Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 67.3: Hero (3)

I tried to recall what I was like during my time as an instructor.

"Today, we're going to talk about the mutation of zombies, human corpses. As you know, zombies are a type of mutation that occurs when the mutation factors cause a change just before the individual cells of the newly dead begin to decay. These mutated beings, once medically considered dead, turn into living corpses that tend to move in groups..."

The lecture desk, the materials laid out before me, and the blurry figures of students beyond it.

I could clearly remember the helpless feeling of my voice, weakly reading through the prepared materials, spreading throughout the silent classroom.

The clock on the wall that I constantly watched – how slow the minute hand moved.

At least, it was certain that my heart was not present in that classroom.

Yet, no matter what, there was always a group that followed me after class.

I didn’t pay them much attention.

I hadn’t even tried to properly look at their faces.

Back then, Kim Daram described me like this.

“You had a shrimp-like back, shoulders sagging, hair tangled like a scrubbing sponge, dark circles so heavy it was hard to tell you apart from a panda, and an expression as though you had the weight of the world on your shoulders, sighing as if your lungs were about to collapse.”

Looking back now, I think Kim Daram probably enjoyed visiting that site I used to frequent with the “company name” that would pop up next to the nickname.

"Even though you were like that, you were still more popular than me."

That was typical of someone who liked to constantly compare themselves and others, always classifying people.

One of my former students, Song Yu-jin, came to visit me again.

Seeing the playful expression on her face, it didn’t seem like she was here for any good reason.

And sure enough.

"Can I stay here?"

She went straight for the heavy pitch.

"Chief said I could stay here for a while. As you know, all the soldiers who came with me are men, right?"

"I’m a man too."

"Aye. You’re fine... um, Sir...? Why are you suddenly unzipping?"

"Huh?"

"Ah, no! Please don’t do anything weird! Just like Sir Woo said, you’ve really gone strange."

"Me?"

I zipped up and looked down at my taller student.

Though she had grown taller, she was still quite small.

Would she even make it past 160 cm?

She was clearly shorter than Kim Daram, who had been in the late 170s, and even Woo Min-hee, who was in the late 160s.

She looked up at me with a serious expression and protested.

“Sir! Do you know I defended you before?”

“What?”

“Over there!”

Song Yu-jin pointed at the corner of the ceiling.

“Internet equipment!”

That was an accurate point.

“I pretended not to know...”

“I betrayed my most respected senior, like a junior—Woo Min-hee.”

“...Sir?”

“Should I report it?”

As I picked up the radio, she hurriedly approached me and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

I lowered the radio and silently watched my student, who was now apologizing in an almost pitiful manner.

Her condition was good.

Her nutrition seemed fine, and there was no sign of stress.

If it were just three years ago, she would’ve looked just like one of those women from the streets, living a life no different.

The "Awakened Hunter" uniform she was wearing prompted me to ask quietly.

"...How long are you staying?"

Song Yu-jin, who had been bowing respectfully, lifted her head.

"Sir?"

"How long are you staying?"

“A week? I’ve heard that should be enough. Maybe I’ll leave in three days.”

"Did Woo Min-hee say that?"

"Yes. Sir Woo."

"Really?"

A week to three days.

Why was there a time limit?

I controlled my expression and stepped outside the bunker.

"Follow me."

"Huh? Where are you going?"

“There’s an annex.”

"Annex?"

“I can’t stand having others live in my house.”

“You’re so tidy. But why do you always wear the same underwear...?”

“What should I tell my most respected junior, Woo Min-hee?”

“I’m sorry!”

I showed her the cabin I had built for Rebecca and her daughter while firmly reinforcing the idea of hierarchy with my student, who often crawled over me.

As I watched Song Yu-jin’s face brighten when she saw my bunker with an indifferent expression, her excitement became clear.

“Wow! This looks like something I saw on YouTube. Is this a boiler? Are you burning wood?”

"Something like that. If you’re staying, stay here. There’s a bathroom over there. You’ll have to shower on my side, but it’s cold, so you probably don’t need a shower, right?"

"I sweat a lot, so I have to wash twice a day."

"Did you wash that often when you were in Jeju?"

"Yes."

"What about Incheon?"

"Once every three days?"

"Here, it's once every two weeks."

"Then, so... fan...?"

My mischievous student, despite being a bit of a troublemaker, seemed to have learned to be cautious, likely from the many beatings she had received while living in society.

When she looked away, I could tell she was aware of her mistake just from the way her eyes shifted.

"If you like washing that much, you can go bathe in the valley down there, or do whatever you want."

I glanced at Song Yu-jin from top to bottom.

"Sir? Are you scanning me or something?"

"Is that your only weapon?"

"Yes."

Song Yu-jin was armed with only a single pistol.

There wasn’t even a common large sword.

"Anything else? Cold weapons?"

"No. We don’t carry those around. And I’m not in a combat unit, so honestly, I’m not very good with a gun."

"Combat unit...?"

"Why?"

"Just unfamiliar."

Back when I was in school, we didn’t have such terms.

Everyone was a soldier.

If one person died, someone else would immediately take their place; that was the hunter of our old world.

"Anyway, use this place. Don’t touch the boiler. I’ll prepare an electric blanket for you."

I was about to turn and leave when Song Yu-jin called me from behind.

"Sir."

"What?"

I answered while not turning, standing awkwardly at the door.

"Did you know you were really popular?"

"Really?"

"Yes! Everyone was excited when they heard that the professor, the war hero, was becoming our instructor!"

"...."

"But it was a shame when you quit after just a month."

The image of my student was reflected on the metal plate I had hung at Rebecca's request in the corner of the cabin.

The student, who had been mischievous before when Woo Min-hee wasn’t around, was now standing with her shoulders slumped, staring at a distant point.

I couldn’t tell exactly where she was looking, but it wasn’t hard to guess what she was drawing with those eyes.

She was probably sketching the past she would never return to.

"Have you eaten?"

"No."

"I’ll share some dinner with you later, so keep your stomach empty."

Shortly after leaving the cabin, Song Yu-jin came out behind me.

I could faintly hear a sound from the communication device in her ear.

"Sir. Stay here."

"Why?"

"I think there’s a problem."

It wasn’t hard to figure out what the problem was.

Over the hill, two trucks emerged from the ridge of the golf course.

The people in those trucks were all soldiers.

The fact that I didn’t hear gunshots indicated they were not from the Legion faction.

"This is Colonel Ha Min-gi from the 223rd Special Response Brigade."

They were on our side.

But it seemed they weren’t 100% on our side.

"We’ve come to find Yang Sang-gil."

Colonel Ha Min-gi presented documents, demanding the delivery of Yang Sang-gil.

Standing in front of Ha Min-gi was a young captain named Kim Min-ho, whose name tag was visible.

Despite the presence of several dozen soldiers surrounding him, he looked unfazed as he examined the documents.

He handed them back to Ha Min-gi with an unwavering expression.

"I’m terribly sorry, but we’re following the orders of the Gukwiwon. Since you’ve brought an order from the command center, which isn’t our superior unit, we are not obliged to follow it."

"Isn’t Captain Kim Min-ho a South Korean soldier?"

Ha Min-gi’s tone rose slightly, but Kim Min-ho’s expression didn’t change.

"Yes. That’s correct."

"Which soldier would refuse an order from the Joint Chiefs of Staff?"

"I’m in a position that takes orders. It doesn’t seem like this is an issue that can be resolved by my personal judgment. Have you spoken with my direct superior?"

"Is this not enough?"

"Until we receive orders from my direct superior, we cannot move."

Ha Min-gi’s face flushed red, but he didn’t express his anger outwardly.

Instead, he subtly revealed his suppressed rage as he muttered in a low voice.

"...Fine. I’ll check."

As Ha Min-gi walked toward the trucks, his face still red, he shouted loudly into the radio. Meanwhile, Kim Min-ho, with an unaffected face, gave a slight smile at the soldiers inside the armored vehicle who were watching him.

This sharp contrast seemed to show me the reality of the "army that stayed behind in the National Assembly faction"—something I hadn’t deeply considered before.

When Song Yu-jin and I approached, Kim Min-ho casually spoke up with a nonchalant look on his face.

"There shouldn’t be a problem. They can’t touch us anyway."

The army, already divided into two factions, seemed to have split into even more factions within.

Or perhaps, it had broken into even more pieces than I knew.

The military division was suddenly patched up.

A drone appeared in the sky.

A large drone, so heavy it could resemble a small plane, hovered above us like an eagle searching for corpses.

*

"LCN-2044. A Chinese-made civil drone. It's slow and sluggish, but it's large and strong, typically used for long-range bombing or reconnaissance."

Kim Min-ho looked like the typical elite soldier.

He was sharp, cold-headed, and knowledgeable, without a doubt.

In contrast, Colonel Ha Min-gi appeared older than his rank suggested, and his unhealthy lifestyle was evident in his pale complexion and stooped posture.

He didn’t seem to know much about the situation either.

"Is this the work of the Legion faction?"

His voice was loud and clear.

"I haven’t seen any bids for military supplies in defense procurement recently, so I’m not sure. But all possibilities must be considered."

"Are you saying it might not be the Legion faction?"

"There are many elite marauders outside the metropolitan area. The Legion faction promised substantial rewards on broadcasts, so these could be marauders trying to claim those rewards, or it could be that the Legion faction disguised themselves as marauders to deceive others."

I silently watched Kim Min-ho, who spoke mechanically without emotion, as he poured out his analysis, then raised my hand.

He looked at me and slightly raised his chin.

"Is this problem related to Yang Sang-gil?"

Kim Min-ho nodded.

"I suppose it is."

"Then wouldn’t it be better to move Yang Sang-gil to a safer location?"

"Why do you think so?"

"With a medium-sized drone in the air, it’s a natural outcome to expect an attack."

"Why?"

"Why? If someone like Yang Sang-gil is captured and used for propaganda, it could shake public sentiment in Incheon."

Kim Min-ho smiled faintly.

"Thanks for your input."

Then he turned his gaze away.

"But the orders I’ve received from above are to keep Yang Sang-gil under protection here."

"With just a tent in this weather?"

Kim Min-ho glared at me sharply.

That was probably the first emotional expression he had shown.

I was satisfied with that, and chose not to respond further.

Instead, I left and began thinking about this situation from the beginning.

Why was Yang Sang-gil even here?

There were plenty of ways to make him suffer and pay for his sins within the city.

Why, then, was he given a radio?

Had I overlooked something during the search of his belongings?

It didn’t seem like it.

Kim Min-ho, who was so meticulous, didn’t seem to have any issues with it.

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Anyway, it was clear that Woo Min-hee was at the center of things, but the situation wasn’t easily simplified.

Much like the fragmented military, the truth seemed shattered into so many pieces that it was difficult to see its true form.

As I looked up at the stars gradually becoming visible in the darkening sky, I felt a presence behind me.

It was Yang Sang-gil.

Normally, I wouldn’t have allowed him to stand by my side, but the chaotic situation had given me more patience.

"It’s getting colder, isn’t it?"

Yang Sang-gil adjusted his parka and exhaled.

"Did you have trouble?"

He glanced toward the military men still deep in discussion.

"A drone appeared."

Yang Sang-gil sighed.

"Must be tough, huh? Because of someone like me."

He brought his hands together and blew into them, looking up at the sky with furrowed brows.

Strangely enough, as he looked at the sky, his face didn’t resemble a butcher who had sent millions to their deaths, but rather an ordinary man you might see anywhere.

"...I didn’t want to do such things either."

"...."

"I should’ve stopped back then. When people like me, from administrative backgrounds, were throwing off their uniforms, I should have done the same."

"Why didn’t you?"

"Well, it didn’t quite work out like that."

"Why?"

"Forgive me, but you don’t have a family, do you?"

I nodded.

Yang Sang-gil sighed again, blowing into his hands.

"...If I had taken off my uniform, my wife would no longer be able to get valet parking at the department store, and she wouldn’t be able to enter the lounge either. To maintain privileges, you have to spend at least two thousand at the department store every year, and that’s not possible anymore."

"Is that really the important issue?"

"Yes. It is. You wouldn’t understand. You wouldn’t know how big of a wound it is when someone who was always in the playground for the rich suddenly isn’t there anymore."

"I don’t understand."

"You might think it’s a luxury, but it’s surprisingly cheaper to buy good things at the department store than it is outside. Plus, that small luxury is the only comfort for my wife, who has worked hard for me and our children. I’m not asking for much. The top tier is five thousand, and above that, there’s even a tier above one hundred million. Two thousand isn’t a huge amount, right?"

"..."

"It’s not just my wife. My daughter, who nearly went through hell, went to study in the U.S. Even though she inherited some of her father’s wealth, it was still a struggle. If I had taken off my uniform, the obvious thing would’ve happened—she would’ve had to return. She would’ve had to sit in a cramped economy seat, surrounded by strangers, going back to Korea, leaving her friends behind, who she had laughed and joked with."

"..."

"My son... ha... I won’t say anything about him."

"What kind of person was he?"

"What kind? He just left nasty comments online and got called into the police."

"Aha."

Yang Sang-gil took out his phone.

It no longer worked as a communication device, but at least it served as a photo album.

His phone’s lock screen showed a family photo of the Yang Sang-gil family in a park.

A single drop of dew glistened on the wrinkles around his eyes.

"If I had taken off my uniform back then..."

Yang Sang-gil slumped his shoulders, holding his phone.

"...This family wouldn’t have stayed intact."

Suddenly, his face aged as he looked back at me.

"Is it Woo Min-hee, the commanding officer?"

In a world where the elderly are often disregarded, age is something that cannot be ignored.

The way he suddenly hit the mark seemed like he could see straight through me.

But his sudden strike didn’t provoke any reaction from me.

Not even the usual surprise.

It seemed like it had been his secret weapon.

When he didn’t get any reaction, his expression quickly broke down.

With his shoulders slumped, the man who had once stood at the highest position in South Korea now whined like a child.

"...Isn’t it because you’re friends with Kim Daram that you’re trying to throw me to that woman?"

"Really? But I don’t know Kim Daram that well, do I?"

"Did it seem like that?"

"Didn’t you say yourself that you don’t know her?"

Yang Sang-gil grinned.

"Why wouldn’t I know?"

For a moment, his face seemed to change completely.

From the simple neighbor uncle to the demon who carelessly cast aside the lives of hundreds of thousands.

"I’m the one who was constantly humiliated and pushed out of my place... "

The next day, multiple drones appeared in the sky.

A voice from an unfamiliar man echoed from one of the drones.

Their demands were simple.

"Send Yang Sang-gil and his family east."