Red Hood and Hungry werewolf
The forest was quiet by the time Taehyung reached the edge of the second village.
His basket was a little heavier, filled with not just herbs from home but also tiny red berries he picked from the edge of the woods, a handful of wild mushrooms, and a few leaves of mountain mint he found while humming along the forest path.
A little sweat clung to his neck, the red hood slightly crooked from where he kept adjusting it under the sun. But his cheeks were pink from the breeze, his smile still bright, and his steps steady
As he neared the small cottage at the end of the path, his nose caught that familiar scent aged wood, mugwort, dried rice, and the faint smell of sandalwood that always clung to his grandmother’s shawls. The garden was smaller now, a little overgrown, but the front door still had the windchime he made when he was 12.
Taehyung/Red hood
“Halmeoni?”
The door creaked open slowly and the next second, Taehyung was wrapped in warm arms and shaky hands that pulled him close to a small, soft chest.
Taehyung's Grandmother
“My baby,” (his grandmother breathed, holding the back of his head.) “You came all by yourself?”
Taehyung/Red hood
(Taehyung smiled, eyes a little glassy.) “You're sick and Did you think I wouldn’t come?”
Taehyung's Grandmother
(His grandmother cupped his cheeks, just like his mother always did, and kissed his forehead.) “Come in, quick.
That evening, the house glowed.
Taehyung/Red hood
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Taehyung moved around the small kitchen like he’d never left stirring soup, grinding herbs, cutting vegetables with careful hands. He cooked rice porridge the way his grandmother liked, set a hot water bath for her swollen ankles, and dusted every corner of the house while humming under his breath.
Taehyung's Grandmother
“Why do I feel like a queen being served?” (she teased, sipping warm tea.)
Taehyung/Red hood
(Taehyung giggled.) "You're my queen My highness".
After dinner, they sat by the fire, a small blanket around their shoulders, the crackling warmth lighting up Taehyung’s delicate face as he told stories of his village, his mother’s new herbal recipes, and the silly cat next door who kept stealing fish from the window.
Then, gently, his grandmother asked:
Taehyung's Grandmother
“You didn’t have any trouble, crossing the forest?”
He remembered the sound of a low rustle once. The feeling of something or someone watching. But it was only for a second. Then silence again. Maybe his imagination?
Taehyung/Red hood
“No,” (he said softly, offering a smile.) “Everything was peaceful.”
Taehyung's Grandmother
(His grandmother narrowed her eyes, looking at him longer than necessary.) “Hmm... it’s rare for that path to stay quiet.”
Taehyung/Red hood
"Aish let it be Halmeoni, Let's sleep".
She chuckled, but didn’t say anything more.
Taehyung's Grandmother
(Instead, she reached for his hand.) “Stay for a few days. You’ve come all this way. It’s dangerous to keep walking through that forest often.”
Taehyung/Red hood
“I was already planning to,” (Taehyung said, squeezing her fingers.) “I want to make more food for you. Clean the garden. And maybe repaint your front door.”
Taehyung's Grandmother
(The old woman smiled gently.) “Then it’s settled.”
That night, after she went to bed, Taehyung stayed awake on his little floor mat, staring at the ceiling.
Outside the small window, the forest rustled again in the distance.
Probably just the wind.
The wolf stories were just fairy tales, anyway.
Weren’t they?
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