Chapter 146: Side Story - Bunker (4)
Chapter 146: Side Story - Bunker (4)
There was plenty of space inside the bunker, and terminals were scattered throughout those spaces.
I had thought that having separate saved data for each terminal would be better for privacy, but such a feature didn't exist—perhaps due to a system limitation or simply a lack of foresight.
There wasn't even a password function, and a post uploaded from one terminal could be deleted from any other. Consequently, we hadn't used the terminals or the intranet much at all.
At least, not until today. So, even if this was something that could be produced through coding, there was a high probability we wouldn't have known.
Though I was certain such a thing wasn't possible.
Anyway, my acceptance of Kang Yu-min’s proposal wasn't purely out of a desire to prove my innocence.
I, too, was suspicious of her.
You never know. From what I could see, and based on everything I’d seen so far, things like "coding" didn't even exist here... but just in case.
I suspected that Kang Yu-min might try some trickery with coding while I wasn't looking. Since she harbored suspicions that I was up to something, I didn't hesitate to show that I felt the same way about her.
Kang Yu-min and I immediately put the box of canned cola in the refrigerator and headed to my room.
"...What's that for?"
"It's cola, you moron."
"I know that. I mean, why are you bringing it in here?"
"Then what? Just leave it? Why would I leave it behind when there's something to drink?"
As I stared at her, dumbfounded, Kang Yu-min smirked and held out another can to me. It felt like she had grabbed two knowing this would happen.
"I got one for you too, so stop bitching."
"Who said I wanted one?"
Despite my words, I was glad to see the cola. Just the thought that it had been a year and a half—maybe longer—since I’d last tasted this made it go down easy.
After shoveling nothing but nutritional porridge for that long, it felt extra special. Taste is truly...
It was a revelation. The nutritional porridge felt like it had been diluted to the point where flavor itself barely existed, as if trying to ensure it didn't even taste disgusting.
Whether sweet, bitter, or spicy.
Just the thought of consuming a new food or drink made my mouth water. It reminded me of how much I had lost during that long stretch of time.
Naturally, I thought of the quest currently in storage. The instruction that promised two pieces of fried chicken for a one-hour joint half-body bath.
The idea itself was revolting, but the word "chicken" sparked an even greater sense of anticipation.
Both Kang Yu-min and I were in the middle of trying to verify this suspicious situation, yet it was difficult to suppress that hope.
In fact, it was impossible.
Just as being told not to think of an elephant makes you think of one, trying not to look forward to chicken only made me crave it more.
It sounds a bit strange, but it was an irresistible force. Thus, as I opened the door to my room and stepped inside, a subtle tension bled into my breathing.
Rationally, I knew this wasn't something Kang Yu-min could have fabricated, but I still felt uneasy.
What if it was all a mistake? What if they didn't give us any more? Just the thought of it felt like having something snatched away after being given it.
So, carrying that subtle anxiety, I sat down on my bed. Kang Yu-min followed me in, her eyes sharply scanning the surroundings.
Was she looking for evidence of some misconduct I might have committed? When she found nothing despite her busy searching, she let out a huff, looking slightly deflated but maintaining her haughty expression as she walked further in.
"What?"
"What what?"
"What's with that look?"
"What look? You're starting shit again, you brat."
"Calling your younger brother a 'brat'?"
"If I don't call my brother that, who do I call it? You're one to talk, calling your own Noona a 'jerk' and whatever else."
Kang Yu-min was always like this. The living embodiment of double standards. A total pain in the ass.
She was barely a year older than me, yet she constantly tried to act the part of the big sister, despite being completely useless at it.
Stupid and stubborn.
Since her face looked like mine, I couldn't exactly call her ugly, but her personality was easily in the bottom 1%.
The only reason we were living together was because the world had ended; otherwise, I would have moved out ages ago.
I let out a deep sigh. As if she had read the annoying thoughts mixed into that breath, Kang Yu-min’s eyebrow twitched.
"What was that sigh for?"
"Nothing. You're nitpicking again."
"It's not nitpicking. I can tell you're cursing me out in your head just by looking at your eyes."
"Well, would you prefer I do it out loud?"
"Don't even do it in your head. How dare you toward your sister, who should be like the heavens to you."
"Since when were the heavens so low? Heavens, my ass..."
I bickered with her out of habit as we settled into the room, and I looked at the cola she had handed me.
The canned cola was still cold. I wasn't sure if it was because the bunker was quite chilly or if it had just been stored well.
Unlike before, water droplets were forming and rolling down the surface, but it was definitely still cold.
Yeah, this is what a cold cola should feel like, I thought as I popped the tab. I pressed the can to my lips, listening to the glorious sound of the carbonation.
And the sensation of that first sip—the tingling carbonation dancing on my tongue—was a thrill.
It was a moving experience, a flavor I could never expect from something like nutritional porridge.
"...Phew."
The exclamation escaped me involuntarily. Part of it was because I’d been living on porridge, but cola was always delicious to begin with.
Is there ever a bad time for a Coke? More people like it than hate it. It was a drink with almost universal appeal.
Of course, depending on the person, some preferred less carbonation, some preferred more.
And some called the other of the two major brands a heresy.
But I wasn't in a position to care about such things.
Honestly, even if it had been some generic domestic brand, I would have bowed in gratitude before drinking it.
While I was immersed in that emotional moment, Kang Yu-min took a sip of her cola and suddenly turned toward the terminal.
"Oh, it's on."
"Yeah, I came to check it as soon as I saw it."
"You pervert."
"What are you talking about? Why does that make me a pervert?"
"Isn't it because you were looking forward to it?"
"I was looking forward to it, but who would look forward to someone like you? I was looking forward to the cola, obviously. If you've got a problem with that, don't drink it."
"I should be the one saying that. If anything, if this came out because I was praised, doesn't that mean I have a bigger share in this?"
"More nonsense..."
I continued to bicker with Kang Yu-min while sipping my cola, watching her move her firm fingers over the keyboard to inspect the screen.
The screen displayed something not much different from what we had seen earlier.
[Stored Instructions]
[Goal: Joint half-body bath for resident Kang Yu-jin and resident Kang Yu-min (60) minutes]
[Reward: Fried Chicken (2) chickens]
[Progress: 0/60]
[New Instructions]
[Goal: ]
[Reward: ]
[Progress: ]
The only difference was that the instruction to "receive cola as praise" had disappeared, leaving an empty slot.
It seemed that checking it once was the trigger. Seeing that the only difference between the screen in the cafeteria and the one in my room was that one change.
Then, what about the time? I rolled my eyes to check the time displayed at the corner of the terminal screen.
[2026-4-7 AM 03:39]
Year-Month-Day arranged in the Korean format. Followed by the time. I only just realized that it was almost 4 AM.
I couldn't believe I had slept that long. In the bunker, you couldn't see the sky or the outside world, making it difficult to keep track of time.
If I had known, I would have brought something to pass the time when we first came in. It was a regret that I hadn't packed anything in the heat of the moment. I sat on the bed with a bored expression, while Kang Yu-min pressed keys aimlessly with a listless face before losing interest.
"Hmph, nothing yet."
Was she expecting to find some flaw of mine? Kang Yu-min spoke confidently and crossed her arms. I let out a disbelieving laugh.
To still be suspicious after seeing cola fall out of thin air. Truly, I could only describe her as stupid.
I felt sorry for myself, having to survive with such a moron. It would have been much better if Mom were still here.
Then this girl would have acted less stupid, and Mom would have injected some common sense into her.
It was a shame that wasn't the case. Mom's absence felt particularly large today, so I leaned against the wall and sat on the bed with a sigh.
Was it because my daily routine usually involved sitting like this until I fell asleep? I felt somewhat drowsy and my eyes felt gritty. I wanted to just fall asleep like this, but...
You never know. Kang Yu-min might try something. So I struggled to stay awake, and Kang Yu-min, seemingly feeling the same, tilted her cola can and waited in silence.
Silence filled the space between us.
It wasn't a lack of conversation, but a deliberate silence born from knowing we didn't get along.
It was in the middle of that silence.
"...Oh, it's 4 o'clock," Kang Yu-min suddenly said.
Already?
I snapped out of my idle thoughts and crawled on my knees toward the terminal, watching as Kang Yu-min tapped the keys.
And then.
Instructions [Store]
Instructions [Change]
I noticed that the phrase "Resets at (4) AM the next day!" which had been at the bottom, had disappeared.
"Now, try selecting 'Change'."
"Don't order me around. I was going to do it anyway."
"You're so damn cranky. Are you on your period?"
"You little bastard!"
"Ah, whatever. Just press it."
As I annoyed Kang Yu-min and she annoyed me back, we huddled around the single terminal, tapping the keys and staring at the screen with eyes full of mixed anticipation and anxiety.
For a moment, I remembered when we were both younger. Back when we were poor because Mom's business hadn't taken off yet.
Back then, we used to huddle around a single computer to play games. The thought drifted through my mind and then...
>Instructions [Change]
...it vanished as Kang Yu-min grumbled and selected "Change."
The screen shifted. As if refreshing, the text on the entire screen disappeared and then reappeared.
Line by line, it slowly flickered off and on until finally, the new instructions revealed themselves.
[New Instructions]
[Goal: Resident Kang Yu-min and resident Kang Yu-jin to sleep together within (1)m]
[Reward: Folding bathtub, portable half-body bathtub (for 2 people)]
[Progress: 0/1]
...What the hell is this now?
Honestly, I let out a groan of disappointment, but then I looked at Kang Yu-min.
With a look that said, Do you still doubt me now?
However, contrary to my expectations, Kang Yu-min didn't look frustrated; she had a strangely expectant expression on her face.
"...Hey, Kang Yu-min. Don't tell me."
When she met my eyes at my call, she even hurriedly waved her hands as if she’d realized what I was thinking.
"What? No, why are you glaring at me like that? Do you have any idea how much I've wanted a half-body bath after only being able to shower? You wouldn't know because you're a filthy pig, but..."
I simply curled the corners of my mouth, delighted that I had found something to tease her about for a long time.