Chapter 118: Oh Se-i's Changed Daily Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: Oh Se-i's Changed Daily Life
After being kicked out for fourteen days for throwing a massive "Cat Mom" stunt, Oh Se-i had returned and kept a low profile, causing no further trouble.
She was so quiet that people had practically forgotten she was even there.
Before moving to Seoul Forest, her duties had consisted of assisting with warehouse organization and helping out in the cafeteria.
Because of her actions, the unlimited food option previously provided to Level 3 Membership holders—specifically, the families of residents—had been revoked. Instead, meals at the cafeteria were now free, which left Oh Se-i feeling a lingering sense of guilt.
Although there wasn't anyone else in her position as a resident's family member yet, future newcomers would no longer be able to enjoy that privilege.
Well, she had done plenty of reflecting during her fourteen days on the outside.
At first, she had harbored a lot of resentment, wondering if what she did was really so wrong.
Those who have must share.
Why wouldn't the man practice noblesse oblige, a concept that had existed for centuries?
He had so much food that it was rotting in storage even after sales.
Granted, her poor judgment meant the food never actually reached the children, but was her intent really so wicked?
But living on the outside had opened her eyes.
She finally understood why the man had reacted the way he did.
And why her own parents hadn't taken her side.
In a zombie apocalypse, food was precious.
It was a world where food equated to currency and survival.
Someone else's food was even more sacred.
If you wanted a share of someone else's food, you had to pay a price.
Oh Se-i, having nothing to her name, had found herself in countless situations where she was expected to pay with her body.
She had dodged and fled those situations time and time again.
Though she had eventually been taken advantage of by a man along the way, she had at least received food and weapons in exchange.
The world operated on equivalent exchange.
Begging that preyed on pity and sympathy was nothing short of extortion.
Looking back, handing out food just to masturbate her own ego with "good deeds" was the most idiotic thing she could have done.
She had changed.
Oh Se-i was well aware of her own transformation.
But she viewed it as a natural evolution.
She had been raised gently, though her family hadn't been wealthy.
Still, they had never wanted for anything, and because she had been brought up to be honest and righteous, her previous mindset had been a natural product of her upbringing.
Now, she was simply adapting to a changed world.
She no longer felt pity for those who starved.
Or rather, she might feel a twinge of pity, but she no longer felt any urge to share what was hers.
She had already witnessed their hideous true colors on the outside.
Once she dispelled the illusion that the pitiful were inherently good, their true motives became glaringly obvious.
She used to perform good deeds for the sheer satisfaction of seeing them accept the food with expressions of profound gratitude.
But during her time outside, Oh Se-i had seen the faces they made the very instant they turned their backs.
It filled her with disillusionment.
And so, she would never do such a thing again.
Whose justice had she been fighting for anyway?
In Paradise, no one had praised her.
Why is she giving away food for free?
Instead, they had cursed her.
Regular membership members had to pay coins to join and pay more coins to buy food.
Yet Oh Se-i, simply because she was a resident's family member, was casually tossing away food—which others risked their lives hunting zombies all day to earn—to begging children.
She should give some to me, then.
I'm starving too.
She must have it too easy.
They pointed fingers and sneered.
Did the children who received the food even appreciate it?
No, they didn't.
Because the food would never actually end up in their mouths anyway.
To them, it was merely a chore they were forced to do to avoid the physical abuse they would face if they failed to meet their daily quota.
If she didn't give them anything, they would get annoyed or even curse at her.
Humans could not be trusted.
Oh Se-i had been punished and reformed in a highly constructive manner.
Of course, that didn't mean she was completely cured of her nature.
After the move to Seoul Forest, Oh Se-i's role was to manage the food inventory in the warehouse connected to the cafeteria and help out with the kitchen duties.
The main food warehouse was located deep within the residential district, which was strictly managed by Kim Ji-hee, and Oh Se-i didn't even have access to it.
She didn't harbor any lingering regrets about that.
No matter what work she was given, Oh Se-i had learned to be content.
When it was time for a break, she would head to the cafeteria to eat a meal prepared by her mother.
Once she had eaten her fill, she would return to work, keeping at it until it was time to clock out.
Seeing her work so diligently, some of the cafeteria patrons occasionally tried to flirt with her, but she made a habit of shutting them down with a cold, stern face.
After all, Kim Ji-hee was out of their league; rumors pegged her as the leader's woman, making her far too intimidating to approach. Besides, except for her occasional shifts at the hospital, Kim Ji-hee stayed inside the residential district, making her practically invisible. Oh Se-i, on the other hand, held a Level 3 Membership and was visible in the cafeteria every single day, making her seem like an easy target.
Back when she was a soldier, she had heard plenty of compliments about her pretty face.
After clocking out, brushing off the men who inevitably tried to tag along and going for a walk was her small, simple pleasure.
Seoul Forest was truly the perfect place for a stroll.
Walking along the outer wall surrounding the perimeter of Seoul Forest was nice, but since that area was open to all membership members, she preferred to head toward the currently vacant "Commercial District."
A vast, empty forest could be a bit eerie.
But knowing she was completely alone also gave her a sense of liberation, allowing her to relax and immerse herself in the nature around her.
And it was during one of these walks that she stumbled upon a small source of happiness.
Meow—
A cat.
Despite her notorious nickname of "Paradise's Cat Mom," an actual, real-life cat was living in the Commercial District.
With all the zombies cleared out, there shouldn't have been any living thing left here. How had it gotten in?
Then again, it might have slipped past the perimeter, or perhaps it was a stray that had been hiding here all along.
One thing was certain: it had been incredibly wary of her when they first crossed paths.
Oh Se-i had hesitated too.
The cat was so adorable that she wanted to feed it, but the memory of her recent ordeal gave her pause. After all, hadn't all her troubles started because she let her pity for "pitiful things" get the better of her?
She was torn, but the cat was just too cute to ignore.
Its scrawny, shivering little body practically begged for protection.
After agonizing over it, Oh Se-i had gone to see the man.
When she confessed the truth, the man had simply shrugged.
"I told you, there's nothing wrong with being a cat mom. There's a cat there? If you want to feed it, go ahead. Take it home and raise it if you want. Whether you run a charity, make donations, or masturbate your ego with good deeds, I don't care as long as you're doing it with your own resources."
It was a relief.
Starting the very next day, Oh Se-i packed some cat treats and cans of tuna before heading out on her walk.
Naturally, she bought them with her own coins.
Since her meals were fully covered by her Level 3 Membership benefits, she didn't receive a formal wage. However, Lee Mi-sook gave her a small allowance of coins every day for helping out in the cafeteria, and by saving those up, she had more than enough to afford the cat food.
Besides, she already had a decent stockpile of food at home.
Whenever she earned coins, she would buy a few food items and hoard them.
It was a habit born from the sheer starvation she had experienced during her exile.
Only when she had a surplus of food could she find peace of mind.
She had no intention of actually eating through her stockpile, but buying food and spending her leftover coins on treats for the cat had become a comforting little hobby.
Meow—
"Look at you eat."
The once-wary cat now ran up to rub against her legs the moment she appeared.
She had briefly considered taking it home as the leader suggested, but she wasn't quite ready to take that step yet.
Keep things in moderation.
The cat had its own life to live.
Its once-skeletal frame had filled out a bit after a few days of regular meals, and that was enough for her.
She didn't want to become a true "Cat Mom" again.
Coexisting with a cat she happened to meet on her walks—
—that was the boundary she drew for herself.
Or so she had intended.
But one day, the cat started following her.
She tried to lose it, and she tried slipping away while it wasn't looking.
In the end, Oh Se-i was chosen by the cat.
There was no fighting it.
"...So, would it be alright if I kept a cat?"
She sought out the man once more.
The man chuckled.
"So you're walking the path of a Cat Mom after all. Well, feeding a cute cat is a hell of a lot better than feeding those little brats. Wait, actually, if you take it in, you're not even a Cat Mom anymore, are you? Oh Se-i, look at how much you've grown. Why don't you just leave some food in front of my place so you can at least keep the Cat Mom concept going?"
"..."
She took that as a yes.
Oh Yoon-seop and Lee Mi-sook welcomed the new addition warmly as well.
"Oh, my. How adorable."
"Let us know if you need anything for it."
Whether it was naturally fond of water or just incredibly attached to her, the cat she brought home was exceptionally gentle.
She gave its dirty coat a thorough wash and even managed to get a warm cat bed.
But the most important thing was vaccinations.
She needed to find a veterinarian, but unfortunately, there wasn't a single vet among the doctors from Hanyang University Hospital.
Left with no other choice, she went to see Kim Ji-hee.
"...I can pay you in coins..."
Kim Ji-hee's face lit up the moment she saw the cat, and she immediately scooped it up into her arms.
"Oh my gosh, it's so cute! I'm so jealous, Unni. Don't worry about the coins. But can I come over to visit him sometimes?"
"Yes, of course."
There was nothing a healing skill couldn't fix.
While it couldn't act as a vaccine, she had Kim Ji-hee cast a healing skill on the cat just in case it was harboring any underlying illnesses.
There was only one thing left to do.
"What's his name?"
"..."
She pondered for a moment before deciding.
"Cheese."
"..."
A new companion had entered Oh Se-i's quiet, transformed life.
From Cat Mom to Butler.
Her title had been updated.