Could I Kill Them?
Yoon Taesik watched as Cheonil walked out from among the people.
Standing well over 180 centimeters tall, his sturdy frame was clearly defined beneath his tech-wear. His cold, dead gaze and expressionless face were truly intimidating.
“?!”
Cheonil pulled out a greatsword and pressed it against Yoon Taesik’s throat. It was sharpened so finely that the mere touch made the skin at his neck sting.
“What the hell is this guy?!”
Yoon Taesik stumbled back, but he quickly lifted his head and shouted at the top of his lungs. He was desperately acting as if he were unfazed, but Cheonil saw right through that psychological facade.
“Could I kill you, or could I not?”
“Ha, haha… Hey, brother? What is this guy? Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this to us?”
“Don’t change the subject. Answer the question. Do you think I couldn’t kill you?”
Yoon Taesik glanced at his companions. The remaining two were just as terrified. Fearing that if they stepped in, their own throats might be slit, they avoided Yoon Taesik’s gaze.
“Answer me.”
“Aagh!”
Cheonil applied pressure to his hand. The blade of the greatsword, digging slightly deeper into his neck, felt exceptionally cold.
‘He really intends to kill me…!’
Yoon Taesik could sense killing intent to some degree. A man who truly intends to kill has a different look in his eyes. He doesn’t jump around like Han Jiyoung; he just quietly cuts you down.
Only then did Yoon Taesik lower his eyes and speak in a voice that trailed off into a whimper.
“How about we put this away and talk…?”
“Keep acting up. Killing the likes of you is nothing to me.”
“I get it, so let’s, let’s talk. We’re sorry….”
According to all the information they had gathered, there was no one in Osori capable of killing a Gusan member. This was true for any small or medium-sized shelter. What kind of lunatic would want to make an enemy of Gusan? Their ability to act as they pleased was rooted in this very certainty—the conviction that no matter how much they abused their power, they would never be killed.
‘This guy is different….’
That certainty was wavering. If he had talked back just one more time, a red line would have been drawn across his throat.
As Cheonil withdrew the greatsword, the strength drained from Yoon Taesik’s body, and his legs began to tremble.
“Nine o’clock.”
“Huh…?”
“Show up at nine.”
“Y-yeah. I’ll be there at nine starting tomorrow….”
“Oh, right.”
SLAP—!
Cheonil struck Yoon Taesik across the cheek. It was so fast he hadn’t even seen it coming. It felt like being hit by a cast-iron pot lid. He blinked for a moment, only to find himself sprawled on the floor of the auditorium.
“That’s the price for laying hands on someone yesterday. From now on, whatever you do, I will pay you back in kind. I’ll keep Gusan’s requirements, so don’t act out—just stay quiet and keep your heads down.”
“…….”
“Answer me.”
“Y-yeah. I got it.”
“Get lost.”
The surveillance team scrambled to leave. As Yoon Taesik rubbed his cheek, he realized one fact: that man was the ‘wild man’ who had recently joined, and he was no ordinary human.
***
After they left, I patted Han Jiyoung on the shoulder. I hadn’t realized she had such a weakness. No wonder her attacks had been so predictable when we first fought….
“Are you okay?”
“……I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for? Don’t worry about it.”
In truth, Hunters were beings created by the state to prepare for the zombie crisis. Even if they were called weapons of mass murder, their targets were zombies, not people. In reality, the school hadn’t taught them how to kill humans. If you really looked at it, I wasn’t sure what the difference was, but I could understand Han Jiyoung’s hesitation.
Han Jiyoung kept her head bowed, unable to regain her spirit. I had to offer some words of comfort to my dejected junior.
“It’s because you’re kind.”
“Me?”
“Hmm… rather than kind, what should I say? You’re soft-hearted?”
“Me?”
“Exactly.”
Perhaps sensing my intent, Han Jiyoung managed a forced smile. I didn’t know if she was just pretending to be fine on the outside, but I felt a little relieved nonetheless.
When I looked at Oh Junghwan, he just curled the corner of his lips slightly.
“Shelter leader, tell me I did a good job, too.”
“You did well. I’ll handle the fallout.”
“I didn’t do it without thinking. Even if those guys report back to Gusan, I have a defense.”
“What defense?”
“Demanding half of the spoils is an attempt to hoard supplies. But those guys were trying to start the search operations late.”
“So?”
“If the activity time decreases, the supplies decrease, too.”
“So you’re saying they were the ones acting against Gusan’s interests first?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm… now that I hear it, that makes sense. They can’t hold us solely responsible.”
The surveillance guys surely had enough brains to figure that out. Even if they felt humiliated, they wouldn’t dare tattle. If they did, they would face the backlash themselves.
“Good. You did very well.”
Oh Junghwan laughed brightly. The other members, seemingly relieved, began to speak up one by one.
“Yesterday, Oh made them drink cider, but Cheonil is even more intense.”
“For real. Seeing Yoon Taesik trembling like that was so satisfying.”
“The important thing is that they can’t look down on us anymore. If Oh broke their spirit, Cheonil crushed it.”
Of course, it wasn’t without its repercussions. The initial plan had been to keep my existence hidden from them. If they knew I was here, they would try to recruit me, and that would lead to a headache. But my thinking had changed. We wouldn’t be dragged around unilaterally unless Gusan wanted something from us. We needed at least one bargaining chip to escape their tyranny. Above all, I needed to settle the relationship with Gusan eventually.
“Looks like we’re done with searching for today. See you all tomorrow.”
“Get home safe.”
“Yeah.”
As the members left, Han Jiyoung was the last one remaining. She had been watching me so intently that I hadn’t been able to leave either. Once Oh Junghwan left and we were the only two left, she approached me.
“Senior.”
“Why are you setting such a scary mood?”
“It’s nothing else. Please teach me how to kill a person.”
“Uh…?”
The question was a bit strange. It wasn’t a conversation between hitmen, so why ask how to kill someone? Especially in an empty space with only the two of us, and with a sword strapped to her back. More than anything, Han Jiyoung’s expression was peculiar.
“Was it always this cold in here?”
“Please teach me. Next time, I really want to kill them.”
“Don’t you think this conversation is a bit weird?”
“Ah, please. It’s okay to kill people who deserve to die, right?”
“That’s even weirder, you know?”
In truth, there was nothing to teach. I had never been taught either. The school had tried to castrate the emotions of the Hunters. At first, they made us kill lab rats, then chickens and pigs. Perhaps they couldn’t bring themselves to make us kill humans, so the final stages were dogs and cows. The tool used to kill those animals was a kitchen knife. They intentionally used dull blades to force us to exert more strength, making us feel the reactions of the animals all the way to our fingertips.
The emotion the school tried to castrate was guilt. Guilt makes a person hesitate, and a momentary hesitation leads to death. Zombies were also once human. Perhaps the school thought Hunters would hesitate between the identity of a human and a zombie. In other words, the school’s teaching was intended to ensure we wouldn’t hesitate in front of a zombie; it wasn’t meant for living people.
“You can’t leave until you teach me.”
“This is something else….”
I sighed deeply at Han Jiyoung’s firm attitude.
“There’s nothing to teach, but in my case, I just think of them as enemies.”
“Enemies?”
“An enemy is just something to be killed. Whether it’s a zombie or a human. Even an old comrade.”
“Mind control, is that it?”
“Right. You cast a spell on yourself.”
“Hmm.”
Actually, I had one more reason. It was Cheonsa. For their children, parents can do anything. If I die, Cheonsa dies, too. To protect Cheonsa, I must kill the enemy in front of me. This thought was both a ‘no-win’ situation and an indulgence for me.
“I tried mind control, too, but it didn’t work well.”
“That’s natural. Even if the world has changed, our past hasn’t disappeared.”
I opened my backpack and pulled out two machetes. A hundred words were useless. One had to learn through movement.
“Come at me.”
“Suddenly…?”
“Think of me as your enemy. Come at me with the real intention to kill.”
“No matter what, how can I think of you as an enemy?”
“You never know. It might really end up that way.”
“Excuse me…?”
“Don’t worry. Even if you give it your all, you won’t be able to touch a single hair on my head.”
“Wow, are you provoking me right now?”
Han Jiyoung drew her sword. She took a middle stance in Kendo, measuring the distance.
“I don’t feel any killing intent at all. Are you not going to do this properly?”
“Hoo.”
Catching her breath, Han Jiyoung lunged with her sword. A thrust aimed at my throat. Because there was no killing intent, I felt no threat. I deflected it with my machete and continued.
“Most skilled fighters can tell if your attack is sincere or not. Just now, for instance. If you don’t thrust with the real intention to kill, you’re the one who will get hurt.”
“Augh, damn it!”
Another thrust came in. It was deeper than before, but it still lacked substance.
“Are you too stupid to understand?”
“Ha!”
Provoked, Han Jiyoung swung her sword again. I moved my body to dodge and kicked her ankle. Losing her balance, Han Jiyoung fell ungracefully and scowled.
“You’re so stupid, that’s why you get insulted by guys like that. A Hunter dragging the school’s name through the mud—I was embarrassed just watching you.”
“Wh-what?! Senior! That was too harsh!”
“I told you, I’m not your senior, I’m your enemy.”
I kicked Han Jiyoung in the face. Seeing her expression, which looked deeply shocked, made my own heart heavy. I knew well how to scrape at Han Jiyoung. The words that pierced like daggers weren’t sincere; they were a bitter medicine for the sake of teaching.
“So that’s how you’re going to play it?”
“Do you use honorifics with your enemies? You still haven’t cleared your head.”
I rushed at Han Jiyoung, who had barely managed to stand, like lightning. Even as I approached, I agonized. Where would it hurt the least?
SHAAK—!
“Ugh!”
The machete sliced through Han Jiyoung’s forearm. Her blood dripped from the shallow wound. Han Jiyoung clutched the wound and bit her lip hard.
“Damn it…!”
“An enemy is someone who targets your life. If you don’t kill them first, you die.”
All I could teach her was to attack with killing intent, no matter who was in front of her. I couldn’t teach her how to alleviate the guilt that followed. My only thought was that I had to teach her at least this much properly. That was the only way Han Jiyoung would survive for a long time.
“Damn it…! Fine, you’re my enemy.”
Han Jiyoung’s expression changed. Her eyes flashed, and her breathing calmed down. Soon, the tip of the sword she swung was filled with sharp, cold killing intent.
My heart wanted to praise her for doing well, but I acted even more ruthlessly. I blocked every attack she poured out and kicked her in the abdomen, but Han Jiyoung didn’t give me a single opening and rushed in again.
“?!”
Attacking with the intent to kill, Han Jiyoung’s true ability was being unleashed. It wasn’t the honest attacks of before, but sharp strikes that truly sought to pierce my skin. I felt that if I didn’t take this seriously, I could really die.
SHAAK!
“…!”
With a short sound, Han Jiyoung’s sword sliced my shoulder. The feeling of something sharp wetting my flesh and passing through. Blood dripped, one drop, two drops. It slowly ran down my elbow. Perhaps it was a fine blade. It had cut deeper than I had anticipated when I intended to take a glancing blow.
Han Jiyoung seemed surprised, too, and froze in place. Her eyes widened, and she dropped her sword. Her hands were trembling, and her face was pale with fear.
“Senior! Are you okay?”
“It hurts more than I thought.”
“You let me hit you on purpose, didn’t you? Why on earth would you do that!”
Han Jiyoung examined the wound, not knowing what to do. Seeing her pacing back and forth was so endearing. Without realizing it, I ruffled Han Jiyoung’s hair.
“You did well.”
“Yes…?”
“You even managed to cut your superior, so those drifters will be a piece of cake.”
Han Jiyoung blinked, then slowly rubbed her eyes. Without making a sound, she covered her face with her left arm.
“You really don’t know when to stop, do you….”
I sat beside her without a word. For a while, we did nothing, just sat there. More than the blood flowing from my shoulder, I was more concerned about the droplets of blood forming on Han Jiyoung’s forearm.