episode_0080

The old man and I left the room we were assigned and walked aimlessly down the hallway. Was it okay to wander around like this? Was there anyone following us?

I was worried about that, but I decided not to worry about it because the old man said it would probably be okay.

If it seemed like they were going to put the brakes on something like this, sanctions would have already been in place when we left the room.

Since the man and the woman, who was probably Hayura, were acquainted, it seemed like he knew what kind of style she had.

It felt strange. Well, it wasn’t like I was jealous or anything. I wasn’t even the object of jealousy in the first place.

This is also the first time you and I have been together… I don’t know if this is really your first time, separate from me.

I thought that I should definitely mention this part and not forget it.

Anyway, since you and I won’t be moving around at night, I guess I can just bring it up before we have sex.

I nodded and decided to completely clear my mind of any thoughts about ‘the old man’s friend’s complaint.

“What kind of structure is this? It’s neither an apartment nor a shopping mall…”

I muttered out loud. It would have been normal to have some idea of what it was, but after wandering around for about 20 to 30 minutes, I was like, ‘I don’t know what it is.’

There was a dormitory-like area with doors spaced at regular intervals along the walls of the hallway, and there was also an area located on the edge of it that was neither a warehouse nor a store, stocked with various necessities.

Just a moment ago, I passed a huge fitness center with a sign that said “Fitness Center,” so I couldn’t help but wonder if this was some new building or something like that.

My uncle and I are barely able to sleep in a shelter… and with all the family members growing in the already small shelter, all the remaining rooms have been sold out.

Because I fought over the sofa in the living room with the old man, I ended up with nowhere to properly lie down except for my bed.

Something seemed wrong with the world. Even though the old man worked hard and helped others, it was unfair to live in such a place.

“I thought they had absorbed some power, but I didn’t know it would be this much.”

I perked up my ears at what the old man said.

To be honest, I didn’t think the people here would be very kind to explain the situation to us, and all I could get was the fragmentary knowledge and speculation of an old man who was a former official and played the role of a victim.

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know if you told me, but seeing as the guys here follow Hayura like their godmother, it’s highly likely that Hayura swallowed up all the fruits of the government-run project.”

The old man’s words struck my head. Hayura was a researcher, the research topic was the creation of the Superhuman Army, and the result, the Superhuman Army, was now Hayura’s personal army, so it was certain that what the old man had said had happened.

“The process didn’t seem that extreme. It seems like the guys I worked with are still working with Hayura.”

“Are you close with the people who were your colleagues?”

“I’d even share a mast with those idiots.”

“Didn’t you say you quit smoking?”

“No, I mean, that’s what happened before. You know I don’t carry cigarettes around.”

In fact, I was confident that I would tolerate it to some extent even if the old man smoked, but my heart was touched when I saw him insisting on quitting smoking so cleanly.

They say quitting smoking is so hard, but you worked hard to accommodate me, just like last time. I was able to confirm once again that my eyes were not wrong in choosing you as my partner.

“No, I’m not saying I’m suspicious, I’m just… I think the old man is special.”

“…?”

The old man looked at me with a suspicious expression. What’s with that expression? Does he think I’m getting suspicious or something? Why is he looking at me with the eyes of someone with a phobia?

“Then I guess I should go see the people who are my colleagues.”

“Huh? Why?”

What are you talking about, you idiot moron?

I sighed. Whether or not the old man helped them with their work, whether or not he joined them, if they were close friends in the past, it would have been natural to meet them, but he reacted as if he hadn’t even considered it.

What we need is information. Not only have they not heard that the old man is joining, but in this situation, if the old man goes to see them, he may coincidentally meet his old colleagues and reminisce.

That’s why I think it’s time for the old man to step forward and say that he wants to see his former colleagues.

I found it very frustrating, but also very typical of him, that I was the one bringing up the subject he needed my permission for.

“If you think it’s because you’re being considerate of me, then it’s okay if you don’t do it, Danhwa. They’ll forget about me anyway. If you were to get involved in that situation, it would be a bit more difficult for you.”

The old man was diligently pouring water on the table, as if he had no idea what I was saying. Yes, this is the old man.

“I’m not thinking about you, sir. I’m just saying that we should hear about this place through those people. How much do we know about this place? In fact, those people might be able to guide us here, and maybe we can get some clues about things that the woman didn’t tell us.”

Even though I was telling the old man that, I had a strong feeling that the reason Hayura didn’t say anything was related to this.

When you meet a colleague you used to trust and rely on, it’s natural to drink, and there are no secrets at a drinking party.

Perhaps, he is the type of person who doesn’t like to talk nonsense. You’ll find out anyway.

“Huh…? Sergeant Kwon? Hey! Hey! Why are you here!”

“This lieutenant?”

A large, hunched man rushed toward the old man. It felt like the ground was shaking slightly, as if a wild boar was running towards him.

From the way he spoke, it was clear that he was the old man’s former colleague. I was worried about where to find him, but I thought things had gotten easier.

“I just thought you were dead. The world is like this, so you have to be able to contact me, right? After you left, the platoon even played the game of your life or death. Of course, I bet on you being alive…”

From what I heard, it seemed like the bet was decided on the man dying after three years of no contact. Now that the old man was alive and well, he started to show up in front of me, announcing that he would nullify the bet and collect the money.

I think he’s a colleague of mine, and his way of thinking is almost exactly like mine. I’m not making this assessment just because of that appearance.

“Hey, you fucking bitches! You made that bet with me?”

“No, the timing of your departure must have been exquisite. The world went to hell not long after you left. When I was dispatched on a mission to normalize the power plant, that guy Kyungjin brought up the bet. I didn’t do anything wrong? I bet on you being alive, right?”

“Jeong Kyung-jin is this fucking bastard. I took care of him, but he’s getting beaten like this.”

“Hahaha! I’m going to have to set up a drinking party today. If you want revenge there, do it there. I’ll feed you until you die!”

Even though they hadn’t even touched a drop of alcohol yet, the smell of alcohol seemed strong on both of them. Is this the true nature of these real soldiers?

“Ahem! Hey, don’t you think I forgot someone?”

I wondered where the old man who had been worried about me earlier had gone. He seemed to have completely forgotten about me because he was so busy talking, so I cleared my throat and tried to lighten the mood.

“Huh? Who’s that little girl? What, really, Sergeant Kwon…? You…?”

‘phut!’

The lieutenant struck the old man on the back with his palm. There was a sound like a cannon exploding. The old man only frowned for a moment.

“Hahaha! A really stupid, stone-faced gentleman has finally climbed up to the hut. Where, where, is your sister-in-law here too?”

The old man was dumbfounded by those words. I was so dumbfounded that I didn’t even know what to say. And while the old man and I were looking for the old man who had left the house for a while, my body shot up into the air.

This was because the lieutenant came up to me and hugged me as if he was going to burn me.

“Oh my princess, thank goodness she doesn’t look like Kwon Jung-sa-rang. Isn’t your sister-in-law’s appearance unusual? Such a cute and pretty daughter. Wow, I’m so jealous. If I had known it would be like this, I would have beaten up this unit and left.”

The old man’s face turned dark. He probably thought I would react violently. It was a very reasonable guess and prediction.

‘Tsk!’

“She’s not Mr. Oh’s daughter.”

I slapped the lieutenant mercilessly.

I thought it was a very cheap price to pay compared to the ridiculous misunderstanding and rudeness he committed against me, including suddenly embracing a grown woman, carelessly touching me when I was in a relationship with an old man, and the ridiculous misunderstanding and rudeness he showed toward her as his daughter.

“Huh…?”

From my perspective, I was pushing hard, but to that big guy, it probably felt like a mosquito bite.

Because his head didn’t turn or anything. There was no clear evidence that the area where he was slapped turned red and swollen.

“Then…?”

“This is Danhwa, my partner…”

The old man looked at me with his mouth open. His eyes were asking me. It seemed as if he was asking for permission to say more.

I felt the need to quickly inform this idiot of the situation and nodded my head to the old man in approval.

“The person I’m dating.”

“Huh…? What? No, what?!”

This lieutenant seemed to realize how much of a mistake he had made at the shocking fact, and he could not help but look surprised.

“I’m really sorry. Danhwa-ya… no, Mr. Danhwa. You look so young.”

The lieutenant apologized to me in a panic. After all, now that he had found out that the sister-in-law he had been talking about was me, he probably would have wanted to hang himself if there was a rope nearby.

“Okay. I also got slapped when we first met, and I get misunderstood like this a lot. Let’s pretend it never happened…”

As he was trying to sort things out, the lieutenant clung to the old man and whispered something in his ear. The problem was that his voice was so loud that it wasn’t even a whisper.

“Sergeant Kwon, you crazy bastard! Tell me the truth. What are you doing with Mija? There’s a limit to being younger! Even if you give her a lot of credit, she’s probably a high school student… This isn’t even the same age, wow… Seriously, I didn’t see you like that, you punk…”

“Hey, you… can you handle that?”

The old man spoke with a serious expression. And it was true. As soon as I heard that, I ran like a fly and opened the lieutenant’s joint.