I'm still alive

The door of the office opened with a heavy sound, and all eyes were on me. Most of the party seemed to wonder why I came here because I was supposed to be in the hospital. The old man put down the gun he was grooming to see if he was thinking the same thing, and walked up to me, telling the party not to care and to do what they had to do.

'What's wrong with the patient coming here?'

The old man punches me in the ribs and asks. I took off my hat with a smile on my face. And the office, which had been quiet for a moment, begins to turn noisy again the same time I take off my hat. Teolbo busily made something, and the people in front of the walkie-talkie talk loudly among themselves. And combat personnel continue to train today as always.

Despite the cold weather, the office was filled with people's heat and breath. I couldn't stay still in a room where only artificial heating existed. And the tension surrounding my body finally relaxes in the feeling of returning to my home, my hometown. I put on my hat again, and joked at the old man who was laughing.

'You're in trouble without me.’

The old man laughs out loud and pokes me in the ribs again. He said with a nod whether he took my joke seriously.

'Yes, I'm in big trouble without you.'

I was trying to be funny, but I got praised in a dazed. Oh, the atmosphere is awkward. The old man, who looked at me silently, hurriedly changed the topic of the story.

What's the head of the group leader?’

As always, events always break out, and we solve them. Yesterday's incident, however, was apparently a subtle violation of the group leader's order to save people. I told the old man and Yong-pal to report as they are, as they acknowledge their position as group leaders. The old man also answers with a nod as to whether he correctly points out the point.

He says what happens outside is not his right.’

Rescue teams are the only people who engage in external activities in Eden. The answer of the group leader was like saying he would divide the power he had, and it was virtually like a declaration of the transfer of power to us without hesitation.

We have full command and choice. The old man said that the other executives could not even speak at all at the sound of strong trust and trust.

All right, at the sound of no upset, I nodded with a satisfied smile. Considering the results of the expedition and the actual experience of the group, I felt that the wound around my eyes was nothing. It's a happy day, a happy moment. I let out a sudden thought without hesitation.

Shall we have a get-together?’

A decent team was born. The awkward atmosphere before departure disappeared in a single real game, and now the Park Dae-bak group and the existing party quickly melted into the team. But there was only one regret, so it was a team get-together that had never been done before. The old man, who heard me, replied with a tempting look, as if he had never thought of it.

'I'm fine.'

That's a good idea. I had been informed that the last shelter to go to the rescue was self-defense, and that there was room for a while. Considering my eye injury and equipment damaged by this incident, it is difficult to proceed with the mission immediately this week. a situation in which one was forced to rest half-forcefully I thought about having a proper party when I'm going to rest like this. Get drinks, get delicious food, get together....... I had a happy imagination for a moment.

'Hello!'

But the happy worry was shattered by the sound of knocking on the door of the office. The loud noise stopped all the party from moving, and the old man trudged to the front of the door, as if annoyed, and threw open the heavy door. Then outside the door stood a familiar man in a white gown, shivering in the cold.

I came in a hurry, and my face was full of sweat, and warm steam rises from that sweat. Without even wearing a jumper to stop the cold, he was definitely a researcher at Eden who met at the hospital. I don't remember the name. Did you say the name? Why did you come to our office? Touching his chin, the researcher rushed inside and told me.

"Oh, it's cold......... I thought you were in the hospital, but you weren't...….’

He seems to have business with me. I called him near the electric fire and asked Yong-pal for a cup of warm coffee. Then he walked here without hesitation and began rubbing his hands on the electric stove, and soon took the mix coffee that the dragon had burned dearly. Maybe a minute or so passed? He said, raising his glasses.

'......the mutated body you handed over.’

Oh! Right, the day went by so quickly that we forgot the existence of the mutant corpse we had brought. However, it seems that our group remembered the instructions they had given me even when I was taken to the hospital. No wonder there's no mutated body, and it's already been sent to the lab. I answered with a quiet nod, as if I had just remembered.

'Thank you is all right.'

It was undeniable that mutated corpses were a very useful tool. An object that literally makes a moving safe zone. These are essentials for us who are active outside. But the problem is that the expiration date is short. The mutant body that started to rot faster than a normal corpse, or give off a nasty smell, was a terrible thing that I would never want to carry around again.

Safety and reliability were the necessary elements of the tool for frequent. That's why I handed over the bodies to the researchers with some expectations. Of course, I didn't think he'd come with results in a short period of time, but the man took a small bottle out of his bag and held it out to me as if he wasn't just here to thank me. And he spoke confidently.

'This is the study.’

This fast? Only a day has passed. No, it's so fast that it's hardly a day. I accepted the disease and looked at him in disbelief. Now that I see him, his face is pale and looks like a mountain corpse. Dark circles are thick, eyes are bloodshot. He was expressing with his whole body that he had spent the night studying.

'No...... you can take your time, is that okay?’

Thank you, but it's a little foolish. As our rest cycle has been quite long, there will be no problem even if we don't give it to him today, and he has been rushing things and producing results like a man chased by something. I carefully examined the disease he had caused. The liquid, which claimed to have been taken from a strain, was as transparent as water.

'Thanks to you, I've been saved from being a beggar. Thank you very much, Dong-yoon.'

In the future, research may be carried out to dig into their sources, but not right now. A crisis is just around the corner, and it's hard to get over the hump, so who's trying to find the cause and solve it? Literally Eden was not yet interested in fundamental research. The reason for the institute's existence is that it comes out at every meeting. Of course I'm a must-have, but I don't think some executives are.

Maybe that's why they stayed up all night working on their research. They had to deliver the immediate results to the center, and we created the opportunity. I took the glass bottle dearly and thanked the tired man for his hard work. Then he gave me a morning sunshine smile, and bowed his head to me.

'Please try it out and tell me. We shall be waiting for you.’

Now all I have to do is try it out in real life. The glass bottle, which looks just like a perfume, has a device that can be sprayed, and you can spray it on clothes or places, the man said. If it works, Eden will be able to escape their threat. I asked the researcher man to eat, but he opened the door first and left, saying he still had a lot to do.

He said he only made one bottle as soon as possible..... It will take at least a month to mass-produce this. Wishing him a brief farewell in his future, where night and night would continue, and I rose from my seat, cherishing the glass bottle. The office was already bustling with busy parties. And I got mixed up in the meantime and started my job.

* * *

When I was having lunch at the office earlier, I snuck out the company dinner. Then there was a stronger reaction than expected, and the company dinner story began to pick up speed. So, the time decided is this evening. People around me and the elderly, who brought up the company dinner, began to run wild more excitedly. Would it be that good? I should have done it sooner, I regret it a little.

There was no worry about the food to be used at the meeting. There were already plenty of meal tickets, and every time the residents thanked them and left food in front of our accommodation. Though I sometimes exchange them for meal tickets because I feel sorry, they quietly left the food behind, refusing one by one.

Among those who left behind food were bereaved families who helped, and survivors who were rescued by us. The old man who knew it told me never to refuse and to accept it with gratitude. It's a bit of a burden, but......... I decided to follow the old man's words for now.

Brother! Can I drink?’

Yong-pal swallowed his saliva and told me. Alcohol... ...was such a difficult and hopeless situation that humans sought alcohol like instinct. Alcohol makes you forget about reality and avoids tomorrow for a moment. Perhaps there was no more merciful breakthrough for us than alcohol in the struggle of doing nothing.

But I had banned alcohol because I knew it. We had to live in a space of reality, not avoidance and outward appearance. For us, whose goal is to live, and whose long-cherished desire is to save each other, the alcohol that obscures judgment and reality was like evil in the source, and like poison that kills the body. But I didn't want to break this good mood today. I'm not a tactless person.

'Are you confident you'll have a little drink? When I get drunk, I throw it out.’

But I didn't forget the nagging of my mouth. When so little drinking was allowed, Yong-pal ran excitedly, shouting hurrah, and the rest of the party, who was looking at the other side, also shrieking with joy. Park Da-hye and Choi Sung-soo secretly cheered together, so I clenched their heads one by one. Then, after all the preparations were made before sunset, he set a schedule for a get-together in the office. We called for the party to stay in the accommodation for the first time in a long time, and all the crowds of Park Dae-bak.

* * *

The old man quietly pour the wine into my glass. Soju, which was served one bottle per two, seemed small, but was enough to create a company dinner atmosphere. After finishing school and work, our party also called in all the members, including the newly joined Park Dae-bak group. Then the number went over 40, and the spacious office was full of noisy people after a long time.

The candles all over the place are softly swaying. It was just a company dinner, but it was just a comfortable gathering, and I felt comfortable with my eyes and mind because there was no light. Since it is not led by me and the elderly, each group of people who can relate to each other gather and drink quietly or talk loudly. Alcohol allowed us to exchange, and to talk comfortably for today.

No one was left out. No, is there? Me and the old man sat quietly out of their seats, laying newspapers in front of the window with a good view of the outside. Although we seem to have been left out of the noisy crowd, the reality is that we intentionally avoided our seats because we didn't want to break the mood. The boss should quietly disappear so that the party can eat even a little more comfortably and that he doesn't notice anything today. The old man nags at me holding a glass.

'You shouldn't be drinking.’

'I'll have a drink.’

Who poured you a drink? The old man laughs again when I grumble quietly. I think you live for fun making fun of me these days. However, unlike the first time I saw him, he is very dull. I can't even remember the look in the eyes that came at me that day at the rest stop. Pain has damaged my skin, and I've grown my gray hair, but....... You always look happy, so I was relieved.

I remembered the first time I wandered the streets. Days of worrying about when to be attacked in a poorly made shelter pass by head. That's good, that's really good. Looking at Chae-yeon sleeping with her children over there, I was heartbroken and grateful to the group for running here without a sound of military service. I had a drink in my mouth and slowly closed my eyes.

the murmur of chatter and the subtle sway of candles. It was dark outside, but shining stars in the sky embroidered on black drawing paper. It's been a long time since I drank, so my heart is hot and my eyes are shaking. When I felt numb and drunk, I seemed to be moving without realizing it. We exchanged cups without a word for a while. Such dry joys did not leave us for a while.