Magic on the Dead Chapter 101

The force of the radiant heat on the road was fiercer than ever. Hajin felt as if his body was sizzling like a stew on a pyre. It was such brutal heat that if not for the new hiking boots he had just changed into, the soles of his shoes would have melted long ago.

He gripped the handkerchief wrapped around his nape and repeatedly wiped away the sweat that was pouring down. Just then, Miso’s sharp, clear voice struck his ears from behind.

“Should we rest around here for today?”

At the very sudden suggestion, the people who had stopped in their tracks turned their attention to her, who had raised her hand high.

“You see that rocky mountain over there? If we go up just a little, there’s a temple. It’s a famous place for temple stays, so if we’re lucky, we might be able to get help for a night. It’s a place I know because I came here often with my mom, and there’s a monk I’m close to.”

It was not a bad suggestion, but there was still a lot of time left until sunset. As if displeased by the proposal for an early rest, Eden’s concerned voice immediately followed.

“I think it’s a bit too early to stop. Even if we go up to the temple, there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to sleep safely for a night.”

“Of course, it can’t be guaranteed. Still, since it’s a place I know, the probability of it being safer than the roadside is much higher, isn’t it? What about you, Jeffrey?”

[Hmm. To be honest, I don’t want to climb another mountain…. It reminds me of that ranch.]

“I wanna go! I wanna see the temple! I’ve never been before!”

As expected, their opinions did not easily converge. In the end, unable to watch any longer, Miso nudged Hajin’s side with a poke, as if asking for his support. As Hajin scratched his head in a difficult position, she went so far as to grab the hem of his shirt and pull on it, as if she were whining. It was a strange sight, unlike her usual self, but after some thought, Hajin threw his support behind Miso.

“Actually, even if we move a little further from here, it will be hard to find a suitable place to sleep right away. When I looked at the map, there was nothing but railroads and rice paddies around here.”

It was an undeniable fact that sleeping comfortably on high ground, where zombies don’t often come, was a better choice than sleeping on open flat ground. Moreover, as they got closer to Yong-un City, the number of zombies on the road had noticeably increased compared to before, so there was a need to be even more careful about safety.

“Please trust me and just go once, okay?”

In the end, following Miso’s opinion, the group left the boiling road and headed for a mountain path filled with the scent of phytoncide.

Before entering the hiking trail, Hajin, who had spotted a wooden sign that read ‘Hwayeonsa Temple’, carefully examined the large information board next to it. The group followed him, tracing the map of the rugged mountain path with their eyes.

Hwayeonsa Temple, attached to a cliff of fantastic rocks, was a thousand-year-old temple located at an altitude of 350 meters above sea level. A location like this was not an unreasonable height for climbing a mountain.

“There’s a valley in the middle, too?”

Hajin muttered as if he was pleased. Miso nodded her head vigorously with a proud face.

“The water there is clean, too. It’s probably even cleaner now since there are no people, right? Let’s stop by for a moment before going to the temple to drink some water and wash up.”

Byeol, who had been constantly whining about the heat, seemed to feel better after feeling the cool mountain breeze, as he came down from Eden’s arms and bravely climbed the wooden stairs. Eden, who was casually pushing the child’s small, chubby bottom from a few steps behind, suddenly looked back.

Hajin was looking around here and there like a meerkat, as if on guard. The corners of Eden’s eyes narrowed as he watched him. Since leaving the outlet, the two had not shared a single proper conversation.

“Mr. Do Hajin.”

When his name was called, Hajin flinched, his shoulders jerking as he raised his head. At the offered palm, which seemed to suggest they walk together, Hajin scratched his eyebrow as if hesitating for a moment, then climbed two steps as if running to stand beside him.

Eden immediately pointed to the constricting handkerchief wrapped around Hajin’s neck.

“Take it off if you’re hot. It’s strange to hide it so late when I’ve already seen everything.”

At those words, Hajin glanced furtively at the group walking ahead, bit his lower lip once, and then let go. The lip, which had turned white from the pressure of his bite, regained its red hue like a cherry. A suppressed protest burst from between his teeth.

“It’s because I’m not as shameless as someone.”

Because he failed to control the volume of his voice for a moment, the gazes of the group members who were chattering as they walked ahead all turned backward.

“Uncle Hajini. What’s ‘shamewess’?”

When Byeol asked with eyes like a rabbit’s, Hajin was flustered and his mouth moved agape. Jeffrey and Miso, who were walking ahead leading Pie, had also stopped in their tracks and were looking down at him.

Eden broke the brief silence and answered the question in Hajin’s place.

“It’s called being shameless when you act composed even after doing something embarrassing.”

“Then what’s ‘composed’?”

“Hmm… acting like it’s nothing?”

“Like when uncle stole and ate my snack?”

“Yes. Like when he took a big bite like this.”

Eden grabbed Byeol’s arm and pretended to take a bite, chomp. The child burst out laughing with a giggle, but at that part, Hajin unknowingly grimaced and touched his nape, which was hidden by the handkerchief.

“Look forward again. Don’t keep looking back, it’s dangerous.”

“Okay!”

Jeffrey and Miso, who had been observing the situation below with subtle expressions, reluctantly turned their heads away as well.

The chirping of mountain birds echoed like a song at every turn of the path. Eden quietly studied the side of Hajin’s face, who maintained an awkward silence for a while. His two cheeks, flushed red as if they were cooked, looked like those of a shy child.

“I’m sorry if that was difficult for you.”

Hajin’s eyes, as he glanced at Eden, looked utterly exhausted somewhere. He let out a long-held sigh, as if today, having to endure the sharp glares of Miso and Jeffrey, had been a great ordeal.

“The bite marks on my neck. It wasn’t just one or two, there were over ten… Are you some kind of vampire?”

Since he had happily stuck with him and done it together, he had nothing to say, but still, to make over ten kiss marks that went all the way to the back of his neck could only be seen as malicious, Hajin muttered resentfully.

Eden, who had been silently listening to the complaints, reached his hand toward Hajin’s nape. Then, he undid the end of the tightly knotted handkerchief.

“I’m not usually one to lose my reason to that extent, but that day, I couldn’t control myself well.”

Hajin rolled his eyes, anxious that their conversation might be overheard, yet at Eden’s words directly mentioning ‘that day’, he clenched his fists tightly. Eden, who unhesitatingly stuffed the handkerchief, damp with sweat, into his own pocket, smiled with just the corners of his lips slightly raised and made an excuse.

“To be honest, I thought we would be able to spend some time just the two of us for a while. I didn’t know we would run into the group so soon.”

Could it be my own delusion that I sense a hint of regret in the voice he utters? For a moment, Hajin was at a loss for words, his mouth clamped shut.

Just then, Jeong Byeol, who was walking ahead, tripped on a stone and his body staggered once. Eden reached out his hand and firmly supported the child’s body, then called for Jeffrey. Jeffrey, who cast a questioning glance at the request to carry the child, suddenly shifted his gaze to Hajin.

“…….”

Hmph, letting out a short sigh, he reluctantly took Byeol into his arms and climbed the mountain trail. Even though he had spat out bitter words as if having a seizure, it seemed he didn’t want to make a fuss and interfere with his best friend’s love life every single time.

Eden, who was watching Jeffrey walk away, opened his mouth once again.

“Bite me whenever you want to.”

At the out-of-the-blue words, Hajin gave him a look filled with a question mark. Eden tapped his own neck with his index finger.

“I’m saying you should leave kiss marks too, Mr. Do Hajin.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Contrary to the denial that he spat out reflexively, the end of Hajin’s voice trembled faintly. Eden looked with pleasure at the prominent Adam’s apple that bobbed up and then settled down with a gulp.

“We’ll see. Because for us, there is a next time.”

“A n-next time? What next time.”

“Have you forgotten? Our promise to pound you deeper next time….”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Hajin was horrified and clamped Eden’s mouth shut with his palm. Eden, whose upper body staggered from being nearly shoved, grabbed his wrist. When he tried to pull it down with force, Hajin shook his head from side to side and reproached him.

“Are you crazy, really? At this rate, you’ll spread rumors to the whole neighborhood…!”

At his reaction, acting as if he was about to cry, Eden finally couldn’t hold back and burst into suppressed laughter, haha, onto the palm.

“What’s wrong with them?”

Meanwhile, Miso, looking down at the two who seemed to be having a pleasant time, asked Jeffrey. Jeffrey shook his head quickly as if he didn’t even want to think about it and squeezed his eyes shut.

[You’re better off not knowing, Miso.]

Suddenly, the sound of a cool stream of water could be heard from somewhere. Pie, who smelled the water, wagged his tail rapidly with an excited face. As they took the left path, the long-awaited valley soon revealed itself.

“We’re here.”

Miso, with both arms spread wide, beamed a wide smile as if she was in a good mood. Pie ran to the valley faster than anyone else and frantically buried his nose in the flowing stream of water.

The valley was narrow in width and shallow in depth, making it virtually a stream. Eden, who had carefully checked for any nearby dangers, settled down and sat by the water’s edge.