Chapter 3. Take Off That Clothes
The woman was someone he had met just a few hours earlier.
Before heading to work, with a rare bit of free time, Taehun had stopped by Baekwoon Temple to visit his mentor.
“Taehun, you are destined to wield a blade—but that blade must always be used to save lives.”
After dropping out of high school, when he had nearly strayed into darkness, the person who guided him back onto the right path was his mentor—unexpectedly, a highly capable medical school professor.
If anything, their connection could be called ill-fated.
Forced into monastic life because of his father’s misdeeds, the mentor had still shown kindness to him—the son of his enemy. To Taehun, he was no different from a second father.
He was taking out a box of fruit from his car trunk, meant as a gift for the mentor, when it happened.
A luxury sedan completely out of place in the quiet mountain surroundings rolled into the parking lot.
His eyes naturally drifted toward it.
Was a chauffeur about to step out and open the door respectfully?
He must have been unconsciously expecting a cliché scene—perhaps a wealthy middle-aged lady being carefully assisted out of the car.
But instead of a driver opening the rear door, it swung open first.
Out stepped not polished high heels, but crisp white sneakers that firmly touched the ground.
A young woman got out.
She suited the snow-covered courtyard of Baekwoon Temple far more than the expensive sedan—fresh, clean, almost pure.
Even from a distance, she stood out. She casually gathered her scattered hair into a high tie and pulled her hoodie zipper all the way up to her chin. As the fabric lifted, a sliver of her waist was briefly exposed.
The oversized ivory tracksuit she wore ironically emphasized how slim her waist was.
“I’ll stay well and then leave.”
She took the suitcase from the driver’s hands before he could properly set it down.
“A temple, a church, or a cathedral! Is there anywhere safer than this in our country?”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Don’t worry, Director Moonju.”
“How long are you planning to stay? The Chairman is asking.”
“Please tell Grandpa I’ll go down the mountain when the time comes.”
The girl rotated the small sky-blue wristwatch on her wrist neatly as she spoke.
Her expression was bright, almost excited, as if everything amused her.
“Oh, and please tell him this too. It’s very important!”
“What is it?”
“That I can’t bring home a son-in-law.”
“For four years of medical residency, I’m going to bury myself in the hospital, so don’t look for me.”
“Stop protesting and go home, A-gang. Don’t make the Chairman worry.”
“I’m twenty-six! And don’t send cars for me like this anymore. Once I descend the mountain, I’ll go straight to the hospital. I’ll be staying in the on-call room for a while.”
“They’ll be waiting for you.”
“Director Moonju? You’re on my side, right?”
“……”
“I’ll really do my best at my new job!”
She smiled brightly.
A small dimple under one eye appeared—childish…
Endearingly childish.
“A historic cold wave has arrived.
Although we’re nearing the end of February, freezing temperatures continue to grip the country.
So far this year, 28 deaths have been reported due to cold-related illnesses.
Please take extra precautions when going outside.
In particular, those engaging in outdoor activities are advised to wear warm clothing to prevent frostbite and hypothermia…”
On the way to Baekwoon Temple, A-gang paid little attention to the radio news playing in Director Moonju’s car.
I should’ve brought a thick padded jacket.
Then again, she never could have imagined something like this would happen.
After passing through deep snow that swallowed her ankles, the place they arrived at was a shabby shelter tucked somewhere deep in the mountainside.
When the creaking wooden door opened, the thick scent of pine hit her nose.
Taehun picked up a few short, half-burned candles from the floor and lined them neatly on the table.
After striking damp matches several times before they finally lit, a dim orange glow filled the shelter, flickering softly.
“Looks like it’s been abandoned for a long time. There are old candles and matches here.”
A-gang looked around.
There was one sleeping bag, no emergency supplies—nothing that justified calling it a “shelter.” Still, having a place to escape the cold was better than nothing.
“Thank you for helping me.”
She bowed slightly, offering a late word of gratitude.
Her gaze drifted to the man’s wrist. The sleeve she had clutched earlier was torn at the cuff, the buttons ripped off and hanging loosely.
“I’m sorry… because of me. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“When you were clinging to me like your life depended on it?”
His flat reply made her feel awkward. She carefully smoothed down his crumpled sleeve with both hands.
“I didn’t know… I didn’t think there would be a mother nearby.”
“It’s common sense. In the wild, there’s always a mother watching nearby when there’s a cub.”
Taehun pulled his wrist free from her hands and bent down to gather old blankets scattered around.
“In Alaska, people often get attacked by mother bears after feeding cubs because they think they’re cute.”
“Are you from Alaska?”
A-gang’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Taehun turned around with an incredulous expression.
A dry laugh escaped him at her completely unguarded question.
“That was an example. And do I look like someone from Alaska to you? I’m clearly an East Asian man.”
“Even if you’re East Asian, haplogroups matter for accuracy. Based on your nasal-labial angle, you’re definitely from a northern lineage—but you never know, you might have Koryak or Khakas ancestry!”
She stepped back slightly, studying him.
“Hmm… judging from your bone structure, you’re a type rarely seen in Korea…”
She stepped closer again, even rising slightly onto her tiptoes.
“Rarely seen?”
Taehun echoed her words.
As she stared at his face up close, she flinched and closed her mouth tightly.
Whether from afar or right in front of her, the man was excessively—
“What exactly are you staring at so intently?”
—handsome.
A long, well-shaped head, a sharply sculpted jawline, cold yet delicate eyes, and a high straight nose bridging perfectly across his face.
His features were so unreal he looked like someone who had stepped out of a screen. Without realizing it, she swallowed hard.
“…Are you done analyzing?”
Their eyes met in midair.
It was just their eyes that touched—but why did her cheeks feel hot?
“Ah, I’m Korean too. I’m twenty-six. My name is Joo A-gang.”
She introduced herself without being asked, tucking her wet hair behind her ear politely.
Then she awkwardly extended her hand.
“And you?”
“Did you come to the mountain to date someone?”
“…Ah, well, if it’s a secret, you don’t have to tell me!”
His gaze, looking down at her like she was some kind of insane person, made her slowly withdraw her hand.
She didn’t need a mirror to know how ridiculous she must look.
Soaking wet from head to toe—shirt, pants, even socks—she probably looked like a drowned rat.
“Um… can we find a way down the mountain? Or should we call for rescue…?”
By now, melting snow had soaked into her clothes, and a chill began creeping in.
The shelter felt like a refrigerator.
“Do you have a phone?”
“Just a moment.”
She rummaged through both hoodie pockets.
She had definitely been holding it while climbing, but it must have fallen during her slip down the slope.
When she shook her head helplessly, the man calmly pulled out a flashlight from his pocket.
“Unfortunate.”
“Ah… what do we do…”
“We’ll go down when it gets light. It’ll be easier to find the path after sunrise.”
“What? We’re staying here overnight?”
In this freezing place?
“It’s safer not to move around at night in the mountains. That’s also common sense.”
“Ah… common sense…”
“And logically, normal people don’t go hiking in the middle of the night in that outfit.”
“I wasn’t hiking! I was just walking while thinking…”
“And you just happened to end up in a snow-covered winter mountain at night?”
…Yes, I guess I lack common sense!
Annoyed, she opened her mouth to retort—but only sighed instead.
A white breath floated into the air.
She hugged herself tightly, fingers trembling from the cold, shoulders hunched.
After silently watching her for a while, Taehun finally spoke.
“Take it off. That clothes.”
