episode_0124

Violence can be wielded by anyone.

Anyone with a sound body.

The gestures and kicks that juvenile offenders, having lost their fear, wield for fun are also violence.

The gestures and kicks of resistance wielded by a victim fighting for their life are also, when scrutinized, violence.

Threatening someone’s person or life is violence, and even a victim’s struggling touch can be considered violence.

For fun, pleasure, profit, revenge, necessity, or even business.

There are many reasons, and the emotions contained within them are also diverse.

There is one commonality that permeates all these things, which are difficult to enjoy and seem unnecessary to know.

“I won’t be the one getting beaten.”

A shared sense of complacency.

They have an unfounded confidence, though they don’t know why.

The perpetrators believe they will remain unharmed even as they crush others.

What happens when such a thought is shattered?

I suppose it becomes something like this.

“……”

The sight that met my eyes as soon as I stepped out of the hospital building was quite perplexing yet fresh.

Thugs, a mix of soldiers and private organization members.

The market survivors were stomping on the incapacitated thugs.

Fiercely and mercilessly, regardless of gender.

The market survivors’ punches and kicks were clumsy.

However, their relentless stomping was utterly savage.

Truly, movements overflowing with emotion.

Even for well-trained, sturdy men, it wouldn’t be strange if one or two died. Even more so if they had already taken a hit from me.

The positions of the thugs and the survivors had been reversed.

The thugs who had threatened with guns were now physically threatened with their lives.

The survivors, who had been threatened with guns, were retaliating.

I looked around and assessed the situation.

I slowly approached the scene teeming with bloodlust.

The half-crazed people didn’t notice me approaching.

Panting, they continued their curses and violence without stopping.

I pushed my way through them and pulled the people apart.

Then, I exerted force and quietly intoned.

“Stop.”

At that single word, clearly a warning to anyone who heard it, the people halted their actions all at once. They checked my face and then retreated.

But their expressions still showed unresolved anger.

The people’s gazes converged on me, who had suddenly intervened.

Their eyes were resentful, full of dissatisfaction.

Just as I was about to ignore them and turn my attention to the thugs, a rough voice burst out.

“Why are you stopping us?!”

“These bastards tried to harm us!”

“If you leave them, they’ll retaliate!!”

Starting with someone’s shout, everyone began to speak up.

The street, which had been quiet for a moment, immediately grew noisy.

The voices of the agitated people gradually became tinged with emotion.

Soon, just before the people’s emotions erupted.

“Quiet.”

I also didn’t hide my emotions.

I overtly expressed my irritation.

As I let my aura flare, the people shut their mouths.

Once again, silence fell, and I slowly began to speak.

“…I know you’re angry. I know you were scared by the sudden situation.”

“……”

“Whether you kill or spare these guys, it’s your natural right to be angry and punish them.”

“But why…”

“There’s something you’re mistaken about.”

I swept my gaze over the survivors and then looked directly at the merchant representative.

“I’m first.”

“Ah…”

“When you were unable to do anything and trembling, I stepped forward and took them down.”

The people, looking disheartened, fell silent.

But their eyes remained fixed on me.

“I didn’t kill these guys right away because I have business with them. It’s not like I left them for your catharsis.”

At my scathing words, the people averted their gazes or looked down.

Now that they were avoiding my gaze, I subtly continued.

“You, as the aggrieved parties, also have rights. And they are just. But I am first. And the same goes for them.”

I pointed a finger at the people in front of me and spoke in a low voice.

“Put down your guns.”

“Th-this is…”

“It goes without saying, but the priority is mine.”

“But!! We need weapons too!”

“Why are you cursing at me about that?”

At my harsh words, spoken without filter, the atmosphere chilled.

A coldness, unlike the chilly winter weather, began to circulate between me and the survivors.

Fear stemming from a life-threatening situation and reason half-lost.

It’s difficult to make a sound judgment.

Is that why?

A few holding guns still didn’t let go of them and glared at me.

It was a familiar sight.

At this, I felt the corners of my mouth curl up unconsciously.

‘So there were armchair warriors here.’ [a proverb about someone who acts tough only when they feel safe or in their own space.]

I understood that people wanted weapons.

Not crude spears or clubs, but real weapons.

With just those, they could immediately protect themselves.

That’s why they couldn’t abandon their greed and were sharpening their blades in front of me.

I understood.

But it wasn’t my problem.

“Drop the guns.”

I warned them politely, but they didn’t budge.

“Last chance. I won’t say it again. Drop the guns.”

I waited for a moment, but there was no change.

The market survivors hesitated, but only their expressions showed it; the hands gripping their guns showed no sign of loosening.

At this, I began to walk unhesitatingly towards the men holding guns.

Crackle-crack!

As I naturally spread my hands and tensed them, my joints popped.

As I stretched my neck from side to side, there was a refreshing sound.

Perhaps my warm-up movements were too natural.

The people were a beat slow in understanding the meaning of my actions.

A ripple of unease belatedly passed through the crowd.

But it didn’t matter.

It merely meant that the enemies I had to face had changed from thugs to humans who were greedily risking their lives.

‘…They’re all the same.’

Indeed, there’s no helping hair-brained beasts.

Blaming myself for being too soft, I leaned my body forward.

Whoosh-!

“Wait!!!!!!!!!!”

The merchant representative’s urgent shout was heard.

My fist was just about to connect with the face of the man who had been protesting against me.

Seeing my fist suddenly stop, the man belatedly flinched in surprise and fell backward.

The people, too, were startled by how quickly I had rushed forward.

It seemed they hadn’t expected me to actually charge.

I don’t know why they assumed I wouldn’t harm them.

Regardless, I looked down at the man who had landed on his backside.

“Mister, put down your gun! You too! Everyone, put down your guns! Hurry!”

The merchant representative desperately tried to stop the men holding guns.

But they only stared at me with startled eyes, not letting go of their guns.

At their resolute stance, a faint smile formed on my lips.

“Wow… grabbing a gun seems to give you courage you never had? Want to try me?”

Only then did the people come to their senses and, vying with each other, put down their guns.

Their reason, half-lost, seemed to have returned, as their faces turned pale.

It seemed they belatedly realized what they had done.

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the sight.

“Se-Seonghan-ssi. Please calm down for a moment—”

“Kang Incheol, Choi Dongwoo.”

At my call, Dong-woo and Incheol came closer.

Hyuk hyung, who must have been among the people, also appeared.

His gaze, full of worry, bothered me, but for now, I made a somewhat dry request.

“Go around and collect all the guns and weapons. Hyung, please search inside the car too.”

“Alright. What are you going to do?”

To Hyuk hyung’s cautious question, I answered without hesitation.

“…I have some questions to ask these guys.”

“Ex-excuse me…”

“You’re in the way, so step back.”

Perhaps it was because of the cold disappointment I felt.

My attitude was like that of a hedgehog, bristling with thorns.

Pushing away a few who tried to cling to me with that feeling, I examined the thugs.

“…Hah… damn it….”

After examining the thugs, I could only look up at the sky.

There was no one capable of conversation.

For one, most of them were dead.

It seemed I had failed to control my strength, or perhaps I had delivered a bit too much damage.

Even those who were still breathing had been stomped on repeatedly by the market survivors until their breath ceased.

‘Were these the ones?’

Three of them had bullets lodged in their bodies.

They lay sprawled, gasping for breath in an unusual way.

Their breathing was very fast and precarious, abnormal.

It seemed these were the ones Incheol had subdued when he arrived later.

They had bled quite a bit, but they were definitely alive.

It was also certain that Incheol had skillfully only subdued them.

But now, their tenuous breaths had just ceased.

The cause of death was clearly a gunshot wound followed by severe beating.

They were also bleeding from head wounds that had burst open…

The deceased appeared young. Early to mid-30s?

Perhaps they felt wronged by their deaths, as tear streaks blurred on their blood-soaked faces.

In the end, there were no living thugs left.

“Hah…”

Annoyance surged at the unexpected outcome.

I felt a sharp throbbing in my temples and a stiffness in the back of my neck.

I massaged my neck with one hand and rubbed my head with the other.

Still, it had no effect.

I slowly turned my body and surveyed the awkwardly standing people.

Given the situation, my gaze was not kind.

‘It’s not that I don’t understand….’

Frustrating sympathy.

That’s what I thought looking at the market people.

They were ordinary citizens living ordinary lives.

People who had lost their lives because of zombies.

That alone must have been overwhelming, but the Yeom’s gang added to their suffering.

And now, even these dead thugs.

Suppressed, repressed, and endured emotions.

Since the very guys who had been threatening and brutalizing them with guns had turned into helpless prey, it must have exploded all at once.

Yes, I understand.

Even I, just recently, had experienced similar situations several times, so I could empathize.

That’s why, even now, with anger rising from deep within my chest, I was enduring it.

If only they had endured a little longer.

It was just too regrettable.

Yet, they were people who had shown me genuine gratitude and humanity.

If things had gone well, I would have been willing to share weapons.

They couldn’t wait that short moment, causing this trouble and baring their fangs.

‘…Their senses have returned, it seems.’

Mob mentality doesn’t work as one intends.

Although their reason belatedly returned, and they realized what they had done, their faces pale with thought, seeing that brought me no particular emotion.

As if I wasn’t unlucky enough this morning, I met a current journalist and then had to deal with this.

As I tried to control my bubbling resentment, Dong-woo approached.

“Hyung. I’ve searched the bus and collected everything we could take.”

“……”

“Uh, is there anything else you need me to do?”

“…No.”

Even the easygoing Dong-woo was reading my mood.

Seeing my younger companions like this, I didn’t feel good either.

Now, I began to steel my mind.

Acting like this towards the people who fully trust and follow me was childish.

Just as I was thinking that and pulling myself together.

“Seonghan-ah. I need you to look here for a moment.”

The moment I turned my gaze at my hyung’s voice calling me.

“Hah! Seriously…”

“?? What’s wrong?”

Where my eyes landed, a handsome man, his hair damp from the drizzle, was sweeping back his bangs. Someone else’s stomach was churning, but this person looked ready to bombard women’s hearts.

…It’s a dirty world.

Seeing him blink his eyes as if he understood nothing, a hollow laugh escaped me.

“What is it? Why are you laughing?”

“…Hyung, you’re annoying.”

“Huh, suddenly??”

Truly, laughter forced its way out at the sheer absurdity, so unfitting for the situation.

At the same time, my churning insides calmed a bit, and my head felt cooler.

…Unintentionally, I benefited from Jihyeok hyung’s face.

It seems Koreans have a DNA imprinted that makes them weak to handsome men and beautiful women.

Following my hyung, I organized my thoughts.

There’s no point clinging to what’s already lost.

My mind also cleared as I came to my senses.

Feeling quite calm in an instant, I followed my hyung’s guidance.

It seemed my hyung, who was searching the car, had found something…

“P-please save me!”

“…What?”

It seemed it was too soon to conclude.

A hidden man, found by my hyung while searching the car.

Seeing the man trembling and begging for his life piqued my curiosity.