108. Choice and Focus
Me, Yoo Soyeon, and Kim Se-eun's family headed toward Kim Jungshik. But.
"Tsk... no dice."
"......Understood."
As expected, Kim Jungshik's abilities couldn't summon something like an infection cure. Well, if they could, he could've whipped up a zombie antidote from the start anyway.
Sin Sea spoke up. "...Um, then, sorry, but could we take some cold medicine?"
"What, the kid catch a cold?"
"No... just in case..."
Kim Jungshik yawned. "In case of what? Bring her back when she's actually sick. I'll summon meds right away."
"..Ah, yeah, that works. Thank you..."
Kim Jungshik blinked at Sin Sea. "Haven't seen a family with a kid in ages. Take good care of her."
"Uh.. yes. You too."
"Haha, ask me anything you're curious about. I'll answer it all."
I turned away as I listened to Sin Sea and Kim Jungshik's conversation. Kim Se-eun stood quietly, clutching a doll in one hand and her mom's hand tightly in the other. Sin Sea was laughing awkwardly, sweating bullets while chatting with Kim Jungshik. And Kim Jinseong, lost in serious thought.
'Next up is Kim Yunjin's healing.'
This one had a high chance of failing too.
"Let's try the healing skill next."
"Ah.. okay!"
I cut off Sin Sea and led the family to Kim Yunjin.
===== Room 401. The women's room.
—Sizzle
"Waaah!"
The sound of flesh burning rang out. Followed by Kim Se-eun's piercing scream echoing through.
"W-what's going on?"
Flustered, Kim Yunjin shook her arm.
"Se-eun!"
"Stop."
I sighed as I separated the sniffling Kim Se-eun from the panicked Kim Yunjin. Kim Se-eun ran into her mom's arms, while Kim Jinseong and Sin Sea looked on in shock. I approached them and said,
"Check her quickly."
Honestly, the healing was a long shot anyway. That's why I hadn't brought Jeong Suhyun. No point if it failed—I figured we'd just heal any minor wounds and leave it to him.
But.
'The reaction's just like when the ninth remnant saw sunlight.'
Affected by healing. It had to be tied to the infection rate somehow.
"Still hurting?"
"N-not really, but."
Sin Sea quickly checked Kim Se-eun's body as she spoke. I sighed and raised a finger.
"Here, let's take a look at Se-eun's body."
"Pardon? Um..."
Sin Sea hesitated. Whatever she was thinking, now wasn't the time.
"Just the arm."
"...Uh... okay..."
Sin Sea extended Kim Se-eun's arm toward me. But unlike the earlier sizzle, her skin looked fine. Pale and chubby, a child's arm. Still, just to be sure.
"Sin Sea. Kim Jinseong."
"Yes?"
"Yeah."
"Go to the bathroom and check her whole body. Yoo Soyeon."
"Eh.. y-yes?"
"You go too and confirm."
"Ah, yep!"
We needed to figure out what caused that reaction during healing. And surprisingly.
"J-Junyoung... nothing. Absolutely nothing."
No anomalies on Kim Se-eun's body. Just the sizzle sound—no wounds at all.
I turned to Sin Sea and Kim Jinseong. "Nothing?"
So why the hell that sound?
"...Yes."
Sin Sea asked, face full of worry. "Is... is there something wrong with our girl?"
"Who knows."
There was a problem, obviously, or this wouldn't have happened. I let out a deep sigh. No way we could fix this inside the base.
"Head back for now. But you'll need to live separately for about a week."
I had no bandwidth for this. They were someone else's family, and I was busy hunting for mine.
"Ah, y-yes.. okay."
"And... step out for a bit. Yunjin, relax. It wasn't your fault."
"Still feels bad. Made the kid cry."
"It's fine."
"Sorry."
....But things didn't go as I expected.
===
"Whew... anyway, that's how it went."
With Kim Se-eun's family, up in the 408 duty room. We'd parked them in the hall while Jeong Suhyun and I talked inside.
"Rough one. But..."
"But?"
Jeong Suhyun, who'd heard about Kim Yunjin's ability and Kim Se-eun, brought up the main point.
"It's down."
"What is?"
"Se-eun's, you know."
He held up a paper. His finger pointed to the infection rate.
"Dropped to 2%. Means healing works."
"Works, huh."
At least good news. Kid crying was an issue, but better than dying.
"Yeah. Better treat fast. But the infection source... no clue."
He was right. Nothing we could pin down. Maybe check the Shinsegae Apartment senior center Kim Jinseong mentioned.
'But do I need to bother?'
Rescuing people wasn't my goal. I'd save those in front of me, sure, but... Now that Kim Yunjin's healing fixed the infection rate, no reason to go.
"......What now?"
"Dunno."
The question hung. But I caught Jeong Suhyun's real meaning. Where to next after the mart run with the group.
"Plan was to push south via Haksin Station once Yoon Mina's healed. Move out right after."
"....End of the month?"
"Yeah."
Way behind. Today was the 29th—honestly wanted to scout past Cheonggyecheon to Haksin-dong.
'Gotta cross the Han to get home.'
But.
"Plenty in the way. Yuseong University humanities camp, Central Apartments I saw in Saseol-dong. Now Shinsegae Apartment senior center from Kim Jinseong."
Too many hooks to move freely.
"And can't fully trust them yet."
I pointed out the classroom window.
"......"
Jeong Suhyun didn't argue. Only a day since we met—hard to buy everything they said.
He spoke. "Not worried ability-wise. Healing possible now, lowers betrayal odds. But..."
Central Apartments we could skip, no issue. But.
"Humanities camp sticks out. Right by Yuseong Station."
"That's the dilemma."
Spot on. Couldn't just ignore the humanities camp. Kim Se-eun's family could park in a corner, watched by Jeong Yena's scarecrows and Yoo Soyeon's skill. Shinsegae was mid-Namdong, some distance, awkward contact—but Gaeseong High was close, one station away.
Jeong Suhyun sighed deeply. "Why no combat powers in our base?"
"Who knows."
"...Such a shame. Great for defense, but can't go anywhere."
I knew, even saying it. Combat folks would've died fighting Liberation Army or monsters, or starved holding out. Detection, production, defense let them hunker down and survive.
Survivors with combat were either base leaders like me, joined groups, or...
'Way stronger.'
One of those. No use lamenting.
"What can ya do. That's how it shook out."
"True. So, Junyoung. Plan?"
"For what."
"Tomorrow's team. You handle plans, but pick now."
Ah.
"Tsk... then Jeong Suhyun, Yoo Soyeon, or vice-leader."
"Who you picking?"
"Your take?"
I asked. Lee Yoon was out. His radar outclassed others—no range limit, waves and sight. Too restrictive to bring.
Jeong Suhyun replied. "Take Lee Yoon."
"Vice-leader? Thought you or Yoo Soyeon better."
He shook his head. "Just a hunch. Feels like shit hits without me."
He sighed, explaining. "Lee Yoon's soft despite looks. Yoo Soyeon and Jeong Yena unproven. Others..."
Could they shoot a kid? Jeong Suhyun continued flatly.
"Lucky no issue this time. Without Yoo Soyeon, I'd have fired."
"...Fair."
Suited his style. Didn't he gun down those black guys at Our Love Church?
"Yeah. Saw monsters my skill misses. Why let outsiders in?"
He racked his rifle—click.
"Lucky for me. Yoo Soyeon here. Keep me for status windows and her non-human detect inside. Otherwise, shoot on sight."
I nodded. Made sense.
"Then Lee Yoon... and one woman mandatory. Women's necessities."
"...Take Yunjin."
Kim Yunjin had little to do—healing. Most women were production or detection. She was mobile.
"Good. Heal the kid, bring her."
"Yeah. Two spots left... Jeong Dojin one, who's the other?"
I thought. "Kim Inho."
"Kim Inho? Solid. Weapon summon—good firepower."
"Yeah. Producers awkward."
Kim Jungshik too old.
Team set: Me, Kim Yunjin, Jeong Dojin, Lee Yoon, Kim Inho. No objections sans him—none anyway.
"Good. Yoo Soyeon and I watch mainly."
"Use Jeong Yena for Kim Se-eun family. You and Yoo Soyeon duty. Bring family for treatment."
"Got it."
"Rest... you handle?"
"Yeah."
Business as usual, he cut short. I nodded.
"I trust you."
No reply. But we were past that. Near a month together, plenty shared, trust built.
"So, five for tomorrow outing. Objections?"
"......"
Evening passed.
—Waaah
"...Jeong Suhyun. Infection rate?"
"0%. No issue. Explained to Kim Jinseong and Sin Sea."
"Got it."
"Lee Yoon rests. Yoo Soyeon and Jeong Yena tonight. I'll check intermittently."
"Okay."
Night passed without incident.
Next day.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
"Yep!"
"Yunjin?"
"Me too. Nothing to pack..."
"Alright."
—Rattle
—Rattle
Jeong Dojin's empty cart crossed Gaeseong High School's threshold.