Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 67.2: Hero (2)

I’ve been listening to a radio broadcast recently.

It’s not from Incheon.

It’s a broadcast coming from the east, the territory controlled by the Legion faction.

"The sky is high, and the horses are getting fat, a season of Cheongomabi (fall).

Are you all filling your hearts with nourishment?

According to satellite observations, the Siberian high-pressure system has developed even stronger than usual, and it is expected to bring an early cold wave compared to previous years.

Please prepare in advance and be ready for the coming cold wave.

Today's requested song is Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, requested by Lee Ho-young from Sokcho.

Rachmaninoff. I also really like him."

The voice of the female announcer in the broadcast was so pleasant, she reminded me of the radio broadcasters I used to hear on the bus or in taxis before the war.

No matter what the Legion faction’s intentions were, this broadcast actually provided comfort to many people.

The broadcast came from a radio I took from a raider’s corpse.

It seems the radio was one that was tuned into this broadcast regularly.

The reason I’m listening to this radio is not just out of nostalgia.

At the end of the broadcast, the female caster mentioned some dangerous information that the Legion faction likely acquired.

"In the area around East Seoul, many mutations have been spotted. The exact species has not been determined, but please be cautious if you're planning to head to East Seoul, and prepare for any situation."

"A large amount of capsules found in Wonju have been removed thanks to the efforts of the South Korean military, but there is still information suggesting that monsters are active in the area, so please avoid going outside."

"Nothing significant has been detected in the Rift area. The weather today will be cloudy, clearing up later. The highest temperature is expected to be 12 degrees Celsius, and the lowest will drop to 2 degrees above zero."

"The current time is 7:02 AM. This has been the South Korean military general broadcast."

It’s currently 7 AM.

While this would have been an early hour before the war, it’s the time when everyone is awake in the present day.

Since we can no longer chase away the darkness with lights like we did in the past, our daily rhythms have naturally shifted to match the sunrise and sunset.

I washed my face briefly.

Is there anything that makes you feel the change of seasons more than the temperature of the water touching your fingertips when you turn the cold water valve?

It feels like just yesterday the water came out lukewarm, but now it’s cold enough to make my body flinch when it touches my skin. I checked the mercury.

6°C.

It’s chilly.

I observed the golf course through the periscope.

Nothing unusual.

Today is the day I’m going to meet Yang Sang-gil.

I gathered a few supplies.

Enough food to avoid starving, properly purified water, and just enough fuel to warm up my body for a little while.

I measured everything out according to the portion set by Woo Min-hee beforehand.

What matters most is making sure Yang Sang-gil’s family doesn’t have enough resources to stockpile.

When Woo Min-hee set the daily rations, she said something.

"You know, the last government... it was surprisingly competent, right? Probably the best prepared in the world. If the president hadn’t run away at the end, he could’ve been a hero praised for generations. Why am I telling you this? It’s about food. Honestly, there was so much left. But why was it rationed so little back then?"

The answer to that is probably something Yang Sang-gil knows best.

"Is this all?"

Seeing the amount of supplies I brought, Yang Sang-gil couldn’t hide his disappointment.

"I’m sorry. I’m also lacking."

"Excuse me."

Yang Sang-gil looked around nervously.

"I’m terribly sorry, but did you hear my transmission yesterday?"

"Yes."

I asked, maintaining a neutral expression.

"Was there something bothering you?"

"Using the radio recklessly is what bothers me.

How many refugees are in the area around here? Didn’t you see the flashing lights here and there at night?

Those people could turn into raiders, just like those who came here yesterday."

I turned my gaze to the pit below.

The bodies of those who died yesterday were carelessly dumped in the area that used to be called the golf course bunker, with only a thin layer of dirt thrown over them.

They weren’t buried properly, nor moved far away; it was just that they were thrown right next to the house in front of us.

Maybe this half-assed carelessness is the kind of identity this family shares, I thought.

"...I’ll stop by next time."

As I mounted my motorcycle, I saw Yang Sang-gil following me.

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but I revved the engine and drove off.

There’s no need to talk to him.

I shouldn’t.

It’s not just because he’s deceitful, but...

How much truth is there in the words coming from a person who would do anything to survive?

*

"The cool breeze is turning chilly.

When the weather gets cold, I start craving a warm café latte.

One day, the world will return to normal, and the ships will sail across the seas, exchanging the things people need, won’t it?

Today’s requested song is ‘Come Back to Sorrento,’ requested by Mr. K from Incheon."

I started my day listening to the Legion faction’s morning broadcast.

I didn’t have a hobby of listening to the radio, but since I had nothing else to do, I thought it wasn’t bad to let someone else’s voice fill the empty bunker.

While you can always play a movie from a computer to hear someone else’s voice, a radio broadcast somehow feels like it’s alive, like the breath of a living person.

Perhaps that’s why live broadcasts are in demand.

Anyway, Incheon, huh.

Can you request songs from Incheon?

It could be a plot by the Legion faction, but if it’s a well-crafted broadcast, at least one that lifts people’s spirits, I guess I can overlook it.

Of course, the main reason I listen to this broadcast is the warnings and disaster alerts they give at the end of the program.

When the music ended, a female voice, low and calm yet elegant, softly swept into my ears.

"There have been sightings of mutations in the area around Wonju. The exact species hasn’t been determined, but the South Korean military has eliminated them, though they advise that you avoid the area for at least a week, just to be safe."

"In East Seoul, a group of mutations, identified as otter-like creatures, have been moving along the river. They’re not very interested in humans, but they won’t hesitate to attack anyone who comes too close, so if you see anything suspicious near the river, it’s best to run."

Up until this point, it was just an ordinary broadcast.

The problem came next.

"There has been a report that Yang Sang-gil, who self-proclaimed as the acting president in the area controlled by the Coup Faction, has gone missing and is being held in a remote location."

The moment I heard that, I involuntarily sat up straighter, stopping myself from leaning back.

"Yang Sang-gil, one of the masterminds behind the assassination of the president, is wanted by the South Korean military’s provisional government as a first-class criminal. He is suspected to be involved in the treason and national-level crimes currently being carried out by the Coup Faction. We hope that he will be caught soon, and the truth will come out."

Anyone who doesn’t realize that the true purpose of this broadcast is propaganda must be incredibly naive.

But Yang Sang-gil appearing on this broadcast was purely his own fault.

In his desperate attempt to save his own life, he had sent out so many transmissions that it led to the worst situation possible.

I told Woo Min-hee about it during our regular morning check-in.

"Huh? Really? They mentioned Yang Sang-gil on the Legion broadcast?" she asked.

I still couldn’t tell whose side Woo Min-hee was on.

"Do you think anything serious is going on? He was beaten up pretty badly before, right? The ground forces have some strength, but the air force is on our side, so what can they really do?"

I couldn’t figure out if she was on the National Assembly faction or the Coup Faction’s side.

Maybe she wasn’t on either side.

The thought occurred to me that her belonging to any one faction would probably be a denial of her very identity. But one thing was clear.

"What if the Legion faction sends a special forces team to capture Yang Sang-gil? What should we do then? I might have a hard time holding them off on my own."

"Getting caught might be fine, but no, I’ll send some people. I’ll send some elite ones, but if it gets dangerous, you’ll need to help, Senior."

"Me?"

"You’re the one in charge of this. Don’t you remember what you said?"

"Alright."

I agreed to take on the task.

Once I took it on, there was no excuse for backing out, no matter how things worsened.

It was something I always said to my team when I was a team leader.

The words you speak become the shackles that bind you.

It’s self-inflicted, but it’s a complicated feeling.

The future that is about to unfold is as obvious as if I were watching a fire.

While Kim Daram left someone like me, a washed-up person, alone, should I just let Yang Sang-gil go?

Absolutely not.

Yang Sang-gil is the one who stopped her from going to Jeju.

I will get my revenge, no matter what it takes.

Yang Sang-gil’s desperate struggle is what caused all of this disaster.

Static

The silence was broken by the radio.

For a moment, I had a bad feeling that irritation would rise.

"cacg! This is....."

Just as expected, it was Yang Sang-gil.

"Ha, this fucking bastard.."

I couldn’t stop myself from cursing as I headed toward the golf course.

"What are you doing?!"

I clearly saw Yang Sang-gil sneaking out of the tent and looking at me cautiously.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

It had been a while since I shouted like that.

How surprised must his family have been?

I ignored the fearful looks of Yang Sang-gil’s wife and daughter, who were staring at me, and the hesitant gaze of Yang Hyun-soo, who only stuck his eye out from the tent. I walked straight up to Yang Sang-gil and stood in front of him.

"Didn’t I tell you not to use the radio?"

I could see the confusion in Yang Sang-gil’s eyes.

There is no respect for those who don’t follow the rules.

"Did you? Or didn’t you?"

My sharp shout echoed through the golf course.

"Th-That..."

"You’re all going to die."

"Why are we dying?"

Yang Sang-gil asked boldly, still trying to assess the situation.

"Don’t you have a radio?"

"No, I... I didn’t get one."

"The Legion faction heard your transmission."

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"The Legion...?"

"You know Kim Daram, right?"

"Kim Daram?"

I could feel clearly from his expression that he didn’t remember Kim Daram at all.

It wasn’t contempt, anger, or fear.

He simply didn’t remember Kim Daram at all.

"You don’t remember the woman who stopped you from going to Jeju Island?"

"Ah."

Yang Sang-gil opened his mouth.

"Kim Daram."

Yang Sang-gil had given 100,000 won as a gift for Kim Daram’s wedding and had attended the ceremony, though he hadn’t eaten the meal.

Even so, he didn’t remember her.

It wasn’t about the amount of money.

For him, who attended numerous ceremonies every weekend, Kim Daram was just one of many small events.

"That person... she’s going to kill me?"

Yang Sang-gil looked confused.

"Someone who isn’t Awakened?"

I shifted my gaze to Yang Hyun-soo, who had peeked his head out from the tent, looking at me.

Yang Hyun-soo had said something to me online before.

Did he think I was on the same level as him because I entertained him?

That remark really irritated me.

But it seemed that the one who needed to be reminded of their place was his father.

Still, it was clear that Yang Hyun-soo still thought of himself as the same level as an Awakened.

"You nearly died at the hands of three thugs, remember?"

"...But she’s a woman, isn’t she?"

"She’s a woman who runs a 100-meter dash in 11 seconds. A woman who climbs up the side of a three-story building without stairs. A woman who hits all 25 shots on a 125-meter target."

"She was called a monster, even before the Awakened showed up."

"Was she really that kind of person, Kim Daram?"

"Whether she comes or not, I don’t know."

I glared at the radio.

"But if she comes, you better be ready to die."

For a moment, I reconfirmed that Yang Sang-gil wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

He had shrunk back for a moment, but now he was looking at me with a calm face as if nothing had happened.

"Whether Kim Daram comes or not, the result will be the same, right?"

Yang Sang-gil grinned and tilted his head, whispering low.

"Our family is going to die..."

He knew his fate.

He stepped closer to me, glancing nervously at his family.

"I’m the one who deserves to die. I know I can’t survive. I shouldn’t survive. But in the 21st century, even if the world has fallen apart, isn’t there still such a thing as collective punishment? I know my family isn’t great. They’re below average. My wife spends too much, my son’s a troublemaker, and my daughter... well, it’s too embarrassing to even talk about. Sometimes, I’m disgusted by them. But the one who decided all those deaths was Yang Sang-gil, not my family, right?"

"Can you at least save my family?"

Now I understand why Yang Sang-gil kept trying to send out those useless transmissions.

He was just trying to save his family.

At noon that day, an armored vehicle appeared at the golf course.

It was reinforcements sent by Woo Min-hee.

The armored vehicle had five soldiers and one acquaintance.

"Sam!"

A much taller, unfamiliar student came to find me.

"Sam! Please open the door!"

But why was the atmosphere so different from when I was with Woo Min-hee?

"Are you reporting to Woo Min-hee?"

As I opened the door, a young woman with a ponytail, pale and trembling, kept bowing.

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!"

Was her name Song Yu-jin?

It’s welcome that an Awakened has arrived, but with this level of strength, can they really stop Kim Daram’s revenge? Time will tell.

Woo Min-hee set the game, and Yang Sang-gil piled up the fuel for the fire. We’ll see how it plays out.