The Half-Dead Truth

A strange ceiling. The dim light of a fluorescent bulb flickered erratically. I stared at the cracks in the plaster, the corners stained with water damage that looked ready to collapse at any moment. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Is this Gongdeok Station? I tried to turn my head, but my entire body felt heavy, as if weighted by a thousand tons. A bone-deep exhaustion washed over me, as if my body were no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠longer my own, as if my very skeleton were crumbling away. And then, at that moment—

THUD.

An impact like a hammer striking my skull surged through me. "…!" I tried to draw a breath, but my chest tightened. My lungs felt as if they were burning… my body was being consumed from within. My arms and legs felt heavy, as if slowly melting, while something hot boiled deep inside me. Yet, due to this dull, numbing sensation, even that felt hazy. And then—blood. A stream of red blood trickled from my mouth. Startled, I tried to lift my hand, but my arm was too heavy to move properly. "…Huh?" I stared blankly at the blood flowing from my lips. Dark, crimson. Even though it was my own blood, it looked strangely foreign.

Just then, the nurse nearby looked toward me—

"…!" Her face turned pale in an instant. "You’re awake!?" She scrambled to her feet, threw the door open, and bolted out. "Doctor! Military Doctor!!" The sound of hurried footsteps. The voice fading away. Still unable to move even a fingertip, I stared blankly at the door where she had vanished. Only then did I realize: my physical condition was no laughing matter. The fact that I felt less pain was absolutely not a good thing. My body was falling apart, and I hadn't even been able to fully grasp the extent of it.

A moment later, the door opened, and Jang Yeeun entered with the military doctor. Her shoulder was wrapped in stark white bandages, with red stains bleeding through. …The memory of me biting her. For a split second, my mind went blank and my stomach churned, and then—I couldn't meet her eyes, so I turned my head to stare only at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠empty ceiling. Yet, she watched me in silence, and that was even harder to bear. Then, the military doctor spoke up cautiously.

"…I have something to tell you." He lowered his voice and sent the nurse outside. As the door clicked shut, only I, Jang Yeeun, and the doctor remained. What is this about...? The doctor sighed and slumped into the chair beside my bed. His legs were trembling.

"…Representative Lee Sieun." He seemed hesitant, but eventually opened his heavy mouth. "I… happened to find out by chance." His fingertips were trembling slightly. "Your body, Representative, it’s quite abnormal."

I turned my head slowly. Our eyes met. He looked at me with a cold, clinical gaze. And then—

"…It’s as if half of you is a corpse."

At those words, my heart sank into the abyss. "What… are you talking about?" My mind went white. My breathing grew ragged. I felt like I had to make an excuse immediately. "I, I’m just… my body was already in bad shape. It’s just from overwork. I lost a lot of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blood, too…" My words grew increasingly clumsy. Still, I had to deny it somehow. I had to desperately convince them that my condition was 'normal.' But—

"…Representative." The doctor shook his head calmly and quietly slid a chart toward me. I swallowed hard and looked down at it. And there, it read—

…Numbers that should have meant I was already dead. Yet, I was enduring them. I just stared at the record blankly. "These numbers…" My voice was tiny and trembling. "…Are not possible for a human."

The doctor spoke calmly. There was no fear or contempt in his voice. Just the tone of someone stating facts. And then—at that moment, I had to run. The thought sprang up in my mind like an instinct. I moved my arm reflexively. I had to get out of here somehow. But—

"…!"

CLACK.

I felt the cold touch of metal on my wrist. Handcuffs. My wrists were shackled, and they were connected to the bed frame. "…Ah." I felt my vision blur. …It’s over. Everything I had struggled for to survive. Everything I had tried to achieve. Is this the end? I trembled, gasping for air. But I couldn't even breathe properly. My vision swam. My lips quivered. And then—tears welled up. I gritted my teeth, but the tears wouldn't stop. I had worked so hard. I had endured so much. Is this how it ends? I tried to hide the fact that I couldn't stop crying, but no words came out. With heavy handcuffs on my wrists, I felt like a beast caught in a trap.

Just then, swoosh. Someone’s hand stroked my hair. …What? Jang Yeeun. She was stroking my hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, she wiped the tears from my face with the back of her hand.

"…Doctor, you’ve scared her too much." She spoke to the doctor with a hint of annoyance. The doctor gave a dry cough and nodded quietly. "I have no intention of harming Representative Lee Sieun," he said, his gaze turning to me, calm and steady. "Quite the opposite. If I can help her, I want to." With those words, he pulled out another patient chart and handed it to me.

…Completely different numbers from a moment ago. This is… a record of a perfectly healthy person, by anyone’s standards. A forged chart. Then, the doctor slowly pulled out a scalpel. "Shall we run an experiment?"

"…What?"

He slowly sliced his own arm. "…!" The skin parted, and red blood trickled down. In an instant, something exploded inside me. Blood. Blood. Blood. A desire that felt like my whole body was burning surged up. More. I want to drink more. I reached out reflexively. But—my reason screamed in my mind. No. I bit my lip. Blood seeped into my mouth. Don't lose your reason. You must not eat. Absolutely not. I clenched my hand, making a fist so tight my nails dug into my palm, barely suppressing the urge. At that moment, Jang Yeeun stroked my hair again. Swoosh. Her touch was light and gentle, as if comforting me, telling me it was okay, that I had done well to hold back. I took a trembling breath and finally suppressed the impulse to cannibalize.

Watching this, the doctor smiled and opened his mouth. "…So, Jang Yeeun’s story was true?" He slowly wiped his arm. I was still gasping for air, biting my lip hard as I glared at him. Only then did the desire surging inside me subside a little. …He already knew everything. The doctor in front of me calmly showed me his neck. "I discovered that the Representative’s vitals were abnormal first, and I told Jang Yeeun about it." On his neck remained a clear bruise. A red, bruised mark. A mark from when he had almost been strangled to death. "…I really almost died."

I looked at Jang Yeeun in silence. She scratched her head and avoided my gaze. "…I’m sorry." The doctor waved his hand and laughed. "It’s fine. I survived, so it’s all good." He immediately got to the point. "I don’t know the reason, but Representative Lee Sieun is currently in a state of being 'half' infected."

I didn't show much reaction. It was a fact I already knew. But hearing it 'spoken directly by someone else' was another kind of shock. He observed my expression and spoke again. "And… Jang Yeeun was bitten by you, yet she is perfectly fine."

Well, Jang Yeeun is the protagonist. She’s someone who possesses antibodies in her blood. At that moment, the doctor clasped his hands together and sighed. "I don’t think I’m anyone special, but…" He continued slowly. "It is certain that you and Jang Yeeun have 'something' different from ordinary people." As he said this, he pulled a small plastic card from his pocket. A student ID. I quietly took it and examined it. Seoul National University College of Medicine. And the name was—

"Kang Seojun?" I frowned as I looked down at the ID. The military doctor, Kang Seojun, laughed bitterly. "…My professor is a total lunatic." He took back the ID and muttered, "But he would love this kind of story." He narrowed his eyes and added, "Though, I’m not sure if he’s even alive right now… no, it’s more likely he was beaten to death by a graduate student than bitten by an infected person."

He returned to a serious face immediately. "I think it’s worth conducting research."

"…Research?"

He nodded slowly. "Instead of forging your medical records and data, could I… ask for your cooperation in physical examinations and experiments?"

I bit my lip and ground my teeth. 'Cooperation,' he says. Did I even have another choice? "…Do I have a choice?"

Kang Seojun chuckled and shook his head. "Of course you do." He slowly turned his gaze to Jang Yeeun. And in the corner of my vision, I saw a small glint. That thing sparkling in the darkness… "…That’s a knife, isn't it?"

Jang Yeeun let out a light sigh. "In this situation, it wouldn't do any good for the fact that you’re half-infected to be revealed, Sieun. And it seems impossible to keep hiding it forever, anyway."

"…"

Jang Yeeun sighed again and continued. "If that’s the case, isn't it better to have someone who knows and cooperates?"

A chill ran down my spine. "…Since when did you know I was half-infected?"

Jang Yeeun laughed as if it were absurd. "How many times have we slept together?" she said calmly. "Do I look like such a fool that I wouldn't have noticed that much?"

I was too flustered to speak. My mind was a mess. She had known for a long time? What on earth had I been doing all this time? At that moment, Jang Yeeun smirked. "…Whether you’ve become infected or not, you are still you. Lee Sieun." She tossed the knife into the air and caught it again. "…Kang Seojun, let’s do this right?"

Kang Seojun nodded and smiled quietly. "A doctor does not abandon his patients."

Just then, Jang Yeeun took a key out of her pocket. Click. The handcuffs that had been binding my wrists were unlocked. She then supported my arm and helped me stand. My legs felt weak and I stumbled for a moment, but Jang Yeeun held me up without a word. Kang Seojun waved us off. "Representative, don’t think too seriously about it. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but… we can figure it out together."

I looked at him. My mind was still in turmoil, but at least in this moment… "…Yeah." I muttered softly. Just then, Jang Yeeun opened the door. "A lot of things happened after you collapsed."

"What?"

She didn't answer and pointed ahead. I followed her gaze and turned my head. At that moment, a piece of graffiti on the wall in the distance caught my eye.

[Let’s kill all those bastards from the National Reconstruction Committee!]

…Huh?