[Contest 2] Prehistoric Romance
Episode 3: Sprout
This morning, Yeoju set out into the forest early. As she entered, the fresh air seemed to greet her once again.
As she delved deeper, the heroine picked up tiny pine cones and flowers and put them in her bag, intending to use them as materials for jewelry.
As she was gathering the ingredients, she felt like she had collected a certain amount, so she carefully laid them on the floor and started to make something.
I made a bracelet by stringing various materials together with animal tendons. The woman tried it on on her wrist and looked satisfied.
As a smile spread across her face, the forest breeze also welcomed her.
After some time had passed, the heroine turned around at the entrance to the forest, hearing the sound of footsteps.
Jinyoung was standing there smiling.
배진영
"Hello. Nice to meet you again today."
Then the female protagonist answered as if it were obvious.
여주
"Well, we promised. We'll keep meeting."
After exchanging brief greetings, we resumed our walk along the forest path. The early morning air felt unusually cool.
As they continued walking, the female protagonist stopped, suggesting they take a break. Jinyoung also stopped walking and leaned quietly against a tree.
Yeoju leaned against a tree, took a deep breath, and then hurried her steps to continue. She wanted to do more than yesterday.
외로운 남자
"Heroine!"
배진영
"Hey, come here."
As the heroine looked around in a hurry to escape, Jinyoung grabbed her hand and pulled her along. They ended up running away together, holding hands.
As I ran, I took advantage of a moment when I disappeared from sight and hid behind a large tree. As I tried to keep my breathing as quiet as possible, I heard footsteps approaching.
They covered their noses and mouths with their hands to muffle each other's breathing. Jinyoung hid himself in a tree, embracing the woman.
The sound of footsteps faded away, then disappeared, and Yeoju breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so Yeoju quickly calmed down and continued walking.
Without letting go of the hands they were holding.
As we reached the riverbank, without a word, we all drank water. Looking at the rising sun, it seemed like it was already lunchtime.
Then, the female protagonist splashed water on Jinyoung, who was drinking water.
In an instant, Jinyeong, struck by a torrent of water, looked at Yeoju in surprise. Yeoju had sprayed him with water and was running away. Jinyeong wasn't about to remain silent.
배진영
"You started it first?"
Jinyoung chased after Yeoju, and after spraying each other with water, they finally sat down by the riverside. They caught their breath and laughed as they looked at each other's soaking wet bodies.
여주
"Really, it's funny."
배진영
"You're no pushover either, are you?"
As they tried to catch their breath, their clothes suddenly became soaked. As their soaked clothes grew heavier, they began to hurriedly walk away.
Jinyoung said to Yeoju as they walked along the river.
배진영
"Let's eat when we arrive."
At the word "food," they walked faster than ever. After filling the water jug Jinyoung had brought, they headed to Jinyoung's house.
When we got home, we each put down our luggage. Then, as if we'd just matched our lunch boxes, we each opened them and took a bite.
배진영
"It's so delicious that I could eat it again. Did you say lamb?"
The female protagonist nodded. After a long time of silence, she finished her food and sat down. Jinyoung continued to move busily.
Jinyoung was holding a small hoe in his hand. Seeing this, the female protagonist asked him.
여주
"What are you doing?"
Then, as if realizing that the heroine was watching her, her face turned red and she hid her hands behind her back. But it was useless, since she had already seen her.
배진영
"Ah... I was so distracted that I was about to finish cleaning the house, but I got caught."
What was I supposed to do if I was going to act so blatantly? Then maybe I should've at least pretended not to notice. I didn't dislike Jinyoung's honesty.
"Oh, I see," the heroine replied, her gaze quietly following his hand into the open house.
It was dark, but I couldn't see anything, suggesting this wasn't an ordinary house. A closer look revealed it was a storage room for food.
A clay vessel was buried on the floor. Judging by the fruit inside, it seemed to have been stored in advance.
여주
"The warehouse seems to be being organized... Should I help you?"
Jinyoung seemed to think for a moment, then eventually brought Yeoju into the warehouse.
As I entered the warehouse, I saw objects hidden in the darkness. Judging by their appearance, they were farming tools.
I looked around. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the bowl contained not fruit, but tiny seeds. The heroine was amazed by this new object.
Jinyoung was a little flustered, as if he hadn't anticipated the heroine's reaction. Jinyoung calmed down, saying, "That could be possible," and asked the heroine.
배진영
"Have you... ever seen this?"
Jinyoung grabbed a handful of the seeds from the bowl and showed them to the female protagonist. However, his expression was no different from before.
여주
"Uh. Is this something you use for farming?"
When Jinyoung was asked a counter-question, he timidly nodded instead of answering. The female protagonist then looked around the warehouse more, her expression still curious, and Jinyoung spoke.
배진영
"Want to try farming?"
Then, the female protagonist, as if pleased, ran out of the warehouse, holding her farming tools. Jinyoung smiled faintly at the sight of the female protagonist, who looked like a child.
As they arrived near the river where Jinyoung had guided them, a plant growing on the ground caught their eye. Yeoju spotted it and crouched down to observe it.
The tiny sprout felt cute and magical.
Jinyoung carefully dug up the fully grown plants nearby. He stuffed the plants, their roots exposed, into the bag he'd brought.
배진영
"Just pull it out like this and put it here."
After Jinyoung demonstrated it a few times, Yeoju seemed to follow along, then focused intently. After digging so intently, Yeoju collapsed to the floor.
It was because she had been so focused that her legs lacked strength. Jinyoung smiled at her and advised her to take a break.
I quietly crawled to the riverbank and washed my hands. After taking a deep breath, I looked at Jinyeong. He had already dug everything out, and he was wiping the sweat off his face with one hand on his hip.
The woman got up and walked back toward the field. Jinyoung, who had confirmed that she was coming, handed her some seeds.
배진영
"Now, if you plant these seeds, they will grow again."
여주
"So when will you grow this much again?"
배진영
"Don't worry and plant it, it will grow quickly if you look at it every day."
Jinyoung and Yeoju dug the ground together with their hands. Yeoju briefly looked at Jinyoung, and he nodded cautiously.
The woman took a deep breath, then sprinkled the seeds on the soil and covered them again. After covering them, the planting spot was no longer visible.
Yeoju and Jinyoung stood up and looked at the field they had been cultivating together. Then, a sudden thought struck Jinyoung and he quickly spoke to Yeoju.
배진영
"Oh, I just thought of a nickname I'd like to call you. Can I use it?"
여주
"Uh... what, what is it?"
Jinyoung's words were out of the blue, but Yeoju pressed him for an answer. Jinyoung gazed at the field, then stroked Yeoju's head and answered.
배진영
"Sprout."
Then a quiet silence flowed between them.
☆작가데쓰☆
Hello, I am the author.
☆작가데쓰☆
Um... Thank you to all the readers who subscribed and left comments while I was serializing this article!
☆작가데쓰☆
I ask for your continued interest and love as I continue to serialize... I will continue to work hard and become a beloved author.
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If I were to spoil it, that's right... Ahem, I'll stop spoiling things here...
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Once again, thank you to all our readers!
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Well then, bye bye☆