Chapter 12
The world collapsed in an instant. Humanity plummeted into a state of despair.
Following orders, Shin Hae-jun withdrew from Cheorwon and returned to Seoul to construct the defense walls.
And then,
Ahyeon disappeared.
He later heard she had set off to find her missing brother. To be convinced her brother was still alive amidst this chaos—it was foolish yet unchangingly her. So Shin Hae-jun hoped Ahyeon would somehow survive. Not long after, he received news that she had become a skilled mercenary.
He had wanted to see her once.
“Because I don’t want to be on the same team as you, General.”
But it seemed Ahyeon did not feel the same way.
After that, Shin Hae-jun constantly felt an inexplicable irritation, making only the soldiers facing his outbursts feel anxious.
“Any peculiarities with the infected?”
The lieutenant hastily responded.
“We haven’t discovered anything unusual yet, but instructions have been relayed to the soldiers in the outpost.”
“Alright. If there’s anything unusual, report it immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
Shin Hae-jun stared piercingly at each of the standing soldiers one by one. Did he still have more to say? While it was uncomfortable for higher-ranking officers to be subordinate to the much younger Shin Hae-jun, they didn’t feel significant enough discomfort to challenge him, so they remained silent.
“So.”
After a long silence, Shin Hae-jun spoke up.
“Does anyone know why I came all the way to this base?”
“….”
The soldiers shifted their eyes around. While some wondered what nonsense this madman was spouting again, others seemed to have a vague idea of what he was getting at. Shin Hae-jun curled his lips as he looked at them.
“Ammunition.”
“……”
“Are you really going to pretend you don’t know?”
Gulp. Someone’s thick saliva could be heard going down their throat. At that moment, a man standing in the middle came forward and dropped to his knees.
“I’m so sorry!”
Lieutenant Kim Jin-soo trembled as he stuttered out his words.
“I failed to manage the unit properly. Only now have I confirmed that the supplied ammunition and spent ammunition quantities don’t match up. I will rectify this issue to prevent any reoccurrence!”
Shin Hae-jun stared intently at Kim Jin-soo’s drained, pale face.
During this time when factories worldwide were paralyzed, and the production of goods severely limited, ammunition was essential and almost a luxury item. Therefore, the management of weapons and ammunition was crucial. However, as is often the case with management, there were usually some loopholes. And through these gaps, some stole ammunition.
In the case of the Seoul Shelter, it was Lieutenant Kim Jin-soo.
Shin Hae-jun’s gaze shifted from Kim Jin-soo’s protruding cheekbone to the emblem on his uniform. It was emblazoned with a diamond shape, and seeing it made him let out a hollow laugh.
“Come closer.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said come here.”
Kim Jin-soo hesitated to rise, then cautiously crawled closer, still on his knees. Shin Hae-jun, sitting cross-legged with a twisted posture, used his toe to press firmly against Kim Jin-soo’s chest, more precisely, the diamond-shaped emblem.
“I don’t understand why someone so inferior to the lieutenant I know is wearing the same emblem.”
Thud! Knocked back by Shin Hae-jun’s foot, Kim Jin-soo tumbled onto the floor. Without looking at him again, Shim Hae-jun said.
“Take him away.”
“W-Wait! General! Let me explain for a moment…!”
“I won’t say it twice.”
His voice was so quiet it almost seemed to contain hidden anger. His rough breathing came intermittently, clearly indicating he was furious. If left unchecked, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage like a rabid dog—something the other soldiers did not wish to witness. They hurriedly dragged Kim Jin-soo away.
“General!”
Kim Jin-soo left behind a final plea before disappearing. Now, he would be expelled from the shelter, almost equivalent to a new form of capital punishment. If left outside without any weapons, amidst the infected, he would either die or become infected himself.
Having mentally erased Kim Jin-soo from his mind, Shin Hae-jun let out his trademark grin as he observed the frozen individuals around him.
Let’s do well, shall we?”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
“Now, get out.”
With a cheerful wave of his hand, Shin Hae-jun watched as everyone bowed slightly and left the room.
Once they were gone, Shin Hae-jun opened the window wide, letting the chilly breeze in. Why did it always smell when these guys gathered? He wrinkled his nose and buried his face in the collar of his clothes. Then, he glanced outside, briefly surveying the area around the base. The soldiers and officers patrolling the base were all unfamiliar faces.
Even though Shin Hae-jun was known for blindly following his father’s orders, there were loyal dogs who attached themselves to him. However, most of them either died or deserted him. Among the latter was Min Ahyeon.
As thoughts of Min Ahyeon flooded his mind once more, irritation bubbled up within him. Despite their unaffectionate relationship, he still longed to see her. Did she truly repel him to the extent of refusing information about the sibling she’s desperately searching for?
No matter how much he contemplated the situation, understanding eluded him. What had he done wrong? A sense of resentment toward Ahyeon grew within him inexplicably.
It was then.
“I’m going in.”
A familiar voice tickled his ears, unmistakably Ahyeon’s voice. Startled, Shin Hae-jun turned around, and soon faced Ahyeon as she opened the door and entered.
The soft afternoon sunlight poured in, casting a vivid orange hue that partially illuminated Ahyeon’s face. The light gently reflected, revealing her translucent and glossy skin in sharp detail, while distinctly highlighting the determination in her clear irises.
“I came because you summoned me, General.”
Ahyeon entered the room with a straight posture, and Shin Hae-jun, who had been somewhat absent-minded until then, quickly regained his composure and gestured towards the chair.”
“Please, have a seat.”
Following his instructions, Ahyeon took a seat in the chair Hae-jun had occupied just moments ago. Leaning against the window frame, Hae-jun faced her. A subtle scent, far more pleasant than the stench lingering in the room from the men, tickled his nostrils as the cool afternoon breeze flowed in.
Shin Hae-jun let out a quiet sigh, gathering his thoughts. He looked down at Ahyeon.
“I’m not in the best mood right now.”
“You rarely are.”
“True.”
Shin Hae-jun chuckled softly.
“I hope you’ll give me an answer that satisfies me.”
Ahyeon blinked slowly as she looked at Hae-jun’s seemingly contrived smile. Come to think of it, Shin Hae-jun only has a dimple on his left cheek. Why was that? It didn’t quite suit his face. Pushing aside her irrelevant thoughts, Ahyeon spoke again.
“Did you say you haven’t heard any information about the mutant infected?”
As it wasn’t the conversation Shin Hae-jun intended to have, he furrowed his brows slightly before shaking his head.
“I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve heard about it.”
“I just received the news on my way here as well.”
“Oh? From ‘those’ informants?”
“It seems you know who I hang out with.”
Ahyeon replied with narrowed eyes, but Shin Hae-jun burst into laughter as soon as he heard her words.
“As someone enlisted in the military and considering the position I hold here at Seoul Shelter, shouldn’t I know all the informants? It seems like you have an overflowing sense of self-awareness, Lieutenant.”
“It’s Min Ahyeon.”
Shin Hae-jun didn’t particularly like how Ahyeon kept addressing herself by name, implying that she was no longer an officer but just an ordinary civilian. Was she so eager to leave her position? With a long sigh, Shin Hae-jun clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“So, after hearing proper information from the informants, did you finally start to believe in me?”
Although Ahyeon didn’t respond, Shin Hae-jun could sense that her silence was affirmative. He believed that things would go as he wanted, as he had planned. Until Ahyeon’s next words were heard.
🕂
Thank you for reading! ♡
