The Story of How I First Met That Man -6-
30 minutes ago.
Dragging his fallen bear doll along the ground, Mikhail sniffled as he walked.
"Sniff… I'm such an idiot."
His heart felt heavy. He'd said something way too harsh. Even as a joke, he shouldn't have let those words slip from his mouth—and Mikhail hated himself for it.
—You don't even know what your mom looks like!
The words had burst out in a surge of raw emotion. Everyone else had their parents come fetch them, but he was left all alone, abandoned—and out of resentment and anger, he'd thrown a tantrum. It was a thoughtless slip, ignoring how the listener might feel.
If only he'd been a little more mature. If only he'd considered the other boy's feelings.
He wouldn't have made that mistake.
Mikhail had poked at the boy's pain and torn it wide open. He knew full well the boy hadn't shared that deeply buried secret just to hear such abuse—maybe he'd wanted comfort, or perhaps he'd opened up so Mikhail could offer some. But stupidly, back then, Mikhail had let stubbornness trump empathy; he was just a selfish kid who wanted his own feelings coddled.
So he'd mocked the secret like he'd found a weakness to exploit.
Mikhail regretted it deeply. Wallowing in guilt, he wished he could turn back time to before that conversation as he kept walking endlessly.
When he came to, he was standing in a familiar place. It was ridiculous, like a magnet had pulled him there.
He'd yelled that he wouldn't come, but here he was, pathetically, right at the foot of those legs.
"He's not here…."
Clutching the bear doll tight, Mikhail murmured softly at the sight of the boy who wasn't there. He'd expected him to be waiting first, and the absence made his chest ache.
Was he that angry? Of course he was. I'd hate my own face too if I'd heard those words.
In his gloom, Mikhail slumped against a pillar and squatted down. His clothes were soaked from the falling rain, chilling him to the bone, but there was nothing else he could do.
Without the boy, he was just a helpless idiot who couldn't do a thing.
The weather was depressing. His heart was in turmoil from the parting. The guilt from his cruel words bred a melancholy that wouldn't lift easily.
The longer he stayed alone, the deeper into darkness Mikhail's mood sank.
He practiced his apology. He wanted to say it right away if the boy came back.
"I said too much…. I mean, I'm Lee Min-hyuk…. No, Lee Koo-min… idiot…."
Even muttering to himself was hard with that ridiculously tough name. Why'd he have to name himself something so hard to curse? Mikhail grumbled pointlessly.
Idiot.
Mikhail had leaned on the boy a lot. Emotionally. Physically. He'd been utterly dependent. The boy was his lifesaver, his first-ever friend—he had no choice but to rely on him.
A hero who appeared like a prince from a fairy tale. A friend who came close when things got tough and listened.
Maybe he'd gotten too comfortable. He'd been too swept up in those little moments of happiness.
The boy always listened without getting mad. So Mikhail figured he'd listen this time too. Min-hyuk had always heard him out, no matter what.
He thought it'd be the same again. Even though the boy was just a kid like him.
How much time passed in his lamenting? Then, footsteps from a stranger echoed near the squatting Mikhail's ear.
Mikhail sprang up.
"He's here…!"
He had to apologize. Before it was too late.
Say his words were too harsh, that stupid him had messed up again. That it was wrong. That waiting endlessly must've hurt even more, and clueless him—who'd only ever taken help—had made a huge mistake.
Without looking up, Mikhail ran toward the sound of footsteps, shouting.
"I'm sorry…!"
"…"
"I… I'm sorry. I was too harsh, I yelled without thinking about your feelings, said awful things. I'm sorry."
"…"
"Earlier, I was just upset…. You must've felt it too, even worse than me…."
"…"
"I'm sorry for being such an idiot. I won't do it again. Really, I won't—so please forgive me…!?"
Silence fell.
A heavy quiet without any response brushed against Mikhail's skin.
"Heh heh…."
A chill ran through his whole body.
"Heh heh heh…."
A middle-aged voice chuckled like he'd spotted an intriguing toy. The lecherous laugh, like some gossip-monger on the street, made Mikhail slowly look up.
Curious who this intruder was in their private space.
"Who…"
The intruder's face came into view. Dark, swarthy skin. A face pocked with blemishes. And the grotesque expression of a man covering his mouth with his palm, shoulders shaking.
"Are you…?"
The man grinned slyly and replied.
"Me?"
To the hesitant, nodding Mikhail, the man said,
"The man who gifts happiness."
It was eerie. His words, the faint stench wafting from his body—everything was off.
Mikhail swallowed hard and asked,
"Are you a good person…?"
"Who knows…?"
"Then are you a bad person?"
"Hm…."
The man smiled faintly and answered,
"You'll find out if you stick around, won't you?"
The man slowly reached out toward Mikhail. Just as his massive hand neared the boy's shoulder—
Mikhail instinctively stepped back.
A weird smell hit him. A nauseating metallic tang of blood from the man's hand made him flinch and wrinkle his nose.
He knew it was rude, but if he didn't dodge, he'd puke.
"Cough… urk…."
With trembling eyes, Mikhail looked up at the man, worried he'd hurt his feelings.
But.
"Kid, you've got sharp instincts."
The man beamed as if amused, clapping delightedly.
"Ah… mister…?"
"What's up, kid?"
"You smell weird."
Clutching his bear doll tight, Mikhail backed away, bristling like a hedgehog.
One step. Thud.
Two steps. Thud.
The farther he retreated, the closer the man pressed without waiting.
"What's wrong? I'm not a bad guy."
"Min-hyuk (Min-hyuk) said not to go with strangers."
"Who's that friend of yours?"
Mikhail shook his head.
"Not telling."
"Why?"
The man rummaged in his pocket. A jingle, and gold coins spilled into his palm.
With a kind smile, he said to Mikhail,
"I'm the guy who gives these out."
Mikhail shook his head. Red stains marred the coins. He couldn't say for sure what they were, but his gut screamed it wasn't normal—his pupils quivered wide.
Blood….
It terrified him. The scene unfolding before this child Mikhail was utterly horrifying—worse than running into thugs. His heart pounded harder.
In a shaky voice, he said,
"I don't need it…."
"Really? Don't you kids love this stuff?"
"We like it, but… I don't need it."
"With this, you could buy anything you want to have or eat."
"We have lots already."
"Oh?"
The man smirked slyly.
"That friend brings it for you?"
"Huh…?"
"That Min-hyuk you mentioned. Does he get it for you?"
"N-no…?"
"Liar…."
Mikhail clutched his racing heart, desperately seeking an escape.
He hugged the bear doll tight, watching for an opening to flee the man.
But the man didn't let him go easily, hurling strange questions as he backed away.
"Is that friend your most precious person?"
"…Huh?"
"Tell me. Is he the most important to you? That bond with your treasured memories."
The man grinned wickedly.
"I'll trade for what you treasure most."
He jingled the coin pouch, beckoning Mikhail.
A shiver ran down his spine at the man's devilish, icy smile.
His instincts screamed not to answer—so Mikhail clamped his mouth shut.
"I don't need money…."
"Who said money? It might not be money."
The man's creepy smile faded.
"Kid, I said what you treasure most. Could be a day, a happy memory."
"I gotta go… Mom's calling."
"Kid. I'm the one who brings happiness."
"I'm going home."
"Oh?"
In that instant, the man's hand snatched the bear doll.
Gazing at the stitching-covered doll, he chuckled softly and reached behind his waist.
"Then I'll take this."
"Ah… no…!"
"Nothing's off-limits for me."
With that, he drew a dagger from his belt.
In a blur too fast to track, he plunged it into the bear doll's belly, licking his lips like a gourmet savoring a dish, murmuring "Mmm."
Watching the man close his eyes, Mikhail thought: This is my chance to run.
Right now, eyes shut—this was his only shot.
But his feet wouldn't move. He couldn't abandon the bear doll his mom bought him. The one his friend stitched up, the one she insisted he carry everywhere.
Mikhail just hesitated, stuck between fleeing and staying.
After about three minutes of his dithering, the man smirked.
"Kid. Run."
"…"
"I saw something too tasty."
"…"
"If you don't bolt now, I might do something even the Imperial Army couldn't cover up."
"…"
Mikhail ran.
He snatched the bear doll from the man's grip and bolted desperately behind him.
"Huff… huff…."
He couldn't get caught. If he did, something horrific would happen.
Mikhail ran for his life.
But.
"Kid, such greed."
Crash!
The man's swift hand seized Mikhail's nape viciously. The impact dazed him; as he hit the ground, he flailed toward the fallen bear doll.
"Let go…!"
"No."
"Please let go…!"
"I said no."
The man laughed.
"This'll be fun."
His grip tightened brutally; Mikhail's eyes welled up like a frightened rabbit's.
And then.
"I was wrong…!"
Terror overwhelmed him—he begged.
It was nauseating. The closer his neck got to the man's hand, the stronger that stench. The vile reek threatened to turn his stomach inside out.
To the wriggling Mikhail, the man said,
"Where's that kid Lee Min-hyuk?"
"…"
"Ah…."
Spotting the boy sprinting from afar, he smiled faintly.
"That's him?"
The man grinned at the kid before him.
And the kid.
"Let go."
His eyes blazed murderously, radiating killing intent.
Mikhail had never seen him this furious.
And.
"I said let go."
This terrified—for the first time.