The Mart Uprising
Before the alliance departed, Dohyun asked Daon if she could walk to the Mart. “Think you can make it to the Mart on foot?”
“The Mart…? Yes, I should be able to get that far… Ah!”
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Daon suddenly cried out and stopped mid-sentence. Dohyun, worried she might be in pain, asked anxiously, his face etched with concern. Though Dohyun was genuinely serious, Daon’s seriousness came from an entirely different reason. She lowered her head to hide her expression and thought, ‘I almost threw away a perfect opportunity!’
With a bright idea in mind, Daon lifted her head and looked at Dohyun. Moments ago she had seemed fine, but now she began acting as though she might collapse at any second. “Ah… Oppa… Actually… I don’t think I can walk all the way to the Mart… I get dizzy with every step…”
“Ah, that won’t do… What should we do…?”
Daon’s complexion looked so poor that Dohyun had no choice but to believe her. And he wasn’t the only one fooled by her performance.
“Is there a stretcher left?”
“Plenty. I’ll bring one right away.”
Nayoon and Jaehun exchanged those words, and Jaehun immediately moved to fetch a stretcher. But that wasn’t what Daon wanted, so she quickly stopped him.
“W-wait a second… Jaehun oppa!”
“Hm…?”
“It’s just… being carried on a stretcher feels a little embarrassing…”
“Ah…”
The group accepted that reasoning. They put their heads together again to figure out another solution. Then Daon carefully voiced what she truly wanted. “Could someone… carry me on their back instead? That wouldn’t feel as embarrassing…”
“If that’s the case… should I carry you?”
The first to volunteer was Seorin. Thanks to her stats, there was no need for a man to do the carrying—she could easily manage Daon. But that wasn’t what Daon wanted either.
“Uh, unnie, you only just got treated… I can’t allow that!”
“It’s fine, really.”
“No, absolutely not!”
“Then who’s going to carry her…?”
Since Daon was the one who had treated them, no one could argue against her words. You had to listen to the doctor. After scanning for a suitable candidate, Daon stopped stalling and locked eyes with the person she truly wanted—Dohyun.
“How about you carry me, oppa?”
“Me? Are you sure that’s okay…?”
“You’re the reason I ended up like this, so take responsibility!”
“……”
When they thought about it, Dohyun was the only one who met all the conditions. Though he had been badly injured, he had already received treatment and recovered some stamina after a good night’s sleep. Among those who fit the criteria, he was also the closest to Daon.
“Daon, does it really have to be him?”
“Why?”
“Ah, no reason…”
Seorin looked displeased with how things had turned out, but even she had to admit Dohyun was the best choice—as long as he didn’t have any lewd intentions. Since Daon herself said it was fine, Seorin let it go.
Cheeks flushed, Dohyun walked over to Daon, bent his knees, and lowered himself so she could easily climb on. “This kind of reward—no, I’ll take full responsibility to the end. Hurry up and get on!”
“Okay~!”
Daon, who had been wearing a pained expression just seconds earlier, instantly brightened and threw herself onto Dohyun’s back with a soft thud.
“Oppa, am I heavy?”
“Not at all!”
He felt like he could carry her for the rest of his life without any problem. Was it really okay to receive such a sweet punishment? Seorin clicked her tongue and looked away entirely. ‘Ugh, I don’t want to watch this… And Daon, you little…’
Seorin had seen Daon switch expressions in an instant and finally realized it had all been an act. Still, she didn’t say anything more. Her exhausted little sister looked so happy…
‘Would he carry me too if I got hurt…?’
They set off with good news, only to find people blocking the entrance to the Mart—clearly not there to welcome them. Everyone’s expressions darkened instantly.
“Oppa… the atmosphere feels off, doesn’t it…?”
“Yeah… Daon, you should get down now.”
“Okay.”
Dohyun gently set Daon down amid the tense mood, then moved behind Nayoon and Jaehun. More people emerged from the Mart and approached their group. They were all Nayoon’s people, and they quickly explained what had happened in detail.
After hearing the report, Jaehun clenched his teeth and thought, ‘So it finally came to this…!’
He looked at Nayoon. She was his biggest concern. He decided to stop overthinking it—he would simply follow whatever decision she made.
While they waited for the explanation to finish, a middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd and spoke loudly. Speaking quietly outdoors was basic courtesy, but he clearly lacked even that.
“You’ve heard what the boss has to say, right? We’ll take some of the workload off her shoulders. We’ll handle the food management and the Mart’s operations, so all the boss needs to do is keep protecting us like she always has!”
“What the hell is that old man saying?”
“He must be senile.”
“How dare he say that!”
“This place was ours to begin with. What right do people who showed up later have to talk like that?”
Whether they were gangsters or ordinary survivors, Nayoon’s people were all furious at the middle-aged man’s words. Nayoon silenced them with a single command.
“Quiet!”
““……””
The middle-aged man smirked at the sight. ‘Yes, just keep acting like that!’
Wanting more information, Dohyun quietly asked Jaehun, “What’s going on? Who is that guy?”
“Well…”
Jaehun figured Dohyun had every right to know and began explaining what had happened at the Mart. “His name is Kwak Donghyuk—the fat guy over there. He arrived a few days ago… and started causing trouble from day one.”
Jaehun recalled Kwak Donghyuk’s first impression. Despite being in a position to receive help, the man had immediately started with “Do you know who I am?” followed by constant complaints like “The food portions are too small!” and “The sleeping arrangements are uncomfortable!” There was no thicker-skinned person alive.
“And no one stopped him?”
“We tried. We thought he’d quieted down, but after he arrived, more and more people started voicing the same complaints. When we looked into it, it turned out he’d been stirring them up…”
That wasn’t the real problem. At the time, it had only been a matter of people gathering to grumble. Nayoon had ordered them to be ignored—everyone had the freedom to complain, and she didn’t want to suppress even that. If she did her job well, things would eventually improve. Her only mistake was underestimating just how greedy Donghyuk was and failing to anticipate he would go this far…
All she could say was that she had been ‘complacent.’
“So they waited until you and Nayoon were gone to pull this stunt?”
Nayoon had made a mistake, but that didn’t excuse the sheer audacity of these people. Repaying kindness with betrayal like this was unacceptable.
“That’s right…”
Jaehun tried to stay calm, but it wasn’t easy. Nayoon and Donghyuk continued their conversation.
“First of all, many people need rest right now. We can discuss this later.”
“No, there’s a saying about striking while the iron is hot. Let’s settle this before we go inside. There’s no need to drag this out! Or is it that you don’t want to give up your power?”
Nayoon tried to suggest handling things gradually and peacefully, but Donghyuk showed no intention of compromising. The people behind him had joined this protest, yet Nayoon’s reputation wasn’t actually that bad. Donghyuk knew this, which was why he was pushing so hard now.
Nayoon was at a loss for words. This was her weak point. She was a soldier to the core. As Donghyuk said, a soldier’s only duty was to protect the people—nothing more. Honestly, what Donghyuk was suggesting aligned with her own ideals. The problem was… whether Donghyuk was truly the right person for it. Even thinking that much felt wrong, but she couldn’t help it.
“Well? Make your decision quickly!”
Donghyuk noticed Nayoon hesitating and pressed her harder. The people behind him kept demanding answers as well.
“I…”
“Wait!”
The one who stepped in when Nayoon tried to speak was Dohyun. He grabbed Nayoon’s wrist, pulled her behind him, and took her place at the front.
“Dohyun…?”
“Leave this to me.”
“……”
With that, Dohyun turned his gaze away from Nayoon as if he wouldn’t listen to any more objections and looked straight at Donghyuk.
Donghyuk spoke incredulously. “Who are you? You look like a student—don’t butt into adult conversations!”
“Who the hell are you?”
“W-what—?!”
He had been ready to scold Dohyun for his lack of respect as an elder, but Dohyun’s retort made him forget everything and explode with anger. In his world, that kind of response was unacceptable.
“Kids these days have no manners!”
“You’re the one with no manners. Stirring people up and starting a rebellion the moment no one’s around!”
“Rebellion? We’re simply making legitimate demands! Isn’t it only natural for soldiers to protect the people? A soldier’s only job should be that! Even someone young like you should understand what happens when soldiers get a taste of power!”
“Not a single thing you said is right. First of all, Nayoon isn’t a soldier anymore, and she has no obligation to protect you. She’s only doing it because she’s kind!”
“She’s not a soldier?!”
“There’s no government left, so where are the soldiers? Where are the citizens?”
“Hah, the young punk’s got some dangerous ideas!”
The verbal sparring continued, and the crowd’s excitement grew. While speaking, Dohyun checked the levels of the people who had caused this mess.
The results were pathetic. Plenty of them were only Level 1, and most hadn’t even reached Level 3. In contrast, Nayoon’s side averaged around Level 10. These people still couldn’t let go of the past—even though the world had changed completely, and in the opposite direction.
Donghyuk led his group forward, growing closer. They had the numbers, so they believed they could win if it came to a fight. They also held the naive assumption that the other side wouldn’t dare harm them if they truly had no power. Of course, Nayoon would never resort to violence no matter what happened. But Dohyun was different.
He purchased a crude spear from the Coin Shop—the one he had been using had melted beyond recognition. “Hup!”
Dohyun swung the new spear and carved a line into the brick floor, gouging out a deep groove. The crowd, stunned by the display, stopped advancing.
“Eek!”
“W-what was that?!”
“M-magic…?”
“How can a person do something like that…?!”
“Anyone who crosses this line won’t be shown any mercy!”
Dohyun glared at them and issued his warning. Even ordinary people could understand the implication. If they crossed that line, they would truly face the consequences…
He meant every word.