Pak! Pak!
By the river, Hyerin crouched over a stone, smacking her soaked clothes against it with a flat wooden plank. The morning sun had risen high, and its rays stung her skin like hot needles. Sweat poured from her brow in steady drops—though by now, even she couldn't tell if they were sweat or tears.
"Nam Hyerin, you idiot, you freaking idiot, aish!" she mumbled with a sniffle, whacking the fabric again and again until she felt her arm turned sore.
She slumped over, defeated, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Take responsibility? Are you crazy?" she repeated aloud, horrified. "Why? Why did I say those things?"
Goodness. Take responsibility to a big snake and his children? Did she really say that? Out loud?
"Wah, I'm doomed!"
Hell right. She's so doomed.
She had actually said those words. Without even thinking. Was she that happy of having her children and becoming a mother?
She wasn't just stepping into Ashta's shoes—she had practically proposed to that man! And all of it had come straight out of her own stupid mouth.
She buried her red face in the fabric. She had dug a hole so deep she wasn't sure she could climb back out.
Looking down at her swollen, work-worn hands, she sighed again. She wasn't afraid of hardship. But she was a modern woman—how was she supposed to survive like this?
It had only been five days since she had woken up in Ashta's body. In that short time, she had tried her best to adapt to this unfamiliar, primitive world. She shared a cave with Sol, fought off mosquitoes, and tended to him through his morning sickness and moods.
Just five days. But she felt like she had aged ten years.
She didn't even have the energy to cry over that bastard Minjae anymore. All she wanted now was a warm bed, a good night's sleep, and one simple bowl of white rice along with a simmering beef stew to warm her weary soul and body.
She missed her apartment. Her washing machine. Her portable appliances. Her small comforts.
How had life come to this?
Sigh. Nevermind, what can she possibly do when she died?
This type of consolation maybe tiring but she should at least be thankful for being given a second life to live while expecting for her little babies to be born soon and call her "Mommy."
"Oh gosh, I can't wait for my little darlings." Hyerin beamed and mentally squealed.
Just the thought of it was enough to melt her soul.
Hyerin continued her task. After some time, she finished rinsing the clothes and squeezed them dry with all her strength. Then, she spread them carefully over a shrub to let them dry.
Next, she set about baiting a straw basket with overripe bananas in hopes of catching fish. It looked crude, but it worked.
She stood slowly, her joints stiff from kneeling, and let out a small groan.
Hyerin wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and began walking towards the shed of a nearby mango tree.
"Sol's probably throwing up again," she muttered. The man looked paler by the day. She was genuinely worried that the babies wouldn't be nourished properly.
Catching fish wasn't easy. Making traps, baiting, cooking—it was exhausting. And to make things worse, Sol hated the fishy smell.
He barely touched anything besides bananas and wild berries. She had no clue what beastmen were supposed to eat, but he was a snake-type, wasn't he? Snakes were carnivores! If he didn't start eating properly, he might end up eating her out of desperation!
Hyerin groaned inwardly.
"I want meat too!" she cried into the sky. But she never tried hunting and wouldn't want to go off anyway in the fear of being hunted instead.
Sol told her not to stray away and stay within a hundred meters from their cave. Well, she never thought of it anyway unless he accompanied her. Having a big snake with a big attitude as a guard while scouring the mountains sounded more promising than Minjae mourning for her death.
Fortunately, the river was within reach which made a few things that required water convenient for her such as washing their garments and fishing like today.
He mentioned something about ferals in the mountain and not going out of his territory. She decided to think about going out a break in a zoo but aside from the small animals occasionally making appearances, she had never met any notable creature like another big snake coming to visit their pregnant cousin.
"If only I can find some honey combs to soothe his stomach and shut his grumpiness for a day—Wah!"
Her foot slipped.
Bam!
"Ouch! My back!" she winced. Her butt fell first and it freaking hurts, ah!
Anyway, what was that? Something had tugged at the hem of her clothes, causing her to be out of balanced. In the end, she flailed before catching herself just in time.
Blinking, she looked down and saw the perpetrator. A pair of large, round, dewy eyes stared up at her and bumped on her like a wrecking ball.
Uff!
Hyerin felt her guts making loud protest to throw away the little ball of trouble.
"Sister!"
"L-Little Fluff… and—"
Tweet! Tweet!
"I see… it's just you two." Hyerin groaned and let out a breath of relief.She thought some wild boar appeared and lunge at her.
Hyerin raise her hands and let the snowy white bird perch down on her open palms.
It was a small white bird no bigger than a cotton puff. Its feather looked like a newly hatch baby chick's but was as white as a blanket of snow during winter with black-streaked feather on its small wings.
"Is this what they call wilderness therapy?" she murmured, eyes twinkling like stars.
Aww, so cute, so soft, so pure and pinchy!
Hyerin wanted to pinch it but was afraid it would be hurt so she just gently patted its head and rubbed it gently against her cheek like Gua Sha, giving her more glow than the actual jade.
She then placed the little fellow on her shoulder, making her mood lifted in a second. Hyerin slowly rose and dusted off her clothes. And then, she scooped the small cub in her arms and hugged it like a stuffed toy.
"Little Fluff, sister missed you! You're becoming more and more squishy by the day, Sister just wants to hold you closer."
"Sis... Sister, tight. Not so tight. Wah! I can't breathe! Big Sister, you're breaking Konkon's bones!"
The small red cub struggled and gasped. Konkon howled in panic and desperately tried to break free from her vice-like hug.
"O-Oh, my!" Hyerin flinched and quickly loosened her grip. Her eyes turned extremely apologetic and filled with worries.
"Oh my gosh. Konkon are you hurt?"
"K-Konkon is fine, sister. Don't blame yourself."
In reality, he actually thought his bones would be snapped into fragments and that made him shudder.
"It's just that, Konkon feel really weak after getting a big hug from Sister. It hurts here, here and here."
Whimper.
Sniff.
"Sister, Konkon is dizzy. I even see two of your beautiful faces. Will I be okay? Will you carry Konkon until later?"
The little cub replied pitifully and Hyerin's heart felt undoubtedly responsible.
"Of course!" She cooed.
"Sister will carry you like a baby as long as you like. Sorry Little Fluff. Sister went overboard, aren't I? I just couldn't help myself for a second. You guys were just too cute and soft. Especially you, Sister felt healed hugging you, Konkon."
"You, you feel healed because you hug me? Is it really true?" Konkon stuttered and even blushed a little, making his snot bright and red. "Sister, feel free to hug me, kiss me, I don't mind at all. We can became mat—"
Uff!