Kiss the Stranger

Before it was even daylight, Kamar was already up. I, who had finally fallen asleep, woke abruptly when he scooped me up in his arms.
“Go back to sleep. The sun hasn’t risen yet.”
He said it simply, holding me in one arm while he stowed our things and finished packing. Once he slid into the driver’s seat, he paused at the sight of the cat, Rikal, already perched on my lap—then, without another word, he started the engine. As I woke fully, he handed me the bread and water he’d prepared in advance.

“We’ll have to drive for hours. We’ll stop for lunch later.”
I nodded. I poured a little water into Rikal’s dish first, then tore off a corner of the bread, choosing the soft part, and placed it in my palm. Seeing the cat gobble it down made Kamar frown.
“What is there that this cat won’t eat?”

“He likes fish best. But we don’t have much, so he has to eat whatever he can.”
Right? I scratched Rikal’s head with my fingertips. He meowed softly and resumed devouring the bread. Once he’d eaten his fill, I prepared to eat the rest. Kamar still looked puzzled, but said nothing further.
Then came the problem. My face, which had been aching, flared up as soon as I tried to bite into the bread.

“Ugh…”
I groaned without realizing it, and Kamar turned to look at me immediately.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Does it hurt badly?”
The spot where my uncle had struck me throbbed more with each passing moment. Every swallow felt like my whole face was being pierced, and the jostling of the car made the wound ache. I fished out the painkillers and swallowed one quickly. Seeing that I had only a few left, I vowed to save them for when it really hurt. After the night passed, not only my cheek but my eyelid swelled so much it was hard to blink. Every time I forced down the pooled saliva, the metallic tang of blood made my stomach churn.

“Who was it? One of them do this?”
Kamar’s voice grew rough. He looked ready to turn the car back and put them to death. I shook my head hastily.
“N-no. It’s not like that… He did enough.”

“Enough? That’s not enough. He screwed up—you shouldn’t have left him alive.”
I thought to myself, What good is it to leave him alive? but I didn’t ask.
“I took medicine. I’ll be fine soon.”

Kamar glanced at me. I wanted to smile but gave up, saying instead that I’d be okay. Still, his expression didn’t soften. Worried now, I asked,
“What if we go back and they catch us… Will you leave me behind?”
Kamar fell silent, though his grim expression remained. Outside, the sun was slowly rising above the horizon.

The desert stretched on without end. No matter how long we drove, the landscape never changed. Soon after sunrise, the car’s interior grew stiflingly hot, but the rundown vehicle’s air conditioner barely worked. Trapped in the lukewarm breeze all day, I slumped in my seat.
“Drink some water. It’s behind you.”
Kamar said, one hand on the wheel while the other reached behind him. The cat, sprawled across the backseat, seized the moment to extend his claws, but Rikal was too exhausted to do any real damage. Ignoring the faint scratch, Kamar handed me the water bottle. I gulped it down, then glanced back. Rikal stirred as if waiting, so I carefully lifted him onto my lap and poured water into the cap.

“Here. Drink, Rikal.”
As I watched him lap up the water, I stole a look at Kamar. When I handed him the bottle, he took it readily and drained the rest in just three long gulps. Throwing the empty bottle back into the rear seat without a second thought, he checked the sun’s position, then turned the wheel. As the car crested a sand dune and began descending the other side, I felt slightly lighter.
“Let’s stop for a bit.”

Kamar killed the engine and reached behind him into our stacked luggage. He pulled out something and said,
“Here.”
Exhausted by the heat, I barely managed to open my eyes as Kamar gently lifted me and wrapped a length of white cloth around me from head to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) toe, leaving only my eyes exposed. Regaining a bit of awareness, I froze at the sight of Rikal panting on my lap. Seeing me panic, Kamar spoke quietly.
“It would’ve been better to leave the cat behind.”

“But…”
I bit my lip. I knew I had to do something for Rikal, but nothing came to mind. Kamar watched me fidget, then reached back and retrieved a fresh water bottle and towel. He soaked the towel thoroughly and draped it over Rikal’s body.
“Change it often.”

“Okay.”
I nodded and took the remaining water, though worry gnawed at me immediately.
“Do we have enough water…?”

“No.”
Kamar answered without hesitation. As I checked Rikal’s condition and looked up, he corrected himself flatly.
“We do.”

“So… do we or don’t we?”
I asked warily. Kamar kept his face blank.
“We do. You’re too focused on the cat.”

I let out a hollow laugh.
“What’s that supposed to mean….”

Kamar’s expression softened slightly, though he didn’t laugh. Our conversation ended, and we sank back into silence. My breaths came in ragged pants until Kamar spoke again.

“Don’t worry. We’ll reach the city in a day or two.”
“…Okay.”
“I have a plan. Everything will work out.”

“Okay.”
After a pause, Kamar asked,
“You trust me, right?”
“I do.”

I answered without hesitation.
“I trust you, Kamar. More than myself.”
At last, Kamar’s expression softened fully. He leaned in as if to kiss me, then stopped—my wound wasn’t healed yet. He gave a wry look and stroked my head.

“…Have people always beaten you like that?”
In his quiet voice, I paused before answering.
“Not so badly I couldn’t bear it.”

When Ghurab came on errands and was in a foul mood, he used to slap me. But since I began weaving tapestries, the beatings stopped. Realizing that the last tapestry I made was still in the backseat, I swallowed dryly.
“How’d you manage to bring that?”
Kamar shrugged as if it were nothing.

“I ransacked that bastard’s room. Since you made it, it was bound to come along.”
I almost swallowed my tongue at the thought of his threat to break someone’s neck. I cleared my throat and looked away as Kamar continued.
“They pick on you because they think you’re weak.”

“I know.”
I answered bitterly, about to say it couldn’t be helped since it was true, when Kamar added,
“They’re all wrong. You’re strong. I know.”

Surprised by his words, I looked up. He met my eyes seriously.
“You’re a strong person. Trust me.”
“…Okay.”

I nodded. My heart fluttered so wildly I couldn’t speak. My face burned, but it wasn’t from the injury. Flustered, I stared at the cat, forcing myself not to lean over and kiss Kamar.
Night fell again, and around sunset Kamar pulled the car to a stop.