episode_0017

Yoon Ah-young (2) ― Incheon Central Library 2nd floor stairs

At breakfast after a short break, many stories were exchanged.

One of them was to temporarily reduce the number of combat team members in preparation for an emergency situation and focus on camp defense.

As part of this, there were only two people leaving ‘farming’ today: Kang San and Kim Eun-byeol.

The remaining staff were repeating the task of arranging the bookshelves in a zigzag manner in the first floor lobby so that the second floor would overflow.

Seong Ga-eul’s opinion was that when the main gate was breached, the plan was to block the path of zombies that were weak at cornering.

It was a really cute defense measure.

Still, it wasn’t something that could be called a waste of time.

For those of us who couldn’t go outside anyway, all we had was time.

Seo Taesan and I were now going down the stairs holding bookshelves on both sides.

“Huuk―”

Seo Taesan took a short, deep breath as if gathering strength.

Yesterday, after working out like that, it smelled bad, as if it hadn’t been washed.

Fuck – I guess these senses have also expanded since I became a superhuman, but a smell that I didn’t really want to know continued to torment me.

Seo Taesan said after seeing me frowning.

“You look incompetent, but you’re using quite a bit of effort, right?”

“Well, I only built efficient muscles.”

The rugged Seotaesan’s arm twitched once.

“If there is such a thing, it would be nice if you could teach me, bro?”

“No, I’m the only one sucking.”

“It’s a muscle that moves the bookshelf even when you apply too much force… .”

Seo Taesan’s eyes were shining across the bookshelf.

I said with a sly smile.

“I thought we were ‘collaborating’, but someone was ‘observing’.”

“Well, there is an exact word called ‘suspicion’.”

Despite the nervous warfare under the guise of conversation, we steadily walked forward and set down the bookshelf in the lobby on the first floor.

thud-

Seo Taesan, who was watching a small wind of dust rise under the weight of the bookshelf, spoke again.

“What on earth are you planning?”

“Intention?”

“Why are you protecting Yoon Ah-young so much? Was it really not a joke, it was love at first sight?”

“What is our Mr. Taesan angry about? Did I save Yoon Ah-young? or not… ”

I deliberately blurted out my words and put some kind of pause.

Seo Taesan and I stared at each other as if searching.

“Or… By disobeying Seong Ga-eul’s words?”

Seo Taesan’s eyes did not move even when the words were slightly prodded.

Seo Taesan snorted and said to me.

“Autumn always has strong mountains, bro.”

“You know, you know. Well, I’m not that keenly interested in their dating business either. So, did Seo Taesan, an individual, think that Seong Ga-eul’s argument was more correct?”

Seo Taesan nodded slightly in affirmation.

When I saw that, I asked with doubt.

“Then, why are you doing this to me now?”

“I don’t know why the story jumped like this, but what I was asking was what kind of plan your brother has.”

“Of course it’s not me, but if you ask someone who has a plan for that, will he/she answer?”

“I won’t do it. I know.”

Seo Taesan warned me.

“But when I told him, he started to be careful from then on.”

Oh wow.

Is this your brother’s pose that you’ve been playing with for a while?

Now I understand.

Just by looking at it, you can see why Seo Taesan, who has the highest combat power in the library camp, is doing odd jobs like moving bookshelves.

The reason why Kang San has no choice but to go farming with a relatively weak person named Kim Eun-byeol.

Seong Ga-eul had no choice but to leave Seo Tae-san here, crying.

To spy on me.

After finishing what he had to say, he looked at Seo Taesan, who was climbing the stairs.

“Are you tired? Helping an ugly leader?”

Seo Taesan turned around and showed me a frowning expression.

I continued before he could open his mouth.

“Ah, let’s be honest. What’s wrong with cursing the king when he’s not around? just… It’s a little frustrating. is not it? What can I say… Too nice?”

“That’s not something I should say to someone who lived thanks to his kindness, bro.”

“… Aha!”

That’s what I always wondered about when I looked at Gangsan and Seotaesan.

Why did Seo Taesan decide to stand behind Kang San?

I see

You owe a lot to Kang San.

Life debt.

I also patted Seo Taesan on the shoulder as I climbed the stairs.

“Our Taesan almost died. It must have been really scary.”

I cast [Identify Deficiencies] on the guy whose face turned red as if he had been insulted by my smug expression.

[A safe home, a tomorrow without worrying about dying]

Death is abstract.

I know it’s the scariest thing, but actually, it doesn’t feel that way.

But people who have been to the brink of death will know.

Maybe I really could die.

And that’s a scary thing that can’t be compared to anything else.

Grumbling-

The power emanating from my grasp crushed Seotaesan.

“K, Keueueuuch―”

Unable to use any of the strength he normally trained, Seo Taesan slowly falls to his knees.

I slowly turned my face to that expression full of pain and humiliation.

“How scared was it?”

Then and now.

Those who were once exposed to the fear of death now feel traumatized by even small threats.

Seo Taesan’s eyes shook violently.

He tried to stand up somehow, but of course he couldn’t overcome the superhuman’s strength.

Anger becomes astonishment and astonishment becomes resignation.

Resignation turns to fear.

Every trace of dynamic emotion was revealed on his face.

The face, which was red as if it was bursting with blood, is gradually becoming pale.

I continued to laugh and press my shoulders against his. Until Seo Taesan looked at me blankly with all color gone from his face.

Satisfied with the sight, I took my hand away and smiled brightly at him.

“Still, I’m the older brother, so if a younger kid calls me older and teases me, does he get angry? Isn’t it working?”

“… … .”

“Why is there no answer?”

As I tapped Seo Tae-san’s cheek in front of him as he knelt, his body trembled.

Are you angry? Or is it scary?

It didn’t matter either way.

“Well, like a middle school student, you’re not going to act like a bitch and run to someone with a little bit of rank ordering, right?”

“… … .”

“My younger brother is so unresponsive. My brother is starting to get a little angry?”

“… I don’t.”

“Fuck, why are you speaking so briefly? Were we close?”

“… I don’t.”

“Yes, yes. Our Taesan is kind.”

When I tapped his shoulder with a smiling face, Seo Taesan flinched and lowered his head.

“You can say it. If you really want to lag behind.”

“… … .”

“Go see. My shoulder must hurt.”

Seo Taesan, biting his lip, climbed the stairs as if running away.

Originally, his and my positions would have been completely opposite.

I must have listened to Seo Taesan’s warning and had to let him go.

And if you didn’t follow his words, you would have been physically punished, just like I did.

However, now I was lightly massaging a man of that size without even using my main skill, telekinesis.

Indeed, humans were inferior to those with abilities.

I thought that maybe what I said to Yoon Ah-young as if brainwashing her might be my sincerity engraved deep in my heart.

Inferior humans cannot live in this world without help from someone.

***

“Are you done already? Where is Taesan?”

“You said you overexerted yourself while lifting the bookshelf and are taking a break?”

“… Is it Taesan?”

“Well, there are days when even monkeys fall from trees, right?”

I sat down on the chair, ignoring Seong Ga-eul’s suspicious eyes.

I saw printed papers piled up on the table on the third floor.

Printed maps and survival knowledge, how to make simple weapons and first aid measures.

It was full of information that became the most important things in this world.

‘I think I pulled out everything I could while the printer was still running?’

Seong Ga-eul squinted at the paper she couldn’t let go of.

It was a map with blue and red notes and markings all over Incheon City.

“Can I ask what it is?”

“No. Please stop.”

As if to show that she was ignoring me, her gaze did not deviate from the map.

It was a more explicit reaction than Seo Taesan’s, but looking at that arrogant face, I just laughed.

Well, that could happen.

I spoke to Seong Ga-eul as if I was talking to myself.

“Hmm… The blue one is a good place to defend, and the red one is a place where you can get food?”

“… … .”

“I have some really important information. Should I tell you about it? Should I not?”

“… … Haha.”

At the same time as Seong Ga-eul’s long breathing sound, her clear eyes turned to me.

“What is it?”

“Rather, it’s like I’m asking you to please listen. ah… I feel a little uncomfortable talking like this.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

I waved my hand at her as she turned her head innocently again.

“Hey, you have a very impatient personality. Gaeul said that. The library was peaceful until I came.”

I continued talking while looking at her face that I never get tired of seeing.

“Have you ever thought it was strange? What is the total population of Incheon? Han, is it 3 million? Even if only 10% of them become zombies, the number is 300,000. This place… .”

My finger pointed to the library.

“This place is famous for its large floating population. But why were there no zombies?”

“… Let’s see if there are any other things to do.”

It may seem like a stupid answer, but there was a bone in the words.

The eyes sparkled.

I could tell she was guessing too, even if she wasn’t sure.

“Noise that is a strong stimulus to zombies. Heavy drinking and gunshots shook Incheon city. And those noises that no longer ring.”

It came down to one result.

Seong Ga-eul’s reluctant answer was heard.

“… The shelter must have collapsed.”

“Bingo!”

I remembered the destruction of the army that was blocking the zombie wave.

Obviously, it would have been easier to block them all together, but why did they stick out like that and block the zombie waves?

As if buying time.

In addition, I remembered the scene filled with the commander’s shouts telling us not to spare bullets and the sounds of guns being fired.

“Another problem here! Where will the zombies go now that their shelter has collapsed?”

“… Do you know?”

“I don’t know?”

“… … Yes?”

He said, laughing at her dumbfounded face.

“It would be nice to just stay there, but I don’t know… .”

I could have bet everything that it wasn’t the case.