A Forest flowing with Milk and Honey - Chapter 2.4

After all she’d been through, she should have learned to fear him, but her light brown eyes remained innocent and clear. Those eyes always provoked him, making him wonder what would happen if he let his darkest desires surface.

His icy, stoic expression cast a chilling shadow as he looked down at her. It was enough to intimidate anyone, but Woorim only seemed a little shy, her round ears blushing red.

Seeing her reaction, Tae-oh’s face contorted as if crumpling a piece of paper. As if to block out the sight, he averted his gaze and went back to work, his lips moving more skillfully now than before.

“Mmm, ah… yes… ah…”

Every time he sucked, Woorim’s body flinched, and when he pulled away, she moaned in disappointment. Her lower body had been wet for some time, dampness seeping through her clothes.
Out of nowhere, a memory of their first encounter flashed through Woorim’s mind…

Thirteen years ago, Woorim was in fourth grade.
“Woorim, you’re going to keep playing on the swing, right?”

The person speaking was her tutor, who had been with her since her parents passed away and her grandfather was always busy. Tutors came and went, but Woorim was still a sweet child who got along well with people, so there weren’t many problems back then.
“I’ll be right back, just going to grab a cardigan since it’s getting chilly.”

Leaving her alone was a mistake on the tutor’s part, but it was one that wouldn’t have mattered if nothing had happened. Woorim was not the type to get into trouble on her own.

“Oh? A cat…!”

As she swung high, Woorim spotted a cat stuck up a tree, crying pitifully.
“I’ll get scolded for going out, but…”
After hesitating, Woorim jumped off the swing but didn’t immediately leave the yard.
Mew. Mew. The cat’s cries sounded sad, and as the wind blew, the cat swayed precariously. The tree was near the house, and she just needed to climb over the fence. After some thought, she decided to go.

“I’ll get you down soon.”

A ladder used by the gardener was nearby, and she quickly set it up against the tree. She was halfway up when the cat, instead of waiting for her help, leapt down using the ladder.
The wind gusted, causing the ladder to sway dangerously, but the cat landed safely and darted away. Seeing it unharmed, Woorim decided it was time to climb down.

Whoosh! But a sudden strong wind blew, and the ladder toppled over backward.

“Oh no…!”

Woorim’s small hands couldn’t catch the ladder, and to make matters worse, rain started to fall, quickly turning into a downpour. Voices from the mansion called out for her, but the rain quickly turned into a downpour, and despite voices calling out for her from the mansion, Woorim’s cries for help were drowned out by the heavy rainfall. She could hear people searching for her, but they couldn’t see her perched high up in the tree. The leaves provided some shelter from the rain, but water still trickled down, soaking her clothes and chilling her to the bone. Shivering from the cold, Woorim huddled closer to the trunk, trying to keep warm.
Then, out of nowhere, she heard a soft ‘thud’ as the ladder was propped back up against the tree.

“…?”

Startled, Woorim looked up, her eyes wide with fear and hope. She had been alone for what felt like an eternity, and though only a short time had passed, it had been frightening for a child to endure. But now, there was someone there, and her tear-filled eyes sparkled with relief as she spotted him.

The boy wore a high school uniform, his white undershirt visible beneath his loosely buttoned shirt, which fluttered in the wind.

On his name tag was written, “Sa Tae-oh.”
He was tall and had the athletic build of a judo player, almost like one of the bodyguards that sometimes accompanied her grandfather. His strong frame contrasted with the rest of his appearance, which was strikingly handsome, like a character from a youth drama. The shadows around his brow and nose were deep, his dark eyes sharp, and his wet face gave him a strangely mature, almost brooding look. It was overwhelming, almost too intense for a child like Woorim. Her small heart beat fast, feeling like she was seeing something forbidden.

Tae-oh glanced up at her with a detached expression. He didn’t offer any kind or comforting words, but he kept the ladder steady, making sure she could climb down safely.
“Ah… Thank you,” she said, giving a small bow as she perched on the branch. She leaned so far forward it seemed risky, but she managed to keep her balance.

However, just as she was about to descend, it felt as though an invisible force had pushed her, as if an unseen hand had shoved her off the branch.

“Ah!”

She fell, and it all happened in a flash. Tae-oh tossed his umbrella aside and caught her, his arms outstretched. It was a close call, and without his quick reflexes, she might have hit the ground.
“You…”
it looked as if something had intentionally pushed Woorim off the branch.

‘She must have slipped,’ he thought, trying to make sense of it.
“Hic…”
There was no gust of wind, nor was there anyone else behind her. Yet, from Tae-oh’s perspective, it seemed like something had deliberately pushed Woorim off the branch.

‘She must have slipped,’ he thought, trying to rationalize what had happened.
“Hic….”

Her heart raced, her chest tightening from the shock. Woorim looked up at Tae-oh with wide, tear-filled eyes, hiccupping as she tried to hold back her sobs. Seeing her about to cry, Tae-oh looked slightly awkward. He clearly wasn’t used to comforting a crying child.

“….”

As he set her down on the ground, she was still trembling. For a moment, Tae-oh’s lips moved, but no words came out.

“Woorim, are you alright?”

The mansion doors burst open, and several people came rushing out, surrounding Woorim with concern. She frantically reassured them that she was fine, only to realize that Tae-oh had already disappeared. She scanned her surroundings, but he was gone, h
aving slipped away as soon as she was safe.
“I didn’t even get to properly thank him…”
But she remembered his name.

“Sa Tae-oh… Tae-oh, oppa…”

The heavy rain drowned out Woorim’s whispered gratitude, but in that brief moment, she had finally found someone who came to her aid.
It wasn’t even a month later when Woorim saw Tae-oh again. Despite her resolve to thank him properly, their reunion ended with her in tears once more.

“Trust me. I won’t hurt you,” he reassured her.
Those were Tae-oh’s first words to her that day, as he stood before her in a blood-soaked school uniform. His voice was strained with pain, yet still firm and gentle.

“Don’t cry… I’ve already called the police. Just close your eyes and wait for a little while.”

When the police arrived in response to Tae-oh’s call, they found the two together. Tae-oh was standing over a large pool of blood, shielding Woorim.

“I-I’m sorry, I… hic, hic…”

At only eleven years old, the shock was too much for Woorim, and she fainted, collapsing into his arms.