Chapter 78
Everyone just stared blankly, but no one made a move one way or the other.
Watching them, Hanya-seong got the sense that it was edible enough, but nothing you had to eat.
She was curious, but she couldn't bring herself to try the red fruit. What if it gave her a stomachache? She had some medicine on hand, sure, but she didn't want to deal with getting sick just for curiosity's sake.
She shared ramen with the wild animals and had dinner. Today, though, she just gave it to them straight. It felt weird always demanding fruits in return, and besides, she'd gotten distracted by the red ones and forgotten.
But come morning, the one that had brought the red fruit yesterday barged into the shelter with another clutched in its mouth.
It knew from experience that bringing fruit meant getting fed, so it must've come prepared without being asked. And now it was making a huge fuss, demanding its meal right away.
Seeing that bold attitude, Hanya-seong figured the red fruit probably wasn't all that harmful.
So she broke off a small piece and offered it first. "You eat it."
But it wouldn't touch it. Why bring something you won't even eat yourself? Suspicious. She crumbled some into its ramen instead.
The creature brushed the chunks aside with its paws and wolfed down the noodles. Sure, it shoved the pieces off to the side, but the powder clung to the strands—and it ate without hesitation.
Definitely not dangerous, then. She tried the same with the others; they all flicked the chunks away but slurped up the noodles.
Not essential, but harmless enough. That vibe returned.
Emboldened, Hanya-seong sprinkled some crumbs into her own ramen and took a bite. The bold flavor overpowered it; she could barely taste the fruit. Before she knew it, she'd polished off a whole one in bits and pieces.
Her stomach felt fine, no side effects.
Just a regular edible fruit, apparently.
But after finishing the ramen, something started changing in her body.
A gradual heat built inside, and her vision sharpened impossibly clear. It was dinnertime—she should've been drowsy from the carbs—yet her eyes felt wide awake, like she'd downed an energy drink.
Had to be the red fruit. Some kind of caffeine, like coffee?
It intensified. Her senses grew razor-sharp. Every faculty ignited.
She could practically hear leaves rustling in the distant brush. Darkness held no sway; she saw crystal-clear. Her ears picked up wind through far-off branches, her nose caught yesterday's droppings, her tongue savored the ramen's aftertaste mingled with the fruit—everything amplified tenfold, a hundredfold.
"What is this?"
Felt like some banned athlete dope. Steroids?
Her body burned hotter; she stepped outside. She could sprint over a mountain, punch down a tree. Pure vitality surged.
She'd felt this once before, as a kid crossing the street when a massive truck barreled past. Its tire grazed her clothes, a brush with death that electrified her senses—hair standing on end, the tread pattern burned into her brain like a photo. She'd later read online how near-death amps every sense hyper-vivid.
That was her now. Nature pulsed alive; she felt the cosmos itself. Like she was part of it all.
A revelation. Stars blazed pure overhead, the night sky pouring down like a drug trip. No—this was what brain chemicals must feel like.
Was the red fruit some kind of stimulant? Narcotic?
It lasted two hours. Endorphins and dopamine flooded her skull. She was Superman inside—couldn't fly, but damn if it didn't feel possible. Owner of the world. She'd sweep every Olympic event like this.
Doping test? Instant ban.
First taste of true transcendence.
"Ahh..."
But after two hours, it crashed. Strength ebbed; exhaustion hit like a truck.
Hanya-seong, who'd been joyfully trudging through the snow, staggered back inside.
Red fruit hangover. Side effect. That explained why the animals avoided it—something off about the high.
She crawled into bed, sweating coldly, feverish. Not dying, though. They'd eaten the powder; lethal would've scared them off entirely. She'd scarfed nearly a whole one—that was her mistake.
Under the covers, languor pinned her down. Like post-sex marathon, ten rounds straight.
Everything had a price. Doping athletes dropped dead sometimes; same vibe here. Boosted strength and senses short-term, then payback fatigue several times over.
Use it up front-loaded, corpse out the rest of the day.
Emergency-only, maybe. No daily snack.
She dozed off from sheer fatigue.
Sometime later, the wild animal that had gifted the fruit slipped in, peeling back the plastic flap. It rummaged around, then curled up in the corner.
Basking in the firewood's warmth, it too fell asleep.
Morning came; Hanya-seong woke refreshed. Fatigue gone, mind sharp, body fine.
Short-lived side effects.
"Phew..." She sighed. Never again—that crash was no joke. Like superhuman dope granting Herculean power briefly, then stripping it all away.
Yesterday's peak had her fantasizing: eat one, bang Senior Choi Yujin—total invincibility. Make her squirt nonstop, pass out repeatedly. Viagra on steroids, times a hundred.
Too risky now.
Reminded her of that story: African bushmen chugging caffeinated soda, wired for three days straight. Last night's farce felt just as absurd.
Detox time. She threw off the blanket—and froze. The wild animal huddled asleep in the corner.
They'd never slept inside before, always in their burrows. This one had.
The red-fruit bringer. Fierce-looking mug, outsider vibe—no packmates.
Her usual visitors ran in groups, mongoose-raccoon types. Never seen a loner crashing solo like this.
Pitiful, kindred spirit. She let it be.
But parasites? Disease from cohabiting? Sketchy long-term.
Fine for today, impossible forever.
She rustled; it snapped awake, eyes flashing wild—like prey on the run.
Scanning, seeing only her, it relaxed into a massive yawn.
Cozy nap by the fire, clearly.
Still, Hanya-seong needed to set boundaries.