episode_0210

Just a short while ago, the world was overflowing with countless pieces of information. Whether viral or factual, real or fake. It was an era of networks where even a single photograph could be showcased worldwide. It was one of the benefits of civilization we enjoyed. Struggling in an excessive sea of information is now a thing of the past. With civilization having greatly regressed, we now suffer from a lack of information. …That’s certainly true for us right now.

“I’m already starting to miss the days when everyone shoved cameras in your face.” “Hmm… even so, that’s a bit…” “Is that so? Hahahaha…”

Choi Daepyo, who had thrown out a silly joke, smiled bitterly. It was unclear if it was because of his own joke or regret over the lost civilization. What was certain was that he was frustrated by the lack of clear information.

The three of us listening to the story felt the same way. In the past, if such a major incident occurred, everyone would have picked up their cameras, uploaded the situation to the internet, and chaos would have ensued. But now, thousands, even tens of thousands could die overnight, and no one would know. No one could know. Because the dead tell no tales. …Unless someone survived and went around spreading the word.

Choi Daepyo was frustrated and disheartened by his inability to clearly grasp the serious situation unfolding. Sweeping up all sorts of stories through amateur radio was Choi Daepyo’s hidden routine. He seemed displeased that he couldn’t explain anything clearly to me, but I thought differently. Even this much was something I was grateful for. It wasn’t my place to argue, as I had been living completely oblivious. Choi Daepyo was doing his best within his capabilities.

‘…That’s enough.’

Mentioning the Sangam-dong shelter, Choi Daepyo brought out a large map. The map, spread wide on the table, was filled with all sorts of markings and text. Circles, X-marks, simple notes. Dotted with red or black, the map clearly showed signs of being heavily used.

“These are the locations of shelters that disclosed their positions via radio.” “…There are more than I thought.” “There *were* many…”

My eyes turned to the map at his barely audible words, as he swallowed a somber tone.

“Are the X marks all…?” Choi Daepyo did not answer. An X drawn over a circle meant it had been erased. It was the same mark as the one on the Sangam-dong shelter, so it must mean that.

“…They gathered at Sangam Stadium.” “That’s right. They confidently declared themselves a refuge, saying there were armed soldiers and many survivors. The radio broadcasts continued for a while, but then…” “When was the last broadcast?” “Hmm… I recall it was about seven or eight days ago.”

‘A week ago…’ According to his additional remarks, detailed information about the scale or current status was not known. However, Choi Daepyo explained that by consolidating the rumors heard on the radio, they could only ascertain that the scale was definitely large. Sangam Stadium was a wide and large place, both in terms of land and buildings. It was probably true that it was a large-scale operation.

Naturally, with insufficient information, no one knew how it fell. No one knew if there were any survivors, like Sergeant Kang’s group. If the regular broadcasts had been cut off for a week… It was safe to assume the worst. Hence, the Sangam-dong shelter marked with an X. And there were quite a lot of locations marked with an X. There were far more X’s than circles.

“Seoul and Incheon… had many.” “They did. But it seems meaningless now.” “No. It’s meaningful to us.”

Choi Daepyo’s gaze subtly turned towards me.

“Because we’re alive.” “…” “At the very least, it serves as a warning to us.”

Even if it wasn’t clear, the marks on the map were enough. The situation was bad, outside was even more dangerous, survivors were few… We felt sorry for the victims, but for us, it remained a form of warning. Those of us still alive just needed to be more careful.

As I stared intently at the map, Choi Daepyo added an explanation. “Generally, they were often quite large in scale.” “In terms of personnel?” “That too, and they usually took root in large buildings.” “Ah-ha…” “Many were multi-purpose shopping malls or supermarkets, or even large marts and department stores. Perhaps it was to secure supplies and accommodate many people…”

I clicked my tongue softly at his words. Jihyeok hyung also nodded slightly, narrowing his brow.

“…Seems like a bad move…” “Why do you think so?”

At my question, Hyung glanced at Miri’s Dad once.

“Oh… please speak freely.” “Then, excuse me… *ahem*. The intention was good, but wouldn’t it have been difficult to defend?”

I signaled with my eyes for him to continue.

“All those buildings look good from the outside. Wouldn’t defense be the first problem? Even if you block the entrance, it seems like it would be easily breached unless it’s reinforced with steel plates…” “Uh… that’s right. In Jamsil, they blocked it entirely with buses and trucks.”

Encouraged by Miri’s Dad’s words, Hyung elaborated on his opinion.

“Even assuming they defended it, it’s not a good environment for living, is it? Plus, food would be restricted… and life would be controlled. It wouldn’t be easy at all, would it?” “Unstable inside and out?” “Exactly. When people are restricted in some way, their resentment grows unexpectedly large. They might not realize it at first, but if such a life continues for long…” “Obey or rebel.” “…Yeah. That’s my initial thought.” “I have a similar thought.”

With both their thoughts and Miri’s Dad’s experiences. “I also think the same.” I agreed. I felt that Hyung had laid out all the right points.

Even in that famous zombie movie, the protagonists survived in a shopping mall. Watching it, those flimsy glass doors that could shatter at any moment made me incredibly uneasy. It made me so tense just watching it. If I had been there, I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep from anxiety. Though eventually, it all shattered with a crash…

If you had to endure, it might be safer for a small group to hole up in a house. From both zombies and people.

Hyung opened his mouth cautiously, as if choosing his words. “…Internally, I think people are the biggest problem.” “Hmm…” “Seonghan, do you remember when we first met at Times Square?” “I do.” Hyung’s expression, startled when he saw me covered in blood, was still vivid. “I’m talking about that thug back then.” “…Thug?” I tilted my head, wondering what he meant, but Hyung had a dumbfounded expression. “No~ I mean, that guy who challenged you and got hit.” “Ah~~ that punk. What about him?” “Not everyone is like that, but there are many who act out of their own greed, looking for their own way to survive.” “That’s true.” “Many people will act selfishly even knowing the situation perfectly well and having almost died. They can’t make proper judgments.” “Like that punk?” “Yeah. If I hadn’t met you, I probably would have ended up like that. Probably…”

Watching Hyung openly express his honest thoughts, I chuckled softly. “Why are you laughing? I’m serious.” “I’m not.” From what I sensed, Hyung wasn’t someone who could act that way. Even if I didn’t know much, he would probably make frustrating and foolish choices. Of course, I wouldn’t let him make such choices.

“How did you come to think that?” “Ah… well…” At my question, Hyung gave an awkward smile, looking troubled. At this, Choi Daepyo stepped in instead, with a slightly mischievous grin.

“He once received a casting offer for a zombie movie, but it fell through.” “Oh…?” “At that time, as preparation, he researched various materials.” “Hoo…” “He looked up and investigated everything related to movies and media. He worked really hard, but…” “Ah, Hyung-nim. Why bring up old stories again?” “No, it’s a shame. Even now, whenever I think about it… Ugh! It makes me sick…”

It turned out that the movie Hyung was slated to appear in was *that* Korean zombie movie that reached ten million viewers. I don’t know the full story, but it was a shame it fell through. To think that the protagonist of the movie I remembered could have been Hyung. Anyway, it was quite ironic that the knowledge from back then was proving useful now.

While Choi Daepyo, who had missed a huge opportunity, fretted, we burst into laughter. Perhaps because we had been discussing such heavy and dark topics, our laughter was particularly loud.

The laughter that had continued for a while abruptly stopped as if by magic.

“There are probably more people who haven’t made radio broadcasts. I believe there are definitely people surviving somewhere.” It was Choi Daepyo who started the conversation again. “Even considering that… we can’t deny that the casualties are too great.” “…” “Some crazy individual is even spouting doomsday theories, claiming most people have died.”

I merely scoffed. It was far more meaningful to put effort into growing a single potato than to spout nonsense. “Let’s be careful not to get swept away by the atmosphere.” “Indeed.” “It’s awkward to say it myself, but aren’t our conditions good?” “Of course. There probably isn’t another group living as safely and comfortably as us right now.” “This is all thanks to Choi Daepyo.” “It’s thanks to Seonghan’s sacrifice.” “…Shall we say it’s the result of everyone’s efforts?”

I tried to change the heavy atmosphere with some slightly embarrassing words.

“The reason I brought this up is related to the current situation.” “Hmm…?” I passed the baton to Miri’s Dad.

“Oh! Right! Before escaping the Jamsil camp, we had planned to leave the city.” “The city? You mean Seoul?” “Yes. How it happened was…”

Miri’s Dad once again recounted the story of the Jamsil shelter. He calmly explained the plan that its leadership couldn’t execute and the reasons why, as well as why Sergeant Kang decided to join the Konkuk University shelter. Hearing the story, Hyung and Choi Daepyo fell into deep thought.

“Leave the city…” “There’s definitely a point to that. If there are fewer people, there are fewer zombies.” Though it fell through due to lack of preparation and a plan, he at least mentioned it. The decision was up to the people.

“But realistically, it’s difficult.” “Leaving the city is good, but you can’t just keep moving indefinitely, can you?” “Because winter is a dangerous season.” “No… it’s not just that.”

Choi Daepyo narrowed his eyes. “If we head to a less populated area, it might be somewhat safer, but it seems it would be too difficult to acquire supplies.” “…Right.” “We’d probably have to think about self-sufficiency as the basic premise, wouldn’t we?”

Both of them were right. City and countryside. Each had clear pros and cons as a base. Cities were overflowing with danger from zombies, but had a high possibility of acquiring various necessary supplies. The countryside had lower danger from zombies, but it was difficult to obtain supplies.

In cities, it was hard to find water, and farming for food was limited. In the countryside, if a water source was secured, the problem was solved, and cultivation was possible. Of course, danger lurked in both.

“…Seonghan, you were curious about our choice, weren’t you?” “Yes.” “Hmm.” Choi Daepyo wore a faint smile at my concise answer.

“What do you think?” “Me?” “I’m also curious about Seonghan’s thoughts.” At their words, Miri’s Dad also showed curiosity. After all, I was the one who had stopped Sergeant Kang from leaving the city. So I didn’t hesitate.

“If it were me, I’d stay here.” “Hoo…” “What? You don’t even think about it?” I added my thoughts to Hyung, whose eyes widened.

“You might not think so, but I thought about it quite a bit.” “…Really?” “Seriously.”

I chuckled, pulled out a cigarette, and put it in my mouth.

“Even setting aside that it’s winter, even if we leave the city, we’ll suffer a lot until we properly settle down.” “Right?” “And there’s no guarantee we’ll succeed safely.” “Hmm…” “We don’t know where to go, and we don’t know if we’ll be welcomed at our destination.”

“…You mean territorialism?” Unless we were going deep into a completely isolated mountain, there wouldn’t be absolutely no people in the provinces or countryside. In a situation like this, even if they weren’t hostile, they would surely be full of caution.

“Both humans and animals are sensitive about territory.” “Ah…” “For other shelters or survivor groups, leaving the city might be a good choice. But not for us.”

In my opinion, our shelter is advantageous in many ways. First, it’s not just inconspicuous; it’s established in the middle of a mountain. Unless someone searches from the sky, it won’t be discovered. The entrance is hard to find, and even if found, it’s doubly blocked. It’s highly unlikely that zombies, devoid of intelligence, would break through to this place.

If we want to cultivate food, clearing a forest is an option. Fortunately, it’s a forest covered in ordinary soil, not asphalt. It’s entirely possible. Most importantly, the sturdy building is supplied with electricity and water. At this point, it would be harder to give up such advantages.

As I laid out these thoughts, Choi Daepyo wore a very contented expression. Hyung and Miri’s Dad looked convinced in their own way.

“Now that I hear it… there’s no reason to leave here.” Miri’s Dad quietly marveled. Jihyeok hyung also joked about needing to make a good impression on Choi Daepyo.

“For now, that’s my thought, but you never know about others.” “…I don’t think anyone would particularly object.” “Still, we should discuss it.” “Hmm.”

Choi Daepyo continued to smile. At this, Miri’s Dad cautiously asked. “Um, did you originally open up everything like this?”

“Unless it’s truly private, I need to seek everyone’s opinion.” No matter how much you hide, if you live together, it will eventually come out. Hiding something repeatedly can turn into suspicion in an instant. In a place not even a large-scale shelter, I absolutely couldn’t stand that situation. I stood proud in front of the people.

“Huh…” “Why?” “In Jamsil, whenever we asked anything, they tried to hide it. ‘We’re investigating,’ ‘We’re looking into it,’ ‘Nothing confirmed yet’… things like that. As it accumulated, the frustration turned into suspicion…” “Ah-ha.” “It’s the typical behavior of people carrying out official duties. ‘You don’t need to know’… that kind of thing.”

Choi Daepyo clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“We, of course, knew the soldiers and the higher-ups were trying. But we also wanted to know at least the general situation. Of course, not everyone thought of it so positively.” Talking about what happened back then, he expressed concern about whether the Konkuk University shelter would be alright. Miri’s Dad’s concern was valid. Because the entire group who had risked their lives and endured together was there.

“Even if not completely, it’ll be better than Jamsil.” “Hmm… I guess so? The atmosphere certainly seemed much better…” “…Really?”

It was said that in the Jamsil shelter, factions split, and there was a lot of petty violence and conflict. Men acted arrogantly to avoid being looked down upon and to survive, causing trouble. Women sold their bodies or charmed men, trying to survive however they could. Even in the worst situation, everyone tried to secure their own interests. Naturally, order breaking down into chaos was an inevitability.

The problem was that it was too late to restore order. The leadership of the Jamsil shelter, having missed their chance, lost the timing to remove the malignant tumor. ‘…The person who was the leader must have gotten a reality check?’ If the people they had gone to such lengths to save behaved like that, it was remarkable that he didn’t just give up and bolt. Knowing Captain Lee’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have been able to stand such a sight…

“I don’t know the people at Konkuk University well either, so I’m not sure about the atmosphere.” At my honest words, Miri’s Dad shook his head.

“I’m not blaming you. And even after seeing them for just a day, they seemed really good.” “Is that so?” Miri’s Dad offered a positive assessment with a bright expression.

“Incheol and everyone talked a lot. The atmosphere was good, and order was quite well-established… and recovering supplies from the Yongsan base was also a big deal.” “Hmm.” “Because of that, the soldiers were incredibly popular, weren’t they?” “…Popular?” “Yes. Everyone said they were really kind and brave. People were cooperating well, saying they had done something truly difficult.” “Ah-ha.”

From the way he spoke, it seemed he had observed quite a bit overnight. The soldiers’ popularity meant that their trustworthiness had increased… ‘That’s good.’ It would have a positive impact on Captain Lee and the others’ activities. A sense of anticipation arose that the Konkuk University shelter might hold out better than expected.

“If Sergeant Kang and his companions adapt well, that’s a good thing.” “They’ll do well.” Choi Daepyo supported Sergeant Kang’s new start.

“Then I’ll organize the content and sound out everyone’s opinions tonight, if not sooner.” “Yes.” “And Seonghan. This is just my personal opinion, but…” “Go ahead.” Choi Daepyo sighed softly and straightened his posture.

“It’s about the Konkuk University shelter.” “Yes.” “What are your thoughts on maintaining relations with them?”

Choi Daepyo expressed his opinion very cautiously. Jihyeok hyung also tensed up, and Miri’s Dad looked bewildered. I pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

“…Suddenly?” It seemed the conversation would be a bit longer.