episode_0026

“It’s here”

The place where the voice was heard was the store next to the barricade.

However, the shutter was down so it was impossible to check inside.

I headed to the front of the store without relaxing.

When we arrived in front of the store, the shutters were lifted slightly.

It looks like they’re telling you to crawl in.

“Do you know the voice?”

“Hmm… I can’t tell from your voice.”

“Are you originally a market merchant?”

“Nayoung, I am the bakery man!”

“Oh, I guess it’s the bakery guy next to us.”

The moment I heard Nayoung’s name, I was able to put down my bow with peace of mind.

At least it means that he is someone who knows Nayoung.

At least they won’t put a knife in your head as soon as you walk in.

“Let’s go in.”

I let Nayoung go first and crawled in after her.

A middle-aged man with graying hair was standing there.

The friendly face, chubby body, and bulging belly fit the image of a bakery man.

“Uncle!”

“Shhh!!!”

As soon as she entered the building, Nayoung’s relieved voice grew louder, and a person called Mr. Uncle put his finger to her mouth and signaled her to be quiet.

He then waved his hand and made a hand signal to follow.

The moment he crossed the second barricade, the man finally spoke up.

“Nayoung! You were alive.”

“Uncle!!!”

Nayoung, who seemed to lack a sense of distance to begin with, hugged the man tightly.

The man also welcomed Nayoung by lightly patting her on the back.

I don’t really like touching my things.

I didn’t think much of it, perhaps because this guy had a gentle expression.

Well, I guess I just liked it since I was young.

You look happy. That kind of feeling.

“Are you Nayoung’s boyfriend?”

“Yes. Well, that’s it.”

Bakery man. So Mr. Baker took out a walkie-talkie that could be used as a child’s toy.

He grunted a few times, cleared his throat, and then radioed.

“Ah. Mr. Lim, can you hear me?”

[uh. what’s the matter? What’s going on?]

“Don’t be surprised!”

I saw that it was Mr. Lim. Perhaps the other person is Nayoung’s father.

As soon as Mr. Bbangjeo finished speaking, Nayoung rushed towards the radio.

“Dad!!!”

[Nayoung!!!]

[Oh, Dad will go now. Are you with Mr. Kim?]

“Yes!!! I’m fine, I’m fine!”

[Thank goodness… Thank goodness… I thought you were dead…]

“Black… Dad…”

The sound quality of the toy radio was not very good.

There was no difficulty in understanding what was being said, but it seemed difficult to identify people.

Nevertheless, Nayoung’s father seems to have recognized his daughter right away.

So we walked into the market, following Mr. Bbangjeo.

Nayoung couldn’t stand it anymore and started talking about various things with her father through the walkie-talkie.

Mom is? What about Dayoung? I started by asking how my family was doing, and when I heard my mother’s voice over the radio, I couldn’t stop crying from then on.

“Try to stop that. I will kill all the zombies.”

I’m worried that my zombie neighbors might file a complaint about the noise pollution in broad daylight.

Mr. Baker stamped his feet in anxiety.

“Nayoung. Pop.”

“Ugh… pop…!”

Mr. Bbangjeo seemed surprised by that sight and could not keep his mouth shut.

“Nayoung is so gentle? When he was young, he cried for days because I wouldn’t buy him a cell phone, so I ended up buying him one for him.”

“Really?”

“Uh! I’m really surprised… Well, the world is ruined, but it’s not strange no matter what happens.”

The market was filled with buildings tightly packed together. It seems that it was easy to prevent zombie invasion because there were no gaps between buildings.

As I was walking around looking around, a sign caught my eye.

[Nayoung’s Side Dish Shop]

It was a name full of love for my daughter.

“Isn’t it here?”

“Huh? Yes, it’s my house… huh?”

The moment you wonder if the lights are off, someone comes running from far away.

Perhaps because he was aware of the zombies, he opened his mouth wide, but the sight was truly a silent roar.

I felt a deep longing for my daughter who came back alive.

“I’m glad… I’m glad…”

“Dad…Mom…”

The couple surrounded Nayoung, hugged her tightly, and began to sob quietly.

There was one more person who approached.

The woman standing behind the couple embracing Nayoung.

At a glance, I could recognize that the woman was ‘Dayoung’, Nayoung’s younger sister.

‘They look alike.’

His behavior was shabby.

The hair that was cut short seemed to have been cut by hand, so the ends were unkempt and were even messy.

Clothing: jeans and a t-shirt for active movement. If it were clean, the fashion would have been quite arousing to men, but it was full of grime from moving miscellaneous items.

His face was clear and incongruous with his demeanor. Purity beyond simple cleanliness? nobility?

It may feel that way even more because of the shabby clothes.

Even if it rolled in the mud, the pearl was still a pearl.

“Dad. Go in and talk. Don’t make any noise outside.”

After sending the family in, Dayoung looked at me.

You probably knew that he was the person who saved your sister, but his eyes were full of caution.

“… Are you your sister’s lover? You too, please come in.”

Their facial features were vaguely similar, but I think the reason their impressions were quite different was because of those eyes.

It was cold.

No, it was more than just coldness. There was definitely an edge in his attitude towards me.

To me, who can be said to be my sister’s benefactor, she looks and speaks like that.

For the first time, I met someone who seemed like he would survive in this world for a long time.

I don’t like the fact that those eyes are directed at me.

*

The center of the sheep street furthest from the zombies.

The market people lived there together.

About 20 women and men who appeared to be market merchants were huddled together in various places in a large room.

As we entered the house, we felt all eyes on us.

“…Isn’t this Mr. Lim’s daughter?”

“So? I heard he died. Was he alive?”

People flocked to Nayoung’s side and began to say well-wishers one by one.

“Oh hey, welcome back~!”

“No matter how much your father cried…I’m glad…”

The state of the house was miserable.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Hwatu board.

The military blanket was littered with Hwatu skins, as if they had been playing Hwatu just moments ago.

Money was lying around on the floor, and bags of rice crackers decorated the sides.

The men who were not paying much attention to Nayoung each held a bottle of green dew in their hands.

It’s not like you’re drinking because there’s no water.

Did you rehydrate with alcohol?

Well, looking at it anyway, it seemed like a meaningless idea.

Dayoung left her family behind and started cleaning up the mess alone.

I was filled with anger as I cleaned up the house.

When the blanket was flipped over and the board was overturned, the person who was playing Hwatu came rushing over and started nagging Dayoung.

“Oh my gosh. I was still hitting it, but if I tip it over, it’s a shame!”

“Ladies… Is now the time to play Hwatu?”

“…What if that? What do you mean, tell us to catch zombies?”

“Yes. I catch it too, but is there anything that a lady can’t do?”

“You are still young!”

Looking at her thick forearms and waist, it seems normal for her strength to be much stronger than Dayoung’s.

The sight of him rolling his eyes and pointing at Dayoung was full of spirit.

Dayoung gritted her teeth and ran her hands through her bangs.

I closed my eyes tightly, tried to suppress my anger, and walked away.

When I burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation, I made eye contact with Dayoung.

“What are you looking at?”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders and Dayoung passed me and headed outside.

The room next door, where I followed Nayoung, was a little better.

Seeing as there was a map of the market spread out and lines drawn here and there, it seemed like it was a room where meetings for survival were held.

“Thank you is late. Nayoung is the one who becomes the father. Thank you so much for saving my daughter!”

“Well… yes. Raise your head. It’s okay.”

Actually, I didn’t know that my parents were still alive, even though I didn’t know my younger brother.

Because the market did not have a safe image for me.

“How did you survive? I’m glad I didn’t make a mistake.”

“Mr. Lim saved the lives of all the people here.”

The person who answered my question was Mr. Bbangjeo.

As I was only scratching my head in embarrassment, Mr. Bbangjeo, who was excited, started explaining his activities next to me.

“Text messages came in droves in the early morning. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t know what to do, but Mr. Lim blocked the entrance to the market with his truck. And then stop it quickly! Stop it! And then he screams.

How powerful the gentle gentleman was back then… .”

It seemed that at least this number of people had somehow survived thanks to Nayoung’s father’s activities.

I don’t think there was anything good that came out of it.

Isn’t that just rescuing a piece of luggage?

“I will tell you a little personal story for a moment. Please make room for me.”

“Uh…? Uh oh. Well.. say so.”

Although he seemed taken aback by the sudden order to congratulate the guests, Mr. Bbangjeo left the place.

“Nayoung, let me explain.”

Rather than me explaining it, it would be better for my daughter to explain it to me.

“So, I was living in Gangwon-do, and there… .”

There was a lot of talk here and there, but the core of what Nayoung said was simple.

There is a safe haven, so let’s go with ourselves.

However, the expression on the man’s face after hearing everything was bright and yet somewhat subtle.

“Nayoung… Dad can’t go.”

“…Huh? What are you talking about? You can’t go?”

“I’m going to abandon all my neighbors and cousins who have lived by my side and live alone… Rather than that, I’m going to just struggle here even more.”

“So you’re not going now?”

“Okay.”

“Dad, are you crazy?? mom!!! Mom, try to stop me!”

I burst into tears, threw a tantrum, got angry, and did all sorts of things, but I couldn’t break that will.

“…Do it yourself!”

In the end, Nayoung left with those words.

Should I follow you too? I feel like I’ll just turn a blind eye if I stay here.

I guess I’ll spend the night looking around Nayoung’s old house and then leave quickly.

Why can’t I just leave and live alone?

What’s the point in going after people who drink alcohol to save them?

I have to search.

As I followed Nayoung, there was a hand holding me.

“…I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

Of course, I thought he was going to say something like that, asking for my wife and second daughter.

He spewed out some strange nonsense.

“Could you please help the people here just a little bit?”

“No? Am I crazy? Help those humans?”

There is no way.