Give a Little, Get a Lot
"...I came to help, but it feels like I'm the one getting compensated instead."
"Nothing more to give you beyond that."
When I asked what he wanted in return for my help, Do Wangu answered like that. I eyed him with suspicion, and he smirked and pointed off to one side.
"You let us watch a spectacle like that. I already gave up on taking anything else. It's not like you'd have supplies we don't have anyway. Still, I'll gratefully take this."
He shook a plastic bottle filled with coffee dissolved in warm water, then started walking toward the school front gate—only to have his attention stolen by a sudden whoosh of fire.
"Waaah! It worked! It worked! Yejin unnie! Look at this! It really worked!"
A tree branch blazing bright red in Soeun's hand. While Chaeyeon was utterly thrilled by the marvelous sight, Yejin came running over to the flustered Soeun.
Then, with tongs from who-knows-where, she quickly snatched up the branch and built a campfire, cheerfully checking over various cooking tools.
"If we just get something like a stand, we could even do charcoal grilling in the hallway!"
"...Unnie, can't we just cook with butane gas like usual?"
"What are you talking about? We have to save everything we can!"
"....."
Watching Soeun fall silent, at a loss for words, Do Wangu awkwardly laughed and looked away—and I turned my head to match him.
"Everyone seems to have something in common with you. Just a moment ago they were worried sick... and the second they know you're fine, they act that casual."
"It just means there's not much left that can surprise us anymore."
"Well, compared to you, it's certainly nothing to be shocked about."
Having someone's hands get a bit hotter was far less shocking than someone who stayed perfectly fine no matter how many times you hit them, wasn't it?
But if he agreed with that so readily, what did that make me for saying it?
I looked at Do Wangu with that thought, and he shrugged, handed the plastic bottle to Kwon Jitae beside him, then offered me a handshake.
"Somehow, whether it's the first time we met or now, whenever you're around I feel my common sense crumbling in real time. A building with electricity, some weird shop, superpowers..."
"Honestly I wanted to buy one myself, but I don't think I have enough Tar yet. I'll save up more and come find you."
"Sure. If you bring something decent, I promise we won't kick you out at the entrance."
"How consistent of you. Very reassuring."
After a short, firm handshake, Do Wangu was about to turn his back when he went "Ah" as something occurred to him and looked back at me.
"One last piece of info—watch out for the cannibals."
"...Watch out for what?"
"Cannibals. Not zombies—crazy bastards who eat other humans. They're gathered somewhere nearby. I only heard about it recently, so I don't know the details."
Do Wangu advised me with a serious expression.
I frowned and said,
"What, the world's only been over for a week. How are there already scumbags who've given up on being human walking around? And in a group?"
"I don't know either. From what I heard, they're all wearing prison uniforms. Maybe they already stopped seeing people as people a long time ago."
"Anyway, got it. I'll keep it in mind."
If I see prison uniforms, stay alert.
...But I feel like I've seen bastards like that once before. Maybe I'm imagining it.
With a vague unease, I tilted my head and watched the two of them leave the main building and walk across the athletic field.
A moment later, I spoke to Soeun, who was resting with her knees pulled up.
"Got a rough handle on how to use it?"
"...Ah, yes. It wasn't that hard."
Just think about wanting to raise the temperature, and her hand heats up on its own.
She held up her index finger to show me, and as Soeun stared intently at it, it soon glowed red-hot.
I watched from the side, then as it gradually cooled and turned white again, I casually poked it—and she jumped.
"Ah. Be careful. If you get burned..."
"You saw earlier. My body isn't normal either."
"Ah. But still..."
"So don't worry. Once you get used to a body that isn't normal, it's no big deal."
I unconsciously reached to touch Soeun's short hair, then decided against it with my dirty hands—when a muttered voice came from beside me.
"It's fine. You can touch my hair."
"Never mind. I don't want to get it dirty for no reason."
"After everything Oppa's done for me, why would I care about something like that? Hmm? I'm fine with it."
The look in her eyes as they met mine seemed to hold some other emotion as well.
Something like pity for me... sympathy? Or maybe a sense of kinship.
Who's feeling sorry for who when you can barely take care of yourself.
I smirked and, instead of stroking her hair as she suggested, stood up from my seat.
"Whether you care or not, I don't like it."
"...Why would Oppa mind my hair getting dirty."
"Just because."
Anyway, now that I'd confirmed she was fine, I should grab a snack and start getting ready to head to the apartment.
Kang Soeun was done for today. I'd only take Im Chaeyeon to the apartment.
I was going to ignore every remaining box around and go straight there.
Damn loot boxes, seriously.
Thinking we'd go and come back before sunset, I quickly got ready and set out.
After shooing away Soeun who wanted to come along, I told Yejin to change her clothes and lay her down in the book café. There might be some unknown aftereffects.
"But what if Kang Soeun just spontaneously combusts while lying there and starts a fire?"
"....."
I left Chaeyeon fretting about something she'd once seen on YouTube and loitered at the apartment entrance.
Before long, I heard a group coming down the stairs, and then Yu Jeong-a appeared in her composed attire.
"I was fretting over whether you might not come."
"Not forever, but I almost couldn't make it today. Too many things blew up. Shall we head inside first?"
She nodded at my words and personally guided us to the third floor.
Ignoring the men beside her who eyed me warily with uneasy looks, I spoke.
"Looks like you're using the third floor as a kind of intermediate base. Probably because going up and down the high floors every time is a hassle?"
"There's that, but the third floor is the only place where both units are empty with no owners, so we're using them as common space."
She sipped cold water as elegantly as green tea, set down the cup, and looked at me.
"Thanks to you, Sijun-ssi, the people in this apartment have all been putting effort into cooperating."
"Why because of me?"
"They realized that in the current situation, some bizarre invader could show up anytime, anywhere and trash the place, and there'd be no way to stop it. So they've been joining forces to build barricades. Sharing food and working hard to survive."
I frowned once at suddenly becoming that bizarre invader, then tapped the table with my finger and said,
"That's odd. From my perspective, I behaved as gentlemanly as possible. The deal was clean too."
"...Your footprints are still clearly stamped into the hallway wall, Sijun-ssi."
"That's what they had coming. If they shoot first, killing them is self-defense, isn't it?"
"Yes. Of course. The other apartment residents have acknowledged that as well, not just me."
Of course, I couldn't guarantee there wasn't any coercion involved in that conclusion.
"By the way, did you get what I asked for?"
At my question, Jeong-a nodded and took something from her clothes, setting it on the table.
"As you know, everyone was short on food, so I barely managed to find one. From an empty house."
I picked up the mottled potato and examined it, and she hesitated before speaking.
"But, Sijun-ssi. I don't know if you're aware, but to properly grow potatoes..."
"Yes. I know. You need seed potatoes. But since delivery isn't an option in this situation, I'm trying chicken instead of pheasant—making do with what I've got."
You have to set something up first for any result to come out later, right? Whether it fails or hits the jackpot.
But more than anything, this potato was just a pretext.
I set the potato back down, smiled, and tossed a question at Jeong-a.
"How about food—are you running short?"
"...No. There's no way we wouldn't be short. We're always scraping by. We've barely held on these past few days thanks to you, Sijun-ssi."
After reading the room for a moment, Jeong-a carefully opened her mouth.
"If there's anything else you'd like to obtain..."
"Of course there is."
I rolled my eyes around the living room, but of course nothing special was visible.
I couldn't guarantee they'd checked for it before I arrived, so they might not even know.
I pulled the box map from my pocket, double-checked it, then asked her.
"Besides food, there's something I can offer you as information. Does that pique your interest?"
"...Information? What kind...?"
Looking at the location, this apartment's rooftop was entirely possible.
I looked at the puzzled Jeong-a and thought.
Would this woman's luck be good? Or bad?