Episode 9
What kind of expression did Sa Jaeheon have when he left earlier?
He’s so numb it’s hard to tell. Wasn’t he just expressionless?
“Dad… Mom…”
The moment Lee Hoin’s voice was heard again, I quickly cut off his thoughts.
Trembling hands covered his entire face, and soon his body began to shake.
“Lee Hoin.”
After telling him he didn’t have to speak if it was hard, I waited until his emotions slightly settled.
I needed time to organize his thoughts, too.
‘If it’s the current Lee Hoin…’
His [Trauma] trait probably hasn’t reached a severe level yet.
Sa Jaeheon knew that too.
‘But since it’s practically impossible to obtain mental recovery items early on, he gave up.’
In other words, it wasn’t because Lee Hoin lacked ability.
‘Lack of supplies… and lack of capability…’
A sudden flash of realization passed through my mind.
I didn’t need mental recovery items. I had a skill.
The one thing I could surpass Sa Jaeheon in… was mentally related skills.
‘…I can help with Lee Hoin’s trait.’
Looking at Lee Hoin, whose hands were still trembling… My eyes shifted.
“…I don’t have anywhere to go either. I’m an orphan. So I’m planning to try something.”
I spoke slowly, in a low voice.
“To turn all of this back. I want to go to university too. That’s been my only goal. Of course… it might not carry the same weight as yours.”
Lee Hoin lifted his head.
Those gloomy eyes looked at me.
Maybe we could share what each needed to reach a common goal.
Lee Hoin needed emotional support.
He needed physical protection.
So…
“Come with me. Let’s turn everything back… and have the graduation ceremony again. One where none of this ever happened.”
You return to your parents.
And I… return to reality.
I swallowed the rest but kept looking at Lee Hoin.
Finally, with about 10 seconds left…
“……”
Lee Hoin nodded.
The space darkened again along with the system window.
—
[Client “Lee Hoin” has been recorded in the “Counseling Log.”]
[There is currently 1 client recorded.]
[Counseling completed successfully. Client “Lee Hoin”’s mentality has changed.]
[Mental Strength 4 → 5]
—
‘That was dangerously close to cracking my skull open.’
I didn’t know the exact maximum value, but still…
‘He held on pretty well.’
Considering how low his mental state had been until now.
Back in the convenience store, I stared at the ceiling briefly and said,
“Sleep well, Lee Hoin.”
“…Yeah.”
In a space filled with nothing but white noise, I quietly closed my eyes.
Even if sleep wouldn’t come, I had to rest.
***
“Shin Giyeon, wake up.”
“…Mm…”
After waking her, still half-asleep from exhaustion, I looked outside.
Cold winter dawn air seeped through the torn rubber seal of the convenience store door.
That distinct early morning scent as well.
‘It was especially noisy earlier…’
There had been sounds of someone pulling on the door several times.
People who escaped from the school must have come here, found it locked, and run elsewhere.
Locking it had definitely been the right choice.
“Let’s eat and head out separately.”
“…Okay…”
Those with places to go would go.
Those without would figure it out.
This would probably be the last time they saw each other.
Perhaps aware of that, Shin Giyeon spoke while eating.
“Um… should we exchange numbers? Let’s make a group chat. Since we’re splitting up anyway, we can share information.”
“Yes! I’m in!”
Kim Woohyun nodded immediately.
The others silently took out their phones.
—
[Shin, Hoin, Woohyun (4)]
—
The first message left in the chat:
—
Shin, Hoin, Woohyun (4)
Hello! (Just now)
—
It was Kim Woohyun’s cheerful greeting.
After eating, Shin Giyeon and Kim Woohyun left first.
“Let’s meet again!”
We went our separate ways.
Now, only Lee Hoin and I remained.
While stuffing food into a bag, Lee Hoin approached hesitantly.
“Are we really going together?”
“Yeah.”
I replied while shoving medicine into his bag.
‘Even if you said no, I wouldn’t let you go.”
***
The early morning streets were quiet.
Aside from the smell of blood, it looked no different from a few days ago.
That was the problem.
It made people careless.
Without the obvious signs of unreality, it was easy to relax.
And then… reality struck again.
Shattered glass.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Corpses scattered around.
Crumpled cars from countless collisions.
“You said pharmacy, right?”
“Yeah. But if we can’t get in, we’ll go somewhere else. I’m thinking of heading toward Jamsil. There’s a shelter operating there.”
“Jamsil shelter?”
“Military-controlled.”
Lee Hoin nodded.
I had no intention of going to a shelter.
The joint event I planned to attend would open at Jamsil Olympic Park.
This was just an excuse.
‘There aren’t many shelters with military presence anyway.’
Civilian shelters rarely ended well.
Some collapsed from internal conflict.
Some from incompetence.
Some from being too competent and attracting enemies.
Maybe good for early recovery… but never for long-term survival.
Among them, the only survivable groups were the following:
‘Muryang Church… and Chunmong.’
But both had serious problems.
Muryang was basically a cult.
Chunmong valued ability above all, even promoting immoral people if they were strong.
Muryang produced fanatic believers.
Chunmong produced superior lunatics.
‘Right now, none of those groups exist yet…’
So it’s better to move around now.
As I was thinking, Lee Hoin walked beside me, gripping a metal pipe and staying alert.
“Hey, look.”
At the first intersection, the first pharmacy that we saw…
‘A pharmacist’s coat…’
A mutant wearing a pharmacist’s coat wandered inside.
The next pharmacy had already been looted.
I grabbed what little remained: fatigue recovery drinks.
After handing one to Lee Hoin, we moved on.
Finally… an untouched pharmacy.
—
[How fortunate!]
—
As we gathered supplies, Lee Hoin grabbed my arm tightly.
“Someone’s coming.”
“…What do we do?”
I pulled Lee Hoin behind the counter.
Footsteps approached and stopped right outside.
‘…Maybe we should’ve left?’
The door opened.
Ding.
Armed people entered, striking objects around cautiously.
“…Looks empty, right?”
After a while…
“No.”
Someone answered.
“There is.”
…Shit. Sharp instincts.
As they approached… I took a breath.
Then stood up with both hands raised.
‘Click.’
The sound of a weapon being cocked.
A brief standoff.
Then…
“…High schoolers?”
“That uniform… Seonggwang High, right?”
Lee Hoin stood up beside me.
I tried to speak calmly.
“We came for medicine. I’m injured.”
I showed him my wound.
I acted submissively for one reason… We were outnumbered, and the exit was blocked.
Five adults.
One stood out, a police officer holding a gun.
Late 20s at most.
‘Probably a named character…’
Didn’t know the name.
Didn’t matter.
Escape first.
“We’ll leave.”
As they gathered their things… the officer spoke.
“Would you like to come with us?”
“…What?”
“There’s a doctor at our shelter.”
—
[Chapter 3, Shelter ▼]
You’ve been invited to a shelter.
Hmm… what should you do?
In the ‘original story’, shelters were the root of all evil…
[〉 Go to the shelter.]
[〉 Refuse.]
—
Root of all evil…
That’s what shelters were.
He had planned to avoid them entirely, but to run into one this soon…
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