28. What They Want, What We Want. (1)

The people gasped in surprise.

I held up my hand to calm them and asked,

“The President’s Office?”

“Yes. I am Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu of the President’s Office. May I ask the name of the person on the phone?”

Ahn Jun-gyu?

I’ve never heard of him.

Politics is a useless thing, and the people who risk their lives for it are politicians, so I’ve never really cared.

But that’s my story. Others seem to know him.

Mr. Hoon said in surprise,

“It sounds like the Secretary-General, sir. His voice is exactly the same as the one on the news.”

Jun-hyuk nodded.

“Yes, it sounds like him, Mr. Seong-hun.”

I nodded and said,

“Excuse me, but could you first tell me why you’re looking for me?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

A sound like he was thinking was heard.

Soon, Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu spoke.

“I can explain, but first, I need to confirm that you are indeed the person in the video. I’m not doubting you, but it’s also a matter of confidentiality and I need to report to the President. Can you understand?”

At that moment, Jeong-seo spoke up.

“Secretary-General, you know the situation is bad. We don’t know why the government is dropping flyers to find people, and we need to know if we might be in danger.”

“Who is speaking now…?”

Jeong-seo glanced at me and said,

“…Someone close to the person on the phone.”

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu was silent for a moment.

“Alright, I’ll explain.”

He continued,

“I don’t know how many of you are there, but I’ll address you as ‘you’.”

The people’s eyes met.

This was a conversation with a high-ranking government official.

“As you know, the world is in a precarious situation. Our country is no different. Our government convened an emergency committee on the first day of the outbreak to stabilize the cities, but it failed.”

That’s no surprise.

If it had succeeded, we wouldn’t be trapped here.

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu said,

“There were many reasons for the failure, but the main one is that our military, like those of other countries, was hit hard. Infections spread rapidly among local units, and within hours, most soldiers were either dead or infected. Many likely deserted. This is not much different from how people in the cities were infected.”

…I thought that would be the case.

If the military had survived, they would have done something.

“Our military has been decimated. There are no police or military left to maintain order. We estimate that at least 90 percent of the population was infected within the first week of the outbreak.”

90 percent…

That seems a bit too high, but it’s impossible to conduct an accurate census now.

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu said,

“The same applies to the National Assembly. The outbreak happened on a day when the National Assembly was in session. Among the over 200 gathered lawmakers, dozens suddenly turned and attacked their colleagues. All the lawmakers were either infected or killed on the spot. Now, all we have left are a few government officials and a small, elite group of soldiers.”

This isn’t just a Korean issue.

The same thing happened worldwide, in the military, government, and National Assembly.

The world ended on the first day of the apocalypse.

The Secretary-General continued,

“We don’t have a military. Most of them are presumed dead or infected. But we do have weapons. They are just sitting there, waiting to be taken.”

…Weapons.

My eyebrows twitched.

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu said,

“We will reclaim our military bases and secure weapons. Rifles, explosives, and various vehicles, including combat helicopters. Ultimately, we aim to rescue survivors using the secured weapons.”

The people’s expressions began to change.

I, too, started to pay closer attention.

“We are currently organizing a special forces unit for this mission. We have gathered many talented individuals, and we saw your video. That’s why the government was looking for the person in the video with the sword.”

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu paused, waiting for a response.

The people looked at me.

I slowly opened my mouth but couldn’t easily answer.

Attack a military base to get weapons.

Not a bad idea.

But how?

We are trapped in the middle of a zombie wave.

Leave these people behind?

Even if I go, how do I come back?

“Are you still there?”

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu asked.

I took a deep breath and slowly said,

“Yes, I understand. First, I need some time to think about it.”

“What do you mean by ‘think’?”

I glanced at the rooftop wall.

“First, we are in the middle of a zombie wave and can’t move. Second, we have people here, and we can’t just leave them.”

Secretary-General Ahn Jun-gyu hummed and said,

“Can’t we discuss that later? We can help you. First, can you prove to us that you are indeed the person in the video?”

…I’m conflicted.

…Special forces…

I slowly nodded.

“…Alright. Can I send you a video?”

“Yes, that would be a start. If we meet in the future, you can show us in person, too.”

“…If we meet.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it. I hope to hear from you again soon.”

“Yes.”

The call ended.

The people looked at me.

Their gazes.

…But weapons.

Weapons!

All we have now are bows.

With no idea what will happen in the future, whether we can survive this zombie wave or if we’ll be trapped in another one, can these people survive with just a few bows and a couple of hundred arrows?

Can my women survive?

…Weapons.

We need weapons.

A dozen K2 rifles and ten thousand rounds of ammunition might be enough.

And some grenades, too.

…Can we get a mortar?

…Weapons.

That word makes my heart race.

The noise is a problem, but only for me.

I fight silently and efficiently, and no one can imitate my style.

I can choose not to fight if I want to.

But people are different.

For ordinary civilians, using weapons means noise is already a non-issue.

If shooting means survival and not shooting means death, there’s no choice.

That’s what civilians are like.

So, having weapons is definitely better than not having them.

A dozen rifles.

Ten thousand rounds of ammunition.

A hundred or more grenades.

If we have these, even if something happens while I’m away, they won’t die.

And there’s more.

I need to find my family.

My parents. My younger sister.

I need to check if they’re alive or dead.

I have to go out, no matter what.

If I go…

It will be temporary.

My family is important, but so are my women.

I will come back to where my women are.

While I’m gone, these people… my people. At least they should be able to protect themselves.

Especially.

My women.

So-hyeon, Ye-eun, Jeong-seo.

I don’t want anyone to die.

Absolutely not.

I finished my thoughts and looked up.

“Han-tae, go down and bring my sword. And a tub of almond chocolate balls.”

“Yes, bro!”

Han-tae nodded eagerly and ran down.

I turned to So-hyeon.

“Record it well.”

“…Are you going? Brother?”

Worry clouded So-hyeon’s face.

Ye-eun and Jeong-seo’s expressions were also not good.

They’re worried I might leave.

The others’ expressions were the same.

I shook my head.

“I won’t leave you. I’ll protect you. But the Secretary-General has a point. We need weapons.”

To be precise, you need them.

I don’t need weapons; I’m confident I won’t die without them. I’m immune to the infection.

But you are not.

One bite, and it’s over.

Tae-young chuckled.

“Oh, I just got out of the military, and now I have to shoot again.”

He smiled despite his words.

“Weapons are good. We need them. If possible, I’d like to get a lot of grenades, too.”

“Sir, I know how to use a mortar.”

Ho.

You know how to use a mortar.

Jun-hyuk and Mr. Hoon also looked quite good.

That’s right.

This is normal for Korean men.

Even if they’re strangers and distant, they can instantly transform into a military unit when the situation demands it.

The women look worried, but the men have hopeful expressions.

I looked at the women.

The women.

My women.

“…Don’t worry.”

Jeong-seo’s face turned slightly sad.

“You always say not to worry.”

I’ve never seen Jeong-seo make that face before.

I stroked her cheek and smiled.

“When have I ever made you worry? Don’t worry.”

So-hyeon and Ye-eun are also looking at me.

Their eyes are so…

I won’t leave.

If I go, it will be a short trip.