Predator Alert chapter 23

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The truck’s window rolled down, revealing a friendly-faced man with tanned skin.

“Heading home, Jeongseo?”

It was the man from the house with the red roof.

He was a big watermelon farmer in the village and was close with Jeongseo’s grandmother, so they naturally had a relationship like that of uncle and niece.

Beaming, Jeongseo approached.

“Yes! I did some shopping today since it’s market day. What about you?”

The man chuckled, seeing Jeongseo’s hands full of bags.

“I was just about to deliver some fertilizer to your house. Hop in.”

“Thank you!”

Grateful, Jeongseo quickly loaded the bags into the truck and climbed in.

He was just starting to feel tired.

“School going well?”

“Yes! It’s fun!”

The man from the red-roofed house glanced at Jeongseo with surprise.

In the past, whenever he asked, the answer had always been vague and hesitant.

Seems like he’s adjusting well now.

The man laughed heartily and offered Jeongseo a peppermint candy from the console box.

The 20-minute walk only took five minutes by car.

Once they arrived, Jeongseo hauled the 20-kilogram bag of fertilizer inside.

Originally, the man had offered to carry it all the way in, but because Seobok, his dog, was barking so fiercely, he couldn’t even approach the gate.

After finally moving the fertilizer into the small shed next to the house, Jeongseo wiped the sweat from his brow, and Seobok wagged his tail as he sat in front of them, his eyes subtly fixed on the shopping bags.

“Wait just a little bit. I’ll boil some chicken and carrots for you.”

After quickly unpacking the groceries, Jeongseo put the chicken and chopped carrots into a pot.

Since it was just for Seobok, there was no need for seasoning.

With the pot on the stove, Jeongseo’s stomach growled loudly.

He had planned to eat when Seobok did, but the hunger was unbearable.

Unable to resist, Jeongseo pulled out the buckwheat pancakes, sundae, and red fish cakes from the bag and placed them on the floor.

The mouthwatering smell quickly filled the air, and Jeongseo swallowed eagerly.

He picked up a buckwheat pancake and took a bite.

A slightly spicy flavor, combined with the scent of green onions, garlic, and the savory taste of oil, spread through his mouth.

Seeing Seobok licking his lips, Jeongseo playfully waved the pancake in front of him before popping it into his mouth.

‘Woof!’

Seobok, frustrated and hungry, barked, and Jeongseo laughed.

Eating such a delicious snack strangely made them think of Pyo Yoontae.

Looking up at the sky, dotted with clouds like tufts of cotton, Jeongseo pulled out his phone and opened KakaoTalk.

Since Pyo Yoontae had given them his number earlier, his name now appeared on his friends list.

He hadn’t added anyone else from the class group chat, so he was his only classmate contact.

When he tapped his profile, there was no profile picture, but the background photo showed a street scene.

“Must be overseas.”

Zooming in, he saw that all the signs were in English.

[Jeongseo, you like me, don’t you?]

Suddenly remembering that teasing remark, Jeongseo felt a strange itch in his throat.

Odd.

He had never thought of Pyo Yoontae that way, so why had he gotten so flustered?

Just as he was trying to clear his head, the phone vibrated, and Pyo Yoontae’s name popped up.

It was a video call.

The timing felt uncanny, as if he could read his mind.

Hesitating for a moment, Jeongseo answered.

The screen showed Pyo Yoontae lying in bed, his head turned slightly to the side as if he hadn’t been looking at the screen.

• You answered. Didn’t think you would.

When Pyo Yoontae finally looked at the screen, he smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly.

Jeongseo felt an odd tightness in his chest and nervously touched his neck.

“I just happened to be holding my phone when you called.”

• You said you were busy today, but it looks like you’re at home.

“I was! I went to the market earlier this morning.”

Jeongseo switched the camera to show the food he had been eating.

“I bought buckwheat pancakes, some groceries, and a whole chicken.”

• Wow, you really were busy. I thought maybe you just didn’t want to hang out with me.

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

Honestly, part of them had considered avoiding him.

He could have asked his to go to the market with them, but he didn’t.

Something felt off, like if he spent time together, something would explode.

• Okay, okay. Now show me your face again. Enough with the food.

“…Wouldn’t you rather look at the food than at me?”

• What’s the point of looking at food I can’t eat?

…Does that mean I’m something he ‘can’ eat?

A sudden, creepy thought crossed Jeongseo’s mind, but he quickly brushed it away.

After all, it’s been a long time since predators hunted humans, right?

Reluctantly, Jeongseo switched the camera back to his face, and Pyo Yoontae’s expression softened even more.

• You’re really going to kill me with boredom, Jeongseo. I’m so bored I could die.

“…There’s plenty to do at home.”

• I’ve got nothing. Next time, whether you go to the market or wherever, take me with you, alright?

“…”

Pyo Yoontae could easily make other friends.

So why did he choose to be friends with ‘me’?

Jeongseo couldn’t help but wonder.

• Why aren’t you answering? Can’t you hear me? Hello? Seo Jeongseo, can you answer, please?

Even as he teased, Jeongseo stared at his face on the screen, then finally spoke.

“What kind of feeling makes someone a friend?”

For Jeongseo, relationships weren’t something he had created for themselves.

Having grown up in a human family that didn’t understand much about weasels, the young, immature Seo Jeongseo had missed learning certain things and was still inexperienced.

That inexperience had led to even more coddling and overprotection from his family, confining Jeongseo to a small, safe haven.

The relationships he had were those that existed naturally and had always been there from the start.

In the silence that followed, Pyo Yoontae stared back, his expression unreadable.

Whether he was looking at the screen or himself, it was hard to tell.

What kind of emotions and thoughts should one have towards a stranger for that relationship to be called a friendship?

How is family different from friends?

Jeongseo still had much to learn about other people.

Does simply saying, “You’re my friend,” make it true?

“Why did you choose to be my friend? What’s the difference between me and Lee Hyunsoo?”

“…Jeongseo, really.”

Pyo Yoontae frowned slightly.

Was it a question too difficult for his to answer clearly?

Jeongseo wondered but still waited for his next words.

“You’re asking such an easy question.”

Jeongseo’s ears perked up.

Pyo Yoontae sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed.

“I only keep people around if I like them, Jeongseo. I’ve stuck to you like glue, how could you not know that?”

Jeongseo instinctively pressed his lips together, overwhelmed by a strange sensation.

It was suffocating, as if breathing itself was difficult, but at the same time, he felt an odd urge to laugh.

‘So, Pyo Yoontae… likes me.’

Hearing it directly from his mouth made Jeongseo feel warm inside.

After all, he’d learned painfully in high school that earning the favor of someone who wasn’t family wasn’t easy.

“Then is your first love similar to a friend?”

“…That’s quite different. You can’t put first love and friends on the same level.”

“Is first love much more precious?”

Pyo Yoontae let out a thoughtful sound and nodded.

“It’s much more precious compared to friends.”

Much more.

Jeongseo’s excitement from a moment ago quickly subsided.

his mood hadn’t been so erratic lately, but recently, everything felt off.

“…I see. Thanks for telling me!”

“Feel free to ask anytime. Stuff like this.”

“Okay, oh!”

Jeongseo suddenly spun around, remembering the pot of chicken he had left on the stove.

“I think I need to hang up, I left a pot on the stove.”

“Alright, I need to get up too. See you at school, Jeongseo.”

“Mhm.”

Jeongseo was just about to hang up, with his hand hovering over the screen.

“Oh, and about the color, I don’t really care—”

Before Pyo Yoontae could finish, Jeongseo had already pressed the end call button.

Startled, he realized he could guess what he was about to say.

‘Any color is fine with me.’

Why would he say something like that out of nowhere?

Puzzled, Jeongseo shook his head and rushed back inside upon hearing the water boiling over from the pot.

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Jeongseo wiped the sweat dripping down his chin.

Even though he’d gotten up early to make ditches and spread fertilizer, the sun was already high in the sky.

“Ugh, it’s so hot.”

Summer was truly approaching now.

He took off his straw hat and threw it back, revealing a head of messy, sweat-soaked hair.

After wiping his forehead with the ice towel draped around his neck, Jeongseo began walking.

Nearby, in the shade of the mountain, Seobok was lying down, taking a nap.

Jeongseo let out a tired breath and sat beside him, picking up a bottle of water.

It had been frozen solid when he brought it out, but now it was covered in condensation, the ice having mostly melted.

“Ha… why do I feel so exhausted today? What do you think, Seobok?”

Seobok perked up at the sound of his name, lifting his head and pressing his nose against Jeongseo’s neck, sniffing.

Jeongseo shuddered and gently pushed Seobok away.

“That tickles. I’ve been sweating a lot. Gross.”

He wasn’t in any particular pain, but his body felt unusually heavy.

Today, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his tail kept popping out every 30 minutes, so Jeongseo had given up trying to keep it tucked in.

One moment he would feel hot, the next cold.

It didn’t seem like a cold or the flu, though.

Just in case, he had taken medicine, but the sensation of someone dragging his limbs down kept getting worse as time passed.

Having been sick so frequently as a child, Jeongseo hadn’t even caught a cold since the age of 13.

That’s why he had no idea why he suddenly felt so unwell now.

Jeongseo stared blankly at the small field.

There were still sesame leaves and green peppers left to plant.

Almost done, he thought. Just finish quickly and rest.

Groaning, he managed to get his heavy body up, ready to head back to planting.

“Hey, kiddo!”

From the neighboring field, an elderly woman waved at Jeongseo.

“Come have a snack! Hurry over!”

…Well, you can’t skip snack time.

With a bright smile, Jeongseo jogged over to where the grandmothers were gathered.

His lightweight clothes fluttered in the breeze along with his tail.

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He shouldn’t have come to school.

That was Jeongseo’s first thought upon arriving in the classroom.

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