I'm still alive

The bath is all over. I played with Chae-yeon for a long time, enjoying the refreshing feeling after a long time. And after a long time, I chatted with my friends and enjoyed the strange board games that the children brought. I have to run around busily from tomorrow. Therefore, I gave free time to my party today.

So time began to pass by.

Me and Yong-pal anxiously waited on the roof for the old man's return. I checked my watch in a hurry, unable to hide my uneasiness. The afternoon was already over and the evening was approaching. However, no radio messages were received from the elderly and Doosik.

Apparently he would come before sunset, but so far the old man has not been seen, having finished his bath and eaten until early evening. I quickly got a gun from the warehouse and took a bayonet. Then, in a state of emergency, he ordered Yong-pal to go down below the mart.

The twilight began to fade. And the city is locked in the dark. I crouched on the railing on the roof and looked everywhere. But unlike my wind, the city began to sink into the darkness as if trapped in the deep sea.

And red lights shine like stars in the dark. After our days, now their nights come. They wander about in the dark and start their activities.

The sun has set completely.

This darkness was telling us that the old man and Doosik could not make it back today. Please, I prayed and prayed before sunrise that they would not find the old man.

I grabbed my fluttering chest and ran down to the mart. As I took the stairs down the mart, all the party stood in front of the stairs and looked at me with anxious eyes. They were all waiting for the return of the old man and Doosik.

What should I say?

I've been pondering for a long time over the gun. Everyone's eyes seemed to ask him to tell them that the old man was safe and that he had been contacted. I gulped down my saliva. And I had to tell the group such a calm and cold lie.

'......Contact has come.’

Then Kim Si-eun (the granddaughter of the old man) came running in a hurry before me, delighted. And Yong-pal, who was anxious by tearing off his nails and lips, joined the ranks with a bright smile. Kim Si-eun asked me in a quivering voice.

What are you doing here? Can I get in touch with you? What?'

I took the radio out of my pocket with a trembling hand. And he explained quietly in a small voice, gesturing at Kim Si-eun to calm down.

'I got a radio call a while ago. It's near the mart, but they can't come in because the sun is setting. We decided to turn the radio off for a while because of the sound, so don't worry.'

She breathed a deep breath, for fear of relief, as I explained softly. Of course I felt like I was rotting in my stomach. I didn't want to lie. However, if he told the truth, there might be a big rift between the party.

As such, the presence of the elderly was huge among the party members.

I told the party to go in and rest and tried to smile. Then the group chatted and soon moved into the lounge. I watched the figure quietly and said to Yong-pal standing next to me.

'......I'm going to do the rooftop sentry alone today. You're sleeping near the back door.’

Yong-pal was relieved but questioned what I was saying. But I said nothing and almost half forced the dragon arm inside the mart. Maybe an old man and Doosik will come at night. I had to have my dragon arm ready for the back door.

And I came up to the rooftop of the mart with my weapons and flashlights.

The eternity passed and it became a complete night. The moon didn't rise today, so I couldn't see a inch ahead. On days like this, it would be safer to hide. I sat quietly on the roof railing and stared blankly at the side of the road where the red fireflies hovered.

The old man and Doosik will be fine. The old man and Dooshik must be hiding somewhere in that gray city waiting for them to pass and wanting the year to come. I was firmly convinced.

I clenched my eyes with my hands full on the radio.

And put the radio down on the floor and took a gun with it and looked everywhere. There was nothing I could do. I just keep this position, as always.

* * * * * * *

‘ ’

The radio rang.

I was freaking out and turned down the radio volume. And then I ran and opened the warehouse door and went inside.Then he held the noisy radio with both hands and checked the time. 3 a.m., it's too late at dawn. My hands trembled because I didn't know the radio would ring at this time.

I shouted quietly at the radio.

'Old man?'

Then the walkie-talkie once again gave out a loud noise. And between the noise came a thin stream of voices, and soon began to hear the old man's voice, who was so familiar and wanted to hear.

[ Can you hear me?]

It's alive! It's alive! I swallowed my joyful voice in my heart, unable to shout. Then he grabbed the radio and flopped down on the floor. I answered the old man, clearing my voice and swallowing my saliva.

'Yes, I can hear you! Is something wrong? Why didn't you come? Are you okay?’

Then the walkie-talkie once again makes a loud noise. I calmly waited for the old man's answer. And after a while the old man's voice began to come from the radio.

[Now I can get the signal. Don't worry for now. Both of you are fine.]

I let go of my tension and let out a big breath. And I leaned my back comfortably against the wall of the warehouse and looked at the radio quietly. The old man's voice was a little tired but quiet, as if not urgent. And seeing the situation reported through the radio, it seemed to find a safe hiding place.

I picked up the radio and asked the old man.

What's going on?’

Then the old man let out a sound of bleating whether he was worried or not. Then a brief silence ensued and soon spoke to me in a calm voice.

[I'll tell you the details when I get there. We'll leave as soon as the sun rises, so let's talk then.]

I answered briefly, nodding my head. There was nothing good about talking out loud at dawn like now. I tried to put down the radio slowly, repeatedly emphasizing to be careful. But the old man's trembling voice caught me.

[And the thing is.]

'What?'

[You're on the roof, aren't you? What about Yongpal?]

The old man asked me in a voice of uneasiness and trembling unlike before. With anxiety, I gulped down my saliva and grabbed the gun that I had left next to me. Then he took a breath and calmly reported his recent condition.

'I'm on the roof. Yongpal is in the mart.’

Then the old man told me in a voice still small but urgent.

[Don't make any noise as soon as this radio is over, go down below the mart. And don't sleep all night with Yongpal. Okay?]

I had a hunch that something was going on. Then hurriedly checked the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the ammunition dumps. Then I grabbed the flashlight I had left on one side and gently opened the warehouse door to look around. But there was no sign but the sound of the wind.

I asked the old man in a smaller voice than before.

'......what's going on?’

There was only a slight noise on the radio. And as time went by, the old man fumbled slightly and recited to me in a quivering voice.

[It's her.]

[She came down the mountain.]

All the cells all over the body begin to boil in response to the old man's words. Starting from the tip of my toes to the tip of my head, I get goose bumps and my skin aches. Unknowingly I swallowed my saliva and opened my mouth with cold sweat. The old man cut off after a radio message telling him to be careful.

I put down the radio quietly. Then, holding a gun and a flashlight, carefully opened the warehouse door. As soon as I opened the warehouse door, a cold winter breeze brushed my face. There was no light in the dark all around. I felt fear in the approaching darkness as if eating me.

Gently stretched out one's foot. And I went down the stairs to the mart without having time to look everywhere.

As soon as I entered the mart, I woke up a sleeping dragon. Yong-pal got up in a hurry and repeatedly asked me what was going on as soon as he saw my face. But I couldn't answer. And I stayed up all night collecting flashlights and batteries without a word.

* * * * * * *

a rustling sound

I took away the newspaper covering the window and gently looked outside. By the time it was time, the energy of dawn was creeping through the buildings. I quickly got up from my seat, picked up my gun, and kicked a dragon-arm dozing off on one side.

'......the sun is rising.

Yong-pal woke up with a sound of suction and looked at me with sleepy eyes. Then he got up from his seat, wiping his drooling. and walked slowly towards the stairs leading to the roof with Yong-pal.

And I opened the resting room in the middle of the walk. In the lounge, the group gathered like hamsters and fell asleep. I checked the face of Chae-yeon, who fell asleep like Kang Soo-ryeon on one side, and carefully closed the lounge door.

Then I moved my steps.

As soon as I opened the roof door and went out, the chilly wind brushed my whole body. Tired body and sleepy mind made my body tired with tension. But I was very alert for the old man and Du-sik, who would soon come here.

The perfect sun began to rise among the buildings. Those who had been shining red eyes moved slowly to return to their seats, and the pitch-black darkened place was filled with the energy of dawn.

He came down the mountain.

We fled to the city to avoid him, but it was still chasing us. You didn't seem to know exactly where we were because you haven't seen us. But that was not what mattered.

That he came all the way to the city, and that he's still after us.

That was enough.

I felt impatient. This should be okay, right? The idea of collapsed in an instant. Even this rooftop where we are right now was not safe as long as he was. The height of the railing had to be raised. And we need to find weapons that are not loud.

As I looked outside, I fell into deep thought.

There was a shortage of equipment and supplies. Is there any place to get them? We had to build a strong barricade, but the equipment and supplies to make it were not inside the mart. I had to find a place with steel bars, strong materials, and professional equipment.

I asked, tapping the dragon's arm rubbing its sleepy eyes.

'Yongpal, are there any construction sites or hardware stores nearby?’

Then Yong-pal closed his eyes with a bleep. Then he opened his eyes gently and answered, scratching around his eyes.

'Mr. Teolbo.'

'What?'

"Oh, not Mr. Teolbo, but......... There's a hardware store nearby.’

The dragon-pal, who said so, slowly rose from his seat and pointed to a building far away. There were surrounding landscapes and other quiet streets. And there was only one building there, which had no sign and looked very old.

'That's Mr. Teolbo. I live with my son....... I don't know if you're alive. But there's nothing inside the iron gate.’

I nodded. Then hurriedly took out the diary and wrote down the location of the hardware store in detail with a brief map. When the old man and Doosik come back, I should go there quickly. And I had to build a defense facility for him.

'Uh!'

While I was recording, Yong-pal suddenly turned his head with a loud noise. I slowly turned my eyes, turned my head towards the direction the dragon was looking at, and quickly rolled my eyes.

There was a scene of Doosik and an old man running through the alley and running here. I grabbed the gun and hurried down the mart.