episode_0153

I glared at the target over my hyung’s shoulder as he let out a small sigh.

Behind our modest delivery truck, a military truck I had seen several times before was following.

“2.5-tonner… was it?”

I was unfamiliar with military terms and couldn’t understand them, but I knew well that it was military equipment and that armed soldiers were inside. And I had a good idea that an annoying mosquito was following us in the middle of winter.

“Soldiers came to Dr. Jang’s hospital.”

“Not Daehan’s gang?”

Hyung glanced back and nodded slightly.

“I thought they’d cause a ruckus like last time, but they didn’t. They were surprisingly quiet.”

“…What about the kids?”

“I left them with Dr. Jang, got a diagnosis that there were no major issues, and came straight here.”

Hearing that they were alright, I could feel a small sense of relief. My eyes had seen red when I saw the kid get hit in the head and stumble. It’s hardly an equivalent exchange, but I did settle the score, so perhaps it’ll be a small comfort to Incheol. I should get him a bunch of healthy canned beans to help him recover.

“I hurried over here because I was worried about you… but it seems pointless now.”

I averted my gaze and looked at Hyung. Hyung scratched the side of his head, looking embarrassed, but a smile formed on my face. Hyung clearly understood to some extent that I was strong. He also knew well that I wouldn’t be defeated by mere thugs or gangsters. Nevertheless, he had returned to the dangerous scene. Just for me. Regardless of whether it was help or not, I couldn’t help but feel good about it. Given that Sohee-ssi, who was still struggling to move, came with a gun, it seemed she had intended to fight. Watching the two, full of camaraderie and impossible to dislike, I felt my heart lift. If it had just been us, we would have congratulated each other and chatted, but not now. Right now, the dull military green was bothering my mood.

“So why are they here, Hyung?”

“When we insisted we had to go help you, one of the higher-ranking military officials ordered them to assist.”

“A high-ranking person?”

“A Captain was leading the scene.”

“A Captain, huh…”

“…I don’t like it either, but they’re not immediately hostile and…”

“I told them we didn’t need any help, but they insisted on following.”

Hyung and Sohee-ssi subtly expressed their displeasure in low, hushed voices. I didn’t know the exact situation, but I confirmed that those soldiers were needlessly following us. I’m not so naive as to believe they’re helping people out of good will. The same went for Hyung and Sohee-ssi. It’s regrettable to say if there truly are soldiers loyal to their duty, but our trust in the military has already hit rock bottom and is now digging even lower. Civilian rescue and assistance? The packaging is fancy, but I wish they’d just take care of their own lives. As I whispered with the two of them for a moment, a soldier leaped out of the truck and approached.

“Excuse me. Is this the person you needed to rescue?”

“Ah, yes….”

“It’s a relief you’re safe. What’s the situation? Where are the enemies?”

He was a man with a stern expression, seemingly over thirty. His slightly sunken cheeks and tired-looking eyelids showed he wasn’t in good condition. He didn’t state his rank or name, and his insignia was unfamiliar. Anyway, I wasn’t interested, so I wasn’t curious about his name either. At Hyung’s reluctant reply, the soldier scanned me up and down. In particular, he openly and carefully observed the gun I was holding. I declared the situation over to the soldier, who had been sending an uncomfortable gaze my way.

“The situation… has been resolved. You can go back.”

“…Could you repeat that?”

“I’m saying it’s all over.”

“What do you mean…”

“Everyone, come out!”

I turned my head and called out to the people who were hiding. The two and the soldier seemed slightly surprised by the suddenly appearing figures. However, once they confirmed that most of them were women in poor condition, they calmed their surprised hearts and looked at me.

“Seonghan-ah. Who are these people?”

“They’re the people who were captured. They couldn’t move any further, so they were just about to hide themselves, which worked out well. Let’s put them in the car and take them.”

“Where to? Sagajeong?”

“Yes.”

“We won’t be able to fit all of them…”

“Hey, Mister. Can you fit more people in that truck?” It seemed to be the common practice to just call any unknown rank or unknown soldier “Mister.”

“We can, but first we need to confirm—”

“Confirm what?”

Given who I was talking to, my words weren’t exactly polite. My tone was just courteous, that’s all.

“We need to check for infection. And we need to assess the level of danger.”

I nodded, watching the soldier rattle off his lines stiffly and mechanically.

“Alright. Then… Hyung. Let’s squeeze as many as we can into our car.”

“Huh? Oh, alright.”

At my words, Hyung snapped out of it and started helping people into the delivery truck. At that moment, the soldier who had been spacing out started to interfere.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Can’t you see? I’m putting people in the car.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said about needing to confirm?”

“I said I understood, didn’t I?”

“But now this is—”

“I said I understood, but I didn’t say I would do it.”

At my nonchalant words, the soldier finally furrowed his brow. With a furious expression, he lowered his voice.

“…Are you joking right now?”

‘Is this guy a hothead?’

The soldier, openly displaying “I’m angry!”, created a hostile atmosphere. And my words weren’t polite either.

“Does this look like a joke?”

“Then if it’s not a joke, what are you doing? You can’t just put them in!”

“That’s why we’re putting them in *our* car. Is there a problem with that?”

“…What?”

The dumbfounded soldier was slow to grasp the situation. This bastard was definitely someone who’d be slow to get promoted.

“You’re mistaken about something. Did I ask for your help?”

“You just asked if we could fit them in the car…”

“You’re the one who set conditions, so we’re taking them ourselves. What concern is it of yours?”

“…The people might be dangerous.”

I snorted.

“If they’re dangerous? Are you going to shoot them all dead with a gun?”

“……”

At the blunt question, the atmosphere instantly grew hostile. The soldier, who was beginning to reveal his hostility to the point where I wondered if he’d really put a gun to my forehead if no one was watching, was on the verge of exploding. He seemed sensitive to authority, truly a simple human. But that had nothing to do with me. It wasn’t my business, so my mouth flapped freely.

“Who are you to make such a judgment? What are you? Can you take responsibility for that order?”

“……”

“My companions and I never asked you for help. Am I wrong?”

“……”

“I’m asking a question. Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Grind!”

“Why are you interfering later and giving us advice on what to do?”

“Th-that!”

He tried to say something, but was there any reason to listen?

“We don’t need your car, and we didn’t ask you to take them. So don’t interfere and get lost.”

I spoke dryly and turned my back. A gesture indicating I wouldn’t speak to him further. I turned my attention away from the soldier whose face was turning red and helped the people into the delivery truck. He must have been furious at being openly ignored to his face, but it was the truth. And since the soldier had no justification, all he could do was grit his teeth.

‘He’s only hurting his own teeth. Idiot.’ In a situation where all the dental clinics have closed, he doesn’t know how precious teeth are. He might regret it and wish he’d been more careful once a few of his teeth get damaged. The people watched cautiously and followed my and my companions’ guidance. Perhaps because they were slender women, we somehow managed to fit everyone into the delivery truck. I stepped onto the foothold attached to the front of the truck bed and clung to the driver’s side.

“Seonghan-ah. You’ll be… alright.”

“Let’s go~”

I tapped the white car roof with a thump and checked on the people in the truck bed. The people had curled up, squeezed in, and crammed themselves to find a spot. Their butts would probably hurt terribly, but they only needed to endure it for a little while. Overloaded, with people riding in the truck bed, we drove down the road. If the police were still functioning normally, this would be a perfect situation for a ticket. Until we finished preparing to leave, the soldier just stood there, saying nothing and causing no interference. I ignored him and hastened our departure. The delivery truck carrying us began to drive slowly towards Sagajeong. Perhaps because the car had been beaten by the thugs, it felt like it couldn’t exert much power. I was uncomfortably dangling, but it wasn’t bad.

‘I accomplished one thing I always wanted to try.’ I had vaguely thought about it back when I was working a lot. Riding in the truck bed of a delivery truck puttering around a site, or hanging onto one like this. I was now calmly doing something I couldn’t even imagine trying back then. It was somewhat enjoyable, enough to make me forget the unpleasant conversation from just now. Perhaps this is why they say men die early. Behind our slow-moving car, the military truck was following. I glanced back and saw a different soldier driving. I pressed my body against the car’s frame and leaned towards the driver’s seat.

“Hyung.”

“Eek! Wha— You startled me! Don’t scare me!”

Ah… Hyung was a scaredy-cat. I could make good use of this. Prepare yourself, pretty boy.

“Are there more soldiers in that truck?”

“Huh?”

“There are probably about ten people inside.”

Sohee-ssi answered instead, roughly explaining the situation. She said that about twenty armed soldiers and trucks had followed us to Sagajeong. And a sturdy-looking SUV was with them too. She hadn’t been able to properly observe due to the chaos, but hearing that they had been polite to the people made me suspicious.

‘What’s their agenda?’

It felt forced to suspect all soldiers, but they already had a record. And it wasn’t just once or twice, so I didn’t have a good feeling about it. Sohee-ssi, who had calmly explained, added one more thing at the end of the conversation.

“I overheard something, it seemed they were looking for someone.”

“Hmm….”

It seemed that after Taesong, even the military was looking for Dr. Jang. Seeing everyone, one after another, sending enthusiastic “love calls” to the old doctor who bore emotional wounds, made me wonder if the knowledge Dr. Jang possessed was more significant than I thought. Hyung and Sohee-ssi hadn’t investigated or found out anything else in detail. They had been too preoccupied because of me being left behind at the scene, and there was also Incheol’s issue. Though they didn’t know the agenda, after confirming that the soldiers didn’t intend to harm us, they had hastily rushed back, just the two of them. Of course, something cumbersome had followed them, but still.

‘This isn’t going to end well….’

I didn’t know about the guys camped out in Sagajeong, but at least by looking at the soldier who followed us, it wasn’t hard to deduce their disposition. They had an organizational culture that strictly followed hierarchical orders, obeying only commands, and they were armed too. It was a situation where an overbearing attitude was bound to be ingrained in them. There’s a high chance that an argument will break out. After roughly estimating the situation, I spoke to Hyung.

“Check on Incheol’s condition, and if possible, go back right away.”

“…Why? Do you think it’ll be dangerous?”

I briefly answered Hyung, who asked earnestly after seeing my expression.

“I can’t be sure, but there’s no harm in being careful.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Seonghan-ssi. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Sohee-ssi, who had been quietly listening in the passenger seat, had fire in her eyes. It was as if she’d really start firing her gun if I just gave the word. Undoubtedly, anger blazed in her eyes, but it felt like a chill was wavering instead of heat. Instead of an aggressive request, I urged her to take our companions and safely get away with Hyung. I felt sorry for Dr. Jang, but my priorities were set. He himself insisted on going into the den, so I respected his wishes. At my firm words, Sohee-ssi reluctantly assented, but this was the right way. Besides, if we were to fight unprepared, I was more comfortable fighting alone. Even though Sohee-ssi and Incheol were former soldiers who had undergone combat training, they would only be a burden. …And for shedding blood against humans, I alone am enough. Killing living humans as enemies, bringing them down. This act, more than one might think, wounds the heart and exhausts the spirit. There’s no need for my companions to step forward. Unless their lives were threatened, that is. Until then, fighting for self-defense or to defeat zombies was enough. Of course, not encountering such situations at all was best. Even for myself.

“Uh, excuse me… will the soldiers harm us?”

One of the women, who had folded and crumpled her body to squeeze into the narrow back seat, asked in a trembling voice.

“…They won’t.”

I didn’t add the unspoken thought, ‘If they’re the kind of bastards who can actually think.’ I felt sorry for the women who were slightly trembling with fear, but they had to handle what came next themselves. After all, that was the agreement we made to come this far together. With that, the conversation ended. When traveling an unfamiliar road, time feels long, but when returning on a familiar road, it feels quite short. While we were talking, the delivery truck carrying us arrived in front of Dr. Jang’s hospital.

Clank—

As soon as the car stopped, multiple gun barrels were aimed at us. The sight of numerous soldiers aiming their guns in similar stances was, in a way, something to behold. The area in front of the hospital was exactly as Sohee-ssi had described. What was visible were three familiar-looking military trucks and an SUV. And about twenty armed soldiers. They were on guard, but unlike what I’d heard, the atmosphere was grim. The gaze of those soldiers was focused on us.

‘They should at least put their muzzles away.’ Most of them were exhausted, sick, and delicate women. Seeing them point their guns first even after seeing with their own eyes, confirmed they were indeed bastards whose brains were made of muscle fiber. If they couldn’t see, hear, and judge for themselves, then what good were their eyes and brains? The urge to crush them all was slowly rising, but for now, I held back. Conscious of the piercing gazes, I got out of the car with everyone. While I was helping someone who was staggering, unable to steady themselves, one of the soldiers approached.

‘Was this insignia for a Second Lieutenant?’ I briefly recalled the two Second Lieutenants from my past memories. Men who, although they couldn’t keep their promise, were strong in responsibility and true soldiers. Right. This guy might be a little different.

“Halt. This area is restricted.”

…He was just like the rest of them.