episode_0060

As we left the command post and headed down towards the village where the buildings were crowded together, a delicious smell began to tickle our noses. It was a feeling that we could never experience outside.

This is because, where my uncle and I lived, the role of the sense of smell was strong as an advance warning that allowed us to create an appropriate level of tension for sight and hearing through the strong or weak smell of a rotting corpse.

“Mister, what is that smell?”

It seemed like a scent I’d smelled a lot before, but I couldn’t identify it.

“It smells like chicken. It looks like new oil because there is no burnt or burnt smell. Oh my, the savory smell is vibrating.”

“Ah…?”

I was so surprised. I forgot the smell of chicken…

As I listened to the old man, I could tell that it smelled like chicken, but I also felt like this was somewhat of a deprivation of my qualifications as a modern person.

Well, if you think about it, it wasn’t that strange. It had been a long time since I had eaten fried food, right?

3 years ago… no, it’s been 4 years now.

Anyway, right after the zombie outbreak, the food that had already been fried was no longer fresh and couldn’t be eaten, and it was difficult to find the ingredients or chicken to fry it again.

This wasn’t just my problem and that of my uncle.

Everyone did that back then. They had to make a living right away. Even now, you can’t find a place that serves fried food except here.

The old man headed straight towards the street stall where they were frying chicken. I couldn’t stand to see the old man monopolizing all the chicken, so I also clung to him.

As I followed along, one doubt arose in my head.

‘This old man came here alone all this time, saying it was dangerous, but he didn’t come here alone to eat chicken, did he?’

Actually, there was nothing particularly dangerous on the way here… except that the way here was a bit complicated and far, it could even be said to be easier than the way to Gunma Hospital or Majangsan.

The old man stood right in front of the stall. There was a sign that said ‘SHC Chicken’ above the stall.

Well, it wasn’t a sign with lights on or anything like that, it was just a piece of plywood that was roughly picked up from the surrounding area and painted on.

“Welcome! Hmm? Mr. Do-hoon, it’s been a while! Are you here for work again?”

What the heck, how does that lady know that man?

Remembering that the old man’s relationships with women were not very clean and that he also showed a strange interest in women, I narrowed my eyes and looked at the store owner.

“Haha, well, that’s right. The kids are growing up well, right?”

“As you can see, it’s always trouble. It would be better if Do-hoon came often, but I know he’s such a busy person, so it’s a shame.”

As the stall owner, Sujin, stepped aside, she saw children playing with toys on a mat laid out behind the stall.

What, what is it…? Kids? But why does the old man say it’s good if you come often…?

I immediately looked up at the old man, taking my eyes off Soojin. I needed an explanation. At least one that was concise and precise.

The old man didn’t seem to notice my gaze as he was busy laughing and talking.

What the heck, who are you to be talking to me so friendly?

Is that person closer to me than I am? To the extent that he would leave me alone after four years of being together?

The flow of my thoughts began to speed up. My head spun as if I was being swept away by a rapid current, and I began to recall and piece together the old man’s words.

Some of the stories that the old man had told that were either nutritious or seemed nutritious came to mind, colored in.

‘No, not necessarily…’

An unexpected negative remark. The old man’s reply to the remark that was meant to tease him for having had many womanizing experiences but not even having a proper family.

It began to weigh on my head, growing from a simple babble to an undeniable proposition.

Why do the children’s faces somehow resemble the old man?

“Mr.”

It seemed like the old man didn’t hear me calling. After all, the sound of frying was loud, and the children playing with their toys were noisy too.

Not far away, there were soldiers running through the village, boasting of their sweaty spirit.

“Please give me only 6 pieces of well-fried ones.”

“Mr.”

So I called again.

“Huh…Huh? Why are you like that, Danhwa…?”

“Who is that person? What about those kids?”

“Ah, there’s someone named Soojin who lives here. We just kind of know each other.”

“I see. We were kind of acquainted.”

Just acquaintances? Just people who live here? What a cliche.

After all, it’s not uncommon for a couple who have secretly had an affair to be told by others that they just know each other.

“No, Danhwa… You seem to be thinking strangely.”

It seemed like the old man realized it too late. Why was he always late? He knew full well that lying wouldn’t work.

“So that’s why you always come alone? But why did you come with me this time?”

“No, Danhwa. You know me well. Am I the kind of person who would do that?”

“You know too well. I’ve seen you roll your eyes at women outside more than once, right?”

The old man started to sweat profusely at my words.

Seeing her hands trembling, it was funny, and I couldn’t help but think, “Why did she go around kicking the child without any sense of responsibility if she was going to tremble like that?”

“Me…? Mr. Do-Hoon, who is the person next to you?”

“Ah, that’s good. Soojin, this is the part where you go out with your partner when you’re doing activities outside… oh!”

After forcibly suturing the old man’s mouth shut, I opened his mouth instead.

“Who is Mrs. ”

“Ah…Ma’am?”

“Why? There are kids like me, but aren’t you at an age where you should be called “big sister” or “big sister”?”

They were kids who would be entering elementary school in just one or two years. I think there was nothing wrong with what I said.

“Short hair, what does that mean to someone who just saw it…”

“Mr. is missing, so it’s not his turn yet.”

Where is this crazy person meddling right now? I’m talking to you, and you dare to do it.

“Who is the kids’ father?”

“That’s my husband…?”

He had an expression on his face as if he was asking something obvious. It seemed like he still didn’t even realize what kind of situation he was in.

Bam.

My teeth ground without me knowing.

Oh, my husband? He must be really upset.

How deluded must one be to call a man who poops his children and keeps a harem of younger girls in a shelter outside as my husband?

“Honey! What kind of guest are you? Oh! It’s Do-hoon? But why is the atmosphere like this…”

“Ah…?”

The anger that had been rising to the top of my head suddenly subsided at the unfamiliar voice of someone other than the old man that I heard from behind me.

I realized that I had made a ridiculous misunderstanding, and countless ideas about how to fix it popped up in my head and then subsided.

“I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”

I immediately lowered my head. I ended up committing an outrageous act of rudeness towards a married woman.

“I told you not to think weird.”

The old man is being quiet. It was because of him that there was a misunderstanding. It made me sick to my stomach that the person who provided the decisive cause was saying such things.

It seemed necessary to clearly determine responsibility for this when the two were alone.

Anyway, now was the time to start by apologizing profusely.

*

“Ohhohoho! You’re saying I misunderstood like that? Mr. Danhwa is really mean.”

“That old man always looks like that outside… I guess my head went blank for a moment.”

“Do-Hoon, did you know that you had that kind of tendency without knowing it?”

“Danhwa, this is really unfair. It’s not me, Soojin.”

“I don’t have the ability to seduce someone as capable as Do-hoon, but I feel good. Dan-hwa, eat some chicken and stuff.”

“Yes.”

I ignored the man’s complaint in a voice that it was unfair and put the chicken in my mouth. I could feel the crispiness and soft texture of the chicken, and the meat juice burst out in my mouth.

It was delicious, but somehow it was difficult to fully enjoy the taste.

“Honey! It’s a bit rude to say that when there’s a man outside!”

“Oh my, what did I say? Where are you going leaving us and our cute kids?”

The discontent of the outsider and Do-cheol melted away like snow at the sound of Soo-jin’s snort and the physical attack that wrapped her arms.

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Anyway, I had committed absurd misunderstandings and many mistakes, and I couldn’t find a way to relieve the heat on my face.

If I look in the mirror, it will probably be bright red. I was just watching from the side, but I ended up making a mistake because I was overconfident about the old man’s usual behavior.

“Does Danhwa like Dohoon a lot? Usually, in situations like that, you don’t misunderstand things that much.”

“Me, me? No! Oh, as I said before, the old man’s behavior is a bit bad, and he always comes here alone. So I thought, this guy’s done something crazy again.”

I wondered why I was making excuses like this. On top of that, I was being misunderstood as liking the old man.

I thought it might be a misunderstanding since I am not someone who does this kind of thing.

From my perspective as a partner, it was something I should have been angry about. If he was engaged in an urgent matter where life and death were at stake, and he was also fighting over a child and acting like a goose dad, who wouldn’t be angry?

“That’s why you pushed me like that? Isn’t that what you usually do?”

“No, that’s… I’m not sure yet, so I’ll check…”

“Just to confirm…? Phew, just kidding. Just kidding. Eat it.”

Since I had already committed a sin, I thought I would not eat soft meat again, so I picked up the puffed meat. The chewy texture of the breast meat behind the crispy fried meat erased the oily feeling in my mouth.

But I must have eaten too much in one bite, my throat felt blocked as if I had eaten a sweet potato.

While I was desperately looking for water, someone handed me a cup of water. I drank it in one gulp and was about to express my gratitude when I saw that it was an old man.

“Eat slowly.”

“…”

My face felt hot. I thought I would die of embarrassment.