Gentle Forest

Chapter 36

As the sun began to set, thunder and lightning struck. Aiden, soaked from going back and forth between the shelter and home, was unaware of his drenched state. Oblivious, he looked out the window at the swollen river just before it overflowed.

"Seowon, put on a raincoat" he said, attempting to provide me with a raincoat while relying on a flimsy umbrella. Despite feeling guilty, I didn't want to create unnecessary trouble by picking a fight. Taking the raincoat, I slowly buttoned it up, my fingertips still trembling. Aiden overlapped his hand with mine, closing each button carefully. Finally, he knelt with his back turned.

"Get on."

"It might be heavy."

"You don't really mean that, do you"

Since Aiden was the one who carried me up to the mountain ridge, i obviously didn't mean what i said. I'm the kind of guy who can easily be carried, but I felt sorry and said it out of guilt

Responding with a small "yeah" in an ant-like voice, I hoisted myself onto Aiden's back. In one swift motion, he stood up, emitting a carefree laugh and grabbing the umbrella.

As we left the house, the umbrella swayed as if it would flip. The wind and rain were much stronger than anticipated. Trees poured off their leaves, and the wind created ripples in the puddles of muddy water. Nevertheless, Aiden, with strong determination, held onto the umbrella and moved forward.

Despite the hat of the raincoat being blown away, I remained silent. I buried my face in his wet back, hanging on with the feeling of traversing a challenging 50-meter distance. Yet, the wind piercing through the loose raincoat soon left me soaked.

"Are you okay?"

Due to the sudden downpour, we were exhausted before we could even reach the shelter. Aiden, locking the door securely and placing me inside, narrowed his eyes as if bothered by my wet hair. Fidgeting with the raincoat buttons in discomfort, he almost tore open his coat for me. Exhaling deeply, I looked down at my drenched body, much like Aiden.

"Wore the raincoat for nothing."

I said, peeling off the clingy shirt. Aiden mumbled with a worried expression

"You got really wet."

Handing me a pre-prepared dry towel, he meticulously dried my soaked hair. The lingering warmth quickly gave way to a chill. Aiden, restless like an anxious puppy, glanced around the shelter.

On a makeshift mattress that seemed laid out by Dad, a soft blanket covered it. Above our heads, a single incandescent bulb hung, and along the wall were the foods Aiden had brought.

Reflecting on past memories, I once again realized there were no windows here. Without proper maintenance, it could quickly become a breeding ground for mold, but Dad's prior efforts kept the interior pleasant. The scent of wood penetrating my nostrils wasn't unpleasant. The only issue was my wet body.

There was no heating in a place typically used in the summer, and Aiden, awkwardly clutching his sides, rummaged through miscellaneous items.

"Feeling cold?"

My body started shivering. Nodding honestly to his caring question, he said, "I'll get some fresh clothes."

"No! It's okay. It's pouring outside."

I grabbed him as he tried to leave without hesitation. Perhaps it was after witnessing the harsh rain and wind, but I didn't want him to go outside. With feeble strength, Aiden halted in his tracks.

All visible areas were wiped clean, but due to the soaked clothes, I couldn't completely rid myself of the dampness. Absently fiddling with the shirt hem, Aiden, as if determined, reached out to me.