“Give me the saw.”
Without giving her a moment to think, Seo Tae-joon bent over, placing his hands on the branch to brace himself.
“…Ugh.” Ji-woo fought down a wave of panic, forcing her racing heart to calm as she handed the tool over.
He was in a completely defenseless position. If she were to strangle him or strike him from behind, he would be helpless. Her eyes darkened for a fraction of a second.
“—yeon.”
“…”
“Ji-woo!”
“Y-yes?!” she yelped, her body going rigid.
“Tell me what to do.”
“Oh… right.” Ji-woo shook her head a few times, clearing the thoughts away.
Just then, the saw whirred to life. She gave him detailed instructions: how to hold it, which direction to angle the blade, how much strength to put into his arms. To her surprise, Seo Tae-joon executed each step with a smooth, practiced skill. His dexterity was better than that of any veteran she had ever seen.
“—You’re doing great! Put a little more force into it.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that!” Ji-woo craned her neck for a better view, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was completely absorbed in his work, watching the blade sink into the wood.
“Now, just keep up that pressure until the end!”
“…”
“More, more, harder!”
Seo Tae-joon flinched, rolling his shoulder. “How about now?”
“It’s good, perfect. Ah—! Wait, don’t take it out yet!”
“…”
“Put it back in! Don’t pull it out before I tell you to. Push it deep inside! Good, now lower your wrist a little!”
“…”
“Oh, it’s there! Yes, right there!”
“…”
“Ha! We’re almost there! You’re doing great! A little more! Now hold on!”
“…”
“One last time! Harder! Now, take it out—!”
With a final, sharp crack, the branch tore free and tumbled to the ground.
“Ha! Ha! Seo Tae-joon, that was perfect!” Ji-woo gasped, catching her breath.
She noticed then that his shoulders were rigid. He seemed tense, so she offered a rare, friendly compliment to put him at ease.
“That was tough, right? But you’ve got more of a knack for this than I thought. You’ve got the power and the dexterity. You did an amazing job!”
Seo Tae-joon suddenly let out a slow, controlled sigh. If only she knew.
“Ji-woo, you have a talent for teaching.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You’re a good teacher.”
Ji-woo beamed, and Seo Tae-joon clenched his jaw, reining in an urge he couldn’t name. The branch was finally gone. In its place was a clean stump from which a new, healthy branch would surely grow.
She looked up at the cloudless blue sky. The air felt fresh and scrubbed clean after the storm.
“He just started climbing like Tarzan with his bare hands. I thought he’d gone insane!”
At the dinner party held to celebrate passing their first test, Ji-woo was stuffing her face with grilled meat.
“At first, he was just watching you, not even blinking. But the second you stumbled, he shot up that tree like a jaguar.”
So that was what all the commotion below had been about. Ji-woo scratched the back of her neck as she listened. Perhaps it was the heat from the grill, but she could feel a flush creeping up her face.
She glanced at Seo Tae-joon, who was diligently placing perfectly grilled pieces of meat onto her plate before it was even empty, like a mother tending to her child.
“Let me pour a glass for the man of the hour.” It was Mi-sook, her face split in a wide grin as she basked in the victory Seo Tae-joon had secured.
As Mi-sook tilted the soju bottle toward his empty glass, Ji-woo put down her chopsticks and brushed dust from her knees, preparing to stand.
“Mi-sook, drinking isn’t good for someone who’s sick…”
“Sick? You think he’s sick?”
Mi-sook snorted. “Can a sick person climb a tree and hold a woman steady with one arm? If he’s sick, then I’m already dead and buried.”
Ji-woo fell silent, her gaze dropping back to the grill. Her eyes caught on Seo Tae-joon’s fingers as they touched his glass. They had a few calluses, but they were surprisingly elegant.
“But if he drinks…”
His memory might come back…
The last few words remained unspoken, lingering on her tongue. But Mi-sook, already flushed with drink, couldn’t read the sudden panic in Ji-woo’s expression and simply continued to pour.
“Here. Drink up, my boy.”
Strong, firm hands accepted the glass, making it look delicate by comparison. But Seo Tae-joon didn’t drink right away. He turned to Ji-woo, his eyes asking a silent question. Seeing her chance, she acted. She snatched the glass from his hand and downed the contents in one go, not leaving a single drop.
“What are you doing?!” Mi-sook shot to her feet, her eyes wide.
“From now on, if you fill his glass, it’s mine!”
“What are you talking about? You can’t even handle your liquor!”
“You can’t judge someone’s health by physical strength alone. Alcohol is bad for the brain cells! I’ll drink for him!” Ji-woo was determined to keep him sober.
It wasn’t long, however, before her legs began to sway. Her vision swam, the edges blurring until everything dissolved into darkness.
Yet, she never hit the ground. When she opened her eyes again, she was floating, her face pressed against something soft yet toned. She gave her dangling legs a little kick.