episode_0197

The strong winds generated by the helicopter’s landing sent the accumulated snow swirling wildly.

Only when the rotor blades slowed and the wind died down did Sergeant Kim slowly open the door.

It showed how relaxed everyone was.

Compared to the situation on the first day, it was quite a contrast.

‘……’

The campus—no, the shelter—covered in pristine white snow, showed faint signs of life.

It was a scene where a slight hustle and bustle was added.

People clearing snow and cleaning the roads were visible everywhere.

Soldiers and civilians worked together on various tasks.

Cleaning, carrying supplies, building repairs—a variety of daily routines were underway.

Many people were sweating profusely, undeterred by the harsh weather.

It was completely different from the heavy and bleak first visit.

Even if not vibrant, it exuded an atmosphere of people living their lives.

Captain Lee’s words about the shelter’s atmosphere coming alive came to mind.

And yet, he himself was blinking and looking around.

‘What if the person himself is surprised…’

…Seeing him with a calm smile, I didn’t think it was bad.

Soon, Captain Lee composed himself and led us towards Representative Pyo’s room.

Honestly, I was confused whether it was a room, a conference room, or an office.

It wasn’t important, but it indicated how much more at ease my mind was.

Everyone we met along the way greeted Captain Lee and the squad members.

Soldiers saluted, while civilians bowed their heads or slightly bent at the waist.

Every single one of them greeted Captain Lee with bright eyes and cheerful expressions.

Trust and anticipation.

To the shelter residents, Captain Lee was a popular figure.

How must Captain Lee feel, embodying emotions not easily received by others?

It might seem random, but his broad shoulders and firm back looked dependable.

Though I didn’t know him well, he didn’t seem to be weighed down by the burden.

Having met and experienced Captain Lee firsthand these past few days, he was a man of great generosity.

“Wow.”

As we walked behind Captain Lee, the two American ladies were also busy looking around.

They had been saying how scary people were, but now their eyes sparkled with curiosity.

And it seemed the shelter residents felt the same way.

Curiosity seemed to bloom at the sight of the pretty Westerners.

With mutual curiosity piqued, we entered the familiar building.

It had been a while since I’d returned to Representative Pyo’s office and conference room.

Click-

No one was inside.

A somewhat tidy, unoccupied desk greeted us.

“Ah, please make yourselves comfortable. It seems they’re running a bit late.”

At Captain Lee’s gentle invitation, everyone took a seat.

Soon after, deep exhalations burst forth.

“Ughhh…”

There were no complaints.

As soon as everyone settled into their chairs, they slumped and let out groans.

Their tense vigilance seemed to have loosened; everyone relaxed.

They simply stared blankly into space, mouths closed, eyes half-lidded.

For over half a month, they had been exposed to danger, in a continuous state of tension.

Now, they could finally let their guard down.

Conveniently, the heater was on in the room, making it slightly warm.

It felt like a thoughtful gesture, specially prepared for us.

After facing the cold wind, the warm air made my eyes close automatically.

Everyone seemed tired, as no one spoke.

While twisting my neck left and right, my eyes met Lawrence’s.

Looking very exhausted, she gave a gentle smile.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Nod nod.

Her pale complexion, which had been so shocked, had largely returned.

“There’s a very skilled doctor here, known as a master physician. Let’s have you examined in a bit.”

Lawrence nodded slightly, stroking her greatly swollen belly.

Even wrapped in a thick green blanket, it was very noticeable.

…I wondered if she was full-term…

It might be rude, but I stared intently at her large belly.

Having a child in this situation was a tremendous burden.

For both the mother and the child.

Could she receive medical services and proper nutrition in the current circumstances?

If I were a woman, I would have given up right away.

‘…She’s a brave woman.’

It was hard enough to survive day by day, yet she had endured this far, carrying a baby.

Regardless of gender, it was not an easy feat, but a testament to her resolve.

…I hoped Lawrence would be able to overcome it all the way.

And Heize, who had been a pillar of support for the new life and her friend.

I remembered her tearfully asking me to protect the baby.

Whether she had a strong personality or was delicate—

Nodding off-

…Even though she was now swaying her head, dozing, it still looked good.

‘…This one too…’

Contrary to her appearance, she was a strong and remarkable person.

She must have been tired and scared herself, yet she showed courage and sacrificed.

She had, in effect, protected two lives as a single woman.

Lieutenant Lee, who had talked a lot with them previously, had said so.

Heize had given up everything—food, drink, clothing—prioritizing Lawrence.

After hearing that, I no longer thought of Heize as a glutton.

That’s why I forgave her even when she made me eat those damn MREs out of guilt.

“Mmm…”

Thump-

Her head, swaying with sleep, finally landed on my shoulder.

Her long blonde hair trailed down my arm, tickling the back of my hand.

“……”

It was clearly matted and messy, yet strangely, it wasn’t unpleasant.

Heize, unaware of my thoughts, seemed hungry even in her sleep, chewing on her own hair that touched the corner of her mouth.

When I gently brushed her hair away with my fingertips, she made a peaceful expression.

When she kept her mouth shut and was quiet like this, she was an incredible beauty.

‘…Why did she become a soldier?’

The problem was, whenever she opened her eyes and mouth, she’d fool around.

Suddenly, I felt a gaze and turned my head to see Captain Lee and Lawrence smiling at me.

Folks, it’s not like that.

“You care for her a lot.”

Just like a soldier, honestly…

I gave a wry smile at Captain Lee’s cunning and quiet remark.

“She’s sort of like a child, you see. Captain Lee-nim, you also care for them a lot, don’t you?”

Captain Lee took good care of his subordinates, but he paid particular attention to those two.

Especially towards Lawrence, there was a subtle consideration.

Upon hearing my words, Captain Lee’s smile became a little calmer.

“…I just felt like I had to.”

“Hmm?”

Was it a sense of duty or responsibility as a soldier?

That kind of feeling, protecting the weak.

After all, pregnant women and children were top priority for protection.

However, Captain Lee’s subsequent answer was a bit different.

“It might sound rude, but… Miss Lawrence and the child in her womb felt like incredibly precious treasures.”

It was an unexpected answer.

A somewhat embarrassing remark, something a father might say.

“…It might sound strange, but… hasn’t the world changed like this? Outside, it’s nothing but corpses and zombies. To put it as I felt it… death filled every corner. It was just… bleak, but…”

Captain Lee continued quietly, as if in a monologue.

“The moment I saw Miss Lawrence’s belly, my heart inexplicably swelled. And… I just felt that I had to protect it.”

“……”

“Countless people lose their lives every day… and the child that will be born, how to put it…”

Captain Lee scratched his head awkwardly.

“I felt hope from the child to be born.”

“The children who will be born are our hope.”

“……”

“…Lest you misunderstand—”

“No.”

I gently shook my head and looked at Captain Lee.

“I understand what you mean. I… feel the same way.”

“…I thought Seonghan-ssi would understand. Sergeant Kim, this guy… oh dear…”

“…Heh…”

I let out a small laugh at Captain Lee’s playful banter.

Sergeant Kim, who was burying his head and dozing, earned another loss today.

I glanced at Lawrence and saw her blushing.

She said she understood Korean well, so she must have understood what Captain Lee said.

Hearing such words directly…

Even if it wasn’t a romantic confession, it was certainly enough to make her blush.

But Lawrence bravely lifted her head.

Her eyes were as red as her face was crimson.

“Han. Captain. Really… thank you.”

Lawrence, bending her uncomfortable body forward, gave a slightly clumsy greeting.

Captain Lee and I returned the greeting with heartfelt smiles.

“Ahem…”

“Mmm…”

Instead, we were the ones feeling embarrassed for exchanging such awkward words in front of her.

Just as an unbearable awkwardness settled over the table.

Burst open-

“Apologies. We’re very late.”

Representative Pyo, Representative Kim, and several other people burst into the room.

They were sweating a little despite the cold weather.

It seemed they had been busy in many ways.

As Captain Lee woke his squad members and rose from his seat, I tried to stop him.

“No, no. Please stay seated.”

Representative Pyo stepped forward with a bright expression, causing me to miss my timing.

Tap tap-

“Hey. Wake up.”

“…Mmm…”

I tapped Heize’s cheek to wake her, but she didn’t get up.

Instead, she rubbed her face against me, leaning into me as if burying herself.

“I heard the stories, but you two seem to get along well.”

“It’s not like that.”

I replied to Representative Pyo, who was beaming, and shrugged my shoulder.

Slurp!

“……”

The way she groggily wiped her mouth…

Slowly, as she woke, she became aware of the people who had entered the room.

And then, the way she straightened her posture as if nothing had happened exuded an unwarranted confidence.

‘How shameless.’

Unlike me, everyone else looked at her with warm expressions.

The chaotic atmosphere settled, and it was time to talk.

“You’ve truly done something remarkable. Everyone, you’ve worked incredibly hard.”

Representative Pyo, Representative Kim, and all the people accompanying them bowed at the waist.

Others felt a bit awkward, but I accepted the greetings calmly.

What we had accomplished held that much significance and value.

When we disembarked from the helicopter, we had seen it firsthand and felt it, even if just slightly.

This level of deference was not excessive.

“Thanks to your risk-taking and efforts, people have found hope.”

“Though it’s made us incredibly busy, thanks to you.”

A small laugh escaped at Representative Kim’s words.

Representative Kim’s face was full of smiles as he added that remark.

The atmosphere was so good that he could make such a playful complaint as a joke.

Indeed, everyone in the room had bright expressions.

“Above all, I believe the greatest achievement is that you all returned unharmed.”

“Thank you.”

Captain Lee accepted Representative Pyo’s praise with a smile.

“First, let me inform you of what you might be curious about. Secretary Choi.”

At Representative Pyo’s call, Secretary Choi stepped forward.

…His dark circles were severe, making him look very tired.

“The supplies you transported over the past half-month are still being sorted and inventoried.”

“Still?”

At my question, Secretary Choi subtly pushed up his glasses.

“It’s that immense of a quantity.”

“Oh…”

“First, we’ve faithfully armed 90 troops and bolstered our defenses by deploying heavy weapons in various locations. Regarding weapons, since our squad members are putting in the effort, I will report back to the Captain-nim on this matter once more.”

“Understood.”

It seemed Captain Lee would have to fight a battle of paperwork as well.

“Excluding weapons, military supplies such as food for combat, clothing, simple medicines, and fuel are still being sorted, but we expect to have no shortage for some time.”

Secretary Choi turned the papers he was holding and continued the briefing clearly.

“The food secured from the PX has given us breathing room. Excessive consumption is certainly impossible, but we anticipate having enough to get through winter safely even after lifting rationing restrictions. However, there is concern that the food items being heavily biased towards canned goods and preserved foods could lead to nutritional imbalances.”

People listened intently to the ongoing explanation.

“The quantity secured from the ammunition depot is also still being assessed, but the opinion is that it will at least be sufficient to defend the shelter.”

After listing a few more things, Secretary Choi quietly withdrew.

At the same time, a slight stir arose in the conference room.

In summary, it meant that the immediate crisis had been averted.

As the murmuring died down, Representative Kim quietly spoke.

“You all worked so hard, and I apologize that we couldn’t keep up on our end.”

Representative Kim offered his apology and calmly continued.

“Not only was the processing faster than expected, but the volume of supplies was also beyond our imagination.”

Representative Kim smiled, wearing a troubled expression.

“We’re currently mobilizing all available personnel. Sorting and assessing are important, but an unexpected problem has arisen.”

“…What is it?”

Captain Lee reacted to the mention of a problem.

“We don’t have enough storage space.”

“Ah.”

“For now, we’re urgently bringing them into the auditorium and buildings with low usage, but we need time.”

‘Oh, right.’

Hearing Representative Kim’s words, I suddenly realized.

I hadn’t thought about it when I was excitedly sending parcels by helicopter, but it was a significant issue.

This kind of thing happened on construction sites too.

It was common for awkward situations to arise due to insufficient space for materials.

On large sites, it was a sensitive issue, sometimes even leading to disputes between companies.

Because of that, they had to coordinate schedules, secure space, and match timings…

It was quite a headache.

“Been waiting? I’m putting this here, okay? Organize it well.”

“Wait. Let me pick a spot.”

“Oh, what are you doing~ Hurry, hurry~ I’m just gonna put it here, okay?”

“Hey! Damn it! There’s no space!!”

“Oh, I don’t care~”

In other words, it was like we shoved goods in before they were ready to receive them.

Listening to the continued explanation, it seemed the progress, which was much faster than initially planned, had created problems.

‘…A problem because we did things too fast and too well.’

It was a new problem for the shelter, but a welcome complaint.

People were of the opinion that it was better to struggle with abundance than with scarcity.

“We’re prioritizing items that cannot get wet, like weapons and ammunition. We need the Captain-nim’s opinion on storage and management.”

“Understood.”

Ah… Captain Lee…

I offered my heartfelt condolences to him, for whom a hard struggle was expected.

When Representative Kim finished speaking, Representative Pyo pointed to me.

“Seonghan-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“I apologize for having to say this, but… given the situation, we need some time.”

Representative Pyo and Representative Kim genuinely looked apologetic and troubled.

They were asking for time to sort out the finances cleanly.

“It’s fine.”

“Thank you for understanding. Haha, this is quite something…”

“I won’t rush you, so you don’t need to overexert yourselves.”

“Those are kind words.”

At my leisurely response, Representative Pyo and Representative Kim felt a slight relief.

And they promised a swift conclusion.

“Thanks to your achievements, the atmosphere here is very good right now. Many people are regaining their motivation because of the visible results. Those willing to cooperate are also increasing.”

Representative Pyo’s face was bright as he described the situation inside the shelter.

It was starkly different from the precarious, dying atmosphere before.

Still, nothing could be done about the deep dark circles under his eyes.

Afterward, time passed with more back-and-forth about various matters.

Effectively, I wasn’t involved, so I just listened.

Unlike me, Captain Lee’s workload was steadily increasing.

A path of hardship was promised to Captain Lee for some time.

“Then, let’s conclude our discussion for now…”

“Where is Director Jang?”

I asked Representative Pyo, who was about to wrap things up.

“Ah. Something came up suddenly, and he’s at the entrance right now.”

“Is it because of the new arrivals?”

At my words, Representative Pyo and Representative Kim’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“We had an encounter on the way here. We also guided them here.”

At Captain Lee’s brief explanation, Representative Pyo nodded.

“Just in case, we’re taking precautionary measures for quarantine.”

“Hmm…”

“…Did anyone get hurt…”

“Ah, not me. I was wondering if these two could get examined.”

“Aha. So these are the ones.”

Representative Pyo and Representative Kim showed keen interest in the two women.

“We have staff stationed at the clinic. If you wish, we can guide you there right now.”

“Before that…”

I looked at the two women who were staring blankly at me, then turned my eyes to Representative Pyo.

“These two people. Can you look after them here?”

“Of course.”

I nodded at their unhesitating decision.

It put my mind at ease too.

With Representative Pyo and Representative Kim now, it seemed it would be fine.

Above all, I didn’t think Captain Lee would treat them poorly.

“Lawrence. Heize.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to worry anymore. You can stay here. Captain Lee-nim will also look after you both.”

“Oh…”

“Lawrence, take good care of your health. You too, get that forehead treated well.”

I patted Heize’s shoulder and stood up.

Her eyes trembled uncontrollably.

The gazes of everyone in the room turned to me, who had stood up.

“Then, I’ll be leaving now.”

““““““What?!”””“““

Everyone spoke in unison.

“You said it would take a long time to sort things out. I’ll come back later, and we can settle up then.”

“No, Seonghan-ssi, but still…”

“That’s right. If you leave like this…”

“Is there anything I’d be needed for?”

There wasn’t much for me to do if I stayed.

And I had been away for too long already.

I missed the soft bed in my room and everyone.

I just wanted to go back quickly and take a hot shower…

Grab-

“?”

Heize grabbed my wrist, her head bowed.

And she mumbled something.

“Why?”

“…Go.”

“What was that?”

Heize, who had been bowing her head, suddenly snapped it up and stared directly into my eyes.

“Take me with you!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Take me too!”

“No! You don’t even know where we’re going, and you’re coming with—”

“Shut up!”

She’s fooling around again…

“Take!! Me with you!!”

…It seemed she was serious.

At Heize’s outburst, everyone, including me, fell silent.

The conference room instantly became quiet.

As everyone’s gaze focused on us.

Heize tightened her grip on my wrist even more.