Red String (Series #1) \\ Ateez ✔

xv. feline eyes

JANGMI

Chaehwa had promised to spend the entire day with me and we went to a certain place— a secluded sanctuary nestled within the mountains which turned out to be a lake.

Yunho has also insisted on trailing behind us. He claimed that he couldn't let us wander without his protection as his role as my devoted bodyguard. Somehow, the three of us ended up going instead.

Chaehwa, Yunho, and I tried our hand at fishing. While I managed to catch a tiny fish, Chaehwa got distracted and ended up feeding most of our bait to a group of overly enthusiastic ducks. Yunho, on the other hand, expertly prepared a makeshift fishing rod and outdid us both by catching the largest fish of the day. We also attempted rowing a boat, which turned into a comedy of errors with us going in circles more times than I'd like to admit.

"You know," Yunho began, casting his line gracefully into the water, "Fishing teaches you patience. It's a lot like waiting for the right moment in life."

Chaehwa smirked, "Patience? Says the man who almost fell asleep waiting for a fish to bite."

I chuckled, "That's rich coming from someone who once got tangled in her own fishing line."

"Hey, that was only one time!"

As the sun started to set, casting a golden hue across the landscape, we packed up our fishing gear and headed back to the carriage. The day might have been full of mishaps and bickerings, yet it was still a day to treasure.

We plopped outselves inside the carriage with the intention of going back to the palace and waited for it to start moving. There was a brief confusion that settled on us when the vehicle did not once move.

Yunho took action and stepped out to investigate the delay. But when he returned, his face was etched with unmistakable unease.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Chaehwa pointed out, trying to lighten the mood.

Yunho hesitated for a moment before retorting, "Well, there's a bit of a wild situation. There's a bleeding tiger blocking our path."

My eyes widened, and I quickly peered out of the carriage to witness the commotion. Sure enough, there was a majestic tiger entangled in fishermen's nets, roaring in distress as a whip struck its back.

The animal is two times larger than a typical tiger, and its claws are out, attempting to cut through the net engulfing its body. Multiple men huddled closer to the animal, all of them attempting to kill it.

Without a thought or word, I grabbed a certain pouch before I got off the carriage.

"Jangmi! Where are you going?" Chaehwa peeked a head out of the carriage while Yunho got off by himself and halted me from going further.

"My lady." He wrapped his hands around my wrist, and my eyes flickered towards him. "If anything ever happens to you, I am never going to forgive myself. The soldiers will take care of this." 

My gaze fell into the perturbed Chaehwa, the commotion then back to him before my lips parted. "I am not forgiving myself if that animal dies or any other of the people here gets harmed either,"

I wriggled my wrist out of his grasp before I immediately turned in my heels, my stern eyes scanning the area whilst the men prepared their deadly weapons.

"No one is killing the tiger." My voice resonated throughout, halting every raucous within the tumultuous village.

"And who are you?" One man challenged.

"A tiger is said to be an embodiment of luck and fortune; every single one indulged in to its death will have a fate devoid of luck." I eyed each man with a stringent face; omens are a strong belief that no one would ever refute. "No one is killing the tiger; if you go back to your houses, then that is better. The animal will not harm you."

As the commotion unfolded, people suddenly found pressing matters elsewhere, dispersing quickly. However, a few guards remained, keeping a safe and cautious distance from the agitated tiger.

My attention was immediately captured by the wild animal, its fierce eyes locked onto me with an intense golden gaze. There was something about those eyes that drew me in, even though I couldn’t explain why.

The tiger’s mouth trembled as it bared its formidable fangs, a clear and chilling warning that any closer approach could result in a deadly attack.

Despite the intimidating display, I sensed that the tiger was more cautious than aggressive. Gathering my courage, I reached for the small dagger hidden beneath my dress. With a deep breath, I cautiously approached the entangled beast.

In a swift and precise motion, I used the dagger to cut through the netting ensnaring the tiger. As soon as the net fell away, the majestic creature let out one final menacing growl, then swiftly turned and disappeared into the dense forest.

My heart ached for the bleeding animal as it left bloodied footprints in the ground, and just as I was about to follow it—  "My lady." The alarmed voice of Yunho made me stop. "Where are you heading to?"

"Stay back and wait," I firmly retorted, my eyes still fixated on the direction in which the tiger disappeared. "You don't have to follow me."

Dismayed, but still not defying my orders, Yunho reluctantly released the hand on my wrist and began striding in the direction where the tiger ran off. Until I found myself walking through a bamboo forest, the streaks of daylight illuminated the rock path as I walked.

And then I am led towards a cave.

I pressed my lips into a thin line as I scanned the ground. The blood trails were faint, but I knew by instinct that the tiger was huddled inside.

My feet slowly entered the direction of the cave, and the faint weeping of an animal fell into my ears. Not too long after, the sight of the tiger welcomed me, and its once carefree stance vanished.

The animal's gaze pierced at me the moment I entered, displaying his ferocious fangs once again; a silent warning of the extents that he is capable of despite being vulnerable.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I calmly spoke before kneeling a considerable distance away from the animal. One by one, I placed out multiple guazes and salves from my pouch.

"Poor tiger," I inched the animal, but his wary eyes and large fangs did not waver at all. "Should you let your wounds go unattended? It would be a matter of time before you lose all your blood and succumb to death."

I talked to the animal as if it were no different from treating my patients. My hands reached out to touch his uninjured leg and began to reassuringly pat it.

"Ease your guard now. I'm here to help you, not hurt you. What would I gain from hurting you?"

The moment I got the assurance that the animal had no pursuit of ripping me with its fangs, my skilled hands began to work on plastering herbs on its cuts and wrapping them with gauze to stifle the blood.

"Everything is going to be alright." The tiger was violently purring, occasionally letting out small roars when I touched its crucial injuries, but I had to remain composed. It's a matter of life or death and I cannot stop midway when I have already begun.

My hands carefully stitched the largest injury on its back before giving the tiger a gentle pat on the head. "The ointment I gave you can heal you within just days, and after you are completely healed, you must not come back to any villages. With the cruel humans in this world, I doubt that you can live in leisure."

The tiger has its eyes fluttered closed yet grumbled at my words as if responding. I instantly gathered my things the moment I was finished before my sore knees forcibly stood up.

"Goodbye." My legs strode towards the entrance of the cave, yet I halted on my steps before I took one last glance at the dozing tiger.

I caught its orange eyes piercing onto mine, like there were words that it wanted to say, like there were sentiments that it would want to share. But I shot him one last grin.

And I walked away.

..