BWLHF 11

Chapter 11

“……”

I wonder if he’s doing well.

Young-in was worried about the rabbit that had followed the man.

That little creature had been one of the few sources of joy in his lonely life in the forest.

It had been like his only friend after spending so much time alone, staring at the walls.

And now that it had disappeared so suddenly, someone as fragile as Young-in couldn’t even bring himself to properly face the empty cage without feeling as though the ground beneath his feet were collapsing.

It’s not like I have some kind of affection deficiency.

And yet, last night had been… difficult to describe. It would be too simple to dismiss it as nothing but hell.

The man had held Young-in’s dying body as blood poured endlessly from his nose and mouth, breathing life back into him.

The method he’d used had been strange and bewildering, but perhaps because of the kisses and whatever he had fed him, Young-in was now standing there breathing normally.

“Hng…… haa……”

Young-in slowly closed and opened his eyes as he breathed the forest air deep into his lungs.

It wasn’t his imagination.

It was as though a tiny ember had been lit deep inside his heart, and an inexplicable warmth had taken root there.

What on earth is this?

The countless kisses and touches that had been showered upon him when he begged to be allowed to live were completely different in nature from the violence and oppression he had experienced in the past.

Even if they had been forceful, it had felt almost as though someone had pulled him up to the surface while he was drowning and performed rough CPR on him.

“Starting tomorrow, you won’t be in pain at all.”

Young-in didn’t know what gave the man such confidence, but just as the man had said, Young-in’s condition had been remarkably good from the moment he woke up until now.

No.

To be honest, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he felt better than he ever had in his entire life.

Even before coming here, he had repeatedly suffered episodes where blood poured from his nose and mouth.

And every time it happened, he would be bedridden for three whole days and nights, unable to do anything but suffer beneath the blankets.

But now it was different.

“……My hands move. I can… even talk.”

Young-in raised his arm high toward the sky and clenched and unclenched his fist, muttering in wonder.

Not only could he move his arms and legs, but his entire body felt so light that he wanted to run energetically across a wide open field right that moment.

Did I really get better because I kissed that man?

If so, was that man an intruder who threatened him, or a benefactor who had healed him?

If he was a benefactor, Young-in should at least thank him or apologize for having behaved rudely.

But all he knew about the man was his voice and his face.

Even the cabin’s owner, Mr. Lee, had said that nobody lived anywhere around this area.

Then where, and how, was Young-in supposed to find that mysterious man who had even chased away a bear?

Could he be a psychic? Or a ghost who died in this forest a long time ago? Maybe some eccentric scientist or doctor living in an underground bunker?

After thinking about it for quite a while, Young-in shook his head as a mild headache began creeping in and turned around.

There was no point wasting time worrying about whether or not he would ever meet the man again.

I should do something else for now. If I keep getting trapped in the same thoughts, I’ll become depressed.

Wanting to shake off his distracting thoughts, Young-in went out onto the terrace and decided to read while sitting in the rocking chair.

The sentences that had been difficult for him to comprehend only a few days ago now flowed easily into his mind.

He read without looking away, and before he knew it, an entire hour had passed.

Should I read one more? Yeah. Let’s do something, anything.

Uncharacteristically, Young-in wondered if he should practice copying passages by hand.

He picked up a book filled with various famous quotations and carefully copied several sentences.

However, perhaps writing while his mind still felt somewhat dull required more energy than he’d expected.

Before he could even fill several pages, Young-in gradually nodded off.

“……”

The vegetation that had guarded the cabin for decades rustled its leaves in the gentle breeze, creating a natural lullaby.

Perhaps the commotion of the previous night had taken more out of him than he’d realized.

The person sleeping with his body resting in a patch of sunlight had fallen into such a deep sleep that he didn’t even notice the pencil tucked between his fingers slip free with a tock and roll across the wooden deck.

Several more minutes passed.

The sunlight that had already passed noon filtered through the dry branches and warmed Young-in’s cheek.

And at some point, a large hand cast a shadow over his forehead.

It remained there for a long time, making sure the sleeping man wouldn’t be awakened from his sweet dream.

“You really have no sense of caution.”

Suddenly, a voice laced with amusement settled over Young-in’s cheek before disappearing.

Young-in opened his eyes another hour later.

He had thought he’d only dozed off for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, the headache that had plagued him was gone, and his head felt wonderfully clear.

Wow… How long has it been since I slept this deeply?

He was always tormented by headaches and nightmares, waking with a stiff, aching body.

I wish every day could be like this.

Feeling considerably better, Young-in stretched out his arms and was just about to straighten his back when—

“……”

Suddenly, Young-in froze.

His arm was still stretched toward the sky, and he swallowed slowly with a stiff expression.

He clearly remembered bringing nothing but his book when he’d first settled into the chair.

Yet after waking up, a blanket he hadn’t brought was neatly draped over his chest.

And that wasn’t all.

The tea he’d brought to drink alongside his book was still steaming, even though enough time had passed that it should have gone cold—as though someone had only just poured it.

The pencil he’d brought to underline passages in the book was also sitting neatly on the table.

While he slept, someone had taken care of him.

They hadn’t harmed him.

They hadn’t done anything bad to him.

They had simply looked after his well-being as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

But Young-in couldn’t simply welcome that fact without a thought.

This was officially a deep forest where nobody other than Young-in lived.

So there was only one thing left for him to do.

……I should get inside quickly. Before something else happens.

Young-in quietly looked toward the entrance of the forest, where only the soft rustling of the wind could be heard.

Then he calmly got to his feet and went inside the cabin.

Click. Click.

He locked the cabin door twice.

Then he closed even the window curtains with almost nervous force.

After that, he didn’t leave the house again until the sun had set.

“……”

“……”

One by one, pairs of eyes appeared between the bushes, staring intently at the cabin.

Yet strangely, none of them stepped forward first.

“……Ugh, it’s cold.”

It had only been a few hours since Young-in had thought his body felt lighter, but as evening arrived, a sudden chill ran through him.

Even though spring was approaching, perhaps sleeping on the terrace on such a cloudy day had been a bit too much.

He wasn’t even as healthy as an ordinary person, yet he’d foolishly pushed himself anyway.

Young-in searched through his belongings, put on a thick padded cardigan, and looked for a thermometer.

“39 degrees…”

Young-in repeatedly wiped the sweat gathering on his forehead and steadied his breathing.

What if I start vomiting blood again like I did last night?

He desperately wanted to rummage through the garbage bag he’d thrown outside and at least taste some of the medicine that had been ground into powder.

But the reason he felt more uneasy than usual was probably because of the words spoken by the man who had taken care of him before leaving.

“Medicine like this wouldn’t be of any use anyway.”

Seriously, what a joke. It’s not like he’s a doctor.

The man had suddenly appeared and meddled unnecessarily, speaking as though he knew Young-in well.

But contrary to what the man had said, as soon as the sun went down, Young-in’s temperature began creeping upward little by little.

Maybe he couldn’t actually heal me after all.

As Young-in rested a hand against his forehead, thinking that he had been foolishly naive to trust that man, there was suddenly—

Knock, knock, knock.

“……”

At the sudden knocking, Young-in jumped and turned toward the door.

In the forest, where the sun had already set long ago, the neat and rhythmic sound of knocking only made the fear feel more unnatural.

“……Who is it?”

Young-in asked with his fists tightly clenched.

The only person who would have any reason to come here at this hour was Mr. Lee, the cabin’s owner.

Anyone else would be an unwelcome visitor.