episode_0050

“Ughhhh…”

He stretched his arms and legs while lying down, yawning.

‘I need to get up first….’

He rubbed his eyes, which refused to open, and forced himself to sit up.

He scratched his neck at a slight itch.

He couldn’t understand why he always woke up with an itch somewhere.

His eyes slowly opened, and he looked around.

The empty classroom where he and his companions were supposed to stay.

There was no one else in the empty classroom but him.

Only blankets and thin quilts were neatly arranged.

It seemed his companions had all left.

‘Did they go visit the injured?’

He got up and slowly began to loosen his stiff body.

Every time he twisted his body, faint protests erupted from all over.

A chill rose steadily from the cold concrete floor.

The current environment was so poor that he had to lay boxes on the floor and then a blanket on top to sleep. From meals to sleeping arrangements, this was absolutely not a suitable place to stay.

As he stretched, he racked his brain and thought.

He would have to discuss it with everyone, but his idea of leaving this place hadn’t changed.

It was true that soldiers armed with firearms were reassuring.

But only up to that point.

Other issues were not worth discussing.

More than anything, he couldn’t leave his companions among a group that couldn’t even stand up to one high-ranking Old Man and go alone. If it came to that, it was much better for him to take them with him.

‘Come to think of it, should I treat my future landlord well?’

He chuckled and moved his body, which was still struggling to wake up.

Despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, his condition wasn’t bad.

It was only because of his robust physique that he was alright; he worried that others might be suffering.

‘Are the injured people okay?’

Last night.

The hastily delivered medicines had been quite helpful.

There was no shortage for immediate treatment, so the procedures finished well.

The female soldier with a large wound also had her treatment safely completed.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the infirmary wasn’t bad.

Because no fatalities had occurred amidst various misfortunes.

His outing hadn’t even taken an hour, but nothing significant had happened in the meantime.

According to the guarding soldiers, people couldn’t even get close.

He had stayed until the treatment was over, then showered and lay down, and now it was morning.

Falling asleep as if passing out was always a strange feeling.

To close his eyes and open them the next day….

He took out a bottle of water from his bag, drank it all, and left the classroom.

The hallway and the wide hall were utterly desolate.

At least the murmuring of people coming and going indicated that there were humans in the building. It was a disheartening atmosphere, devoid of vitality or energy.

Without thinking, he crossed the hallway and headed to the temporary infirmary.

The gazes directed at him were lukewarm and slightly bothersome.

He wondered how they felt now that the ringleaders who had lured them with sweet words were gone and they had grasped reality. Still, it seemed they were capable of thought, as they weren’t hostile towards him.

Just to that extent.

No need to pay attention to each other; everyone could just go their own way.

He entered the infirmary with a much lighter and refreshed feeling.

At the sound of the door opening, the gazes inside turned to him.

As expected, people were gathered around the beds where his companions lay.

The Choi family and the handsome man and beautiful woman were nowhere to be seen.

His companions greeted him with very happy expressions.

‘It’s just that I woke up, how embarrassing….’

Young-cheol had safely regained consciousness. He had been very worried because Young-cheol was bleeding from his head, so it was a relief. Byeongsu and Bomi appeared somewhat more stable than yesterday, which put him a little at ease.

He asked about everyone’s well-being and personally checked on them.

They greeted him with bright expressions, but seemed to have difficulty moving.

Their wounded areas were severely swollen, to the point where it pained him to see them.

The doctor diagnosed a two-week recovery period.

No fractures or internal bleeding were suspected.

Thanks to the medicines he had brought, recovery would be fine with proper rest.

They were especially reassured that it wouldn’t be too difficult thanks to the painkillers and epidural injections.

Though he lacked professional knowledge, even to him, they didn’t seem to be in a dangerous state.

“Phew~”

His hard work late into the night had paid off.

It was a shame he couldn’t get compensation for his injured companions, but since it was paid with lives, he decided to generously let it go.

“We’re really okay. Don’t worry too much.”

“That’s right, Seonghan. We’re truly fine. Haha.”

A laugh escaped him as he watched the two men joking around.

Next to them, Bomi gave a silent eye-smile.

While holding Byeongsu’s hand tightly.

‘Oh…?’

It seemed his perception that Bomi’s embrace of the fallen Byeongsu looked tender wasn’t a misconception. Even now, the way she looked at Byeongsu with a rather complex gaze was unusual.

They say love blossoms even amidst war, and he was witnessing it in real-time.

With a satisfied feeling, he pretended not to notice.

He wasn’t so tactless as to break the good atmosphere.

“What were you talking about so happily?”

“Oh~ nothing much.”

Byeongsu had been talking about how he had crushed the gangsters.

He thought Byeongsu had lost consciousness, but it seemed he had come to his senses soon after.

And Young-cheol was grumbling that it was a shame he hadn’t seen it.

The two men vowed to pay them back if they encountered them again.

‘Sorry, but that day will never come.’

He kept silent about the unspeakable truth and chuckled, staying by his companions who were chatting away.

Soon after, everyone else also came to the infirmary.

“Oh? Oppa! You were here.”

“I woke up and no one was there, so I came.”

“Oh~ we were bringing porridge for the manager Oppas.”

“Ahaha….”

It was a pity, as it hadn’t been long since he’d escaped porridge.

The two lying patients, however, looked grateful even for porridge.

He turned his gaze to examine the relatively unharmed companions.

Jihyeok hyung had a bandage on his hand, and Shia’s face was swollen too.

Only Dong-woo was slightly less affected.

It was a great relief that the elderly couple were safe.

He subtly asked the people preparing meals for the patients.

“Did anyone pick a fight while you were bringing that?”

“Huh? No one did?”

“Everyone just stared, but couldn’t say anything.”

Nodding, he made up his mind.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

***

He led everyone, except for those lying down, up to the rooftop.

The slightly cloudy and cool weather was perfect for a conversation.

And now, he was setting up a grill and cooking meat.

Sizzle-

His companions were dumbfounded at the sight of him suddenly pulling out various items from his duffel bag and grilling meat. But their eyes remained fixed on the sizzling meat.

It was the moment his camping gear, stored in his inventory, shone.

“No, this is…”

“Oppa. You had this kind of stuff in your bag too?”

“Well… something like that.”

He vaguely mumbled an answer and diligently grilled the meat.

It didn’t suit the situation at all, but they needed to eat to gain strength, right?

It was just time to release some of the overflowing meat from his inventory.

The timing was perfect now that lunchtime had passed.

The elderly couple diligently grilled the meat, and everyone else was busy chewing. He had originally thought they could eat and talk, but that wasn’t possible.

Everyone’s minds were shaken by the fresh meat they hadn’t tasted in a long time.

Despite having no other side dishes, just a bit of kimchi and salt, the meat tasted incredibly sweet. His tongue was ecstatic, as it stuck to his palate.

‘Next time, we should all have a drink together.’

The meal continued amidst the browning meat and the joyful atmosphere.

How wonderful would it have been if this scene had unfolded in peaceful everyday life?

Wouldn’t it have been more enjoyable without any worries or anxieties?

He briefly felt a pang of regret, but then his thoughts subsided, and he chuckled.

Seeing everyone eat so frantically, this moment wasn’t bad either.

Only after eating like they were in battle for a long time could they finally talk.

His companions leaned back, patting their full bellies.

It was the perfect time to enjoy their satisfaction, but he apologized and brought up the main topic.

“I think we need to leave this place. What do you all think?”

At his words, everyone’s expressions hardened slightly.

Under their focused gazes, he calmly stated his thoughts.

“Although we lacked information, coming here was a mistake. They certainly have firepower, but that’s all. The other conditions are not good at all. It will be hard to endure.”

Given the serious nature of the topic, his companions listened earnestly.

Each of them seemed to be deep in thought.

“I don’t know if what that Old Man said yesterday was true or not, but I think there’s a possibility. If so, it will be a long time before the government or military steps in. So, I think we should survive on our own, without relying on anyone.”

“O-on our own?”

“Ah. I meant our group. Not separately.”

Dong-woo was slightly startled by his misunderstanding, but he passed over it casually.

“Forming a group with many people is also a good method. But I don’t want to do that. I won’t explain the reasons since you’ve all experienced it directly.”

At his unfiltered words, everyone’s expressions stiffened.

It was just yesterday.

The shock might not have fully subsided yet.

“Not all people are like that. But it’s hard to find such a group, and I don’t particularly want to go somewhere crowded and live uncomfortably.”

At his words, his companions nodded and fell into thought.

Though it had only been a day, comparing their situation when they were just among themselves to the current situation, the choice was obvious.

However, everyone’s opinion was important.

They might think the same as him, or they might have an opposing view.

A certified organization like the military might be more trustworthy than him, whose identity was unknown.

“The reason you’re saying this now is because you’re curious about our thoughts, right?”

The calm question from the handsome man came from beside him.

Without any particular agitation, his eyes remained as usual.

“It’s a matter directly related to survival, after all. And the risks aren’t small.”

“Risks?”

“Just yesterday, everyone got hurt, didn’t they?”

“But that was…”

“My misjudgment. It almost turned into a disaster.”

His voice, as he spoke his honest thoughts, was very subdued.

“But it wasn’t your fault, Oppa. You didn’t come in knowing either.”

“……”

“It was an unexpected variable, you could say? The situation was like that, Seonghan. Not everything can be perfect. You seem to be feeling too much burden regarding us right now.”

“Well, since you all trusted just me and followed me this far…”

“When you were out, we all had a talk.”

He glanced at Jihyeok hyung, who was speaking calmly.

“We agreed that even if things went wrong by following your plan, we wouldn’t resent you. Didn’t we say that before?”

“Y-you did?”

Everyone chuckled at his bewildered reaction.

“Seonghan, everyone knows how much risk you’re taking and how hard you’re working. As I said before, even if something goes wrong and you die, no one will resent you.”

“……”

“And after experiencing those kinds of people yesterday, we also realized how humane you are.”

Though the comparison was a bit odd, compared to those scoundrels, he was indeed an angel.

“There might be differences of opinion, but no one would dare to object, would they? Do you think there’s anyone else out there doing as much as you are?”

“…That’s true.”

Could there possibly be another talented person who would do this much after receiving a promise that seemed like a joke?

“So, don’t feel too burdened. My thought is rather that we should act together. Even if we enter a death trap, wouldn’t two be better than one?”

He hadn’t expected Jihyeok hyung to be thinking this far ahead.

The others also had resolute expressions, as if they shared similar thoughts.

“Regarding that part, not yet.”

He already had something in mind anyway.

He couldn’t cover everyone alone with just his own abilities forever.

If everyone had firmly made up their minds to this extent, then it wouldn’t be difficult.

“My idea is simple. First, we need to…”

His idea was simple.

Find a suitable building to be a base.

We take over the building, stockpile supplies, and endure.

It was almost impossible to meet the exact conditions without being prepared.

Detailed and necessary things would be handled one by one as they came.

The reason he thought this way was because he was confident in his combat strength and inventory.

At least procuring supplies was somehow possible.

He couldn’t reveal things about himself, but this was a problem he had to bear.

Everyone who heard his explanation began to seriously ponder.

“This situation has become an opportunity for us to firmly resolve our decision,” Shia said.

Listening to Shia’s words, it was true.

It was a military that was half-incapacitated and a difficult situation.

They had also realized that they could only survive by sticking together and pooling their strength.

“The problem is the building…”

“I’m thinking of a small commercial complex or villa in an area with few people.”

“…If I had known this, I would have bought a building somewhere else.”

“Where is it?”

“…Gangnam.”

It was a great pity.

Gangnam was an area they should stay as far from as possible right now.

“What about the countryside? Not necessarily a city, but somewhere in between–”

“That won’t do.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Dong-woo’s suggestion was actually fine.

“There’s no time.”

“Uh… time?”

“Winter is coming soon.”

“…Ah!!”

His companions exclaimed as if they had just realized it.

Their expressions became urgent, as if his words about lacking time had resonated with them.

It was understandable that they hadn’t perceived it, being preoccupied with immediate survival.

That was a normal reaction.

It was plainly obvious that even if they found a base, they would face a harsh winter unless they prepared quickly for it.

The harsh cold, which they wouldn’t have cared about in spring or summer.

It was the season when the danger of freezing to death was added to the risks of thirst and hunger.

They didn’t have much time.

“We still have time, so let’s gather more opinions. For now, since there are injured people, we will wait until they recover to some extent before moving.”

“Young-cheol and Byeongsu were told to rest for about two weeks, right?”

“According to the doctor, that’s what he said.”

He didn’t intend to wait for two weeks.

Once they could move, he planned to move them to a motel or hotel to recuperate. He worried that in the current situation, they might even develop new illnesses.

Now that the general outline of the plan was set, his companions’ expressions brightened considerably.

Perhaps because a new goal had emerged, the atmosphere became more energetic.

“But we shouldn’t think too hastily.”

He added, emphasizing to his companions that they absolutely must not leak their plan.

Most people would scoff at their plan as reckless.

However, quick-witted individuals would likely stick to them.

“For now, just act naturally. It won’t take long.”

Once the two managers could move, they would act immediately.

Until then, they still had a few days.

‘I can’t just rest idly.’

Putting the remaining meat into his mouth, he recalled what needed to be done immediately.

It seemed he would have to go out again.

A little farther.