Chapter 36: I’m Lost…

“Huh?”

I tilted my head, looking around in confusion.

The area was a quiet park, filled with dense trees and the occasional sound of chirping birds. It was calm and serene, but eerily empty.

“…Harp? Alex? Ellie?”

I called out their names tentatively, but no reply came back.

There was no one around.

I was lost.

“What… what even is this?”

I muttered to myself, trying to make sense of the situation.

We had been together, so how did I end up alone in such a deserted park?

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to recall what had happened earlier.

We had finished unpacking at the inn and taken some time to rest.

Harp had been quietly reading a book in the corner, while Alex was sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly.

“Hey, everyone, let’s go check out the market. It’s the perfect time to go,” I had said, feeling a sudden burst of energy.

“The market? Oh, I bet the capital market is way bigger than the one in our village!” Harp had exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Of course, it is,” Ellie had replied with a knowing smile.

Exploring markets was always a fun adventure. I’d jumped up from my seat with a bright smile, eager to head out.

“Eve, be careful. The capital market’s a lot bigger than it looks. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll get lost easily,” Ellie had warned.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m more worried about you, Alex. You’re the one who might get lost!”

“Oh? Confident, aren’t you? Our adult Eve,” Alex had teased.

“Of course! They don’t call me the walking navigation system for nothing!” I’d declared proudly.

“…What?”

“Ah, nothing, never mind!”

I’d been so confident when we left the inn.

And now here I was.

Alone.

Lost.

In the middle of a park.

This is not happening.

“And now look at me.”

This was strange.

I hadn’t taken my eyes off where we were going, yet I’d still ended up lost.

Even stranger, I’d been holding Harp’s hand the entire time—how had we gotten separated?

Something about it felt… off.

Was this some kind of instinct tied to my smaller, younger body?

“Ugh, what do I do?”

I needed to find the others quickly.

The sun was still up, but time passed faster than expected, and it could get dark before I knew it.

I started walking slowly along the park’s path, looking around for any sign of my group.

The surroundings were still eerily calm.

The gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and the faint chirping of birds created a peaceful atmosphere.

Normally, I’d have enjoyed such tranquility, but not now.

No matter how serene the setting, being lost meant I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Ugh.”

My head throbbed with the stress of it all.

I had no idea where the market was, no clue where the inn was, and no sense of which direction to take.

I was completely at a loss.

Suddenly, the sound of a child crying broke the silence.

“Huh?”

I stopped in my tracks, turning my head toward the noise.

Walking a little closer, I saw a small child sitting on the ground, crying.

The kid’s tear-streaked face darted around desperately, as if searching for something.

…I have a bad feeling about this.

If I talk to that kid, I’m definitely going to get dragged into something.

Still, leaving them here didn’t feel right. Even though I was in a hurry to find my own group…

“Um… hey, are you okay?” I asked hesitantly.

My answer was yes.

No matter how dire my situation, I didn’t have the heart—or the courage—to ignore a crying child.

It just felt… wrong.

I cautiously approached and asked what was wrong.

The child looked up at me, wiping their tears.

“Sniff… My cat… I lost my cat…”

“Your cat?”

“Yes… It was just here, but then it disappeared…”

The child’s eyes welled up with tears again as they glanced around helplessly.

I sighed softly and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll help you find it. Do you remember which way it went?”

“It went… that way…”

The child pointed toward a large tree standing tall nearby.

From up above, I heard a faint noise.

“Meow.”

“Huh?”

The familiar sound made me look up, and there it was—a small cat trembling on a high branch of the tree.

“Is that your cat?”

“Yes…”

I took a moment to assess the situation.

“Alright, wait here for a bit. I’ll bring your cat down.”

“Really? Thank you so much!”

There wasn’t anything nearby that could be used to coax the cat down.

Calling out to it seemed risky—the sudden movement could make it fall.

Even though cats are good at climbing, falling from that height could end badly.

Which left me with only one option.

I’d have to climb up myself.

Gulp.

I swallowed nervously and placed my hands carefully on the tree.

Climbing a tree wasn’t something I was particularly familiar with.

It scared me, but the thought of saving that trembling cat kept me moving.

“Ugh…”

I grabbed the rough bark and began to climb.

It was harder than I expected—the bark was scratchy, and my hands stung—but I made slow and steady progress upward.

“Alright, just a bit more.”

Bit by bit, I got closer to the branch where the cat was perched.

As I neared, the poor thing looked at me with wide, frightened eyes, its tiny body shaking.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared. I’ll take you back home,” I said softly, doing my best to smile warmly.

I reached out my hand slowly to avoid startling it.

The cat flinched at first when my hand touched its fur, but after a moment, it relaxed and allowed me to hold it.

Its soft, warm fur felt comforting, and it snuggled into my arms. It was so small—it had to be just a kitten.

“Alright, now to get back down.”

With the kitten safely in my arms, I started descending the tree carefully.

Then it happened.

“Ah—!”

Maybe my feet were too small, or maybe I’d let my guard down.

Either way, my foot slipped, and I almost fell.

“Whoa!”

I wobbled precariously but managed to grab a nearby branch just in time to steady myself.

“Phew… that was close.”

From below, the child was staring at me with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, don’t worry! I’ll be down soon,” I reassured them.

Regaining my balance, I resumed my careful descent.

But just as I started down again, I heard hurried footsteps approaching.

“Wait a moment!”

A woman’s voice, filled with urgency, called out as she ran into the park.

The woman reached out toward me, her voice filled with urgency.

“You’re in danger!”

She rushed to the base of the tree, arms spread wide as if preparing to catch me in case I fell.

Her stance was… odd, to say the least.

But I was already climbing down steadily, so her help wasn’t exactly necessary.

I glanced at her and gave a reassuring smile to let her know I was fine.

However, her worried expression didn’t change.

“You might fall! Be careful!”

“I’m really fine! Seriously!”

“Be careful!!”

“…Uh, okay…”

“BE! CAREFUL! YOU’RE SLIPPINGGG!”

Is she trying to jinx me into falling?

Her constant yelling was a bit distracting, but thankfully I stayed focused and continued climbing down.

Finally, my feet touched solid ground.

The woman let out a dramatic sigh of relief, lowering her hands.

“Oh my, you’re really okay… How strange. According to the usual tropes, you should’ve fallen.”

She scratched her cheek awkwardly, looking genuinely disappointed.

What’s with her?

“Meow.”

“Here, your cat. Safe and sound now.”

“Wow, thank you so much!”

I handed the kitten to the child, who beamed with joy and started bowing repeatedly in gratitude.

I smiled in response to let them know it was no trouble.

The moment I smiled, the child froze, their eyes growing wide like saucers.

“Wow, miss, you look so pretty when you smile!”

“Huh? Uh, really?”

“Yeah! You’re so kind, and pretty, and like an angel!”

“…Uh.”

Before I could respond, the child suddenly gasped, remembering something.

“Oh no! Mom told me to come back quickly! Miss, I’ve got to go now! Bye!”

“Uh, o-okay. Take care!”

With that, the child dashed off, the kitten safely in their arms.

Hearing those completely unfiltered compliments left me feeling… strange.

Being called ‘cool’ would’ve been one thing, but ‘pretty’?

What’s up with that?

I stood there for a while, watching the child run off with the kitten in their arms.

Pretty.

Like an angel.

Those words felt completely foreign to me.

It was strange—unsettling, even—to have someone direct the word pretty at me.

I wasn’t used to it.

I had been a man’s man.

The kind of person who was tough, cool, and never let anything make them cry.

In my life, the word pretty had always been the farthest thing from describing me.

But now…

I slowly lifted my hands to touch my face.

Small, soft cheeks.

A squishy, slightly pudgy belly.

The features I felt with my fingers were so different from the person I used to be.

A small, squishy girl.

I lowered my head with a quiet sigh.

Somewhere in my heart, I’d already accepted this reality.

But part of me still struggled to adapt, and that lingering hesitation frustrated me.

“It’s not a word that suits me…”

I muttered to myself, denying the idea aloud.

Yet, deep inside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that some part of me was beginning to accept it.

“Still…”

I looked once more in the direction the child had run off.

The image of the small hands clutching the kitten tightly, paired with their beaming, happy face, lingered in my mind.

“At least I did something good.”

Even if hearing those unfamiliar words had left me confused, the warmth of the child’s smile made all of that fade away.

“Ow!”

“Huh?”

While lost in thought, I felt a tug on my cheek.

“Wow, so squishy. Just as I expected!”

“Wha—what are you doing?!”

Someone had stretched out my cheek, and I turned to see the culprit: the overly energetic woman from earlier.

Right… I’d completely forgotten she was still here.

“Impressive,” she said with a grin.

“My cheek?”

“No, what you did for that kid. Climbing such a tall tree—where’d you even get the idea? That was seriously brave.”

“…The kid was crying. I couldn’t just walk away.”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed by her praise.

“Well, that kind of attitude? Not bad,” she said with a warm smile.

Then, she extended her hand toward me.

“So, what’s your name?”

“My name is Eve.”

“Alright, Eve. Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing you’re lost. Want me to help you out?”

“You’d really do that?”

“Of course!”

“Um… what’s your name?”

“Me? I’m Sua. Han Sua.”

“Han Sua?”

“Yup!”

Huh.

That name felt oddly familiar.

“Uh… huh…”

Where have I heard that name before?

It lingered on the edge of my memory, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall.

It was as if something was blocking me from remembering.

Who… who was she?