The Witch's Surrender
“Wipe it here! Wipe it, wifey! ……Khkh!”
The Witch burst into a bitter sob as she rubbed the Sheriff’s palm against her clothes.
“Shit! I feel so miserable in this situation! So shame! Hhuk……!”
The Witch covered her face and sobbed. She had been holding it in all day, forcing herself to endure, until she finally couldn’t anymore and let go just moments ago. Of all people, it had to be this man who witnessed her humiliation. She was so ashamed she didn’t know what to do with herself.
“Ah, you…… made a mistake.”
Only then did the Sheriff finally grasp the situation and try to comfort her.
“Hey, it’s fine! Nothing to be embarrassed about……. Fuck, anyone tied up like that would end up the same way!”
He meant it. And he didn’t even find it particularly dirty. Compared to having zombie brains splattered across his face, a little human piss was nothing.
If anything, he felt more pity for the fact that she had been forced to hold it in alone in this pitch-black place without even being able to say a word. The only light in the vast theater was a single multipurpose flashlight—far too weak to chase away the fear.
“Listen, wait here a second. I’ll…… go get you some pants. Ah, you’ll need underwear too.”
The Sheriff stood up hesitantly. The special forces team and Yubin were probably still nearby, so he planned to step outside and ask them to bring back a pair of pants and underwear. But the Witch grabbed the hem of his pants tightly and shook her head desperately.
“No! Don’t go! Stay here! Stay! Please!”
“It’s okay! I’ll be right back!”
Even as the Sheriff tried to calm her, the Witch kept her mouth shut tight and refused to loosen her grip.
“Don’t leave me alone again! Please! I’m begging you! This silence, this darkness…… it was too scary! And……”
The Witch lowered her voice, glancing around anxiously.
“Be careful! Jack the Ripper is around here……!”
He didn’t understand everything she said, but he could tell she was terrified of Mingu. After peeling the remaining tape off her ankles, the Sheriff shook his head.
“Ah, don’t worry about that guy. He’s not here. He went somewhere else.”
“No kidding! Really? Really?”
The Witch’s eyes wavered. The Sheriff nodded with his usual straightforward manner.
“Yeah, you idiot. So just wait a bit. I’ll get you some new clothes. It’s gross, sure, but wearing wet clothes in this weather will get you sick.”
“I’m fine! With this blanket……”
The Witch pulled a blanket from a nearby chair, wrapped it around her legs, and forced a smile.
“I can just wrap myself in the blanket…… That’s it! Simple solution, right? Hhh…… Hhh……!”
She tried to laugh it off like it was nothing, but the Sheriff couldn’t bring himself to smile back. Her face looked too serious. Her cheeks, streaked with tears in the cold air, were bright red and chapped, and the skin around her mouth where the tape had been was in bad shape.
“Whoa, hey……! You’re…… no joke. Your skin’s completely…… Hold on.”
The Sheriff rummaged through his backpack and pressed something into the Witch’s hand—a cheap tube of lotion.
“Use this. It’ll help with the stinging. Here, here! Look at yourself and spread it evenly!”
He also handed her the hand mirror Jinwoo had left behind in Myeonmok-dong.
“Khkh……!”
The Witch set the mirror down and began applying the lotion. Tears welled up again as she covered her mouth. This time, they were tears of joy. The muscleman’s kind consideration moved her so deeply she couldn’t sort out her emotions. The moment felt overwhelming and warm.
She had never even glanced at anything less than La Mer cosmetics before……. Even the cheap lotion’s scent felt wonderful. Her cheeks and hands, dry and sore from two days without anything on them, suddenly felt incredibly smooth.
“Hey, stop crying already. You’re making it worse.”
As the Sheriff pulled out a towel to wipe her tears, a loud growl came from the Witch’s stomach.
Grrooowl—! Gurgle—!
“Well now? You must be starving! Haven’t eaten anything?”
The Sheriff handed her the towel and walked over to the food table, packing some items into a plastic bag.
“I saw you eating these yesterday. Here, at least have some of this.”
He set down a water bottle and several calorie bars in front of her.
“Water!”
The Witch gulped down the water frantically, then made a trembling gesture like she was smoking a cigarette.
“More than food…… I need a cigarette. Let’s go to the rooftop, sweetie.”
“Rooftop? The roof?”
The Sheriff hesitated. If they went up now, they might see the flashlight beams of the special forces team and Yubin walking along Neungdong-ro in the distance. It would be better to open the doors later for ventilation than to expose their secret. With a heavy heart, the Sheriff took out cigarettes and a lighter from his backpack and handed them to her, then twirled his finger in the air.
“Just smoke here. Ash in an empty bowl. You’re in bad shape right now, so going outside in the wind isn’t a good idea. Plus, well, your pants are wet like that……”
He didn’t want their secret exposed, and it was true her body temperature had dropped dangerously low after lying on the floor all day. At this rate, he worried he might end up reciting Kim Cheomji’s lines from Lucky Day himself.
“You’re completely frozen. Stay still……. Where did I put my padding?”
The Sheriff pulled out his lightweight padding jacket and draped it over the Witch’s shoulders.
“Ah……! So sweet! So kind!”
The Witch, just about to light her cigarette, was overcome with emotion. She pulled the Sheriff’s neck into a hug and kissed his cheek. Again and again! She looked ready to go for his lips next.
“Hey, listen…… You said you wanted to smoke……”
Flustered, the Sheriff stretched his neck as far back as possible to dodge her advances. Still, the Witch didn’t let go, burying her face in his neck and exhaling hot, cigarette-scented breath.
“Please…… just stay like this for a few more seconds.”
Whine—!
Samsuk-i, lying in the corner, let out a pained sound and looked away. Even the dog seemed unable to watch the embarrassing scene any longer. Good thing he can’t snitch to Jenny and Terra…… the Sheriff thought, glancing sideways at Samsuk-i.
“You’ll never know how happy I am that you saved me, sweetie……. You’re a knight from a fairy tale! A brave knight who rescued the princess trapped by the devil……. Hhuk……!”
The Witch clutched the Sheriff’s hand tightly, exhaling smoke, and began sniffling again. Her fingers trembled as she held the cigarette, so it didn’t seem entirely like an act or a show.
“Well, yeah……. Good for you……”
As the Sheriff gave a soulless reply, staring blankly into space, the Witch asked cautiously.
“Well…… can I have a glass of brandy? It might calm this shaking. Hm? Please!”
With a bit of leeway now, the Witch gave a slight eye-smile and puckered her lips cutely. Not that it helped much with her swollen eyes and chapped skin making her look a mess.
“Liquor’s fine, I guess. But on an empty stomach?”
The Sheriff scratched his head and pulled out another bottle of Imperial. He had brought it from the supermarket to keep warm while keeping watch on the roof at night, but it seemed he and this woman would end up drinking it together.
“Aaaah……!”
After the first sip, the Witch tilted her head back, stroking her throat and expressing the burn of alcohol down her esophagus with her whole body and a moan. It didn’t seem intentional, but everything about her was exaggerated like a stage actress.
“You drink too, sweetie. Drink with me, my knight.”
The Witch offered him the bottle.
Ah, this is driving me crazy. So annoying……
The Sheriff gritted his teeth at being called “knight.” He was grateful she wasn’t throwing a tantrum, but this strange atmosphere was hard to match. Anyway, Yubin, you bastard……
“Sweetie, why did you leave me alone with that dangerous Reaper and disappear? Why? I want to know the reason.”
After downing two more gulps, the Witch asked. The Sheriff vaguely brushed it off as Yubin had advised.
“Ah, it’s a long story…… We were just busy. To survive…… there’s a lot to do.”
“You have no idea how scared I was…… You never know……”
The Witch turned her head like a tragic heroine and muttered gloomily.
“Jack the Ripper…… hhuk…… right in front of me…… hhuk…… khk, khk! He was sharpening that big knife…… the edge of the knife…… hhuk!”
The Witch, mimicking Mingu sharpening his knife, finally broke down and buried herself in the Sheriff’s arms, bursting into tears again. Just recalling that moment sent fear rushing back; her whole body trembled, and her hands grew cold once more.
“It hurts……. It hurts.”
The Witch held out her hand in front of the Sheriff. Her arm, bent and fixed backward for hours, must have been painful. The Sheriff massaged her wrist and let out a deep sigh.
“Yeah, what is this……”
“Don’t leave me now. Just stay close. You swear?”
“Fine. I said I would……”
“Hoo……!”
The Witch took the bottle from the Sheriff, took a big gulp, lit her second cigarette, and continued carefully.
“Sweetie, you guys won. You guys win.”
“What?”
“I surrender. I’m giving up.”
The Witch gave a bitter smile and lightly brushed the Sheriff’s cheek. Now that she had calmed down a bit, she understood clearly. This was a classic good cop, bad cop routine. Maybe too obvious, low-level psychological warfare that made her want to yawn. She saw right through it. But…… the problem was that the whip was too merciless and terrifying. It hadn’t physically harmed her…… yet it was horrifying enough to strangle her heart. Facing Jack the Ripper, being abandoned and left alone with him—both were terrifying. And…… the carrot, this muscleman’s care and his broad, warm chest, felt too good. If she had to leave this man and spend another day with that Reaper…… she couldn’t endure it anymore. She might go insane. And maybe the Reaper really would skin her alive in that one day……
“Release the civilians from the lab, right? I’ll do that. I promise that!”
Still clutching the Sheriff’s hand, the Witch exhaled smoke and nodded.
“You’ll…… release the people? Really?”
The Sheriff looked skeptical. In just two days…… could things really be resolved this easily?
“Trust me! Believe me. Convincing Daddy won’t be easy, but……”
Tilting the whiskey bottle with trembling hands, the Witch narrowed her eyes and stared into the darkness with a grave expression.
“Those civilians…… we don’t need them anymore. I don’t care! Anyway…… we’re going to kill Lieutenant General Park and take those soldiers as prisoners. We’ll kill and burn everything related to this incident in the cruelest way possible. I’ll show you what true vengeance looks like. So just send me safely to the South Area.”
“Wait a second……”
The Sheriff, dumbfounded, raised his hand to cut her off.
“I’m not sure I’m hearing you right…… So, you’ll release the civilians trapped in Busan…… and instead capture and imprison Lieutenant General Park’s soldiers, is that what you’re saying?”
“You got me! That’s exactly it. Especially Lieutenant General Park—I’ll throw him alive into a zombie cave! I’ll laugh while listening to him scream……!”
The Witch imagined the scene with a serious face, her expression filled with glee.
“Whoa, you’re really something!”
Chills running down his spine, the Sheriff shook off the Witch’s hand and raised his voice.
“This is why I can’t fully trust you even when I feel sorry for you! Fuck, is that something a human being would say? Are you crazy? Huh? What’s in your head to come up with that?”
“Why? Don’t let go of my hand! Hold my hand, sweetie! I’m scared! Why are you angry?”
When the Sheriff’s attitude suddenly changed, the Witch hurriedly grabbed his hand again. He wanted to end the conversation right there, but remembering Yubin’s request, the Sheriff took a deep breath to steady himself.
Hoo…… calm down. Countless lives depend on this crazy bitch. We’re almost there.
Finally regaining his composure, the Sheriff explained as kindly and calmly as possible.
“No…… listen carefully……. We’re asking you to release those people to save lives. But then you say you’ll capture Lieutenant General Park’s soldiers and repeat the same bullshit, so of course I’m pissed. Just stop the human experiments already, damn it!”
“But experiments are necessary to save more people! And sweetie! Lieutenant General Park’s soldiers are your enemies too! You shot and killed those soldiers when you escaped across the Han River! I can’t forgive the people who pointed guns at me!”
The Witch refused to back down. The Sheriff pounded his chest in frustration.
“Whoa! Is that the same thing? Back then, we were shooting at each other, so it was kill or be killed! This is…… capturing and killing innocent people! Why don’t you see the difference? Is it because you’re a psychopath?”
“Hhh……!”
When the Sheriff shouted, the Witch immediately deployed her most powerful weapon—tears.
“I’m sorry…… I’m so sorry……! But don’t yell like that, sweetie…… It scares me so much…… I have no one to trust…… hhuk!”
The Witch sobbed deeply, her shoulders shaking, and buried herself in the Sheriff’s chest.
“Haa……!”
The Sheriff let out a sigh filled with deep irritation. Finding common ground with this woman seemed impossible. Her way of thinking was completely different from everyone else’s.
“Look, sweetie. Look at this……. It’s pounding because I’m scared. Feel my heartbeat.”
The Witch grabbed the Sheriff’s hand and pulled it toward her chest. The Sheriff resisted firmly.
“Fine! Fine, so let go! I don’t need to feel it to know!”
This bitch is really trying to seduce someone! I’ve got a woman, damn it!
Beep—! Beep-beep—! Beep-beep—!
The alarm on his wristwatch rang briefly, signaling midnight. November’s final day had begun. The Sheriff swallowed a sigh inwardly. It was going to be a very long night…… and he was afraid.
＊＊＊
Yubin was surrounded by zombies.
No!
Jenny screamed. But no sound came out.
Jinwoo oppa! Sheriff oppa! Someone save my oppa! Save him! Mingu ahjussi!
Jenny looked around, begging for help. But everyone was too busy with their own tasks.
Oppa! I’ll save you! Just wait a little!
Jenny ran toward him with her arms outstretched. But…… reaching Yubin took far too long, and her feet felt impossibly heavy.
Crunch—!
Yubin’s right hand was bitten off by a zombie.
No!
Jenny felt like her heart was exploding. That was the only hand he had left! Without it, he would be too pitiful……!
The serum injection! Take out the injection, oppa!
As if he understood her advice, Yubin hurriedly opened his zipper and pulled out the serum case. But his prosthetic hand was too slow and clumsy, and he dropped it on the floor.
Roll—! Clatter-clatter—! Roll-roll-roll—!
The serum syringe rolled and tumbled down the slope. Down an endlessly deep cliffside……. Now Yubin had no hope left.
Thank you. For letting me win……
Yubin muttered with a lonely smile, as if saying goodbye. That expression…… that painful look she never wanted to see again……
No! Pleeease!
“Aaaah! Please! ……Haa!”
Only then did sound finally burst from her mouth, and Jenny escaped from the hellish nightmare.
“Haa……! Haa……!”
Jenny sat up and wiped the sweat soaking her face and neck. Before tears could well up, she quickly buried her face in the sleeve of Yubin’s T-shirt, which she wore as pajamas. Inhaling his lingering scent from the shirt, she finally felt a little better.
“……Are you okay, Jenny?”
From the next bed, Terra asked in her characteristic slow, gentle tone. She had probably woken up because of Jenny’s sleep-talking. Jenny quickly nodded.
“Yeah! Yeah! I’m fine. It’s nothing, I just…… had a scary dream.”
Jenny forced a smile. She wanted nothing more than to cry in her friend’s arms until the anxiety passed, but she couldn’t ask Terra for help. Terra was the one truly suffering the most right now.
Terra always wore a kind, gentle smile in front of others, but she had nightmares almost every night even when her brothers weren’t out. And she often cried in secret. No one else knew, but Jenny, who shared the room with her, knew exactly how anxious and terrified she was. Given her uncertain physical condition and the immense pressure of being called humanity’s hope, it was only natural.
“I’m okay, so go back to sleep, Terra. It’s only midnight……”
Glancing at the digital clock on the bedside table, Jenny let out a sigh. When separated from Yubin, she often had these nightmares, and on those nights, a painful stretch of time followed where she couldn’t fall back asleep. She worried so much about him, who was far weaker than the other brothers……
I’m here…… and you’re somewhere…… that’s enough…… that gives me strength……
Lying back down for Terra’s sake, Jenny slowly recited the lyrics of their song “QL” in her heart. It had been a song for their fans, but now it comforted her.
……That starlight I see, maybe you see it too…… The night connected by starlight…… My sweet kiss too…… carried on that light……
The lyrics ached in her heart, and tears welled in Jenny’s eyes. She pulled the shirt closer to her nose to hold onto Yubin’s now-faint scent.
Three more days…… If she could just endure that long, everyone would return. Oppa would come back too. Healthy and kind, just as he was.