Infected - Chapter 506



Only Noblemtl

Episode 505

The next day.

When the group had each taken their seats and finished making all preparations.

Finance was sitting on a chair under the panel roof that had been installed on the rooftop with Anna.

The rain was still pouring down, and when I looked through my telescope, I saw that parts of the city center were already starting to flood.

It was a torrential downpour that was surprisingly heavy for a spring day.

The loud sound of rain hitting the panel roof.

Anna, who was listening to the sound, muttered while spitting out white breath.

“… Time flies so fast. It’s already spring.”

“What about spring? I’m freezing to death.”

“It’s spring according to the date.”

“What are you talking about? It’s spring when flowers bloom and it gets warm.”

“I’m telling you, just don’t say anything. Can’t you just say something like that?”

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s spring. It’s cold spring. I’ve been being stubborn again.”

Anna’s head turned around.

“What, why are you suddenly like this?”

“It’s just… I feel like I’ve been so bad to you all this time. I’ve just been saying things to you all the time.”

“Brother.”

“uh?”

“I’m scared. Don’t say that.”

“Everything is scary.”

“If you do something that people don’t normally do, you’ll die. Say “thwack thwack thwack” three times quickly.”

“Hey, how old are you… … .”

“Do it quickly!”

“Tsk tsk tsk! Are you okay? This is so childish.”

Anna frowned and glared at him, getting angry at the word childish.

“Do you wish I were dead?”

“How could that be?”

“Yeah. I’m like that too. That’s why I get scared by even the smallest words.”

“If you die… well, I don’t think I could stand it.”

Could it be because of the unexpected answer?

The ceaseless conversation disappeared as if it were a lie, and an awkward silence fell out of nowhere.

After a long time had passed.

The moment Anna, unable to bear the silence any longer, stands up to stretch.

The voice of finance weighed on her shoulders.

“Are you feeling better?”

“My sides are still a bit sore, but I feel a lot better. My older sister Min-young took good care of me.”

“Sorry.”

“what?”

Anna’s eyes widened at the unexpected apology.

“I couldn’t do anything while Chanyeol was kidnapped and you guys were dragged off to prison. Everyone was looking at me, but it was someone else who actually saved you guys. I feel so pathetic sometimes because I keep suspecting that person because he came from an anonymous cult. I’ve been having those thoughts a lot lately. I think that if it wasn’t me but someone else, wouldn’t things have been better than they are now?”

Anna tried to argue back, but instead listened to the story silently.

“… There’s no good in regretting the past, but honestly, in this world, I can’t help but look back. It’s ridiculous. I don’t even know where Beomshik and Jang Liming went, and I don’t even know if Chanyeol is alive or dead. And when I think of the people who died in the apartment complex, my head goes blank. Is this what the Myeonggyo wants? For me, for us, to fall apart from the inside.”

Finance continued talking, lighting a cigarette.

“Whew… … . I thought about all the things that had happened while I was walking along the sewers earlier. Meeting Lee Beom-sik at the hospital, meeting Mr. Young-man at the building, and going to rescue you and Min-young. I also met Hyun-soo there. That was actually the best time for me. So many people died, but we were okay. But… everything went wrong after the safe zone. I had a life-changing separation right before my eyes, lost someone, and missed them while reminiscing.”

The smoky cigarette smoke mixed with sighs dispersed through the pouring rain.

“That boat that left the safe zone. I couldn’t help but become poisonous from there. It wasn’t just us. It was also a situation where I didn’t know how many people would die from one small choice. I think that’s why I was able to shoot the bitten person at the train station without hesitation. I wanted to become poisonous because I wanted to protect at least one more person. In fact, I didn’t care if I died at all. I was most worried about living and watching others die. Am I being too selfish?”

Finance threw the cigarette butt away with a bitter smile.

Meanwhile, Anna didn’t respond at all.

Just listening to the story silently.

“… I’m sorry. It must be hard for you too.”

“It’s not hard.”

“okay?”

“Oh. But it’s a little hard now. I had the same thoughts as you. It’s okay for me to die, but it’s too hard to watch someone else die. That’s why I throw myself away without hesitation at every dangerous moment. I should be the most precious thing in the world, but reality is so shitty that I don’t want to get hurt, so I throw myself away. But when you say that you think that way… it’s hard.”

“Sorry.”

“I didn’t say that to get an apology. And the leader said that you shouldn’t apologize so casually. Only say sorry when you’re really sorry.”

“I’m doing this because I’m really sorry.”

Anna turned her head and stared intently at Jaeyi’s face.

Although he looked extremely manly on the outside, the soul in his eyes was purer than anyone else’s.

I don’t know about other people, but Anna felt that way.

It was pitiful.

A person with such a soul has to go through such a difficult world.

Then, without realizing it, I found myself chuckling.

“Why are you laughing?”

There is a saying among women.

When a woman loves a man.

Beyond the fact that they look handsome and cool, if you feel sorry for them and want to hug them, there is no turning back.

From that point on, no matter what the other person does, even if that action is wrong, you will try to embrace them.

Anna’s mind was like that right now.

But I didn’t really want to reveal it.

The burden of Jaejae’s life was too heavy for him to continue whining and begging for understanding like before.

So I decided to love quietly.

Someone who is there for you, hovering around you, and helping you whenever you need it.

Rather than demanding something because I love someone, I decided to become someone who thinks about what I can give to the other person.

Anna decided so.

Finance, who had no idea what was going on, looked at her blankly.

“Brother.”

“uh?”

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“conclusion?”

“There will be a conclusion. I think so. So I decided to think about it this way.”

Jaejae, who had been pouring out his heart as if in confession, stroked his arm with an embarrassed expression.

“Well… there’s nothing like that. I just said it was like that.”

“Then let’s conclude this. Since the incident happened anyway and can’t be undone, let’s believe that my brother is doing well enough.”

“If that had happened, would you have thought like this?”

“If you don’t have the ability to make a time machine, then just accept it. What are you going to do? If you think that you failed, then do better in the future. We have a perfect test subject, the Nameless Church. Show us clearly in this fight. Show us that no one dies and that we win. The way I see it, if we just do something about the Nameless Church, a peaceful world will come. Wouldn’t that be enough to make up for everything that happened in the past? I don’t even know what I have to make up for.”

“You should have been born a man.”

“what?”

Anna’s face was distorted like a piece of paper.

somehow…….

How could the atmosphere flow this well?

“Oh, no. That’s not it. It just means that you’re so cool. And so generous. Seeing you so confident makes me feel a little better. Thank you.”

“Anyway, if you can’t even say anything… … .”

The afternoon passed like that for the two of them.

* * *

Same time.

At the pharmacy across the intersection, Young-man, Ha-yeon, and Ju-won were sitting by the window, watching the pouring rain.

While Young-man and Ha-yeon were talking about Hyun-soo, Ju-won’s face was strangely stiff.

Young-man, who was concerned about that appearance, asked quietly.

“Hey, Juwon.”

“yes?”

Juwon flinched like someone waking up from a dream.

“What are you thinking about? You were talking so much just yesterday.”

“Just what… … .”

“But because of what happened in the sewer?”

“Yes. I keep thinking about it.”

Joo-won nodded, but he looked inwardly surprised.

I thought you’d ask me about things at the apartment complex.

I didn’t know you could pinpoint the conversation in the sewer so accurately.

Yesterday’s experience was that shocking.

The indescribable, horrible smell of corpses piled up like mountains and mixed with rainwater.

It was surprising how I didn’t lose a single night’s sleep after going through something like that.

“Don’t worry too much. Yuigo, my friend, isn’t as bad a person as you think.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“Did you know? Then why is it so serious?”

“I don’t understand why you guys treat that guy so coldly.”

“ah…….”

“Why are you doing that? You’re the one who saved the people who were imprisoned.”

“There may be many reasons, but I think it’s probably because of that friend’s footsteps.”

“Footprints?”

“Yes. He was in the nameless sect, and he was even a high-ranking believer, not a low-ranking one like you. I heard yesterday that he was hanging out with someone who was considered the leader of the holy sect, so no matter what he does, it’s impossible to believe him. Crucially, the fact that I’ve never seen the comrades he was supposed to work with is the most suspicious.”

“Do you think so too, sir?”

“No. I’m different. I feel sorry for him. When I look at him closely, he seems like someone who has been oppressed by something for a long time. When I think about how he trembled and cried in front of the corpses yesterday… … Anyway, the way he expresses his emotions and the way he speaks doesn’t match his age. He speaks stiffly, like an old person.”

“That’s the same for you, priest.”

“It’s because of the nature of the priest’s job. Anyway, I hope Yui-go gets recognition from Jae-jae as soon as possible and becomes a good colleague.”

Joo-won, who was looking out the window with unfocused eyes, smiled faintly.

“You are a really nice person.”

“I?”

“Yes. You always make others feel comfortable, both to me and to that person. If you look at me from the outside, who would think I was someone who was captured? They would think I was someone who had been hanging out with you from the beginning.”

“You are a good person, too.”

“Why me?”

“Usually, yes. After something like yesterday, it’s natural to get angry. Especially when you’re a hot-blooded young man like yourself. But you’re worried about your friend’s situation.”

Is it because of the sudden compliment?

Juwon stroked his neck with an awkward expression.

“Well… I wasn’t really worried.”

“Don’t be shy. How did someone as kind as you end up in an unknown religion?”

A shadow fell over Juwon’s eyes when he heard those words.

“It might sound a bit strange to say this, but not all the people in the Anonymous Church are bad people. There are many people who follow them out of necessity in order to survive.”

“Of course. How could I not know that? But unfortunately, it is already an irreversible situation. No matter how good a person there is among them, if they are just watching the current situation, they are considered evil as well. We can’t pay attention to such details. We are not gods.”

“You’re right, sir. There have been too many terrible things that I can’t use as an excuse to survive. I’ve been caught here, so this is what it’s like. If I hadn’t known about this, I would have just stayed quiet. Like the bystanders you mentioned. This world is already crazy enough. It can’t get any worse.”

Youngman made a bitter expression.

“That must have been the case. Anyway, the important thing right now is that I am not a believer. Let’s just look at what is in front of us. Deep thinking doesn’t always lead to good results. Even if it was against our will, I’m glad that we were rescued from that horrible group as soon as possible. But I must make one thing clear.”

“What kind of thing?”

Young-man, who was caressing his rifle, muttered while looking out the window.

“… Now, your enemy is not us, but the Anonymous Sect. It would be troublesome if you were worrying about such things when you have to pull the trigger. Life and death are decided by that one pull of the trigger. I know this for sure. It’s something I’ve experienced throughout my life.”

“I just want this fight to end as soon as possible. In a world where every human life is precious, why do we have to shoot each other…?”

“I told you, don’t think too deeply about it. We’ve always been like that. It’s been that way for a long time. Just accept it and there’s no problem. Identity isn’t something you find. It’s something you adapt to your circumstances. People are just delusional about finding it. So don’t approach it too emotionally like before. Life and death are real, not dreams.”

Young-man repeated the same words while tapping the trigger.

“It’s not a dream… … .”

Infected people