Maru relaxed his shoulders and let go of things one by one. First, the lines he was uttering, then the movement lines he pictured inside his mind several times, and then finally, the order of progression that he had planned out in detail. He also jerked his body as though to shake off some dust. Around the time the words were lingering in his mouth and the lingering motions at his fingertips and toe tips were shaken off, he slowly raised his eyelids. Leaves rotting in the shade; a plastic bag that flew past in the wind; rocks that would catch the feet of mountain climbers; deep pits; and finally the trees that surrounded the area – the visual information that he had forgotten about entered his eyes all at once. He forgot about his home, the path he took here, as well as the mountain cabin, and just took all that he saw as they were. He took a deep breath. The stench of wet leaves, the freshness of grass, as well as the unique scent of the mountains that refreshed his mind filled his head. He took slow breaths so that every inch of his body was filled with the air of the scene.

“Seonbae, are you ready?”

“Wait a sec.”

Maru climbed up and down the hill with quick steps. He ran up and walked...