Daldal: Main story

Chapter 138

The ship, encountering a favorable wind, swiftly sailed toward its destination. Beneath the clear autumn sky, the magnificent scenery of the serene River unfolded endlessly. However, Eun-oh couldn't enjoy it at all. Hyeong next to him, who was blind, was in a similar situation.

"Monk, are you okay?"

Suddenly, a water pouch appeared in front of Eun-oh, who was staring blankly into the air.

"You must have been quite startled. Please have some."

"Th-thank you."

His voice trembled, accompanied by a pale face, unfocused eyes, and shaky hands. Anyone could see that Eun-oh was halfway out of his senses. After quenching his thirst with water, Eun-oh absentmindedly handed a water pouch to Hyeong and placed it on his knees.

"I placed it on your knees. Thank you."

"Oh, no problem. By the way, were you hit by a bullet earlier?"

How could a person without sight know that? Perceiving Eun-oh's confusion Hyeong smiled and explained, "My other senses have developed due to not being able to see."

A simple yet sufficient explanation for Eun-oh. He, too, noticed that his sense of smell and hearing became more acute in the darkness. In that context, Hyeong asked

"Are you injured? I can smell a bit of blood."

Only now realizing his injuries, Eun-oh casually touched the wounds, and a groan escaped his lips as if the pain was ignited just by the touch.

"Are you seriously hurt?"

"Well... I guess so."

Blood doesn't smear on his hands but falls like powder. It's already dried.

"Oh no. Use this to wipe it off."

Hyeong extended a cloth. Eun-oh took it and dipped it into the river, roughly wiping his face. His hand trembled like a bamboo leaf in the wind. The fact that he still couldn't calm down well after some time had passed since the surprise meant he was profoundly shocked.

Hyeong didn't ask anything. Who shot the gun, why they shot - there were enough questions to ask, but he said nothing. Of course, even if he asked, it would be challenging for Eun-oh to honestly answer. Simply mumbling that he didn't know was probably the best course of action. For Eun-oh, considering Hyeong's indifference as a relief was more appropriate.

Hyeong stared outside the boat as if appreciating the passing scenery, and Eun-oh, gripping the cloth stained with blood, blankly reflected on what had happened earlier.

Before they knew it, time passed, and sunset began to spread over the water. The boat continued its journey, breaking the twilight on the water.

"Aren't you hungry?"

Once again, Hyeong initiated the conversation. After rummaging through belongings, he handed something resembling a stone. It was a fist-sized rice ball wrapped in lotus leaves.

"The wind has gotten colder; it seems quite dark now. It's not much, but it's better than starving. Please eat."

Realizing they had been traveling on the water for over a day without any provisions, Eun-oh genuinely felt gratitude for Hyeong's generous offer. Eun-oh split the rice ball in half and opened the hemp cloth, placing it inside.

Despite likely being tired from being confined in the hemp cloth all day, Yeoul calmly accepted the rice ball Eun-oh offered.

Crunch, Crunch.

Keeping an eye on Hyeong's reaction, Eun-oh leaned into the hemp cloth, whispering softly

"Sorry. Please endure a bit longer."