You Will Die (3)
[I figured our son would be living healthily wherever he ended up.]
Ju Kang-rim listened to his mother's voice over the phone and let out a bitter chuckle. He could practically see the expression she was making right now, the way she'd be pressing the bridge of her nose to fight off fatigue while anxiously glancing at her watch. She wouldn't have much time for a long call.
"After all that chaos at the hospital, you really thought I'd be fine?"
[Oh, right. I heard you went to the hospital and escaped on your own. I'm sorry it turned into that mess. But if you've seen the news, you should understand.]
Even as he heard his mother's reply, Ju Kang-rim couldn't shake the bitterness. His mother had the power and influence to send elite zombie hunters to rescue her son. But she hadn't. Because it would be unfair. Or more precisely, because such favoritism would damage Politician Yoo Seo-kyeong's career.
She probably thought that even if he died, it was unavoidable—and that she could use the tragedy as a stepping stone. But Ju Kang-rim didn't resent her for it. He agreed with her thinking. If he were in her position, he'd do the same. His own ruthless ambition had been inherited from her, after all.
Why go that far? She'd answer curtly: Politics is everything in this world.
[Don't think I'm indifferent. Who do you think sent you to that hospital in the first place? Your dad isn't even in Korea anymore.]
Ju Kang-rim had grown up in a privileged environment, but it was a family indifferent to one another. The only reason his parents hadn't divorced was for the sake of their careers.
"To be precise, your aide got the call and sent an ambulance in my place."
[Oh, right. I heard you even registered as a zombie hunter? Must've awakened something during the hospital ordeal. That nurse said you were seeing through the darkness like it was nothing.]
Ju Kang-rim wasn't surprised that his mother knew every detail of his actions. Even if she didn't pay close attention, her aide would report intermittently.
"You even talked to Nurse Han Min-ah?"
[Just a short survivor interview. She seemed... a bit odd.]
Ju Kang-rim picked up on the strange hesitation in his mother's tone.
His mother had a sharp memory but didn't waste energy on unimportant people. She rarely even mentioned them.
"Odd? She seemed kind and decent to me."
[Mm, she is kind and decent. But, well... never mind. Feels wrong to badmouth a good person. One thing's for sure—she's not the type I'd want as a daughter-in-law. Makes me think surviving the hospital with you wasn't just coincidence.]
Ju Kang-rim didn't dismiss the comment as idle chatter. It meant she'd evaluated Han Min-ah as someone worth considering for a deep connection—and casually pondered arranging a political marriage with her son as the simplest way.
'Is Nurse Han Min-ah really worth that level of consideration? But why rule out marriage?'
Ju Kang-rim wondered if Han Min-ah had more value than he'd assumed.
"Something surprising did happen at the hospital."
[Yeah. Would love to hear about it sometime.]
"When?"
[...This week's tough. I'll have my aide set something up for the week after next...]
"Joking. No need to meet, so don't bother calling either."
It was a starkly cold exchange for a mother and son, but neither felt hurt or frowned. Ju Kang-rim was too hardened to be wounded anymore, and Yoo Seo-kyeong was too busy to dwell on such things.
[I see. Nice hearing your voice after so long. Gotta run to the next meeting...]
"Yeah."
Ju Kang-rim started to hang up, then paused.
"Oh, right, Mom. You handling the Awakener Management Act deliberations right now?"
There was a long silence on the other end. But he could almost hear her unspoken thoughts: How does he know? It's classified. Who leaked it? Who else knows?
"Just a guess. Didn't hear from anyone, so relax."
[You know the bill's name too specifically for a guess.]
Of course he did. He was a regressor. It was packaged as management, but it was essentially an awakener draft law.
"You're probably opposing it. Just vote yes."
[Why?]
"Support it, and you could aim for party leader in six months. Talk later."
[Wait...]
Ju Kang-rim hung up without waiting. Major shifts would soon rock Korean politics, sweeping up Yoo Seo-kyeong too.
He had no lingering emotions to dictate her actions, but offering calculated advice seemed useful. Having a politician he could contact purely on merit was a plus.
But that was it. He had no desire to get more entangled. Sponsoring a politician was easy without the baggage of family ties and needless emotions.
'Ugh... Holiday starts today, but it already feels exhausting.'
Ju Kang-rim checked his watch. Late enough for lunch.
Ju Kang-rim stepped out of the hotel and wandered. Samdo Renaissance Hotel sat on a main road for easy access, not a tourist spot—which meant plenty of good eats nearby.
The zombie plague had everyone on edge, but the gate's fallout hadn't crossed the Han River, so people clung to normalcy.
'Good eats around here...'
He recalled a solid gopchang jeongol spot nearby. Scanning alleys, he found it and stepped in.
But the face he met inside was unexpected.
"Sorry, but we don't do single servings..."
"Ah... Can I just order two?"
It was Han Min-ah.
Having just discussed her with his mother, running into her felt surreal.
"Han Min-ah?"
"Huh? Oh! Ju Kang-rim!"
Han Min-ah lit up with joy.
"Perfect timing! You here alone?"
"Uh? Yeah..."
"Then we can eat. That okay?"
The last part was to the server. To her, a gopchang jeongol buddy trumped a hospital survival comrade.
"Sure. Gopchang jeongol for two, please."
"Make it three."
Han Min-ah overrode his order. Just like that, Ju Kang-rim found himself seated with her, sharing a meal.
She eagerly pulled out spoon and chopsticks, eyes sparkling.
"Their gopchang jeongol is supposed to be amazing. The smell wafting up in the hospital had me drooling. Finally get to try it."
"The hospital?"
"Oh, yeah. I was actually admitted to a hospital around here."
Not just working there—admitted? Ju Kang-rim scanned her in surprise. No visible injuries from the escape.
But wounds aren't always on the surface.
"You hurt?"
"No, no. The hospital experience was so intense, I awakened from it."
"Awakened?"
"Yeah. C-rank 'Healing'."
C-rank. The tier deemed useful for combat support. Among healers, quick, immediate recovery was B-rank. C meant it worked, but slowly.
"Fits a nurse... But why hospitalized?"
"Well..."
"Food's here."
Clunk. The bubbling gopchang jeongol pot hit the table, already simmering.
Ju Kang-rim swallowed. Since regressing, he'd only grabbed quick calories—no real meals. In the pre-apocalypse days, he'd craved proper food, but as a grim reaper, hunger barely registered.
"Eat while we talk? Might kill your appetite."
Han Min-ah spoke with spoon in mouth. He nodded.
They scooped into side bowls and continued.
"After all that, how'd you crave gopchang jeongol?"
Han Min-ah blinked oddly at his question.
"Huh? Why not?"
"Some hunters can't even look at intestines anymore. Turn full vegetarian."
"Why... Oh."
She tapped her forehead thoughtfully. Ju Kang-rim worried he'd ruined her appetite, but after pondering, she pulled her bowl closer.
"Gopchang's innocent."
"Sorry, spoke without thinking."
"It's fine. I'll pay it back soon enough."
She grinned, glanced around, then rolled up her sleeve cautiously—no eyes on them.
Ju Kang-rim nearly drew his saingeom.
A fresh bite mark scarred her forearm.
"What... does this mean?"
Gopchang forgotten, Ju Kang-rim stared. Han Min-ah pulled her sleeve down and dug in heartily.
Zombie plague transmission varied, but rarely lasted over two days. Longest record: a week. She'd escaped weeks ago.
Sustained purified black cores could've held it off—but those were pricey, hard for civilians.
"That's why they kept you at the hospital?"
"Yeah. During escape, a zombie went for a patient—I blocked it. Barely grazed, no symptoms."
Ju Kang-rim reeled. How?
"Oh, I reported it after you left—to hunters and police. Cuffed and gagged straight to isolation ward... But no changes."
"Isolation ward?!"
Where zombie patients were housed—ultra-secure. Last resort, no human rights. Protocol: burn the whole wing if breached.
"Yeah. No issues over time, so maybe it was a rabid human, not zombie? Hospital staff thought so too."
Zombie plague victims reeked of death. One thriving amid the dying for weeks? Easy to misjudge.
"Any guess why?"
"Dunno. Thought maybe immune... but."
"No immunity to zombie plague."
He cut in firmly. He knew. No immunity in a world where life-death blurred, dead walked. Future searches failed utterly. Calling it a "plague" was the issue.
"Yeah. Docs tested everything—no immunity."
Ju Kang-rim sighed deeply.
"So just a random psycho bite?"
"But whenever I use my ability... Look."
Instead of explaining, she grabbed his hand.
As he thought, This woman's got no shame grabbing a guy's hand... her inner wrist glowed softly.
The bite mark shimmered.
"Ju Kang-rim."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Your energy feels off."
"What kinda rude thing is that?"