Chapter 7

At the rustling sound of something being unwrapped, Hisa, who had been sleeping in exhaustion, opened her eyes.

Hong Yeom-rang was opening a bundle that smelled rich and savory. The red overcoat suited the line of his profile so well that she simply stared at him without moving.

Soon, his gaze shifted toward her.

Her body felt heavy. When she didn’t consume what she needed, it always felt like this. On days without sunlight, her whole body grew weak, languid, and sore. After nearly dying yesterday when she reached out, Hisa had just endured it.

She was used to enduring.

Used to hunger.

Thud.

She had been watching him, but before she realized it, he had moved and placed a basket from the bundle at the edge of the mat.

“Eat.”

He was already chewing on dried jerky. In front of her were savory jeon, rice cakes, and sweets that would spoil if not eaten soon.

“I don’t need to eat.”

It had been a long time since she had seen food this close. She stayed up on the sacred tree during rituals, but it was too far, and once the ritual ended, people quickly cleared everything away. And in the first place, Hisa didn’t eat food. The shaman knew that too and had never offered her any.

Calmly, Hisa pushed the basket away with her fingertips. Besides, this was human food, Hong Yeom-rang’s food.

“Are you a monster?”

“I don’t know. I don’t need to eat, but since you keep offering, I’ll try it.”

He hadn’t insisted, yet when she pulled the basket back toward herself, Hong Yeom-rang let out a small laugh.

“Thanks for the food.”

“Suit yourself.”

Once he gave permission, Hisa reached for the greasy jeon first.

Human food couldn’t satisfy her hunger. She knew that, yet she still brought it to her mouth. Even cold, it was rich and delicious. She ate quickly, efficiently emptying the basket. It was fortunate he had set aside the jerky and nuts beforehand. Her thin body devoured what would have been a day’s worth of food in no time.

Her pale lips shone with oil.

At some point, Hong Yeom-rang found himself just watching her eat. Her fingers picked up food neatly. She placed a round rice cake into her mouth and chewed without opening her lips. The moment she bit down, the honey and sesame inside burst, and her eyes widened.

Chewy and sweet.

“What is this. Didn’t the shaman even feed you properly? You said she treats you well.”

“No. Now that I think about it, maybe she didn’t.”

She had eaten all this delicious food by herself without even offering any.

What a mean person.

Hisa said that after swallowing the honey rice cake.

“So. When did you meet the shaman?”

“I don’t know. A long time ago.”

The sweet rice melted in her mouth. It didn’t fill her hunger, but she could still taste it, so she answered briefly.

“How long ago.”

“When her mother died.”

“When was that.”

“I don’t know.”

“How old are you?”

She only answered after finishing what was in her mouth. Even though she ate with her hands, she never looked messy. Hong Yeom-rang watched her closely. At the question about her age, she paused.

For the first time, she looked away from the food and stared at him.

“I’m older than you.”

She lightly bit her lower lip with her upper teeth, still slick with oil, and spoke. That spot briefly regained some color. She shook the empty basket, but nothing else came out. Regret lingered as she stood up.

“Where are you going?”

As if she had finished everything she came for, she headed toward the cave entrance. Hong Yeom-rang asked.

“Are you sad I’m leaving?”

“Who would be. At least tell me what you are before you go.”

“I told you. I’m Hisa.”

Rain could still be heard outside.

Where was she planning to go through this rain.

Hong Yeom-rang followed behind her silent barefoot steps. At the cave entrance, Hisa turned back, as if asking whether he would keep following.

“Stay here quietly. I’ll bring back what I ate.”

“What?”

What is she saying.

Like a mother beast leaving her young behind to hunt, she spoke so matter-of-factly that Hong Yeom-rang stumbled slightly. Then Hisa dashed out into the rain in an instant. Her light body landed softly, and she disappeared from his sight in the blink of an eye.

The rain-soaked forest suddenly filled his vision.

A strange sense of unease made him step back.

There was nothing there. Just a calm forest. Yet it felt as if the entire forest had erased her presence.

Annoyed, Hong Yeom-rang turned back into the cave.

“…Am I bewitched.”

There was no other way to explain such a strange feeling.

He hadn’t sensed any killing intent or harm. He stared at the mat where Hisa had been lying. The imprint of her curled body remained. The empty basket proved she had eaten everything.

He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek where he had bitten earlier.

If he was bewitched, then it was something wicked that should be cut down. He didn’t believe in nonsense like the mountain deity or its messenger.

But the fact that she had bled red lingered in his mind. A monster’s blood wasn’t like a human’s. Sometimes, things that weren’t human stirred trouble in villages.

Step. Step step. Step step step.

Footsteps sounded against the rocks.

It hadn’t been long.

Hisa returned, her skirt rolled up to her thighs, looking like a drenched rat. Holding the heavy fabric in one hand, she smiled brightly.

“I brought food! Food for you!”

She was deliberately making noise with her steps. Because he had asked earlier why she made no sound.

She hurried over and shook out her skirt above the empty basket. With droplets of water, small wild peaches, unripe jujubes, snake berries, and a few roots tumbled out. There were even freshly dug potatoes, still covered in dirt.

“You…”

“Let’s start with something good for your body. This is wild ginseng. One hundred and eighty years old.”

She picked up what he thought was just a root and spoke confidently.

“Put it away.”

“So there are people who don’t like wild ginseng. Then do you want a wild peach?”

She set the ginseng back into the basket and held out a small peach.

It was absurd. He hadn’t expected her to come back at all, let alone this quickly with food.

A being that didn’t harm people.

Whether she was a monster or something else, Hong Yeom-rang had to admit that much.

Rainwater streamed down her face. Her clothes, little more than rags, clung tightly to her body. They no longer served their purpose. Still, Hisa only smiled.

“Forget it. Change your clothes first.”

“The shaman said clothes don’t mean anything to me.”

“What?”

“She said even if she gives me clothes, I just end up tearing them, so I might as well not wear them.”

That was what the shaman always said whenever Hisa returned in rags within a few days. When she repeated it, Hong Yeom-rang’s eyes turned cold.

“That shaman bastard has lost his mind.”

Telling a woman not to wear clothes.

That cross-dressing shaman bastard had to be insane. Otherwise, there was no way he would say something like that. Instead of just breaking his finger, he should have cut out that loose tongue.

Hisa looked at him, startled by his sudden anger toward the shaman.

Hong Yeom-rang was far more temperamental than she had expected.

“The shaman…”

Feeling like she had said something wrong, Hisa tried to speak up for him. But the sharp look she received made her stop. Most of her conversations had only been with the shaman, so she knew her way of speaking was clumsy.

A drop of water slid down her eyelashes. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I wasn’t mad at you. Why are you crying.”

The edge of Hong Yeom-rang’s voice softened slightly. He had never dealt with a woman crying while looking straight at him, and he didn’t know what to do. In a hurry, he took off his red overcoat and draped it over her head.

“At least wear that.”

I’m not crying tho.

She could have said that, but Hisa had enough sense to stay quiet. He seemed uncomfortable. Maybe even a little guilty.

So she kept wiping at her eyes.

Warmth spread over her head.

It was his warmth, lingering in the coat. She hadn’t expected him to give her his clothes, but she didn’t refuse. She quickly slipped into the oversized overcoat, which dragged along the ground as it immediately began soaking up the rain.