Shadows on the Mountain Path
By the time she had nearly finished the chicken skewer in her hand, a new one was thrust toward her lips.
"Eat more, child. Even winter branches look healthier than you."
Yeo-won frowned in clear displeasure at his words.
Still, it must have bothered her, because she glanced down at her own wrist and tugged hard at her sleeve, trying to hide the thin, fragile bones.
“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but have you never considered that your metaphors are completely inappropriate?”
"They are not."
Yeo-won grumbled as she snatched the chicken skewer from his hand and brought it to her mouth.
She wanted to sew shut that mouth that only ever chose the most irritating things to say, but since she couldn’t, she took her frustration out on the skewer instead, tearing into it with rough bites.
While Yeo-won turned her back to Shin-wol and ate, something stirred at her feet.
What crawled out from the shade of the trees and slithered slowly toward her was nothing more than a shabby, insignificant chapgwi.
A spirit whose form had collapsed and lost all sense of self, it moved only in search of a fresh body. To such a thing, Yeo-won’s body must have seemed like a feast fit for a king.
The chapgwi lingered around her as if confirming its target, then tried to slip into her shadow.
Shin-wol, who had been watching its movements in silence, crushed it without warning.
He moved with the bare minimum of motion so Yeo-won wouldn’t notice, but her slender shoulders still trembled violently, as if she had sensed something eerie.
“What did you just say?”
Shin-wol smiled with his usual mournful expression and shook his head.
"Nothing."
“Really? Then since we’re done eating, shall we go?”
Without a trace of suspicion, Yeo-won tossed the empty skewer into a trash bin and headed toward the bus.
Every time she moved, the chapgwi lurking in the shadows poked their heads out one by one.
They didn’t dare rush at her because Shin-wol followed close behind, but their ravenous gazes never left her.
A wind blew in from afar, gently stirring Yeo-won’s hair.
It was an unpleasant breeze, strangely sticky, clinging to the body.
The pupils he had shaped to resemble those of a human suddenly slit vertically, and a terrifying glint flashed through them.
He slowly turned his gaze, as if surveying the surroundings.
Though much had changed since the old days, this area was unmistakably part of Mount Gonok.
Which meant it was territory under Mu-ho’s jurisdiction.
He lazily lifted his chin.
Even though a mountain god resided here, the air was foul and the whole region felt disordered.
And just at the rest stop, there had been three.
Three chapgwi that had dared to cling to his child without fear.
Normally, areas governed by a mountain god didn’t have this many chapgwi, nor did they behave so recklessly, forgetting their place.
Three chapgwi. No—had it been four?
Even the human child who had spoken to him had one clinging to its back.
He had been thinking how utterly repulsive it was to see the thing babbling words no one could understand while carrying a chapgwi on its back, when Yeo-won returned.
If she had been even a little later, Shin-wol might have burned not only the chapgwi but the human soul along with it.
And it wasn’t just the chapgwi. The way the lesser creatures scattered everywhere seemed unusually restless suggested something was wrong with the mountain god himself.
It wasn’t as if he had no guesses.
His eyes grew cold, and a scornful smile curled his lips.
"It is none of my concern."
At his muttered words, Yeo-won stopped dead in her tracks and whipped her head around.
“You really said something just now. Didn’t you?”
Her eyes were filled with certainty. He let out a soft chuckle and wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
"There was sauce here."
As Shin-wol licked the sauce from his thumb and smiled, involuntary sighs burst from the people secretly watching him.
Yeo-won’s face, which had been stiff, flushed bright red in an instant. She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the bus.
Her strength was no better than a child’s, but the sight of her holding his hand wasn’t unpleasant at all, so he allowed himself to be pulled along obediently.
With her head bowed low, Yeo-won refused to look at him as she whispered a warning.
“Don’t do things like that in public.”
In truth, he had wanted to lick it off with his tongue, but if he told her he had shown restraint, she would probably throw a fit again.
Did she know? The more she grew embarrassed, the more he wanted to torment her.
He wanted to lick every inch of her, deep inside, until such trivial acts no longer embarrassed her at all.
The fleeting thought of licking her in his true form crossed his mind, but he decided to set that aside for now.
Her flesh was so sweet that he might lose control of his urges and swallow her whole.
Still… perhaps once would be fine.
Even after boarding the bus, Shin-wol continued his serious internal debate between instinct and reason.
Yeo-won, completely unaware of his dilemma, was simply exhausted by the stares of others and prayed they would reach Inwol without further incident.
*
The bus sped smoothly down the highway.
After leaving the rest stop, the countless cars that had clogged the road vanished as if by magic, allowing the bus to race unhindered along the empty expressway.
At this rate, we’ll arrive earlier than expected.
Feeling secretly pleased, Yeo-won smiled faintly and glanced at the seat beside her.
Shin-wol sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed. The slight furrow between his brows suggested he was not at all pleased with the cramped space.
The chair is perfectly normal. It’s just that Shin-wol is too big.
Even in human form, he stood a full head taller than most people and had a far more imposing build.
That was probably why an ordinary seat looked comically small beneath him.
They only had about two more hours to go. Maybe she should offer him some comfort—tell him to endure just a little longer. She was just about to reach out when—
Shin-wol’s eyes, which had been quietly closed, snapped open.
Yeo-won flinched like a child caught doing something wrong. His gaze cooled sharply.
"How troublesome."
Before she could even understand what he meant, Shin-wol suddenly reached out, pulled her close, and wrapped her in his arms. A few seconds later, a tremendous roar shook the bus violently.
“Kyaa!”
“What the—?!”
Startled screams erupted from every direction.
The passengers, who had instinctively ducked, peered out the windows and voiced their worries and irritation in a chaotic mix of complaints.
The first to move amid the uproar was the bus driver.
“Damn it, did we hit a deer or something?”
The driver wore the expression of someone who had stepped in filth as he roughly unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped outside.
A few minutes later, he returned, silently pulled the bus onto the shoulder, and lifted the announcement microphone.
“Attention, passengers. Due to a collision with a deer, this bus can no longer continue its route. We will wait for a replacement vehicle. The bus has been parked on the shoulder, so please remain inside. If any passengers are injured, please let me know.”
The moment the driver finished speaking, one passenger shot their hand into the air.
“Um, my kid is feeling motion sick. Is it okay to go outside?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Just don’t wander too far.”
The driver answered indifferently. His tone made it clear how bothersome he found the entire situation.
People unbuckled their seatbelts and headed outside, each offering their own comments.
Some grumbled that they were in a hurry and demanded to know when the replacement would arrive. Others sighed in relief that at least no one had been hurt.
In the midst of it all, Yeo-won remained quietly nestled in Shin-wol’s arms. At this point she should have pushed him away, yet instead she clutched his clothes tightly, showing no intention of letting go.
Upon closer inspection, her face had turned deathly pale and her eyes were unfocused.
Shin-wol quickly realized the incident had triggered her trauma. He gently stroked her back.
"Your complexion is poor."
“I… I want to go outside for a moment too.”
"Very well."
When Shin-wol, who had been sitting on the aisle side, stood up, Yeo-won scrambled toward the exit as if fleeing.
Her heart was pounding wildly and nausea rose in her throat.
The massive roar and the violently shaking bus had been more than enough to summon the memories of that day. The surging fear gradually blurred her vision.
As Yeo-won staggered down the bus steps, gasping for breath, her narrowed field of vision caused her to miss a step.
"Careful, child."
Fortunately, Shin-wol, who had followed right behind, caught her by the waist before she could fall. Still, all strength drained from her body. Leaning on his support as she stepped off the bus, Yeo-won collapsed to the ground and pounded her aching chest again and again.
She couldn’t breathe properly.
Her mind felt frozen, unable to function, and only the horrific memories of that day rose clearly like photographs.
“Huk… huuuk…”
As Yeo-won’s breathing grew increasingly ragged, Shin-wol lifted her into his arms and held her close.
In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward them, but she had no energy left to care.
He whispered softly.
"Focus only on breathing in and out."
He stroked her trembling back with a tender voice, offering comfort.
"There is nothing here that can frighten you."
Yeo-won did exactly as he said, concentrating solely on inhaling and exhaling.
As fresh air filled her suffocating lungs, the chills receded as if by magic, and the memories of that day slowly drifted away.
Several minutes passed before her breathing finally returned to a steady rhythm.
Though she had calmed down, for some reason she felt no desire to leave the shelter of his broad embrace.
Even though she knew the people around them were staring strangely, his arms felt so wide and gentle that their gazes seemed utterly insignificant.
Yeo-won hesitated, then carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. In response, Shin-wol held her even tighter, as if answering her.
This was the first time she had clung to him of her own will rather than being held by him alone.
Hoping desperately that he wouldn’t notice the meaning behind her unconscious action, Yeo-won whispered softly.
“……Thank you.”
"Yes."
Even his indifferent reply, laced with faint amusement, made her heart tremble. Yeo-won buried her face in his shoulder and breathed in deeply.
The familiar scent of apricot blossoms brought her such relief that the corners of her eyes quivered faintly.