Magic on the Dead Chapter 25

From the bed next door, onlookers who had been secretly observing the situation let out whistles. This time, it wasn’t just two but four of them. Jeffrey, Park Chunbeom, Miso, and Byul sat side by side, stifling their giggles.

“Oh, where’s the popcorn? This is too entertaining.”

As Miso teased, Hajin, sprawled out on the bed as if thrown there, shot her a glare.

“Yoon Miso. Why don’t you try making your own appeal?”

“I’m not desperate at all, though?”

Miso stuck out her tongue as if to say, what’s the problem?

Yeah, yeah, your physique’s impressive, huh. Hajin thumped the back of his head against the pillow a few times. With a heavy sigh—poof—he sat up on the bed with a determined expression.

Just then, Eden emerged from the bathroom. The moment their eyes met, he swiftly turned and headed to the next room. Hajin hurriedly followed him, worried the door might close.

Watching this, Park Chunbeom, fidgeting with his glasses, asked Byul, “Byul, don’t you want to go with them too?”

“Yes!”

“Hehe. Do you like unnie that much?”

Miso chimed in, pinching Byul’s chubby cheeks, and Byul hesitated before continuing, “Actually, I’m going to marry Hajin, the magician ahjussi, so of course I have to go with them.”

At Byul’s unexpected declaration, Jeffrey, Park Chunbeom, and Miso, sitting side by side on the bed, gaped in surprise. Marriage? Speechless, the three exchanged glances in the air before bursting into silent laughter.

While the group chattered noisily, Hajin quietly closed the door. Click.

At the sound of the door shutting, Eden, seated on the bed, turned his head. What now? Spotting Hajin, Eden’s furrowed brow seemed to ask the question.

Hajin strode over in one step and abruptly pulled the blanket over Eden’s shoulders.

“I’ll keep watch. Sleep well.”

Eden was surprisingly docile. His resolute face showed a clear determination not to react to frivolous flirting anymore.

“I’m fine.”

Propping himself up with his arms, he leaned back and stared at the blank, dark TV screen.

Was he really planning to stop talking altogether now? Feeling an unwarranted pang of disappointment, Hajin pouted and plopped down beside him.

“I know flirting won’t work anymore, so I’ll stop. But let me make one final appeal.”

Eden turned to look at Hajin’s reflection on the TV screen, prompted by the unusually serious tone. His expression was determined yet anxious, with no trace of the playful mischief he’d shown before.

“First of all, I’m not as kind as Jung Taegeon thinks I am.”

Eden’s eyes flickered with confusion at the sudden humility. Hajin’s head drooped.

“The truth is, saving Jung Taegeon and trying to give a chocolate bar to a complete stranger—it was all for myself, not for anyone else.”

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Hajin looked like a rookie salesperson giving a presentation to an important client. Eden stared at Hajin’s bowed head on the TV screen and asked, “For yourself, not others? What does that mean?”

“You might not understand, but it’s just that I can’t stand leaving things unresolved because of my personality. Saving Jung Taegeon was purely for my own peace of mind. I didn’t want those moments of turning away to haunt me later.”

Eden shifted his gaze from the blank TV screen to Hajin sitting beside him.

“And if I were truly kind, when Jung Taegeon refused to let me join, I would’ve just shut up to avoid being a burden. But I can’t do that. I desperately want to survive, and I have a younger sibling to save. Honestly, even if you said no, I was going to follow you anyway.”

Hajin, who had poured out his words without pausing for breath, slowly lifted his bowed head. Expecting Eden to be frowning in annoyance, he was surprised to see an oddly intriguing expression instead.

Catching his breath, Hajin added, “You said you needed someone who could kill zombies with their bare hands. I might not be there yet, but I think I could manage with a hammer. I can do it if I try. Jung Taegeon, you weren’t born swinging an axe either, right?”

Was this not the right approach? The more he spoke, the more tangled his words felt.

“No, I mean, the point is, I fully understand that in a world like this, you have to be rational and selfish to survive, and I’m capable of acting that way when needed. Of course, sometimes people do save others too…”

“Is your appeal done?”

“No.”

Taking a deep breath, Hajin looked straight into Eden’s deep, inky eyes.

“Jung Taegeon, you need someone like me. Someone who can show you that there’s not just one right answer but other options too. And I need the same. Please, seriously consider letting me come with you.”

Eden looked up, following Hajin as he stood. The rookie salesperson who’d finished his pitch looked relieved.

It was pure impulse that made Eden stop Hajin as he reached for the door.

“Do Hajin.”

Just hearing his name made Do Hajin’s back flinch. He turned to face Eden, visibly tense.

“Even if those choices were for your own peace of mind, I sincerely appreciate everything you’ve done. But joining me is a different matter, so I trust you’ll understand whatever decision I make. I’ll give you my answer by tomorrow. And…”

“…”

“I understand what you mean, but by that standard, Do Hajin, you’re definitely kind.”

Eden nodded as if to say, you can go now. Hajin scratched his ear, feeling his neck flush with warmth. Hesitating, he gave a small bow before opening the door.

Left alone, Eden listened to the lively chatter spilling over from the next room.

“How’d it go? Did you settle it?”

“No, he said he’d think it over and let me know…”

[Argh! Eden, that insignificant jerk, acting all high and mighty. Should we just ditch him?]

“Samchon doesn’t want to go?”

“No, he didn’t say he didn’t want to. He just said he’d think about it. Don’t worry too much…”

“I wanna go with Hajin samchon!”

“Hahaha.”

“By the way, is it okay to go to the third floor for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Wasn’t it for lunch? Or am I wrong?”

“My stomach hurts.”

“Hungry?”

“Yeah, hungry.”

In no time, the four voices blended together like a harmonious chorus.

Leaving the warm atmosphere behind, Eden leaned against the headboard, lost in thought. He’d expected Do Hajin to childishly pester him with something like a chocolate bar, but instead, Hajin had appealed to him logically and calmly.

“You need someone like me. Someone who can show you that there’s not just one right answer but other options too.”

There was no room to argue with Do Hajin’s words. After all, it was his selflessness that had saved Eden’s life, and his refusal to ignore the elderly had secured them extra calories.

Moreover, the idea that sometimes people save others struck a deep chord. Those bold eyes staring straight at him despite his nervousness…

Swallowing a sigh that rose from deep within, Eden quietly closed his eyes.

🃏

Hajin, who’d been tossing and turning all night from restless dreams, groggily opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. In one corner of the double bed, Jeffrey was snoring loudly. Hajin, staring blankly at Jeffrey’s curly brown hair, turned to the side.

The single bed right beside was empty. What? He scanned the room, but only Park Chunbeom was sprawled out on the floor, snoring.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Hajin got up and crossed to the open door of the next room. On the bed, Miso and the child were sleeping, wrapped in each other’s arms. Eden was nowhere to be seen.

After a moment’s hesitation, Hajin carefully shook Park Chunbeom awake.

“Chunbeom, Chunbeom, wake up.”

“Ugh…”

“Toon!”

Calling him by the nickname Jeffrey used, Park Chunbeom’s eyes finally shot open.

“Huh… what?”

“Sorry for waking you. Have you seen Jung Taegeon?”

Park Chunbeom blinked for a while, dazed, before slowly sitting up.

“Oh… the boss is probably, ahem, if you don’t see him, he’s likely on the rooftop.”

“The rooftop?”

“He sometimes goes up at dawn. To check on the zombies… yawn—oh, sorry, that yawn. Anyway, to keep an eye on the zombies.”

Since Hajin rarely woke at dawn except on watch duty, he had no idea Eden went up to the rooftop. Nodding, he patted Park Chunbeom’s shoulder apologetically.

“Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“Yawn. But Hajin, you didn’t just call me Toon, did you?”

“Don’t start picking up Jeffrey’s habits,” Park Chunbeom grumbled as if scolding, before lying back down.

Confirming he’d fallen back asleep, Hajin straightened up. The hammer was gone from the shoe rack, suggesting Eden had taken it. After a moment’s thought, Hajin picked up Miso’s pliers.