The Mosquito and the Brother
How many years has it been? Lee Sieun, my little sister. In the midst of this world falling to ruin, I never imagined I’d meet her again.
I’ve already cleared the people out. A single word about it being a "family matter" was enough to make both the soldiers and the civilians back away without a fuss. Long live the Republic of Korea. That tradition of not prying into blood-related affairs—though, now that the country has collapsed, I suppose that tradition doesn’t mean much anymore.
I pick up my remaining cigarette, the harsh smoke piercing my lungs and filling my body. Facing my sister after all this time, I look at her face and hold out a cigarette. "Lee Sieun. Take it."
But she doesn’t take the cigarette I offered.
"…."
This chain-smoker…? This girl? Refusing a cigarette? Just a few years ago, she was the type to sneakily steal the cigarettes I was smoking.
"Did you quit?"
She hesitates for a moment, then nods.
"…."
I stare at the cigarette, brow furrowed, before crushing it out in the ashtray. "Well, that’s a first."
The joy of reuniting with my sister is fleeting; my mind is immediately filled with questions about how she got here and what she’s been through. She definitely feels like she’s hiding something. I lean my head back and look up at the ceiling.
"...Sigh. That damn bastard of a father is still struggling to survive in Sejong City."
The lights cast on the ceiling flicker before my eyes. In them, the faces of my mother and Sieun overlap. Our family has been a military family for generations. And the father of a military family is always coercive, strict, and cold. After our mother passed away, that oppressive discipline only worsened. Especially toward Sieun. She couldn’t adapt. No, she couldn’t possibly have adapted. As a result, Sieun went astray. But she didn’t go out and play; she locked herself inside the house. She tried to hide away in her own world, escaping all of Father’s control. And Father only tightened that control further. Eventually, the bond between them snapped completely.
The only thing was, Sieun inherited our mother’s blood, so she was born with a beautiful face, and that was an even bigger problem. Sieun started internet broadcasting, and that soon brought the disaster of stalkers upon her. It ended with her being treated in a mental hospital. At the time, I was at the Korea Military Academy. I knew nothing. I could do nothing. That damn father of ours made everything worse. In the end, Sieun took the money she’d earned from her broadcasts and ran away from home. Since our maternal family was very wealthy, she might have been fine even without that money. Father didn’t try to find her. And by the time I tried to find my sister, far too much time had passed.
And now, my sister is right in front of me. Jet-black hair, an exotic face that captures people’s attention. But her eyes are dark.
It was you. Just from the description of her appearance I’d heard, I knew it was you.
"You damn little sister, seriously…" My throat tightens. "...Ah, damn it, I’m tearing up."
This girl, my sister—I have to protect her now. No matter what it takes.
I am currently unable to understand a single word Major Lee Junhyeok is saying. Because… I am not Lee Sieun.
But at that moment, the Major grabs my left wrist. Ah. My left wrist, covered in self-harm scars and slashed to ribbons.
"You… you really…"
His voice is trembling. A sobbing voice. I’m startled and try to swat his hand away with my right hand, which is wrapped in bandages, but it has the opposite effect.
"What are you doing!"
Tears are dripping from his eyes. "Hey, you… if things were hard, you should have told your brother… I told you that ever since you were little, seriously…"
Then he stands up and suddenly hugs me. Two arms wrap around my body. A strange warmth, and a strange weight.
"This time… I will definitely protect you."
I was flustered. No, to be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable. But… at that moment, a strange reaction occurs somewhere in my body. Why? Tears are falling. Quietly, slowly, down my cheeks. Why is that? Why is this body, why am I… The owner of this body should have already died. And I, too. I should be dying.
I stand there quietly, unable to push him away or accept him. It seems this body still remembers its owner. He is still holding my hand tightly, and just as he opens his mouth to continue speaking, I shout urgently. Because the atmosphere feels like he’s going to stay up all night talking about everything that happened until now.
"O… Oppa! I’m fine! Wait a second! I have something urgent to tell you!"
He pauses and wipes his eyes. Fortunately, it seems he decides to listen to me. I catch my breath and start to spill everything that happened. Escaping the apartment. The struggles on the way to Mapo Station. The chaos caused by the infected at Mapo Station and the evacuation process. However, I thoroughly exclude the story about being bitten by an infected. What good would it do to tell him?
When I finish the story, he chuckles.
"Father used to teach us how to throw knives, calling it self-defense."
Then he scans my body. "...You’re too thin. Your body temperature is too low, too. I’ll take care of you. Even if I look like this, I’m in a position to command this area."
...Thank goodness. He didn’t find out.
"Ah, come to think of it, don’t you have companions?"
My mind goes blank for a moment. Jang Yeeun. She must still be bleeding, waiting for me to return.
"Oppa! I have to go to my companions! One of our group is in danger right now!"
"Alright. If it’s someone you trust, I have no reason not to help. I’ll call some people, so follow me."
He pulls out his radio. And I decide to be grateful that I met someone I can trust, even in this hellish situation.
Soon, I move with my brother to where Jang Yeeun is, and there, Jang Yeeun is lying on a bed receiving a blood transfusion. Unlike before, it’s noticeable that a little vitality is returning to her face. She’s really sturdy. As expected of the protagonist. When I approach, Jang Yeeun sees me and suddenly starts slapping my arm with her palm.
"How could you push yourself so hard! What is up with your right hand!"
It doesn’t hurt much, but I roughly dodge her hand and respond. "Ah, it hurts, Yeeun-ssi! Take it easy!"
At that moment, my brother grabs Jang Yeeun’s hand to stop her. "Nice to meet you. I am Major Lee Junhyeok. I am Lee Sieun’s older brother."
Jang Yeeun hears that and immediately looks at me with a strange expression. "...Sehee-ssi?"
I look away, pretending to be busy with something else. At that moment, my brother looks at my face with a puzzled expression.
"…My sister’s name is Sieun, though."
"...Sehee-ssi?"
"Ah, that, well…!"
…What do I do?
Chungjeongno Station. Fortunately, because this place is located in the rear, we didn’t experience any major battles. Because of that, we had time to reinforce the defense lines and the leisure to organize the interior… but there was a separate problem. This damn groundwater. As the groundwater pump broke down, areas where water was rising appeared all over the station. We mobilized every possible means to drain the water, but in the end, small puddles remained all over the station floor. While staying here, the humidity only made the problem worse. But there was no reason to leave this safe place—there weren’t many infected nearby—just because it was humid.
However… *Buzz—* An annoying sound ringing in my ears. Mosquitoes. Perhaps because of the puddles and the humidity, mosquitoes were swarming here. So, I irritably swatted one that had landed on my skin.
"Damn it, screw this."
The small mosquito’s body burst, and a red liquid stained my finger. But… something was strange. It was blood. But it was a sticky, unpleasant-feeling blood.
"What the hell, how unlucky."
I muttered to myself and roughly shook my finger. The sticky blood wouldn’t even come off properly. It bothered me, but there was more important work to do right now. I stood up and picked up the radio next to me. I had to make a regular report.
"Chungjeongno, Captain Park Seongmin. Regular report ready. Major, please respond."
Waiting for the Major’s voice to come over the radio, I walked around the room, still rubbing my skin, unable to shake off the sticky feeling remaining on my fingertips. A sinister feeling brushed past me.
The radio remained quiet. While waiting for a reply from the other side, I sighed and looked at the mosquito mark left on the back of my hand. It itches.
"What is this… it itches."
I scratched the itchy area. But something was strange.
"But…"
No matter how much I scratched, it felt strange. It itches, but at the same time, I feel like my senses are dulling.
"What is this?"
The small area where the mosquito bit was swollen and red. But… when I tried to clench my fist to squeeze the back of my hand, it felt like the sensation was disappearing from my fingertips. I scratched the skin roughly and rubbed it with my palm. Yet, this unknown sensation didn’t disappear. It was strangely itchy, and at the same time, it felt like it was spreading coldly. The itching spread even further. At first, it was just the back of my hand, but now it felt like it was climbing up to my forearm.
It itches, it’s hot, and it’s gradually dulling. I had the illusion that something was moving under my skin. My head was spinning. My legs were shaking. It was hard even to stand still. In the scenery that was gradually blurring before my eyes, I heard the sound of someone’s approaching footsteps. And then, I couldn’t feel anything else.