The First One Vanished
Lee Beom-sik had been assigned a kindergarten as his residence, along with Gaon.
The kindergarten was filled with spaces for Gaon to rest, books, and toys.
For the first time since the outbreak, Gaon was in a place that truly suited her.
Watching over the child, Beom-sik felt a mix of relief and heartache all at once.
In the colorful, pretty classroom, with mats on the floor and toys scattered about, her joyful squeals were heartwarming—yet he couldn't shake the thought of how different it might have been if her father had been there, or her mother too.
"Uncle!"
Gaon, who had found a bin full of blocks in the corner, called out to Beom-sik with sparkling eyes.
"Yeah."
"Let's play with these. I'm really good at this."
"Oh yeah? Make something for your uncle then."
"Okay, sit here. I'm making a convenience store. You're the customer, Uncle."
Gaon's beaming smile naturally lifted the corners of Beom-sik's mouth.
Yet even then, he couldn't help feeling an inexplicable unease.
An instinct etched deep into his bones from long ago.
Happiness never lasted, and the greatest trials always struck at the happiest moments—a pessimistic certainty that gnawed at him.
His life had proven it true, so Beom-sik had never once ignored that gut feeling.
And sure enough.
At that very moment.
A deafening roar shook the ground, and the mobiles on the ceiling and the lights began to tremble violently.
Beom-sik instinctively scooped Gaon into his arms and crawled under a desk.
The startled girl clutched at his clothes, trembling like a leaf.
The windows rattled as if they might shatter, and the whole building seemed to scream.
It was an earthquake.
Beom-sik prayed for it to pass quickly while constantly checking if anything would fall from the ceiling or if the furniture would topple forward.
He might have to shove the desk aside and bolt outside if things got worse.
A moment later.
In the classroom that had regained its silence, only Gaon's muffled sobs could be heard from where she buried her face in Beom-sik's chest.
Stroking the anxious child's head, Beom-sik glanced out the window.
Outside was chaos as everyone from indoors poured out.
He cradled Gaon, shielding her head with his hand, and carefully slipped out of the kindergarten.
The situation was graver than he'd thought.
Apartment and high-rise commercial building exteriors were crumbling, and people were bleeding from debris impacts.
At the sight of the injured, Gaon burst into near-hysterical wails.
"It's okay."
Beom-sik whispered softly to keep her from panicking further, rubbing her back, but her once-frightened heart wouldn't calm easily.
"Boss!"
Familiar faces appeared in a line not far off.
They were Beom-sik's underlings.
He hadn't seen them since entering the barracks with Gaon.
Their faces lit up with relief and joy.
"You okay, boss?"
"Yeah. You guys?"
"We were at the park, so we were fine. But... the river's churning and overflowing like a tsunami hit."
"Good you're all safe. Where's the First?"
"Well, that's..."
The underlings looked awkward.
Just as Beom-sik was about to press, the Second—Goblin Tattoo—spoke up.
"He's been gone a while now, boss. We're still looking, but we've checked everywhere he might go. Nothing happened—no incident or anything. He just... vanished suddenly."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Beom-sik's brow furrowed like crumpled paper.
Seeing it, Goblin Tattoo bowed his head.
"Sorry, boss. That's all I can say. He really just disappeared out of nowhere. We're still searching."
"Why would he just vanish? You ask the soldiers?"
"Yes, boss. We checked with everyone, even reported to the Tower. No one's seen him. At first we thought maybe he crossed the river out of frustration, but he can't swim that far, not with his stamina."
Beom-sik's gaze turned to the riverbank.
It was hard to make sense of it.
He knew the First well.
Better than the others, even—the one who'd handled all the dirtiest, messiest jobs under him, the first deep bond he'd forged.
That's why he was the First.
Sure, he had that cocky swagger and brute stupidity typical of gang trash, but no one was more responsible or diligent with his tasks.
What reason could a guy like that have to disappear?
Beom-sik's eyes sharpened.
"Work detail possibility?"
"No way, boss. We're the only ones strutting around like we own the place here."
"You sure?"
"Yes, boss. But..."
The underlings explained the recent brawl by the riverside.
As Beom-sik tilted his head in confusion after listening,
"Gaon!"
It was Anna's voice.
Beom-sik set Gaon down as Anna came running from afar, and the two embraced like long-lost mother and daughter, making a huge fuss.
Trailing behind was a massive bear of a man.
Confirming Beom-sik and Gaon were safe, Han Jaejeong smiled faintly and lit a cigarette.
"Where are those bastards?"
The moment he parted from Gaon, Beom-sik's face transformed into that of a stranger.
The underlings felt both glad and terrified at the sight.
"We know where they are. But we're worried if you go now, something might go down. We're fine, but if it gets noisy and the soldiers do something to you..."
"Too chatty. Where?"
"Yes, boss. I'll lead the way a bit."
The Second bowed low and cautiously took the lead, the rest following Beom-sik.
He guided Beom-sik to a half-ruined single-story building.
It looked like it'd been through a fire ages ago, with scorch marks everywhere, and the aluminum sliding door's window was plastered over with sheets, blocking the view inside.
"Here, boss."
The Second stepped aside after ducking low.
Voices of several people murmured from beyond the door.
"Tell 'em to come out."
"Yes, boss."
The Second dashed over and opened the door, and the noisy chatter inside hushed instantly.
Incomprehensible talk went back and forth briefly, and when the Second emerged, his expression was grim.
"They want you to come in yourself..."
Irritation flashed across Beom-sik's face.
The underlings knew what that look meant.
Time to brace themselves.
Beom-sik picked up a long stick from nearby.
Then wordlessly approached the door.
Crash! Shatter!
The sheet-covered window exploded in an instant, shards raining down.
"You crazy fuck!"
As the interior came into view through the wreckage, a man who'd been sitting behind the door cursed and advanced.
Beom-sik ignored him and swung the stick wide like a baseball bat crushing a pitch, smashing the opposite window.
Shatter-crash!
The startled man hesitated and backed off, unlike his initial bravado.
The swing's arc hadn't accounted for his position at all.
Meaning he didn't give a damn what happened to him.
It wasn't just that one man feeling it.
Everyone inside thought the same.
Beom-sik's piercing gaze, the aura pouring off him, the lethal intent flowing from his fingertips—it began to crush them all.
"Come out. Before I wreck the place."
With that, Beom-sik tossed the stick aside carelessly and turned away.
No more intent to attack.
A moment later.
The men emerged, faces uncomfortable, standing awkwardly.
Beom-sik waved his underlings back and stepped forward.
"Where's my brother?"
A man twice Beom-sik's bulk replied irritably.
"How the hell should we know where your brother is?"
"Where is he?"
Beom-sik asked again, unperturbed.
The men shifted from indignant to annoyed.
This is the bullshit he pulled just to ask that?
"Use your eyes. Why do you think we're holed up in this shithole shop? Your precious little brothers molested our women, that's why. You gonna let that slide? Would you?"
Beom-sik glanced back briefly.
His underlings' faces darkened in unison, heads bowing like criminals.
"So what'd you do?"
"What could we do? We scrapped, and we got punished for it. Just 'cause they outnumbered us. So we're keeping quiet, and now you come busting in again? What do you want from us? How's your missing brother our problem?!"
The man raised his voice to a shout as anger built.
Beom-sik stared into his eyes, scrutinizing every expression, every gesture.
"You really don't know?"
"I'd like to know too. Where that fucker's hiding. Why smash our door over it?"
"Then find him."
"What?"
The man doubted his ears.
"If you don't know, search. Unless you want me saying you killed him and buried the body."
"What the fuck is that?"
"Find him. Or I'll say you did it."
The man's head tilted slightly.
Now he got it—who Beom-sik was.
What he'd been up to in the safe zone, who he'd come with.
The connections binding them.
Anyone in the know was aware.
But who knew this guy was the head of those gang punks.
The man changed his stance abruptly.
If Beom-sik leveraged his network to frame them, it wouldn't end easy.
No evidence, no guilt, so no real punishment—but still.
They were already blacklisted in the safe zone.
Couldn't afford to mouth off.
"Ha..."
How'd he end up tangled with these assholes.
"We really don't know. Look at our guys. Do they look like they'd do that? I'm the rough-looking one; the rest are good kids. Women too. This is bullshit, right?"
Beom-sik peered past the man's shoulder at his companions.
Fair point, actually.
Minus this guy he was talking to, they all had honest faces.
Of course, Beom-sik still planned to find his own.
More eyes, the better—one extra clue could make all the difference.
That was it.
"If you're so wronged..."
Beom-sik placed a hand on the man's shoulder and patted it.
"Find him."
The burly, bandit-like giant suddenly looked small.
His so-called comrades couldn't utter a word.
The man's face was one of defeat.
"...Fine. Got it."
"And the door."
The man, turning away, looked back at Beom-sik's words.
"We'll fix it once we find my brother."
The man narrowed his eyes at Beom-sik for a moment.
Then let out a deflated sigh.
"Forget it. I'll handle it. Just... talk nice next time instead of smashing shit."
Beom-sik nodded and turned away.
His underlings looked like they were facing death.
Beom-sik said nothing, but his actions spoke volumes.
Passing without a word to go, it felt like a blizzard had swept through.
Then, urgent footsteps approached from behind.
The man panting as he overtook the group was none other than the Work Leader.
His face, glimpsed in passing, was ashen, like he'd seen something horrific.
He bolted straight into the safe zone's interior—toward the Tower.
Beom-sik's instincts flared; he hurried after him.
Infected People