Still, Hayoon knew—
She must have left her own marks on Jieun’s body.
No, they were probably worse.
Bones don’t just break easily.
When bones break, they often scrape against muscles and blood vessels, causing them to tear.
Inevitably, that leads to far larger bruises and severe swelling.
Even though Jieun had been treated at a clinic—
Come to think of it, Jieun had been shot once before.
She had used magic to block most of it, but she had still bled.
Though there were no signs of a bullet wound, and her magic likely healed any skin damage without leaving scars, it must have hurt for much longer than she let on.
When was the last time Jieun visited a clinic?
Normally, bruises can take weeks to heal without treatment—anywhere from two to three weeks, depending on their severity.
But with magic, they should heal in minutes.
Even considering that Jieun wasn’t very skilled at using her magic, it shouldn’t have taken more than a week.
And yet, those marks were still so prominent.
—Jieun hadn’t taken any severe hits in her last battle.
Hayoon’s body trembled.
Not because the water level had dropped, exposing her skin to the air, but because of the chill brought on by fear.
Even now, Jieun was in pain.
She was enduring it alone, living in this desolate place.
The only “companion” she had was that foul-mouthed, obnoxious adult.
No one to comfort her.
No one to help her.
She was essentially alone, without proper food or support—
Sensing something was off, Jieun turned her head.
Hayoon quickly averted her gaze, causing the low water to splash loudly.
Had Jieun noticed?
Did she realize Hayoon had been staring blankly at her back?
Hayoon’s shoulders trembled violently.
“Are you cold?”
Fortunately, Jieun’s question was nothing more than that.
Her voice carried no suspicion that Hayoon might have seen her body.
Hayoon trembled again.
“I’m done. I’ll dry off and get dressed first.”
Jieun seemed to assume Hayoon was shivering because of the cold.
Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, Hayoon couldn’t tell.
Could it be that Jieun wouldn’t find it strange even if someone saw her body?
That battered body…
…
If she thought of it as normal—
Even after Jieun left to get dressed, Hayoon remained frozen, unable to move.
As Jieun had said, it was cold.
But that wasn’t the sole reason for the chill Hayoon felt.
At least she had brought a towel.
It was fortunate that she’d remembered some essentials for living outdoors.
Maybe she’d have to lend Jieun some underwear or clothes.
Thankfully, none of the girls were overwhelmingly taller or bulkier than her.
Even her own clothes felt loose, so they might fit Jieun fine.
Fortunate? Hayoon wasn’t sure.
Because Jieun had left the tub so abruptly, Hayoon’s own body ended up fully exposed.
Without thinking, Jieun glanced over, catching sight of Hayoon’s pale, trembling back, and quickly looked away.
Hayoon hurriedly dried herself and put on her underwear.
Even though she had only washed with water, it had been a long time since she’d soaked in warm water like this, and her body felt significantly better.
Honestly, she even felt a little refreshed.
Though her body still ached all over, the warmth made it a bit more bearable.
And the room was warm too—
No, no.
Hayoon quickly shook her head.
Even though the situation was helping her, she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it.
She wasn’t going to let herself feel like her life was improving.
She had things of her own.
She could offer something in trade.
After all, the energy they were using right now came from her circuit.
These kids didn’t even have proper clothes, just tattered rags.
The tattered state of my possessions wasn’t much better than theirs, but at least I had “extras.”
At the very least, I had packed a variety of undergarments and some canned food.
Still, listing out my bargaining items one by one only made me feel worse.
The kids were gathered in the center of the room.
Without any blankets, they had stuffed a plastic sheet full of leaves and tied up the ends.
Iris had built a makeshift stove, and while it wasn’t the depths of winter, the nights were still chilly.
Creak.
Lost in thought, I was startled as the door opened and Hayoon came in.
Her face was full of worry.
Was it because she couldn’t wash herself properly?
Maybe she just felt awkward washing with nothing but water.
Should I stop by somewhere to get supplies next time we go monster hunting?
Would we even have time for that?
“I’m done.”
Hayoon quickly said as our eyes met.
Her previously gloomy expression instantly brightened.
She was forcing herself to act okay.
It was probably because of me.
Because… I had cut off our earlier conversation so awkwardly.
The thought pricked at my conscience again.
Now that I thought about it, Hayoon must have taken care of everything on her own afterward—emptying the tub and refilling it with clean water using a bucket.
Even with the cauldron nearby, it must have been exhausting without running water.
Another debt added.
I clenched my teeth.
“All right, next up is Iris and me.”
Rose stood up, her face bright. Iris looked reluctant as she glanced back and forth between Hayoon and me before slowly rising from her seat.
The two headed for the kitchen while the rest of us went to where Delphinium and Dahlia were waiting.
Delphinium and Dahlia glanced at me nervously.
I was the only one who hadn’t been helpful today.
Even though they had worked to improve our food situation, I was the odd one out.
Standing there with my fists clenched, I took a deep breath and turned toward the tent.
Inside, I opened the zipper of a large hiking bag.
I stared at the food supplies inside before pulling out a new can of Spam and two cans of tuna, grinding my teeth.
It wasn’t enough to feed everyone.
We had six teenage girls who would need plenty of food to keep going.
But combined with the other provisions, it might provide enough nutrition to get by.
Carrying the food out, I tossed it roughly in front of the kids.
“Today’s rations.”
The kids looked at the food and then back at me.
I expected their gazes to be accusatory.
After all, I had mostly given them nuts and energy bars up until now.
If they knew I’d been hoarding canned food, they might have been angry.
But the only emotion I could read on their faces was concern.
“Are you sure?”
Or was I just imagining it?
Was it my own guilt making me think that?
Either way, it was a moment where I felt utterly pathetic.
“…Once everyone’s done bathing… once everyone’s cleaned up, we’ll split it and eat.”
At this rate, the food would probably run out in just a few days.
But even so, I didn’t want to just take.
I didn’t want to lose.
I didn’t want to give up the last shred of my pride.
“Well, well.”
James watched me with an intrigued look and let out a mocking hum.
Ignoring both the kids’ stares and James’ voice, I turned away and left the house in quick strides.
A full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the small field that Delphinium and Dahlia had cultivated.
Just as they said, the sprouts had already begun to grow, looking healthy and vibrant.
Overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion, I couldn’t bring myself to go back inside for a long time.
Not until the last two girls finished their baths.
Even when I finally returned, the kids hadn’t touched the food.
It seemed they were waiting for me to sit down with them before eating.
Again and again, since these kids arrived, I’d felt this unnameable emotion.
And no matter how many times I felt it, I couldn’t get used to it.
Nor did I want to.
Even as I resented my own pettiness, I hated how much comfort I found in the shared meal.