episode_0264

“…Old Man. What do you mean? You need me? Why?” I recoiled in disgust and asked reluctantly…

“Why else? I mean, to keep a competent person by my side and reap some benefits, of course.” The answer came from Old Man Park, who had been quietly keeping his seat.

The people who had been keeping their seats looked at Old Man Park and were startled.

“You, what the—”

“Hmph… you foolish person. Did you lose all your senses after surviving death?”

“W-what?!”

“Ugh, how frustrating! Can’t you tell by looking? You can’t beat around the bush with this kid. He’ll suspect some trickery first, won’t he? Am I wrong?”

Old Man Park, who had snapped at Chairman Kim with a rough tone, pointed his index finger at my face.

“Look at his expression. Isn’t it completely rotten?”

“Ugh…”

“…”

An familiar atmosphere exuded from Old Man Park, who simply spoke his mind freely.

Rough, hasty, childish, and vulgar.

But uninhibited and free.

I closed my mouth at the feeling I had encountered in a place I once belonged.

“You brat. No, wait. What was your name again?”

“…Seonghan.”

“Right, Seonghan. My personality was originally formed this way, so you’ll have to understand.”

“Hmm… well…”

“Like Chairman Kim, everyone twists their words and only complicates things, but there’s nothing to think about too hard. Literally, I need your help. That’s all.”

“I know that.”

“No, your expression says you don’t.”

Old Man Park, speaking without hesitation, began to look relieved.

“Look at me.”

“…?”

“My age is… wait, how old am I?”

Manager Seong quietly told Old Man Park, who was tilting his head, “You are seventy-eight, sir.”

“Ah, right. I’m 78 years old.”

…Manager Seong seemed to be having a hard time.

“You’re still quite spry.”

“Hahahaha! I appreciate the words, but that’s just how it looks. It’s a worn-out, broken-down old body. This body should just be sitting in a senior center, merely breathing, that’s what I mean.”

He belittled himself, but his gaze was calm.

It was just a feeling mixed with a little regret.

“Even I picked up a hammer. I’m hammering away with a foolish mind and arms drained of strength.”

“You said you’d be active until you died.”

“That’s part of it, but I also want to live one more day.”

“So?”

“So what? Is there anything special? It’s so difficult that an old man like me has to lend a hand, so I’m just saying we should get some help from a spry and capable guy like you.”

“…Hah!”

He chuckled softly.

At the vulgar bluntness, a burst of laughter escaped me. Old Man Park himself seemed amused by his own words and let out a hearty laugh.

“It’s an age where it wouldn’t be strange to depart for the afterlife while sleeping in the middle of the night.”

“What are you saying?” Chairman Kim scolded him with an unnecessarily stern voice, but Old Man Park didn’t care.

“Chairman Kim is the same.”

“…That damn man…”

Old Man Park let Chairman Kim’s grumbling go in one ear and out the other, laughing heartily.

“We don’t have much time left to live. If we die in our sleep, that would be the ultimate luxury.”

“What do you want to say?”

Old Man Park wiped the faint smile from his lips.

“…I’ve lived long enough, but others haven’t.”

“…”

“Chairman Kim’s granddaughter, the Leader, and Pyo still have a long way to live. The people outside are the same. Everyone worries and fears each day, yet still wishes to live. They want it desperately.”

Old Man Park raised his hand and pointed at me.

“You gave hope to all of them. You did.”

“…”

The old man, unlike himself, threw out embarrassing words without hesitation.

“It’s unforgivable to give something and then take it away.”

I slightly furrowed my brow at his words.

“Old Man. You know you’re being unreasonable, right?”

“You damn brat… Can’t you understand this old man’s feelings at all?!”

“Is that my concern?”

“You insolent brat!”

Old Man Park roared and lightly struck the table.

I thought he would shut up then, but it was only for a moment.

“I’m not asking you to work yourself to the bone helping people. You just need to lend a helping hand occasionally, like now.”

“Old Man. Did you entrust me with something? Why would I—”

“Of course, it’s not free. Isn’t it the rule for people to receive compensation when they work?”

Old Man Park leaned slightly towards me.

“From what I hear, didn’t you originally agree to get a cut?”

“…I did.”

Now it’s all debt to be repaid, though.

“Chairman Kim will reward you very generously. Since you’re doing it anyway, you might as well take what you’re owed and also take credit for it, and we get to live. Isn’t that good for everyone?”

“Old Man, you’re still in debt to me right now, aren’t you?”

At my words, Old Man Park lowered his voice with a sly smile.

“Can’t you just keep extracting benefits from him for a long, long time? If you change your perspective, there will be endless things you can get from Chairman Kim.”

“Oh?”

“…What on earth are you two talking about?”

Chairman Kim was dumbfounded, watching them conspire in front of the person concerned.

I subtly hinted to Old Man Park, who continued to gently dangle bait with a softened voice.

“We’ve already finished discussing maintaining a friendly relationship anyway.”

“I see. But why are you so against what Chairman Kim wants to do?”

“…Because it’s dangerous. Ask him for details directly.”

“Alright. Let’s hear that story then.” Chairman Kim interrupted as if he had been waiting.

“Listen and judge for yourself. If your opinion doesn’t change even then, I won’t press the issue any further.”

“…”

At Chairman Kim’s resolute words, I turned my gaze to CEO Choi and my brother.

Nod. At CEO Choi’s quiet nod, I briefly rubbed my chin.

‘…Should I listen?’

“Speak.”

“Before that… everyone currently seated, except for Secretary Choi, Manager Seong, and you four there, please leave.”

At Chairman Kim’s words, all the personnel who had been standing exited the conference room.

Click. As the last person left and the door closed, Chairman Kim cleared his throat.

“Hmm. Where should I begin…” Chairman Kim seemed cautious as he pondered where to start.

“Director Jang.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Chairman Kim began by pointing to Director Jang.

“Tell him what you told me.”

“Yes.” Director Jang, who replied briefly, straightened his posture.

“Seonghan.”

“Yes.”

“Can I interpret your concern as the spread of infection and the inability to control it?”

Nod, nod. The core issue was that part, so it was correct. Director Jang nodded his head and slowly began to speak.

“In that sense, Seonghan’s opinion is not wrong.”

“…”

“We shouldn’t touch it even further.”

‘…What’s he talking about?’

CEO Choi and my brother seemed to find it strange as well. Seeing their puzzled reactions, Director Jang continued smoothly.

“First, based on the analysis of the data I’ve gathered so far, I consider the current situation to be caused by a virus. I will explain it a little later, but even just considering its explosive infectivity, the only way to deal with it is thorough isolation.”

‘A virus…?’

“That was until recently.”

“??”

“Until recently, if it was itself an incredibly unstable hazard, now the conclusion is that it’s at a level where it can be sufficiently ‘controlled.’ The ‘control’ I’m referring to here means that it can be handled if it’s in a facility with strict security and isolation measures.”

‘…What is he talking about…’

I wasn’t the only one bewildered.

CEO Choi, who was as bewildered as I was, cautiously asked a question.

“I… I don’t understand… that the danger has simply plummeted for no reason…”

“Zombies are still dangerous.”

“…”

“What I want to say is ‘infectivity.’ I believe its danger level has decreased incomparably from before.”

I narrowed my eyes at Director Jang’s words.

“You’re referring to the infection caused by being bitten by a zombie, right?”

Director Jang nodded at my brother’s question.

“That’s right.”

“Then why…”

“Because there were other routes of infection.”

“…No way…”

‘What? What is it?’

My brother and CEO Choi, who had been looking around in thought, widened their eyes.

“Virus… infection…”

“Air… airborne transmission?”

Director Jang nodded heavily at CEO Choi’s question.

…I was glad I kept my mouth shut and stayed still.

“Director Jang-nim. Is that… certain?”

“I understand your concern, CEO Choi, but I am almost certain. The fact that one gets infected when bitten, and the visible situation and results were so clear and intense, stole our attention, but there was also no way to prove it.”

Director Jang looked at me and spoke.

“We don’t know about the initial infection, but the trigger for the infection outbreak was definitely airborne infection. Of course, that includes being bitten.”

I met his gaze and quietly asked, “Then does that mean airborne infection is no longer a problem?”

“I cannot state that definitively.”

My brows furrowed.

“I can only make a nearly certain conjecture.”

“…”

“You might not believe me, but I will tell you why I’ve come to that conclusion. Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon.”

“Phew. Finally, it’s my turn. Hello. I am Eom Jihoon, the quack doctor.”

The doctor, introducing himself amiably, appeared to be in his early fifties.

“I look this way because I’ve suffered a lot, but I’m forty-four and a bachelor. Hahahaha!”

“…”

He truly seemed to have suffered a lot. I was amazed by his appearance, which didn’t match his stated age, when CEO Choi was startled.

“O-oh, no way?!”

“Oh, do you remember me?”

“My goodness…”

“…Huh?”

Seeing my brother’s delayed reaction, he seemed to know him too.

“Oh, Seonghan doesn’t remember me.”

“…Have we met?”

“Of course.”

The aged-looking doctor was trying to suppress a grin, finding something amusing.

My brother, unable to hide his surprise, explained to me, who couldn’t remember at all.

“Seonghan. You know, the one who treated us at Yeongdeungpo Girls’ High School.”

…Huh?

“…The one who was said to be fired from the hospital?”

“Oh! You remember! That’s me. Hahahaha!”

“Whoa.”

Sergeant Kang was like this, and so was this man.

Was this some kind of public meeting place?

I didn’t even know their names or ages. All I remembered was that he was the doctor fired from the hospital.

I never expected to meet everyone I’d only briefly crossed paths with here.

“It really pays to survive, doesn’t it? I never dreamed I’d meet all of you here again.”

“…”

As we, truly surprised, couldn’t speak, Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon cleared his throat.

“Let’s share our pleasantries later. First, I will tell you about what I experienced.”

Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon, speaking in a polite tone with a faint smile, began to unfold what he had seen and experienced.

“When the government was dilly-dallying about the infection situation… it was a few days before that. Patients began to rush into the hospital.”

He slowly wiped the smile from his face.

“In a short time, with patients being brought in, it was on the verge of bursting, and the hospital was in chaos. It was literally a battlefield.”

Everyone focused on Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon’s words.

“What we could tell in the midst of it all was that the condition of the patients who visited the hospital was almost identical. Coughing and chills, seizures and high fever. At first glance, it was very similar to the flu. But it was strange.”

“Because it happened suddenly and simultaneously.”

He nodded at Director Jang’s affirmation.

“The speed at which symptoms manifested was too fast, and there was more than one strange thing.”

“…Strange things?”

“Yes. The patients’ conditions rapidly worsened at the time. As if their life force was draining away.”

“…”

“As the symptoms progressed, there was hemoptysis and partial discoloration.”

“Discoloration.”

“Their skin would lose vitality or black veins would appear.”

“…”

“Once hemoptysis began, patients would die in as little as 6 hours, and no more than 24 hours. And then…”

I could anticipate the rest of his words.

“The patients declared dead rose again. After that, chaos ensued.”

Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon maintained a relatively calm demeanor.

“The patients who rose again rushed at people indiscriminately and attacked them. Their method of attack was to bite anything they could get their teeth into.”

“So?”

My dry question slightly flustered the others. But Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon raised a finger and did not lose his composure.

“Going back to the beginning, patients came to the hospital because of flu-like symptoms. And most of them died. All those patients were resurrected as zombies.”

“…There were no bitten people, then.”

At my brother’s words, Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon snapped his fingers.

“Bingo.”

He looked directly at me with a somewhat shimmering gaze.

“This is incomplete information, but what do these suggest?”

“Oral infection isn’t the only means of transmission.”

“That’s right.” Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon slightly bowed his head at Director Jang’s words. “We can infer that the infection first spread through airborne transmission, not by insects or parasites.”

“…”

“And I am certain that the cause is an unknown virus fatal to the human body.”

Teacher-nim Eom Jihoon’s shimmering eyes deepened.