The forest was so vast...
The child pressed his lips together.
He clenched his hands at his sides, too.
The child started walking.
He didn't stay where he was.
The tiger had promised him.
It would play with him today.
That tiger... would definitely appear in front of him.
They had made a promise, hadn't they?
The child looked around with wide eyes.
The tiger was so big. If it was nearby, he'd spot it at a glance.
"...Tiger... tiger..."
"Tiger!"
At first, the child called softly.
It seemed he was only reminding himself what he was looking for.
As time passed, his voice grew louder and louder.
He wasn't reminding himself anymore.
He hoped the one who bore that name would hear him and come to him.
Tiny beads of sweat appeared on the child's forehead.
The dense trees blocked much of the sun's scorching heat.
But as time went by, the cicadas' cries grew louder and louder.
He reached out and touched a leaf beside him.
It was scorching hot.
His clothes were starting to stick to his body, too.
And after searching for so long without finding anything, he was disappointed.
He furrowed his brows in frustration.
Especially when he thought of what his grandparents had said earlier. Along with his frustration, a hint of fear rose in his heart.
The child took a deep breath.
No.
He wasn't a little kid anymore.
Couldn't he tell whether the tiger was real or not?
The tiger he'd seen yesterday had been real.
He just hadn't found it yet.
If he kept looking, he would find it.
The child wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He encouraged himself silently.
The child called out again, louder this time.
His clear voice echoed faintly through the forest.
A