18. Yielding

"How did people in the old days have fun and live?"

Today, as usual, while rummaging through an abandoned building, Hope suddenly tossed out that question.

"Why are you curious about that?"

"Just... As we go around everywhere and I listen to what you're saying, unnie, it feels like people back then must have lived in such a great world."

"It was a better world than now, yeah."

"There were tons of fun stuff, and they ate delicious things every day... In a world like that, there wouldn't be any time to get bored, so everyone must have just been happy all the time, right?"

"Not exactly. As much fun as there was, people fought just as often."

Hope's little hands, poking through the debris, froze. She tilted her head, looking like she couldn't comprehend it.

"That's weird. If there are so many fun things, wouldn't there be no time to fight? Why would happy people fight each other?"

That's a tough question.

A world without worries about food or cold, far more abundant and leisurely than now. Even without struggling just to survive the day, conflicts between people never stopped.

Reasons? Plenty. Politics, ideology, beliefs, culture, human nature... All sorts of tangled, complex issues leading them to tear into each other.

I can't explain all that in a few words. Even if I did, it'd be too hard for Hope to grasp. Glancing at the quietly hovering drone for help.

The chat window had turned into idiots too. Sure, a few were giving long, logical expert explanations, but parroting that wouldn't help Hope understand.

Hope waiting for my answer. I could just brush it off with "I dunno," but I sorted out an explanation she might get.

And slowly opened my mouth.

"I think it's because everyone liked different things. There were so many fun things that they fought even more over them."

"Huh? What do you mean? If there are tons of fun things, they shouldn't fight."

"You like some foods or books more than others, right? And some a little less?"

Hope put her little finger to her chin, thinking hard, then nodded brightly.

"Yeah. Books with lots of pictures are more fun, and yummy food is better."

"Exactly like that—people's likes are different, so what I love, someone else might hate. Everyone wants what they like most, and to spend time doing that. When they all stubbornly go after their favorites, fights break out."

A pretty lacking explanation, but not wrong, I figure. Looking at Hope's face, she seemed to get it okay, so I relaxed.

"I think I get it. Sometimes we have to hold back on food we want because we need to save it, right? It's like that frustrating feeling?"

"Exactly. You're so smart, Hope. You got such a hard story right away."

Hope proudly rubbed under her nose.

"But then, couldn't they just hold back or yield? If they did, they could've gotten along without fighting."

"You're right. If everyone yielded a little like you say, fights probably wouldn't have happened."

"Yeah."

A bittersweet smile tugged at my lips at her cheerful reply.

The chat agreed with Hope too. How many were sincere, though? In the first place, the present we live in is the result of those past people's actions. We're stuck bearing the sins of strangers we never knew.

Makes me kinda pissed. Not that it's their fault, rationally. But still, resentment bubbles up.

What's the point of getting mad alone? Calm down.

But still.

I shook the drone violently to vent. Feels better now.

The chat, flooded with question marks in bewilderment.

"Just felt like it suddenly."

"Sorry."

Ignoring the flood of chat. I finished what I started.

"But some people just can't do that, so what can you do."

"Is that why the world ended? Because everyone fought?"

"Who knows. What do you think, Hope?"

"Unnie, I asked first."

"Whatever the reason, it's got nothing to do with us now. Doesn't seem like anything here, so let's head that way."

I moved toward a spot that might have food, brushing off the answer.

I don't know why the world turned to shit. Was it swept by some massive disaster, or did they keep fighting until mutual destruction? No one left clues before it all ended.

I'm interested, but not crucially so. One thing I can say: the villages that survived kept fighting each other until they vanished.

Even pushed by harsh environments and hunger, they refused to yield to the end, pointing weapons at each other. Did they know the outcome but wouldn't let go? Or couldn't they?

"So unnie, what did people do for fun back then?"

"They say old people spent time happily on something called SNS."

"Es-en... what?"

"It existed. Hmm, remember that room full of boxy machines when we explored the school last time?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were computers, and back then everyone played with them."

"Ehhh? Really? How do you play with those?"

"So many things you could do, for example..."

I told her about the endless fun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the internet. Not sure if she really got it and nodded, or just nodded along, but she seemed totally absorbed.

And as soon as I finished, Hope puffed out her cheeks.

"Hmph, if I'd known they were fun machines, I'd have played there. Why tell me such fun stories now, unnie?"

While poking her soft, squishy cheeks.

"Telling you then would've been more disappointing. They were all broken anyway, so no playing. That's why I didn't say."

"Still, there must be some unbroken ones somewhere? When we find one later, we play together, promise? Pinky swear."

"Yeah, promise."

Even if we find one, not sure we could really enjoy it, but I sealed the pinky promise. If a computer miraculously turns on, maybe we could at least ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠play Minesweeper together. Probably.

"Unnie, look over there! Light's coming from that machine!"

"Oh, for real."

I looked at the machine Hope pointed to. A rectangular android about my size. From its cracked head monitor, light flickered weakly.

Badly damaged, repeating the same garbled words. Couldn't tell what it was trying to say. Ignore it?

Scanning inside, it looked like a normal home... No way they'd put a dangerous machine here, but better safe.

Yeah, gotta risk it.

"Hope, step back a bit."

"Okay."

Hope backed off, and I pressed the circle on the head monitor. The machine jolted hard, its body cover popped open, and something shot out.

That was...

"...Pizza?"

A slice of pepperoni pizza, steaming like freshly heated.

What the hell is this machine that spits out pizza?

"Whoa~ Smells so good."

Hope, who'd snuck up beside me, wrinkled her nose nonstop. Drool dripping from her mouth. More excited than any food smell we'd encountered, she was jumping around, shaking my shoulders mercilessly.

"This. We can eat this, right?"

"It's food, but..."

"Let's eat. Unnie~ Let's eat."

Is it safe? It looked perfectly fine, not spoiled at all. Too perfect, actually—suspicious. Machine stopped moving, maybe dead, no manual around.

My brain kept saying no, but the pizza smell filled my mouth with saliva.

"Should we eat it?"

"Yeah, let's eat."

The temptation was too strong. In a world where dying tomorrow wouldn't be weird, when else would I eat this?

Tore the slice in half—cheese stretching long. Hope stared, entranced by the glossy shine.

We each took a bite.

"Ehehe~~"

Hope flailed her arms wildly in excitement. Me too—the flavor I thought I'd never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taste again exploded in my mouth, blanking my mind with electric shivers through my body.

I'd fix and keep that scrap metal if I could. Savoring the pizza slowly to make it last.

"I wanna drink booze now."

"No."

"Huh? What'd you say, Hope?"

"No. Don't drink that."

"Just one bottle..."

"You'll get weird if you drink it."

Back at that factory-like place, deeper search turned up a few bottles with contents. I was thrilled; Hope hated it.

After coaxing and persuading her, I barely snagged a few.

"Hope, normally with stimulating stuff like this..."

"No."

Her cold eyes glared sharply. Never seen Hope like that. Was my drunken rambling that bad?

"Hope, you said it yourself. If we yield a little to each other, we can all be happy."

"No."

Astounded by her unyielding stubbornness.

"Gotta know when to hold back."

That hit home; I swallowed tears inside.

The sight of the two girls devouring pizza made others crave it too. After that broadcast, people ordered pizza, shop owners shocked by the surge. Some jacked prices and got beaten, or so they say...