They Seem Like Truly Decent People
"Everyone, please, dig in. Everything is fresh, so it should be delicious."
A hearty meal of pollock soup with dumplings, seasoned tofu, and steamed eggs was laid out, accompanied by several side dishes. The moment he saw the spread, Jun-ho realized the depth of Choi Ha-neul’s thoughtfulness and intuition.
She intentionally made it without red seasoning or meat.
Even if it was just through a screen, it had been only a few hours since they had witnessed the brutal, harrowing sight of living people being torn apart, with blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Choi Ha-neul had clearly prepared a meal that was mild yet highly nutritious, deliberately avoiding red meat and stimulating spices.
"Let’s eat, everyone."
"Aye, let's dig in."
At the words of Jun-ho and Baek Ha-il, everyone began to move their spoons.
"The broth is incredibly refreshing! Your skills are truly amazing, sister."
"Oh, stop it. It’s nothing difficult. The ingredients did all the work. They were so fresh that even you could have made it, Jun-ho."
Though she said that, Choi Ha-neul looked pleased. However, Baek Su-ah, sitting across from her, was picking at her food with a gloomy expression. Choi Ha-neul, catching a glimpse of her, added, "And Su-ah helped a lot. Her skills aren't like those of the young ladies these days."
"Pardon? Ah... I, I just..."
"Isn't that right? Our Su-ah has been learning to cook so diligently since she was in middle school, so her 'hand-taste' is bound to be a bit different."
With even Baek Ha-il chiming in, Baek Su-ah looked around in confusion before bowing her head and silently sipping her soup. As if on cue, a heavy silence descended. The seven shelter members, including Jun-ho, focused solely on eating for several minutes without a word. No, they had no choice. Everyone knew that outside this shelter, 'hell' was still an ongoing reality. Only they were completely detached from that hell, enjoying a peaceful, delicious meal as if nothing had happened.
"...*sob*."
Baek Su-ah’s quiet weeping broke the silence. But she immediately wiped her tears, scooped up a dumpling with her spoon, and shoved it into her mouth. She finished the pollock dumpling soup that she and Choi Ha-neul had prepared together, even while tears streamed down her face.
* * *
After finishing their first meal in the apocalypse, the group gathered back in the lounge. Everyone held drinks like coffee, tea, or cola. They all knew that even this was a luxury outside these walls.
"First, Ha-neul, and Su-ah, Su-ho."
Feeling that the gazes of the three looking at him were completely different from when they had been on emergency standby earlier, Jun-ho continued. "I understand you've heard the gist from Ha-il. Is that correct?"
"Yes..."
"I was so shocked, I tell ya."
"Me too, Uncle Jun-ho. You told my dad that I had pancreatic cancer and needed surgery, right? Thank you so, so much, Uncle."
Though Jun-ho was actually the age of his older brother, Baek Su-ho called him 'Uncle' because of his father’s close friendship with him. He couldn't hide his moved expression, looking as if he might bow deeply at any moment. Moreover, there was more than just gratitude and emotion in Su-ho’s eyes. It was... something like respect or wonder? Or perhaps a feeling akin to worship.
It was understandable. Baek Su-ho had seen on the large TV here how Jun-ho had gunned down zombies and rescued Choi Jung-woo’s group. Not only had he seen the future in a prophetic dream and saved him from cancer, but he had also built this incredible facility to save his entire family. He had shot zombies and saved people with terrifyingly advanced combat skills. To a man in his early twenties, Jun-ho was nothing short of a superhero.
"Don't mention it. Thank your father, not me. The reason you're healthy right now is all thanks to him."
"I'm obviously thankful to Dad, too. But, Uncle, you can speak comfortably to me."
"Is that so? Then I will. Now, as you heard from Ha-il earlier..."
Jun-ho, framing his regression as a prophetic dream to the shelter members, calmly explained what he had done from November 2021 until now and how he had come to build this 'Our Shelter.' Despite having already heard the story from Baek Ha-il, the siblings Baek Su-ah and Baek Su-ho, along with Choi Ha-neul, couldn't hide their shock, their mouths hanging open. Yun Yeong-su, for some reason, stared at Jun-ho with eyes sparkling behind his thick-rimmed glasses, his face flushed.
"...And that is why I am here with you all today. Now..."
"Boss, a question!" Yun Yeong-su raised his hand high, as if he had been waiting.
"Yes. Go ahead, Team Leader Yun."
"First, please just call me Yeong-su or Team Leader Yun comfortably."
"Alright, Team Leader Yun."
"Yes. What I'm curious about is... you said you met me in person in Songpa in that prophetic dream, right? Did you stay there with me the whole time? Or..."
"I'll offer no comment on that part. Your futures have changed completely from the dream I had. So, questions like that don't have any meaning anymore."
"Ah..."
Turning his gaze away from Yun Yeong-su, who wore a look of profound disappointment, Jun-ho continued. "From now on, you all must survive here with me in our shelter. As I said, almost everything needed for human life is prepared here. For instance."
Jun-ho picked up a hiking backpack he had prepared in advance.
"This is a supply bag that everyone who joins this place will receive, including you all."
"...?"
Jun-ho unzipped the bag and dumped the contents onto the table. There was a toiletry bag containing soap, solid shampoo, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, nail clippers, and ear picks. There were also vacuum-packed socks and underwear, two sets of summer training clothes, functional sneakers, mid-top outdoor shoes, and slippers. A personal tumbler, a mini first-aid kit, tissues, and wet wipes also tumbled out, along with a notebook, a pen, and a smartphone box.
"Wow..."
While listening to Yun Yeong-su’s exclamation, Jun-ho held up opaque zipper bags, distinguished by light pink and sky blue colors.
"These are for men and women. I’ll skip the detailed explanation since you know what’s inside. However, for the women’s kit." Jun-ho looked at Choi Ha-neul and Baek Su-ah. "There are standard pads, of course, but there are also menstrual cups included. You ladies will need to get used to using them."
"Ah..."
Baek Su-ah’s face turned red in an instant, but Choi Ha-neul looked genuinely impressed. "Wow... Jun-ho, you really put a lot of thought into this. How did you know about menstrual cups? Even women don't know much about them."
"As I said, I’ve been thinking about the shelter for a very long time. When a world comes where it's hard to get daily necessities, men have it tough, but women have more than one or two inconveniences. Hygiene is directly linked to health, and pads have expiration dates, after all."
"That’s so true. I was just thinking while preparing the meal, 'Oh, my time of the month is coming soon, what do I do? I should have packed a few with wings...' My goodness, now my heart is at ease."
"Boss Ha-neul, that's a bit embarrassing..."
"What's wrong with that? We're all adults here."
"*Ahem*."
Looking at the brightened Choi Ha-neul, the embarrassed Baek Ha-il, and the others who were shy—except for 'Yun Yeong-su alone'—Jun-ho continued.
"Anyway, daily necessities and basic supplies are already prepared like this. Please take one each when you leave later. And..."
Jun-ho went on to explain the major facilities in the shelter, their functions, and how long all types of goods, including food, would last. Everyone except Jun-hyeok, who had gone on a massive shopping spree with Jun-ho and helped with packing and loading, had their jaws dropped.
"A gym and a swimming pool..."
"And food and daily necessities for 20 years...?"
"Yes. That’s the minimum when the full capacity of twenty people is reached. If you use them sparingly, you could probably use them for over 30 years."
"This is truly insane..."
"Besides that..."
Jun-ho spoke about the rules of shelter life. For instance, wake-up times, bedtime, and mealtimes must be strictly followed, and everyone must do their best in their assigned roles. He then explained the immediate tasks for each member.
"Su-ah, you should set up the Pharmacy Lab on the second floor of the workshop. It has everything from over-the-counter drugs to most professional pharmaceuticals. There are dedicated refrigerators and freezers for medicine, as well as experimental equipment like compounding tools, stirrers, and centrifuges."
"M-me...?"
"Yes. You're a pharmacy student, aren't you? Who else would do it?"
To Baek Su-ah, who looked like a startled owl with her already large eyes wide open, Jun-ho continued. "I’ve put in all the equipment and facilities, but since I’m not a major, I haven't organized them. So, go do that now. Ha-il and Su-ho will be staying in the workshop on the first floor, so if there’s any heavy lifting, ask them for help."
"Ah... yes..."
Baek Su-ah nodded blankly. However, Jun-ho kept staring at her. Just as she was about to look puzzled, Jun-ho said, "What are you doing? Why aren't you going?"
"Ah! Yes, yes!"
"Su-ho, go with your sister and help her out."
"Yes, Dad. Sister, let's go."
Baek Su-ho jumped up, urged his sister who was standing awkwardly, and they both left with their backpacks.
Then, Choi Ha-neul, who had been watching the siblings and Jun-ho with a meaningful smile, rose quietly. "I should do my part if I don't want to be scolded. I'll check the kitchen, the refrigerator, and the cold storage, right?"
"Yes. You can check the food list and storage locations for the cold storage on the tablet."
Choi Ha-neul, having received her backpack, gave Jun-ho a habitual, soft-eyed smile. "Even if you look blunt and cold on the outside, Jun-ho, you’re a person with deep thoughts and a lot of affection."
"...Pardon?"
"It's nothing. It’s just that I suddenly thought that in times like these, it’s better for people to be busy so they don't have idle thoughts. I’ll be going now."
"..."
Choi Ha-neul, a master of reading the room, left, having fully grasped Jun-ho’s intentions.
"See? Our Boss Ha-neul is top-tier. Anyway, Su-ho, thanks for taking care of my son. Like Boss Ha-neul said, people don't have idle thoughts when they're busy and have work they can do themselves."
"Don't mention it. I'm just trying to put your children to work, Ha-il..."
"*Heh*. If it's that, you can work them all day long. Now, Yeong-su."
"Yes, Sensei!"
"That 'Sensei' thing is really... anyway, you need to make drones with me using the air gun turret and the electric car. I’ve roughly finished the design, so let’s configure the detailed electronic circuits and write the program."
"Leave it to me. But the cameras and motors... oh, they'll all be there, right? *Heh heh*, they're all dead now. Let's go, Sensei!"
Yun Yeong-su, who had laughed like a villain while adjusting his glasses, walked out the door with a confident stride.
"Yeong-su, you punk, your supply bag! That guy, really... Anyway, I'll go get to work too."
As Baek Ha-il followed, carrying his and Yun Yeong-su’s backpacks, only the brothers Jun-ho and Jun-hyeok remained in the lounge.
"Brother, that operation of ours... when are we doing it?"
"Well... looking at the atmosphere, I don't think we need to."
"Right? Oh, what a relief."
Jun-hyeok sighed in relief. In truth, the brothers had prepared a kind of play in case some of the shelter members were still paralyzed by fear and confusion, or even angry and rebellious. The plan was for Jun-hyeok to raise objections and pick fights regarding the current situation, and for Jun-ho to logically preach 'cooperation' and 'coexistence.' It was a strategy aimed at the fact that, since they were biological brothers and the only two people in the shelter who could handle 'lethal weapons,' it would be difficult for the other members to intervene.
"Anyway, the first day was the biggest problem, but I’m glad it worked out well, brother."
"It is a relief."
At Jun-hyeok’s words, Jun-ho sighed inwardly. No matter how much he was the builder and owner of the shelter, he couldn't force everything through coercion. That didn't align with the value of 'Our Shelter,' which aimed for a 'life no different from ordinary times,' and most importantly, there were few cases of such groups lasting long in the apocalypse.
Of course, a year or two would be fine. But 'Our Shelter' was a place where people of all kinds had to live together for at least 10 years, or perhaps a lifetime. Invisible discrimination, hierarchy, and conflict couldn't be avoided entirely. But if dissatisfaction or disputes were left to accumulate without being addressed, it could collapse easily and pointlessly at a critical moment, and Jun-ho was wary of that.
That was why Jun-ho’s conclusion was that everyone needed a 'window.' Things they found hard to say to him could be told to Baek Ha-il or Jun-hyeok, who would then relay them. He would become a difficult figure to approach as the shelter owner, but Jun-hyeok would be someone less burdensome, at least someone they could talk to. It wasn't perfect, but he had intended to naturally establish such a communication and grievance-resolution system.
"Brother, I think the people in our shelter are all truly decent."
Jun-ho nodded silently. Knowing all too well how difficult it was to meet people like the current members of 'Our Shelter' in an apocalypse where the hidden nature of humanity was revealed, Jun-ho thought it was truly a relief.