took a step back, but unfortunately, the door behind me was still shut, leaving me completely cornered.
Tension crept into my posture as I awkwardly attempted a polite smile. But before I could say anything, the man, who had been staring at me in silence, suddenly relaxed his expression and grinned.
“So you are Seo-yul!”
The intimidating aura he had just a moment ago disappeared in an instant. Now, he looked like an oversized retriever, practically wagging an invisible tail in excitement. Then, realizing I wasn’t reacting, he awkwardly reined in his enthusiasm and lowered his voice.
“Oh… you probably don’t remember me, do you?”
The giant man awkwardly pressed his broad palm against his short-cropped hair, as if trying to jog my memory. I slowly shook my head. No matter how hard I searched my mind, I had no recollection of someone this huge.
“Well, my name is—”
Just as he was about to introduce himself, his eyes widened in shock. It seemed he had just noticed the state I was in.
In an instant, he tossed the axe aside and dropped to his knees in front of me, carefully dusting off my dirt-stained clothes. His large hands moved with unexpected gentleness as he asked, his voice laced with worry,
“S-Sir, what happened to your clothes? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Oh, well…”
My vague response only made him panic more, as if he had already convinced himself I was gravely injured.
I needed to get back to my room before he made a scene and attracted unnecessary attention. That meant I had to find a way to dismiss him quickly. I was trying to think of a polite excuse when, all of a sudden, my feet left the ground.
Before I could even process what was happening, I was lifted into the air.
“I’ll take you to your room!”
“No, no, that’s not necessary. I’m not hurt—just put me down—”
I hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was too late. He had already switched into rescue mode, his only thought now being to get me inside and call a doctor as fast as possible.
“I’ll get you there in no time!”
And just like that, completely ignoring my protests, he threw open the door and carried me inside.
