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Antieno Ong.
A name no one who lives in town did not know.
A name spoken in whispers.
A name shrouded in mystery.
There were so many rumours surrounding the man, I doubt anyone could tell truth from fable anymore.
I was in sophomore year, just having moved to town from Gwangju, when I heard my first rumour concerning the man. My best friend, Hyejin, had been showing me around town when I had wanted to go into the woods.
Hyejin had told me a gruesome story that had kept me well away from the woods for six months.
By the time I explored the woods, I'd already heard everything I could hear about the man. The initial fear of setting foot in the woods dwindled. For the past three years I've made the woods my haven, I had not seen a soul in here before today. For all those years ignoring rumours that said the woods were Ong's territory and hearing that he haunted these very woods. Today is the first time I'm setting my eyes on the man.
I felt a stab of gut wrenching guilt at my thoughtless words the moment he introduced himself. There was enough rumour about him without me adding to it.
The townspeople would believe the only person known to enter these woods in the last decade. Me.
Knowing I had the power to utterly destroy his reputation wasn't helping my guilt. Or meet his eyes.
"May I also point out that had I wanted to murder you I've had plenty of opportunity to do just that? We are alone in the woods right now," He added as he straightened. Mirth still danced in his eyes and his lips stuck in a permanent smile.
It took a second look to notice the self-mocking his eyes held. Hidden carefully behind that gleam of amusement. Hard to see unless you knew what you were looking for.
I was too stunned to say anything in reply.
As if his beauty wasn't distracting enough he had to drop this bomb on me too.
Few people in town had seen him before. Trust me, a man looking like an angel with a dark past... Yeah, that was the kind of topic that would be the talk of town. No, he was a hermit if I ever saw one.
I've been roaming around these woods for three years and this was the first time I'm seeing hide or tail of him. He lives in these woods, for God's sake.
So fact is, no one from town would know the man on sight. So no one had ever given me a description of him before. I always imagined him to be an old man wearing all black with a crappy personality. I never expected a gorgeous man in designer clothes looking ready to strut down the runaway.
I never expected him to look like an angel descended from heaven either.
