Kathmandu was loud.
Horns, engines, voices, prayers, chaos—
yet for Leo, it all felt strangely distant.
He adjusted his jacket and looked at Chen Wei and Yuna.
"Alright," Leo said calmly.
"Let's go to my hometown."
Chen Wei blinked.
"Your real hometown?"
Yuna smiled softly.
"We're still inside the capital, right?"
Leo nodded.
"Yes. Kathmandu."
Then added seriously,
"And listen carefully—no one is allowed to make fun of it."
Both of them looked at him.
"It's a small place," Leo continued.
"A face hidden between mountains.
On one side, a river flows like a silent guardian.
On the other side… the market looks like an island."
Chen Wei frowned.
"Island?"
Leo shrugged.
"Only one police bridge connects it.
The place is called Bajhang."
Yuna tilted her head.
"…That does sound strange."
Leo's eyes hardened slightly.
"Still. No jokes."
They didn't argue.
🚌 The Bus From Hell
The Kathmandu bus stand welcomed them with dust, shouting conductors, and… that bus.
Chen Wei stared at it.
Cracked windows.
Paint peeling off like dead skin.
A door that looked optional.
"…Leo," he said slowly,
"Are you sure this thing moves forward and not straight into the afterlife?"
Yuna covered her mouth.
"That bus looks haunted."
Leo sighed.
"Welcome to Nepal."
When they bought tickets and finally sat down, the shock didn't end.
Bags.
Sacks.
Vegetables.
Gas cylinders.
A goat.
Chen Wei whispered, horrified,
"Is this transport… or a moving warehouse?"
Leo replied calmly,
"Yes."
The bus roared to life like an injured beast.
🌊 The River Road
Hours passed.
The road curved dangerously along the river.
Yuna leaned closer to the window.
"…That's the river you mentioned?"
Leo nodded.
"Yes. The road follows it."
The water flowed fast, deep, endless.
Eventually, the bus slowed down.
A bridge appeared.
A sign hung proudly above it:
NEW PUL
Chen Wei burst out laughing.
"That's it?"
"No legend? No poetry? Just… New Bridge?"
Leo crossed his arms.
"Actually… there is a story."
Both went silent.
"Before this bridge," Leo said quietly,
"there was a school under the riverbank.
Different river. Different time."
He looked at the pillars.
"They say a child's spirit lives here.
The ghost told the developer the bridge couldn't stand alone."
Chen Wei swallowed.
"…And?"
"The developer buried his own father under the pillar."
The bus crossed the bridge.
No one laughed.
🏔️ The Path Upward
They got down.
The bus left immediately—
as if it never wanted to return.
Three paths stretched ahead.
Leo pointed right.
"This road," he said softly,
"…never healed properly."
"I need my memories back."
They climbed.
The road narrowed.
Then became a thin trail carved into the mountain.
Chen Wei and Yuna walked carefully, fear visible.
Leo, however, ran.
"Come on!" he laughed.
"Hurry up!"
"ARE YOU INSANE?" Chen Wei shouted.
🏡 Home
The house stood firm.
Cement walls.
Black stone tiles on the roof.
Rough, solid, honest.
Neighbors waved.
Leo waved back.
"These aren't neighbors," he said.
"This is one family. One village."
He pointed upward.
"Three rooms below. Three above.
Kitchen on top."
Before he could finish—
A white dog ran toward him and started licking his face.
Leo froze.
"…Hey."
The dog wagged its tail.
"…Aren't you the writer's dog?"
Chen Wei blinked.
"What?"
Leo sighed.
"This village belongs to the writer too."
Yuna stared.
"…Of course it does."
🚪 The Room That Shouldn't Exist
Second floor.
Leo stopped in front of a door.
"This is my room."
He opened it slightly.
Cigarette smoke.
Yuna frowned.
"You said no one lives here."
Inside—
A ring light.
A desk.
Papers everywhere.
A boy sat there, writing.
Laptop open.
Mobile beside it.
ChatGPT glowing on the screen.
The boy spoke without turning.
"Oh. You're here already."
He said Leo's name.
"When I wrote you, I didn't know what to name you.
So I used my zodiac sign."
He paused.
"…I'm sorry about Lily."
Silence.
"If I look at you directly, your world will collapse."
He added calmly,
"This room broke four dimensions."
"Wait ten minutes.
Don't touch anything."
Leo slowly closed the door.
⏱️ Ten Minutes Later
The room was empty.
Only books remained.
Leo picked one up.
The Letter I Never Sent: The Last Sunrise
Feather Blood
What Is True Love
And finally—
World Martial Art
Leo held it quietly.
"…How many people read this?"
Chen Wei answered.
"11,000."
"No reviews."
Silence filled the room.
The chapter ended there.
END OF CHAPTER 39