Are You Being Cheeky?
There is a saying that when a welcome guest is coming, a magpie will chirp. That is why, in Korea, the magpie is considered a bird of good omen. However, the same can be said for the crow. Both are territorial animals, and they share the habit of chirping when a stranger enters their domain. In other words, both are capable of distinguishing between the familiar beings within their territory and the strange intruders from the outside.
“But the crows are actually smarter….”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
At Kim Jae-mun’s question, Jun-ho gave a slight shake of his head. “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s head to the medical room.”
“Ah, right.”
Kim Jae-mun tilted his head, following Jun-ho, but then he noticed the crows lined up along the rooftop and the windowsills and spoke up. “Shouldn’t we shoot those guys? We could drive them toward the main building and have the drones fire a volley like we did before.”
“No. Just leave them be. I have an experiment to run, so I want to observe them for a while.”
“……?”
Kim Jae-mun was puzzled, but since it was Jun-ho’s order, he complied. Soon, the two arrived at the building used as a storage facility for the workshop’s equipment and parts. The second floor of this building was the shelter’s medical room.
“…Hey, why aren’t they running away? Are they not scared?”
“They probably recognize us.”
“Pardon? Recognize us?”
“Me, specifically.”
Kim Jae-mun, who hadn’t been part of the shelter family for long, might not have known, but Jun-ho, who had spent the longest time here as the owner of the shelter, knew better. Otherwise, there was no way these clever creatures would stay put while a human carrying a ‘gun’ approached them.
> Master Lee Jun-ho. Resident Kim Jae-mun. Identity confirmed.
> Beep. Whir.
Once they had cleared the dust off their shoes with the automatic shoe cleaner, Akina verified Jun-ho and Kim Jae-mun via CCTV and opened the door. That wasn’t all; the two could only ascend to the second floor after passing through the medical room’s dedicated ultraviolet sterilizer. Since hygiene and disinfection were paramount in our shelter, even Jun-ho was no exception.
Knock, knock.
Jun-ho gave a light knock and entered the medical room’s office and examination area. Since the crows were perched on the office windowsill rather than the surgery room, he had expected the crow that had fallen after being injured in a fight to be here.
“Ah, you’re here.”
“Mr. Jun-ho.”
As Choi Ui-su and Kim Hui-yeong greeted him with their eyes, Choi Ji-woo and Kim Jun-seo came running toward Jun-ho.
“Mister, Mister! You see, a crow got hurt. So I brought it here because I wanted to perform surgery on it!”
“Hello, Mister.”
As always, Choi Ji-woo chattered away incessantly, and Kim Jun-seo bowed politely at the waist.
“I see. I heard about it, too. Ji-woo did a good thing.”
“Really? Hehe.”
Praised, Choi Ji-woo twisted her body, feeling shy.
“Pfft….”
Watching her, Kim Jae-mun had to struggle to hold back a burst of laughter. A six-year-old child was wearing a mask and something resembling a green surgical gown, acting as if she were a real doctor. The problem was that it wasn’t a real surgical gown, but something someone had made by hand, making it look like she was wearing a green cloth with a hole cut out of it.
“Ah.”
Then, suddenly, something occurred to Kim Jae-mun. It was the image of children of a similar age back at the resort. The resort had been packed with families during the late vacation season, and there had been dozens of children around Choi Ji-woo and Kim Jun-seo’s age. However, most of those children couldn’t smile as innocently as Choi Ji-woo did. Many had lost their parents or seen them turn into zombies, and they had clearly witnessed people turning into monsters, killing and eating others. Except for those who hadn’t witnessed the scenes or were very young, most had shared the same experience. The children always wore dark expressions, walking on eggshells around adults, and occasionally, if someone called them or poked them, they would be startled and burst into tears. And that PTSD and lingering fear in the children had transferred to the adults, which was one of the reasons why the survivors at the resort fought and caused incidents every other day.
‘This place really is heaven, truly….’
While Kim Jae-mun was lost in those bitter thoughts, Choi Ui-su signaled Jun-ho and whispered in a low voice.
“I never thought I’d end up treating a crow, even though I’m not a veterinarian.”
“But Doctor, that outfit….”
Choi Ui-su and Kim Hui-yeong were wearing actual surgical gowns.
“Ji-woo was making such a fuss about needing to perform surgery. We just put these on for now.”
“Our little one was looking forward to it so much. Fufu.”
Kim Hui-yeong chuckled softly beside Choi Ui-su, who spoke with a sheepish expression. They could have just ignored her or persuaded her otherwise, but this couple was truly good people.
“But how is this guy? It feels strange to say this about a crow, but it’s not in critical condition or dying, is it?”
“It’s a bit injured, but it seems to have fallen due to a concussion. If we just stitch it up slightly and make sure it eats well and rests, it will recover soon.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
“Pardon? A relief?”
Jun-ho grinned at the look in Choi Ui-su’s eyes, which seemed to ask since when he had started caring about a measly crow.
“There’s a reason for it. Anyway, you’re saying it will recover, right?”
“Yes, well. About two or three days? If we keep an eye on the wound, it should be fine within a week.”
“Then that’s enough. And do you see that?”
The couple’s gaze followed Jun-ho’s toward the window. Outside the double-paned glass, which was perfectly insulated and soundproofed, three or four crows were lined up, staring inside.
“Please pretend to treat it so that those guys can see clearly. Make it look like you’re giving it the best care possible. And please make sure they can see Ji-woo worrying about it and showing it affection. Just for a few days, I ask this of you.”
“…I don’t know what you’re planning, but I understand.”
As always, there had to be a reason for everything Jun-ho did, so the couple readily agreed. With the two nurses (?), Choi Ji-woo and Kim Jun-seo, assisting, the couple disinfected and treated the wounds on the crow’s body and wings with extreme slowness and caution. Seeing the crows outside the window watching the entire scene intently, Jun-ho left the medical room with a satisfied smile. And among the crows perched on the medical building, the largest one stared intently at Jun-ho as he walked away.
* * *
After the magpie and crow commotion ended, the bird sounds around our shelter subsided as if it were a lie. And from the next day on, birds were rarely seen on the playground grounds where the solar panels and the five greenhouses were located. Only a few nameless mountain birds would visit and leave. However, dozens of crows, ranging from half a dozen to twenty, frequented the medical building all day long. Jun-ho told them to leave the creatures alone, and whenever he had time, he would go with Park Seon-hui to scatter walnuts, peanuts, or leftover scraps of meat in plain sight.
‘Well, this should be enough. If they don’t develop trust, then so be it.’
“How are you handling the food waste and the sludge from the wastewater treatment plant? Who are you working with these days?”
“The Blossom members are taking turns helping. We give the dried food waste to the chickens. We’re storing the sludge to mix into fertilizer. But why do you ask?”
True to her role as the shelter’s official workhorse, Park Seon-hui was now skilled at working in the underground shelter purification facility. Of course, the work mostly involved cleaning equipment and facilities and moving sludge every week with the AI’s assistance. Still, it was a job that required some training from Baek Ha-il and knowledge of the equipment.
“For the next few days, make a little space in the incinerator and leave some food waste there. For the crows to eat.”
“Yes? Ah, okay.”
Since it was a nice-to-have but not essential, Jun-ho left it at that and stopped worrying about the crows. He had more important things to do.
* * *
“Unfortunately, I can’t fly the drones all the way to the reserve forces unit. I think you’ll have to go near there and fly them yourself.”
Looking at the aerial map displayed on the main monitor, Yun Yeong-su shrugged his shoulders.
“Seven kilometers. Wouldn’t it be possible if there were a relay station in between?”
“In that case, it would be tight, but it should work.”
“Good. Then it might be possible.”
“Huh? How?”
“It’s been a while, so we’ll have to take the armored car out.”
“Ah. Right, we have that.”
Yun Yeong-su snapped his fingers. Our shelter’s armored car was equipped with a vehicle-mounted relay as a standard feature. If they positioned it well, it would be more than enough to serve as a temporary wireless relay station connecting our shelter to the reserve forces unit.
“First, let’s go there, re-map the aerial coordinates, and check the situation. We’ll set up a concrete plan after that.”
“Got it.”
“Then, Hyung, am I going out this time too?”
Jun-hyeok, who had only been traveling between our shelter, Gahyeon-ri, and Yeongho-ri while Jun-ho was out, asked with an expectant look. Jun-ho thought for a moment before nodding.
“Let’s do that.”
If it were before, it would be one thing, but now that Yoon Seol-hee and the KJM Brothers had joined, there would be no problem for both himself and Jun-hyeok to go to nearby areas at once. Even if something happened at the shelter in the meantime, they could return quickly from this distance.
“Manager Yoon Seol-hee should stay at the shelter, and Deok-cheol has been moving around a lot, so tell him to get some rest.”
One squad of soldiers from the military unit in Yeongho-ri and one member of the KJM Brothers would likely be enough. That was because they were bringing five G1 drones along.
But then.
“How about Su-ho?”
“Hmm? Su-ho?”
When Jun-hyeok mentioned Baek Su-ho, Jun-ho tilted his head.
“Yeah. Su-ho trained with Deok-cheol too. He did well back then. Plus, when you weren’t here, he trained hard with Seol-hee and the KJM guys. Everyone praises him. He’s quick on his feet, probably because he was active duty until last year.”
“Su-ho. Su-ho, huh….”
Baek Su-ho, freed from his role as the shelter’s only workhorse, was now doing various tasks and taking turns on guard duty. But somehow, he felt a bit out of place. He was an important member who couldn’t be replaced, but his position felt somewhat uncertain.
“Hyung, do you know?”
“Yeah?”
Seeing Jun-hyeok’s serious face for the first time in a while, Jun-ho became curious.
“Su-ho is feeling a sense of crisis lately.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know that Seon-hui is so good at her job that Su-ho has a lot less to do, right? At first, he liked it too. But since the KJM guys came from the resort, his work in security and combat has decreased as well. In the end, Su-ho’s standing in our shelter has diminished. But you know that even if he looks lighthearted on the outside, he’s sincere and has a great sense of responsibility, right?”
“…….”
Hearing it now, it was understandable why Baek Su-ho would feel a sense of crisis.
“Alright. Then let’s ask Su-ho and take him with us.”
“What? Ugh, tsk tsk…!”
“Why? What is it, you punk?”
When Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue, Jun-ho frowned.
“Hyung, in times like this, it’s better for you to step up and just give Su-ho an order. Don’t ask him if he wants to go or not. As the leader here, you should make him feel like, ‘You are the right person for this mission! You must go!’ Give him that kind of feeling. That way, Su-ho’s confidence will skyrocket. You know what I mean?”
“…….”
Jun-ho was left speechless. Perhaps because he had been a social butterfly since he was young, Jun-hyeok was exceptionally good at reading the room and dealing with people. Moreover, now that he had aged a bit, he seemed even more adept.
However.
“You, Lee Jun-hyeok, are you being cheeky? Huh?”
“Ah!? Argh!”
As Jun-ho’s thick arm wrapped around his neck, Jun-hyeok let out a scream.
“You punk, now that you’ve grown a bit, you’re trying to teach your older brother? You don’t want to get married? Should I go and ruin it for you?”
“Argh! Stop. I, I’m really in pain. Ugh!”
“You little… huh? Huh?”
“Ah! It really hurts. Surrender, I surrender!”
And so, for the first time in a while, Jun-ho showered his younger brother with plenty of deep, brotherly love (?).
* * *
Two days later.
The Bionic 5 armored car and two electric trucks departed from the shelter, carrying eight personnel to transport supplies from Gahyeon-ri, and headed toward Yeongho-ri. One squad of soldiers from Major Lee Seok-jin’s unit in Deokso joined them in Yeongho-ri, and with Jun-ho’s armored car in the lead, the vehicles crossed the mountain pass and moved toward the Sangmyeon reserve forces unit. Since it was an area they hadn’t even been able to scout with drones, let alone visit, the movement was slow and cautious. And a few minutes after crossing the pass and flying the drones toward the reserve forces unit.
“…….”
Everyone, including Jun-ho, could not bring themselves to open their mouths. The reserve forces unit and the surrounding area were truly a living hell on earth.