Donan stops walking, his expression the most serious it has been so far. He points at Luna and says:
"Hey, girl… I noticed something. You're wearing a white uniform underneath your clothes. Tell me, are you a nurse or not?"
Luna freezes for a moment, surprised by his observation. Her face pales, and she quickly averts her gaze, trying to think of something. She couldn't tell the truth. Her uncle had placed her in this situation, promising easy money to take care of a rich boy, but… that didn't matter now. She needed to throw him off the trail.
"A nurse?" she says, forcing a laugh. "Of course not! This is… this is a costume, you know? I was on my way to a costume party. I was going to dress up as a nurse. That's all. Nothing big."
Donan raises an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.
"A costume party? In the middle of all this? And you still think I'm the weird one?"
Luna shakes her head, crossing her arms to regain composure.
"Listen here, boy. This has nothing to do with you. What matters is that we're lost in this forest and need to get out of here. So stop paying attention to things that aren't your business, alright?"
Donan hesitates but shrugs, deciding not to press the issue.
"Alright, alright… but you're pretty strange, you know?"
Luna just huffs and moves on, but inside, the nervousness eats away at her. She knew she would have to be careful with what she said or did. Donan was starting to notice too much.
As Donan and Luna move deeper into the forest, the atmosphere grows heavier. The tall, dense trees swallow the daylight, leaving only shadows. The sound of their steps on the soft earth and dry leaves mixes with the distant chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind.
Donan still feels the ache in his foot but finds himself more concerned with Luna. She walks ahead, firm and determined, and he can't help but admire her strength in handling the situation. He tries not to dwell on her earlier words or the white uniform he glimpsed. Something in him begins to sense there's more to this girl than she lets on.
Suddenly, Luna stops abruptly, and he almost bumps into her. She raises a hand in front of her body, her eyes now alert and focused.
"Donan, stop. Listen."
He falls silent, straining to catch whatever she hears.
Luna takes a step forward with such agile and silent movement that Donan doesn't even notice when she vanishes into the vegetation. He instinctively follows her shadow, but as he approaches where she was, he sees her standing still, observing something in the distance.
In a low voice, he calls out:
"Luna, what is it? What did you see?"
She looks at him, and for the first time, he notices tension in her gaze. Luna is no longer the confident girl he had seen earlier. There's something vulnerable in her now, something he never imagined before.
"I saw… something moving." Her voice is steady, but he senses a faint tremor. "I… I don't know what it is, but we have to be careful."
He nods, feeling a knot form in his throat. The sensation of being watched grows stronger. Both brace themselves, their survival instincts kicking in, as the forest around them becomes eerily silent.
Just then, the tension in the air eases slightly as a white raccoon approaches with soft steps. The animal, with its pristine white fur, seems to glide rather than walk, its curious and intelligent eyes observing the two humans cautiously but without hostility.
Still high on adrenaline, Donan exhales deeply, trying to process what just happened.
However, Luna's sudden fright causes her to react impulsively. Without warning, she runs toward Donan, colliding with him, and they both tumble to the ground, the sound muffled by the leaves. He doesn't manage to move away in time, and before he can collect himself, she's already on top of him, frantically trying to disentangle herself, clearly flustered.
"Luna!" Donan exclaims, attempting to steady himself, though fear and shock still grip her. Despite his confusion, he can't help but laugh. "What's going on? You knocked me down!"
Not knowing what else to do, she tries to stand up, but her rushed and clumsy movements make her stumble and nearly fall again.
The white raccoon, seeing them on the ground, remains still for a moment, watching the scene with its large, deep black eyes. It doesn't seem in any hurry to leave, simply observing like a curious spectator at an absurd event.
When Luna realizes the raccoon isn't going to attack, she calms down a little, though embarrassment quickly takes over. She shoves Donan lightly, as if to blame him for the bizarre moment.
"Hey, don't you see you're lying on me? I'm the victim here!" Donan says, laughing at the situation but feeling the awkwardness of the moment.
She looks at him with a nervous smile, quickly standing and stepping off him.
"Ah, sorry, Donan, I didn't mean to… I got confused. That… that was a mistake."
She extends a hand to help him up but keeps her gaze on the white raccoon, which remains there, watching them with inquisitive eyes.
Luna, unsure of what to do, decides to try making peace with the animal. She approaches it slowly, moving carefully, extending a hand toward the white raccoon. It stays still, its gaze calmer now. She murmurs softly, as if trying to soothe it, something Donan notices as a natural reflex of her ability to connect with animals.
The white raccoon suddenly leaps nimbly, disappearing into the trees, leaving them alone again. Luna watches for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Donan with a timid smile, still a bit unsettled.
"I… don't know how you survived that, Donan, but I… I'm sorry for the confusion." Her voice softens this time, no longer carrying the earlier tension.
Donan, still a bit dazed, stands with a calm smile.
"Don't worry. Just… try not to knock me over next time, okay? I'm not great at falls."
They laugh together, but both know that the strange and comical moment also served as a reminder that, as strong or fearless as Luna seemed, she too had her insecurities, just like him. And despite everything, there they were, closer than ever, in the middle of a forest filled with mysteries and dangers.