Reconstruction Government (2)
“Do-hyun, a new room has opened up?”
“Yeah!”
“Master! I want to see too!”
The Han sisters trailed after me like puppies as I dashed up to the second floor.
“It's open.”
Standing in front of the second door, I had a gut feeling that a room had unlocked somewhere. Logically, if one had opened, it was most likely this second one.
“Shall we check it out together?”
“Yes!”
We took a deep breath, locked eyes, and nodded. My heart pounded with anticipation over what might lie inside.
Click.
“Huh?”
“Do-hyun?”
“Master?”
Click. Click. Click.
It wouldn't open. I'd felt so naturally that something had unlocked, but it refused to budge.
A bit embarrassed, I scratched my head and played it cool. “Must be the basement.”
The mood sank a little as we headed down to the basement, less excited than before.
“Let's give it a try.”
Click. No luck.
“Guess it's the next room over.”
Click. Not even a twitch.
In the end, we tried all seven doors in the basement, but none opened.
“Looks like I got it wrong somehow...”
Embarrassment gave way to outright shame. If I'd just stayed in bed instead of jumping up and yelling excitedly, I could've savored that selfish bliss a little longer. Would I ever get another simultaneous hug from these beautiful sisters in my lifetime?
Lost in self-pity, I let out a sigh. Then Han Seol spoke up.
“The rooftop... we haven't checked there.”
“It's just a collapsed vinyl greenhouse. But sure, let's take a look.”
The rooftop held only that rundown greenhouse with no doors attached.
Still, no reason not to check. Something had definitely unlocked.
Click.
“Ah.”
This was the feeling. Grabbing the rooftop doorknob filled my body with the same electric tingle I'd felt opening the drone room.
Creeeak.
“Oh my... Do-hyun.”
“Seol-ah, even for a Special Awakener, is this possible?”
Han Byeol and Han Seol stood there, mouths agape, staring inside in stunned silence. It was warranted.
I was gaping too, taking in the unbelievable sight. Instead of the rooftop view, opening the door revealed an indoor scene.
Fresh grass scents mingled with sweet fruit aromas, accompanied by the sound of running water and rhythmic machinery.
The rooftop was gone. This place had become a third floor.
“What is this...?”
Muttering to myself in awe, Han Seol replied.
“Hydroponics... it's a hydroponics facility.”
“Hydroponics?”
No soil in sight—just plants submerged in water, an odd but vibrant setup. Stepping inside triggered a flood of information into my mind, just like with the drone room.
“Ah.”
“Do-hyun!”
“Master!”
I staggered, and the sisters grabbed my arms to steady me, one on each side.
“Do-hyun, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Now I know what this place is.”
Recruiting those two citizens had unlocked the hydroponics room. More precisely, a fully automated smart farm. Cultivation required manual effort, but everything else ran on autopilot.
Divided into five zones, the one we stood in held garlic, lettuce, chives, bok choy, and a few other unidentified greens, all ready to grow.
One more detail came naturally: Plants or fruits stored inside this hydroponics room wouldn't spoil or rot. Take them out, and decay began immediately.
Theoretically, this 200-pyeong space could yield unlimited fruits and vegetables if cultivated and stored here.
Growth speed was unknown—same as normal plants, or accelerated like the Special Awakener ability held by the Reconstruction Government?
Explaining this to the sisters, Han Seol squeezed her eyes shut and murmured.
“This isn't a dream, right? With this, we could build a whole city around the house.”
“That much...?”
“No, that's exactly it.”
“Master! Seol-ah! Come here!”
“What? When did she run off like that?”
“Sorry. Byeol gets so excited she charges ahead without thinking...”
Han Byeol's voice came from the second zone. Opening the door revealed strawberries, melons, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, figs, and blueberries.
Curious about the third, I tried the knob. Locked.
“Guess this is as far as it goes for now. Like the drones, other rooms need specific conditions. Think we could sell these for a good price?”
Han Seol said nothing.
“Han Seol? Hello?”
Turning, I saw she was gone. The sisters stood blankly before a hydroponics tray bursting with fresh strawberries, like soulless shells.
I slipped behind them and inspected one. Red, vibrant—real, edible strawberries, no fakes.
The sound of them swallowing echoed through the room.
“Want to try one?”
They jumped, startled, not noticing me behind them.
“No way! How could we eat something this precious...?”
“Master, we should store these and sell in emergencies. Group leaders would pay top dollar.”
Their words said one thing, but their eyes screamed lies.
“They'll regrow anyway. And we need to taste them to know if they're sellable, right?”
“Right? Yeah, that makes sense?”
Han Seol beamed innocently.
“Then maybe just you try one, Master...”
“The next room has plenty too—too much for one person. Let's each have a strawberry.”
The sisters squeezed their eyes shut and shook their heads vigorously. A war raged inside: the self craving fruit after a year and a half versus the self deeming it too precious.
Honestly, adorable as hell.
Pluck. I picked three strawberries and offered two to them.
Their pupils quaked like an earthquake, but they refused again.
“Fine, I'll go first.”
Popping one in, sweetness I'd long forgotten flooded my mouth before I even chewed.
What would it taste like bitten?
“Whoa... insane.”
Chewing unleashed a thrilling wave of sweet-tart flesh. No swear word could capture it better.
Fruit was this delicious? A revelation.
The more I chewed, the more saliva flooded my mouth like broken glands. Top-grade strawberries, no doubt.
Swallowing, I exhaled deeply in silence.
“Do-hyun? Is it bad?”
“Too good for words.”
“Huh?”
“Unbelievably delicious.”
Drool trickled from Han Byeol's mouth. She wiped it hastily and stared at her strawberry.
“It's safe. Eat.”
“Ugh...”
“No... can't...”
Now clutching their faces, they muttered like battling inner demons. Add tails and ears, and they'd be perfect puppies.
Feeding these sisters strawberries? Easy.
I held one in each hand.
“Counting to three. Then I fist 'em—splat, wasted.”
“Do-hyun, wait!”
“Three.”
“I'll eat well!”
“Thank you!”
No need for two. At three, they snatched and devoured.
“Hic.”
“Crying again?”
“Master...”
Tears welled in their eyes.
“Not a sad vibe—why the tears?”
“Too good... tears just come...”
A world where one strawberry brings tears.
We harvested small amounts from zones one and two before heading down. Before leaving, I checked the new door at the hall's end—it led to the old rooftop, now empty and plain. Wonder what it'd become later.
My house was no longer two stories; it was three.
The mystery plants from zone one? Basil, parsley, scallions—per the sisters.
Incredibly tasty. Plain lettuce crunched without meat or sauce, but the fresh veggie flavor after preserved crap? Mind-blowing.
We devoured the haul in under twenty minutes. I said I'd toss leftovers, so they relented and ate heartily.
Melons and figs suited my taste best. Prime melons like these would fetch premium at department store basements—firm flesh, sugar-sweet like health candy.
Han Seol suggested harvesting everything now for storage since it'd regrow automatically, but I proposed waiting days to measure regrowth.
Next morning, checking the hydroponics room revealed tiny melons already budding at yesterday's stems. Other plants were sprouting too.
Proven: super-fast growth, not normal speed.
“So overpowered it's starting to worry me...”
Sipping coffee Han Byeol brewed post-breakfast while reading, Han Seol shouted.
“Do-hyun! Someone outside!”
“Huh? The intersection guys?”
“No, women.”
“Women?”
Peering through curtain gap, three women stood before the barrier. Sisters' reactions suggested not Reconstruction Government.
“I'll handle it.”
Grabbing a folding chair, I stepped out.
The woman poking the barrier clasped hands and bowed upon seeing me. Three casually dressed women trekking here unscathed? Awakeners, confirmed.
No room for weakness. Ignoring their greeting, I unfolded the chair, crossed my legs, and sat.
“Who are you?”
The apparent leader—long neat hair, purple eyes—bowed again.
“First, apologies for touching your barrier without permission.”
“...”
Her politeness caught me off-guard, a tad awkward. Uncrossing my legs, I said,
“Fine, whatever. Who are you?”
“Pleased to meet you. I'm Seo Su-yeon, Minister of National Reconstruction for the Republic of Korea Reconstruction Government.”
Big title or not, a minister? The sisters, ex-officers, would've recognized her. Lying?
“Showing up claiming minister? Hard to buy.”
Seo Su-yeon smiled.
“I'll show proof.”
She glanced at her companion, who began rummaging in a bag.