The Downpour
The suspended 'Drizzle' operation had resumed.
Because of the trap that had injured Kim Inbeom and nearly wiped out the search team, the operational plan had been slightly modified. First, the groups previously divided into A, B, and C were integrated into one. Oh Junghwan had assigned everyone except for me, Han Jiyoung, and Kim Inbeom to search activities. This was because the food stockpiled in the shelter had completely run out after more than a week without any external operations.
"Let's go."
Han Jiyoung and Kim Inbeom were the highest-combat-power individuals among the Osori members. Because of this, I, as the team leader, decided to change the nature of the operation. Not a 'Drizzle,' but a 'Downpour.'
"If we try to chip away at them with this many people, it'll take too long. Let's push ourselves a bit and pick up the pace."
"I will unconditionally follow your decision, Senior!"
"I'm... well, I'll do whatever you say."
Though they didn't show it on the outside, it was reassuring to have guys who could pull at least their own weight. As I was about to leave the shelter, Kim Kanghyun was waiting for me at the entrance.
"Are you heading out for the operation?"
"Yes."
Kim Kanghyun fiddled with his fingers for a moment before pulling a couple of chocolate bars from his pocket. He turned his head away as if he were looking at something else, handing them over nonchalantly.
"Why are you giving me these?"
"...Eat one whenever your blood sugar drops."
"Are you worried about me right now?"
"If you don't like it, forget it."
As Kim Kanghyun started to pull his hand back, I snatched them away quickly. Beside me, Han Jiyoung wrinkled her nose as if she had seen something she shouldn't have.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy them."
"Ahem, ahem. And, uh... I'll be standing by, just in case."
"Standing by for what?"
"Ah, no... you might get hurt during the operation. I'm just... standing by so I can treat you immediately."
"I can't hear you well. What was that?"
"Damn it. Seriously."
Kim Kanghyun muttered something under his breath and walked away as if fleeing. Seeing his back, clad in a high-mobility t-shirt, cotton pants, and worn-out sneakers, laughter bubbled up inside me.
"What's with him? Why is that guy acting like that?"
"Isn't that the person who came to the main auditorium yesterday? His attitude has changed a lot, hasn't it?"
Han Jiyoung and Kim Inbeom had question marks floating over their faces. Then, Han Jiyoung, who had been staring at me, asked with a suspicious look.
"Did you somehow brainwash him, Senior? How did you manage that with a guy like him?"
" 'How' is informal language, kid."
"How did you do it?"
"Just. Well."
"Tch."
We were heading toward the university. The destination was the main gate. Since Do-jin was handling the scouting, we arrived quickly. When we reached the entrance, I pulled two logging axes from my backpack. Han Jiyoung's weapon was, as always, a katana, and Kim Inbeom had fixed a bayonet to his rifle.
"Senior, should I lend you a sword?"
"I prefer using both hands."
"This one is used with both hands, too?"
"One in each hand, you brat."
"Yes, sir. I only have one anyway."
"Do you want to die?"
Han Jiyoung giggled. Seeing her joke around so often lately, it seemed I had become quite familiar to her. Kim Inbeom couldn't break into our banter and just hovered around us.
"But why is your backpack so stuffed?"
"Ah... I just packed this and that."
"What did you bring? Open it."
Inside the backpack, which looked heavy even from the outside, were a blanket, five bottles of water, and dozens of magazines. A single magazine held 30 rounds of ammunition. The weight of a single bullet was negligible, but a full magazine was quite heavy.
"You packed all of this?"
"Ah, just in case. After what happened last time, I thought it would be better to be prepared."
"What's this? Cigarettes?"
I knew he was a smoker, but wasn't a whole carton a bit much? We weren't trading with Gusan, so I didn't know why he'd packed such a large amount.
"Inbeom is a chain smoker."
"Even so, do you smoke 10 packs a day?"
When I looked at him with disbelief, Kim Inbeom scratched his head.
"Ah, no. It's not that I'm going to smoke them all, but I intend to use them tactically."
"What are you talking about? Speak so I can understand."
"Zombies are sensitive to sound and smell. From what I've seen, they are especially sensitive to the smell of cigarettes."
"So?"
"It's safer to lure them with smell than with sound. Humans can hear sound well, but they can't smell like that. It's especially good for luring the ones inside."
I swallowed a faint exclamation of admiration at Kim Inbeom's words. He was a guy with thorough preparation. It was even more so compared to Han Jiyoung, who just brought a single sword.
"Smell is better?"
"I've verified it several times. The smell of cigarettes is much more effective than making noise."
It was a fact I hadn't known because I wasn't a smoker. If Kim Inbeom's words were true, it was a good method. Noise had the inconvenience of needing to be repeated periodically, but once a cigarette was lit, it lasted for several minutes. If we used this, the applications were endless.
"Impressive. Well done."
"Haha... It's nothing."
"Smoke a cigarette."
"Really? Is it okay?"
"I thought you were a chain smoker."
I thought about it from Kim Inbeom's perspective. It was true that his combat ability was lacking compared to Han Jiyoung and me, so he must have wanted to compensate for it somehow. The young man with the short hair started to look different to me. Perhaps he might even be better than Han Jiyoung?
"I'm done smoking!"
Kim Inbeom, perhaps feeling sorry for delaying us because of him, hurriedly puffed on it, spat it out, and extinguished the flame. He looked like a retriever, smiling happily as if he felt better now that his nicotine levels were topped up.
"You'll ruin your lungs like that."
"I'm fine. But I don't know how I should address you."
"Do whatever is comfortable for you."
"Then, Mister? Uncle?"
"Hyung."
"Hyung. Understood."
"Oh? Then what about me? Oppa?"
"Get lost."
"Yes, sir."
The first place we were to target was the dormitory building where the trap had been set. Because we had fired shots during our previous escape, more zombies had gathered there. Han Jiyoung, as if to show off her skills, dashed out first.
*Kuk!*
*Kuek!*
Han Jiyoung, who had disposed of seven of them in an instant, turned around. She had a look on her face that was clearly waiting for praise, but I lightly ignored her and passed her by.
*Thwack! Kk! Kraaak!*
*Crack! Swish! Kuk!*
Roughly fifteen of them fell. When I shrugged my shoulders, Han Jiyoung pouted her lips.
"Damn it... dual-wielding is a cheat code."
"You said you were dual-wielding, too."
"It's annoying."
Next was Kim Inbeom's turn. He stood in a classic bayonet stance with his rifle held at a 30-degree angle. He pierced the space between the eyes of the first one as if thrusting a spear. As he pushed away the corpse that had lost power, the next one rushed in. Kim Inbeom dodged to the left and swung his bayonet horizontally. The zombie's neck hung on its shoulder as it staggered and collapsed to the floor. Even if his processing speed wasn't fast, his posture was stable.
"Not bad? Your fundamentals are solid."
"Whew. I have a long way to go compared to you, Hyung. Please teach me a lot. I learn anything quickly."
"No, why aren't you praising me?"
"Are you the same as someone from the training facility? If Inbeom had graduated from the facility, he would have scored 3 points higher than you."
"...Seriously, so annoying."
We entered the dormitory building. The air was dark and damp. Whether it was water leaking from the ceiling in the first-floor lobby, there were puddles scattered across the floor. With the smell of mold added to the humid air, even breathing through my mouth was uncomfortable. The notices on the wall, the old fire hydrant, the broken elevator. In a landscape where time had stopped, only the smell of decay proved that this was the domain of the monsters.
"Wait a moment."
Kim Inbeom pulled out three cigarettes, lit them simultaneously, and placed them near the window gaps and the stairs. Seeing him do it so skillfully, it seemed he knew the reaction range of the monsters per cigarette well.
"Look at this. I told you he was better than you."
"Damn it... Hey, Kim Inbeom. Don't get too cocky, okay?"
Kim Inbeom didn't even reply and was looking up the stairs. Seeing him put a finger to his lips, it seemed he was trying to listen for sounds. The smoke spread slowly. The distinct, foul smell. Before long, the slow footsteps of the monsters began to be heard.
"They're coming."
"The stairs are narrow, so let's take turns one by one."
"Yes, Hyung."
"What about my opinion? Am I invisible?"
"Han Jiyoung, you start first."
"Tch."
The figures of the monsters appeared. First, their shadows. Then their bodies appeared, and the sound of fingernails scratching the concrete wall echoed. Their heads were half-sunken, and dark red slime flowed from their mouths. As soon as one came down the stairs, Han Jiyoung thrust her sword toward it. The blade embedded itself between its eyebrows. Twisting her wrist to pull the sword out, she split the head of the one behind it in half. Three, four, five. Every time the katana danced, corpses piled up at a rapid pace. Han Jiyoung, gaining momentum, began to strike down the monsters while moving up the stairs in reverse.
"Jiyoung, come down and face them one by one."
"You said we should push ourselves and pick up the pace, Senior. Just watch from there. Kim Inbeom, you too."
"......"
Han Jiyoung was already halfway up the floor. While it might be advantageous to face them while moving down, moving up was disadvantageous in terms of positioning. She was a hunter who was only 3 points short of being a Senior Hunter, so I thought, *wouldn't this be fine?* But as I thought that, I followed Han Jiyoung up the stairs.
"Ugh, these tiresome things!"
Han Jiyoung was in a half-trance state. When she passed the second floor and reached the third, she looked physically exhausted, yet she didn't retreat. Instead, she gritted her teeth, squeezed out the remaining energy, and swung her sword.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Let's switch now."
"Forget it. I'm going to handle everything here!"
I started to get worried. Had I teased the proud Han Jiyoung too much? Even though I tried to stop her belatedly, she didn't listen at all.
"Huh?!"
That was the moment we entered the third-floor hallway. The door of a room that had been closed burst open as if it were being smashed. And from within, a runner zombie rushed toward Han Jiyoung like lightning.
"Jiyoung!"
"Ugh!"
Han Jiyoung reflexively held her sword horizontally to block the monster's teeth. It was truly a split-second moment. If her reaction speed had been even a little slower, her neck would have been bitten right through.
*Swish—! Thwack!*
The logging axe I had thrown quickly embedded itself deep into the monster's temple. As it collapsed with a *thud*, Han Jiyoung gasped for the breath she had been holding.
"Huff. Huff. Damn it..."
"What the hell! Did you eat what you learned at the training facility? A hunter letting her guard down in the field!?"
My heart sank. I thought it was a huge relief that Han Jiyoung was safe, but the exact opposite words poured out of my mouth like a downpour.
"Are you not focusing? How can I trust you when you act like this?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it just happened..."
Han Jiyoung was trembling slightly with her head bowed. It was such a relief she didn't die. I was so grateful, but why was I so angry? I hadn't been harmed, so why was I glaring at Han Jiyoung as if I wanted to kill her?
"Haa."
As I let out a long breath, a feeling slowly raised its head within me. Worry, and something even deeper rooted than that. Suddenly, for some reason, the face of the Bishop came to mind. The one who had hurled harsh words and insults at me without rest, even though I had scored over 900 points. I hadn't known then. Why he was so cruel. Why he pushed us to our limits. Did that person, whom my peers cursed as a crazy psycho, know the world would change like this? Was that why he hoped even one more of his disciples would survive?
"Haa."
"I'm truly sorry... I'll make sure this doesn't happen again. I really will."
"...I got it, so get up. The floor is dirty."
Watching Han Jiyoung on the verge of tears, I was finally able to understand the Bishop's true heart. That he had cherished us dearly. And that I, too, cherished Han Jiyoung.