Chapter 21

He was holding out a piece of meat to her. It was a well-cooked part. Suji gazed blankly at the meat, from which smoke was rising. The smoked meat gave off a delicious smell. When Suji just stared at it without eating, the man twitched his shoulder as if he was about to reach out his arm.

“I’ll eat it well,” Suji quickly went over to him and took the meat to eat. If she didn’t eat it quickly, he might feed it to her by mouth. Then she would feel his tongue and remember his body, even the part below that would twitch at the mere thought.

Suji couldn’t bear the embarrassment of having such thoughts naturally. So, she focused on eating, and the man handed her water as well. Suji took it without thinking and was startled. The taste was cleaner than she expected.

“Is this rainwater?” Suji pointed to the sky. Rex shook his head.

“Uh, where did you get it? Is there a place where water is collected?”

At Suji’s repeated questions, Rex was silent for a moment. Her flawless face was full of expectation. Her unblemished face and neat features shone in this damp space with her smooth skin.

Her regenerative ability to recover from injuries was astonishing, but even she couldn’t do anything about the sweat and dirt from rolling around, so she kept glancing at the water and staring at Rex. Rex deliberately looked at the door.

“There is some outside!” Suji read the meaning. A smile naturally formed on her face. She calmed her excited heart and asked him with a gesture,

“Can I, go there too?”

The finger pointed at Suji, then towards the sunny outdoors. The man showed no reaction. His deepening gaze seemed to hold a look of worry. Well, it’s understandable. This swamp is extremely dangerous, and every time you go out, you risk your life. It’s a place where not only animals but even plants attack, so what more is there to say?

“Will it be difficult for me to go?” Suji asked anxiously. It was too uncomfortable to go without washing her body. She had taken a rain shower, but that too had been ruined by the night’s intercourse, so she desperately needed water to wash her face and body.

“I really want to go,” Suji said again. Not only was her skin sticky with moisture and sweat, but there was also an embarrassing discomfort in the area that had been pressed against him all night. The feeling of fluid flowing down her legs every time she walked. Suji had to try hard to speak calmly.

“Okay,” he finally replied, staring at Suji. At his affirmative nod, Suji beamed with joy. She felt like jumping for joy. Seeing Suji so happy, Rex gave up on warning her about the danger. She wouldn’t understand anyway. If there’s anything in the way, he thought, he’ll have to use force, gripping the knife in his hand tightly.

‘Is there anything I should bring before going?’

After finishing his meal, Rex stood up. Suji quickly looked around. She needed a tool to carry water. Suji picked up a pot. Rex looked at her strangely, but Suji ignored him and tied the pot’s handle to a wooden branch.

‘Should I bring that too?’

After tying the lighter together, Suji looked at the feather she had received the other day. The beautiful feather, which would make even a passing bird fall in love if worn in the hair, seemed to have no use other than for decoration. Suji decided not to bring it, fearing it might get damaged. She slung the tied wooden branch diagonally across her back like a bag. Then, as she followed Rex, he suddenly drew his knife.

‘What is it?’

Suji was quite taken aback. Rex suddenly knelt on one knee and began to do something with his jeans. With skilled hands, he started cutting the bottom of the jeans at thigh height. The dangling fabric fell to the floor. The now shortened jeans were much easier to move in.

Suji checked her appearance from the front and back and nodded. Seeing Suji’s satisfied expression, Rex quietly put the knife back in his waistband.

The water source was not far from here. Rex usually headed that way when looking for food. Various animals tend to gather where there is water. However, the process of obtaining water was not easy, which is why he had not taken Suji with him. Rex moved, sensing Suji’s presence following behind him.

Meanwhile, Suji was curiously looking at the swamp now that the fog had lifted. The wetland was definitely alive. In the muddy soil, arthropods squirmed, and in the dense reed beds, unidentified birds made chirping sounds. In every puddle overgrown with bushes and shrubs, strange fish poked their heads above the surface, breathing with their large, rolling eyes.

It wasn’t as scary or frightening as it was at first. She could look at them with more composure now. Finding this change interesting, Suji was walking when Rex suddenly stopped in front of her.

Thud.

“Ouch,” Suji exclaimed involuntarily. She touched her sore nose and was about to ask why he had stopped when Rex covered her mouth with his hand. Seeing him make a shushing gesture, Suji tensed her whole body. Soon, there was a rustling sound in the bushes. At the same time, Suji felt her skin start to itch.

Just as she felt a sense of déjà vu, a lizard she had seen before appeared. It flicked its dark green tongue and looked around. Seeing its grotesque, bulging eyes, Suji froze completely.

The lizard poked its long head here and there and slowly moved its feet. As it seemed to be coming towards them, Suji wanted to run away, but Rex still didn’t move. He remained silent, keeping his hand over Suji’s mouth. Suji glanced at him and did the same. When neither of them moved, the lizard eventually lost interest and started moving in another direction.

‘Phew.’

Suji breathed a sigh of relief. Rex removed his hand from her mouth and started walking again. Suji quickly followed him, afraid to lose sight of him.

Next, they encountered a three-eyed monkey. The monkey swung down from a tree branch. Before they could approach, Rex threw a handful of dirt from the ground at them, and the monkeys, with dirt in their eyes, screamed and ran away. Suji stared blankly at the scene.

After that, even a horned hippo and a eyeless lion attacked, but Rex used the animals’ characteristics to easily fend them off. He only harmed those that continued to attack, considering them enemies. His ruthless and efficient attacks impressed Suji. The man was someone who had survived in this swamp longer than anyone else.

‘What kind of life has he lived?’

She started to feel out of breath. Just chasing after the man made her this breathless. When Suji struggled, the man stopped walking. Seeing him sit on a large tree root, Suji also sat down, relieved. A cool, moist breeze pleasantly brushed against her forehead, giving her a refreshing feeling like a wet towel. Suji closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation more.

‘Hmm?’

A sweet scent tickled her nose. When Suji opened her eyes, she saw Rex holding something out to her. It was a green, round fruit the size of a fist.

‘Fruit?’

Unsure because of a bad memory, Suji hesitated to take it. Seeing this, Rex demonstrated by splitting the fruit in half. A refreshing and sweet aroma burst forth. Rex took a big bite from the inside. Juice squirted out, intensifying the delicious smell.

Suji stared blankly at Rex as he ate slowly. The transparent juice staining his lips, the silent way he ate, made him look as impressive as a model in a commercial. Every time he moved his jaw muscles, his black hair, falling to his temples, swayed slowly, as if showing how to eat with feeling.

Suji unconsciously gulped. An intensely sweet scent emanated from the man’s lips, making her want to taste whether it was the man or the fruit.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Rex finally asked, looking at the dazed Suji. Only then did Suji come to her senses and look at the new fruit he was offering.

‘It’s delicious.’

Suji wondered how sweet the wild fruit would be, but it was much sweeter than she expected. She was impressed after trying it. It was juicier and sweeter than any other fruit. It could be said to be the best among the fruits she had ever tasted. Suji smiled naturally. A simple happiness filled her chest.

‘I want to eat more.’

However, there were only two fruits. Suji looked up regretfully. She wanted to pick and take more if possible, but she gave up when she saw the tree Rex pointed at. The tree was very tall. The fruits were barely visible and even if they were, they were too small to eat. Rex must have picked the best ones. Suji turned her head with a look of regret under Rex’s gaze.