A Grim Stroll Through the City (1)
The sun hung high in the sky that morning. The moment I parked the rattling old truck in the yard, I was hit with a barrage of complaints from the two of them before I could even savor the exhaustion of a breadwinner returning home.
"Unni, do you know what time it is? The sun's already up!"
"And what's with the truck? It's covered in mud! How are we supposed to go to the mart like this?"
Nureongi and Boppi greeted me at the front door, more upset about our outing possibly falling through than the mud pack smeared from my head to my toes. Hearing their grumbling actually lifted my mood. I'd rather see their faces sulking over a broken promise than worried that I'd gotten hurt. After all, the fact that I could hear this kind of nagging meant I'd come back safe and sound.
Once their chorus of complaints died down, I played my trump card.
"How about we head into the city instead? We can grab a nice lunch while we're there."
At those words, both their faces lit up at once, as if they'd never been angry.
"Really? The city? Yes!"
But their joy was short-lived. Nureongi gave me another once-over and said, "Still, you should probably wash up first, Unni."
Boppi chimed in excitedly. "That's right! If we're going to the city, you have to dress up nicely too! Stop wearing those work clothes every day!"
I wasn't thrilled about putting on makeup just to ride in a beat-up truck, but I didn't have the energy to argue. All I wanted was a shower and maybe ten minutes of sleep.
"Fine, fine. I'll go wash up."
After soothing the two of them, I hurried inside. Even though it was midsummer, the warm water eased my muscles and a hum escaped my lips. Was it because I'd turned into a woman that such small things brought me joy? I wasn't sure why, but my mood was good.
Stepping out of the shower feeling refreshed and changing into soft everyday clothes was pleasant enough. Putting on underwear, however, remained a tedious chore. If I walked out wearing just a T-shirt, I'd get twice the scolding from those two. With a deep sigh, I made sure to put on proper undergarments before leaving the bathroom.
The moment my shower ended, I went straight to my room and collapsed onto the bed. The instant I closed my eyes, sleep came crashing down like a waterfall. Even with a younger, stronger body, rolling around in the mudflats since dawn had been too much. Still, it worked out. A good rest now meant I wouldn't doze off while driving to the city later.
Drifting into unconsciousness, I pictured a fun outing with the kids and sank into a deep sleep.
...
I wondered how long I'd slept. When I woke, I half-hoped the window would show a dusky evening. Nureongi would apologize with, "You were sleeping so soundly, Unni, so I didn't wake you," while Boppi pouted and grumbled, "You have to take us next time!" But that was only wishful thinking.
I forced my heavy eyelids open and looked outside. Bright sunlight poured in—it was still broad daylight. The clock by the bed read exactly noon. True to their loyal natures, Nureongi and Boppi had woken me right on schedule for lunch, just as I'd asked.
Chuckling to myself, I sat up. A set of going-out clothes, already picked out by Boppi, lay folded by the door. With another sigh, I began changing into them. Unlike me, whose sense of dressing still belonged to a man, or Nureongi, who prioritized practicality above all, Boppi had a real knack for it—whether because she was a rabbit or simply because of her diligent personality.
Once changed, I looked in the mirror. The reflection staring back was that of an ordinary young woman. When I stepped into the living room, Nureongi and Boppi, also ready to go, looked like girls their age. If not for the dog and rabbit ears, anyone would think they were seeing three young sisters heading out for the day. The only problem was that these young women were about to climb into the beat-up blue truck parked in the yard.
Led by the two of them, I climbed into the driver's seat. The old door shut with a loud clunk. Glancing at the excited pair sitting beside and behind me, I smiled wryly.
"Three pretty girls going out together, and we're riding in this old wreck. Sorry about that."
Boppi shook her head and grinned. "Well, that's true~ But the ceiling's high enough that my ears don't get squished, so it's fine!"
Nureongi nodded quietly. "I like how comfortable it is."
Neither of them complained. Leaving the morning's mudskipper commotion behind, our blue junk truck rumbled toward the city, looking completely out of place.
We passed the familiar coastline and forest roads before turning onto a wide highway. The scenery was nothing like the countryside. Road signs listed both destinations and the locations of dimensional rift shelters. Electronic boards flashed warnings about upcoming anomalous zones in red instead of the usual safe-driving messages. The closer we got to the city, the more ominous it felt. Hilltops with good views and crowded plazas were lined with military flags, and people who could only be soldiers stood watch with stern expressions.
In the old days, heading into the city would have filled me with excitement over seeing things you couldn't find in the countryside. Now, it meant stepping into a place thick with tension. After driving for a long while along the heavily guarded roads, we finally reached the tollgate leading into the city. Once we passed through, we'd at least escape that suffocating atmosphere.
But soldiers armed with rifles had stopped every vehicle at the gate for inspection. I slowed the truck and came to a halt at the checkpoint. A young soldier approached, gave a brief salute, and began checking the truck bed and undercarriage with his comrades. I rolled down the window.
"I didn't hear anything about inspections today."
"The entire Chungnam region has been declared an anomalous danger zone. We've raised the alert level starting today."
He answered flatly, his gaze flicking briefly toward Nureongi and Boppi inside the cab. I felt his eyes linger for a moment on the tops of their heads. Nureongi let out a small gasp from the passenger seat. Boppi hadn't moved a muscle since earlier.
"Ah… I see. Do you need my license or ID?"
"No need. You're cleared. Thank you."
After another salute, we were allowed through the tollgate and into the city.
"Well, that completely ruined the mood," Boppi muttered, sticking out her lower lip as I checked the rearview mirror. Nureongi nodded silently. They'd both been tense under the armed soldiers' stares. Their excited shoulders had visibly drooped.
Great. I had a feeling I'd be spending quite a bit of money today just to cheer them up.
The moment we entered the city, we headed for a large supermarket on the outskirts. In the old days, you could go to a department store downtown if you felt like it, or order online if that was too much trouble and have everything delivered the next day. Now the world had grown harsh enough that you had to come in person. On the bright side, it meant I could take Nureongi and Boppi on city outings more often.
The second we climbed out of the rattling truck, I looked up at the sky. The shimmering distortion in the distance looked sharper and more ominous than it had from the countryside. Just like the soldier at the tollgate had said, something really did seem to be approaching.
Paying no mind to my mood, the two of them were already perking their ears and chattering about what to buy.
"Unni, I want new clothes!"
"We should get food first."
I forced a calm expression and nudged them forward. "All right, all right. Let's go inside and see."
Together, we stepped through the automatic doors that opened with a noisy whoosh. The inside of the mart was packed with far more people than any rural market. Yet the scene felt strange. Most shoppers were piling their carts high with preserved foods—bottled water, canned goods, instant noodles—and arguments with security over purchase limits were common at the registers.
Scattered among the crowd were people with animal ears like Nureongi and Boppi, or those covered head to toe in thick fur, calmly waiting in line. No one stared or pointed. In the past, people had snarled at each other over nothing more than different skin colors. Now they treated neighbors who looked like cats or dogs as fellow humans. The world truly was full of surprises.
Apparently annoyed by how long I'd been standing there dazed, Boppi grabbed my arm and started pulling me along.
"Unni, we've barely been here and you're already zoning out? Come on, hurry!"
Dragged forward by her shrill urging, I snapped back to my senses and let myself be led into the noisy throng.