As True as a Dream Chapter 125

Man Insa squatted before him and held his chin still with his hands.

 

“…Master”

 

“Kikkikk, you called me Man Insa earlier, why are you calling me by my first name again? Did you enjoy the hat game too?”

 

Hae-Joo couldn’t see the expression on the woman’s face as she bowed her head deeply.

The grotesque grin on the child’s small, cute face only deepened.

 

“I had fun, so I’m wondering, what does mommy’s blood taste like? Is it different from other humans? Well… I guess I can find out now.”

 

He scratched his head and suddenly lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin.

A short dagger fell from the sleeve of his robe into his hand.

And in the blink of an eye.

 

The gleaming blade flashed under the full moon, and Hae-Joo jumped to her feet.

The blade plunged relentlessly into the woman’s throat, and before she knew it, the child was on his feet, his red tongue lolling out to taste the blood.

He brought the blood on his hand to the corner of his mouth and took a small lick, then his eyes locked with Hae-Joo standing there in the darkness.

 

“…Hehe, who is this?”

 

The child stood beside the pool of blood and looked at Hae-Joo curiously.

She froze as his seemingly unyielding gaze met hers.

It was as if she was caught in a spider’s web, unable to move.

The being standing before her was a monster, just as the woman had said.

It wasn’t the same gentle, quiet child she’d cradled in one hand on the train that day.

 

‘…He said hello. That’s ‘the’ greeting. The black snake that kills people in the Guishan Dao…!’

 

The shocking realization sent a chill down Hae-Joo’s spine.

 

“Well, who cares who it is, they’re going to die anyway.”

 

Man Insa smirked, seemingly oblivious to Hae-Joo’s reaction.

 

“My father told me if I’m hungry, eat as much as I can. As much and as fast as I can!”

 

Stroking the eye patch over his right eye, he tilted his head at an angle and smiled coyly.

Then he twirled the dagger in his hand in a tricky motion.

 

‘I could barely breathe, feeling as if that sharp blade would come flying at me at any moment. In my head, I knew I had to get out of the way and run. But if I turned around, I felt like the next moment the sword would be at my throat. Standing still would be as good as death.’

 

Suddenly, he moved.

He stooped low, his feet moving quickly, and soon he was in front of her.

The madman’s eyes laughed in amusement, and the blade of the dagger caught her eye.

 

It was then.

 

Kaaaahhh-!

 

A black crow appeared from nowhere and flew over her head, attacking.

Having already noticed the sound, the child quickly dodged backwards and swung his arm to slash at the crow’s wings.

The crow’s wings fell to the ground in a flash, and its cawing sound spread out in all directions, as if mourning the misfortune of a friend.

 

As he stared at the strange phenomenon, a wry smile spread across his face.

 

“What are you, really?”

 

Hae-Joo flinched and drew back as his gaze fell on her again.

Before she could take a breath, he lunged at her again.

Unfortunately, there was no crow this time.

 

Hae-Joo lowered her head and closed her eyes tightly, imagining that her throat would soon be pierced.

 

In this moment of imminent death, all she could think about was Yi Ho.

 

‘What will he do if I die like this, unrecognizable as myself…? If I die in a place where no one knows, if I disappear like this, won’t he think that I ran away because he’s a gumiho? If I knew I’d never see him again like this, I’d look at his pretty face a little more.’

 

Yi Ho’s grim face as she watched Hae-Joo backpedal at his confession of being a gumiho came to mind.

He looked as if he was hurt.

 

‘Oh, if only she had known it would end like this….’

 

“Finally, we meet. Greetings.”

 

Closing her eyes tightly and imagining the pain that was about to overtake her, Hae-Joo shuddered at the familiar voice that rang in her ears.

 

‘…It’s the boss’s voice…. Is this a dream? Am I already dead?’

 

Hae-Joo opened her eyes and raised her head.

She saw the broad, straight back of the man standing in front of her like a mountain.

 

“Hmph. Who are you… not a human… but a fox?”

 

As Hae-Joo stared dumbfounded at Yi Ho’s back, she heard Man Insa’s voice.

 

“No, no, no, you’re a fox, you’re a fox, you’re a mongrel, you’re a mongrel, you’re a mongrel!”

 

The sound was unpleasant and grating, and Hae-Joo stepped to the side from behind Yi Ho to glare at the child.

 

“I should have known then, you’re the bastard who burned all my seafaring books, aren’t you?.”

 

“Ouch! Was it you who planted those disgusting bastards on your father’s daughter?”

 

Man Insa clapped his hands and twinkled his eyes as if he’d found something interesting to play with.

Yi Ho was not to be outdone by Man Insa, and his lips tugged up in a faint smile.

 

But Hae-Joo, watching from the sidelines, was not pleased.

Yi Ho’s complexion felt precarious, like porcelain that could crack at any moment.

The heat emanating from his body was so hot that it could be felt through his breath.

That wasn’t all.

His hands, hanging down beneath his suit jacket, were shaking as if they were drained of energy.

 

“My master collapsed a few days ago, after breaking up with you, and has been unconscious ever since. It’s never happened before, but what if he can’t get up this time…?”

 

Hae-Joo’s heart sank. She realized that Hongo must have been so nervous that he had to come to her.

 

‘He was sick. Very, very sick.’

 

“…Run away.”

 

Just then, Yi Ho’s voice rang out from overhead.

Hae-Joo looked up, stunned, but Yi Ho was still calmly staring at the smiling Man Insa in front of him.

 

“I want to keep you completely and utterly dashing, but I’m looking a little ridiculous right now. I can barely stand.”

 

Feeling her gaze, Yi Ho spoke in a slightly languid and amused voice.

 

“Boss….”

 

“Please, Hae-Joo.”

 

When she opened her mouth to speak, Yi Ho suddenly grabbed her hand tightly and cut her off.

Hae-Joo’s voice sounded a little strained, and the tip of her nose turned sour.

Without another word, Yi Ho pushed her a few steps away.

 

But Hae-Joo shook her head and curled her hand around his again, pulling him closer.

 

“Hae-Joo.”

 

“No, I don’t want to… I know what’s going to happen to you… I can’t go, I can’t go!”

 

The creature in the shell of a child looked very strong.

But Yi Ho’s fingertips trembled slightly, and his face was so pale that it wouldn’t be surprising if he collapsed soon.

 

‘If she left like this, what if something happened to him?’

She didn’t know what she could do against that monster, but she wanted to be by his side.

 

And then it happened.

 

Seeing the intensity in her eyes, his lips curled, and suddenly he leaned down in front of her and placed her on his shoulder like a burden.

In an instant, Hae-Joo’s vision flipped.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?”

 

Man Insa’s voice rang out, but Yi Ho ignored it and kept moving.

 

Her mind flashed back to a few days ago, when she’d been carried like the wind across the rooftops by Yi Ho.

He had been so fast then that she couldn’t believe her eyes.

He was just as fast now.

 

‘Yes, she might live if she ran away.’

 

But her hopes were dashed in vain.

He scooped her up and dropped her off in an alleyway she didn’t recognize.

He grabbed one of several cloth sacks strewn like laundry on the wall next to her and placed it over her head.

 

“Don’t make a sound. Hide here until I come get you.”

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes widened as she was wrapped in the frozen cloth.

She hurriedly pulled the sack off her head, but Yi Ho was already in the alley, nowhere to be seen.

 

“Where is he, where did this mongrel fox go, kikikiki, this is fun!”

 

Man Insa’s gravelly voice came from beyond the alley, then faded away.

Hae-Joo gritted her teeth.

 

Now that she thought about it, this used to happen quite often when she was running away with her mom.

Her Mom running away and her hiding for dear life.

All she could do then and now was to stay hidden so she wouldn’t be a burden.

Nothing had changed.

 

Yi Ho had left her hidden and moved on to deal with Man Insa.

The way he wrapped his arms around her, despite her dark coloring, made Hae-Joo’s eyes well up with tears and the tip of her nose run, making her want to cry.

 

Hae-Joo lowered her head, feeling her heart throbbing in her chest, but soon raised her face.

 

It was no time to stand there dumbfounded.