33. Reconstruction. (3)

The sunset is approaching.

I’ve cleared about a third of the medium-sized supermarket.

It’ll probably take another day.

On my way back, I called So-hyeon.

“Opaahaaa…”

“Hey, So-hyeon. Have you eaten dinner?”

“I don’t know… When are you coming back?”

I chuckled and smiled.

Ah, she’s so cute.

“I might be here for another day. I’m cleaning up the area and rescuing people. Wait a little longer. I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

“No way… You’re going to cheat on me…”

“Are you being cheeky?”

“Eeeng.”

I chuckled and said,

“Stay put. I’ll be back tomorrow, so wait and eat something nice. Got it?”

“Okayyyyy…”

“Can’t you change that tone a bit?”

“What tone… It’s fun, isn’t it?”

She’s not lying.

She’s just enjoying this weird tone.

I smiled and said,

“Sure. Get some rest, and I’ll call you again. Bye.”

“Byebyeeee…”

I hung up the call.

“Oh, you.”

I chuckled and put my phone in my pocket, heading back to the motel.

When I entered, it was quite bustling.

People were walking around with bowls and such.

Sergeant Song Gyu-tae, who was sitting in the lobby, stood up when he saw me.

“Ah, Seong-hun. You’re back?”

“Yes. It’s quite busy. What’s going on?”

Sergeant Song Gyu-tae shook his head.

“No, we just cooked a big pot of porridge. We mixed in some supplements and are distributing it to the newly rescued people.”

“Ah, I see.”

They must have been in pretty bad shape.

Sergeant Song Gyu-tae said,

“We did well to raid the pharmacy yesterday. Most of them are malnourished. Some are lighter, some are more severe, but I’m not a doctor, so I can’t really tell just by looking.”

“Is there a doctor here?”

Sergeant Song Gyu-tae shook his head.

“Not among us, but one of the newly rescued ajummas is an obstetrician from this neighborhood.”

An obstetrician?

A surgeon or an emergency doctor would have been better in this situation.

Sergeant Song Gyu-tae said,

“But that ajumma might not survive. She’s in the worst condition.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Hmm…

Captain Kim had mentioned it before.

People dying isn’t uncommon these days.

I’ve killed so many and seen so many die that I don’t really feel much anymore.

It’s just another person dying.

“I understand. I’ll rest for a bit.”

“Sure. Get some rest.”

I entered the room prepared for me on the first floor and saw new clothes on the bed.

Did the Secretary-General bring them?

Jeans and a white t-shirt.

I looked at the clothes for a moment and went into the bathroom.

After washing up and wiping my lifting belt with a damp towel, the doorbell rang.

Who is it?

I opened the door to see Captain Park and Captain Kim with beers in their hands.

The team must have brought some alcohol when they raided the convenience store.

“Seong-hun, do you drink?”

Captain Kim held up a can of beer.

.

There were droplets on it, so it must be cold.

I bit my lower lip slightly.

A smile crept onto my face.

“Come in.”

The captains glanced at my blood-soaked clothes lying on the bathroom floor and came in.

They brought beer and shrimp chips.

“Thanks to Seong-hun, things have improved quite a bit over the past few days. I thought we could have a small welcome party. Here, take one.”

“Thank you.”

We sat on the floor, each holding a beer, and popped the caps.

Click.

The white foam rising up.

I quickly brought it to my lips.

Swallowing the cold beer as the foam dissolved on my lips, I felt a refreshing sensation.

My whole body felt cool.

“Ah, this is good. It’s been a while since I had a drink.”

The captains took a swig of their beers and closed their eyes tightly.

Their expressions said it all.

They’re beer lovers.

But they’ve been holding back.

Just to have a drink with me.

They probably chose beer over soju because they need to stay somewhat sober for continuous operations.

They only brought three cans, so that’s definitely the case.

“What did you do before, Seong-hun? I heard from the Special Forces Leader and the team members that your sword skills are amazing. And you’re even good with a bow.”

Hmm.

I always find it awkward to explain this.

I just smiled and said,

“Ah, I’ve always liked martial arts since I was young.”

“Ah, martial arts. So you must have enjoyed sports and such?”

“Yes.”

Not at all.

I used to sit at home and play strategy and turn-based simulation games.

I smiled and asked,

“How did you two end up here?”

Captain Kim took a sip of beer and said,

“Kaa. Well, I used to live in Jeju Island.”

“Jeju Island?”

Captain Kim nodded.

“Jeju Island. I’m not originally from there, but it’s a long story.”

Hmm.

He seems to be inviting me to ask more.

Sitting here with three of us, eating shrimp chips and drinking beer, what else would we talk about if not some casual personal stories?

Would we talk about how many people have died in the apocalypse?

I chuckled and asked,

“I have time to listen. Until midnight.”

“Are you going out again at midnight?”

“Yes. I need to clear out the supermarket. It’ll probably be done by tomorrow afternoon.”

Captain Park, who had been quiet, spoke with a serious face.

“Aren’t those things dangerous? I heard there are a lot of them in the supermarket.”

I slowly nodded.

“They are dangerous. You shouldn’t approach them unless absolutely necessary. Not just there, but in other stores as well.”

“…Impressive. To go into such a place…”

Captain Park’s voice was quite deep and resonant.

It sounds quite good. I’d believe he was a singer.

I just smiled and took another sip of beer.

It’s refreshing.

“But, do you two have families?”

…Ah.

I was a bit thoughtless.

It’s obvious that if they’re here without families, something must have happened.

Captain Kim chuckled and said,

“My wife is dead.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Captain Kim smiled.

“Before this happened. She died a long time ago. From breast cancer.”

…Ah.

In a way, I feel relieved.

Not that her death is a good thing, but…

Captain Kim took a sip of beer and said,

“I used to fly helicopters in the military. I met my wife there. We got married, and I was waiting for a promotion. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer.”

Captain Kim shook his head with a bitter smile.

“She had surgery, but after removing so much, she became depressed. We talked about retiring and moving to Jeju Island. So we moved there and lived well for a few years.”

I noticed he was wearing a ring on his left hand.

Captain Kim said,

“A few years later, it recurred, and she passed away during chemotherapy. After that, I couldn’t do anything else but fly helicopters. But I couldn’t do it because it reminded me of her. So I worked on an orange farm and did odd jobs to pass the time.”

I nodded.

Captain Kim said,

“Then, two months ago, my father passed away from old age. After the funeral, I was planning to go back to Jeju Island, but… here I am.”

Captain Kim chuckled and said,

“I met the President and became a captain again. In a place without the military, being a captain doesn’t really mean much, but everyone still calls me Captain Kim. You can just call me Min-joon or Min-joon-ssi. Feel free to use my first name.”

“Ah, okay.”

Hmm.

Everyone has their own story, I guess.

I looked at Captain Park.

Captain Kim laughed and said,

“This guy hardly ever talks about himself. All I know is that he’s back like me.”

I nodded and raised my beer.

If he doesn’t want to talk, I shouldn’t ask.

“So, what did you do after the outbreak? I heard you were with a lot of people. Tell us about it.”

I smiled and told them my story. About moving into the boarding house, meeting the inline people, the cockroaches, and how the zombie wave hit.

Captain Kim and Captain Park seemed quite interested in the cockroaches.

They reacted with disbelief and disbelief.

We spent a few hours chatting and enjoying the beer.

It’s been a while since I had such a relaxed time.

It’s quite comfortable.

 * * *

At midnight, I poured all my strength into the supermarket again.

I cleared about half of the beasts in the supermarket.

Level 20.

Strength 65.

It’s slow.

But, I’m growing.

When I returned to the motel, a tall and beautiful woman was sitting on the lobby sofa, drinking a Powerade.

She is Sung Gyu-hyuk’s sister, Sung Ga-yeon.

Her ankle was wrapped in a bandage, and she had her leg stretched out.

“Ah, Seong-hun. You’re back?”

She doesn’t flinch at the sight of me covered in blood.

She’s seen me in this state since we first met.

I chuckled and leaned against the wall.

There will be bloodstains where my shoulder touches, but I don’t mind since my footsteps are already leaving blood marks.

“Why are you here? Can’t sleep?”

As I asked, I wiped my hands on my pants and took out a cigarette and a lighter from my pocket.

Sung Ga-yeon chuckled and said,

“I’ve been sleeping all day, so I can’t fall asleep. Can I have one too?”

“You smoke?”

“I learned in the military. You learn the best things in the military, don’t you?”

She’s quite amusing.

I smiled and shook the cigarette pack, pulling one out and offering it to her.

We both lit up and took a refreshing puff.

It tastes good.

After slaughtering dozens of beasts, the taste of a cigarette is quite special.

“How’s your leg?”

“It still hurts, but I can walk. I’ve been using so much painkiller that I’m not even in my right mind.”

“Don’t fall and hurt yourself again.”

I smiled and gestured toward the motel’s interior.

Phew-

“How are the people? Are they recovering?”

Sung Ga-yeon nodded.

“Yes. Some are better, and some need more time to recover. But the motel is starting to feel a bit cramped.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded.

Sung Ga-yeon is right.

We need to rescue more people.

With just the motel?

It’s not enough.

I took a puff of my cigarette and said,

“We’ll solve that problem gradually. For now, focus on getting your leg better. We need to go on missions together. You can’t just lie around, can you?”

Sung Ga-yeon glanced at me and chuckled, saying,

“That sounds almost like a proposition to me.”

This woman?

I laughed out loud.