Chapter 50
“Wow, you’re really making a fuss, seriously.”
As I found myself being kicked out of the office, I scratched the back of my head and muttered to myself.
“Why does he hate me so much? Someone might think I really punched him or something. I didn’t even give him a proper beating.”
I muttered on like that, unaware of the security guard standing next to the door, which was my mistake.
“Um, well…”
I wondered if he had heard what I just said. But sure enough, the security guard who had been waiting for me narrowed his eyes.
“Be careful with your words.”
He said with a stern expression.
“I don’t know how impressive you think you are, but choosing your words carefully is still better.”
Oh…
I tilted my head and looked at him intently. He wasn’t the guy I saw in Yang Jun-tae’s office earlier. With smooth skin and chubby cheeks, he seemed quite young.
“This is Gangwon Province, and not everyone here is kind enough to send outsiders like you away politely.”
Words are short on such topics.
Huh?
How amusing.
But also kind of cute.
He looks like he’s barely twenty, yet he’s already acting all tough as a guard.
I chuckled as I scanned him from head to toe.
If he were in the military, this guy would probably get yelled at until he was covered in mud on rainy days.
Heh. It’s funny.
Thinking about giving him a double whack in this amusing situation, I briefly pondered it before lifting my head. I didn’t really want to resort to violence when there’s potentially useful information to be had.
Well, stretching like that reminded me of my old self and I felt a slight sense of nostalgia.
“That’s true. I didn’t realize I was an outsider. I’m sorry.”
I deliberately bowed my head further to apologize, and I observed the guard’s reaction. He smirked subtly, as if he had achieved some kind of victory over me. Oh… it’s not like I’m giving him anything to be smug about, is it?
It was absurd and frustrating, but I held my tongue for now. Yeah. Patience is a virtue. I can’t pick a fight with a kid barely in his twenties.
‘…Rather than getting annoyed, let’s dig up information instead.’
Chastising myself internally, I widened my eyes innocently, pretending not to know anything as I glanced at him.
“By the way, I saw a lot of wind farms on the way here. Are they still operational?”
Pretending ignorance as an outsider, I saw a sense of pride flicker across the guard’s face.
“Of course, they’re still operational. As you can see, Gangwon Province has never experienced a power outage. It’s all thanks to the well-maintained power plants.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
Giving him a little boost here.
“Other places rely mostly on solar power, but there are limitations to that.”
“Yes, we probably have the most abundant supply of electricity.”
“Ah, so it seems Mayor Yang had foresight. It would be great to work under such a mayor.”
Another compliment for the boss.
“Well, yes. We have the most thriving industry here in Gangwon Province.”
It’s all unfolding smoothly like this.
Listening to the proud guard, I deliberately composed my expression and casually asked.
“So, how do you handle minor malfunctions?”
Without much thought, the unsuspecting guard opened his mouth.
“We tend to shut them down. It takes time for the technicians to arrive, and they handle the repairs when they come.”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”
Hmm, making a slightly longer nasal sound than before, I glanced aside.
“So, do you all take turns managing the power plant?”
“Pardon?”
The guard’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why are you asking about that?”
Uh-oh. It seemed like I had been caught probing.
In an instant, the guard’s expression turned fierce, their eyes flashing as they frowned. Why can’t they control their emotions better?
Compared to the sociopath Shin Hae-jun, who showed almost no reaction even when his colleagues were dying or being torn apart by the infected, the guard was almost like the mayor.
Going back and forth erratically.
Suddenly recalling lyrics from a once popular song, I replied with a nonchalant expression, as if asking why he was being so touchy, gaslighting them.
“No, I’m just asking because it’s impressive. It must take a lot of time to handle village patrols, and you’re also responsible for the power plant.”
I gave him a thumbs up, praising their greatness.
“It seems like two people wouldn’t even be enough.”
“Ah, in that sense.”
The guard nodded along, lowering their guard again.
“Yes. I really think it’s impressive. There are hardly any volunteers like you in any shelter I’ve been to.”
With a slight sense of pride in his tone and a small shrug, he coughed lightly. Though we were about the same height, well… his shoulders were still below mine… but what can you do?
I leaned in to listen to his words.
“Ahem. We do work hard. We manage not only the village’s security but also the power plants. Didn’t I tell you? It’s the most prominent occupation in this area.”
As expected.
With a cheerful smile directed at him, I glanced briefly at his waist. I could see a bunch of keys dangling there. One of the most inconvenient aspects of the post-apocalyptic world is not being able to use door locks—not just electricity, but consumables like batteries are scarce, so losing door locks was actually lucky for me. With just one stolen key, I could enter anywhere.
Shooting was a manual task.
I was very good at shooting, which essentially meant I was very good with my hands.
Confirming the location of the keys, I purposely approached the guard closer and gave a slight bow.
“Thank you for your kind words, Officer.”
And without warning, I pulled him into a tight hug.
“Please, stay alive. I’ll see you after the end of the world.”
“Uh… Umm…”
Seemingly forgetting all about being on guard against me, the guard began to stutter with a flushed face. Oh, dear. As he made sounds resembling those of an infected groaning in pain, I swiftly swiped his keyring.
“Until next time.”
I need to get out quickly without getting caught.
Having achieved my goal, I hurriedly turned around and quickened my pace, not hearing the murmurs of the guard left standing in the corridor.
“…Does she like me?”
🕂
When I returned to the shelter, I went straight to Park Eunjin.
“Where’s Eunjin?”
“Go to the central tent.”
Upon my inquiry, a familiar face at the shelter pointed me towards Eunjin’s tent. Hastening my steps, I approached the weathered tent with patches here and there, evidence of wear and tear, and traces of vigor.
As I lifted the entrance flap, there sat Eunjin.
The chair Eunjin was sitting on was an old fishing chair without a backrest. It was so worn out that it creaked annoyingly every time she shifted her uncomfortable seated position.
Is it okay for a pregnant woman to be in such an uncomfortable seat?
Spotting Eunjin, I couldn’t help but suppress a bitter smile. The flashy mayor’s office I had just visited at City Hall came to mind. The spaces occupied by people living in the same era seemed unbelievably different.
Well, human life has always been drastically different, even in the past. But that reality was hardly pleasant, so I couldn’t help but frown.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Eunjin asked as she approached me past the deflated air mattress. I shook my head in response to her concerned voice.
“No, it’s just too dirty here.”
“Hey, why are you picking a fight?”
Eunjin chuckled, offering me the duster hanging near the entrance.
“If it’s dirty, why not clean it up?”
Watching the duster she extended towards me as if asking me to help with the dust scattered around, I couldn’t help but laugh along with her.
“That won’t do. I have too much to do.”
“Ah, always so busy, huh?”
I jingled a bunch of keys in front of her narrowed eyes.
“Really? Should I not do what I have to do?
Perhaps looking for your husband?
With a casual remark, her eyes widened in surprise.
🕂
Thank you for reading! ♡
