"Excuse me?" I casted him a surprise look and for a moment I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.
"Yes can I call you older brother?" He repeated his words with smile so bright and eyes shinning so brilliantly. I could tell he was really happy I helped him but I got to do what I'm supposed to do because I can't stand the sight of seeing someone being bullied. "And you can have some of my money."
He took my hand and smiled so warmly at me as though we are close buddies. He opened his bag and took some of his money and placed them in my hand. I stared at the money in my hand for some seconds before looking up to meet his gaze. "As someone who saved my life from those smugglers, I'm giving you this as a token of appreciation."
His smile was so captivating that I can't seem to look away or say no. I looked down on the ground, staring absentmindedly at the tiny grasses and leaves. After some much contemplation, I looked up to him again refusing to be bewitched by his smile and who calls someone he just met few hours brother? I can't let people's smile deceive me. Humanity is dangerous.
I handed him back his money and without any word from me, I left in search of my bow and arrows. I turned away from him hoping to sight my bow and arrows but I felt uncomfortable with him trailing behind me. I quickened my steps to get away from him but that didn't stop him from following me.
"I know you don't want to talk to me but I guarantee you I'm not like the rest who think you are a freak or curse." I could feel his breathing behind me as he kept talking which I found irritating.
I stopped when I saw my bow crotched below a tree. I picked it up, it was messed up- maybe if I hadn't kicked it too hard it wouldn't be so crooked. The string was pulled out and the limbs were bent. The look of my bow got me upset, that strange man did a lot of work making one for me but I ended up destroying it.
"What's your name?" The boy behind me asked, I bet he wasn't aware of my predicament. "My name is Kim Tae Joon, what's yours?"
"Listen," I turned to face him with my bow in my hands. I gave him a stern look as those words left my lips. "Listen, I don't care what your name is, just leave me alone and quit following me like a leech." I had to yell out and I can tell from his face expression that he was startled. I cared less.
I turned away from him and went in search of my arrows feeling a little bit guilty about the way I spoke to him but I found him a little bit weird. Why call me older brother for saving him? Humanity shouldn't be trusted, I'm better off on my own. I don't need anyone.
"I know you have been through a lot and the villagers treat you like an outcast," his voice came from behind me halting my steps. "I'm like you, a kid with no one to call his own, trying to survive in this cruel world. We share the same fate."
I ignored his words and continued my steps, my arrows were way more important than his words and I don't give a damn if we share the same fate. I love being alone, getting close to anyone will only leave me with pain and regrets.
"You can't shun people away forever," I intended to ignore his words again but I couldn't. In as much as I tried to deny every sentence in his words, I can't cause he's right.
"Don't you want be loved? Don't you want people to remember you when you die? Don't you want your legacy to live when you leave this world? You got to give people chance if you want to experience that."
"Everyone isn't horrible like you think, there are still good people out there...…," he paused and when he noticed I won't speak up he continued. "You saved me from those bullies and I'm really grateful for that....."
"What do you want from me?" I turn to face him. I saw a smile spread across his face.
"I want to know you," the smile on his face broadened. "You don't seem like a bad person like the whole village claimed."
"Ga (go)," I waved my hand dismissively in the thin air although I did that weakly. I don't have the energy to drag words with him. "Jeo-li ga-ra go (go away)," my voice sounded more like a whisper.
I turned away from him when his next words was, "bap moon- na?" (Have you eaten)?
With my back still facing him. I shut my eyes boiling slowly in anger. Did I do something wrong by saving him? Doesn't he understand my silence as I'm not interested in talking or knowing him? I hate the idea of someone clinging on me- doesn't he have family? Won't his family be worried about him?
I turned slowly to him, keeping a rigid posture and not returning the goofy smile on his face. "Won't you family be worried about you?"
"Like I said earlier, I have no one." He enthusiastically answered. "I'm an orphan like you. I beg at the market area to survive, I live on the money I make from begging."
"So those kids take everything you make from begging?"
"Literally not everything," he went on to explain. "I mean I keep some for myself and give them the remaining. I always convince them that's all I make but today was exceptional. I guessed they noticed that I always lie to them..."
"You have been living your life like that and you never complained to any one?" I asked out of curiosity.
"If I ever do that, that will be the death of me. These kids are more deadly than the devil himself. That's why I endured everything even though someone I feel like screaming out."
I nodded my head in agreement of what he was saying. I turned away to look for my arrows.
"But yours is different, I wondered how you cope on your own and I heard the rumors that you're responsible for your grandmother's death. I never believed that."
Though my back was turned against him, I couldn't help but smile at his words. Suddenly I sensed something coming towards our direction. I can't quite pinpoint what it is but I knew it was something dangerous. I immediately grabbed him and ducked. I could tell from the way he looked at me that he was shocked and surprised at the same time.
An arrow flew over our heads and got stuck in a tree.
"Daebak ( amazing )," Tae Joon marveled as we rose to our feet. "How did you know something was coming towards us? For a minute, I was scared you gonna hurt me for being a pest."
"Acceptable,' I moved over to the tree and pulled out the arrow. "But I thought you said I'm not a bad person, that I will never hurt you?"
"That was a slip of the tongue," he chuckled and walked closer to me. We examined the arrow and wondered where the arrow came from. At the tail was tied a red phoenix imprinted ribbon. "This is royalty. Only the royal go around with an arrow like this."
"I wonder where it came from." Suddenly we heard some distance rustling, like a person's footsteps. We took cover behind a tree as we waited to see who shot that arrow. From the corner of my eyes, I saw that same girl I saved a long time ago come to view.
It's been long I seen her but that wasn't what I should be worried about. She almost murdered someone with her arrow. In a fret, I jumped out from where we hid, Tae Joon did the same- startling the girl but her eyes lit up with excitement when she saw me holding her arrow.
"You?" She exclaimed but her eyes landed on the arrow in my hand. "Why are you holding my arrow?"
"You almost killed us with this?" I let my tongue lose and screamed at her. Feeling the anger in me returning.
"But it didn't, you won't be standing here if it did." I took in the sarcasm in her voice.
"By the way, where did you get this arrow from?" Tae Joon chirped in, cutting me off of my next words. "This is no ordinary arrow."
"It's none of your business where I got from," she tried to take the arrow from me but I kept it from her reach. Her face twisted into a frown and she glared at me.
"I see you're not feeling remorseful of what you did." I lashed out on her. "The last time we met, you weren't like this. You weren't rude."
"Being good or not depends on my mood."
I wondered what she was blabbing about, instead of being sorry, she's giving us reasons that's she has done no wrong. "Until you feel sorry for almost killing us with this," I shoved the arrow on her face. She tried to grab it forcedly. I withdrew my hand. "I'm never giving you this."
"Hold on a sec, I don't get it." Tae Joon looked at us confusedly. "Have you two met before?"
"Is that a threat?" She ignored Tae Joon's question and threw daggers at me with her eyes.
"It's an order." I replied sternly. "I'm keeping this in my custody."
"My lady, where are you? We need to return home before it gets dark." A distance voice screamed.
"My lady?" Tae Joon's eyes lit up in realization. "You're the princess? What are you doing out here in woods? She's the princess, you need to be careful with the way you talk to her." He nudged my arm.
I rolled my eyes, irritated. "Being a princess doesn't give her the right to do what ever she likes."
With a long deadly look, she took off towards the direction of the voice as it called out for her again.
"Dude, what if she orders your head to be brought to her?" Tae Joon asked in an agitated manner.
I ignored his questions, clasping the arrow tightly in my grip. At least I have gotten a free arrow without making one. I hoped to see the man again to help repair my broken bow.
____________________
That night, it was the night of the full moon, Tae Joon demanded he follow me home. I couldn't get rid of him and I decided to give in to him so he would stop pestering me.
I laid on back, outside the house. Tae Joon was inside the house sleeping. With his money he bought the food we ate, I didn't have to hunt animals for food. For a long time in forever, I ate a healthy dish. I laid on my back, watching the stars twinkle. The moon shone so brightly.
But for some reasons, I didn't feel comfortable with myself, my whole body started itching me. I scratched my body like someone struck with a deadly disease. My insides were burning up, I sprang to my feet and I felt like ripping my body apart. I couldn't endure the torture anymore, I wanted to scream but couldn't. Something was calling out for me but I didn't know what it was. I tried to suppress the agony I was going through but it was too overwhelming.
I closed my eyes hoping the pain goes away but when I reopened my eyes, I saw myself in the woods. I was running though I don't know why. Something was calling me, I was yearning for something but didn't know what it was. My insides were thrice burning up, I could feel my throat getting dried up and my blood drying up as well. I was getting thirsty and I needed something to quench it. For over seven years, I have never felt this way. I was going mad and I could feel it.
Suddenly a deer appeared in sight and I felt my insides jump up in exhilaration. I didn't know why I feel that way, all I could tell was I was happy. With my strong sense of smell, I perceived the blood running through the deer's body. I gulped down and took steady steps towards the deer.
I wondered what I was doing, I wondered what force was pulling me towards the deer. The deer noticed me and took off but I lurched on it with all my strength and tackled it to the ground.
The rest was history.