To Home (2)
We arrived at the base of the mountain where my house was. After getting out of the car, I pulled a towel from my bag to keep the promise I'd made with the girl. Scrub scrub—I wiped down the seat where I'd been sitting as hard as I could, making sure there'd be no cause for picking on me. The girl in the driver's seat let out a sigh, clearly unhappy with the sight. Had I done something wrong? I stopped cleaning and looked up at her.
"W-Why...?"
"It makes unnie's heart uneasy."
Was it because I'd dirtied the car? I glanced at her expression and scrubbed the car seat even harder. It was my way of pleading: I'll clean it as thoroughly as possible, so please don't do anything mean.Scrub scrub scrub—As I threw my whole body into cleaning the seat, the people nearby—who looked like hikers—started murmuring.
"Honey, isn't that Han Yeoreum over there?"
"Yeah. Why make a kid do something like that...?"
What did 'make a kid do that' even mean? My sensitive ears perked up as I focused on their conversation. Maybe they'd let slip some weakness of Han Yeoreum's. But as if she'd read my mind, she flung open the car door and rushed over to me.
"S-Stop! That's enough now!"
She grabbed me from behind and yanked me back. Our strength difference was so vast I couldn't resist at all. Times like this made me resent my helpless little body.
"I haven't cleaned it properly yet..."
"Wh-What? We're gonna ride in it again later anyway—do we really need to clean it right now?!"
"A-Again?"
Her shocking words left me frozen in place. Foolishly, I'd assumed I'd be set free the moment we reached the house. She must plan to tour it and then drag me back down. In my hollow despair, I stopped wiping and just stared up at her.
"F-First, shall we check out the house? Unnie really wants to see it."
"Y-Yeah..."
Since I'd end up riding in the car again anyway. She had a point—no need to clean more. With that, I led the girl toward the tent site. Deep into the mountains.
To reach the house, we had to climb the wild, rugged slope teeming with untamed nature—not the neatly groomed hiking trail. The girl eyed me doubtfully, glancing over repeatedly.
"Is this the right path...?"
"Yes. Just a little farther."
My lighter body made the steep climb feel easier. Of course, the total effort was about the same. Being smaller just meant taking more steps.
"Isn't it too dangerous living here?"
"Yes. But... dandelion!"
"Dandelion?"
As I started to answer her, I spotted one growing beneath a rotten tree trunk. A bit bitter, but incredibly good for your health. I carefully dug into the soil, mindful not to damage the roots. Dig dig—My tiny hands worked the earth diligently. They stung from scraping against the dirt, but I gritted my teeth for the dandelion.
"W-Wait. Unnie will do it."
The girl snatched my hand urgently and began digging with the dagger at her waist. I had no idea why she was helping, but I had to speak up.
"Th-The roots might get hurt..."
"Yeah. Unnie's good at this."
She pried the dagger upward like a lever, and the dandelion came out roots intact.
"Wow."
A witch with skills like that. I hurriedly stuffed the dandelion into my bag.
"You like flowers?"
"Yes. Dandelions are a little bitter, but they're good for the body."
"Oh... you eat them...?"
I tilted my head at her stammer. Why dig up a flower if you weren't going to eat it?
"Dandelions help with colds and fatigue too."
"Wow, really?"
"Yes, and also..."
As I chattered on about dandelion benefits while we walked, we soon reached my home. A tattered tent, but more comfortable than anywhere else in the world.
"Th-This is your house...?"
"Yes!"
Home at last. My tomatoes and lettuce must be fine, right? I dashed to the veggie patch with happy steps—only to fall into despair. The tomatoes, lettuce, and other crops were all wilted and drooping.
"Guh."
My precious crops, all dead. How long had I been out? The shock sapped my strength, and I flopped right onto the patch. Tears threatened, but I forced them back. After enduring every injustice the world could throw, I couldn't cry over this. Still... I'd lie here a while.
Upon checking Gyeowol's house, Yeoreum unwittingly gaped. Calling it a house was generous—it was just one dilapidated tent.
How did she...
A few branches propped it up; a stiff breeze would bring it all crashing down.
"Good grief."
Holes riddled the fabric—a downpour would soak the inside. Yeoreum swallowed hard and stepped in.
Low ceiling.
She had to hunch to enter. Gyeowol had once been as tall as her. Imagining the discomfort she'd endured twisted Yeoreum's gut.
"Man..."
The interior was even worse than the outside. Mold from dampness, nameless bugs crawling the floor. A single faded blanket atop a box that served as a bed. No bare essentials for human living. Absolutely not survivable for an eight-year-old.
What have I done...
A rundown tent deep in deserted mountains. What thoughts had kept the child going here? Yeoreum's legs buckled, and she sank to the ground.
She loathed her past self—the one who'd snarled and shooed away the skulking kid despite obvious need. Too big to recognize? No such excuses. The child had likely never known true rest.
"Gyeowol?"
Looking around, Yeoreum realized Gyeowol wasn't inside. A faint presence outside. She bolted out.
Gyeowol was in a tiny veggie patch, no bigger than a few paces.
"Gyeowol, what're you doing?"
Gyeowol flinched at the sudden voice. She always looked terrified when spoken to—fear of people, no doubt from heavy adult trauma. Yeoreum knew it well.
"...The crops all died, so I'm pulling them up."
Gyeowol yanked out wilted lettuce and tilled the soil with a sharp stone. Her shoulders and ears drooped low, grief heavy.
"Sorry. You slept over a week, so they must've withered."
"O-Over a week?"
"Yeah. My fault—unnie'll help."
Yeoreum gripped the soil around a tomato stem and ripped it free, roots and all.
"Wow."
Gyeowol's eyes went wide. Dirt from her pale face trickled down soft cheeks.
"How's that? Unnie's strong, huh?"
Yeoreum flexed playfully. Her smooth, exposed muscles gleamed; startled, Gyeowol averted her eyes.
Ah.
Scared of strong adults. After all the abuse. Realizing her mistake, Yeoreum dropped her arm.
"I'll handle pulling. What about you...?"
"Th-Then I'll go check the fish trap."
Fish trap. So much a child had done just to survive. Yeoreum's heart ached as she glanced toward the stream by the tent.
"Yeah. I'll pull all the crops—you check the trap and come back?"
"Y-Yes..."
Gyeowol dashed to the stream. Her ears and tail bounced cutely with each step, but Yeoreum couldn't muster a smile. She watched her back until she vanished, then carefully reached for the next tomato.
And then—
"Wow!"
Gyeowol's exclamation echoed from the stream. Not a scream of danger, but Yeoreum sprinted anyway. Just in case.
"Gyeowol, what is it?"
"Caught a big fish."
Gyeowol thrust the trap toward her. Inside the frayed weave—barely holding together—was a loach the size of her index finger.
Hardly big by any standard.
"See? Biggest I've ever caught in my life."
Proudly, Gyeowol hoisted it high. Stream water dripped onto her head and ears, making the white cat ears quiver.
Hmm...
A fingernail-sized loach lay beside it. Must've been a monster for her. Yeoreum smiled gently and extended a hand.
"Yeah, it's huge. Mind if I take a closer look?"
"U-Up close...?"
Gyeowol clutched the trap to her chest. Ignoring her soaked shirt. In that moment, she thought:
Trying to steal my fish!
The biggest fish she'd ever caught in her life. Gyeowol couldn't wrap her head around handing this prize over to Yeoreum.