Magic on the Dead Chapter 20

He really was a man born to leave you speechless. Hajin nodded his head reluctantly.

“If the counseling session is over, get some sleep now.”

After saying that, Eden moved over to the nightstand. Hajin, who had been staring at him blankly, staggered to his feet and lay down on the single bed. Surprisingly, drowsiness washed over him almost immediately.

Even in his sleep, Hajin replayed his conversation with Eden. The brazen face that had ignored his and Miso’s strengths and changed the subject by throwing out a sexual joke…

‘It’s one of the rules of the unit I was once a part of. It means that excessive haste causes waste. Whatever you do, make your decisions carefully.’

Was it on purpose? Judging by the timing, it was as if Eden had once again rejected his proposal to travel together and slipped away like an eel.

‘The more I think about it, the more strangely slick he is…’

He turned over and subtly glanced at Eden, who was sitting on the sofa next to the double bed. He had his head tilted back toward the ceiling, his eyes closed.

Hajin’s eyelids, which had been blankly stealing glances at Eden’s side profile, soon sank down into darkness.

🃏

【You didn’t sleep?】

【I got a little shut-eye.】

It was literally just a little shut-eye. Eden replied nonchalantly to Jeffry’s question while doing bodyweight exercises next to the nightstand. He exhaled with a one-handed push-up and then glanced at Jeffry, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking his hair.

“Hwaaaaam—!”

Jeffry let out a long yawn, his hair a total bird’s nest. When their eyes met, Jeffry’s peaceful expression suddenly darkened. It seemed the awareness of their space had dawned on him late.

Thump, thump! The sound of stomping feet and shouting came from somewhere. The people staying here were generally careless. The sound of voices was also incessant, as if they were interacting with each other.

【Fuck… a situation I couldn’t have even imagined when I came to Korea.】

Jeffry muttered and rubbed his dry face. Eden, having finished his last set of five, stood up and drank from a half-empty bottle of water. After quenching his thirst with just two sips, he put the water bottle back in the mini-fridge.

【Eden.】

【Yeah.】

【Why did you do that on the hospital rooftop? You’re not some guy who can’t grasp the situation, so why did you try to grab onto the departing helicopter? You almost died.】

Jeffry poured out his grievances as if the mere thought of it was absurd.

【Fuck, I just woke up from a dream where you fucking died, that’s how terrifying it was.】

【You’re exaggerating.】

【It’s true, you bastard.】

Jeffry hardened his gentle-looking eyes as if demanding an explanation. Eden replied as he approached the curtained window.

【I don’t know. For some reason, I felt like that helicopter was the last one.】

【The last what?】

【Chance to escape. Just a gut feeling.】

【You’re scaring the shit out of me, seriously…】

Jeffry tore at his fluffy brown hair in despair.

Eden’s face was serious as he peeked outside the window by slightly parting the curtain.

The sun in late May was quite long. It was a little before 8 PM, but the surroundings were bright enough to identify objects. Other than the zombies roaming the road with their stooped gaits, there was no sign of any people.

Theoretically, it was entirely possible for South Korea, with its high population density relative to its area, to be devastated by a virus within 24 hours. Those who were going to die would have already become zombies, and the living would be staying in safe places, monitoring the situation. It was obvious that few people would be out looking for food so soon after the incident broke out.

【So what’s the plan now?】

Eden, having drawn the road-facing curtain, turned around and answered.

【What do you mean, what’s the plan. As soon as it’s light, we’ll look around the nearby commercial areas and make a preemptive strike.】

【No, that’s not what I mean. What are we going to do about our next destination? The situation room probably thinks we’re dead. Since we failed the escape operation, they have no choice but to think that. Haa…】

Jeffry lamented, rolling his dead phone in his hand. Eden shook his head.

【They wouldn’t have given up. I told them to keep an eye on the channels coming in from Korea even if we couldn’t get on the transport plane.】

【Well, it’s absurd for them to just abandon talent like us. Hoo. How much longer do we have to hold out here? Do you think the virus will be contained?】

Eden leaned his back against the curtain and stood with his legs crossed. He folded his arms and lifted his chin as if lost in thought.

He could tell just by listening to the announcements flowing from the idiot box. There was no safe place anywhere in the Republic of Korea right now. If there were, they would have imposed travel restrictions on the virus outbreak areas or guided the survivors to ports or airports.

【We’ll wait a week, and if it still seems hopeless, we’ll have to leave immediately. The weather’s getting hotter, so we can’t delay any longer.】

Jeffry nodded his head quickly as if he had the same thought. He asked about their next destination.

【Do we really have to go all the way to the research institute? Is there no other way to contact Hugo? Ah, I’m a little worried.】

【There’s a way to get out before that.】

【Huh?】

Jeffry scratched his nose as if to ask what he meant. Eden turned his gaze and looked at Hajin, who was fast asleep. His eyelashes weren’t even fluttering, and his chest rose and fell at a steady pace. After confirming Hajin’s deep sleep, he turned his head back to Jeffry.

【We’re going to the maintenance depot.】

Eden whispered as if telling a secret. Jeffry’s face, which had been blinking blankly for a while, suddenly flushed with color.

【…You mean we’re getting out ourselves?】

【Yeah. The jets and helicopters there are dismantled anyway, so no one would have been able to touch them.】

Jeffry’s mouth fell wide open with his characteristic exaggerated expression.

【Crazy! Why didn’t I think of that? Eden, you bastard, you’re a genius, I’m telling you!】

He kept exclaiming, “Yeah, that’s right. There was that way.” The maintenance depot was also the decisive reason Eden and Jeffry had come to Korea.

The aircraft of ‘Blueworx’, which produced the world’s most powerful jets and helicopters, were particularly popular products in Asia.

South Korea was also striving to strengthen its national defense by purchasing Blueworx products, but the problem was the lack of a maintenance depot and technicians in the country who could maintain and dismantle the imported products.

Basic repairs could be handled by the Air Force itself, but after about seven years, a comprehensive inspection of the products had to be carried out at a high intensity. For the sake of safety, a maintenance depot with Blueworx’s technical capabilities was a necessity, not an option.

Eventually, after long negotiations between Blueworx and the Ministry of National Defense, a new maintenance depot was established in Korea. There were only two conditions.

First, all related costs for construction would be borne by the Republic of Korea. Second, the new radio technology of the K-defense company ‘Jinhwa Tech’ would be shared with Blueworx.

The official name of the new radio technology was ‘Tune’. Tune was a revolutionary technology that could transmit signals to the other side of the globe, completely breaking away from the existing radio system, which was limited by line of sight.

As it happened, Eden, whose home country was the Republic of Korea, unusually formed a TF team, and just before the maintenance depot was completed, he brought Jeffry with him to Korea. Deputy Park Chunbeom was an executive assistant dispatched from Jinhwa Tech and a guide who would lead Eden to the Yong-un Research Institute where ‘Tune’ was located.

In hindsight, the real purpose of Eden’s visit to Korea was not the maintenance depot, but ‘Tune’.

Jeffry, who had glanced at the sleeping Park Chunbeom, whispered quietly.

【Is Tune going to the maintenance depot too?】

Jeffry liked to call Deputy Park Chunbeom by the name of the new technology, ‘Tune’, instead of his name.

【He’ll probably split off before that. He said his family is near Yong-un.】

【Right… I hope the transport planes are still there.】

【Even if our engineers fled on them, a few would have been left behind.】

The last time Jeffry and Eden visited the maintenance depot was the afternoon before the magic show, the day before yesterday. At the maintenance depot, a total of three stealth jets had just been dismantled for inspection, and several transport helicopters were also there.

The only ones who could escape by flying the stealth jets or helicopters from the maintenance depot were the ‘Blueworx’ engineers. Jeffry, a pilot, and Eden, a former program engineer, could assemble the dismantled aircraft and leave Korea at any time. If there was an aircraft carrier in the nearby sea, it was a gamble that couldn’t be safer.

Life began to return to Jeffry’s eyes, which had been hollow from sleep. Around that time, Tune, no, Park Chunbeom also began to slowly wake up from his sleep. Hajin was still passed out as if dead.

【By the way, what did you decide to do with Mr. Do Hajin? We’re going together, right?】

Jeffry asked in a much brighter voice than before, and Eden shook his head.

【I’ll think about it.】

【What?!】

Shocked by the unexpected answer, Jeffry lowered his voice again, glancing at the sleeping Hajin.

【What do you mean you’ll think about it? Is there another problem?】

【Not that. I mean, literally, I’m going to think about it.】

【But why… I mean, they’re the people who saved our lives. The maintenance depot is in Yong-un anyway, so it won’t be a problem if we go together.】

Jeffry fidgeted on the bed as if he were about to jump up.

【Eden, don’t tell me it’s because of Leo. Are you still… because of that bastard, letting people in…】

At that moment, a cool light passed over Eden’s face.

【Watch your mouth.】

Eden, who had shot Jeffry a fierce glance, cast his gaze on Hajin’s suitcase, which was open next to the nightstand. The neatly folded clothes and ten decks of cards, arranged with an almost obsessive compulsion, were gathered together.

From a gold-foiled deck that looked like cigarettes to a round moon, a clown picture, and a deep green case that smelled of unripe fruit… even someone who didn’t know much about magic could tell it was an unusual custom deck.

‘Mr. Jung Taegeon, you can count and check for yourself. Dust off your palm first so the cards don’t get dirty.’

A person who was crazy about something strange was also likely to bet their life on something strange. For a moment, an image of Do Hajin being bitten and killed by a zombie while clumsily fiddling with his hands flashed through his mind.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a faint knocking sound came from beyond the door. Park Chunbeom, who was rubbing his eyes, Jeffry, who was furrowing his brow in confusion, and Eden, who was leaning against the wall lost in thought, all turned their heads toward the door at the same time.