Chapter 44
Due to the steadily falling rain, we had to wander around for quite a while to find a place to talk. The woman walked quickly, probably worried about monsters coming. Following behind her, I felt the cold that I hadn’t noticed for some time. Thanks to the low-hanging rain clouds, everyone was holed up in their homes, making the quiet village feel exceptionally eerie. It reminded me of that night when I had to shiver alone in front of a campfire. As I hesitated, looking back at the house, she shouted at me to hurry up.
She stood in front of a building that was more than half collapsed, with only a small portion of the roof barely remaining. It wasn’t far from the house. As I looked up at what could hardly be called a building, the woman ducked inside and pulled out a lighter and a piece of paper from under her raincoat.
“Come in quickly. We need to light a fire.”
“I should get back soon…”
“I’m just being cautious. It’s better to light one, even if just for a moment. It’s cloudy and raining even though it’s daytime. What if those creatures come?”
“That’s true, but… there’s nothing to burn here.”
“There’s firewood here.”
The woman lifted up a wooden plank that was lying against one wall. Under the thin board was a small pile of dried wood. I was surprised and curious, staring at her, but before I could ask, she explained calmly.
“For when we couldn’t escape… when it rains or gets dark. I’ve left firewood in any place that still has even a bit of roof left.”
She stacked the firewood where the rain couldn’t reach it, lit the paper, and spent a while trying to get the fire going. But it seemed to have been neglected for some time, as the fire wouldn’t catch easily. My eyes stung from the acrid dust, but I sat down beside her and helped blow on it.
After considerable effort, the fire finally began to flicker and grow. Then a question suddenly came to mind.
“Why do you have night watches? I’m not complaining… but couldn’t you just safely light fires inside your houses? You could get killed by monsters while on watch. Risking your life to stand guard seems…”
I remembered the person who had bravely volunteered not long ago, only to be dragged away. I had barely managed to forget about it, but asking the question brought back vivid memories of that moment. Sighing, I rubbed my still-stinging eyes. The woman watched me for a moment, then shook her head slightly.
“That would be easier and better. But if we only light fires inside the houses, it makes it easier for those creatures to attack. They lurk outside, waiting for an opportunity. They can smell it… Rainy days are fortunate because they can’t smell as well. In some ways, rainy days can be safer.”
“Really?”
“You didn’t know? And those creatures, once they mark a place where food is, they come back. When there’s not enough, they fight and tear each other apart, but if they think there’s enough to eat, they compete to grab and carry away their prey first.”
“…So the reason for the night watch is…”
The woman didn’t answer right away. Instead, she broke some branches into pieces and added them to the growing fire. The acrid smoke pooled under the collapsed roof before finding gaps and shooting up toward the sky.
“The night watch helps keep those creatures at bay to some extent. Those things… the smart ones can drive you crazy, but most of them don’t have much in their heads. They’re afraid of fire and guns. If you scare them with those two things, they won’t come around for a while. That’s why we have night watches to keep them away.”
“But what if someone makes a mistake? What if one comes that isn’t affected by that…”
The woman stared at me blankly. Her expressionless face didn’t look like someone who enjoyed chatting and gossiping. She looked at my face for a long time before turning her gaze back to the fire.
“Well, the person on watch carries a gun. If they bring back something good, those people get priority, and it’s the same with food. The rest of the people do all the odd jobs.”
So it seemed that those who stood watch risked their lives in exchange for various benefits in the village. It was dangerous but not bad. But it wasn’t good either. If someone with a gun had bad intentions, such a flimsy system of mutual aid could easily collapse. Thinking of Han Jong-wook or the scarred man, Jangju, made me feel even more uneasy.
Would those guys be capable of threatening others with guns and exploiting them? Thinking about it made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand why they had given me a shotgun. I could see why they would put me alone on night watch to mess with me, but adding the shotgun was very strange.
Something doesn’t add up… As my uneasiness grew, I was thinking about the shotgun back at the house, wondering what to do, when the woman asked a question.
“You received a shotgun, right?”
“…”
I was startled by the timely question. She met my wide eyes with a faint smile. The smile, with just one corner lifted slightly higher than the other, was subtle.
“Don’t let them take it back, even if they keep asking. Keep it safe. Holding onto that will bring you good things. And be careful of Jong-wook.”
She pulled out another branch, but this time didn’t break it, instead stirring the firewood with it.
“That guy’s all fired up these days. I heard you became friends with that man? He probably won’t leave anyone who’s friendly with that man alone, so why did you do it? Anyway… be careful. Keep the shotgun close. Having that will at least make him harass you less.”
“Yes…”
“And I hear you’re going to see that person?”
When I hesitated to answer, the woman’s smile deepened.
“Then you’ll need to be even more careful. There are quite a few people who aren’t happy about you meeting that person. You need insurance.”
After she finished speaking, anxiety began to well up inside me.
Who was this person that even made the woman act this way? Would Kim Doyun really be okay? I barely managed to warm my cold, stiffening hands and feet by the fire and nodded slightly.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“Why are you helping me?”
The hand stirring the firewood stopped abruptly. The woman looked at me for a moment, then slowly rubbed her forehead. Her fingertips traced her scar before she resumed stirring the firewood.
“…Well. Either way, you’re a member of this village community, aren’t you? You don’t seem like a bad kid to me. I’d like to see you do well in our village.”
The woman gave a gentle smile. Swallowing the anxiety that was hitting me like a hammer to the head, I slowly nodded. Pleased with my response, she pushed the firewood into a puddle, saying we should leave before it gets dark. I wanted to ask more questions, but she moved quickly.
Through the thickening smoke, I could see her leaf raincoat heading outside. I desperately wanted to return to Kim Doyun, but I felt uneasy about letting the woman go alone in this weather. I hurriedly followed after her, but she was already far ahead.
Just as I was about to call out to her, someone else called her name. Hey—. A hand holding a shotgun and a familiar face. It was Son Byung-chul. The woman approached Son Byung-chul comfortably, talking about something as they walked away.
The moment I recognized Son Byung-chul, I hid behind the building again. I bit my lip. There was nothing wrong with the woman living in this village being friendly with Son Byung-chul. She seemed like someone who wanted to talk and share stories with everyone.
But why did I feel like there was a lump stuck in my throat? The uneasiness that had been pricking at me since I heard her story was now painting everything black.
“Are you alright?”
A gentle voice knocked on my blackened, burning thoughts. Droplets of water had formed on his bowed head. A stream of water flowed down Kim Doyun’s cheek, briefly pooled at his chin, then disappeared down his neck. I stared blankly at the process before turning my eyes to his fluttering eyelashes. Droplets glistened there too.
“Doyun-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“What brings you here?”
His distinct eyes held a smile. His gaze moved to the few pieces of firewood where smoke was still rising.
“I was worried. I saw smoke rising and came to check.”
And there I was, Kim Doyun explained with a smiling face. He said I had soot on my face and reached out to rub my cheek.
My skin, cold from the air, suddenly felt hot at the touch of his warm hand. My throat tightened again, but for a different reason this time. The anxiety had melted away, replaced by embarrassment and a ticklish feeling that poked at my throat, making me swallow involuntarily.
“Let’s… let’s go home.”
“Yes.”
I avoided Kim Doyun’s hand and frantically rubbed my heated cheeks with both hands. He’s being too nice, making me interpret his actions with different meanings. That couldn’t be right, it really couldn’t be. I suppressed the urge to stamp my feet. But thanks to him, my anxiety and worries about the woman had flown away.
“Um… Doyun-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s be careful.”
As we walked toward the house, I collected my thoughts. Right, I’ll be leaving this village anyway. I should just get information from her and not trust her. Even if she had good intentions, the situation is what it is. I can feel sorry for her after I’m safe, right?
With that rationalization, I turned my head slightly to look up at Kim Doyun walking beside me. Despite my sudden words, he didn’t question me. Instead, he smiled gently and nodded.
“Understood.”
My heart, which I had barely managed to control, skipped a small beat.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
