Chapter 40:

“Give me the saw.”

Without giving her time to think, Kwon Chae-woo bent his body and placed his hands on the branch, ready to do the job.

“…Ugh.” Lee-yeon tried not to panic and pacified her racing heart as she handed the saw.

Kwon Chae-woo was in the most defenseless state. If she strangles him or hits his head from behind, he will be thrown off guard. Her eyes subtly dimmed.

“―yeon.”

“….”

“Lee-yeon!”

“Y-yes?!”

Startled, her body stiffened.

“Tell me what to do.”

“Oh…okay.” Lee-yeon shook her head a few times to regain her composure.

Just then, the saw started to spin with noise. She gave detailed instructions on how to hold it, at which direction to point the blade, and how much strength he should exert in his arms. What surprised Lee-yeon was that Kwon Chae-woo carried out each step skillfully and smoothly. His dexterity was much better than that of any veteran man.

“—You are doing great! Please put in more force.”

“Like this?”

“Yes, just like that!”Lee-yeon craned her neck to have a better view— the frown on her face showing just how focused she was. She was completely absorbed in Kwon Chae-woo cutting the branch.

“Now, just keep up your strength until the end!”

“….”

“More, more, harder!”

Kwon Chae-woo flinched and rubbed his ear over his shoulder. “How about now?”

“It’s good, perfect. Ah-! Wait, don’t take it out yet!”

“…!”

“Put it back in! Don’t pull it out before I tell you to. Push it deep inside! Good, lower your wrist a little!”

“….”

“Oh, it’s there! Yes, there!”

“….”

“Ha! We’re almost there! You’re doing great! A little more! Now hold on!”

“….”

“One last time! Harder! Now, take it out—!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Finally, the branch fell with a cracking sound.

“Ha! Ha! Kwon Chae-woo, that was perfect!” Lee-yeon gasped for breath.

Then, she noticed Kwon Chae-woo’s shoulder stiff. He seemed very nervous, so she complimented him with an unusual display of friendliness to relieve his tension.

“It was tough, right? But it looks like you have more talent in this job than I thought. You got power and dexterity. You did amazing!”

Suddenly, Kwon Chae-woo let out a sigh. If only she knew.

“Lee-yeon, you have talent in teaching.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you’re a good teacher.”

Lee-yeon smiled, and Kwon Chae-woo clenched his teeth, repressing his desire. The branch was finally removed. In its place was a stump but a new, healthy branch would surely grow from it soon.

***

She looked up at the cloudless blue sky. The air was fresh and clear after the storm.

“He suddenly started climbing up like Tarzan with bare hands. I thought he went insane!”

At the dinner party held to celebrate passing the first test, Lee-yeon stuffed her face with grilled meat.

“At first, he just watched you going up without even blinking his eyes, but right after you stumbled, he climbed up the tree like a jaguar.”

‘That’s why there was a sudden commotion under the tree.’ Lee-yeon scratched her nape as she listened to what happened while she was up on the tree. Perhaps because of the grill afront her, she could feel the heat on her face rising.

She glanced at Kwon Chae-woo, who was putting perfectly grilled meats on her plate like a mother feeding her child even before she could empty it.

“Let me fill a glass for the one who did the most important job today.”It was Choo-ja, with a wide smile on her face as she relished in victory brought by Kwon Chae-woo.

When Choo-ja was about to fill Kwon Chae-woo’s glass with soju, Lee-yeon put down her chopsticks and rubbed her knees of dust, preparing to stand up.

“Choo-ja, drinking is not good for someone who’s sick….”

“Sick? You mean he’s sick―?”

Choo-ja snorted. “Can a sick person climb a tree and hold a lady with one arm? If he’s sick, then I’m already dead.”

Lee-yeon quietly turned her gaze to the grill, unable to say anything in reply. What then caught her eyes was Kwon Chae-woo’s fingers touching the glass. His fingers had a few calluses, but they were surprisingly pretty.

“But if he drinks…”

‘His memory might come back…’

The last few words she couldn’t say lingered on her tongue. But Choo-ja, who was already drunk, couldn’t read Lee-yeon’s now, and instead just continued to pour soju into his glass.

“Here. Take it, my son.”

Strong, firm hands took hold of the glass which looks delicate now. But, Kwon Chae-woo didn’t throw it down his throat immediately. He instead turned to Lee-yeon as if asking for permission and Lee-yeon was quick to play upper hand. She snatched the glass from his hand and finished it without leaving a single drop.

“What are you doing?!” Choo-ja stood up, widening her eyes.

“From now on, if you fill his glass, then it’s mine!”

“What are you talking about? You can’t even drink that much!”

“You can’t just judge his health on his physical strength. Drinking is not good for the brain cells! I’ll drink instead of him!” Lee-yeon was determined to not let Kwon Chae-woo be intoxicated.

However, not so long after she finished the glass of alcohol, her legs began to sway on their own and her vision shook until her all she could see was complete darkness.

Yet, she didn’t hit the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was floating in the air instead, face flat against something soft yet toned. She shook her dangling legs a little.