episode_0084

26. The person I met at Seoul Station (3)

Leaving behind Yeonseo’s promise to stay in the tent, Hyunseok and I headed to the third floor where the banquet was being held.

I found out while walking around earlier that the first floor of Seoul Station is a place where people come and go frequently, and there are offices for businesses and settlements to handle move-in and move-out.

The second floor, like the one I saw earlier, had many stores gathered in one place. The fourth floor was where people lived, so I took a quick look around and came down.

The third floor we are on now has a lounge where people can talk comfortably and a restaurant where they can cook or eat food.

That’s why it seems like the third floor was used as a banquet hall.

” Yeonseo said she wouldn’t go, but anyway, I should tell her in advance so she can get some food. ”

As Hyunseok held my hand tightly, I thought of Yeonseo who was still in the tent and answered his words.

” Yeah, even if you say that, if you don’t take it, I’m sure you’ll be upset again. ”

” Right? Rather… Do I really have to ask? ”

He suddenly stops walking, grabs my hand more tightly, and looks at me with an expression that says he doesn’t like it.

When I thought about why he said that, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Maybe it’s because of Choi Young-wol.

” What~ Are you jealous? ”

” I’m not jealous… No. I just don’t like it. ”

” Huh~ Really~? ”

I approached him, looked up at him from below, and asked him.

He avoided eye contact with my actions and scratched his cheek as he spoke.

” A little… ”

” Haha! You’re cute… Don’t worry. ”

She left the hand she was holding and wrapped her remaining arm around his waist.

” I… Hyunseok, it’s yours. ”

After saying that, I stood up and kissed his lips lightly, then grabbed his hand again and walked forward.

” Let’s go! The old man will be waiting. ”

His face turned slightly red as he looked at me like that.

He really is a… cute boyfriend.

*****

As we headed to the third floor, we found Mr. Dosik sitting a little away from where the people were gathered.

” Mister! ”

I approached him, waving with my free hand while holding Hyunseok’s hand.

” Oh, you’re here! Yeonseo… well, that’s just how she is. ”

” Haha… Well, isn’t that how it is? More importantly, why are you here alone? ”

” Well, I only live in Mokdong settlement, so I don’t know anyone and I’ll be leaving soon, so I just stayed like this. ”

” But… Then, what about Mr. Oh Hyuk-jin or Choi Young-wol? ”

The old man nodded and pointed to a place.

There, Oh Hyuk-jin and Choi Young-wol were sitting at a long table with many people praying together.

Roughly… 30 people…? Seeing that number of people sitting at one table and praying like that, they looked like quite devout believers.

” Are they religious? ”

Hyunseok asked Uncle Dusik as if he had seen something quite unusual.

Of course, I too had some doubts. In a situation where the world is being destroyed by the tower, which god are they praying to?

Could this be the god of a religion that was famous and widely spread before the world was destroyed?

” That’s what Hyukjin said. He said that from the moment the tower appears, the religions we’ve believed in until now are meaningless. ”

What does that mean? Are they saying that because they have seen the destruction of the world, there is no longer a god they believed in?

” What does that mean? ”

Just as I thought, Hyunseok asked the old man again as if he didn’t know the answer.

” It doesn’t really mean anything… Since the tower appeared, they can say that the god they believed in exists, and since they couldn’t prevent this situation, they can say that the god doesn’t love humans. ”

” Indeed, I guess you could look at it from that perspective. ”

” Yeah, since then that guy… hasn’t talked about God. ”

I have lived a religious life, but I thought that God existed because of the tower.

A person who, after experiencing the pain of loss and the crumbling reality, came to the realization that God does not love humans.

That was my close friend, Oh Hyuk-jin, said Mr. Du-sik with an expression on his face like he had just drunk bitter coffee that didn’t suit his taste.

He who obtained proof of the existence he had believed in until now, and was disappointed in that existence.

Indeed, with what kind of thoughts and feelings does he pray with people?

I think the opposite situation is ‘me’.

I don’t remember when I was a man… anymore… but I don’t think I really believed in God back then.

God was just a being who cried out in times of danger.

But now… I am walking the path to save people together with God.

And the end is…

As I felt the presence of someone thinking that way, I raised my head and looked, and Oh Hyuk-jin and Choi Young-wol, who seemed to have already finished praying, approached us.

” Haha, sorry. My prayer got a little long. ”

” No. Rather… may I ask what kind of prayer you said? ”

Mr. Oh Hyuk-jin looked at the people who had prayed with him and said.

” It was a simple prayer. I just prayed that things would go well in the future. ”

His appearance when he said it was nothing seemed like that.

There was a longing in his eyes, full of determination and as if he was waiting for something.

Soon, he looked at me and Hyunseok with a bright smile and guided us to where the food was.

” Okay~ Let’s stop talking like this and eat some food first! ”

As he said, since it was a banquet, there were a lot of dishes made with ingredients that were quite difficult to obtain.

” If you don’t mind, can I bring some food? I’m going to bring some to my friend in the tent. ”

When Hyun-seok asked if it was okay for him to pack food for Yeon-seo, Oh Hyuk-jin laughed heartily and said it was okay.

And Choi Young-wol…

” Charlotte? You said that? Do you want to try this? ”

” Oh, I can do it by myself… ”

” Don’t do that~ Okay~ ”

He was recommending it as the most delicious food at the banquet, not caring about Hyunseok’s gaze watching him from behind.

” How is it? Is it delicious? ”

” Yes? Yes… Rather than that… You said you were part of the management department, right? ”

” Huh? Oh, right. I just got the team leader title. Why? Charlotte is coming to the management department too? ”

” No, that’s not it. I saw some people from the management department in Mokdong. ”

I felt his expression, which had been smiling at my words, turn cold for a moment.

But I couldn’t really grasp that feeling because of the laughter and conversations I could hear from people around me.

He laughed loudly again, took a sip of the drink in his cup, and started calling out to Hyunseok, who was packing food for Yeonseo while talking to Oh Hyukjin next to him.

” Hey, buddy. You want to come this way? ”

Hyun-seok greeted Oh Hyuk-jin as he filled his plate with food and ran to where Choi Young-wol was.

” Suddenly… What’s going on? By any chance… ”

When Hyunseok glared at him and spoke in a low voice, he shook his head and waved his hand.

” No matter how much of a blond punk I look, I won’t touch a girl who already has a partner. Trust me~ ”

” Haa, so why did you suddenly call me? ”

He took another sip of his drink with a slurp and nodded, telling me to sit down. Hyunseok was sitting next to me, holding my hand and looking at me.

It seems like there is a spark between the eyes of Hyunseok and Choi Yeongwol.

‘ Ah, I know I shouldn’t be thinking like this right now, but… that low voice and expression you had a little while ago… it was cool… ‘

On the contrary, I was absorbed in seeing a new side of my favorite person.

*****

As Hyunseok sat down and received the food he was given, he opened his mouth.

” Hoo, you know that it’s not a coincidence that I’m with Uncle Hyukjin and Uncle Dusik, right? ”

” I see, that’s what happened. ”

” First of all, Charlotte. As you said, I know that our people went to the Mokdong settlement. Because I am their superior. ”

At those words, Hyunseok and I opened our eyes wide in surprise and looked at him.

” Han Jin-oh… was it? Our management team was constantly monitoring the forces and movements of outlaws in other regions, including that outlaw guy.

But, a month…? Around that time, I felt that Han Jin-oh’s forces were making unusual movements, so I sent people to investigate… but everyone I sent lost contact.

So, judging it was dangerous, we decided to just watch from afar for now… and now… we turned our personnel towards the problematic Namsan Tower. ”

As he spoke, he looked up at the ceiling, sighed deeply as if he felt regret, and opened his mouth again.

” They were really… good guys. Of course, I know how other people see me because of my personality.

But the team members I was in charge of… who believed in me were all really good guys. ”

” That’s… too bad. ”

Hyunseok poured the drink on the table into his glass and said, and Choi Youngwol smiled.

” Haha! Thanks for saying that. Well, that’s just what we do. Anyway, back to the main topic. Han Jin-oh… I sent some pretty skilled guys to find out that there was something wrong with that guy.

This time, I got treated like this again. That’s why I, as the team leader, decided to take action myself. At least… why my subordinate died, and who did it.

You have to know that… so I can get revenge. ”

The way he spoke of taking revenge radiated a strong murderous aura, as if what I had felt until just now was not a lie.

I felt Hyunseok’s hand shaking slightly as he held my hand, so I held his hand tightly and the shaking stopped.

” But, from what you guys are saying… it seems like you know something? ”

Until now, he had been looking at us with a sullen smile rather than the expression of a bumbling rascal, which was quite… different.