A Brief Rest (2)
It was past 2 p.m.
I'm so sleepy I could die.
The sky was clear. The weather was nice too, even if the sunlight was unusually hot.
Not bad for 2 p.m.
But it'll only get hotter from here... How the hell are we supposed to survive that?
Though that's still a ways off.
A month had passed, but there'd been no real progress.
I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair.
Snip. Snip.
Something was being cut.
"How's it look?"
"...Looks good."
A man's and a woman's voices followed. Young voices—twenties, a guy and a girl.
"Right?"
"You've got real skill."
"Flattery won't get you anything."
"Hm. You can summon rice, though."
"...We in North Korea or something?"
From classroom 201, I watched Jeong Yena cut Joo Seonghyeon's hair while he turned this way and that in front of the mirror, yawning.
"Is that so? Well, still, your skills aren't a lie. Man, better than that salon I went to before."
"What? Gotta use what I've got. Here, mirror. Go wash up."
"Thanks. Appreciate it."
The door creaked open.
He bowed to Jeong Yena and headed out.
I watched his back for a moment, then shifted my gaze.
"...Were you a hairdresser?"
I said it to Jeong Yena, who was quietly wiping her scissors on a cloth.
She swept the fallen hair into a dustpan with a broom.
Swoosh. Swish.
"Yeah. Before I opened the PC bang, I was in the beauty industry. Quit 'cause the bosses up top were such assholes."
"I see."
Makes sense. The beauty field was full of chatterboxes. Probably why she got out.
"Yeah. Anyway, Junyoung, want a trim?"
She tapped the dustpan full of hair my way.
I shook my head. My hair wasn't that long yet.
"Nah... not yet. Maybe in a week or so. Or never mind."
"Alright, then. Whew, day's done. Time for me to rest."
"You handle this full-time?"
In a ruined world, money was only good for kindling now. Was she volunteering?
"Yeah, first thing I saw when I got here were all these shaggy heads. Cut Soyeon's once, and then everyone wanted one."
So that's how Jeong Yena ended up as the group's hairdresser-slash-surveillance assistant.
"Suhyun said he'd add me to the watch rotation later. Whatever, I don't mind."
"I see."
"Yeah. Soyeon and I on watch, Seoyul, Yunjin, Yuri, and Mina handling internals."
Not exact, but close enough. Jeong Yena stretched with a groan.
I looked at her quietly.
"...Glad it suits you."
"Nah, it's the people here who are great."
"I see."
Great, huh. Hope it stays that way.
People don't always play nice. Human drama aside, if more monsters like that ninth remnant showed up...
"Yeah. So thanks for bringing me."
My thoughts cut off. She'd thanked me.
"No big deal. Just saved you 'cause you were there."
"Guess that makes me lucky, then. Heh."
Why'd that feel so awkward?
"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I'm off."
"Already?"
"Yeah. Just checking in on folks. Gotta see the others too."
"Aw. Guess I'll prep dinner soon."
"Sure."
I stood. Afternoon plan was touring the base, seeing how everyone was holding up.
But still.
Doing haircuts in a room full of bloodstains.
Well, it's a salon now, so dirt's inevitable...
What kind of life is it without basics like food, clothes, and shelter?
I opened the door with a rattle and cracked a window at the end of the hall.
A low hum.
An ash spirit flew in from afar, circling my shoulder.
Nothing.
I'd been scouting outside with it even while chatting.
Nothing around Gaeseong High School except zombies. Make that 25 meters out from the school.
If I can expand the spirit's range, visibility goes up too.
Though with blink and the other skills so dominant, better leave the rest to others.
I clicked my tongue and headed to the third floor.
Thud.
"Oh? Junyoung."
"Mr. Lee."
Up on three, I spotted Lee Yoon staring out the window.
Lee Seoyul's dad, Animal Tamer with that radar-like skill. Skinny guy in thin clothes, spacing out.
I asked, puzzled.
"Not sleeping?"
"Eh, can't."
He chuckled dryly. I pressed on.
"Gotta rest if you're on nights. It's the post-lunch slump anyway."
Right after eating. Perfect time for food coma. Especially for the night shift guy.
"True, but age catches up. Tough these days."
"...Want me to switch you out?"
His skill was key—awake from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., with assistants, but still, base security. If it's too much, swap him.
But he refused.
"No. Got the skill, gotta own it. Mine works best at night—makes sense for me."
"Duty, huh."
"Yeah. Plus, after that mess..."
Silence hung.
Yeah. Hwang Jinseok and Lee Jeongsu. Dead now.
"Right."
"So the skilled ones like me gotta step up. Honestly, five or six hours is plenty."
He laughed, eyes hollow.
Fine, then.
"Alright. Your call. How's Seoyul doing?"
"Ah, Seoyul."
His one family.
"She's thrilled—made friends. The new girls too."
"What do you think?"
I didn't know. Everyone I rescued acted different around me.
Wanted a base-dweller dad's take. Father with a daughter.
"...Seem fine. No bullying or anything scary. That Yunjin girl."
"Kim Yunjin?"
Why her name?
"Yeah. Cuts out bullshit or complaints like a knife. Other girls follow her lead."
"...Huh."
"Dunno details. Just what Seoyul said when she visited at night. Way better than college."
"I see."
"Yeah."
Sounds like the women were self-managing. I'd heard about Kim Yunjin from Jeong Suhyun before.
Queen bee for real.
Anyway.
"What about the guys? Choi the section chief, Joo Seonghyeon, Kim Inho."
Key. Kim Jungshik's crew—two of seven dead. Could be internal issues.
"...Act like it never happened. Hell, we didn't notice Jeongsu and Jinseok swap out. Thinking about it just hurts."
"......"
"Kim the deputy took it hard, though. Quiet type, but soft-hearted."
Lee Yoon looked bitter.
"...Now with Soyeon-types around, we can tell. But my skill, Suhyun's—can't spot faceless freaks. Hard to blame anyone. When did they swap? Moving here? From Northhyang Apartments to Northdong Station? Or right at the fall?"
Or sometime after.
"No one to blame, no one to yell at... just happened. Still, Kim's blaming himself. He'll pull through, but worrying a bit."
"I see."
Gotta talk to Kim Jungshik anyway. Good intel. My view differs from the base folks'.
Then Lee Yoon spoke up.
"Yeah. Where you headed, Junyoung?"
"Touring folks. Seeing how they're doing. Taking some out tomorrow—picking who."
Food, sleep, shit—no issues? Missing basics? Who to bring?
"Out tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Suhyun'll brief at dinner."
"Ah... Scouting survivors? Or supplies?"
"Supplies."
"Aha..."
He nodded. I continued.
"So, anything needed? Basics."
Men had needs too. No booze, but smokes okay in safe Gaeseong.
But his list was way off my guess.
"Eh, yeah."
He rubbed his stubbly chin.
"Razors, cotton swabs. Daughter wants a washer for laundry. No go, probably."
Just daily stuff. Toilet paper, wet wipes, clothes, slippers, foam, shampoo, body wash, bedding, etc.
Figures.
Expected entertainment, smokes, luxuries. Coffee, booze at least.
But no.
"Wanna go myself. Stock up big. Consumer goods—gone forever, right?"
"......"
Pure survival basics. Not essential, but modern folks miss 'em.
And harder to find ahead.
He went on.
"But I get it. Can't."
"Yeah. You'll stay put, probably."
No need to drag a detector out. Jeong Suhyun maybe.
"Soyeon too."
"Right."
"Yeah. Details..."
"Dinner brief. Got it?"
"...Yeah."
"Sucks. Others'll wanna go too."
I'd already decided. Efficiency plus relationships, all calculated.
"Gotta go. Kim Jungshik next, then the rest."
"Ah, sure. Good talk."
"Nah. You're the one grinding."
"Ha... embarrassing."
"Whatever. Later."
"Yeah. Take care."
So I parted with Lee Yoon and headed to four.
Up the central stairs, quiet hall.
Everyone's out.
Afternoon—only on-duty here.
Heading to Jeong Suhyun in 408 duty room. Team up, spirit-scout outside.
But then.
"...We could just stay here, boss."
"...I think so too. But you know how we're alive."
"Still, food, beds... moving's..."
"I get it, section chief. Holding one base ain't bad. But cold truth: we're breathing 'cause of our big boss. Without him? What about Jeongsu, Jinseok?"
"......"
From 401 classroom ahead. Fifties men—Kim Jungshik and Choi Dongwoo.