Summer nights in the countryside were unbearably loud. The frogs that had claimed the river and the rice paddies cried out all night long, and that was the reason for it.

Of course, that raucous chorus was also the work of creatures trying to carry on their kind.

Even those tiny creatures were filled with the will to live however they could, so who was Seo Hwido to her. Why was she tiptoeing around that man?

Yeon-ah hummed to herself, resolving to go into town first thing tomorrow and get the buckwheat jelly and makgeolli.

“The sound of the waves…”

Yeon-ah had Yul on her back, heavier than she had expected.

When they came down from the mountain and she made him tteokbokki, he had beamed and declared it was the most delicious thing in the world.

He had also pestered her to make it again tomorrow, and the day had passed in such a blur that she had lost track of time entirely.

Then he had pelted her with endless questions about whether she was really going to marry Uncle Hwido, and since his identity was no longer in question, she had no reason to lie and had no choice but to come clean.

She had not, of course, mentioned that she could see ghosts or that a vengeful spirit was hovering around her.

“Sleep tight…”

Behind the chorus of ribbit, ribbit, the child’s breathing had grown steady.

But where was she supposed to put Yul to sleep?

She thought about it briefly, then decided he ought to sleep with his uncle Seo Hwido, and slowly made her way toward the main house.

And it was at that moment.

“Ha… f*ck.”

Oh no.

The curse that flew from right behind her nearly made Yeon-ah drop the child off her back entirely.

For an instant she felt the hand supporting the child’s bottom go weightless. Had she actually dropped him? She spun around in a panic and found Yul dangling by the scruff of his neck in Seo Hwido’s grip, eyes still closed.

What was this? She was a police officer, even if she was on leave. Was he committing child *buse right in front of a police officer?

Yeon-ah strode forward, supporting Yul’s suspended body, and raised her voice.

“What do you think you’re doing right now? Do you want to be reported for child *buse? Put him down this instant!”

At her outburst, Seo Hwido’s ash-grey eyes locked straight onto her. How it was possible that not a single day had been peaceful since she arrived at this house, she had no idea.

Still, it was a thousand times better than seeing ghosts, so perhaps she could calm down a little.

Yeon-ah pulled the small body into her arms, careful not to wake Yul. At that moment, the sound of teeth grinding together was followed by a low, deep, cold voice that pierced straight through her eardrums.

“Open your eyes, Kim Yul.”

“……”

No response. Was he sleeping deeply? He had definitely been singing Hwido uncle, Hwido uncle just moments ago.

Seo Hwido looked intent on shaking the child awake by any means necessary. In the end, Yeon-ah gently patted the child’s back and called his name.

“Yul, Yul, can you wake up for just a moment? The uncle you’ve been waiting for came. All right?”

It was at that moment.

Yul’s eyes snapped open. He looked around, then desperately burrowed into Yeon-ah’s arms. But a force yanked him from behind, and he was pulled away from her without resistance.

“Ack! Wait, Seo Hwi… ah, no… U, uncle! Save me!”

The names came out in a jumble. The poor child must have been terrified.

Yeon-ah stepped forward again to get Yul back and reached out her hand. Seo Hwido, stopped short by exactly that much, ground his teeth and growled.

“Kim Yul. Do you want to die?”

Even for a small child, an elementary schooler would weigh a fair amount. She had no idea how strong Seo Hwido was to be hoisting him up with one hand like that.

“Seo Hwido-ssi! The child is frightened! Put him down first and talk. All right?”

Seo Hwido furrowed his brow and, with a look of reluctance, set Yul down.

“Noona, uncle is scary! H, help me!”

The moment his feet touched the ground, Yul pumped his short legs and flung himself at Yeon-ah. Yeon-ah bent down to catch him, then straightened back up to avoid Yul rubbing his face against her chest.

“That little…”

He was genuinely furious, it seemed. Yeon-ah stepped back with Yul in her arms, but there was no way to stop Seo Hwido from reaching out with curses flying freely from his mouth.

“Waaah, noona! I’m scared!”

The sight of a man nearly 190 centimeters tall dragging a small elementary schooler away by sheer force was terrifying in itself. Yul must have felt the fear instinctively too, his body trembling as he clung and whimpered.

Yeon-ah could hold back no longer. She ran forward and grabbed Seo Hwido’s arm. He stopped and turned, and the look in his eyes was dangerous, but she could not back down here.

“I really don’t think this is going to work. It’s also gotten very late, so let’s calm down for tonight and talk tomorrow. All right?”

Yul, who had been shaking with fright, looked up at her and smiled as though nothing had happened.

Yeon-ah clicked her tongue quietly so he wouldn’t hear. Reminding herself that a man who used violence against a child and a woman was someone she must never get involved with, she took Yul’s hand.

“I was going to ask if Yul could sleep in the main house with you since he adores you so much, but in a situation like this it seems like it would actually be dangerous. I’ll take Yul with me tonight. Go on inside.”

She carefully tugged the small hand she was holding. But the child was clearly hesitating, watching Seo Hwido’s expression.

“Don’t worry, noona will protect you. You must be tired from the long trip, so sleep comfortably by noona’s side tonight. All right?”

She raised her voice deliberately so Seo Hwido could hear. Whatever the circumstances, losing control of one’s emotions and resorting to violence was wrong, a hundred times over, a thousand times over.

Even as she walked all the way to the sarangchae, there was no reaction from Seo Hwido. Was he too dumbfounded? Or was he thinking about what to do with the child and her?

Yeon-ah stopped briefly in front of the sarangchae. Then she slowly turned around. Had she scolded him too harshly in front of the child. Had she crossed a line he had drawn, on her own terms.

She met the eyes of Seo Hwido, who was standing still and staring at her intently.

He looked like he had something to say. But he only put the cigarette he pulled from his pocket between his lips and flicked his lighter.

Clink, click.

Yeon-ah gave a small bow of her head in greeting. At that moment a long sigh scattered into white smoke, and then the sound of the Zippo lighter breaking the silence came again, one after another.

Clink, click. Clink, click.

Once, twice, and then three times.

The metallic sound that would not stop even though the cigarette was already lit was strange enough to make her tilt her head, and it was then.

Yul gave a small jolt for some reason, released her hand, and shot straight toward Seo Hwido.

“U, uncle!”

***

Blood is thicker than water, they say.

No, it was clearly a silent threat.

Her thoughts refused to narrow to one. What on earth was going on? Were they really uncle and nephew?

She was almost curious about the child’s mother, whoever was connecting those two.

“Still, he’s his nephew. He wouldn’t actually hit him.”

Should she listen in just in case, to hear what they were talking about?

“No, it’ll be fine.”

Yeon-ah returned to the sarangchae, spread out the bedding on the warm part of the floor, and lay down.

Still, it felt like she had gotten through today’s tasks well enough, and that put her in a good mood.

Was it because she was with someone rather than alone? She felt grateful that Yul had brought her laughter back after so long.

And thanks to the child calling the tree, which had become a little unsightly after the lightning strike, the hunk tree and making a fuss over it, even the eerie atmosphere seemed to have brightened.

She hadn’t been able to bring the buckwheat jelly and makgeolli that goblins were said to like, but once the sun rose tomorrow she could take Yul to browse the market and do the shopping.

And if she kept praying with that kind of earnestness, perhaps the owner of the tree would suddenly appear, moved by her sincerity, and grant her wish.

A smile spread at the pleasant thought.

She didn’t know how long Yul would stay here, but she found herself looking forward to what sweet things the child who had so instantly brightened her bleak heart might say to her in the days ahead.

Crackle, crackle.

“Oh? Must be raining.”

The sound of rain striking the tiled roof and shaking the pine trees grew quite rough. The chorus of frogs that had been crying so vigorously had already faded away beyond the sound of the rain.

***

“Noona! Yeon-ah noona! I’ll help!”

“Oh, Yul. Then that over there…”

“Stay still, Kim Yul.”

“Noona! This is so good! Our noona could totally be a chef!”

“Really? Then maybe this time I’ll actually try becoming a real chef…”

“Anyone can’t just be a chef.”

“I want to marry Yeon-ah noona!”

“Marry me? Well, what an honor…”

“The hell it is.”

From the time they prepared breakfast to the time they finished eating, every time Yul chattered away, Seo Hwido cut in before she could even get her answer out.

She shot him sharp glances each time, but it was manageable enough.

Because the atmosphere that had felt suffocating and indigestible just from being in the same space as Seo Hwido had become considerably lighter and easier.

But why was Seo Hwido staying home without going out today? She had thought he was going to treat her like a ghost for the rest of eternity.

It was puzzling that he was still there even as they finished eating and cleared up. Not to mention uncomfortable.

Could it be because of Yul? Was he worried she might mistreat Yul?

Yeon-ah peeled the rosy skin of a peach and spoke.

“Come to think of it, how old is our Yul? If you want to marry noona, you have to tell me your age.”

Judging by how well he spoke, he seemed noticeably small for his age.

“Yul is… eight years old!”

At the adorable mumble, Seo Hwido, who had been sitting quietly drinking his coffee, let out a short laugh.