Chapter 20: The Revenge Of The Great Dodong

Yuna's POV

Kai let out a long, exhausted sigh, as if my very existence was the reason he aged five years every time he saw me. Without a word, he bent down, set the bamboo down first like it was more important than my dignity, and then—finally—offered me a hand.

I stared at it.

Then I stared at him.

Then I stared at Lily, who was still giggling on the ground, holding her stomach like she had personally witnessed the funniest moment in human history.

"Are you gonna lay there all day?" Kai asked, his tone borderline done with life.

"Honestly, that sounds nice," I muttered, but I reluctantly grabbed his hand.

Big mistake.

Because Kai pulled me up way too fast, and the rice field had other plans. My foot, which was already stuck in the mud, decided that now was the perfect moment to betray me.

So instead of standing up gracefully like a normal human being, I half-rose, half-tripped, crashing into Kai.

"ACK—"

Kai staggered back from the impact, and for a solid two seconds, I clung to his arm like a very desperate, very muddy koala.

"...Get. Off."

I peeled myself off him with what little dignity I had left and finally stood up on my own two feet.

Lily cackled.

"Oh wow," she snorted, wiping away a tear.

"Kai, you almost died just now."

"Thanks, I noticed," Kai deadpanned, dusting himself off like touching me was a life-altering inconvenience.

"Come on, there's a lake nearby. You should—" He paused and just stared at me, his face unreadable.

"...Yeah. You need to wash up."

I glared.

"Wow, thanks, I totally didn't notice," I snapped back, my sarcasm on full power.

Kai didn't respond.

He just turned and started walking, clearly expecting us to follow. Lily, still grinning like she was having the time of her life, skipped ahead, while I trudged behind, dripping mud and questioning my entire existence.

But just when I thought the universe would finally let me live in peace—

It appeared.

Right there. Standing in the middle of our path.

A single chicken.

But not just any chicken.

Dodong.

The assassin chicken.

The demon bird.

The beast that once chased me like I had personally insulted his ancestors.

And he was staring at me.

His beady little chicken eyes locked onto mine with a look of pure vengeance.

I froze.

Lily and Kai kept walking, but I couldn't move. My brain short-circuited as I hallucinated the chicken standing on two legs like a tiny feathery warrior, pointing a wing at me.

"YOU," I imagined him saying in a deep, terrifying voice.

"I SHALL PUNISH YOU FOR YOUR SINS. FOR YOU HAVE EATEN MY KIND EARLIER."

My breath hitched.

I had eaten chicken for lunch.

OH.

OH NO.

"Kai. Lily," I whispered. "Do you hear that?"

Kai stopped, raising a brow. "Hear what?"

Lily blinked. "Are you okay ate?"

"The chicken," I said in a hushed, horrified voice. "He's talking."

They both just stared at me.

And that was the exact moment Dodong moved.

He twitched forward slightly. Not even an actual attack, just a small movement—

But that was all it took.

I screamed.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

Pure chaos erupted.

I bolted, arms flailing, running in circles like a headless chicken myself.

"IT'S COMING FOR ME!" I shrieked, running the opposite direction before immediately realizing that led straight back to the chicken. I swerved mid-run, slipped again, did an awkward skip-hop to avoid falling, and somehow kept running—

Lily? Dying.

She had collapsed again, slamming a hand on the ground, her laugh echoing through the rice fields.

Kai? Just standing there, holding his bamboo, looking so unbelievably done with my existence.

Meanwhile, Dodong—who, by the way, HADN'T EVEN MOVED THAT MUCH—just stood there, looking like he was mildly confused by my breakdown.

"YUNA, PLEASE—" Lily wheezed, gasping for breath.

"HE'S NOT EVEN CHASING YOU!"

"I KNOW BUT HE MIGHT!"

And then, in my panic, I made the greatest decision of my life.

I sprinted toward the lake and launched myself into the water.

A loud SPLASH! echoed through the air.

I resurfaced, gasping, my hair sticking to my face, and looked at Kai and Lily, who were now standing at the edge, watching me like I was some kind of wild animal.

Lily was wiping tears from her eyes, her whole body shaking from laughter.

Kai just sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "...You could've just walked in, you know."

I ignored him, turning my attention to Dodong, who was still in the same spot, not even remotely interested in chasing me.

"...Oh."

Lily wheezed.

"You—YOU REALLY THOUGHT—" She collapsed again, officially useless from laughing too hard.

And that was how I almost got assassinated by a chicken.again.

Lily, still giggling like a gremlin, took the lead as we made our way back. Her energy level? Maximum. Mine? Non-existent.

Kai, on the other hand, had officially checked out of life. He walked ahead of us, carrying his bamboo with the silent suffering of a man who had seen too much.

I, meanwhile, dragged myself along like a zombie, my clothes soaked, my dignity obliterated, and my soul permanently scarred by a chicken.

"That was the best thing I've ever seen in my LIFE," Lily snorted, practically skipping beside me.

"You should've seen your face when you ran—oh wait, I DID—because you were running in circles like a lost duck—"

I said nothing.

"—and then you just YEETED yourself into the lake like a dramatic main character—"

Still nothing.

"And the BEST part? THE CHICKEN DIDN'T EVEN CARE! You ran from nothing, Yuna. NOTHING!"

I took a deep, painfully exhausted breath.

"Lily."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Yeah?"

"...Shut. Up."

She cackled.

Kai? Still walking ahead like he had disassociated from reality.

By the time we reached the picnic area, I was mentally, physically, and emotionally done with life. I could already see my uncle Ramon and aunt Rosa lounging comfortably under the shade of a tree, enjoying the fresh breeze like two people who had not just been victims of my entire existence.

Sitting beside them was my older cousin, Ben—who, unlike Lily, actually had a job and therefore wasn't always around to witness my humiliation.

Until now.

He turned when he saw us approaching. The first thing he noticed?

Me. Dripping wet. Covered in mud and defeat.

Ben blinked. "...What happened to you?"

Before I could even open my mouth—

Lily BURST out, "SHE GOT ATTACKED BY A CHICKEN!"

I swear to every higher power, I felt my soul leave my body.

My aunt and uncle? Confused.

Ben? Instantly interested.

"Excuse me?" He sat up straight, looking way too amused. "A chicken?"

"NOT JUST ANY CHICKEN!" Lily dramatically threw her arms up.

"DODONG, THE ASSASSIN CHICKEN!"

"Lily, please—"

"IT LOOKED INTO HER SOUL AND SAID, 'YOU ATE MY BROTHER, NOW YOU MUST PAY!'*"

Ben lost it.

"Oh my God." He howled with laughter, doubling over, slapping his knee like an old man.

"That—THAT is the funniest thing I've heard all week!"

My uncle Ramon chuckled, shaking his head. "Did you at least win against the chicken?"

I stared.

"Win?" I repeated, dead inside. "WIN??"

Lily leaned in, grinning. "She ran for her LIFE and threw herself into the lake like she was being chased by a serial killer!"

Ben SNORTED. "And the chicken?"

"It wasn't even chasing her."

Ben collapsed.

"I'm leaving," I muttered, ready to crawl into a hole and never come out again.

Aunt Rosa, barely holding back a smile, handed me a towel. "Oh, sweetheart, go dry off before you catch a cold."

I grabbed the towel, threw it over my head like a ghost to hide my shame, and dramatically flopped onto the mat.

Lily? Still laughing.

Ben? Still laughing.

Kai? Had already disappeared into the rice fields, escaping this madness.

And me?

I had officially given up on life.

To be continued.