Prey (Lee Seohan) - Chapter 66
‘I have to stay calm. I mustn’t let that man notice.’
Even as a child, my instincts were telling me I must never let Seol Hee-nam find me.
I caught my breath and looked back.
Gently opening the back door, I stepped inside, hiding just behind the entrance to avoid being seen and watched the scene unfold.
Seol Hee-nam was standing with the director.
“Thank you so much for your generous support of such a noble cause.”
“Haha. Isn’t it more important how we spend money than how we make it?”
Seol Hee-nam was scanning the children with a sharp gaze.
“……”
I kept myself hidden and observed him closely. His searching eyes were unmistakably looking for someone.
‘Did he come all the way here to find me?’
My heart pounded fiercely.
Seol Hee-nam had come to kill me, just like my mom and dad.
Thinking that made the urge to vomit rise again.
“What are you doing here?”
“!”
I was startled by the voice from behind and turned around. In front of me was a girl I’d never seen before.
Ah… it was that girl from earlier.
Looking closer, I realized it was the same girl who had gotten out of the car with the others and walked over.
She looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school, with black eyes that sparkled brightly. Her neatly combed, jet-black hair was tied in a single ponytail. Her skin was pale, and her small lips were red, reminding me instantly of Snow White from the fairy tales I’d read as a child.
I couldn’t hide my surprise and stared at her, while she glanced inside and spoke.
“They’re giving out presents over there. Why aren’t you going… here…?”
Gasp.
I quickly covered her mouth, and her eyes widened. Looking into her eyes, I spoke.
“Can you promise not to tell anyone you saw me here?”
She rolled her eyes but then nodded quietly.
“Can you swear it?”
She nodded again. Only then did I release her and slip past her, heading straight out the back door.
Crunching through the piled snow, I made my way toward the mountain that bordered the backyard. The director often warned us not to go up the mountain on snowy days because it was dangerous, but all I wanted now was to escape from Seol Hee-nam.
I quickly crossed the small fence and started climbing the mountain, when I heard a voice behind me.
“Where are you going?”
…What?
I turned sharply and saw the girl from before, panting as she followed me.
“They’re giving out presents over there. Really nice ones… Ow!”
The girl, who was urgently trying to catch up to me, slipped on the snow and fell.
Ah, seriously.
I sighed in irritation and went down to her. I helped her up, brushing off the dirt and snow on her clothes.
“You shouldn’t be here. Go back down.”
I pointed in the direction we’d come from, but the girl just stared at me.
Judging by the dirt and snow scattered on her face and hair, it looked like she’d already fallen several times while rushing after me.
“Where are you going? And why can’t I go?”
“There’s no need for you to know.”
Even with my curt response, the girl persisted and asked again.
“Can’t you take me with you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“For no reason. Just go back down.”
I tried to turn her around and send her back, but she resisted, saying she didn’t want to.
“No, I’m not going back down.”
“I said go back down.”
Since she had no intention of listening, I tried to look intimidating by frowning.
The girl hesitated for a moment at my expression, then muttered sadly.
“…I don’t want to be there. I don’t want to be with my dad.”
So she had come along against her will.
I didn’t know whose child she was, but it seemed she really didn’t like her dad.
I watched her, then let out a short sigh.
“The path here is rough, so you can’t go up. Go back.”
“No. I can do it too.”
The girl shook her head.
“If you get hurt, don’t blame me.”
I turned and started climbing, leaving the stubborn girl behind.
But when I looked back, she was still following me, stumbling as she went.
…Ha, seriously.
I couldn’t take it anymore and went back down.
“Hold on.”
When I held out my hand, the girl—now even more covered in dirt—smiled brightly.
“Thank you. You’re nice.”
…Nice?
I was taken aback by the compliment from a child. Still, I ended up helping the girl several times as she kept trying to follow me over the snow-covered rocks.
As we climbed, we reached an open area with a view of the sea.
“Wow—”
The girl exclaimed in delight.
“This place is amazing.”
Ignoring her and her sparkling eyes, I plopped down on the flat rock.
