Hwang Gyunam
I remained on the rooftop, gazing out at the surrounding landscape.
Whether they had finished the cleanup and final touches, there wasn't a single corpse to be seen around the shelter.
"Small scale, but they don't seem like amateurs."
Clearing away the bodies was a crucial point in keeping a hideout from being exposed. It was a kind of camouflage tactic, a way to signal that there were no people in the vicinity.
"Want a smoke?"
Hwang Gyunam approached from behind. He pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered a sheepish smile.
"I quit."
"You're hardcore. How'd you manage to kick that?"
The cigarette ignited with a crackling sound. In the windless air above, white smoke rose as if dancing.
"I knew you were skilled, but honestly, I didn't expect this much. It's the first time I've seen Jiyoung react like that, too."
Hwang Gyunam glanced at me as he continued.
"Anyway, we're family now, so... is it okay if I speak casually?"
"Do as you please. It doesn't matter to me."
"Ahem, ahem. Right, well, it's good to have you."
"Yeah."
"I talked it over with the leader, and it looks like you'll have to take over Inbeom's spot for the time being."
Kim Inbeom.
The former special forces soldier whose shoulder I’d put a hole in.
"Is that guy doing alright?"
"Oh, of course. We’ve got doctors and nurses here, you know."
"I see. You have everything you need. And you're doing everything that needs to be done."
"Glad to hear you like it."
Hwang Gyunam smiled pleasantly and stubbed out his cigarette butt. I hadn't actually said I liked it.
"Taking over Inbeom's spot means you're my new partner."
"Partner?"
"We operate strictly in two-man teams."
A partner, for someone who had lived as a lone wolf the whole time. Honestly, my first thought was that it would be uncomfortable and cumbersome. Above all, Hwang Gyunam’s combat ability didn't seem particularly high.
"Why? Do you not trust me?"
He was sharp as a tack when it came to reading people. I answered with silence.
"Well, I have incredible luck, at least. You won't lose anything by sticking with me."
"You were talking about luck last time, too."
"I'm serious! Want me to show you?"
I didn't know how one could "show" luck, but I decided to watch quietly. Hwang Gyunam smiled meaningfully and reached toward an embarrassing place.
"...Why are you touching yourself there? Don't tell me you're going to pull a talisman out of your underwear?"
"Whoa, this guy's got an eye for detail!"
"I'm going crazy."
"Look at this."
What Hwang Gyunam pulled out wasn't a talisman. It was two lottery tickets. He took them out of a small plastic bag with extreme care.
"I don't usually show these, but since it's you, I'm making an exception."
"......."
The moment he shoved them close, I felt a slight sense of disgust. I looked at the tickets out of courtesy, and soon I understood his intention.
"They're the same numbers."
"Both tickets have the exact same numbers."
"Are they first-prize winners?"
"Hahaha! Of course! The 2002nd draw, first prize! Ten winning lines!"
Hwang Gyunam wore the happiest expression in the world. Well, it was fascinating, I suppose. Though I didn't know what meaning a lottery ticket had in this world anymore.
"But the 2002nd draw?"
"It was the week the virus broke out. So I couldn't collect the winnings."
"......."
I was confused about whether to call this good luck or bad luck. Regardless of what anyone said, it was up to the individual to interpret it.
"That's a shame. If it weren't for the zombie outbreak, you would've turned your life around."
"I couldn't sleep a wink from Saturday night on, I was so excited. What are the odds of hitting the first prize ten times?"
"I suppose so."
Hwang Gyunam stroked the tickets as if they were a baby before putting them back in the plastic bag. When his hand reached for that spot again, I quickly turned my head.
"But you know, do you know why these tickets are important to me? There are no banks left to pay out the winnings, and money is just scraps of paper now."
"That's true."
"It just happens to be the 2002nd draw."
"Yes?"
"You know about the 2002 World Cup, right?"
"...You sure like to assign meaning to all sorts of things."
He seemed normal on the outside, but I wondered if he had a unique philosophy. It was a worldview that an ordinary person couldn't understand.
"2002 has a big meaning for me. I was 14 then, you know? You know? The age of storm and stress."
"Yes."
"My parents fought every single day since I was little. My father was a man who threw and broke things every day. My mother would scream and cry."
I couldn't find a way to comment on his sudden trip down memory lane. Hwang Gyunam was looking into the void, smiling faintly as if lost in nostalgia.
"Everyone was crazy during the World Cup. The cheering was intense, and people were hugging strangers and going to motels—everyone was out of their minds."
"Well, I heard as much."
"My parents were the same. I was an only child, but they had a late-born baby then. Hahahaha!"
Before I knew it, I was listening intently to Hwang Gyunam's story. Like his past, I felt like I was oscillating between hot and cold water.
"Anyway, the house was like hell, but after my sibling was born, it became very harmonious. I felt like I was the happiest person in the world back then."
"Hmm."
"That's why 2002 is special to me. It's the number that saved me."
"I'll take back what I said about you assigning meaning to all sorts of things."
"I heard your name is Lee Cheon-il? It would've been better if it were Lee Cheon-i."
"...Yes?"
"Hahahaha! Just kidding, just kidding."
Hwang Gyunam patted my back. I didn't know how long it had been since someone other than Cheonsa had touched me. I felt a sense of rejection, but Hwang Gyunam's hearty laughter was enough to bury it.
"Now you see how lucky I am, right?"
"Let's say so."
"Good, let's work well together from now on."
"Oh, wait a second."
I hurriedly grabbed Hwang Gyunam, who was about to head down from the roof. There was still an unsettled account between us.
"The, uh, vaccine."
"You keep it."
"Do you have spares?"
"Vaccines are precious—where would I have spares?"
"Then why...?"
"Think of it as a gift for my partner. If I'm with you, I don't think I'll have any use for a vaccine. But if you get another one later, that one's mine, okay?"
Hwang Gyunam hummed a tune as he walked away. For some reason, I watched the spot where he had left for a long time.
"Cheonsa, can you hear me?"
I turned on my earpiece on the way home. I had a lot to tell Cheonsa today. She would listen with sparkling eyes. I was very happy that I could tell her about the outside world for the first time in a while.
"Cheonsa?"
Was the earpiece broken? I called out once more, but there was no answer. It was strange. This had never happened before.
"Cheonsa? Can't you hear Daddy? Cheonsa?"
No matter how much I called, there was no response. Had something happened? A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
My hideout's defenses were perfect. Even if they were discovered, the corpses couldn't climb ropes. Then, had Cheonsa gone outside? No, that couldn't be. She had never disobeyed my instructions once.
"Cheonsa!"
I quickened my pace and eventually started running frantically. For a moment, I felt like my heart had stopped and my blood had ceased to circulate. The weather had become quite warm, but I felt a bone-chilling cold.
Whine, whine.
I arrived at the hideout, but only Do-jin was looking at me from the fifth-floor window. Cheonsa was nowhere to be seen. Had that dog caused trouble? Should I have taken her with me today? If it was that dog's doing, I would shoot it dead right now.
It was while I was having all sorts of thoughts.
"Daddy?"
"Ah...!"
Just then, Cheonsa rubbed her eyes and poked her head out. My legs gave out, and I slumped to the ground right there. Thank goodness. Thank goodness.
"Why are you like that, Daddy? Are you sick?"
"N-no. I couldn't see you... I think Daddy was just surprised."
"I fell asleep for a bit. Sorry."
"No. Why are you sorry, Cheonsa? It's okay."
"Come up quickly, Daddy. I'm hungry."
"Yeah..."
I didn't know how many times I let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps because all the strength had drained from my body, even climbing the rope I climbed every day felt burdensome.
"Hehehe, Daddy!"
"Yeah, my daughter. Are you very hungry?"
"Yes!"
"Wait just a moment."
I went into the bathroom and put my head under the irregularly dripping water. My startled heart seemed to gradually calm down. When I came out of the bathroom, Cheonsa had already prepared clothes for me to change into, as always.
"My daughter, were you very sleepy?"
"Ugh! I can't breathe!"
I hugged the child without even wiping off the water. As I felt Cheonsa's heartbeat, my body became rapidly languid. The child's breathing, body temperature, voice. All of those things stabilized me.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing happened."
The child wiped my back with a towel. I closed my eyes for a moment, finding this moment so precious and happy. It was only for a very short while, but it felt like I was swimming through a pleasant dream.
"All done. Now put on your clothes."
"Yeah. But Do-jin didn't cause any trouble, right?"
"Of course not."
The Jindo dog was tilting its head, looking at me. It was wagging its tail vigorously, but perhaps it didn't dare to intervene between us, so it just whined.
"You come here, too."
As soon as I called, it rushed over and started licking my face frantically. I had just finished washing, and now I was covered in slobber.
"Stop. Get off."
Whine.
It understood words incredibly well. I scooped a cup of kibble and put it in its bowl. Next, I prepared what we would eat—rice mixed roughly with stir-fried potatoes and soy sauce.
"Why? Is it not good?"
"No. It's delicious."
Seeing Cheonsa picking at her food, I felt sorry. I wanted to feed her high-quality food, but the reality was only potatoes and canned goods. Suddenly, the shelter's cafeteria came to mind. They said many people lived there, abandoning their hideouts. If they provided meals, could I feed her better food than here?
"Cheonsa, how would you feel about meeting people?"
"Who? Daddy's friends?"
"Not friends... I went to a place called a shelter today."
"What's a shelter?"
"It's a place where people are gathered. Like you said, they become each other's protectors."
"Wow! I'm curious."
"I didn't see any friends for you, though? Is that okay?"
"Yes!"
I would have to ask in detail tomorrow. What kind of food was prepared in the cafeteria. I would check the defense plans thoroughly, see if there were any gaps, and...
If I judged it to be better than my hideout, I intended to move there with Cheonsa. But the next day, when I arrived at the shelter, I had to abandon that thought.