Wave
"That's strange..."
Twenty-five-year-old Baek Su-ah squinted at Baek Ha-il. He would smile whenever she called out to him or their eyes met, but he couldn't hide a restless, anxious air, as if he were being chased by something. No, the truth was, he hadn't just started acting strange today. Come to think of it, things had been off for about two years.
After her mother passed away ten years ago, he had avoided working in other provinces, but suddenly he started taking long-term construction jobs away from home. She hadn't complained because he was making good money, but then he took out a loan using their precious house as collateral to invest in stocks. On the anniversary of her mother's death earlier this year, he had insisted on moving her remains to a different charnel house, claiming the current one was problematic. Even worse, for the past few months, he had been forcing them to get vaccinated against everything from tetanus and pneumonia to rabies.
He had suggested a "family trip," something they’d never done in their lives, and while she’d had her suspicions for a while, he had chosen today of all days to introduce her to his girlfriend... Everything was just bizarre.
'Well, anyway...'
The high-end resort in Sanjeong Lake, Pocheon, where they’d spent the night, along with the pool and the open-air hot spring, had been wonderful. In particular, the meteor shower—caused by the fragmentation of an asteroid called 'Essex'—that they had watched from the hot spring was beautiful enough to be a lifelong memory.
Regardless, aside from that, Baek Su-ah found the whole situation, including her father's behavior, deeply strange.
Swish.
"Ah, so you served in Pocheon too, Hyung-nim?"
"Yeah, the 705th Special Forces Brigade. I was the last conscript there. I think it’s all career officers now, right?"
"Exactly. I saw some of the 705th guys a few times during training. Wow, this is a real coincidence, Hyung-nim."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, good to meet you, man."
"You too."
Her dim-witted younger brother, Baek Su-ho, hadn't noticed a thing. He was just following around a tall, fit, and handsome man like a duckling, calling him "Hyung-nim."
Swish.
Baek Su-ah’s gaze shifted once more. The man chatting quietly with her father over there, the one they called the "owner" of this pension, Lee Jun-ho. If he was the boss, he was the boss, or the representative—what was this "owner" business? Compared to her brother, who looked like a pretty boy, his face was plain, but his physique and the aura he exuded were something else...
"A fighter? Or... a human weapon?"
It was chilling. Or maybe not chilling, since his expression was calm and composed? The look in Lee Jun-ho's eyes when he first met her and greeted her had been truly strange. It was hard to describe exactly, but there was a sense of longing mixed with pity...
"Ugh, I don't know."
Baek Su-ah muttered, reaching for the iced coffee on the outdoor parasol table. Suddenly, her large eyes softened.
"Aww, you cuties."
Purdy, the German Shepherd lying under the shade of the parasol, lifted his head toward her and panted with a grin. Woof! Whine! Then, the black Jindo-Retriever mix beside him began to act playful, resting its front paws on her lap.
"Yeah, yeah. Kkamsuni, you're so cute too. Aww! You pretty things."
Everything was strange and not quite to her liking, but she loved the two dogs raised at the pension. Purdy was reliable and gentle, fulfilling 120% of the romanticized image of a "loyal large dog," and Kkamsuni, the Jindo-Retriever mix, was smart, affectionate, and loved people so much that just being around her was a joy.
"Su-ah."
"Yes?"
Baek Ha-il approached with an awkward smile. "I'm going to head out for a bit. Stay here and rest."
"Has she arrived?"
"She'll be at Suseo Station in 40 minutes. Anyway, just wait here with Ho-ya. I'll be back in a couple of hours."
"...Alright."
She felt a bit restless, but her father was human, too, and after raising them alone for over ten years, he had done more than enough. Above all, knowing how much he had suffered, Baek Su-ah was actively rooting for her father's romance. That’s what family was for. Except for one idiot, of course.
"Hey, Baek Su-ho!"
"Huh? Why are you calling me?"
At his sister's call, Baek Su-ho, who had been chatting excitedly with Jun-hyeok, flinched and turned his head.
"Did you finish packing your things in the room?"
"I'll do it later..."
"Again, seriously. You want to forget something and make Dad turn the car around like this morning? Go pack your stuff while I'm asking nicely."
"A-alright. I'll do it right now."
Though he was taller and bigger, Baek Su-ho couldn't defy his sister and headed toward the main building. However, as he passed the parasol, he couldn't resist adding one last word. "But Noona, can't you stop using that Seoul accent? It makes my skin crawl... Ow! Why are you hitting me! Aah!"
After getting smacked on the back three times, Baek Su-ho ran toward the main building as if fleeing for his life.
"That brat is asking for it..."
Whimper! Woof!
At her feet, Kkamsuni whined as if telling her not to be so violent, then rubbed her body against her, acting cute again. "Oh, did I scare our Kkamsuni? Unnie is sorry."
Baek Su-ah, her brow smoothing as if she’d never shown a hint of violence, petted Kkamsuni enthusiastically. Then, suddenly.
"Ah."
Her eyes met Jun-hyeok’s, who had been watching the whole scene. Seeing him trying to suppress a laugh, Baek Su-ah’s face turned bright red. "C-Kkamsuni, let's go."
Quickly putting on her sunglasses and grabbing her iced coffee and bags, she hurried away. Watching her walk quickly toward the mountain trail with Kkamsuni while chuckling, Jun-ho spoke to Jun-hyeok.
"How are the kids? Did you talk much?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Su-ho seems like a good kid. Just your average guy his age? He likes to have fun, but isn't that how everyone in their early twenties is?"
"Like you?"
"Hyung, I didn't even really play around. You know that..."
"And yet a guy like that spent over 5 million won at a club?"
"That was... a final memory."
Jun-ho gave his slightly depressed brother a calm smile. "Who said anything? You did well. I actually thought you'd party even harder. Anyway, what about Baek Su-ah?"
"I'm not sure. Didn't have a chance to talk. But Su-ho says she's really scary. Apparently, she slapped a girl in high school who tried to bully her without even blinking."
"Really? I didn't know that."
Jun-ho nodded at the information he hadn't even heard from Baek Ha-il before the regression. "And she's incredibly tough and persistent. When she was studying for her retake, she only slept three or four hours a day. While doing all the housework."
"That's good."
It was proof that she was someone who put in the effort to do what needed to be done in any situation. Come to think of it, that must have been how she survived that nightmare of a cult before the regression.
"Hyung, so we just need one more person to arrive now? Mr. Baek's girlfriend?"
"Yeah, Choi Ha-neul. She has a great personality and is a good person. She’s also an amazing cook."
"I'm looking forward to it. Honestly, I was worried we'd be eating the same thing every day here. If worst came to worst, I was planning to download entire cooking channels once the internet was back up."
"I already downloaded them all."
"Really?"
Jun-ho smirked at the surprised Jun-hyeok. "You think I only downloaded cooking videos? I downloaded every video I thought might be useful. In the basement of the Bucheon house."
He had already filled a 4-terabyte SSD with videos on various survival-related skills, not just cooking.
"Purdy."
Woof!
Purdy, who had been sitting majestically by his side since Jun-ho arrived, perked up. "Go bring Kkamsuni and that Noona back."
As Jun-ho pointed toward the trail, the exceptionally sharp Purdy took off like lightning. As the dog disappeared—wearing a calf-cooling vest with ice packs to get through the summer—Jun-hyeok said, "Anyway, it's a real relief. That Purdy found a partner, too."
"Who knew he'd bring Kkamsuni home like that?"
A few months ago, Jun-ho was returning to the pension after finishing his last deal with the Volk Group when he saw a black dog being attacked by local strays while waiting at a traffic light. It was common in the countryside, so he was going to ignore it, but Purdy, who had been in the passenger seat instead of at the pension, showed hostility and looked at Jun-ho. Seeing the desperate look in the dog's eyes, which he had never seen before, Jun-ho pulled over to the shoulder, grabbed a collapsible baton, and stepped out with Purdy. Purdy didn't even need to intervene. As soon as Jun-ho struck the leader of the pack with the baton, the strays all fled. That was how they ended up taking the bitten Kkamsuni to the vet and bringing her into their lives.
She wasn't quite on Purdy's level, but as a Jindo-Retriever mix, she was sharp and intelligent, and her playfulness and affection were top-tier. She followed Purdy like a shadow, and Purdy seemed to like her, teaching her various things like a true "senior."
"Alright, let's do one final check before Ha-neul Noona gets here. You take the warehouses, the greenhouse, and the chicken coop. I'll check the entire main building."
"Roger that."
Jun-hyeok, whose speech was peppered with military jargon after their training at Red Rock, headed toward the warehouses, and Jun-ho headed to the main building.
'About 20 hours left, huh?'
The road to the apocalypse would open around 7:00 AM tomorrow. Jun-ho had agonized over this several times. Whether he should tell the members of Our Shelter the truth a day early or at least drop a hint. He had decided today. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed right to let the people at Our Shelter spend their last moments in peace. And as for the truth that was too heavy to bear, it would be better to reveal it when they could see it for themselves.
"Hoo..."
Feeling a mix of small anxiety and inexplicable excitement, Jun-ho looked around at 'Our Shelter,' which he had built with every ounce of effort he could muster over the last three years. Somehow, his anxiety subsided a little.
August 16, 2024, 07:27 AM local time. Sydney, Australia.
Vrrr! Vrrr!
The phone on the bedside table vibrated heavily. Jang Hee-soo, who had barely fallen asleep after 3:00 AM, opened her eyes and reached out. The name 'Senior Chang-sik' was flashing on the phone screen. Lying face down on the bed, Jang Hee-soo pressed the call button.
"Hello?"
- Hey! Hee-soo!
"Ah, seriously..."
Jang Hee-soo, who had momentarily pulled the phone away from her ear at the booming voice, winced and pressed it back to her face. "What is it so early in the morning?"
- Hey, Sydney and Brisbane are in chaos right now! I'm on duty at the newsroom, and it looks like some massive riot broke out there. Videos are flooding NewTube and everywhere, kid!
"W-what did you say?"
- This isn't the time to be asking me questions! Even the local police can't control the situation. You need to prepare for a live broadcast and get out there immediately. It's the Director's orders.
"The Director?"
At the mention of the News Director, Jang Hee-soo jumped up.
- Where? Oh, right. Hey, go to Newtown or Ultimo. On-site footage is the most important thing! I already contacted Do-il, so go with him right away. Got it?
"Newtown is close, so I'll go!"
Her instincts as a reporter kicking in, Jang Hee-soo quickly got out of bed, splashed some water on her face, grabbed her phone and necessary gear, and headed out.
August 16, 2024, 07:42 AM local time. Newtown, Sydney, Australia.
"T-this is..."
Jang Hee-soo and PD-cum-cameraman Yoon Do-il froze. The street, which should have been busy with commuters, was in total disarray, and the sounds of police cars, ambulances, and the screams and shouts of citizens rang out chaotically.
"Hee-soo, we're live in 30 seconds! Get ready!"
As Yoon Do-il, who had received the call from the Seoul studio through his earpiece, lifted the camera, Jang Hee-soo quickly attached the microphone to her collar and took a deep breath, steadying her ragged breathing.
"6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, cue."
"Yes, we are live on the scene. I am currently at the scene near Newtown, Sydney. A large-scale, unidentified violent incident is currently unfolding in Sydney. Behind us, local police are struggling to control the citizens, but..."
"...Huh?"
Yoon Do-il, committing the ultimate taboo for a cameraman during a live broadcast, even took his eyes off the viewfinder.
"As you can see, the scene is currently..."
Cursing her senior's absurd mistake in her head, Jang Hee-soo acted as professionally as she could. Turning naturally to point at what Yoon Do-il was looking at, Jang Hee-soo said, "C-currently... foreign reporters and police... and people who appear to be paramedics are..."
She couldn't help but stutter. While police and paramedics were trampling a woman who had collapsed across the street. Thwack! Something flew from another direction and landed between Jang Hee-soo and Yoon Do-il. It was a human arm, stained with dark red blotches.
"Aaaaaaaah! Aah! Aah!"
Jang Hee-soo’s scream rang out. In an instant, the faces of 'those things' across the street turned simultaneously. The first to move was a woman in a suit. - Screeeech!!! Behind her, as she sprinted across the road with her milky white eyes rolled back, dozens of other 'things' also began to move.
"Hee-soo!"
Yoon Do-il threw the camera aside and pushed her. "Aah!" As a middle-aged woman brushed past Jang Hee-soo, who had fallen to the ground, she pounced on Yoon Do-il. The ENG camera that had fallen to the ground captured the scene of Yoon Do-il and Jang Hee-soo being attacked. As five or six people trampled the fallen pair and tore into them...
"Aah! Aaaaaaah!"
"Get off, you bastards! Gaaah! Aah!"
The horrific screams of the two, flailing their limbs, echoed out. However, their violent movements subsided in less than 30 seconds. Crunch, crunch... Slurp, slurp... Along with the bizarre sound of something being torn, ripped, and gnawed, the two only twitched intermittently.
Then, at some point. The 'things' that had been preoccupied with the two suddenly stopped, as if by agreement, and stood up. And the two, whose chests, stomachs, necks, and faces had been torn and ripped open, also stood up slowly and began to limp away.
Inside the viewfinder where the main characters had vanished, only scattered entrails and flesh remained, with blood flowing like a small stream. But that was only for a moment. The broadcast, which had been streaming to the entire world, including Korea, via NewTube, cut off with the final scene of countless 'things'—too many to count—filling the entire road and charging forward, the wave of 'things' in human skin, creating an overwhelming sense of madness and terror, finally engulfing the camera.