episode_0094

To end the day with dinner, the shelter family, including my uncle and I, all gathered together. Lina and Hyeji, whose faces were still swollen, took one corner, and Hwa-ryeon and Cheon-deuk took the opposite corner.

The old man and I sat across from each other at the table in the middle. The seat next to me was a little empty, but I wasn’t the type of person who would lose their appetite just because the seat next to me was empty, so it didn’t really matter.

Well, there was no one worthy of sitting next to me.

I looked at the old man before picking up the spoon. The old man, who was reaching for the spoon, froze like a rat in front of a snake.

“Let’s go! Lina Yang worked hard to prepare dinner, so let’s all enjoy it! Come have a bite. Lina worked hard to develop the menu while Danhwa Yang was away.”

Mr. Cheon Deuk suddenly clapped his hands and spoke in a bright voice. Perhaps, he was trying to mediate between me and the old man.

If I think about it, it was unfair to Cheon Deuk and Hwa Ryun, who had done nothing wrong, to bring my emotional fight with the old man to the dinner table.

“I will eat well.”

He picked up his utensils and started eating. Only after he saw me eating the soup did he put food in his mouth.

“What do they say at the dam?”

I asked as I put the stewed potatoes in my mouth. The salty taste and soft texture were pleasant to my mouth. I felt the anger I had towards Lina melt away, even just a little bit.

“Keuhp! Oh! Yeah! The information you gave me is exactly what you and I know. I think General Jincheol is saying he’s going to give us some electricity because he’s worked hard. Along with supplies.”

“That’s really great! The more electricity, the better. Maybe the plan I had with Hyeji this time will work out.”

Mr. Cheon Deuk was very happy. I wonder if he had planned something. It’s a good thing that it helped him.

Regardless of that thought, I was intrigued by the unfamiliar title that came out of the old man’s mouth.

“General Jincheol…?”

“Ah, this time when I went there, they brought out a bottle of soju and welcomed me. We ate it with chicken and chatted about this and that, and we became quite close.”

“You must have been really grateful?”

Well, you left me behind and drank all the liquor.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It was a total mess the last time we went together. This time it’s even worse. I thought it was some kind of division commander inauguration ceremony.”

That means the beneficiary was an old man.

“That would be nice.”

“Well, it wasn’t bad. It’s been a while since I’ve had something fancy, so I’m reminded of the world before it became like this.”

I nodded with a smile. The old man seemed to have forgotten how confused he was by my active empathy, and he quickly smiled brightly.

The old man’s spoon, which had been moving slowly, gradually became busy. The food on the table was diligently reduced. The old man, not even noticing that I had stopped eating for a moment, continued to diligently stuff food into his mouth and tell stories of his exploits.

“As expected from the old man. Amazing. When do you think such measures will be taken?”

“They said the supplies would be delivered through the sewer system within a week. It seems like they’re going to cut the electricity line while delivering the supplies. That’ll take about two weeks.”

Hogu didn’t seem to be affected. But that wasn’t the end of the story.

“In conclusion, are the Dam Soldiers now joining hands with Hayura?”

“If something like that is happening in the capital, it seems like they will actively support it so that the situation does not worsen. They will also bring in supplies that are hard to obtain in this area. You know the military supplies that Hayura used.”

Indeed, if the soldiers at the dam had been fully stocked with ammunition, they would not have been trapped at the dam, but would have cleared out the city and taken up positions in the center.

“Good job.”

I gave an ambiguous overall assessment. The compensation was not bad, and they didn’t stop there, but they also diligently obtained other information. This was a good thing.

And. He returned to the shelter, happily drinking high-quality liquor alone, leaving me behind. This was also the right thing to do.

Something to be hit with.

“Well, this is it… I’ve been getting a lot of flak for hanging out with you. This is standard now.”

“Yeah, I think about that a lot when I see you too.”

The old man didn’t notice the change in my tone of voice. His mouth moved ceaselessly as he ate his dinner.

My plate, on the other hand, was cold, as if to prove that it had been some time since it had last contained food.

“Da, Danhwa Sheep! This meat is absolutely delicious. Come on, eat it quickly. Above all, Danhwa Sheep needs to consume a lot of protein. The results from the last simple test were not good.”

It’s obvious that Cheon Deuk, who isn’t the subject of my conversation, would notice, but why doesn’t the old man? Isn’t this the kind of person who doesn’t even know what he said was wrong?

“Oh, thank you. I’ll eat well.”

I put the meat in my mouth and chewed. The meat juice burst out. The first bite had an oily taste, but then a protein taste followed.

“Oh, unnie, it tastes better if you dip it in this sauce too.”

I don’t know if it was a soy sauce-based sauce or something, but it was a bit thick. When I put it in my mouth, a refreshing taste lingered and the flavor of the meat really came alive. The karma that Lina had accumulated was cleared up a bit more.

Among the people who earned mileage from me today, Lina’s ranking dropped even further, and the old man took the unrivaled first place.

Hyeji chased after him, but it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to catch up.

“Ms. Danhwa! I have something to discuss with you about what I had planned. Is tomorrow morning free for you?”

“Yes, okay. Let’s do that.”

It seemed like something pretty important. I should remember it.

*

After the meal, the old man patted his full belly and collapsed on the living room sofa. It was really unpleasant to see him collapse right after eating.

Everyone except me and the old man left the living room. It was a natural phenomenon, since they were not as oblivious as the old man.

I went and sat down on the sofa that had become my assigned seat after losing the previous battle. As I sat there staring blankly at the old man, he opened his mouth.

“Danhwa, aren’t you a little untrustworthy these days?”

“What is it?”

“It’s not only that the shelter has become so noisy, but the surrounding environment is also getting a little better.”

“Well, if that’s what you’re saying, then that’s what it must be. By the way, I heard that Hyeji also made an oil refinery while we were gone. She said that even old oil can be reused.”

The old man listened to me and closed his eyes tightly. The clothes he was wearing lifted up slightly, revealing his firm stomach. The old man’s rough hands slowly patted his stomach, keeping up the rhythm.

“That’s good news. It will increase the available resources.”

“That’s right. When I brought Hyeji, I thought the old man was doing something stupid again.”

“Isn’t the expression “nonsense” a bit too much? Even if you were Danhwa, you’d be hurt if I said that to you.”

“Oh, I see. I guess so.”

I was speechless at the old man’s absurd remark. To be honest, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what I said.

I remember, as if it were yesterday, Hyeji going out of the shelter on her own and becoming isolated, suffering all sorts of hardships.

“Come to my room at night.”

“Uh.”

The answer is simple, which is good. Maybe I prepared myself mentally after getting scolded earlier. Of course, I’ll get scolded more.

“Huh…?Huh??? Today?”

I guess I just blurted out what I said without thinking. The old man raised his upper body in surprise as he chewed over my words and realized what I meant.

Ha… this fucking human.

“Yeah, today. If you don’t come, be prepared. I won’t pretend to know you anymore.”

I drove the nail in, my expression cold. Now, all the old man could do was reply that he knew.

“Of course I have to go!”

The old man nodded vigorously and clenched his fist. It seemed as if he was trying to show his determination to go.

I don’t think this is something to make such a fuss about. It’s not even the first time we’ve done this. When it comes to the actual broadcast, he’s the one who’ll be the most active.

I’ve been seeing this duplicity of an old man for more than a day or two, so I just let it be.

“Ah, eat what that woman gave you.”

“What…?”

I’m getting frustrated. Do I really have to say it out loud for you to understand? No, am I doing it on purpose?

Maybe he wants to see me embarrassed, or maybe he’s just using shallow tricks to make me realize that he’s pressuring me because he’s impatient.

But anyway, the two of them did as much as they could. Since they saw everything they could and couldn’t see, what would be embarrassing?

A thought flashed through my mind.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Why me?

“The medicine I received from Hayura. I’ll make it for you today, Dad. Take it and come back.”

I said as if I was informing someone. And without looking back, I headed straight for the bathroom. As I was getting closer to the bathroom, I heard a loud crash from the sofa.

A sigh escaped.

It has been proven that the old man was not a sinister person. The problem is that it has also been proven that he was just a thoughtless idiot.