Hungry, hungry, so unbearably hungry.
His stomach felt like it was being devoured by thousands of large black ants, burning with pain.
His mouth constantly filled with sour bile.
Every time he tried to swallow it down, more surged up his throat.
Bok Taejin curled himself up as tightly as possible.
The cold sweat began to rolling down his forehead.
His consciousness was still hazy, but he forced himself to stay awake and refusing to pass out from hunger completely.
He had no idea what had happened—how he ended up in this unfamiliar forest after being hit by a car, or why he had collapsed from hunger the moment he arrived.
However, this was likely his only chance at survival.
Maybe when a person reaches the limits of hunger, they really are willing to eat anything.
Bok Taejin reaching out his hand to the ground.
His hands were weak—just making a fist was difficult.
He barely managed to grab a handful of rotten leaves mixed with dirt and was about to shove them into his mouth.
Suddenly, something passed by him, followed by a sharp whistling sound slicing through the air, moving from afar to right beside him.
"There! Over there!"
"I'll go pick it up!"
The chaotic voices made Bok Taejin pause mid-action, the rotten leaves still in his hand.
"Huh? Everyone, there's someone lying here!"
With the shouting and hurried footsteps, Bok Taejin felt himself being lifted into a sitting position.
He struggled to look up and saw a burly man grinning down at him.
Another man, who looked much older than him quickly walked over.
He took one look at Bok Taejin's condition and, without hesitation, untied the gourd at his waist and held it out in front of him.
The burly man supporting Bok Taejin's back while took the gourd and instinctively helped him to drink.
Bok Taejin didn't care about anything else—he gulped down the water, swallowing half a stomach's worth in one go before he finally feeling a little better.
If the man hadn't pulled the gourd away, he would have kept drinking.
Water couldn't fill his stomach, but in his current state, even having water was a blessing.
The burly man clicked his tongue, and someone handed over a large flatbread.
This time, Bok Taejin didn't need anyone's help.
His eyes shone green with hunger as he practically snatched it up and devoured it.
Luckily, thanks to the water he had just drunk, even though he was eating in a frenzy, he didn't get choked.
Someone nearby asked, "Kid, where are you from? How did you end up in these mountains?"
Bok Taejin quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and about to answer, but the burly man who is supporting him snorted.
"Seo Sowoo, are you that free? Go catch a few more mountain chickens or rabbits! Can't you see the kid's busy eating?"
The one who asked scratched his head.
He said nothing more, and walked off with his bow and arrows.