Despite the cold outside and the chill lingering inside, Kai's sweat refused to dry.
Meanwhile, Wee had brought medicine for Lamai. But the moment she entered the room, Lamai's eyes began to trace her expressions closely. Her ears and cheeks were flushed red, her hands trembled ever so slightly, and her breaths were quick and uneven...as if she had just run a long distance, or as though she had been frightened.
Yet Lamai's thoughts did not go that far. She did not realize that these very symptoms could also appear after kissing someone for the very first time.
Wee, on the other hand, quickly averted her gaze, afraid that her restlessness might be noticed.
But Lamai had already drawn her own conclusion.
Perhaps, she thought, the dreadful news had reached Wee's ears.....the news of a sixteen-year-old girl's murder in the city. Yes, that had to be it. Surely Wee had heard the report and rushed inside in a panic. That was why her breath was so uneven, her face so flushed with fear, while she pretended not to be afraid of anyone at all.
Narrowing her eyes, Lamai continued to stare at Wee.
Wee felt the weight of that gaze, and her heart sank. "What if she already knows what happened there? That must be why she's looking at me like this. Aaaaahhhh!!! What if she asks me about it? What will I say? Why it happened… what am I supposed to do?"
Then, Lamai finally spoke.
"I understand what you're trying to do."
Wee's mind went blank in shock. She spun around toward Lamai in alarm and stammered,
"No… no… it's nothing like what you're thinking!"
Lamai tilted her head, her lips twisting into a sly grin, her eyes narrowing in playful mockery.
"Of course. You're a warrior, aren't you? Who would even dare to kill you?"
Wee's expression loosened with bewildered relief. Only then did she realize...Lamai was talking about something entirely different. She knew nothing. And why would she? She wasn't there.
Wee let out a faint smile, exhaling a long breath, and asked why anyone would even want to kill her.
At that, Lamai picked up the remote and switched on the news channel again. The same report still played on the screen: the murder of a young girl.
Wee's eyes landed on the screen, and unease gripped her once more.
A sudden longing welled up in her chest.....a deep desire to return to her mother's side.