The Price of Mercy
Time was passing without any promise of an end. It was already four in the afternoon, and I had to keep watch for up to twelve hours. According to the manual, the patient needed absolute rest, which meant I might have to spend the night here.
"Haa."
I stepped out into the hallway for a moment, biting my nails in anxiety. I had to get home for Cheonsa’s sake, but I couldn't just leave these people behind. They wouldn't be able to handle this properly.
The members of the work detail were following my lead. I was the one who brought them out, and I was the one who suggested this path. I had a duty to be responsible for them.
They’ll definitely hesitate.
If Jang Young-soo couldn't overcome the virus, would they really be able to kill him? Would they be able to do it without faltering? No matter how I looked at it, I was skeptical.
I quietly called Hwang Gyunam out into the hallway.
"Where is Han Jiyoung right now?"
"She probably went to Gusan with the Captain. We need a couple of people to carry the supplies back."
"When will she be back?"
"Usually around sunset. Why?"
Calculating the distance to the shelter, even if she left now, it would be dark by the time she arrived. It was impossible to use her as a substitute. What was I supposed to do? Was there no other way?
"Is this about you needing to get home?"
"Yes, well..."
"You can't leave because you're worried about this place, right? It’s fine, just go."
Hwang Gyunam patted my shoulder.
"Thanks for today. I didn't know you’d actually use the vaccine."
"I don't know. I’m still not sure if it was the right answer."
"In a world like this, where is there a right answer? You just act according to your own convictions. It might not be the right answer, but it’ll be a solution."
He gave a light laugh and walked back inside. I sat on the hallway stairs, lost in deep thought. Could I really leave Jang Young-soo to Hwang Gyunam? Could he pull it off? If things went wrong, what would happen to these people?
My head throbbed as if it were about to shatter. I didn't know how many times I had sighed. Finally, I turned on my earpiece and spoke softly.
"Cheonsa."
-Yes, Daddy!
"Listen... Daddy has to..."
-I'm okay!
"Huh?"
-Protect Daddy's friends. I'm in a safe place, aren't I?
"Y-yeah..."
She was such a perceptive child; did she already know the situation here? I wanted to smile at her intelligence, but my heart grew heavy just as quickly.
"Cheonsa, you have to close the windows and draw the curtains. And don't make any loud noises once it gets dark. You know that, right?"
-Of course! Don't worry about me. You always told me, didn't you? That this place is a fortress blessed by heaven?
"Right. That's true..."
-I'm playing with Do-jin. Don't worry about me, Daddy, just do what you have to do. Okay?
"...Okay."
I didn't leave my spot for a long time even after the transmission ended. I had never spent a night away from home before. I thought Cheonsa would be scared, but she seemed so calm. My lovely daughter, who was perhaps more mature than her father.
For some reason, all my worries began to feel as light as feathers.
"Um, sir?"
One of the work detail members broke my train of thought. He looked at me cautiously and asked, "How long do we have to stay here? It’s going to get dark soon..."
"Go back inside."
"Oh, right!"
I brushed the dust off my hands as if shaking off my worries. When I went back inside, all eyes were fixed on me.
"We will be spending the night here."
Seeing their surprised expressions, I continued, "Jang Young-soo needs stability. Even if we left now, it would be dark by the time we reached the shelter."
Everyone looked like they wanted to say something, but no one dared to argue. I was their leader, their controller, and their dictator.
"If anyone doesn't agree with my decision, you are free to leave."
"We're allowed to go...?"
"Of course. Though I cannot guarantee your safety."
"Ah."
They were already terrified. They had Jang Young-soo, who was fighting the virus after being attacked, right in front of them. They were feeling the danger of outdoor activities firsthand.
One man raised his hand. "Is it safe if we stay here?"
"Safer than being outside."
"Then I'll stay."
"Me too!"
"M-me too..."
Darkness was a highly advantageous environment for them. The heavy air carried sound further and made them more active. Even for experienced Hunters, spending the night anywhere other than a secure hideout was dangerous. Therefore, from this moment on, I had to be a company commander in a wartime situation, not an instructor or a teacher. I needed obedience more than persuasion, and orders more than education.
"Take the remaining blankets and clothes to keep your body temperature up."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"We will stand guard in pairs, rotating shifts. Watch the hallway leading up here."
"But what about meals? We're getting a bit hungry."
"You won't die from skipping one night."
"Yes..."
As the sun set, darkness began to fall rapidly. Jang Young-min and Jang Young-soo were in the master bedroom, while the rest were gathered in the living room. I took my place in the gap of the door where I could watch both sides.
"From now on, keep your voices down."
I didn't mean to forbid all conversation, but perhaps because they were so tense, everyone fell silent. Hwang Gyunam was the only one trying to break the stiff atmosphere. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that he had followed instead of Han Jiyoung.
"Take a sip."
"Thank you."
Hwang Gyunam handed out the water he had brought and intentionally started some small talk. The atmosphere seemed to soften a little, but at the sound of the creatures' mournful cries from somewhere outside, everyone’s shoulders trembled again.
"Hey, it's okay. We're on the 6th floor. As long as we stay quiet, they'll never find us."
"A-are you sure it'll be okay...?"
"Do you know how much experience I have in search teams? Trust me."
I could feel the people's gazes. It was as if they were asking if I agreed. I answered with silence. In a ruined world, there was no such thing as "absolute."
"Oh, man. I wasn't going to show you this."
Hwang Gyunam gave his characteristic grin and a meaningful laugh. I had a bad feeling, and sure enough, he was reaching into a place he shouldn't have.
"Look at this. Amazing, right?"
"Is that... a lottery ticket?"
"Heh. Ten first-place wins. How about that? Pretty impressive, huh?"
"Wow, that's insane. How much money is that?"
"I'm just that lucky of a guy. Haha."
Thanks to his "special move," the people in the living room were finally escaping the swamp of tension. In the master bedroom, Jang Young-soo was suffering from a high fever, and Jang Young-min was watching his younger brother with a pained expression. The high fever was a sign that he was fighting the virus. Jang Young-min wiped his brother's forehead with a wet towel.
"I remember when you had chickenpox back in the day. I carried you on my back and ran all the way to the hospital in the middle of the night."
"My heart still sinks when I think about that time. You haven't been that sick since then."
"You got better then, so you'll get better this time, too. Just hang in there a little longer. Everything will be fine after you get some sleep."
"I'll pray for you. Remember how we used to go to church when we were kids?"
Jang Young-min muttered to himself, focusing on nursing his brother. As if responding to his brother's devotion, Jang Young-soo opened his eyes. It was when the moonlight was seeping in through the window.
"I remember that, too."
"You're awake? How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"
"We didn't even have taxi fare back then, so you carried me and ran. You had to beg for an advance on your pay from your part-time job for the hospital bill. And we only went to church for the free lunch."
"Oh... y-yeah, that's right. Are you feeling okay?"
"Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever thanked you properly."
Everyone was happy to hear that Jang Young-soo had woken up. But unlike them, I squeezed my eyes shut. His previously slurred speech had returned to normal.
Brain function enhancement...
It was a temporary phenomenon, but its meaning was clear. I called Hwang Gyunam over and whispered to him. Seeing this, Jang Young-soo just smiled faintly.
"Brother. I want to talk to the Instructor."
"Sure, sure. Go ahead."
"No. Just the two of us."
"Just the two of you? Why? What do you want to talk about?"
"Please, leave us for a moment. I’m asking you."
"..."
Jang Young-min hesitated for a moment, but he couldn't refuse his brother's request. He let go of the hand he had been holding tightly. When he left and we were the only two left in the room, the space felt strangely vast.
"Instructor. Please close the door."
"I will."
I didn't just close it; I locked it. Jang Young-soo nodded as if satisfied, but my expression was more bitter than ever.
"Thank you for using the vaccine. You didn't give up on me until the end."
"I agonized over it until the very last moment. Don't thank me."
"Still, thank you."
"...Perhaps it’s a blessing. To escape from a world like this."
"You think so?"
It was a word of comfort, though even I thought it was terrible. I just hoped it felt different to him.
"I know for sure now. That thing definitely ran. It approached so fast that I couldn't react."
"..."
"Did you know?"
"I am aware that such entities exist."
At my words, Jang Young-soo hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
"Am I... going to run, too?"
"I can't know that. Why they evolve, what the conditions are... everything is uncertain."
"What if I do start running? Can you react to it, Instructor?"
"Yes."
"That’s a relief."
Jang Young-soo smiled as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Instructor. I have one request."
"Go ahead."
"Please don't let my brother see. He might resent you, but... I don't want him to see."
"I understand."
"My brother isn't a bad person, even if he seems that way. He was just trying to protect me because I was lacking..."
"I understand perfectly."
"Please tell him something for me."
Jang Young-soo's breathing was becoming labored. His muscles twitched irregularly as if he couldn't control them, and his expression twisted repeatedly.
"I-Instructor. When a person dies...! W-what happens to them?"
"They will go to a more comfortable place than this."
"Y-you think so?"
Gurgle! Ugh!
"But it's so scary...! It hurts...!"
"You'll be fine soon."
"Aaa...! I hate it! This feeling...! It's disgusting! Damn it! It's so fucked up!"
Gack! Gack!
I drew my combat knife and held it in a reverse grip. Then, illuminated by the moonlight, I watched his final moments, praying that his suffering would end as quickly as possible.
KRAAAAAAAH!
Jang Young-soo—no, the thing that had been Jang Young-soo—snapped its teeth at me. Without a moment's hesitation, I drove the blade into its forehead. A short tremor, a final gasp. It was the moment he was released from the cycle of pain.
"Y-Young-soo! Ugh! Ugh!"
I covered the corpse with a blanket. When I opened the door, Hwang Gyunam was holding Jang Young-min’s mouth shut. I couldn't bear to look at the wailing Jang Young-min.
"Your brother wanted me to tell you. That he worked so hard. And that he was happy to have met you."
The burden someone had shed became the weight left for those who remained. And we were living in a world where we weren't even allowed the right to grieve to our heart's content.