Magic on the Dead Chapter 23

Sweat trickled down Yongsu Kim’s face, betraying his nervousness. His flustered demeanor tugged at a corner of Hajin’s heart. The old man’s frail condition suggested he struggled to venture out for supplies.

Hajin thought of the single chocolate bar left in the room, torn by indecision. The old man looked starving, so maybe giving him half wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Chunbum Park had brought back ripe bananas today, so dinner was covered.

Hajin was lost in his internal debate when—

“We don’t have anything like that.”

Eden’s cold voice cut through as he grabbed Hajin’s arm. Startled, Hajin was pulled up the stairs by Eden’s grip. The old man shuffled toward the wall, looking at Hajin and Eden with pitiful eyes as they ascended.

Stopping midway between the first and second floors, Hajin halted. He couldn’t just pass by the old man like this.

“Um, Mr. Jung Taegeon.”

As if expecting it, Eden released Hajin’s arm in one swift motion.

Rubbing his tingling forearm, Hajin looked up to meet Eden’s icy expression. There was an unspoken pressure, as if Eden was testing what choice he’d make.

It’s my food, so why should I care about this guy’s opinion…? Irritated, Hajin puffed out his chest.

“The supplies are under my control. You’re receiving my help, Mr. Jung Taegeon, so is there really a need to be so stingy?”

“…”

“Well, if we’re going to travel together moving forward, I’ll at least consider your opinion.”

Even in the heat of the moment, Hajin didn’t miss a chance to make his case. Eden narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips as if to say, “Trying to set conditions now?”

Eden leaned down, bringing his face close to Hajin’s ear. Startled by the sudden proximity, Hajin stepped back, but Eden, unfazed, spoke softly.

“You know we only have one chocolate bar left, right?”

His whisper was low enough that the old man couldn’t hear. Hajin shrank back as Eden’s breath tickled his earlobe and neck. Trying to hide his embarrassment, Hajin whispered back.

“We have bananas today, don’t we?”

Eden froze for a moment, then clicked his tongue and straightened up. Seeing Eden’s stern face, Hajin felt a wave of dizziness.

‘Too kind and selfless.’

Eden’s reason for rejecting him flashed through his mind again.

Damn it… I think I just lost points.

The old man, oblivious to their tense exchange, waved his hands.

“Don’t fight, you two. If it’s too much trouble, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have asked…”

Eden left Hajin behind and climbed the second-floor stairs. Watching his back, Hajin reached out to the old man.

“If it’s alright, would you like to come up with us?”

Supporting the old man’s arm, Hajin climbed the rest of the stairs. In the hallway, Eden was waiting, leaning against the wall with a hammer securing the door to room 202. Seeing Hajin bring the old man into the hallway, Eden sighed and turned away.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Leaving the old man at the door, Hajin entered the room with an awkward expression. Was it really wise to give their last chocolate bar to a complete stranger when they had so many mouths to feed? Even Hajin wasn’t free of doubts.

But he couldn’t ignore an elderly person who looked on the verge of tears. If it were a strong, able-bodied man, maybe, but he couldn’t abandon someone who needed society’s protection.

Hajin let out a heavy sigh. To think a single chocolate bar could be a matter of life and death. The absurdity of his situation felt overwhelming once again.

“Hajin, chocolate, why?”

Jeffrey, sitting on the sofa, asked as Hajin pulled the chocolate bar from the bag. Chunbum Park glanced warily at the old man beyond the door.

“Mr. Hajin? What’s going on? Where’d you meet that old man?”

“He’s staying long-term here and we met on the first floor. He said he needs chocolate, so I’m going to give him just a piece since I can’t give him the whole thing. I hope you all understand.”

Quickly explaining, Hajin stepped out past the shoe rack with the chocolate bar in its yellow wrapper. Eden, who Hajin thought had stayed in the room, was already outside, facing the old man.

Standing in front of the old man, Hajin grabbed the end of the chocolate bar’s wrapper and tore it open.

“Um, mister. I can’t give you the whole thing, just half—”

Before he could finish, the old man’s hand shot out and snatched the chocolate bar. Hajin’s eyes widened in panic as he tried to break off half.

“W-Wait, if you take the whole thing—”

Before he could finish, the old man, clutching the wrapper tightly, shuffled toward the stairs.

“No way…”

It was a speed Hajin could easily catch up to, but stunned by the unexpected turn of events, he only blinked. The heat of the day, combined with his shock, made his face flush.

Eden, watching the scene, let out a dry laugh and went back into the room.

“Mister! I didn’t mean to give you the whole thing!”

Snapping out of it, Hajin chased the old man to the third floor. He saw him standing in front of room 305, frantically turning the key. Hajin rushed forward and barely caught the door before it closed.

“Haa, no matter how urgent, you can’t just take it like that…!”

Hajin, standing at the shoe rack, was about to snap when—

“Chew slowly, okay?”

A gentle, pleading voice came from inside. Stepping out of his shoes and entering the room, Hajin saw an elderly woman lying on a single bed, with the old man kneeling beside her.

So, his talk of staying long-term with his wife was true. The room was filled with household items, like a real home. The old woman chewed on the chocolate the old man handed her, her pale face with eyes tightly shut.

A few minutes passed. Slowly opening her eyelids, she smiled at Hajin, who stood there awkwardly.

“Thank you. I feel much better now. I had a sudden hypoglycemic shock, my vision got blurry, and I was having spasms.”

Oh. Realizing the situation, Hajin scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. The old man’s anxious behavior was simply because his wife was ill.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re okay.”

The old man, kneeling beside her, let out an “Oh dear” and stood up.

“I was in such a rush I didn’t even thank you. Thank you.”

He handed the now-melted, sticky chocolate bar back to Hajin. It seemed only a tiny bit had been eaten, leaving most of it intact. After a moment’s hesitation, Hajin shook his head and placed the chocolate back in their hands.

“It’s not much, but keep it for when you need it.”

He then looked around the room. An electric rice cooker, kettle, microwave, and more. Where a nightstand should have been, cooking utensils were gathered. Beside the sofa were a sack of rice and worn boxes that seemed to contain food.

Hajin’s eyes widened at the sight of the rice. They were staying long-term and even cooking meals here. But it was odd they had no candy or chocolate. Noticing Hajin’s gaze, the old man explained.

“We ran out of candy and were about to go buy some when this chaos started. We have enough rice, but without something sweet, my wife’s been struggling these past few days.”

“I see. That must’ve been tough.”

The aloe and tangerine juices in the motel storage had been snatched up by others, leaving none behind. The old man hadn’t managed to grab any in the chaos.

“Um, young fella.”

The old man patted Hajin’s shoulder and continued.

“You probably haven’t had a proper meal in a while. Would you let us treat you to dinner?”

He explained that despite knocking on other doors and pleading, he’d only been turned away, with no one offering candy or chocolate. Hajin was the only one who’d shared food without conditions, and the old man seemed eager to repay the kindness.

“I’d be grateful. But it’s not just me. There are five adults and one child.”

“A child?”

The old woman, struggling to sit up, joined the conversation.

“If there’s a kid, you should bring them right away. We’ll prepare some food, so don’t worry about the number and bring everyone.”

Was this what it felt like to find an oasis in a parched desert? Though he didn’t show it, the group hadn’t had a proper meal in five days, leaving them all gaunt. They’d been surviving on high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks, and the supplies Eden scouted were closer to snacks than meals.

“Thank you. Really, thank you.”

Hajin rushed down to the second floor to share the good news. The three men in the room were planning a detailed timeline for heading to the repair shop. Hajin approached them, his face flushed with excitement.

Eden glanced at the approaching Hajin and gave a short laugh.

“Did you get your stolen chocolate back?”

The blatant mockery was impossible to miss. But Hajin scoffed and got to the point.

“No. Instead of chocolate, I got us kimchi stew.”

The unexpected mention of kimchi stew brought puzzled looks to the three men’s faces.