Chapter 46
Min Ahyeon arrived in front of the Gangneung City Hall.
‘I didn’t expect to come here again.’
Well, she didn’t expect to suddenly meet the mayor during this journey, which began to investigate the mutant infected, either.
Recent events had all been beyond Ahyeon’s predictions.
No matter how she had been living each day without knowing whether she would live or die, from meeting her former superior again, whom she thought she would never see again, to getting entangled with him in matters beyond life and death…
Shaking off the surging thoughts and memories she didn’t want to recall, Ahyeon awkwardly greeted the members of the self-defense force guarding the city hall.
“Hello. Thank you for your hard work.”
As she bowed, the self-defense force members scanned her from head to toe, their gazes clearly wary.
“What’s the matter?”
Click.
Gangwon Province had quite a strong military force. Among them, the pistols carried by the guard of Gangneung City Hall were gleaming with a brand-new shine. Amidst the clacking sound of the trigger being cocked, Min Ahyeon calmly spoke.
“I’ve come to see the mayor.”
At Ahyeon’s confident tone, the self-defense force members slowly removed their hands from the triggers.
“Did you have a scheduled appointment?”
“No, not exactly, but…”
The self-defense force members firmly shook their heads at Ahyeon’s ambiguous response.
“Then entry is not permitted. Please make an appointment and visit later.”
Acting like guard dogs, the members mechanically delivered the most FM*-friendly response. Of course, Ahyeon had anticipated this situation and brought up the prepared words.
[*FM – Field Manuals]
“It’s about the mutant infected.”
At Ahyeon’s words, the faces of the self-defense force members, who had loosened their guard a bit, immediately hardened again. They glanced at each other for a moment, then asked Ahyeon in a confirming tone.
“…Are you referring to the mutant infected that have been appearing recently?”
“Yes. I think I should report this immediately.”
As Min Ahyeon’s prompt response, the guard members began to whisper to each other, tilting their heads as if confirming something.
“Does she look like an outsider, can we trust her?”
“She’s an outsider, how would she know about the mutant infected?”
“Her face looks gentle.”
“Hey, what does her gentle and pretty face have to do with anything now?”
Though they were whispering, Ahyeon could clearly hear the contents, and she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
“Did she see something on the way here? Then isn’t that dangerous?”
“But she doesn’t seem to be related to the government.”
Watching them exchange those words, Ahyeon secretly let out a sigh of relief. Contrary to her worries, it seemed her being a (former) military officer had not been revealed.
In fact, the reason Ahyeon had endlessly warned Shin Hae-jun to take off his military uniform and not reveal that he was a soldier was because of this.
In the past, Ahyeon had almost been killed here for that very reason.
“Kill all those government bastards!”
It was when Ahyeon had come to Gangwon to search for traces of Woo-joo. The shouts of the people who had discovered her were still vividly etched in her memory, laced with such blatant hostility and sharpness. Ahyeon had never experienced such intense animosity directed at her, even at the research facility.
Gangwon’s fury towards the military was that fierce.
Min Ahyeon, who failed to properly assess the situation in Gangwon, unfortunately approached the shelter wearing her military uniform. She didn’t have suitable clothes to wear, and laziness played a part in her decision not to change out of her military uniform.
But that was a fatal mistake.
The moment Min Ahyeon approached the shelter, bullets flew towards her head. Fortunately, the stray bullet only pierced through her hair, but it was still a close call.
Why are they shooting at a person who’s not even an infected? Min Ahyeon wondered, bewildered, as the people from the Gangwon shelter shouted at her.
“All government bastards must die!”
It was then that Min Ahyeon realized that they had deep resentment towards the Cherwon battle. But she had realized this fact too late. While evading the barrage of bombardment raining down on her, Min Ahyeon simply fled.
‘At least I met Park Eunjin, so that’s a fortunate turn of events.’
The fleeing Min Ahyeon luckily met Park Eunjin at the forest shelter. Park Eunjin took a liking to Min Ahyeon, and afterward, following her advice, Min Ahyeon changed her clothes and hid her gun, which led to her being welcomed at the shelter as well.
“I’m not a dangerous person.”
Min Ahyeon opened her mouth with a friendly smile—she was a natural beauty, so just smiling made her seem likable—to the security guards who were wary.
“I’m acquainted with the mayor. He’ll recognize me if he sees me.”
Anyway, Min Ahyeon had met the Gangneung mayor at one point, so she could call him an acquaintance, though perhaps not to the extent of being close.
Of course, the Gangneung mayor would not want to be referred to as Min Ahyeon’s acquaintance. Similarly, Min Ahyeon didn’t have the best impression of the Gangneung mayor.
She had thought she wouldn’t see him again, as their previous conversation wasn’t particularly memorable, but…
‘This time, there’s something I need to ask him.’
The situation had come to this point, and there was nothing to be done.
Min Ahyeon owed a debt to Park Eunjin, and even if she didn’t owe a debt, she was still Min Ahyeon’s friend.
A friend who had harboring life in this desperate world.
‘I can’t make the unborn niece grow up without a father.’
Eunjin was a resilient person, lively enough to easily take care of at least one child, but Min Ahyeon believed it would be better for the child to have both parents if possible.
Ironically, Min Ahyeon worried about an unknown child growing up without a father, even though she herself was an orphan.
Min Ahyeon hoped that the children born in this despair would have everything they could—an unrealistic hope, but still—such as parents.
Min Ahyeon turned her gaze back to the security guards.
“You can verify it if you’d like.”
The well-dressed woman boldly claimed to know the mayor, and also brought up the topic of mutant infected, which the lower-ranked guards couldn’t handle, so they had no choice but to lower their guns pointed at her.
It wasn’t long before someone came out from inside and nodded to Min Ahyeon.
“Please follow me.”
Min Ahyeon obediently followed him, and soon they arrived at the mayor’s office.
One of the security guards knocked on the door.
“Mayor, she’s here.”
The guard didn’t even mention his own name. But the mayor, as if he already recognized the voice, casually told him to come in.
“Mm, come in.”
The security guard, looking displeased about Min Ahyeon meeting the mayor, stepped aside. As Min Ahyeon stood at the door, another person holding a gun opened it for her. She gave him a nod-like greeting before entering.
Mayor Yang Jun-tae of Gangneung sat at an impressive solid wood desk, with a leather chair that looked quite expensive. Min Ahyeon recalled Park Eunjin, who sat at a makeshift cardboard table and a chair with torn fabric that seemed like cotton stuffing would spill out.
Despite the absurdity of the world, Yang Jun-tae, who had been elegantly holding a small teacup, stood up abruptly upon seeing Min Ahyeon. As a result, the neatly polished Gangneung mayor nameplate on his desk tilted slightly. Yang Jun-tae widened his eyes as if he had seen a ghost. He might end up losing an eyeball like that. With such thoughts in mind, Min Ahyeon looked at the man with a blank expression.
“Oh, no, you.”
“Have you been well?”
Min Ahyeon’s natural greeting confirmed to Yang Jun-tae that the person in front of him was indeed Min Ahyeon.
“Uh, uh. No… What are you… What are you doing here?”
🕂
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