NOVEL FROG Chapter 5
“I thought we would get there sooner. It’s taking forever.”
“Exactly. How desperate do you think I am to consult this guy about my troubles?”
“I was so frustrated I could’ve died.”
“Still, Hyun’s abilities are for real. We’re honored to be friends with him, but dating such a lady… wow…”
During break time at school, Jin Ho quietly admired me while looking at me.
“I still can’t believe it even when I think back. Is it true that men are all about looks?”
“Stop saying weird stuff. It’s not about looks; it’s about the heart.”
“I really want to punch you hard…”
“What good is being handsome? His sense is about as sharp as a crustacean’s. Is there anyone in this world who would follow a woman just because she’s attractive?”
Ina, who had been listening to our conversation, fanned herself in frustration.
“If it were me, I would have overturned him several times by now.”
“Hey, compare properly. Do you think everyone is like you? How rude to say that to a dignified lady…”
“You’re really dead meat. Come here!”
“Ah!! Hey! Someone help me!”
Jin Ho was stepping backward, desperately requesting rescue, but I shook my head.
“You can take more hits.”
“Did you hear? Just stay quiet.”
“My arm! Arm! It really hurts!”
“Shut up!”
Seeing Ina mercilessly pummeling Jin Ho had become far too familiar. It didn’t even faze me anymore.
But I knew it wasn’t because their relationship was bad; it was just their way of showing affection.
Jin Ho and Ina were like an older brother and sister looking out for me.
So when I learned that those two had become such a couple, it was truly a curious feeling.
Back then, I thought I was the only one who liked Yeon, and I pondered whether I could ever have a relationship like that.
Looking back, it was completely nonsensical that we would become such friends.
Sure, we all attended the same school at the same age, but no one would think someone from the countryside like me would be the same as Yeon.
Moreover, Yeon was the daughter of a prestigious family.
Knowing all of this, I didn’t reveal our relationship to anyone except for Jin Ho and Ina, who already figured it out.
Had we met elsewhere instead of the village or if Yeon had been healthy, it wouldn’t have been easy for us to develop this kind of relationship.
“Hyun, is Seoyeon doing any better?”
After happily hitting Jin Ho, Ina asked with a relieved smile.
“…Yeah. She said she’s feeling better.”
“Really? That’s a relief. She must be a bit weak due to her noble birth.”
“I think so too. More than that, we…”
I vaguely answered, trying to change the topic to suggest that the four of us should hang out together next time.
No matter what, I couldn’t reveal everything about Yeon’s illness, so I always skirted around that matter.
However, my answers and hopes stood in stark contrast to the fact that Yeon’s condition was worsening day by day.
Even the time she could spend actively during the day was getting shorter, and as the moon cycled, her pain grew exponentially.
Because Yeon possessed the talents of a great wizard, it was said that her hypersensitivity to particles was also rapidly deteriorating.
At this rate, she might not even see the sunrise of the New Year, let alone turn 17.
I tried my best to ignore those facts. I just focused on creating memories with Yeon as much as possible.
And just by being with me, Yeon enjoyed all that time.
“Hyun… haam.”
One Sunday morning, a drumming sound was heard from the door, even before the rain started to patter.
Still half-asleep, when I opened the door, I found Yeon in her pajamas holding an umbrella.
“…I’m sleepy…”
Yeon naturally snuggled into my arms. Her small squirming movements made me smile.
But I could also feel her eerily cold skin very well.
I thought she might as well be a corpse.
Whenever Yeon went outside, she always tried to look fine, and this time was no different.
However, Yeon’s face showed a sickness that a light makeup couldn’t hide.
All I could do was smile and greet her.
“Did you sleep well? By the way, what’s in that basket?”
I tried to divert my attention to the basket Yeon was holding.
“…Ah, this…”
Yeon gently lifted the edge of the cloth covering the basket.
Inside the thickly lined basket lay an unexpected sight: a wild kitten.
The kitten looked incredibly sick at a glance.
It barely stirred, breathing weakly as its limbs trembled.
“I found it collapsed outside the door this morning. So…”
Maybe she was seeing herself in the kitten, but Yeon couldn’t leave dying creatures unattended.
She would water wilting flowers to help them bloom and return fish that swam ashore back to the water.
I suspected she felt the same about this kitten, but the state it was in looked too critical.
Our knowledge provided us no means to help, and there were no veterinary clinics for animals around this area.
“Is there really nothing we can do…? So pitiful…”
Yeon’s pretty face filled with sorrow.
Her gloominess was not something I welcomed either.
Unable to just watch, I started thinking of various ways to help, and suddenly recalled something I had read in a book.
It mentioned that in dire situations, one could drink blood to supplement nutrients.
What I read was about animal blood, but since humans are animals too, it wouldn’t be too different.
It might sound reckless, but at this point, I couldn’t think of any other way.
I told Yeon to wait a moment and went to the kitchen to fetch a kitchen knife.
Then, leaving Yeon dumbfounded, I swiftly sliced my palm.
A moment later, a sharp pain shot through me, followed by the feeling of warm liquid beginning to flow.
“Hyun… Hyun!”
“Ugh… it hurts… just wait a bit…”
Yeon let out a scream, nearly shrieking at my sudden action.
The pain was worse than I’d expected, making my face instinctively cringe.
But now that I had gone this far, I had to follow through. I held my bleeding palm to the mouth of the kitten lying on the cloth.
Miraculously, the kitten began lapping up my blood with its tongue.
I’m not sure if it was just my imagination, but it felt like energy was returning to the kitten’s frail body.
Yeon, after hearing my late explanation, exploded with frustration.
“…You idiot. You can’t just cut yourself! What if it leaves a scar? I’m upset…”
“…I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. But seriously, this kitten is lapping it up like crazy. It’s almost as if it wants to drink all my blood.”
“What? That’s absolutely not okay… wait a second.”
As if it were the final struggle for survival, the kitten was intensely licking my palm.
Watching this, Yeon fell into deep thought for a moment.
Then, without giving me a chance to intervene, she also pricked her fingertip with the knife and brought it to the kitten’s mouth.
“What are you doing?!”
“I’m going to give it my blood too. What if it really drinks all yours?”
“You’re a patient! What if something terrible happens?!”
“I just made a tiny cut, it’s fine. Besides, I don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll share mine too.”
This time it was my turn to get angry, but Yeon stubbornly shook her head vehemently.
Yeon was not a particularly stubborn person, but it seemed right now was the exception.
I couldn’t prevail against her fierce refusal, and in the end, the poor kitten ended up licking Yeon’s blood for quite a while as well.
After that, we got scolded by our mom for a long time while treating our wounds. Yeon spent the rest of the day at our house, after which she put the kitten back into the basket and headed home.
I worried about the shock Yeon would receive. Thinking back calmly, I doubted that such a weak kitten could survive just from a little bit of blood.
Mom also said that kittens have limited things they can consume, and that might worsen its condition.
She continued scolding us that we might catch a disease from wild animals instead.
However, the next day, my expectations were completely overturned.
When I opened the door to the sound of knocking, I was greeted by the joyful face of Yeon holding the kitten in her arms.
The astonishing thing was the kitten’s condition. It looked so much healthier and vibrant that it was hard to believe it was the same kitten from the previous day.
The kitten mewed and roamed around the living room floor. And as if it recognized its saviors, it followed us closely.
Eventually, Yeon and I decided to take care of the kitten. After some deliberation, we even named it Peanut.
Due to my mom’s cat fur allergy, Peanut ended up being raised at Yeon’s mansion.
And perhaps because I got caught in the rain, I caught a cold afterward. I had a high fever for two days before I could finally get out of bed.
Maybe it was as mom said, and I’d caught some illness from the kitten after all. Regardless, Peanut added a new dimension to our daily lives.
Time continued to flow. A few months later, Yeon’s condition should have worsened to the point where they could no longer bear it, with the end drawing near.
But Yeon was still alive.