32. Banpo. (2)

Then, how are they surviving?

Let’s not ask.

I might hear something like, “We’re soaking cardboard in tap water and eating it.”

Ah, but I’m curious.

Just as I was holding back my curiosity, Special Forces Leader Sung Gyu-hyuk asked,

“How about your side? Isn’t it also difficult with dozens of them? The situation doesn’t seem easy.”

…Hmm.

Not easy?

I thought for a moment.

Except for the zombie wave, what else?

I shrugged and said,

“Not really. I had a ham and cheese toast with coffee this morning, and it was quite good. I’m thinking of asking for it again when we get back.”

The soldiers and Sung Gayeon’s eyes widened slightly.

Sung Gayeon said,

“…Ham and cheese toast? Even if we can get the ham and cheese, where would you get the bread…?”

“We have someone who can make bread. They’re still young, but they have that talent. There’s an abundance of flour and butter in the large supermarket downstairs, so we practically have a bread party every day.”

I rested my chin on one hand and looked up slightly.

The stars are beautiful.

“The side dishes are a bit lacking, but we’re growing peppers and lettuce on the rooftop, so we’ll have fresh ones soon. So… it’s not bad.”

The soldiers looked at each other.

Special Forces Leader Sung Gyu-hyuk said,

“If it’s a large supermarket, there must have been a lot of… them. How did you deal with them?”

I chuckled.

“Didn’t you see the video?”

The soldiers exhaled, saying, “Ah.”

All of them saw how I fight.

Especially Sung Gayeon…

There’s no way she wouldn’t believe it now.

“We cleared out the supermarket, put down the shutters, welded them shut, and did a lot of other things. Thanks to that, even when the zombie wave came, we were quite safe. Oh, and thank you for the helicopter crew clearing out the zombies for us.”

I smiled as I said this.

We’re doing quite well.

You guys, not so much.

I didn’t say that part.

Sung Gayeon looked down at the sky and muttered softly,

“Ham and cheese toast… sounds delicious…”

She must have muttered it almost unconsciously.

She suddenly looked surprised and glanced at her brother and the soldiers.

Special Forces Leader Sung Gyu-hyuk’s face turned bitter.

…Ah…

Oh…

My heart is suddenly moved again.

Let’s think about it for a moment.

These people.

They are skilled warriors.

They have helicopters and light aircraft.

In terms of equipment, they’re not bad at all.

Now that they have weapons, they can protect not only themselves but also others.

If this force grows a bit more,

It might be more helpful in surviving the apocalypse.

No, it will be helpful.

Will these people act like cockroaches?

I don’t think so.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, the likelihood is low.

Their mission is to rescue people, and among those they’ve rescued, there might be some cockroaches.

But these people are not.

Right.

So, what?

I rested my chin and asked,

“There must be a large supermarket in Banpo, right?”

Special Forces Leader Sung Gyu-hyuk nodded.

“Yes, but… it will be difficult.”

“Why?”

Sung Gyu-hyuk glanced at the soldiers and pointed beyond Banpo Bridge.

A round building in the distance.

Bright lights.

I frowned.

What’s that place?

Sung Gyu-hyuk said,

“That’s our helicopter landing site, Sebit Dungdung Island.”

Huh? A helicopter?

I lifted my chin and looked into the distance.

“Sebit Dungdung Island? That’s it?”

Sung Gyu-hyuk nodded.

“We actually land on top of the buildings, so it’s a bit unstable. The buildings are quite sturdy, so there haven’t been any problems so far, but there’s no guarantee it will stay that way. We need to hurry and find a new landing site.”

Sung Gyu-hyuk took a sip of water from his sister and continued,

“We use the helicopter to drive away the monsters in the vicinity and land by luring them into the river. The problem is that every time we activate the helicopter, they keep coming from Gwacheon and Dongjak-gu. The area is not empty.”

…Ah.

They lure them away with the helicopter, but the surrounding areas fill up again, and they have to clear them out again.

From what these people say, the zombies that come in waves from far away might quiet down but don’t return.

They just settle in wherever they go.

…That must be frustrating.

Then, convenience stores and other shops probably don’t have much downtime.

They’re probably always packed.

When the zombies get bored, they crawl into some place.

Sung Gyu-hyuk said,

“Even when we try to lure them, the nearby zombies are also provoked and swarm in, so we can’t clear them out. Would you believe that the area under the Han River is swarming with them?”

…I believe it.

I nodded.

Every time the helicopter takes off, a zombie wave probably occurs.

“The zombies that were lying under the river also keep coming up at random times. Although you can’t see it now because it’s night, they are still crawling up to Banpo and Yongsan. They’re just slow in the water, so it’s not noticeable.”

Sung Gyu-hyuk threw the energy bar wrapper to the side and said,

“Every time we activate the helicopter or the light aircraft, they swarm in. So far, we’ve managed to drown them all, but there will be a point where they all rush out. That’s how I see it.”

…Hmm…

It’s possible.

Really.

Sung Gayeon added,

“Until recently, there was a zombie wave in Gangnam. Some of them kept gathering in Banpo. Even if it wasn’t the entire wave, the tail end was still a significant force.”

“Yeah. If Captain Park hadn’t driven them all into the Han River, none of us would have survived.”

Captain Park, who swept all the human beasts into the Han River?

…I’d like to meet him.

I nodded and asked,

“You launch the helicopter from Sebit Dungdung Island, but where do you land the light aircraft?”

Sung Gyu-hyuk answered,

“At Banpo Sports Complex. We cleared away the soccer goals and tennis nets from the field to make it suitable for takeoff and landing. We don’t need a large runway, so that was enough.”

Sung Gayeon nodded and said,

“The problem is the zombies swarming in. Every time Captain Kim lands, Captain Park has to launch the helicopter to lure them into the Han River. Captain Park really works hard.”

“Hmm.”

Sung Gyu-hyuk nodded.

Sebit Dungdung Island and Banpo Sports Complex…

Helicopter and light aircraft.

I see.

I nodded.

“I see. I understand.”

I looked beyond Banpo Bridge and said,

“…When we arrive, could you tell me the location of the large supermarket?”

The soldiers looked at me.

Don’t know, damn it.

Let’s bring these people into our group and form an alliance.

Soo-hyeon, Ye-eun, So-eun, and my unnamed girlfriend, you’ll have to wait a bit.

We finished resting and stood up, walking across Banpo Bridge.

“Ow…!”

Sung Gayeon, supported by her brother, winced as she walked.

She’s limping badly. The pain must have resurfaced after subsiding during the rest.

I took out my phone and called as we walked across Banpo Bridge.

Soo-hyeon answered with a cheerful voice,

“Brother! Where are you? When are you coming?”

“Hey, Soo-hyeon. How are the others? Everything okay?”

“Yeah! The streets are really quiet! Grandma said she can finally stretch out and sleep. When are you coming? Ye-eun and So-eun miss you.”

Ah…

A part of my heart felt heavy.

I smiled wistfully and said,

“It might take a while. But not too long.”

Soo-hyeon’s voice turned a bit gloomy.

“How long? What happened?”

She must have really grown attached to me.

After all, we’ve been through a lot together.

I smiled and said,

“No, nothing. I’m crossing Banpo Bridge now. I might meet the President.”

“The President? You’re crossing Banpo Bridge?”

“Yeah.”

Meeting the President…

Before the apocalypse, I never imagined I’d say something like that.

I chuckled.

“I’ll be back soon, so don’t worry. If anything happens, let me know. Got it?”

“Got it. Come back soon. Okay? Brother. Be careful, okay?”

“Sure.”

I hung up the call.

“Phew.”

A sigh escaped me.

Right now, Ye-eun would probably be eating something delicious that she cooked, chatting and playing.

And having sex before bed.

“You have a girlfriend, I see?”

Sung Gayeon looked at me and asked.

I chuckled.

“Yeah, a bit.”

More than one, actually.

Sung Gayeon smiled, despite the cold sweat on her face.

“In times like these, such a relationship is truly precious. Treasure it.”

Hmm.

Good advice.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Gayeon?”

Her face darkened slightly at the question.

Sung Gyu-hyuk, who had his sister’s arm over his shoulder, looked at me.

“He… changed on that day. Gayeon barely managed to escape.”

…Ah.

I see…

I nodded and didn’t say much.

The other soldiers’ faces were quite somber.

They probably had girlfriends or wives.

They were tall, fit, and good-looking.

But now they are alone.

There’s no need to ask.

The first day of the apocalypse.

And they’ve survived until now.

We crossed Banpo Bridge and entered Banpo-ro.