Chapter 2. The Incident at Cheonghwa Mountain
“Taehun! It’s been so long!”
The monk burst into hearty laughter.
He seemed genuinely delighted by the man’s visit—his eyes curved into wide crescents like a full smile.
“I heard the news. You’ve been through a lot. Life has its ups and downs, after all.”
“I’m fine,” the man replied calmly.
Taehun stood with his back turned, his broad shoulders in stark contrast to the narrow wooden gate behind him. From the side, Agang found herself staring, almost unconsciously, at the man.
Her gaze lingered longer than she intended.
This place, Baegunsa Temple on Cheonghwa Mountain, was blanketed in pure white snow—but the man did not belong to such a serene world. He carried a strangely dark, almost ominous aura.
A short Ivy League haircut framed jet-black hair that still looked faintly damp. Perhaps because of that, his skin appeared even paler than it truly was.
He looked like someone who had stepped out of an entirely different world.
His expression was unreadable—half a smile, half a sneer.
The sharply raised corner of his lips, tinted faint red, carried an air of arrogance.
Agang had only experienced “visual shock” twice in her life.
Once when she attended her father’s company event and saw a top celebrity—an actual “face genius” in person.
And now.
This man, who seemed to have no trace of softness or warmth in his face, was dark, cool, and strangely captivating.
If she had seen him not in a temple, but on the runway of Paris Fashion Week, she would have accepted it far more easily.
Agang let out a small, involuntary laugh.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since she last went to Paris—she had been stuck in the hospital for so long.
“You had a guest. Please continue your conversation. I’ll come back later.”
The man turned his head slightly, casting Agang a brief glance before speaking.
“Oh, no! I’ll leave instead! Thank you for the tea, monk.”
“You don’t have to rush off. Stay a bit longer.”
“I should sleep early if I want to wake up tomorrow!”
Agang quickly stood, waving both hands in refusal.
As she approached the door, the man calmly stepped aside, making way for her.
The moment she brushed past him, Agang instinctively shrank her shoulders.
His overwhelming presence made her feel suddenly small.
She quickly left the room and followed the forest path connected to the temple’s backyard, heading deeper into the mountains.
After some time, the temple’s lights had already become a faint cluster of glowing dots behind her.
She must have left the main trail long ago; the slope had become steeper and more uneven, but she didn’t stop.
Freedom—finally!
Rustle.
Then she heard it.
Something moving under the trees in the distance.
“Hello? Is someone there?”
Startled by the unfamiliar sound, Agang cautiously approached, shining her phone light ahead.
Among a pile of dry leaves, something small and round was struggling. A curled tail pointed upward.
Huh?
It was a baby wild boar—no bigger than two hand spans.
It was digging frantically at the ground with its tiny front legs, trying to pull something out from tangled branches.
“Hey… are you hungry? Do you need help?”
As she got closer, a shadow fell across Agang’s face.
There—bloodstains spread across the soil… and a mass of rusted wire tangled above it.
The baby boar wasn’t searching for food.
It was trapped in a snare set by poachers, desperately twisting its small body, begging for help.
“Hey! Wait! Don’t move!”
“Ki-iiiik!”
“It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’ll get you out!”
But the tightly coiled wire only dug deeper as the animal struggled.
The snare had been set with terrifying precision. Agang gripped the twisted wire with trembling hands, fighting for a long time. Her already bloodied hands were no longer something she noticed.
“Next time, if you see wire like this, stay away, okay? There are really scary people in this world.”
She finally managed to calm the terrified boar.
Using a nearby branch as a lever, she managed to loosen the snare.
At that exact moment—
A figure strode up and grabbed her wrist sharply.
“You’re out of your mind.”
Agang slowly lifted her head.
It was him.
That rough, dangerous man.
A deep, rumbling roar suddenly echoed through the mountain before he could say another word.
A massive shadow burst through the darkness, charging toward them with terrifying speed.
“Get down!”
In an instant, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her hard behind a tree.
“Don’t breathe until it’s gone.”
“W-what?”
A large hand covered her mouth.
The shadow was a mother wild boar—starving through winter and now furious, her injured baby making her even more dangerous.
She scanned the area frantically, snorting hot breath into the cold air.
Time stretched unnaturally slow—one minute felt like ten.
Agang stared up at the man covering her mouth.
His long fingers covered half her face, yet they were warm despite the cold mountain air.
Was it his body heat?
Or the faint scent that suddenly mixed with her breath?
Or simply the terror of the enraged animal just meters away?
Her heart pounded violently.
She instinctively stepped back.
Her weight shifted onto the steep slope.
Loose soil crumbled and slid downward.
The mother boar snapped her head toward the sound.
Crash—!
In panic, Agang lost her footing completely.
The world spun.
She rolled down the mountainside, leaves and earth blurring past her vision.
When she finally came to a stop, she was lying on a thick layer of snow—
Still clutching the man’s sleeve.
After the chaos, the mountain fell silent again.
Agang lay flat on her back, staring up at the sky.
The stars looked like silver dust scattered across black canvas.
It was strangely beautiful.
Lying on the snow felt almost like resting on a soft white bed—pain from the rocks she had hit still throbbed through her body, but the scene itself was peaceful.
Mountain, snow, earth, wind, cold air, fallen leaves… and a stranger.
Was this real or a dream?
She let out a small laugh without meaning to.
Beside her, Taehun leaned back on the snow as well, staring at the sky.
“What are you smiling at?” he asked flatly.
“It’s fluffy!”
Agang answered instead of thinking.
“…What?”
“It’s fluffy here. The stars are clear, the air is great! It’s basically a suite with a perfect view.”
Ah, this is nice!
She spread her arms wide like a butterfly, flapping them gently. The snow beneath her formed a wide wing-like shape.
“You must’ve hit your head.”
The man had already sat up and was brushing snow off himself, staring down at her.
His gaze was utterly unimpressed.
Was she always this carefree?
Seeing a woman lying in the mountains like she had no idea she was stranded, flapping her arms on the snow—Taehun genuinely thought she might be insane.
Twenty-six? Not sixteen.
“Taehun, it seems the temple guest went up the mountain path. As you know, Cheonghwa Mountain is quite dangerous.”
“It is.”
“Hm… perhaps she has something troubling her.”
The monk smiled gently as he met Taehun’s eyes.
It was clear—he wanted Taehun to follow her because she had gone up alone at night.
“I’ll go,” Taehun said.
The intention was obvious. His mentor had always been like this.
“Then bring her safely back to her room.”
“Yes. Good night.”
Unable to refuse the monk’s light-hearted insistence, he took the flashlight and followed after her.
He had no idea he would end up walking this far—or that he had left his phone behind.
Eventually, he spotted her.
She was walking alone at night like it was nothing, then detoured off the main trail… and was now freeing a baby boar caught in a snare.
Completely unaware that the mother was watching nearby.
Idiot.
