I'm still alive

As Kang Su-ryeon was eagerly eating the breakfast table, I heard someone knocking on the front door. Kang Soo-ryeon, who was wearing an apron, opened the front door with a smile, and there stood a group leader holding something and silver-rimmed glasses.

'Oh, boss! What's the occasion?’

Kang Soo-ryeon smiles brightly and they welcome. What's the head of the group doing at our accommodation? Seeing that he had been here since the morning, it seemed to be because of what had happened at dawn. The head of the group smiled brightly and presented Kang Soo-ryeon with gifts. Inside, there was a variety of snacks for children to eat and ingredients that were now hard to come by. Kang Soo-ryeon took it with a big smile on her face.

Have you eaten? Dong-yoon and his grandfather are eating now, would you like to join them?’

The children went to school and the adults went to work in their respective workplaces. Only me and the old man, who overslept, were having a late breakfast in the lodge. Kang Soo-ryeon invited the group leader and silver-rimmed glasses to breakfast, saying she was always indebted. They hesitated at first, then soon nodded and entered the quarters. The old man, who was quietly eating, muttered while lifting his spoon.

'I'll file a complaint with the Labor Office.’

The group leader, who had just entered the accommodation, laughed out loud and sat in the chair opposite us with a word of apology. Eun-te's glasses, which had been hesitating at first, sat next to the head of the group, and he sat next to them. From the kitchen came the humming of Kang Soo-ryeon. She smelled delicious as if she was cooking for the two. I asked the head of the group and the silver-rimmed glasses, putting out spoons.

What was she yesterday?’

When asked my question, the group leader laughed bitterly, accepting spoons. It may not have been the situation that he wanted, but it would have been difficult to deal with the doorstep. I was very grateful that he gave me a decisive congratulatory order, which would have been difficult for me in the middle of the middle. And the group leader sighed and slowly told me the details he couldn't tell yesterday.

There are three remaining shelves except Eden. Even one place was already lost in contact with the strain, and the other we rescued yesterday. Shelter that is believed to be virtually the last remaining. The place where we tried to head as soon as we were ready is not as good as Eden, but I know it's quite a huge place.

It takes about an hour from here, and it was like a large village that had an apartment complex as its base. If Eden was centered around the head of the group, it was a cluster of different groups.

There was no leader in particular, and not even a basic system like law or order exists. Some people say it's self-purification, but......... When I saw her yesterday, I thought the Shelter would never be normal. Yeah. Old-fashioned way, it was a real nutcase.

Eden has the goal and vision of converging survivors, so he always maintains a favorable attitude when it comes to other shelves. However, the apartment complex refused to join Eden, as other Shelters did, and took a vague position and took a different line all the way. Their relationship with them, which seemed to remain so, was reversed just a week ago.

The strains have been released. Without a huge barrier to stop them, it would have become a city that could no longer survive.

The same thing happened to the apartment complex, which was said to have been under fire for some time. I don't know the details, but it was assumed that there was considerable damage. This is the first time that groups that used to keep each other in check have come together. And the woman was sent as a representative in such an integrated apartment complex after much consideration, the group leader said.

People in apartment complexes cannot deal with variants. I don't want to show off, but our rescue team was the only team that had a fight with the existence of a variant. The rumor began to spread through people's mouths, and the apartment complex naturally requested the dispatch of rescue teams. The cooperation and decision that were formed at a dramatic moment. Everything was perfect, but only one thing, she ruined everything.

'By the way, weren't you supposed to join us?’

After finishing the meal, the old man sneaked a candy out of the snack box the children ate and bit it in his mouth. And he asked us questions on behalf of me that we have been curious about since yesterday. After the break, wasn't he planning on going to the rescue? Now that I see it, it was completely different from the first story. Then the head of the group nodded. His face seemed to be quite disturbed by subtle conflicts and worries.

There must have been a big difference in opinion. They said they were united, but there was a disagreement between the groups that wanted to join Eden and the groups that said it was too early. By the way, only our entrance in the middle is in trouble. Rescue, the other side opposed. Let's just let it go again....... because the mutants don't stay still.’

The characteristic of the Shelters that have survived so far is that they monopolize a lot of supplies and weapons. Perhaps the opposing groups were afraid of losing their weapons and supplies to Eden.

Desire naturally creates vested interests, and sometimes makes one consider his position more important than one's life. But the variant's attacks will get stronger in the future. It was questionable whether he would be holding out even then.

"So, Dong-yoon...….’

The group leader stopped eating and quietly put down the spoon. I and the old man, who had already finished eating, had been quietly making coffee, sat still and looked at the group leader and silver-rimmed glasses. I'm sure you never came just to say this. If you're the head of a group......... I'll ask them to help me.

'Killing that one doesn't solve the problem.'

I threw the conversation first to the head of the organization who was having a hard time talking. I never thought the head of a group who just wanted to help people was pathetic. But it was time to think realistically. No matter how hard we tried to kill him, we could never save people unless the vested interests changed their minds. No, if things go badly, you might end up building an apartment complex and Chuck.

There were separate underlying causes, and there were many obstacles to solving them. No, it was practically something we couldn't do. The head of the group sighed with a disturbed face as to whether he was well aware of the point, and slowly continued his words.

'I know there's a limit. But... ...there are people who want to come to Eden, right? People who just can't give their opinions.’

You want me to take it out?’

The old man did not miss the inner meaning of the group leader. And as sharp as his throwing skills, he kept the head of the group quiet. I didn't mean anything bad. However, the head of the group was speechless in the face of such explicit and accurate questions.

There was silence between us at the end of that remark. Then the silver-rimmed glasses gave us the documents as if they had been waiting for this moment. Maybe there's all the information we need there. From information on variants to information about apartment complexes. He was never the head of a group who would simply encourage us.

'Don't feel pressured, Mr. Dong-yoon. It's just......... I'm asking you a favor.’

The head of the group bows his head down. Yes, he had never given us orders or instructions. Recently, he gave up his right to order the rescue team and gave them consideration to be free to work. He said it was definitely a request. A request that doesn't matter if I refuse or accept. I woke up slowly, feeling strangely itchy.

We'll be leaving in two days.’

The reorganization will be completed in two days. As long as there is information about the strain, it will not be too much to "shoot" him if he makes a thorough plan. Perhaps easier than the first rescue mission, I readily accepted the request of the group leader. 'Isn't there people who want to come to Eden? Those people who couldn't give their opinions,' the head of the group kept ringing in my ears. Yeah, I'm sure there is. a few who have to shut up under the yoke of the majority

'Thank you.'

The head of the group and the silver-rimmed glasses lowered their heads at the same time, and the bowl containing rice is also neatly emptied. It wasn't until over an hour before our breakfast was over. And now it is time for me and the old man to go to the office. We were going to leave the quarters with the words "Rest in moderation," but the head of the group who was just wearing his coat called us up.

'Dongyoon, old man. I have a present for you.’

Gifts? Sometimes he was the head of a group that sent kids snacks or food ingredients. However, it was the first time for the elderly and I stopped walking and looked at the group leader. Then he cast a quiet glance at the silver-rimmed glasses, and they came up at a snail's pace and handed the old man a square-shaped black bag one by one.

'Power gun?

The old man uttered a small exclamation as soon as he opened the bag. The bag had a pistol placed between neat cases, a representative automatic pistol of Company B that anyone, even if not a soldier, knew. The pistol, which is literally rare in Korea, was like a package with a spare warhead and a silencer, and was a fitting gift for me and the elderly who would fight the strain.

'I talked to my party last time, and it was more difficult than I thought. So I tried my best to see if I needed it. What do you think? Do you like it?’

Do you like it? That's obvious. The long reach of the rifle has always been a stumbling block for me, who has to deal with faster strains than we have. The gunpoint and long-standing time, which did not move at will even if they wanted to turn the gun quickly, caused the same dangerous situation as yesterday. But what if it's a pistol? Furthermore, it is an automatic pistol with a silencer. The head of the group seemed to have really put in some effort.

That's the best. That will be a great help. Thank you.'

I put my pistol back in the case, and asked the head of the group to shake hands. Then the group leader laughed out loud as if he was happy to be of help after a long time. I took his wild hand, and he took my wild hand, too. But the heartwarming sight was quickly broken when an old man broke in. The old man grabs me by the shoulder and speaks in a hurry.

Hey, do you know how to use this?’

I asked back in surprise.

Don't you know how to write? I thought you knew.’

Am I 007? You think I've shot a pistol?’

The group leader's laughter slowly diminished, and later became completely expressionless.

* * *

Baby shark! Cute~ Tudududududududududududududud

Chae-yeon had been learning at school, so she was lying on her stomach humming songs all evening. The child was drawing again today, and I could feel his drawing skills increasing. If the Superman you drew last time was a three-legged figure without a neck, the Superman you are drawing now is even a five-legged figure with a neck. If we keep going like this, we'll have an octogenarian superman. I think Chae-yeon is a genius. I patted the child's head while he was painting without saying anything.

Chae-yeon, do you have many friends?’

I'm always busy with my work and can't take care of Chae-yeon. Sometimes these times were very precious to us, and both used to sleep late at night. And I was suddenly curious about my child's school life because I was taking a break after playing as much as I could. When we went to the school arts festival last time, it seemed like everyone was getting along well, but isn't it something you don't know? But contrary to my worries, the child answered energetically.

'Yes!'

You don't have any bad friends? Is there anyone you don't like?’

It's a sick world.

The sick world has so much scarred people. The wound can destroy itself, or leave a scar that will never be erased. Even adults were like this, and it was unlikely that the children would be different from them. Some of them will be cared for and healed, but some of them may have hated the world and become crooked.

But Chae-yeon smiled brightly and shook her head.

'Ganchana! They're all friends!

At first, he was not a person, but a child who used to draw characters. But at some point the child, who abandoned his hatred of people, began to paint the big whale and Superman, and soon began swimming in the starry night sky, drawing his own figure.

No one was alone in Chae-yeon's painting now. Together, no one is left out.

They were smiling brightly on the back of a very big whale.

Yeah, it's okay. They're all friends. Chae-yeon was living looking at the night sky, not the city. The scar left on the child may have become a sparkly scar.