A Wager on Human Nature
Im's face froze in a daze at my firm refusal. He clearly hadn't expected such a sharp rejection.
"They say if you save someone drowning, they demand your bundle afterward. You're just like that, aren't you, mister?"
"I know I'm shameless. But if things stay like this..."
I got his righteous desire to save himself and his neighbors. But no matter how I looked at it, his approach was all wrong. If he wanted to live, instead of begging me for help, he needed to fix the mindset of those idiots first.
"Let's say I help you. Then what?"
"If we just break through to the mart, somehow..."
This guy still wasn't getting it...
"Those people's heads are fucked up. What are you gonna do with a bunch of idiots playing cards and chugging booze?"
"Just give them a little time, and eventually..."
This old man's brain was still in la-la land. Then a fun idea hit me.
"Hey, mister, wanna make an interesting bet?"
"...A bet? What kind...?"
Im perked up at the word "bet," like it sparked hope. He probably thought winning meant I'd help.
"Well, there's nothing worth taking from you, so maybe it's not much of a bet. Anyway, if you win, I'll help."
"You're on!"
The bet was simple. Na-young and her sister outside would scream that zombies had climbed over the barricade. If even one person grabbed a weapon and rushed out after hearing it, Im wins. If not, I win.
"Of course, you're excluded, and your wife stays put too, obviously, right?"
Na-young's mother, who had been quietly watching our exchange, nodded.
"And that... Kim guy? The bread shop owner. Eh, maybe include him."
Kim seemed decent enough, but he looked like a coward. He might rally others, but he wouldn't charge out alone. A game needs a wildcard or two for fun.
"There'll be... at least one person."
Im repeated it like he was brainwashing himself. I brushed past him and headed outside.
The sisters were chatting in front of the entrance. Da-young must have already explained what happened inside.
"Dad won't budge, huh?"
"...How do you talk sense into that goody-two-shoes."
"Da-young, at least you come with us."
"......"
"You think I came here for this?! Why are you acting the same? You hate Dad's soft heart the most, so why try the same stupid shit?"
"He's still Dad..."
Na-young, tears streaming down her face, spotted me and ran into my arms.
"Oppa..."
"Cut it out. At least everyone's still alive, right?"
"Yeah... I guess..."
I gently stroked her hair, and her sobs started to subside.
"Got something to say. Come here a sec."
"...Something to say? I heard about the shelter."
"Not that. Hurry up."
Da-young finally approached, and I explained the plan. A faint smile crossed her face as she listened.
"...Sounds good."
"Why?? You think Dad'll win?"
Na-young bounced excitedly at the approval.
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"
I flicked her head, and she clutched it, grimacing.
"Ow... Oppa... But you're really not gonna help, right?!"
"Obviously."
"...Then Dad'll starve to death?"
She was making too much sense, so I flicked her again since I had nothing to say.
"Again!! You hit me again!! Hng..."
Da-young watched us with a hint of envy in her expression. Maybe because we looked so carefree? Her gaze on Na-young made me feel like hot shit, shoulders squaring up.
"Na-young, you did some acting before. Time to perform again."
"Yeah! I'll do great...!"
"Don't half-ass it just to help Dad, or I'll ditch you too."
"O-okay... Don't leave me... You can't leave..."
Her acting the next day was impressive, even now. She could probably pull off being chased by real zombies too.
Na-young swallowed hard, steeling herself.
'I'm being chased by zombies right now.''If they don't come out now, Da-young might die...!''Zombies...!!!'
With her mind set, she bolted up the stairs two at a time, kicked open the door, and yelled.
"Z-zombies!!! H-hurry, come out! Da-young... Da-young's gonna...!!!"
The merchants inside panicked at Na-young's terrified appearance. The card players flipped their table and dove under blankets. A few guys with booze bottles gulped it down like it was their last supper. The slightly more sensible ones stood up but just stomped around helplessly, doing nothing else.
"Z-zombies? That path's all blocked!!!"
"They climbed over!!! Hurry, grab weapons and come out!!!"
One guy rushed over, yanked Na-young inside, and click—locked the door.
"Wh-what? D-Da-young! Da-young's outside!"
"You gotta save yourself first, what are you talking about!"
In the end, the rest of the merchants sided with the selfish prick. If someone had stepped up first, maybe a few would have grabbed weapons. But reality was brutal.
They restrained the struggling Na-young, locked the door tight, and held their breath.
"D-Da-young!!! Uh... mmph...!!"
As Na-young kept screaming, a guy clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Shut up!!!"
"Mmph...!!!"
"...We survive first, then worry. That's right... that's gotta be right..."
The guy covering her mouth rationalized it to bury his guilt. And watching it all was Im—the girls' father. The people he'd desperately tried to save were abandoning his daughter and silencing the other to save their own skins.
Im had figured at least two would rush out: Kim, who helped him clear zombies the first day, or Manager Ha, who drowned his grief in booze but used to be reliable. But no one budged.
"...What the hell are you doing?"
"Im... think rationally...!"
"What the fuck are you doing right now!!!"
Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning the whites red. His clenched fists—no, his whole body trembled with rage. His jaw muscles quivered as he ground his teeth. His demonic glare made everyone back away.
"W-we can't all die!!!"
"...So locking the door now saves you?"
"That's..."
"You wanna live a few more days even if it kills my daughters?! That young guy's right... it was all pointless. Every last one of you."
Then, the door to the food storage cracked open with a click—a sound that wouldn't happen without the lock.
Out stepped Kim.
"Even you, Kim..."
Im collapsed to the floor. His wife, who had foreseen this, gazed pityingly at his slumped back.
"Honey..."
I pressed my ear to the steel door, catching every word inside. The moment I heard the click of the lock, I crept closer—Da-young suddenly glued herself beside me too.
The sounds from the room were entertaining, but the real fun was watching Da-young's face. When Na-young got dragged in and the door locked, she looked crushed. But as her father bellowed in fury, her expression shifted to a grin.
Having lived her whole life—hell, since the zombie outbreak—in her dad's frustrating shadow, this must feel damn refreshing.
"Feels good, huh?"
I asked with a smirk, and she grinned back.
"Yeah~! Super refreshing. Thanks. Dad might finally snap out of it... the others, who knows."
"Eh, doubt it."
Can someone who's lived like that their whole life change overnight? Probably not.
I kicked the door hard—screams erupted inside.
"Z-zombies! Zombies!!!"
"Jesus, Buddha, gods of heaven and earth... please spare me..."
"Open the damn door, mister!"
The door clicked open, revealing Im with bloodshot eyes.
"I win, huh?"
"......"
"Oh, everyone—this was all acting~~ Man, you're all so selfish. Poor Da-young."
Right on cue, Da-young stepped out in front of them. Some flashed anger at being duped, but most looked guilty.
"...You guys are something else."
"It's... Da-young... I mean..."
"Hey, Da-young, lay into 'em. That's all?"
Prodded from the side, Da-young squeezed her eyes shut and yelled.
"F-fucking bastards!!!"
Her awkward curse left me stunned. Unlike me, she looked relieved as hell after spitting it out.
"Let's go~!!!"
"Na-young~ come on~"
"Huh? Oh... yeah!"
Na-young darted through the crowd to me. Whoever grabbed her wrist to "restrain" her flailing had left red handprints.
"...Fucking scum. Nothing too low for a kid, huh."
Their faces dropped with every word—hilarious. We left the merchants behind and headed to Na-young's real house. Might as well sightsee since we're here. Grab her old clothes, shoes, whatever.
"Na-young, you got your school uniform at home?"
"Ugh... perv!!!"
"Just yes or no."
"...Yeah."
Realizing her future, Na-young blushed shyly. Something magical about it. The one dressing and the one wearing both buzzing with anticipation—uniforms are the real culprit. Lightened my steps all around.