As True as a Dream Chapter 113

Yi Ho stood as if nailed to the wall.

 

But the way he twisted his body to the side made Saito Mao think he was leaving.

 

“[Sit down when I smile and ask you to eat with me. If you don’t listen to me, you’ll never know where she is].”

 

“[Do you want to die?]”

 

The two soldiers standing like folding screens behind Mao froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

 

Yi Ho, who had been standing across the table a moment ago, quickly jumped onto the table, stepped on the food, leaned down, and grabbed Mao’s thin neck.

 

“[Miss!]”

 

“[Get your hands off me now, you pig!]”

 

As Mao was being strangled by Yi Ho, urgent footsteps drew nearer, and a dozen soldiers burst into the tatami room.

 

He pointed the sword in his hand at Yi Ho and fiercely fired.

 

But all the while, Yi Ho didn’t blink.

 

The only thing that broke the tense confrontation was Mao Saito’s giggling laughter as she was strangled by Yi Ho.

 

“[You know what, Mr. Ban?]”

 

When Yi Ho frowned, Mao’s lips twitched up in amusement.

 

“[At first, everyone is like that, rebelling, trying to protect their pride, refusing to bend, and then slowly, over time, they change, because they’re hungry, because their whole body hurts, because they have no hope anymore.]”

 

Mao pauses for a moment, raising the corner of her eyes and looking at Yi Ho with a strange expression.

 

“[I wonder now, when and how you will change, what kind of stimulus you are so weak to].”

 

An emotion that could be called pleasure flashed in Saito Mao’s eyes.

 

A kind of glee and fulfillment that came from tormenting and destroying someone.

 

“[Why do they break so quickly, it’s not so much fun afterwards].”

 

Mao frowned ruefully, then smiled brightly at Yi Ho.

 

“[Mr.  Ban, I think I can have a lot of fun with you for a very long time, so I’m looking forward to… the moment you fall apart!]”

 

Meanwhile, the sharp sword of the soldier who approached from the side touched Yi Ho’s neck.

 

He was unfazed by the coldness of the sword on his neck and looked down at Mao coldly.

 

“[…If you want to play, go play, but you’re going to die first.]”

 

Before he could finish his words, the sword at his throat dug into his flesh.

 

As blood trickled down his white neck, Mao shot a nervous glance at the soldier with the sword.

 

[Get rid of that sword. You want to die? Only I can touch this…!]

 

Mao’s mouth tightened as she spoke.

 

The primal fear that stimulated her peripheral nerves caused her mouth to fall open.

 

Mao Saito looked at Yi Ho, who was holding her by the throat.

 

There was no expression on his face.

 

A chilling voice came out of Yi Ho’s mouth.

 

“[I ask you one last time, where is she?]”

 

At that moment, a loud crow’s cry rang out from outside.

 

Looking down at Mao, Yi Ho’s ears twitched and he turned his head to follow the sound.

 

Soon, the door burst open and Hongo entered.

 

Red raven feathers clung to his rounded shoulders as his rage stirred the heavens.

 

He nodded urgently at Yi Ho, ignoring the dozens of soldiers in the room with swords pointed at him.

 

He had found her.

 

Yi Ho let go of Saito Mao’s thin neck in his hand with a toss.

 

“[Saito Mao, you want to play with me? Just wait, I’ll play with you like crazy].”

 

Yi Ho immediately spun around.

 

The knife pointed at him cut his neck, arms, and chest, but he didn’t care.

 

The cut was shallow, and there was nothing he could do about it.

 

“Master. You have endured well.”

 

As he left the tatami room and stood in the corridor, Hongo spoke in a low voice, as if afraid to get on his nerves.

 

In truth, part of him wanted to just kill Saito Mao.

 

But there were too many eyes to see.

 

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t repay this debt now.

 

He just have more important things to do.

 

“…Where is she?”

 

As he asked, Hongo immediately turned into a crow and flew into the night sky.

 

Yi Ho disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

 

An abandoned thatch on the side of Bukhan Mountain.

 

Hae-Joo woke up with a headache from the stench of gasoline that assaulted her nose.

 

Dazed and unsure of where she was or what had happened, she slowly moved her body, ignoring the dull pain in the back of her neck.

 

“Ow…!”

 

Frowning, Hae-Joo’s mind flashed back to Mao Saito’s face, the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.

 

“[Why are you annoying me so much?]”

 

“That crazy—!”

 

Determining the source of the pain in the back of her neck, Hae-Joo turned her eyes and scanned her surroundings.

 

It was dark.

 

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that this was an abandoned house.

 

A musty smell, long-bound dust, and piles of moldy fabrics of unrecognizable colors…

 

The darkened sky was visible through the small wooden window frame high above.

 

She couldn’t tell from inside where Mao Saito had knocked her out and thrown her to the ground.

 

She thought of Yi Ho waiting for her outside the restroom.

 

At this late hour, he must have realized she was gone.

 

Hae-Joo thought of the time she was chased through the night by kidnappers because of Mrs. Na.

 

She remembered the desperation she felt when they chased her all night, running through the 

wilderness until she ran into Yi Ho.

 

She knew he would be looking for her, but she wasn’t sure she would have the same luck this time.

 

‘I have to get out!’

 

Struggling like an earthworm with both hands and feet bound, Hae-Joo furrowed her brow with a tired sigh as she finally got to her feet.

 

The unmistakable smell of gasoline, which she had sensed since she opened her eyes, stung her nose.

 

“What the—?”

 

Hae-Joo scrunched up her nose and looked around.

 

White smoke was drifting in from under one of the wooden doors and laying low.

 

Hae-Joo’s face turned pensive.

 

‘Is there a fire? Where? Are they going to burn me alive?’

 

Her eyes widened, and she spat out an insult.

 

“Mao Saito, you crazy bitch!”

 

Hae-Joo clutched her heaving chest and tried to compose herself.

 

Then, despite her unsteady center, she hopped on all fours and made her way to the doorway.

 

But with her hands tied behind her back, she couldn’t open the door.

 

In desperation, she slammed her body against the door, but it was still locked.

 

Soon, the sound of burning wood echoed from all directions.

 

The building was made of wood, which is supposed to be weak, but it was solid and would burn better in a fire.

 

In the distance, the mournful cawing of a crow sounded eerie.

 

Growing impatient, HaeJoo stood at the corner of the beams that supported the roof and rubbed at the ropes that bound her hands.

 

She tried to free her hands first.

 

The acrid odor grew stronger as she waited.

 

The heat had grown so intense that her breathing felt stifling.

 

At this rate, it would only take a moment for the fire to spread to the inside of her.

 

It was true what they say, a man can do anything when cornered.

 

When she finally managed to get the rope loose, she used her strength to untie the rope that was pulling her to the door.

 

But the door was already on fire, and she couldn’t even approach it.

 

Hae-Joo covered her mouth with her sleeve and then jumped back as she heard a series of popping sounds coming from somewhere.

 

The flames were burning away at the wood supporting the building, and it was no wonder it could collapse at any moment.

 

“Help… help, there’s someone here, *cough* help, there’s someone here!”

 

Hae-Joo screamed at the top of her lungs as she scrambled to the side of the fire that was less engulfed.

 

But smoke soon filled her throat, and she covered her mouth with her sleeve to catch her breath before calling out again.

 

“Help! There’s someone! There’s someone! There’s someone here…!”

 

Her hair stood on end as she shouted, hoping someone would hear her.

 

The ceiling creaked and creaked, and one of the girders tilted as if it were about to fall.

 

Frozen in terror, Hae-Joo lifted her collar to cover her mouth and moved as far away from the collapsing girder as she could.

 

But she only managed to take a couple of steps to the side.

 

Hae-Joo looked up at the small window at the top of the wall a few steps away.

 

The flames were everywhere, but there was no way out.

 

Hesitantly, Hae-Joo decided that she had to get out, even if it meant getting burned, so she gritted her teeth and approached the wall with the window.

 

Even as she moved, she could hear the ceiling and walls creaking, and the building seemed to be about to collapse.

 

‘I can’t die in a place like this, falling prey to the tricks of that crazy bitch, Mao Saito…!’