Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: 13. The Survivors. (2)
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After picking up Han Ah-reum from the hardware store, I headed back to the boarding house.
There were still hordes of human beasts swarming the mixed-use building, but since it was a good distance from the hardware store, the route along the chicken joint across the street was definitely safe.
Man, this hardware stuff is heavy.
Damn it.
"Hoo."
I set the load down in the yard and asked,
"Su-hyun, anything else we need to grab?"
Hoon ajusshi was sweating bullets as he plunked down the heavy bag next to me.
Su-hyun unzipped the bag with a zzzip and checked inside.
"Silicone, got it. Power drill, got it. Welding tools and mask too..."
She thought for a moment, then said,
"...To really seal it up proper, plywood would be great, but no chance of finding any around here, right?"
...Plywood?
Where the hell would we get plywood around here...
That's when Hoon ajusshi spoke up.
"Um, Miss Su-hyun. Not sure about plywood, but what about metal sheets? Not steel, aluminum though."
"You've got some?"
Hoon ajusshi nodded.
"Yeah, they're all over the road out there."
...!
Oh!
All those cars clogging the street!
Just rip off the hoods, bumpers, trunks, doors—perfect!
I grinned at Su-hyun.
Not bad, right?
Su-hyun grinned back at me.
"Then let's hit the hardware store one more time and check out the cars."
"Sounds good."
Cars—big hunks of metal—were littering the road. Why hadn't I thought of using them sooner?
Even if we needed cars later, there were plenty. Tearing apart a few wouldn't hurt.
"What are we gonna do with the car parts?"
Su-hyun pointed at the stone wall.
"Reinforce the walls so nothing can get over."
...Turning this into a real fortress.
I had zero clue about that stuff. Might as well leave it to Su-hyun.
After another trip to the hardware store, it was lunchtime.
The women who'd gone to the mart were chattering away as they prepped the meal. They'd brought back a ton using the shopping carts—detergents to candy, you name it.
Lunch was braised pork with kimchi.
Stuff the tender kimchi and pork into a lettuce leaf, slather on some ssamjang with whole garlic cloves, and pop it in your mouth. The rich kimchi broth and pork juices explode—pure bliss.
"How was the mart?"
I asked between bites.
Ye-eun answered.
"Good. Looks like the inline skaters really hustled. It's already buzzing with people there."
"Buzzing?"
The newlywed lady chuckled.
"Saw our neighbor lady too. Seems those inline folks came all the way down to our neighborhood."
...Huh.
I wrapped another pork kimchi ssam and asked,
"How crowded? Buzzing how much?"
Ye-eun tilted her head, thinking, then said,
"Excluding us and the inline group? Twenty? Thirty? About that many. And it kept growing as time went on."
...Whoa...
Growing as time passed...
So by tonight or tomorrow, even more people might show up.
"The inline folks still handing stuff out?"
Ye-eun nodded.
"Yeah. They go to houses without those... human beasts? nearby and give out a pack of ramen each. Seems a lot of survivors out there."
...Hmm...
...Wait a sec...
That mid-sized mart had a ton of goods and ingredients.
When we first stocked up, I figured it could feed the boarding house for a year easy...
...But now twenty, thirty people, and more coming...
And not everyone from those houses came out—probably just the young or parents grabbing food for the family, leaving kids or elders behind.
Outside's scary, first day checking if it's safe.
...Once it's confirmed safe, what then?
Everyone piling out for supplies?
From what Ye-eun said, it was still orderly distribution.
The shelves were still stocked plenty.
...Won't be forever.
...Gotta secure a big mart soon.
I glanced at Su-hyun.
She was looking at me too.
"...Oppa. I'll eat and head to the mart. You and Mr. Hoon handle the cars on the road."
...Su-hyun was thinking the same.
Human beast hordes outside, no telling how long this street stays safe.
Food we gotta stockpile, no question.
If I level up and they swarm the neighborhood, trapping everyone in the house—that'd suck for me too.
I nodded.
"Grab a lot."
"...Yeah."
Su-hyun nodded back.
Ye-eun, So-eun, and the newlywed lady must not have seen the YouTube video.
Su-hyun was sharp like that.
I didn't say anything, so she didn't bring up the video here.
Hoon ajusshi too—just stiff-faced, chowing down on the kimchi stew.
After eating, the women headed to the mart, and Hoon ajusshi and I went to the road.
Using the cutter from the hardware store, we sliced off hoods, bumpers, trunks, doors—zzzt zzzt—and stacked them in the yard.
Skinning about one and a half cars left me wiped.
"Phew, let's call it for now."
"Yes, sir. Whew, whew."
Bumpers and doors weren't that heavy.
Aluminum made 'em light.
Still, manual labor's manual labor.
By sunset, I was beat.
"I'm heading up to wash. See you at dinner."
"Yes, sir. Rest up."
Hoon ajusshi bowed 90 degrees to me.
Ugh, that formal bow feels awkward.
Things were getting casual, but after I soloed that McDonald's, he's extra like that.
Ah, whatever.
I already told him to drop the formalities last time.
He's the one not doing it.
Whatever.
Damn, soaked in sweat.
Back at the rooftop room...
The place was spotless.
...Someone cleaned.
Su-hyun?
Neat stacks of snacks and jelly in the corner.
Way more than one person could carry.
...Whoever it was, not Hoon ajusshi—the women for sure.
They don't show it, but they're looking out for me.
Showered up, crashed on the bedding.
Ah, damn, smells good.
...Good smell?
Sniffed the pillow.
...Pillowcase and blanket changed too.
Same pattern and color, didn't notice.
They're really taking care of me.
Chuckled and caught my breath.
Tired.
Rest an hour or two, dinner, then raid the mixed-use building.
"Hoo..."
Dozed off, then a message pinged.
[Dinner gg cheonggukjang! Hurry!]
Su-hyun.
Hopped up and went down. The pungent cheonggukjang aroma hit me—foreigners would freak, but damn, tasty.
Hmm, smells delish.
Hm? No So-eun, newlywed lady, or Hoon ajusshi.
"Few missing?"
Ye-eun giggled.
"So-eun can't eat cheonggukjang. Newlywed lady can't either. They took frozen pizza downstairs with ajusshi."
Hmm.
Can't eat it, huh.
Fair enough.
Some can't stomach live fish soup either. I eat anything, so hard to relate.
Scooping cheonggukjang, I asked,
"How was the mart? More people?"
Whoa?!
Goddamn, pure bliss!
Thick, pasty soybean paste umami smacks the tongue—saliva overload.
Stared at Ye-eun in shock.
She smiled and nodded at Grandmother.
"Super tasty, ma'am."
"What tasty. Here, eat more. There."
Then Su-hyun's eyes went wide.
"Oppa! What's that on your hand?!"
"Huh?"
...Shit, forgot the oil-resistant gloves.
The women gawked at my hand.
Yeah, makes sense. Not the first day they've seen me, but suddenly this on my hand.
"Oh, this."
What to say.
"Couldn't sleep, got bored."
...Fuck it.
Lame lie even I don't buy, but brain's dry.
Just threw it out and kept eating.
Hmm, bliss.
Su-hyun said,
"Wow, oppa. First time seeing the pattern. You've got skills? You did it yourself?"
...No.
Status window fucked up my hand.
Can't say that.
"Yeah."
"What'd you use? Comes off?"
Su-hyun grabbed my hand, rubbed the back with both thumbs.
"Doesn't come off? Not a tattoo, right? How in one day?"
Ye-eun tilted her head.
"Marker like oil pen?"
...Don't pay attention...
Awkward smile, nodded.
"Yeah."
Ye-eun smiled.
"Wings and rings? So pretty. So-eun would love it."
Wings?
...Thought flames.
Look like wings too?
...What wings.
Flames all the way.
Su-hyun said,
"Nice job, oppa. Pretty. Do mine later?"
...Please no.
Keep calling it pretty—feels good, kinda.
Pattern's eerie but eye-catching.
Rings around flames—would stop people at an art exhibit.
Problem is it's on my hand.
Hate tattoos, damn it.
Can't complain with it on my hand now. Play it off.
Pulled hand from Su-hyun.
"So, how was the mart?"
Su-hyun smiled.
"Oppa, mart was packed. Afternoon was twenty-thirty, but when we went, felt like normal business day."
"Yeah. Felt like a weekend, not weekday."
...Hmm.
Morning folks came back with whole families for food.
New houses from inline group too.
...Tomorrow it'll ramp up.
...Mart won't last a week.
"Mart vibe?"
Ye-eun shrugged.
"Fine. Felt good being around crowds again. People greeting, smiling."
...Hmm...
Smiling?
Su-hyun nodded.
"Yeah, really. Some lady bummed no meat left, guy in front shared a pack. Nice to see."
She smiled.
...Hmm.
Sounds like neighborly tale, but no.
Meat's gone already.
Stock depleted in a day or two.
Our ladies grabbed the most these days, but still short.
Need half-year rations secured.
No time for smiles.
I nodded.
"Good food. Heading out."
"Oppa, where?"
I smiled.
"Same as always. Back soon."
Su-hyun patted my butt.
"Mmm, be careful, oppa."
Grandmother tsked.
"Eee? Girl patting guy's butt in front of everyone? Too mushy. Tsk tsk."
Su-hyun stuck out her tongue.
"Nobody says that anymore, granny."
Whatever era.
I'm out.
"Thanks for the meal."
"Yeah, come back. There?"
Left the eaters behind, back to rooftop.
Lifting belt, two swords.
And oil-resistant gloves.
Let's go.
Raid time.