The Thorn that Pierces Me

This wasn’t the first time she had faced assault or harassment in this world. From the man seated next to her on the plane to everyone she met afterward, they all tried to exploit her—for no reason other than being a woman without legal standing in this world.

However, the man’s gaze was utterly indifferent. In that moment, a spark of realization flickered through Heesoo’s mind.

‘This man is different from all the men I’ve met so far.’

He seemed like a savior—the first she had come across in this forsaken world. Someone who wouldn’t harm her or take anything from her.

If she pleaded desperately enough... He might help.

“Étranger? (Outsider?)”

Heesoo nodded vigorously. It was a word she had heard others call her time and again.

Finally showing interest, the man crouched down. Then, he used his hands to pry her eyes open, peering into her pupils.

His emerald-green eyes moved back and forth as he scrutinized her.

Heesoo knew what he was trying to find.

The zombies all had their eyes turned inside out, and before becoming a zombie, their pupils would turn red as a precursor. This man was checking for that. It was clear that he knew quite a bit about zombies.

After checking both Heesoo’s left and right eyes, he stood up again and looked down at her quietly. It seemed as if he was pondering whether to leave her in the flames or to save her.

Heesoo’s heart began to thump rapidly. Her life was hanging on the man’s decision.

“Ah... ah... uuuh....”

She wanted to beg for her life, but Heesoo was only able to produce mumbling sounds, not coherent words.

Even so, effective communication would have been unlikely, as she didn’t know the language of this world.

‘Please save me. Please, please....’

Heesoo looked up at the man with the most earnest eyes she could muster. It felt as if her legs were burning, probably because the chair legs had caught fire.

After a moment of thought, the man finally bent down again.

With a swift snap, he easily severed the ropes binding Heesoo as if slicing through rubber bands, liberating her legs as well.

“Hmmph....”

Freed from the chair, her body rolled onto the floor, numb from being tied up. Without any hesitation, the man turned his back on the burning hut. Heesoo watched his back and then, gathering her strength, she stood up.

‘I have to follow him.’

Staying behind alone would inevitably lead to what she had already painfully endured - a conclusion all too familiar based on her past experience in this world.

Desperate to keep up, Heesoo hurried after the man. But he was significantly taller and walked much faster. There seemed to be at least a 30-centimeter difference in their heights. The man, who was seemingly aware of Heesoo trailing behind, made no effort to slow down.

Catching up to him became increasingly difficult, especially in the forest where running was hard due to the bumpy, soggy surface. But she feared being left alone forever if she lost sight of him.

“Argh!!”

Eventually, Heesoo stumbled hard to the ground as she pushed herself to run, feeling pain in her knees and the areas where she fell. But she had no time to check her injuries.

Heesoo quickly got up and continued to follow the man. After running desperately for a while, she managed to get into reach, trailing behind the man by only a few steps.

Then, the man abruptly stopped. The stop was so sudden that Heesoo almost bumped into him. When she barely recovered her balance, the man glanced back towards her.

“Toi. (You.)”

Knowing he was addressing her, Heesoo hesitated.

“Arrête de me suivre. (Stop following me.)”

Even though she didn’t understand the exact meaning, it seemed he was telling her to get lost. His sharp voice sounded like a warning.

“Si tu me suis encore, je vais te brûler aussi. Comme je leur ai fait. (If you keep following me, I’ll burn you as well. Just like how I burned those maenok into ashes.)”

The man didn’t wait for an answer; he just said his piece and turned his head to resume walking.

Heesoo didn’t understand what he said, but his low, threatening voice intimidated her slightly.

‘But I can’t be left alone again.’

Heesoo started to follow him again. His pace was faster than before, and Heesoo had to run breathlessly to barely keep up. The man didn’t look at Heesoo but merely moved his lips.

“Casse-toi. (Get lost.)”

Heesoo tried to anticipate what the man was trying to say based on his expression and tone. Although spoken in a quiet voice, it had a sharp and fierce tone hidden under. As she walked behind him, dejected, he slightly frowned.

“Tu n’écoutes pas? Casse-toi. (Didn’t you hear me? GET LOST.)”

A small stream appeared. Heesoo, too focused on following the man and reading his mood, didn’t realize her feet were getting wet.

Eventually, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Heesoo directly.

“Do you not understand a word I’m saying?”