episode_0280

No, from their perspective, they were already there, so perhaps I was the one who popped out. Their eyes showed surprise, but their bodies didn’t react, nor did they make a sound. One of them, in particular, immediately scanned me from head to toe, taking a defensive stance. ‘Are they trained?’ From a deeply crouched position, an attack posture was instantly adopted. And very naturally, at that. They seemed ready to spring forward at the slightest movement. Despite his ordinary appearance, the feeling he gave off was intense.

“…Who?” The man who spoke also had a physique that showed he was a trained individual. However, it felt like his body itself was trained, not specifically for combat. His impression was somehow gentle… ‘…What is this?’

Both were dirty and haggard, but their eyes were clear and hadn’t lost their light. Their cheeks were hollow, and their cheekbones slightly protruded, but there was no sign of lethargy. Rather, it felt like facing a pencil lead sharpened to its limit. “…” A sensitive and sharp atmosphere. Composure ingrained in their bodies. Faded bloodstains visible on their dirty clothes. Even the tools at their waists, drawing the eye. The visible elements were all very natural. Veterans who survived on the front lines. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to call them pros. The man with the ordinary appearance, especially, seemed to have melted into this changed world. Where did such a person even spring from—

Thud! Grab! He sprang forward towards me from his crouched position. Matching the timing of my inhale, I snatched the knife-hand aimed at my throat and twisted it outwards. ‘He knows a thing or two…’ Swish! Snatch! Following the direction his wrist was twisted, he leaned his body and swung his remaining fist towards my temple. The motion was large but fast and aimed at a precise location. Most importantly, there was no hesitation, and he didn’t resist the force. Crack! When I twisted the arm, which still held the swinging fist, outwards, a groan… “…” “…” Not even a groan, his expression didn’t change…

Whoosh! The gentle-looking man lunged at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and hanging on. He literally threw his body without hesitation. It seemed he intended to bring me down, but that was impossible. “?!” The man, greatly flustered by my unmoving stance, faltered, but only for a moment. Grrr! Contrary to his appearance, the man pushed with sheer strength, gritting his teeth as he attacked. The man whose hands were both held, his expression shifted from blank to subtly flustered. Slide- Lowering his bent knee, he leaned his upper body forward. Thwack! “Gah?!” When I bounced my shoulder and struck the chin of the man hanging on me, his strength suddenly gave out, and he staggered. It was then. ‘Huh?’ The man, who had strangely twisted his trapped right wrist free, reached for his waist. In response, I grabbed the hanging man’s face and pushed him back. At that moment. Whoosh! ‘Oh, crap!’ The plain-looking man swiftly rotated his body from his crouched and collapsed posture. By turning his body in the direction his trapped left arm was twisting, he freed himself from the pain. After the acrobatic movement, he regained his balance and immediately slammed his fist down, aiming for the back of my elbow. Thud! “…Ow.” “!” My unmoving arm and my reaction made the man flinch, and his aura turned menacing. Judging by his aura, he seemed extremely tense. Just as the man reached for his waist again. Crash! A crowbar, aimed at my arm, descended with a dangerous sound. I immediately let go of his hand and retreated. Thud! The attack, struck with enough force to dent the floor, was powerful. “…” The man who was pushed back and rolled definitely had good strength. And despite being rough, he knew how to use his tools properly. The gentle-looking man who swung the crowbar was also no ordinary person. More than that, it was a bit surprising. ‘Not the head, but the arm…?’ That last attack was a perfect opportunity for a decisive blow. If it had been an ordinary person. But he didn’t aim for my head to kill me; he aimed for the arm that was holding the plain-looking man. The plain-looking man also reached for his waist two or three times but ultimately didn’t pull out a weapon. ‘They’re soft.’ There was no killing intent from either of them. Not from the beginning, not even now. It seemed their intention was to subdue me… I looked at them both and then slowly spoke. “What are you guys doing?” “What are you guys doing?” Like a lie, we uttered the exact same words. Our timing happened to perfectly overlap. A moment of awkwardness swelled up. “Uh, aren’t you… with them?” I frowned at the foolish question from the man who had swung the crowbar. “Me? With them?” “Uh…” “Aren’t you guys the ones with them?” “W-what…!” “Kang-doo. Lower your voice.” “Ah…” After exchanging such foolish conversation, I somehow felt all my tension deflate. And I wasn’t the only one. The plain-looking man didn’t drop his stance, but his menacing aura subsided. “…It seems you’re not with them.” “…” “If you’re not with them, then don’t interfere with us.” His tone was expressionless and dry. But the faint killing intent that subtly surfaced when he mentioned ‘those guys’ made me suspect they had a grudge. Seeing the gentle-looking man’s expression harden, it seemed to be true. In that case, I had nothing to say. I just came to take care of them. If I had to put it in terms, it was pest control for peace.

“I have business with them too, you know?” “What?” What do I care about grudges? I take care of things before grudges even form. “You guys are the ones who shouldn’t interfere.” “…” “Let’s go our separate ways.” They attacked first, but I could let a few punches slide. No knives were drawn, and the tools they swung were only for subduing. I don’t know why, but those two, who clearly had no intention of killing, seemed distinctly different from the guys occupying the community center. I intended to settle it at that and lose interest.

“Wait.” “Why?” “Those guys are ours.” “…What?” “Again, I tell you, you are the ones who shouldn’t interfere with us.” I was slightly dumbfounded by the plain-looking man’s words, spoken with a bit of emphasis. “If you interfere…” The plain-looking man held his stance, letting his words trail off. “…Are you sure?” I curved my lips into a smile and stretched my fingers. As I slowly exhaled and prepared myself… “Hey, wait a minute.” The man who had stepped back interjected. “What?” “Please just hear us out for a moment.” “Why should I?” Even at my indifferent remark, the gentle-looking man didn’t waver and naturally continued. “Don’t be like that. Right. My name is Kang-doo. Choi Kang-doo. This is…” “…” “Hyung.” “…I am Park Moojin.” “And you?” …He was a man with a strong sense of his own pace. “…Seonghan.” “Pardon?” “My surname is Shin, my given name is Seonghan.” “Ah. That’s a good name.” I frowned at Choi Kang-doo’s words. He, unfazed, continued. “Seonghan-ssi. Inside are about forty criminals who have formed an organization. All of them are armed.” “So?” “Why don’t we combine our strength?” “Kang-doo, you…!” Park Moojin’s eyebrows shot up fiercely. “Hyung. The two of us can’t completely take care of those guys. We might inflict some damage, but in the end, we’ll be the ones getting beaten.” “No, you’re wrong.” “If it’s Hyung, you’ll take care of them all by yourself. But you know very well that even Hyung won’t come out unscathed.” From his words, it seemed Park Moojin was quite capable. Choi Kang-doo’s gaze, as he spoke softly, trying to persuade, turned to me. “Seonghan-ssi, you alone—” “I don’t care.” “Huh?” “I don’t care if I’m alone.” “…That’s too reckless…” “That’s something we’ll find out when we see.” What was he going on about? His words were so trivial that I couldn’t help but show a lukewarm reaction. I dusted off my hands and slowly stood up. “Just watch from here.” “Wait.” “What now?” Park Moojin, still not letting his guard down, maintained his dry tone. “I know you’re no ordinary person.” “…” “I won’t care if you rampage inside or kill them all.” “Oh?” “But!” Park Moojin, who I thought was being quite reasonable, laid down a condition. “Kim Gwanghyeon and Lee Junse. Hand those two over to us.” From him, as he uttered the two names, a faint rage could be felt. “Who are they?” “…It seems you don’t know about those guys.” Choi Kang-doo answered for the exasperated Park Moojin. “They’re the boss and the right-hand man leading those guys.” “They are the ones I must finish with my own hands.” Displeasure, disgust, rage, and killing intent. The two didn’t hide their emotions towards their targets.

“That much is fine. What do they look like?” “Kim Gwanghyeon, the boss, is a fatty pig.” “And?” “Lee Junse has tattoos covering his neck. And you’ll know him just by looking.” “?” “He looks incredibly sly.” A wry laugh escaped me at the blunt assessment, setting aside the hostility. Towards me, Park Moojin relaxed his stance and spoke softly. “We chased those bastards all the way here. And we waited here until they all gathered.” “…” “I won’t stop you from killing them all or letting them live. Just hand those two over to me.” Park Moojin’s gaze, emphasizing again, was directed straight at me. Seeing him go to such lengths, his grudge seemed unusually deep. “…Alright.” A man’s revenge must be supported. “You’re reasonable.” “Instead, don’t get in my way. And I won’t help you if you get into trouble.” “…As I hoped.” Park Moojin seemed pleased with my answer, as the corner of his lips curled up ever so slightly. Choi Kang-doo’s eyes widened at the sight of Park Moojin. “We are ready. We plan to move immediately.” “That’s good, straightforward.” “You… you’ll handle it yourself, I suppose.” “Uh, Seonghan-ssi? You don’t have anything with you, are you sure you’ll be okay? Should I give you something?” Choi Kang-doo, on the contrary, offered me concern, so I grinned. “I’ll handle it, so don’t worry about me.” “Oh… okay…” “Do you guys have a plan?” When a plastic cover on one side was removed, the two men’s belongings were revealed. A large backpack and a K-2 rifle. Feeling my gaze directed at the gun, Choi Kang-doo quickly continued. “These are things left by the soldiers who were with us.” “…” Seeing his expression darken, it seemed these were practically their comrades’遗物. Fearing I might touch a raw nerve, I looked away. Feeling the air turn slightly awkward, I asked again. “What was your plan?” “…Our plan was to infiltrate quietly.” Judging by his confident tone, they seemed to have a decent plan prepared. “I’ll move on my own, so you guys do what you were going to do.” “Hmm.” “Ah, would it be easier to move if you drew their attention?” “…? Yes.” “Then wait downstairs.” “What are you going to do?” I pulled up my neck warmer, which I had lowered, and stretched my hands. “I’ll send a signal.” “…Can we trust you?” A laugh escaped me at Park Moojin’s somewhat dubious reaction. “You’ll see.” Though hastily formed, a three-person party with roughly similar goals was formed. The two men and I looked at the community center, which had turned into a den of insects. It was time for pest extermination.