Masquerader Chapter 4

Even if she somehow managed to climb up, razor-sharp barbed wire was coiled along the top. But getting caught by Seo Gyo-jin was a worse fate. With sheer desperation, she forced herself upward, only for her exhausted body to give out and send her tumbling back to the ground.

 

“Huff… huff…”

 

Gasping for air, Seol-ah pushed herself up like a stubborn toy that refused to stay down. Failing to cross the fence didn’t mean all hope was lost. She had spent the entire chase surrounded by thick trees, thorny bushes, and moss-covered rocks. Finding a man-made structure was a relief in itself.

 

If there was a fence, there had to be an end to it. Following it downhill would at least be better than running blindly.

 

The sun, which had been high above when the hunt started, was now sinking toward the mountain ridge. She had to get down before nightfall. Steeling herself, Seol-ah wiped her nose with the back of her hand and stepped forward.

 

A smear of red stained her skin. Now she was getting a nosebleed too. Irritated, she rubbed her nose a few more times and picked up her pace, glancing behind her every so often.

 

Tap, tap. The sound of her feet pounding the ground continued uninterrupted. The fence stretched endlessly. Her legs, moving on autopilot, had long since gone numb. She had no idea how much time had passed when she suddenly noticed the mist thickening around her.

 

Seol-ah pressed her palm against her ear and released it.

 

Drip, drip. The sound of flowing water reached her ears.

 

Was she hallucinating?She glanced past the fence and, to her relief, saw a real stream trickling by. For a brief moment, she felt reassured, thinking maybe her hearing was improving. But just then, a loose vine on the ground snagged her foot.

 

She should have been more careful.

 

“…!”

 

She didn’t even have time to scream before she fell forward, landing flat against a rock. Without any soil to cushion the impact, the brutal shock slammed into her entire body.

 

Caw, caw. 

 

A crow cawed in the distance. It felt like the whole world was yelling at her to just give up. Was that it? Was surrender the only way to end this?

 

“Ugh…”

 

A sob broke free. Still sprawled on the ground, Seol-ah let her tears spill. She couldn’t die like this. She had to be in class tomorrow. As she wept, absurd thoughts mixing with her despair, an unfamiliar sound broke through her anguish. It wasn’t the murmur of the stream or her own sniffles. It was strange and unsettling.

 

…What was that?

 

It almost sounded like someone struggling to breathe or groaning in pain. Whatever it was, it wasn’t coming from her. Seol-ah lifted her head. And she saw him. Just a few steps away, a man sat crouched, his long legs bent. The humid air, thick enough to feel tangible, carried the scent of mist. A sliver of sunlight, slicing through the dense foliage, cast a sharp highlight over the man’s hair.

 

His brown locks gleamed under the light, framing his deep-set eyes, their shadows accentuated by his prominent brow bone. Despite the golden touch of sunlight, his irises remained a stark, intense shade of ash gray. It was an inappropriate thought to have in a life-threatening situation, but he was excessively handsome.Unnecessarily so.

 

His stunning features momentarily disoriented her, yet the eerie aura clinging to his still expression sent an unmistakable warning. It screamed danger.

 

The sharp angles of his eyebrows, the prominent bridge of his nose, and the chiseled jawline exuded a cold, oppressive aura, creating a menacing impression. Looking at his strikingly handsome face, she felt an instinctive sense of warning rather than admiration. In short, he was good-looking, but he had an imposing presence that made one reluctant to strike up a conversation.  

 

There were dark red blood splatters on his rigid, strong-looking jaw. Seol-ah’s gaze followed the trail of blood downward. The stain stretched not only across his coat but also down to the t-shirt underneath. The blood was not his.  

 

A peculiar, unsettling sound echoed—like the last gasps of a dying breath. Right beside the man lay a large wild beast, collapsed. It was likely the source of the blood splattered on his jaw and chest.  

 

A deer? A roe deer? Judging by the large, menacing antlers, it could have been a stag. Whatever it was, the mere thought of having wandered alone in a mountain where such creatures roamed sent a chill down her spine.  

 

The primal fear lasted only a moment. As the fallen beast let out a harsh breath and convulsed its legs, she felt as if the air had been sucked out of her throat. Even though she had no reason to sympathize with a dying animal, she couldn’t help but feel pity. The man, on the other hand, sat lazily beside the hunted animal, smoking a cigarette.  

 

The acrid scent of tobacco mingled with the damp, earthy smell of the soil. His preference for strong cigarettes suited his cold and ruthless appearance all too well.  

 

Judging by the blood splattered on his jaw and chest, he had fired at close range. The hunting groundkeeper’s warnings about only targeting rabbits or pheasants had clearly been disregarded. The rifle slung casually over the fallen prey looked far larger and heavier than the one Seo Gyo-jin usually carried.  

 

Holding the cigarette between his long fingers, he flicked the ash off lightly before bringing it back to his lips and taking a deep drag. His smooth cheeks hollowed as he inhaled leisurely. His cool, detached gaze landed on Seol-ah.  

 

For a moment, she forgot to breathe.  

 

His irises were a strange blend of black, gray, and blue. Though he appeared to be looking at her, it felt like he wasn’t actually seeing her. He was staring, yet utterly uninterested. The way his gaze passed over her, as if she were just another insignificant detail in the scenery, unsettled her.  

 

Just moments ago, she had tumbled over a rock, making a loud noise. Her torn and tattered appearance was far from suitable for wandering alone in the depths of the mountains. Yet, the man didn’t seem to find anything unusual about it.  

 

His bored, indifferent gaze examined her much like one would observe an inanimate object—an overgrown shrub or moss-covered rock. His eyes were far too cold to expect any kindness or goodwill from him.  

 

“…E-excuse me.”  

 

No matter how intimidating and merciless he appeared, she couldn’t just let this chance slip away. With the sun setting and the possibility of Seo Gyo-jin catching up to her at any moment, running into another person in the middle of the forest was a stroke of luck.  

 

Seol-ah staggered to her feet. The man’s indifferent gaze followed her. Under normal circumstances, she would have avoided eye contact and walked away as quickly as possible, but this was no time for hesitation.  

 

“I… I’m lost. You have a radio, don’t you? Could you contact the base for me?”  

 

For safety reasons, hunting parties were supposed to move in at least pairs. Yet, for some reason, this man was alone.  

 

At the moment, the only living beings around were this intimidating man, the dying animal struggling for its last breath, and Seol-ah herself.  

 

What if he turned out to be just as crazy as the rest of them? A sudden wave of unease washed over her. The fact that he was here, hunting, suggested that he was one of the Seo family members participating in the hunt today.  

 

The mere thought of him sharing the same blood as Seo Gyo-jin triggered an instinctive sense of revulsion and wariness. Half anxious, half cautious, Seol-ah studied his expression.  

 

But the man acted as if he hadn’t heard a single word she said. Leisurely, he took another deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a long breath of smoke while still staring blankly at her.  

 

The hazy smoke blurred and sharpened his features in a slow rhythm. It was nothing more than cigarette smoke, yet strangely, the scent of mist thickened in the air.  

 

“This?”  

 

Still holding the cigarette between his lips, the man pulled a radio from his coat pocket and spoke in an indifferent tone. His voice was incredibly low.