Chapter 21: A Brief Parting.
Chapter 21: A Brief Parting.
The sky beyond the window was filled with dark clouds. The mist was not dense, but it drifted faintly through the air, and a light drizzle fell from time to time. Watching the raindrops tap against the glass, Kim Hanbyul felt herself settle into a calm.
It wasn't exactly cozy, but she still felt a sense of comfort. Even if it was a sentimental mood unsuited for their current situation, it was a vast improvement over being in the forest or being chased by those strange things after they had escaped.
Come to think of it… I used to love rainy days when I was little.
Kim Hanbyul had loved rainy days since childhood. Walking through the rain beneath an umbrella while listening to music had been one of the small pleasures in her otherwise tedious life. She suddenly longed for coffee. With just one hot, delicious cup to warm her, she felt she could forget everything around her, if only briefly.
With a forlorn expression, Kim Hanbyul gazed at the world outside through the window. The gray shadows settling over her body told her that evening had arrived. After everything she had experienced that day, both her body and mind were heavy with exhaustion. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she turned around. The large room looked to be roughly sixty-six square meters. It contained everything they needed: food, water, bedding, a toilet, and even a shower.
They had stumbled into the city while fleeing for their lives, and upon entering, Kim Hanbyul had felt a strange sense of unease. The city was too quiet, as if no one lived there at all. At first, she’d thought the city was dead. Amidst the silence, they found a medium-sized building. With its rooftop painted black, it stood out to the group. Whether by luck or something else, they felt drawn to it, and upon entering, they found it was fully equipped with almost everything they could need.
Her body and mind demanded sleep, but the situation was too precarious to rest just yet. Ahn Sol was still unconscious, and Ahn Hyun was busy taking care of her. And Lee Yoojung…
Kim Hanbyul searched for Lee Yoojung and found her without difficulty. Lee Yoojung had picked up the sword Kim Hanbyul had neatly propped beside the front door. Having a fair idea why, Hanbyul let out a quiet sigh and spoke.
“Unni.”
“Yeah.”
“Please put the sword down.”
“No.”
Lee Yoojung ignored her and unlocked the front door. The loud click of the lock startled Ahn Hyun, who flung open his room door and came out. He immediately frowned when he saw the sword in Yoojung’s hands.
“It’s no use. Put the sword down and just wait quietly.”
At the sound of Kim Hanbyul’s voice, Lee Yoojung shot her a resentful glare.
“Why?”
“……”
“I’m going to bring Soohyun-oppa back, so the rest of you wait here.”
Oppa. Soohyun-oppa.
She repeated his name softly to herself. Thoughts of him filled her mind. From the moment she first saw him, Kim Hanbyul had thought of Kim Soohyun as someone similar to herself. She had felt something different about him back in the clearing. His always-calm expression, his confident voice, and his composed eyes. Perhaps that was why she had been drawn to his judgment when they spoke on the hill. Kim Hanbyul stared at Lee Yoojung for a moment before continuing.
“You’re not the only one worried about Oppa, Unni. There’s nothing we can do if we go back out there. Waiting here quietly is the best way to help.”
“He might still be waiting for us there. I’ll say it again: if you’re not going, then stay out of my way. If you won’t go, I’ll go bring him back myself.”
“Lee Yoojung. Hanbyul is right. Put the sword down for now.”
At Ahn Hyun’s stern voice, Lee Yoojung immediately turned her head. She scoffed at them both before continuing in a sarcastic tone.
“You guys are unbelievable. Oppa could be wandering all over the place looking for us right now. Huh?”
That was going too far. The single remark carried countless implications. Everyone who heard it felt a sting in their chest. Ahn Hyun kept his mouth firmly shut, but Kim Hanbyul did not. She glanced toward Ahn Sol, who still lay unconscious in the next room, and spoke.
“We had no choice. Those things attacked us, and we were in danger too. If it had not been for Sol, everyone here might be dead by now.”
“Who doesn’t know that? That’s why we ran and brought Sol here. So we’re here, and that’s it? We’re safe now, so it’s over? I guess Oppa will just find his own way back?”
Lee Yoojung’s sarcastic questions made Kim Hanbyul’s stomach twist. The shouting and casual speech had grated on her from the beginning. Without realizing it, she raised one corner of her mouth in a mocking smile and answered coldly.
“Then go, Unni. Go out and search all you want. I won’t care whether you live or die.”
She regretted it the moment she said it, but the words could not be taken back. Ahn Hyun stared at Kim Hanbyul in shock. Lee Yoojung looked stunned for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh. “Ha.”
“You… you really are an insolent brat. Oppa sacrificed himself to save someone like you? What a disappointment. I guess all that concern you showed earlier was just an act.”
“I told Oppa not to go. He was the one who decided to do it anyway. Why are you blaming me for that?”
“You… Hmph, forget it. You’re not even worth arguing with, you piece of trash. Just shut your mouth. You cold, heartless bitch.”
Kim Hanbyul had expected more screaming and aggression, so Lee Yoojung’s dismissive response caught her off guard. Being called trash and brushed aside like that dealt a severe blow to her pride. Without realizing it, her breathing grew heavier, and faint indignation colored her next words.
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? Was anything I said wrong?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. But at least I don’t want to live as a hypocrite like you.”
“Are you finished?”
“You’re younger than me, yet you glare at me like that. What are you going to do? Pull my hair? Give it up. If you don’t want that pale, pretty face scratched, you’d better keep that pretty little mouth shut.”
“That’s enough, both of you!”
Unable to watch their escalating argument any longer, Ahn Hyun shouted, his voice sharp and angry. At his outburst, Lee Yoojung and Kim Hanbyul fell silent without realizing it. Ahn Hyun glared at them both with his deep-set eyes for a moment, then held out his hand toward Lee Yoojung.
“Give it to me.”
“…No.”
Seeing Lee Yoojung clutch the sword tightly, Ahn Hyun sighed deeply again and continued, his voice now somewhat drained of energy.
“I’ll go look for Hyung. On second thought, I think you’re right.”
“…Really? Then I’ll go with you.”
Seeing Ahn Hyun’s sudden change of heart, Lee Yoojung’s expression, though still sour, showed a hint of welcome. At her words, Ahn Hyun shook his head wearily.
“No. It’ll be easier if I go alone. Those things might still be out there. You and Hanbyul look after Sol.”
“With her? No way. I can’t trust her anymore.”
As Lee Yoojung continued to condemn her, Kim Hanbyul felt something surge up inside her. The patience she had been holding onto finally snapped. But she was, at her core, a level-headed person. When she got angry, her voice didn't rise in a fiery rage like Lee Yoojung's; instead, it became cold and cynical. In a voice icier than ever before, she spoke to Ahn Hyun.
“Don’t go, Oppa. If you do, you’ll definitely be attacked too.”
“Will you shut your mouth?”
“Why don’t you shut your mouth?”
“What? ‘You’? Say that again.”
When Lee Yoojung glared and stepped forward as if to hit her, Ahn Hyun quickly snatched the sword from her. Kim Hanbyul had already made up her mind, however, and once she started speaking, her words poured out like water through a breached dam.
“Stop butting in when you don’t know anything. What do you think would have happened to all of us if Sol had not been there? Didn’t you see that neither swords nor fists worked on those things? If you go, you’ll obviously die. Why are you so determined to do it?”
“This fucking bitch…”
“You’re resorting to insults because you have nothing else to say. Do you even know where Oppa is? If you have a brain, use it and think!”
“Nice excuse. So you’re showing your true colors now, is that it? Have you forgotten that we’re only here because of Oppa? You put on such a hypocritical act while thinking only about exploiting other people. I see it now. You’re even more disgusting than that bastard.”
At being compared—no, degraded—to the troublemaker, Kim Hanbyul’s expression twisted in anger for the first time. Fury surged through her, and her raised voice began to tremble.
“The dead are dead! What’s so wrong with the living trying to survive?!”
As if those words were the trigger, Lee Yoojung violently shoved Ahn Hyun aside and lunged. At the same moment, Kim Hanbyul gritted her teeth, raising her hand to slap her as hard as she could.
Bang.
“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy?”
The unlocked front door swung open, and a young man stepped inside. A calm expression, a confident voice, composed eyes—and finally, the crossbow fastened to his left arm. Everyone in the room held their breath at once. The conflict that had reached a fever pitch vanished as though it had never existed.
“I’m glad everyone’s safe.”
He offered a gentle smile, unslung the crossbow from his left arm, and raised his right hand in greeting.
It was Kim Soohyun.