Chapter 3 – Kim Jihyeok – [Two]

Seo Yun walked while observing Kim Jihyeok’s complexion.

‘His facial muscles are tense.’

He was probably trying to understand the scene she had just shown him, but it didn’t seem to be going well.

He likely suspected it was some kind of magic trick, or that she was trying to deceive him. A uselessly pretty girl acting like that would have seemed even more suspicious. But if he thought about it a little more, he’d probably conclude there was no reason for her to go out of her way to trick him. And then he’d become even more confused.

Seo Yun could guess all that confusion. Because she had experienced it herself a year ago.

Seo Yun thought. How did I react to this situation at first?

Well, a year ago, when I opened my eyes in the middle of the ruins…

Even recalling her feelings at the time, nothing particularly helpful to advise came to mind.

But did she really need to give advice anyway? No one was going to give her a prize for accepting the situation quickly, and after encountering this and that, she’d eventually have to accept reality whether she liked it or not.

In the end, she decided to drop the act of being a Senior who wasn’t even helpful. Seo Yun asked something else.

“You said you were trapped for a year?”

“Huh? Yeah…”

“You speak well for that. If you were trapped for even half a year, your language skills would probably deteriorate. Did you practice talking by talking to yourself often?”

After a slight hesitation, Kim Jihyeok answered.

“Actually, I don’t think I was trapped for a year.”

“Why?”

“I… thought I was trapped for a year based on my wristwatch, but looking at it now, it doesn’t seem very accurate.”

Kim Jihyeok held out his wristwatch and continued.

“Look. It says it’s September now, but no matter how I look at it, that’s not right, is it?”

Seo Yun examined the wristwatch and muttered.

“It seems accurate though?”

“Huh?”

“It’s September now. Early autumn. You said you were trapped because the mart collapsed due to an earthquake, right?”

“But…”

“Then it’s exactly a year ago. Because the meteorite fell a year ago.”

After saying this, Seo Yun waited for Kim Jihyeok to ask something.

But Kim Jihyeok had no questions. He just kept walking with his mouth shut, and Seo Yun was puzzled. Didn’t he have anything to ask in all this?

Well, it didn’t matter. Seo Yun continued walking while supporting Kim Jihyeok.

Certainly at this moment, Kim Jihyeok had many things he wanted to ask.

She says it’s autumn now? In this weather, even wearing an overcoat, isn’t it clearly winter? And I mentioned an earthquake, but what’s this about a meteorite?

He had so many things he wanted to ask that he didn’t even know what to ask first.

In the end, it was quite a while later that Kim Jihyeok decided what to ask.

First, he planned to ask this clearly.

Is there any proof that everything you’re saying is true? Proof that you’re not playing a trick on me…

“Hey…”

Kim Jihyeok started to speak but stopped.

They were passing through an almost completely collapsed residential area. And when they turned a corner, Seo Yun stopped walking.

Her gaze was fixed somewhere and showed no sign of moving away.

Kim Jihyeok also turned his head to follow her gaze and his eyes widened. And he realized that the ‘proof that the world had turned into a fantasy game’ he was about to demand from Seo Yun was right there.

So, what exactly is that?

There, on the utility pole…

There was a monster on top of it.

Not a figurative monster, but a literal monster in the truest sense of the word!

If you attached moth wings to a human torso and then densely covered the entire body with fur, you’d get that grotesque creature. The face resembled a human’s, but only the eyes were compound like a moth’s, making it even more terrifying.

Kim Jihyeok thought blankly.

What should I call that? A Moth Person?

He didn’t know. Damn it, what does it matter what the name of a fantasy monster is. What was important was what was beneath the monster.

Beneath the utility pole were droppings, with bones mixed in. It was carnivorous. And expecting that monster to distinguish between humans and animals it could eat was probably too human-centered an expectation.

Just like before, the excessively unrealistic situation seemed to be preventing specific emotions like fear from welling up. Perhaps because of that, Kim Jihyeok could continue his thoughts to an extent that even surprised himself.

This girl acts like an adult but is clearly smaller and younger than me. Moreover, she’s my savior who rescued me.

I have to protect her.

Kim Jihyeok even had the self-sacrificing thought that he should use himself as bait to lure that monster away.

But when he actually tried to move his body, it wouldn’t budge at all.

Why? Wasn’t I being calm just now?

When Kim Jihyeok rolled only his eyes downward, he saw his trembling legs.

He thought he was acting composed in this situation, but it seemed he was actually quite shocked. The numerous thoughts that had flashed through his mind in that brief moment… he couldn’t put any of them into practice…

And then Seo Yun quietly stepped forward.

With her small body, Seo Yun stood shielding Kim Jihyeok. Gripping the pickaxe in her hand tightly, she whispered to him.

“Stand behind me.”

As she said this, Seo Yun was staring directly at the monster. Without looking back, she said.

“Walk sideways. Keep your gaze fixed on that thing.”

Kim Jihyeok did as she said. While maintaining eye contact with that moth monster, Kim Jihyeok barely moved his trembling legs and walked sideways step by step.

Only after they were out of the moth monster’s line of sight did Seo Yun let out a sigh of relief.

“That was close to being fucked.”

Kim Jihyeok stammered as he barely managed to ask.

“What… was that?”

“It’s a Mothman. It seems to have already hunted and is full. If it was going to attack, it would have attacked us as soon as it saw us, right? As long as we didn’t provoke it, it was fine. But showing our backs was dangerous. It could unnecessarily stimulate its hunting instinct.”

Seo Yun added that since humans are upright-walking animals, they appear much larger than their actual size from the perspective of beasts.

“…So when you encounter wild animals, it’s good to stand straight and stare back. That way you appear big and threatening, making them hesitate to attack. Bending your waist or crouching is dangerous. This applies to monsters too, so remember it well.”

Kim Jihyeok let all that explanation go in one ear and out the other.

He didn’t have the mental space to listen properly. Because right now, he was terribly afraid.

That fear didn’t arise simply from facing a scary situation.

Now, Kim Jihyeok had thought of one possibility that could explain all this.

Kim Jihyeok glanced at the Gray Sky and thought.Could all of this be a dream?

It was a plausible guess. Whether it was the scene he had just witnessed or the situation he was currently in, it all felt utterly devoid of reality.

And that speculation plunged Kim Jihyeok into despair. Seo Yun saw the distorted expression on his face.

“Are you okay?”

Kim Jihyeok didn’t answer, keeping his mouth shut. Seo Yun patted his shoulder and then tugged at his hand.

“We need to get away from this spot. Let’s walk for now.”

Kim Jihyeok walked with a floating sensation. It literally felt like walking in a dream.

If he had to categorize it, it would probably be a pleasant dream. After all, wasn’t it a dream where an incredibly beautiful girl appeared to help him?

‘Come to think of it, this itself was fantasy.’

Even now, the girl from the dream was looking after him.

When Kim Jihyeok consciously observed, he realized her consideration was no small thing. The way she supported him was so natural; despite their height difference, walking wasn’t uncomfortable at all. It was convincing enough to believe she had professional experience with this kind of thing.

Moreover, even though his body, unwashed for years, must have been emitting a foul odor, she made no complaint despite the physical contact.

Was there any reason to be this considerate? Such kindness in a world anyone could see was ruined? I’m not even handsome enough to make a good first impression, so why?

He felt like he had often seen this kind of development in Japanese light novels. A beautiful girl helps an ordinary boy for no particular reason.

It was a sweet dream, closer to the delusions of a pubescent boy. Kim Jihyeok knew reality wasn’t like that.

But if this moment right now was a dream, then what on earth was this bone-chilling pain?

As Kim Jihyeok walked, he chattered his teeth, upper and lower jaws clacking hard. Seo Yun, who was supporting his body, spoke.

“Cold? I tried to hurry before nightfall because I was worried about this. Looks like we won’t make it to the village today.”

It was getting dark.

As the Gray Sky turned black, the city no longer produced any light pollution, yet no stars shone in the night sky. Only a faint light in the distance subtly hinted at the moon’s presence.

And the cold filled the space left by the vanishing sunlight.

It was already cold, but it was getting even colder. The cold brought Kim Jihyeok’s Spirit, wandering in unreality, back to reality. The sense of reality conveyed by the pain. It was dreadful.

Ultimately, whether this situation was a dream or not, there was only one thing he could do immediately. Walking. The two wandered, searching for a place to rest.

Seo Yun pointed to what looked like a budae-jjigae restaurant and said.

“There’s an intact building over there. Let’s rest for the night.”

Entering the building was definitely better than being outside. However, it only provided shelter from the wind; the cold remained the same.

Shivering, Kim Jihyeok asked.

“Can we sleep? I heard sleeping lowers body temperature and is dangerous…”

“It’s fine if we light a fire.”

“The fuel…?”

There was nothing suitable for firewood. If there were wooden furniture like wardrobes or shelves, they could break and burn that, but from briefly searching the building, even that was absent.

This building wasn’t uniquely peculiar. Every building they had entered while walking here had been the same.

Seeing buildings stripped of all wooden furniture, Kim Jihyeok could imagine one scenario.

A world that had suddenly turned cold. People burn everything combustible for fuel, including books and furniture. After burning even that, they ultimately freeze to death…

“Fuel? Of course we need it.”

“Then…?”

Seo Yun got up.

“I’ll go get some, so you rest.”

“From outside? How?”

“There are ways.”

Kim Jihyeok offered to help, but Seo Yun refused. Seo Yun opened the door and went outside the building.

Left alone in the end, as he shivered, it soon became truly pitch black. Being alone in the dark was familiar, but the cold was not.

Crouched and shivering, Kim Jihyeok cursed inwardly. Damn it, since when is this autumn? The coat he had haphazardly put on couldn’t perfectly block this cold either.

Thinking this far, his thoughts turned to the coat’s original owner. If I’m this cold wearing a coat, that girl wearing that strange Poncho right now…

Seo Yun returned thirty minutes later.

Kim Jihyeok stared blankly at Seo Yun as she entered the building. Sensing his gaze, Seo Yun chuckled softly.

“Were you that cold? I’ll light the fire right away.”

Kim Jihyeok looked at Seo Yun and saw she had something stuffed under her arm. When he looked to see what it was, it was dried, yellowed grass.

Kim Jihyeok thought. Had he seen a few clumps of grass on the way here? From what he vaguely remembered, there weren’t many. To gather that much, she must have scoured this entire area.

Moreover, Seo Yun was also carrying a thick tree stump. How did she get that? Seeing soil still clinging to the roots, it seemed she had used a Pickaxe to dig up the stump of a street tree whose trunk had been cut down.

That petite girl went out in this weather and did such heavy labor? Even in his cold-addled stupor, it was something that stirred guilt.

Whether she knew his feelings or not, Seo Yun took matches from her pocket and skillfully lit the grass. Then, using the Pickaxe to split the stump into firewood, she completed a campfire in an instant.