The Mole (4)
Jang Young-min.
Were you the spy?
The words rose all the way to my throat. My blood ran cold at the realization that I would have to kill this man.
“I’ll try making contact once. If it’s someone like you, sir, Gusan will welcome you with open arms.”
“Excuse me...? Gusan?”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve followed Oh-seonsu a few times when he went to trade.”
Gusan? What was he talking about right now?
“You mean Gusan, not Daeheung?”
“I don’t know much about that place. Do you want to go to Daeheung, sir? Why?”
Jang Young-min looked surprised. They say you have to listen to a Korean until the very end… My tension snapped, and I even felt a twinge of guilt.
“But sir, if you’re going to move, you’d be better off going to a bigger place. Gusan is… well, it’s a bit of a peculiar place, but they’ll treat you well enough.”
I almost went after an innocent man. The fact that Jang Young-min wasn’t the spy came to me as a silent relief.
Jang Young-soo and Jang Young-min. I didn’t want to kill both brothers with my own hands.
“There’s some logic to what you’re saying, Young-min.”
“Right? They might even promote you to a 1st Class official.”
“A 1st Class official?”
“Ah, that’s their ranking system. Officials range from 3rd Class to 1st Class, and being 1st Class is basically being Baek Gusan’s right-hand man. 3rd Class is the bottom rung, but it’s still way better than being a commoner.”
Well, it wasn’t exactly a topic that piqued my interest. I had no intention of entering Gusan in the first place. Instead, I pondered how I could use this conversation to my advantage. If Daeheung intended to recruit me, I had to answer like this to get them to move.
“Honestly, a shelter that big is a bit burdensome. There would be so much work to do, and so many things to worry about.”
“I suppose with all the benefits come a lot of annoying tasks. I understand what you mean.”
“I’d prefer a shelter of a reasonable size that can trade with Gusan. Do you know of any?”
“No, not really… but I’ll look into it. If I ask around, something might turn up, right?”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Oh, right. I’ll keep this a secret. It would be troublesome if word got out for no reason.”
Jang Young-min bowed his head slightly. Seeing that, I thought of something I really wanted to ask. I caught him just as he was about to leave the auditorium.
“If I had said I was moving to Gusan, were you planning to go with me?”
“Hey, they wouldn’t take a guy like me. It’s a small society there. There are so many people that they don’t just take anyone.”
“You told me to leave together earlier.”
“If I took you to Gusan, how could I stay in Osori? I’d be branded a traitor and have to deal with all the glares. Ugh, I hate that.”
“Then what were you going to do?”
“Well, just… wander around, and if I’m lucky, I’ll find another shelter. Or, I’ll just survive on my own.”
He said that even knowing the consequences? No matter how I thought about it, it was hard to understand. Jang Young-min’s words and actions didn’t seem to consider his own benefit at all.
“If I go to Gusan, you have to leave Osori, so why did you recommend it? You know well that becoming a drifter without a faction is a suicide mission.”
“I told you. I’ll do anything for you, sir.”
“Excuse me…?”
“You seemed like you wanted to move shelters, so I just recommended a suitable place. That’s all.”
Jang Young-min smiled faintly and left the auditorium. The more I chewed on his words, the more I felt a sense of indebtedness piling up in my heart.
Since they must have heard everything through the wiretap, they would bite soon. As planned, I sent a private radio message to Han Jiyoung. She was already waiting near the shelter.
When I stepped outside, the work crew was gathered in front of the classroom. Jang Young-min had originally been the representative of the work crew, but it seemed a new one had emerged since he switched to the search team.
“Then, I will synthesize everyone’s opinions and speak officially.”
“Good. It’s better for a representative to go than for everyone to swarm over there.”
The new representative of the work crew was a man named Kim Kang-hyun. I heard he had graduated from medical school and was on the path to becoming a specialist when the zombie outbreak hit. He was that very doctor said to be in Osori Shelter.
“Hello.”
“Ah? You must be the rumored Hunter. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Kim Kang-hyun.”
“I’m Lee Cheon-il.”
Even in a ruined world, his appearance was neat, and his hair was well-groomed. His slightly cracked glasses, which contrasted with his look, were impressive. Kim Kang-hyun reached out for a handshake.
“Quite a lot happened while I was away on dispatch.”
“I heard about the dispatch, too. You went to Gusan.”
“It’s an era where a doctor’s touch is precious, isn’t it? Haha.”
“I suppose so.”
“Don’t even get me started. There are quite a lot of Hunters in Gusan, right? But what of it? They come back injured every day and annoy me. Even if you’re a Hunter, if you don’t get treated in time, your life is as good as a fly’s.”
He curled one corner of his mouth and shrugged. It was a look of someone drunk on superiority. It was our first meeting, but I had already calculated what kind of person he was.
“Are you going to the shelter manager?”
“People’s complaints are quite severe. I intend to settle this once and for all.”
How did he intend to settle it? Watching his face, which had become as determined as possible, I swallowed my words. As a high-nosed doctor, he clearly wouldn’t listen to the advice of a Senior Hunter.
“Let’s talk again next time. I’m busy right now, so excuse me.”
“Yes.”
He walked with long strides toward Oh Jung-hwan’s private quarters. Unlike the momentum of his steps, he couldn’t ring the bell in front of the door and was just rummaging through his notebook for no reason.
“Gusan must really work their Hunters to the bone.”
“…?”
It was the bald man, Choi Hyun-ho. The sunlight reflected off his shiny head, making me squint slightly. When I frowned without realizing it, he tactfully put on a hat.
“You’re off duty.”
“Nothing to do, and I’m bored. Though it’s not much different here.”
“That’s why I’m heading off.”
“Leaving already?”
“Why?”
He acted like a dog that needed to relieve itself, unable to decide what to do, before naturally walking alongside me. He brought up the main point when we were about halfway across the playground.
“I’ve got a bit of a headache, will you help me out?”
“Asking for help out of the blue?”
“Let’s just do me a favor this once. With your skills, it’ll be nothing.”
“Are there zombies gathered somewhere?”
“Well, something like that.”
He mumbled his answer and semi-forcibly grabbed my shoulder. He remained silent even as we left the shelter and traveled for a long time. Honestly, if I didn’t feel that something was suspicious, there would be a problem with my sensory abilities.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Geez. I told you, you’ll know when we get there.”
“It’s troublesome if you keep doing this.”
“Over there, over there. We’re here.”
The place he took me to was a famous brand gym located in the basement. What kind of help could he possibly need at a gym? Surely, he wasn’t looking for a workout buddy.
‘…So it was you.’
Gyms are at the bottom of the scavenging priority list, so even if zombies were gathered there, there was no reason to come here. By now, it wasn’t suspicion, but certainty. I thought to myself while signaling with my radio. I was glad I brought my revolver today.
“Mr. Choi Hyun-ho.”
“…….”
When I turned the corner of the entrance and stepped inside, countless gun barrels were aimed at me. About ten people. They were using the exercise equipment as cover and had their guns mounted.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance, but from our perspective, we had no choice.”
Choi Hyun-ho also pulled out a gun and aimed it at me. He didn’t intend to kill me right away. If that were the goal, the abandoned factory—or even just now—would have been an opportunity.
“You already know about us, right? Let’s cut to the chase and just tell me what you think.”
“What do you mean, what I think?”
“Whether you’re going to be with us or not.”
“The answer seems to be decided already.”
Scanning their appearances, the situation didn’t look favorable. Choi Hyun-ho was relatively fine, but the others had sunken faces, as if they hadn’t been eating properly.
“Let me ask first. Why are you targeting Osori?”
“No. Just answer my question.”
Choi Hyun-ho pulled the charging handle. With a metallic click, ammunition entered the chamber. Now, if he just pulled the trigger, a gunshot would ring out.
“Calm down.”
“If you don’t stand with us, I have no choice but to kill you. If you stand on our side, it would be a big help, but if you’re on the opposing side, you’re a dangerous individual.”
These people had no emotions. To them, anyone who threatened them—whether it was an Alpha, a runner, or an old colleague—was just the same enemy. And I never hesitated when dealing with enemies. Enemies are just to be killed. No other reason is needed. That alone was sufficient justification and motivation.
“Before that, what are your plans moving forward?”
I didn’t mention the wiretap. There was still one more piece of information I needed to find out. If they knew I had eavesdropped, they would realize this moment was a trap I had set.
“Plans?”
“You have to tell me that for me to decide whether to be on your side or not.”
“Hmm.”
Choi Hyun-ho hesitated for a moment before lowering his gun.
“We’re going to occupy Osori Shelter and take that place. We’ll also continue to trade with Gusan. We’ll strive for a smooth relationship.”
“Is there a reason you must attack Osori?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Why is it none of my concern? Gusan doesn’t trade with just any shelter. I heard you need a certain scale to open trade.”
“…….”
“You won’t be able to do it with this many people. It’s best to absorb some of the Osori members.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
“How many members do you have right now?”
“Seven, including me. If you come, it’ll be eight.”
The final key was inserted. Counting with my eyes, there were exactly seven people. It meant there were no remaining forces if I killed just the ones here. This was the last piece of information I needed to uncover.
“Is your curiosity satisfied? Now answer me.”
“You people are no match for me. You know that well.”
“That’s if your head is made of steel.”
If I had stalled for this long, Han Jiyoung would have finished her preparations. She was probably waiting for my signal behind me.
“Let’s start.”
“What?”
“Jiyoung.”
Poo-shook—!
Along with the signal, a smoke grenade was thrown. White smoke billowed out. At the same time, I pulled out my revolver and fired precisely in the directions I had checked beforehand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Argh.”
“Ugh!”
Amidst the blurred vision, the sound of gunfire and dying gasps mixed like a dissonance.
“Senior, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Three shots with my left hand, four with my right. Exactly seven shots. When I finished firing, only faint groans could be heard. And I knew all too well whose groans they were.
Six of them were headshots, so they died instantly. I had left only one person alive. I had shot Choi Hyun-ho in the right abdomen.
“Why did you do it? There could have been a way for us to coexist.”
“Shit…!”
The smoke was still thick, and I didn’t have to look at his face. The smoke, which showed no signs of settling, covered even the remaining guilt in me.
“If you hadn’t attacked us, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Haa…! Even if I could turn back time, my choice would be the same.”
“Then why?”
“Heh heh! Do you guys tr-trust Oh Jung-hwan? You poor bastards. That man is… *cough!*”
His breath, as if it were about to cut off, continued intermittently. Whether blood was filling his throat, I couldn’t hear any more of his words. Soon, even his breathing stopped.
A space where someone’s life had ceased. In the brief moment before the smoke settled completely, I bowed my head for him for the first and last time.