episode_0297

Two men, a woman, and a child.

A party was planned for the newly settled newcomers.

“Pant pant pant,”

“…”

…Including a retriever, who, unlike a dog, was grinning broadly.

Thanks to Heize’s efforts, the clean retriever was adorably cute despite its size.

It was a little regrettable that there were spots where its fur had fallen out here and there.

Although it usually avoided me, the strong smell of food made its tail wag uncontrollably.

Still, I found its calm observation commendable, so I patted its head.

“I’m only letting it slide because you’re cute.”

“Pant pant,”

Actually, I had intended to postpone the party a little.

With three patients, it felt a bit inappropriate to go all out with drinking and revelry.

But…

“Good.”

“…Are you sure? Your wounds are deep.”

“What a foolish question.”

“Huh?”

“You should eat when you can.”

“That’s true, but…”

“It’s a blessing to be able to eat, and it’s a profitable venture.”

“That’s… true, isn’t it?”

“Wouldn’t it be unfair to die while trying to save yourself? If it were me, I’d be so wronged I couldn’t even close my eyes.”

“…”

…It was a misconception.

Unexpectedly, they didn’t compromise when it came to eating.

Not just Park Moojin, but all the newcomers were like that.

Even Seonyeong, who had only recently woken up, had sparkling eyes.

It certainly wasn’t greed for food.

The nuance of their words somehow suggested a story.

Anyway.

It was a day to enjoy themselves for once.

I also mentioned the inventory to Grandma.

So, I immediately went to see Grandma.

“What would you like me to take out?”

“What do you have?”

The feeling that she was treating me like a traveling vegetable seller driving a truck seemed to be a misconception.

I grinned.

“I have a lot of variety.”

“Oh? Then show me one by one.”

I understood the feelings of a merchant dealing with a madam.

I immediately opened my inventory in front of Grandma, who showed curiosity.

‘Oh…’

Was it experience?

Grandma wasn’t greatly surprised even after seeing the space opened in mid-air. Rather…

“My hand doesn’t fit.”

“Haha…”

She was bold enough to try putting her hand into the inventory’s opening.

“Now, quickly take it out.”

In front of Grandma, who calmly moved on, I began laying out meat.

For now, mostly raw meat.

The richly colored meat, which had been dormant for a long time, finally met the day it would be placed on the dining table.

“Ahem ahem,”

At first, she watched with wonder, but…

“Young man… do you still have more?”

“Yes. I have a lot.”

“Good heavens…”

Grandma, her eyes wide at the endless stream of meat, eventually raised her hand to stop me.

“Are you planning to slather yourself with meat? You should take out a moderate amount!”

“Ah…”

I had gotten excited without realizing it.

Grandma, seeing the meat piled high in the kitchen with nowhere to put it, let out a small sigh.

“What in the world is all this?”

She only said that much.

Grandma couldn’t hide her joyful expression.

Grandma’s gaze, as she looked at the vividly colored chunks of meat, was full of affection.

Like looking at something cute?

Grandma, who had been caressing the meat, immediately requested additional ingredients.

Vegetables to go with it, sesame oil, clean salt, and so on.

As I took each one out, she would check them one by one and nod with satisfaction.

“Look how fresh it is, even though the date has passed. How peculiar.”

“Hehehe.”

It’s amazing to me every time I see it too.

“We need to set up the meat board, so young man, you go out and tell the women to come.”

“Meat board? If we just eat it—?”

“No.”

Grandma voluntarily took on the task.

She spoke while busily moving her hands.

Her theory was that food should also be enjoyed with the eyes, and doing things like this helps maintain one’s senses.

‘Indeed…’

I could feel her stubbornness as a cook.

With such resolve, she could create such delicious dishes—

“Now, go on out.”

“Yes…”

Driven out by the firm dismissal, I sent Shia and the other women into the kitchen.

The kitchen grew noisy with preparations.

The family happily, and a little restlessly, waited, anticipating the meat that would soon appear.

“Seonghan. Do you really have meat?”

Choi Kangdu’s Adam’s apple bobbed continuously as he sent expectant glances my way.

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll give you luncheon meat?”

“Oh! I’d be grateful for that too! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen real meat.”

Choi Kangdu… you must have had a hard time…

His taste buds, dulled by hardship, were pitiful.

Meat is a food that’s hard to forget.

After a certain period, you start craving meat.

Or rather, your body craves it.

Perhaps that’s why some survivors were said to have made jerky out of lucky catches of water deer.

“…Was that delicious?”

Water deer jerky, of all things.

I’d rather fry up some pigeon eggs.

“No. It smelled terrible and was tough… Ugh!”

“It’s amazing you even thought to eat that.”

“Seonghan, you wouldn’t understand. There was truly nothing to eat. If a single water deer appeared? Then that day would be absolute chaos.”

Hearing Choi Kangdu’s vivid account, I found myself understanding without realizing it.

When you’re starving, anything tastes good, as the saying goes [a proverb meaning hunger is the best sauce].

At the part where even that water deer was treated as a precious commodity, I just accepted it.

‘I’ll never have to eat that.’

“You’ll get to eat your fill from now on.”

“…Really?”

“If you listen well.”

“Are you sure?”

“About what?”

Choi Kangdu smiled dangerously.

“I eat an awful lot, you see.”

Look at this guy.

“Oh yeah?”

“It’s true! Uncle Kangdu is totally~ a pig.”

“Oho…?”

I nodded at Seonyeong’s words, as she testified to Choi Kangdu’s appetite from beside him.

“Shall we see just how much you can eat?”

“Hoo… such a provocation… not bad.”

“Just try complaining that you’re full.”

“Hmph…”

While waiting for dinner to be prepared, Choi Kangdu busily talked away.

His sociability and friendliness were indeed good.

Thanks to that, I could get a glimpse of how he had been living until now.

“Differential rationing, huh…”

“It might seem heartless, but there was no other way. Otherwise, no one would have stepped forward.”

“Ah! No, no. From what I hear, it sounds like a reasonable method. So, Kangdu, you too?”

“Moojin hyung and I always received the maximum amount. That’s why we got a lot of glares, though. Haha…”

Jihyeok hyung and the younger ones listened carefully to Choi Kangdu’s stories.

People who ventured outside to procure supplies, whether food or anything else.

Those responsible for scouting or combat risked their lives. And they were given treatment fitting that risk.

It was an extremely logical and obvious matter.

But the world is vast, and there are many crazy people.

Moreover, society had collapsed.

Inevitably, madmen were bound to appear.

Choi Kangdu shared such experiences without filtering them.

“There were always people who argued about being discriminated against based on food.”

“Huh…”

“Wow… that’s dizzying.”

“Most of those people couldn’t even be reasoned with.”

Not only Choi Kangdu, but the family members listening to the story shook their heads in disbelief.

When kindness continues, people take it for granted.

They dislike it for themselves but take others’ sacrifices for granted.

If I say it, it’s a valid reason; if someone else says it, it’s an excuse.

Such selfishness exists in everyone.

However, when it becomes a group, not an individual, the story changes.

And if it’s a twisted mindset…

“…I even thought, ‘Was the common sense I knew wrong?’ you know?”

“Well now…”

“Funnily enough, such people also had something they were exceptionally good at.”

Park Moojin, who had been silently holding his spot for a long time, opened his mouth.

“Was it political maneuvering?”

At Representative Choi’s words, Park Moojin nodded.

“It’s an unavoidable problem as long as people gather.”

“…That’s right. I’ve seen countless times how they desperately tried to exploit situations even in the worst of circumstances.”

Park Moojin’s voice, as he echoed Representative Choi’s words, was extremely dry.

‘He’s still using polite language.’

Park Moojin, who had even addressed Dr. Jang rather informally, I worried he might do the same here, but it was an unfounded fear.

It was a relief to see him use proper respectful language and show courtesy to our elders.

Park Moojin, displaying unexpected politeness, turned the conversation to me.

“It was fine to a certain extent, but once someone crossed the line, that group, whether big or small, invariably disintegrated.”

“That’s inevitable.”

“Thanks to that, I wandered from place to place for a short period.”

‘Ah… so that’s why…’

“Is that why you said you disliked crowded places?”

“…There is that aspect, without a doubt.”

“You’ve suffered a lot.”

At Representative Choi’s gentle words, Park Moojin slightly bowed his head.

“But you met me, didn’t you? And Seonyeong too.”

“Hmm…”

He clamped his mouth shut at Choi Kangdu’s sociability.

“And you met me too.”

“…I consider myself fortunate.”

“…Hyung?”

At the completely different answer, Choi Kangdu made a hurt expression.

Leaving the dejected Choi Kangdu aside, I spoke to Park Moojin.

“You might see similar situations in the future, but you won’t experience the worries you’re thinking of.”

“You’re confident.”

I merely smiled faintly.

Political maneuvering doesn’t always work.

It only works when one’s strength or influence is somewhat equal or superior.

If the conditions aren’t met, political maneuvering becomes a conspiracy.

Therefore, it’s a natural progression for all sorts of dirty tricks to follow in order to gain superiority.

That’s why wealth, violence, and connections are necessary.

Political maneuvering against me?

“…”

“Why?”

“Don’t smile like that.”

“Huh?”

“Just now, it was very… Never mind.”

“Oh, what is it?”

Park Moojin closed his mouth again.

“…You might not know, but one of the representative things that makes Koreans angry is when someone starts speaking and then stops—”

“Dinner is served~”

Everyone’s gaze turned at Miri’s mom’s bright voice.

The sight of her pushing a tray laden with something, making a rattling sound, was truly…

“Woah…”

‘Grandma really put in some effort.’

The meat, placed on large plates or cutting boards, was beautifully arranged piece by piece.

“Wow~”

“This looks like a picture hung in a Korean BBQ restaurant?!”

Choi Kangdu’s words hit the mark exactly.

The beautifully and neatly arranged meat exuded a very luxurious feel just by itself.

It might have been just my imagination, but the surface of the meat glistened.

Gulp—

The sound of saliva being swallowed echoed strongly throughout the dining room…

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Turn up the heat.”

“…Yes, sir!!”

Everyone’s hands began to move busily.