I'm still alive

I gulped down my saliva. The girl who was following me said in a small voice.

'This is where you talked about, right?'

I found a sign and soon nodded. Cheongnyongsan Infant Forest Experience Center It is the place where the shelter we used to live and where we promised to meet our party.

I squeezed the sign with my tiny trembling hand. I was relieved at the thought of meeting Chae-yeon again soon, and on the contrary, I felt anxious about not having a party here.

But the schoolgirl who guided me in the midst of all my thoughts told me as if she was nervous.

Do you have to stop by here and take me to school? It's right next to him.….'

I nodded unanswered at the remark. From the sign point, it's a familiar road. I ran past the girl and the child and quickly towards the shelter. The girl looked at me with a puzzled look, and soon grabbed the child's hand and ran after me.

I felt like I was about to fall down. My head was throbbing and my whole body was weak. However, I endured and endured the hope of meeting Chae-yeon soon. I grabbed my gun with one hand and led my tired body across the street.

The experience center was quiet. And it was still without even the sound of the wind. I repeated running around the experience center just in case I had a party. And as soon as I began to see the shelter building, I ran frantically towards it.

I heard a girl calling me from behind, but I ignored and didn't stop walking.

The dense trees covering the shelter remained. And there was a structure between the trees that I had never seen before. It was a barricade made by cutting and weaving strong pine branches, which seemed to have been improvised, but it seemed very reassuring to be blocking around the shelter.

And there was no room for people to enter, for how closely woven they were. Also, the barricades were quite high and strong as the trees were high. I felt my heart beating because I had a rough idea of whose work it was.

And I hurried around the shelter to find the entrance. But strangely enough, I couldn't see the entrance inside. Stomping his feet, he looked inside the gap, and the windows of the shelter were covered with something and a rope was hanging on the barricade.

He probably went in and out of this rope without a door, but he couldn't get in and out without it.

I was restless and kept going around the shelter. Should we shout for the party? Or should I just wait until I get out? That's how I was holding onto the barricade and agonizing, and at that moment I heard the screams of a woman tearing from the back.

'Argh!'

"Argh!"

The short screams of a girl and the crying of a child. I ran over there with a gun, feeling my heart sink. It was so relaxing. I was too careless. You should have taken care of the two that followed me. I frowned and ran with my gun at the front.

The girl, who was quite close to me, was on the floor with her hip shot, her brother was crying and hugging her body, and someone was pointing a gun at her in front of her, and I ran there and pointed the gun forward.

And cried out loud.

Put the gun down!'

Then he, who was aiming at a female student, quickly moved the gun and aimed at me. I bit my lips and put my hand on the trigger. No bullets. It's impossible to engage. I stood frozen in the spot and looked at him pointing a gun at me.

Her whole body was covered with grass and her face was covered with cloth. And an old shotgun......... shotgun? I found a familiar shotgun and inhaled. Then he put down the gun that was slowly losing strength.

The cloth looked at his eyes and eyes. I've seen it. It was obviously a familiar eyeball. As soon as I made eye contact with him, I dropped the gun completely. He also lowered the cloth, which was covering his face, looking at me in doubt as I lowered the gunpoint.

And he ran fast to me and shouted.

He was alive! He was alive! Hahaha!!'

He was an old man who aimed a gun at a schoolgirl. The old man was running to me with an unusual laugh. I laughed helplessly, too, putting my gun down to the ground in a violent welcome. I felt like tears were about to cry.

The day has passed. Nevertheless, I was mistaken that it was only a year ago. When I met the old man, I realized that I was still alive. The old man, who ran, dropped his gun and embraced me. And then I slapped my shoulder and laughed out loud.

'Good to see you. Good to see you!'

When the old man laughed, I laughed for no reason. As a result, tears came out naturally and I swallowed my breath for no reason because I didn't want to cry like a child. I felt like my whole body was discharged. All the sources of my body have been removed, leaving only empty shells.

I stumbled for a moment because I was exhausted.

As soon as I met the old man, the pillar in my heart, which had been firmly grasping, collapsed in a moment as if it were made of sand. The old man grabbed me up as if he knew everything. and whispered in a proud voice, clasping my shoulders with both hands.

'That's why I bought it. You saved everything.'

I nodded helplessly. He didn't run away this time. Yeah, I saved it all.

While I was talking to the old man for a while, a girl and a child got up from behind, shaking off the dirt. And came slowly this way, with a little cringe. Then the old man turned his eyes to it and soon looked at me.

'Who is it?'

I've been pondering for a long time how to explain my brother and sister and sister. Then, after much consideration, he replied briefly.

'He's helped us get here.'

Then the old man gave a slight bow to the girl with a bleep. And as if thank you for helping me, I greeted her and thanked her.

'Thank you.'

Then the schoolgirl stammered, shaking her head and arms, as if she was flinching and embarrassed. Then, he stammers to say something and bows his head down. The old man, who seemed to be shy, gazed at the figure with delight and soon told me.

'Hurry up and meet the party. Everyone's been waiting.'

And I took the lead with a little impatient steps. He seems to have wanted to let him meet with his party as soon. I chased the old man and told the girl to follow me. And when I was walking thoughtlessly, I asked the old man because I was curious.

'But why are you out here?'

Then the old man answered, walking without looking back at me.

'Just in case, I reconsidered. I might find you.'

The sound made me bow slowly, feeling an unknown bond. I felt deeply grateful to the old man and even felt like I came back to my hometown for some reason.

We arrived in front of the shelter and the old man climbed the tree with familiarity. Then quickly move into the wall, grab the rope and throw it this way. I snatched the rope that fell to the floor and sent the girl and the child up first.

And I crossed the barricade on that rope, too. Was it because of the expectation that I would meet Chae-yeon? As I entered the shelter, the old man knocked on the door inside the shelter as if he had been waiting.

Then a small noise was heard from inside and the old man replied.

'I'm here.'

The door opened cautiously with the sound of unlocking the old man's answer.

It was Kang Soo-ryeon who opened the door. The whole body was still dry and looked quite tired. And there was a deep depth of water on one side of her face, and she sighed with her head down.

'Are you here?'

Kang Su-ryeon murmured in a small voice and faced the old man, and the moment she raised her head, my eyes met with me behind the old man. Her half-closed eyes slowly began to grow and the clear eyes shed tears.

Compared to my life, meeting her was a short relationship. But that short relationship, beyond life and death, tied her to a close bond. Is that why? I was so glad to see her.

She stumbled and ran to me before I could even bring up a bright smile and ask her if she was okay. And he jumped like a butterfly and gave me a big hug.

She hugged me tightly in my arms and wept and wept. I hugged her and looked at the old man in confusion. The old man just smiled gladly and took the girl and the child into the shelter.

She hugged my neck and cried for a long time what was so sad. His long hair was cut short and his body was worn out in a tough situation. Nevertheless, the sorrowful tears she shed were flowing not out of her circumstances but out of concern for me. She hasn't changed since we first met.

I was embarrassed but soon understood her mind. And I held her tight, holding back my tears for no reason.

The inside of the shelter was noisy. The children who were sleeping or resting in the sudden uproar began to come out one by one, wondering what was going on. I could see the girls I had brought from the university and the kids around her.

The old man's granddaughter came up to me with something packed up to me, whether she had been told beforehand by the old man, and I could see a child standing alone in the distance, staring blankly at me.

Kang Soo-ryeon, who was in my arms, wiped away her tears and let go of me holding her. And patted me on the shoulder as if to go. I walked blankly into the shelter. Warm air whizzed past.

And I sat down on the spot, relaxed. It was hard to get up. Now that I think it's all over, my legs are loose. I slowly opened my arms. Then the child, or Chae-yeon, burst into tears, ran to me and hugged me.

As soon as I faced Chae-yeon, I burst into tears. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you. I apologized to Chae-yeon for a long time, and she shook her head and shed tears without saying anything.

A cold reality had lifted my body. The feeling of being a living corpse made my body look like a corpse. However, as soon as Chae-yeon's warm body temperature touches me, the reality and energy disappear.

A haze rises above my shoulder. The heavy load I was carrying was gradually disappearing that day.