The Situation in Yeouido (2)
Following the siblings' mother, we headed toward the apartment where Jiwoo and Sua were staying. Even as I walked, I kept a sharp eye on both sides of the street. The apartment complex, which should have been teeming with people, felt even emptier than near the station. If you looked closely, you could see plenty of vacant homes through the open curtains of the glass windows.
"I heard survivors have been pouring into Yeouido every day, but there are still so many empty houses."
The mother gave a wry smile and nodded at my words.
"Yes. They're everywhere. Think about how many people lived in these massive complexes before the apocalypse. So many of them... just vanished."
She was right. Even with survivors flooding in, it wasn't enough to fill this place yet.
Ding!
We entered an apartment building and pressed the button. With a cheerful chime, the elevator doors slid open. The elevators here were still working fine. Probably thanks to the countless people maintaining the electricity and facilities.
We stopped in front of a unit on one of the higher floors. The mother punched in the door lock code with practiced ease, and with a beep-beep-beep, the door unlocked.
"Mom's home!"
"Mom!"
No sooner had the front door opened than the sound of pattering feet echoed from the living room, and the two siblings came rushing out. It was great to see their familiar faces. But the kids, who had been running over with bright smiles, froze when they spotted me standing next to their mom.
"Huh...?"
"Unnie!"
They rubbed their eyes for a moment, then let out cheers of joy, ignoring their mom completely as they barreled straight into my arms.
"Noona!"
"Whoaaa!"
I felt a bit embarrassed as the kids clung to my waist, bouncing up and down. I glanced at their mother.
"Uh... haha."
I wondered if she might feel a little hurt. But far from it—she burst into a warm laugh.
"Can't blame them. That time on the train must have been really special for the kids. I've been heading out every day for work lately, so they've been left alone a lot. They must be thrilled to see you."
She stroked the children's heads and then, as if it had just occurred to her, turned to me.
"By the way, could you tell me what exactly Donggle is?"
"Huh? Donggle?"
"The kids keep mentioning Donggle whenever they talk about the train, so I asked. They said it's some green, round thing... living in a tank. I thought, what kind of animal is that?"
"Ah."
Then it clicked. The kids must really like Donggle. Of course—they'd drawn all sorts of expressions on the tank.
"That's a marimo. Uh... it's like an aquatic plant, but I keep one on the train..."
"Ohh, a marimo~"
The mother nodded with a smile, clearly knowing what it was. Good.
We sat facing each other on the living room sofa, sipping the warm tea she'd offered, and chatted about life inside the Yeouido Safe Zone. Hearing it straight from someone living here felt so much more real than just reading posts on the Survivor Gallery. From stories of settling in, to tales of famous figures making waves inside the zone—it all hit home.
But as her words turned to recent developments, her expression noticeably hardened.
"Lately, though... the management office controlling the safe zone brought in this really special awakener."
"Management office?"
She explained it was a new department set up temporarily by soldiers, politicians, and officials to run the safe zone.
"So... the special awakener is..."
I knew they were hunting for Signal, who had the Gallery skill, but they surely hadn't found her yet. What special awakener had they brought in?
"Yeah. Apparently, someone with an appraisal skill that lets them peek at other people's status windows. They're planning a full-scale inspection of everyone inside the safe zone..."
"Inspection..."
My brow furrowed. Peeking into others' status windows? It might not be the greatest skill, but bringing someone like that in at this timing felt off. Especially since I knew they were after Signal's Gallery skill.
"The management office wrapped it up nicely—saying it's to help ordinary folks who don't know their own skills or how to use them, and to assign people efficiently for a smoother safe zone. But..."
Adults' instincts were sharp, especially for those protecting their kids.
"They call it 'efficient assignment,' but it makes people uneasy. Rumors are flying that if you have combat skills, they'll draft you into the military by force..."
Being inside the safe zone made resisting tough if you got called out. Some awakeners opposed the inspections, but plenty were quietly curious about the results too. Awakeners always needed more manpower, after all. Maybe they hoped it'd uncover talented folks with good skills.
The mother gripped her teacup tightly, glancing at me with anxious eyes before asking very carefully,
"Um, you know what skills our kids have, right?"
Her voice trembled faintly. She might have already heard from them. They talked about the train every day, after all.
"Yes."
"...Is it something someone might covet?"
"...Yes."
I quietly watched the siblings playing with the drone on the living room floor, beaming innocently.
"I'll be straight with you."
I met her wavering gaze head-on.
"The kids have skills with tremendous potential."
"I knew it..."
She let out a deep sigh as my words sank in, a storm of emotions crossing her face.
"...They brag about it sometimes. How noona praised their skills."
She gazed sadly at the tops of their heads as they played, then turned to me with a resolute expression, as if she'd made up her mind.
"I know it's a huge imposition... but could you take the kids back on the train like before?"
"Huh? The kids?"
I blinked in surprise. From my perspective, it wasn't a bad idea at all. Their skills would definitely be helpful. But—
"Are you sure? I mean... being together as a family..."
"That's why I'm entrusting them to you. Because you're reliable."
She grabbed my hand firmly.
"I don't want them caught between awakeners and the management office just because their skills get exposed."
"Ah..."
Her fingertips trembled.
"Better they stay on your train like before. And it's not like we won't see them—you'll stop by Yeouido sometimes, right?"
"Of course..."
There was no real choice. She forced a smile and called to the kids.
"Kids, how about riding with unnie on the train for a while, like before?"
They set down their blocks and came over, tilting their heads before looking back and forth between us.
"Mom... you're not going anywhere, right?"
"Of course not."
Young as they were, the kids were quick on the uptake. They hesitated, clutching each other's hands, then nodded firmly.
"Okay! We'll visit you lots, Mom!"
"You eat well and take care of yourself, got it?"
Comforting their mom like little adults. It was like they'd grown up too fast. She hugged them tight.
All I could promise was that I'd bring them to Yeouido often.
"Alright, let's go, kids."
I took each of their hands in mine and turned toward the train.
The situation in Yeouido isn't something to brush off anymore.
Until now, I'd figured things would sort themselves out somehow. But it was getting worse. Chasing Signal, trying to control people. Now I wanted to do something about it actively. But how—
"Um, excuse me! Are you... Choo-choo-choo by any chance?"
Someone popped out from a shadowy alley, blocking my path. A suspicious guy in a black cap pulled low and a mask covering half his face.
"...!"
Instead of answering, I instinctively pulled the siblings behind me by the hands.
Whirr—click!
Reading my wariness, the drones reacted instantly. The combat drone's assault rifle and the sniper drone's heavy sniper rifle locked onto the space between the masked man's eyes.
"H-Hiiik!"
The man freaked out at the cold muzzles aimed at him and stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and crashing onto the asphalt.
Thud!
"P-Please, spare me! Don't shoot!"
He flailed his arms in the air, yelling desperately.
"M-Misunderstanding! I just wanted to talk about something really important, so I was waiting!"
"Talk?"
I narrowed my eyes, looking down at the trembling man sprawled on the ground. He didn't seem armed, but who trusts a guy hiding his face under a cap and mask?
"...I'll take the kids to the train first. If you really want to talk, stay put right there."
"Y-Yes, sir! Absolutely! Whatever's convenient for you!"
Confirming he was nodding like his life depended on it—practically prostrating—I hurried off with the kids to the train.
The door to car 1 opened, and as I stepped in holding the little siblings' hands, Signal's pupils shook violently from the cockpit seat.
"S-Sowon? W-What are these kids...?"
"Ah, sorry, things just kinda... I know it's inconvenient..."
"No, it's not inconvenient or scary or anything..."
Our Gallery admin with androphobia and social anxiety. I'd worried the kids might scare her too, but thankfully, it wasn't that kind of fear. She just had no clue how to handle children and was fidgeting awkwardly.
"Hi!"
"Hi, unnie!"
The friendly siblings gave crisp bows, and Signal flailed her hands in the air, at a total loss.
"Uh... h-hi? Kids... nice to—"
As awkwardness filled car 1, the siblings' eyes drifted past Signal to a small glass tank in the corner of the cockpit panel.
"It's Donggle!"
Their eyes sparkled like stars. Interest in Signal vanished in a second as they dashed to the green marimo tank and plastered themselves against it. The golem was right there too, but they ignored it completely.
"Nice to... meet you... really..."
Signal murmured wistfully.