episode_0069

Two days passed since they spent the night in the public facility. It was the third day since they set out from school towards the shelter. They were still walking along the promenade. The schedule was slower than expected, but there were no complaints. The reason for the slowed movement wasn’t due to the group. The reason, as expected, was the zombies. From the start until the first night, that single day had been incredibly lucky. From the very next morning, as if by magic, they started encountering zombies. Fortunately, they weren’t in large numbers. They mostly appeared in front, rather than rushing in from all directions. Thanks to this, I, being at the front, could handle them without much trouble.

‘…Could it be?’ I glanced suspiciously at Jihyeok hyung and Commander Choi. I had encountered zombies both when I first met hyung and when we were moving. It was the same for Commander Choi during their first meeting and escape. I wondered if those two men were totems attracting zombies. …It was just a fleeting thought.

Seeing the zombies suddenly start appearing, the group was initially startled, but they gradually adapted, significantly overcoming the mental burden of dealing with zombies. Now, they even informed me when they spotted a zombie. Considering that I had experienced my body freezing, overwhelmed by the zombies’ primal killing intent when I first encountered them head-on, this was significant progress. The group’s physical stamina was well-managed, and their resistance to zombies had also grown slightly. Our mission was simply to walk diligently.

‘It’s annoying how they keep popping up bit by bit.’ Dealing with the sporadically appearing zombies was no problem. However, the slight slowdown in pace was unavoidable, and the accumulated delays ultimately resulted in a reduction in travel distance. Nevertheless, thanks to our diligent walking without overexertion, we had passed Gangbyeonbuk-ro and were now on Dongbu Expressway.

Thwack-!! I landed an arrow in the head of a zombie running towards us from the front. It flew back in the direction it came from, falling headfirst onto the ground, landing on its back. Twang- Thwack-!! Unlike the crisp snap of the bowstring, the powerfully shot arrow pierced halfway through the zombie’s head and stuck there. Having taken down two zombies, I calmly continued walking.

While I scanned the front, left, and right, Dong-woo ran over and pulled out the arrow. At first, he had been utterly disgusted and couldn’t even pull it out properly, but after a few tries, he was now assisting skillfully. “Hyung-nim, here.” “I told you, you don’t have to.” “No, it’s okay. Please leave these things to me.” I took the arrow Dong-woo offered and swung it to the side. It drew a thin line on the ground, splattering rotten blood. Finally, after checking the retrieved arrow’s tip, I reloaded it into the quiver. I patted Dong-woo’s shoulder, who had taken charge of these small tasks, and he grinned before returning to the line.

I would take down the zombie with the bow, finish it off, and confirm. Dong-woo would run over, retrieve the arrow, and hand it to me. This was a new pattern that had been added over the past two days since we started encountering zombies. Seeing me try to handle the combat alone, he seemed to want to help with even the smallest things, so he volunteered for this assistance. Dong-woo, who was carrying the A-frame backpack that I originally should have carried, was restless about the backpack’s weight getting lighter as the food supplies dwindled. His desire to help with even minor things seemed admirable. From then on, he joined in and helped with all miscellaneous tasks, whether it was preparing meals or anything else. I left him to it, thinking it would be better for his mental health than doing nothing, and I didn’t stop him from retrieving arrows like this, as long as it wasn’t dangerous. Though these were small actions, it was certainly convenient for me. And Dong-woo’s eager actions gave us a sense of youthful vitality, making me feel like we were gaining something extra.

“Oppa. You’re controlling your strength well now.” “Well, I’ve been shooting so much, I should be able to do this much.” “…But it’s weird how you just do it so well right after saying you would?” A small laugh escaped me at Shia’s chattering words from behind. She said that she knew well from having competed in archery at an idol sports competition. That handling a bow was by no means easy. She subtly tried to express her desire to shoot a bow, but I talked her out of it. She seemed to want to contribute to the fight against the zombies, but it wasn’t the right time yet.

At first, I had simply shot mindlessly. I would pull the bowstring until the bow screamed, almost shooting with sheer force. It had been a long time since I held a bow, so it took time to get a feel for it. When the arrow hit, it didn’t just hit, it pierced right through. I still had plenty of arrows, but I started regulating my strength to conserve the dwindling supply. That’s how I gradually found the optimal point and arrived at my current skill. Hit, kill, retrieve. From then on, most arrows were recovered, except for those with damaged arrowheads.

…In that process, there were also times when the group was completely surprised. While I was finding the optimal point, there were a few instances where a zombie hit by an arrow would fly several meters. Or a single piercing arrow would take down two or three zombies simultaneously. The group members, witnessing these sights, stared with wide eyes. It was only after seeing these displays that Shia withdrew her request to try shooting the bow.

“Is a bow originally this powerful? Or are you just good at shooting?” Jihyeok hyung even threw out the question implicitly. Commander Choi also watched, eyes sparkling, observing the bow and me alternately. It was certainly a sight not easily witnessed, but at the group’s reactions, I ended up letting out a small, wry smile. “It’s because the bow is good.” “…Not entirely so.” Commander Choi added meaningfully with a small smile. From behind, the grandfather also chimed in. “I used to shoot a bow back in my day, so I know you can’t do that with just the bow alone.” “You’ve shot a bow?” Everyone’s gaze turned to the grandfather, and I reflexively asked. “Many people from our generation who lived in the countryside shot bows. Some did it as a hobby, and some used it to hunt birds.”

Come to think of it, I recalled the boastful tale of an elderly foreman I once met on site. I remembered laughing it off when he bragged about hunting deer and wild boar with a bow in his youth. I thought he was bluffing, but it seemed he wasn’t. As old memories briefly resurfaced, the grandfather’s eyes showed a faint nostalgia, as if recalling past times. “Those were truly hungry times. We learned to shoot bows to catch animals because there was nothing to eat, right? But then, the animals we caught had no edible parts. How disheartening must that have been?” Those listening nodded their heads unconsciously. Everyone understood the pain that hunger brought. It was a nod of deep empathy.

“We’d clean the feathers of birds and the fur of animals like rabbits to sell their hides. Even then, food was scarce, and if it weren’t for my wife, I would have starved to death long ago.” “Grandma??” “Why do you bring up things from back then? It’s embarrassing.” “It’s the truth, so what?” At Grandma’s chiding, Grandpa let out a hollow laugh and held his tongue. But I was curious about their story. It seemed I wasn’t the only one; everyone in the group had sparkling eyes.

“Let’s take a short break up ahead.” Just then, a bench came into view up ahead. As soon as they sat on the bench and set down their bags, Shia subtly asked the grandfather. “How did you and Grandma meet?” “Oh goodness. Why ask such things~” “Hahaha! Yes, yes. The young lady is curious, isn’t she?” Grandma took a step back, pretending to be unable to resist. Seizing the moment, Grandpa, reminiscing about the past, proved to be a good storyteller.

“Back then, my wife used to gather wild greens to sell at the market and work at a restaurant. But she was really famous.” “Grandma was?” Seeing Dong-woo ask back as if this was new information, Grandpa chuckled heartily. “She was famous as the most beautiful woman in that area.” “Huh? Grandma was?” “Here! Look!” Grandpa confidently pulled out an old photograph from his wallet and showed it. “Oh my! Grandma is so beautiful!” Shia’s and Bomi’s enthusiastic exclamations of admiration were not an exaggeration. The two people in the photo were young and quite handsome and beautiful. At the group’s fervent reactions, Grandpa’s spirits soared.

“She worked well, cooked well, and had a good personality. Her popularity was immense.” “Oohh~” “There were many good-for-nothings who had their eyes on my wife.” Listening to Grandpa’s story, both of them had been popular figures. However, it was a time when both found it hard to make a living, so they simply worked silently. The catalyst for their relationship blossoming was quite a classic tale. It was the persistent advances of a landlord, famous as a wealthy landowner at the time.

“My wife suffered a lot because of that damned old man.” “And then??” “Well then…” One late night, after the market had closed. Grandma was almost kidnapped at the corner of an alley. Grandpa, who happened to witness the scene, rescued Grandma, comforted her as she cried her eyes out, and carried her on his back all the way home.

“What I remember from back then is that the moon was very bright, and my wife was very light.” “Wow~” “But I rescued my wife, and then the problem was what happened next.” “Problem? Ah…” I reacted unconsciously to the exciting story. I felt like I knew what problem Grandpa was talking about. “The four people I knocked down back then were the landlord’s servants.” “That’s—no, wait. Grandpa, you went up against four people?” “Those ruffians were no match for me.” Shia asked again in surprise, and the rest of the group was also quite astonished. ‘To think he knocked down four people.’

As it was a time when police and public order were a mess, and they didn’t know what terrible things the landlord might do, Grandpa apparently took Grandma’s hand and fled. After moving to Seoul that way, he worked tirelessly, like a bear, just to make a living. Their earnings weren’t impressive, but the two of them, working together, said they were happy despite the difficult days, and they smiled gently.

“My wife was a great cook, making delicious meals even with scarce ingredients. That’s why I couldn’t go against her.” “Why? Because she wouldn’t give you food?” “No. She never let me starve.” “Then why??” At Shia’s question, Grandpa put on a wistful expression. “Because she’d only make the same thing until she felt better.” “…Huh??” “Just try eating the same side dish and the same soup for half a month. The dinner table becomes terrifying.” “Uh… wait a minute. So, when Grandma occasionally made only bone broth, was that because of Grandpa?” “Ahem~~” Everyone tried hard to suppress their laughter at Grandpa’s reaction. “Why would I make him delicious food when he’s not being nice? Being strong isn’t everything.” At Grandma’s words, everyone finally burst into laughter.

After choking back laughter for a long time and finally calming down a bit. Shia, curious about the couple’s past, asked a question. “But why did Grandma follow Grandpa?” “My wife won’t tell me that.” “Oh, what reason is there? You had to follow to live. That’s enough!” Grandma waved her hand and stood up abruptly. Everyone, with warm smiles, prepared to hit the road again. Having taken a short break and brightened their moods, everyone’s expressions were good. A lingering warmth remained on their faces. But everyone habitually formed a line and matched their footsteps. The group had only been together for a few days, but they had developed good habits. Watching them from behind, an inexplicable sense of satisfaction welled up within me. I took the lead again and walked diligently with the group.

Walk and rest, walk and rest. It was a tedious journey, but they simply walked on in silence. As the sun passed its zenith and gradually entered the afternoon. 『Sagajeong-ro』 A signboard visible at the exit of Dongbu Expressway beyond the promenade. Their destination was now not far off. Now they had to leave the promenade and re-enter the city center. They had gained a great advantage and arrived safely here, but this was the end of it. I pulled the loosened tension taut. I straightened my posture and took full precautions. Gazing at the signboard, I checked my bow and bowstring, and with my fingertips, confirmed the quiver casually slung over my back and the crowbar.

“There isn’t much left now. But from this point on, it’s crucial.” At my words, the group’s eyes shone brightly, as if they had braced themselves. Each person gripped their weapon tightly. “Don’t make any loud noises. If anything appears from behind or to the sides, just quickly tell me.” The group nodded quietly. I spoke lightly, conveying a ‘don’t worry’ sentiment. “Just follow me.” With those words, we left the promenade. There was no hesitation in me or the group as we quickened our pace. And so, we began to enter the city, heading towards the destination that lay beyond.