The man looked down at the bright-faced Tein and swallowed his saliva.

‘How did it come to this?’

Tein had come to the old log house not long after Sharti had gone down the mountain.

Peeking out the bedroom window, the man accidentally made eye contact with Tein, who was rushing towards the log house.

“There’s a bear, a bear!”

Startled by a shadow that brushed past the window, Tein shouted, and the man quickly moved away from the window.

“We must run!”

Up until that point, the smart child seemed ready to turn and flee immediately.

“Uuuum…”

Tein, about to return to the forest, stopped in his tracks, seemingly undergoing a change of heart. He sneaked a glance back at the log house with a determined look in his eyes.

Biting his lip as if making a decision, Tein crept toward the house.

“Could you, perhaps, be the patient, sir?”

The child’s scared voice came from outside, softly knocking on the wooden door with tiny fists.

Naturally, the man didn’t respond.

“Isn’t the teacher with you?”

The child persistently spoke in a scared voice.

The man believed Tein would obediently turn back. From what he had observed in the cave, the child was clever.

But he had overlooked something.

“We must save the teacher! I’ll call Grandma!”

“……!”

Eventually, the man opened the door first.

Standing in front of the abruptly opened door was Tein, clutching a bundle tightly, as if he had been waiting for the man to come out.

The child looked up at the man with wide eyes.

“…You…”

“You are the patient, sir! You’ve opened your eyes!”

“Wait, kid. Come inside.”

Tein had come to the log house alone.

‘That’s a relief, at least.’

The man gazed at the child, looking up at him with big, round eyes.

“Patient, sir!”

“Why.”

“Why are you here, sir?”

Seven years old was an age full of curiosity.

The man pondered how to explain at the child’s level.

“Your teacher brought me here.”

Tein shook his head.

The man’s eyebrow rose at the gesture of disbelief.

“I promised the teacher. When the patient sir wakes up, we must run away.”

“……”

A silent laugh escaped the man’s lips.

He could have been left behind in that small cave if things had gone slightly wrong.

“It’s true. Ask your teacher.”

“Understood.”

Tein nodded vigorously.

The sight of the child’s small head bobbing up and down was quite endearing.

‘Escape.’

He was already anxious as Sharti’s return was delayed.

The fearsome soldiers who had taken her might have turned things around and divulged information about him.

‘He must have had trouble trusting people.’

Sharti was a benefactor.

Yet, the man couldn’t let go of a thread of distrust towards others, despite her saving and treating him.

‘What kind of person was he to end up like this, even with amnesia?’

He was afraid of remembering, assuming the worst, and was a scoundrel who threatened using words like ‘wanted’ and ‘witness.’

‘She would surely turn her kindness into scorn if she knew his true intentions.’

“Thank goodness.”

“For what?”

“The patient sir’s wound isn’t healed yet. You need a guardian.”

“Is that so?”

“An unhealed wound can fester and worsen. It’s a big problem if the wound gets infected.”

Tein explained with genuine concern, even gesturing with his body, remembering how severe his state had been when they first met.

The sincerity in his voice made the man relax his shoulders, accepting Tein’s words in a more comfortable posture.
“But how did the patient sir get so badly injured? Losing a lot of blood is dangerous.”

Tein spoke with a serious expression.

“If it wasn’t for the teacher, I would have died.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I brought the teacher here. Only the teacher could save the patient sir.”

Indeed, without Sharti, he would have lost his life several times over.

“Why?”

“An injured person must be saved.”

“What if that injured person is a bad person?”

Tein’s small mouth firmly closed. He seemed to be pondering seriously.

The child’s varied expressions were quite amusing to the man who had lost his memory.

“Even if it’s a bad person, they must be saved first.”

“What if it becomes dangerous?”

“Grandma said we must help if someone asks for it.”

“Grandma, huh? Do you have a big family?”

“…….”

The chatty mouth shut again.

His caution in keeping personal information private was impressive. Teacher and student were alike in that respect.

Perhaps it was the child’s innocence that eased the man’s guard. A smile flickered across his face.

“I don’t remember anything about my family.”

Tein’s ears perked up at the unexpected remark.

The man tapped his head.

“It seems my head is broken.”

“People are not machines. They don’t break.”

“Is that so? But I don’t remember anything. Where I lived, what I did for a living, how old I am, whether I had a family… I don’t remember anything.”

Tein’s mouth opened wide in astonishment.

“I’ve even forgotten my name.”

“That’s… very sad.”

Tears tinged Tein’s voice.

Unlike Sharti, he believed him without a shadow of doubt.

“That’s why your teacher agreed to look after me.”

“The teacher is a good person.”