Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Find the Right Path (5)
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12.
“Long time no see, Ji-yeon.”
I flashed a grin.
Park Ji-yeon’s face turned beet red.
“Y-you, you, you saw it? That?”
“I just read the one page. This─”
“─D-don’t, don’t, don’t look! Ughhh. It’s not even edited. Just rough drafts. You can’t see it like that.”
Park Ji-yeon snatched the paper from my hand, then hurriedly gathered the rest and clutched them to her chest.
I asked in bewilderment.
“These are rough drafts, and you produced writing this good? As expected, Ji-yeon, you’re amazing.”
Park Ji-yeon froze for a moment.
“R-really?”
“You know I can’t lie.”
I pulled over an empty chair and sat down casually.
Facing her across the desk like this again after so long brought a strange feeling.
“How’s Ji-won doing?”
“Ji-won? Oh… don’t even ask.”
Park Ji-yeon wore the wistful smile typical of older siblings talking about their younger ones. She was an emotional woman who smiled a lot, and I liked that about her.
“Ever since getting help from you, Baek-jun, she’s been set on becoming a Nightmare Hunter.”
“Probably just like those kids who watch an air force parade and want to be pilots. If she comes to me, tell her I’ll flick her on the forehead.”
“I thought it was just that at first too… but this time…”
Park Ji-yeon suddenly gave a forlorn smile.
“I heard you succeeded in conquering it.”
“I wanted to tell you in person, but it’s a shame.”
“What I want to say is… I’m glad you came back alive. Really glad. I thought for sure you’d died then…”
I unconsciously twitched my eyebrow.
Then? Did Park Ji-yeon see me when I returned on the brink of death?
“Yeah. That’s right. I happened to be discharged that day.”
“…I showed you something I shouldn’t have.”
“No. I wanted to stay by your side as much as possible… but your combo partner chased me out. That female military officer. She looked ready to kill me if I didn’t leave.”
“You mean Ha-kyeong?”
“She was a bit fierce… and scary. She’s been like that since the first time we met.”
Her tone carried a hint of reproach, so I politely took Jeong Ha-kyeong’s side.
“She’s a good person once you get to know her. She came along to rescue you too, Ji-yeon. I’ll… ask her why she did that to you.”
Park Ji-yeon shook her head as if to say no need. A brief silence fell, then we both spoke at the same time.
“Are you two… dating by any chance?”
“But what’s this?”
We stared at each other blankly. Park Ji-yeon waved her hand, saying she’d answer my question first.
“It’s a newspaper. You know, since I used to be a magazine reporter.”
“A newspaper?”
“Hmm. It’s pretty shabby for a newspaper, right? Still, it’ll give hope to the suburbanites.”
“Hope…?”
“Those people don’t know what’s happening in the world right now. They don’t know how you’ve been performing, Baek-jun. They only hear about it secondhand through hunters’ gossip.”
Park Ji-yeon gazed into the distant air with a smile.
“So I wanted to tell them through writing like this. Don’t lose hope… There are great people fighting. We’ll win someday. So don’t lose hope.”
I… think I just stared in awe at Park Ji-yeon’s pure smile and her dazzling dream.
The world hadn’t collapsed yet.
There were still people who kept it a world.
That’s why I smiled weakly.
“Ugh… It’s silly, right?”
“No. I just felt ashamed of myself somehow. It was a self-deprecating laugh.”
“Why do you think that?”
At Park Ji-yeon’s question, I shifted in my seat.
“Kim Gye-sang is searching for the truth beyond the hunts. He visits the library every day. And there’s this new person I met, Seo Hwa-yoon. I can only admire her insight.”
Seo Hwa-yoon had said we couldn’t win this war by turning into slaves. That’s why she desperately pursued research and invention. Whereas I…
“I’m… not the smart type. So I’ve just been charging ahead aimlessly, thinking I just need to finish the hunts… Lately, meeting people like you, Ji-yeon, just makes me feel pathetic.”
“No, no way!”
Park Ji-yeon jumped up from her seat and leaned in close to my face. I instinctively leaned back.
“All of that is possible because of people like you, Baek-jun. Don’t you get it?”
“B-because of me? Why?”
“If I borrow a literary expression… you’re the flame, Baek-jun. A campfire. Without fire, people can’t see ahead or act properly.”
A flame…?
Are all ex-reporters that literary?
“Most people don’t want to be the world’s fire. Except for cool… righteous people like you, Baek-jun.”
“…Yeah.”
“Thanks to that fire, I can do things like this. So Baek-jun! Never put yourself down like that again.”
“Ah… yeah… Thank you.”
I wanted to convey my sincere gratitude.
It felt like a deep knot in my chest had come undone. But then an awkward air suddenly settled in.
“Ah… S-sorry, that was rude. I have this habit of getting worked up suddenly.”
Park Ji-yeon quickly pulled back her face, sat down again, and fell into awkward silence.
I joined in the silence… but glancing at the time, it seemed I should get to the main reason for coming here.
“Ji-yeon.”
“Y-yes?!”
“Thanks to the Gyonam-dong conquest, spots have opened up in Paradise. The conquest team said they’d yield 300 spots to me.”
“Hm. Exactly the number to accommodate everyone at DMC Station.”
“Yeah. That’s what I told them. Even if it’s relatively good here… living underground like this isn’t great. Come to Paradise.”
Thinking it over, Park Ji-yeon narrowed her eyes briefly before shaking her head.
“I’ll ask around. See if anyone wants to go… But most will probably stay.”
“Stay? Why stay in the suburbs on purpose?”
“DMC Station. Jeungsan Station. Saejeol Station. The stations have merged into one village-like community.”
“The stations where the suburban knight orders are stationed?”
“Yeah. But if one suddenly disappears, the others will collapse one after another.”
I fell into admiring silence again.
I see. That’s how it is. This person, these people… they’re thinking of the ones left behind.
“We’ll go later, okay? Once Jongno is fully incorporated. Then there’ll be room for all the suburbanites. You’ll escort us then, right, Baek-jun?”
She still had that playful side from our first meeting. Park Ji-yeon and I smiled at each other.
“Oh, Ji-yeon. About the suburban knight orders.”
“Th-that’s not a name I came up with. You know that, right?”
She denied it so desperately that I said I knew.
“So when leading an organization like that… were there no conflicts?”
“There were some. But I minimized them easily.”
“…How?”
“We communalized key assets. Things like bullets and medical supplies. To assure them that other stations growing stronger wouldn’t harm them.”
Park Ji-yeon smiled faintly.
“In summary, let’s all get stronger together!”
Wait. Community… communalizing…?
A tremendous idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
My god.
This could work. Yeah, this might actually work?
We might be able to save Do Ye-jin.
“Ji-yeon!”
Without realizing it, I jumped up and grabbed both her hands.
“Wh-what, what’s wrong? Suddenly?”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I think I found the answer. As expected, you’re the best, Ji-yeon.”
“S-suddenly saying that.”
Coming to DMC Station was the right call.
“I’ll head out now. I have important business today. Thank you so much for your time.”
I bowed to the flustered, blushing Park Ji-yeon and turned to leave.
“Again!”
Park Ji-yeon said.
Realizing her voice was too loud, she cleared her throat when I turned back and spoke again.
“We’ll meet again, right? You’ll… come visit again?”
“Of course.”
And so, on that first day of the apocalypse, remembering Park Ji-yeon’s courage, I teased her.
“I’m Park Ji-yeon’s lifelong betrothed, aren’t I?”
But for some reason, Park Ji-yeon looked seriously flustered, without a smile.
13.
Do Ye-jin was dragged in as the council chair.
I leaned against one corner of the wall.
Watching Im Yong-gon force Do Ye-jin to kneel in the center of the council room.
“Stay put.”
Bloodshot glares focused on Do Ye-jin. A menacing murmur rose.
“That monster…”
“Why call a council for this?”
Choi Uk, acting as interim chair, banged the desk.
“Quiet.”
The entire conquest team attended the disposition council. Choi Uk sat at the chair’s seat, while the rest lined up along the walls on either side.
Yes, I was with Do Su-jin.
My assigned duty was to restrain Do Su-jin’s impulsive actions.
“Do Ye-jin. I trust you understand why you’re here.”
Choi Uk said.
“We have a few things to confirm before the final decision. Just answer honestly.”
His tone was coercive, his gaze even more so. Do Ye-jin nodded with a composed expression.
“You emerged from the subordinate Arishel’rap’s corpse yesterday afternoon at 13:00. Correct?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“You heard? What does that mean?”
This interrogation was merely summarizing the lengthy statement in dialogue form.
It was enough to make anyone tense, but Do Ye-jin calmly and steadily finished her testimony. Choi Uk said.
“Shin Tae-yeop. Is Do Ye-jin’s past history factual?”
“Yes. It’d be hard to issue proof documents, but if requested, I’ll ask the Star Messenger.”
No one laughed at the pun. Choi Uk looked back at Do Ye-jin.
“In short, you’re saying you didn’t control that power.”
“Yes. I have no memory of it.”
“But listen. A bullet was fired, yet no one pulled the trigger? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the gun was faulty. I didn’t pull the trigger.”
Do Ye-jin answered steadfastly, and an ominous air settled over the council room. Someone shouted.
“Shut that impudent mouth─”
“─Quiet.”
Choi Uk slammed the desk.
The team member who’d been about to argue backed off with a flushed, purple face.
“I’ll ask the questions. Then, Do Ye-jin. You’re saying you harbor no hostility toward all of humanity?”
“I’ve never even thought it. Really.”
Choi Uk tapped the statement with his finger. A gesture emphasizing objective facts, probably.
“But you came to around 19:00 that day and, while trying to escape, even tore off the arm of the hunter guarding you. What’s that about? No memory of this either?”
The revelation shocked them, and the team members began murmuring.
“Really?”
“So she lied?”
“She’s completely insane.”
As Do Ye-jin tried to defend herself.
“That was─”
“─Kill her! Kill her right now!”
Someone yelled. Do Ye-jin shouted toward them.
“I didn’t even know I had that kind of power!”
“Shut up, you monster bitch!”
“I was just so startled I tried to shake him off, and that’s what happened!”
Surrounded by relentless voices pouring in from all sides, Do Ye-jin’s voice began to waver.
“It’s true. It’s really true.”
“Who’d believe your bullshit!”
“Lying so brazenly… disgusting.”
I grabbed Do Su-jin’s shoulder as she tried to rush forward, unable to bear it.
“Let go.”
“You know it’ll only make things worse if you go out now.”
Do Su-jin panted heavily, lifting her head defiantly. Moisture glistened in her cold eyes.
“Then… then what am I supposed to do? How can I just sit here while my sister’s treated like that?”
Watching these sisters was painful. But… this wasn’t the time to let emotions take over.
“Wait. The best Su-jin can do right now is wait.”
I looked back at the council room.
Should I step in now…?
No, not yet. A better moment will come. Choi Uk said.
“This concludes the testimony verification. Now, let’s hear disposition proposals for Do Ye-jin. Anyone wish to speak?”
The first to raise a hand… was predictably so.
Cha Seung-hyeon.