Infected - Chapter 558



Only Noblemtl

Side story episode 45

Hyun-tae regained consciousness only that evening.

In the blurry vision, several IV drips were visible hanging over the hospital bed.

But I couldn’t get up.

Not only was the pain spreading throughout my body, but I had no energy at all.

When I turned my head to the unfamiliar electronic sound, I saw a measuring device at my fingertips connected to a monitor.

It was strange on one hand to see myself doing something I had seen countless times before.

at that time.

Kkudangtang!

There was a sound of a chair overturning and someone leaving the hospital room.

A few seconds later.

Minyoung’s face covered the ceiling.

“Hyun-tae, are you awake?”

Hyun-tae nodded slowly.

“Are you sick?”

Nod nod.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?”

The bloody fingers slowly straighten.

The fingers he showed were ten.

“I’ll give you some painkillers. Sleep a little more. Fortunately, your vitals have returned to normal. Your body temperature is also normal. You’ve passed the critical point.”

Min-yeong inserted a needle into the IV and administered a painkiller.

“You’ll be very sleepy, so don’t hold back sleep when you feel sleepy. Got it?”

Nod nod.

And then the lights went out.

When I opened my eyes again, the lights in the room were brightly turned on.

My physical condition is also much better than before.

How much time has passed?

I tossed and turned a little, but I wasn’t able to get up yet.

“eww…….”

It’s hard to make a sound.

“Hyun-tae!”

Gongdu’s face appeared before my eyes.

It looks like he’s been by my side all day.

“older brother…….”

“Yeah, bro, here you go.”

Gongdu answered pitifully while holding Hyuntae’s hand.

“sorry…….”

“What are you sorry about, you punk?”

“If only I had been a little more careful… … .”

“It’s not your fault. Don’t think like that.”

Hyun-tae laughed with a distorted face.

Then a tear ran down the corner of his eye.

Despite his improving complexion, his face was filled with sadness.

“By any chance… is there anyone else alive besides me?”

“… … .”

Gongdu couldn’t bring himself to answer.

All the bodies found at the scene were killed by a single blow.

Rather, it was a miracle that Hyun-Tae was still alive.

“Just think about your body for now. Okay?”

“older brother.”

“Uh. Tell me.”

“It’s Youngho’s words.”

“uh.”

“Don’t hate me too much.”

“What the hell are you talking about? How many people did that kid kill? You almost died too. If it weren’t for Jae-jae, you would have already high-fived Yeomra.”

“Youngho, you didn’t kill me on purpose.”

“what?”

“You saw the other kids die. They were all stabbed in the neck and had their vital points taken out with one blow. But I survived after being shot twice in the stomach. Is this a coincidence? You know Youngho’s skills, hyung.”

Gongdu couldn’t refute the claim.

To put it bluntly, this was no different from Youngho saving Hyeontae’s life.

Because if you wanted to kill me, you could have killed me as much as you wanted.

But Youngho aimed for the stomach, not the neck.

And that’s while avoiding only the major organs.

“Hyun-Tae Eom.”

“Yes, brother.”

“What was our rule in the old days?”

“… If there’s anything even slightly strange, we’ll take it out right away.”

“Yeah. But Youngho wasn’t just weird, he was a spy. Don’t hate that kind of guy.”

“It seemed like there was a reason.”

“There is no grave without an excuse. Everyone has a reason.”

“… … .”

Hyun-tae closed his eyes without saying a word.

After a few minutes of awkward silence.

“… This reminds me of the old days.”

Hyun-tae’s eyes, looking up at the ceiling, were lost in reminiscence.

“I was a Chinese drug addict, but thanks to meeting my older brother, I was able to get away from drugs. When I blindly followed my older brother around the continent, I got stabbed a lot… … .”

“Stop talking nonsense and just close your eyes and sleep more. I’ll be here with you, hyung.”

“It’s okay, just talk to me like this. I thought I’d never see you again, hyung.”

Gongdu let out a deep sigh and brought a chair.

“Okay. Tell me anything. What did you want to say?”

“Do you remember what happened at the abandoned factory in Shanghai?”

“Then, remember. How could I forget that? I almost died.”

A smile appeared on Hyun-tae’s lips when he heard those words.

“We’ve done so many bad things, brother.”

“Yeah. It’s amazing that you’re still alive.”

The two recalled that time as if they had made a promise.

In front of an abandoned factory on the Shanghai coast.

Between two organized crime groups that have come together for a large-scale deal, Gongdu and Hyeontae risk their lives for profit.

Since it was a deal that Gongdu had arranged from the beginning, it was indeed fair to say that the distribution was large.

The problem was that one of the two organizations had other intentions.

The battle that broke out in an instant continued until they seized the bag in the middle.

From the shoreline to the empty lot in front of the warehouse, and from the empty lot to deep inside the factory.

While Gongdu was packing his bag, Hyuntae was stabbed twice in the stomach.

It wasn’t a situation where I could just sit back and watch.

He left the bag in the hands of his subordinates and swung his sword indiscriminately at the men who rushed at him while dragging Hyun-tae away.

Do that several times.

By the time both organizations were on the verge of collapse due to numerous casualties.

Inside the abandoned factory, there were only Gongdu, Hyeontae, and a few of their younger siblings.

The remaining enemies are chasing each other frantically into the warehouse.

When my younger siblings, who ran out to buy time, fell as swordsmen.

Gongdu fought a final bloody battle with only three enemies left.

There was no place that wasn’t stabbed and cut here and there in the process, but in the end, I won.

It was thanks to Hyun-tae, who had crawled on the dirt floor, that he kicked the instep of the guy who was trying to get behind Gong-du.

The two survivors of the hellish war sat leaning on each other’s shoulders.

And yet, somehow, he was struggling to survive, breathing heavily as if his breath would stop at any moment.

Of course, I knew full well that death was imminent.

[Thank you for everything, Brother.]

[If you’re grateful, repay it while you’re alive, you little punk. Don’t even think about losing.]

The two men smiled at each other and took out cigarettes and lit them.

Blood was constantly flowing out of my abdomen, and it felt like anything would spill out if I moved the wrong way.

I’m just waiting to die like that.

A group of thugs stormed into the factory.

If they were an opposing organization, they would have been helplessly beaten to death.

But fortunately, there were younger siblings who decided to join us on site.

Look at them banging their heads on the ground, saying they’re late because their tires blew out.

The two people, whose tension had completely released, lost consciousness.

“I’m not joking. I really thought I was going to die at that moment.”

Hyun-tae, who had finished reminiscing, smiled while holding his bandaged abdomen.

“I thought I was going to die too. I was stabbed like that, so how could it be that not a single thing broke?”

“I don’t think you can really trust human intuition. I thought I was going to die this time, but I survived. It’s really strange. Even people like me can live like this, but when I see so many good people dying.”

“Don’t worry about that. Just stay alive.”

“I’m scared… … .”

“what?”

Gongdu reacted seriously to the unexpected words.

How can someone who doesn’t even blink when swords are flying from all directions be scary?

“This time, for the first time, I was afraid of dying.”

“suddenly?”

“I was afraid that I would meet the sins I committed and the people who died because of me when I went to heaven.”

“… … .”

“I’m sorry for speaking so rudely, brother. But I guess I’m getting older.”

“Let’s think about that after we die. How many of us would have resented that? And honestly, even if we had died and those bastards had lived, the result would have been similar. Who else would they have killed to live?”

“… That’s true.”

“Hyun-tae, let’s not dwell too much on the past. We’ll all die someday anyway. So let’s live today feeling alive and taking care of our people. Worry about tomorrow tomorrow. How’s your stomach?”

“… I feel like it’s going to break.”

“I guess life is a bit better now. Even saying things like that.”

“I don’t think being sick is a bad thing. I thought that when I saw you earlier.”

“What are you thinking?”

Thin tears formed in Hyun-tae’s pure eyes.

“Ah, my brother still cares for me a lot… … .”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

“I thought you wouldn’t care about me since there were so many people around you. But you’re still the same as I knew you. That’s what I thought.”

“Go to sleep, you punk. You should probably ask for more sleeping pills or something… … .”

Tears of relief welled up in Gongdu’s eyes as he left the room muttering.

* * *

Gaon and Seonwoo were sitting in the hallway.

As soon as they saw the ball, the two people jumped up from their seats.

Gaon asked.

“What about Uncle Hyun-tae?”

“It’s okay. I’ve definitely overcome the crisis.”

“ha…….”

Only then did the two breathe a sigh of relief.

“Can I come in?”

“Uh… … Well. I think I just fell asleep again.”

“Then I’ll come tomorrow.”

“Gaon. Seonwoo.”

Gongdu called out to the two people who were about to turn around.

This time, Seonwoo answered.

“why?”

“Let’s talk outside for a moment.”

“What’s going on?”

“No. Just a moment is enough.”

Gaon and Seonwoo followed him with puzzled faces.

Gongdu comes out of the hospital and lights a cigarette.

Then he looked the two people up and down.

“You don’t smoke?”

“People with wet hair shouldn’t smoke.”

“I……?”

“uh.”

Gongdu scratched his forehead awkwardly at Seonwoo’s answer.

I doubt you would have said that to the kids.

“Anyway, after visiting Hyun-tae tomorrow, don’t come to the hospital again.”

“Huh? Why?”

Gaon’s head suddenly turned around.

“There will be more than one person who will die from now on. Are you going to waste your time by coming here every time that happens?”

“How is that a waste of time? Don’t go even if your uncle gets hurt?”

“Oh. Don’t come.”

“So why?”

Gongdu almost patted the head of the two who were staring at him intently.

They were really lovely and cute guys no matter when I saw them.

There was a time when I lived for the joy of watching these children grow up.

How did you grow up so quickly?

“Are you going to just come and visit me in the hospital all the time?”

“No, then if someone got hurt, of course… … .”

“Don’t come. If it’s just Hyun-tae, it’s really good. Yeah, it’s better to just go and look for it on the spot. Do you know what will happen if you come here and see all the ugly things?”

“What happens?”

Gongdu poked my head with the hand holding the cigarette.

“… Your mind will be worn out, your mind. You will be left with scars that will never be able to be healed for the rest of your life.”

“wound…….”

Gaon’s eyes narrowed.

“But, Uncle, is there anything left for us to become more devastated?”

“Then, you stay. You probably think you’ve been through all kinds of things, including aerial combat, while getting covered in blood and flesh.”

“That’s not wrong.”

“People break down more easily when they feel a loss than when they instill it in others. You are too young to see people close to you die. I want you to stop here. Don’t go any further.”

“Uncle, we also experienced war when we were growing up. We’ve seen people die more than we can count.”

“…what if I die?”

Gongdu’s eyes turned cold for a moment.

The two people were unable to answer the unexpected question right away.

“What if Jaejung dies? What about Anna? What about Taesung? What about the priest? Seonghoon, Chanyeol, Choi Hoon, Yeonhee… … Do you have more than one family?”

“… … .”

“The real war isn’t about stabbing people with swords and cutting their stomachs. It’s after all that’s over. Are you sure you can handle that sense of loss? That’s not something that happens with youthful energy. This isn’t advice, it’s a warning. Both of you stop here. Leave the rest to the adults.”

Gaon, who had been listening carefully, asked with unfocused eyes.

“Is it different when you grow up? The sense of loss and war that my uncle mentioned? Can you naturally accept these things when you grow up?”

“… … .”

“The adults I’ve seen haven’t been like that. Of course, I understand what you’re saying. You’re thinking of us. No, I don’t completely understand. When we grow up, when we see kids like us, then we’ll understand what you’re saying. But, uncle, we can’t stop. We’ve come too far.”

Gongdu exhaled the smoke he had swallowed deeply with a sigh.

And I looked up at the pitch-black sky.

There were many white stars floating around.

What kind of life was he living at the age of nineteen?

He thought quietly, then a faint smile appeared.

Yeah, this was something that couldn’t be stopped.

The will of the two people was too strong to be pressed just because they were adults.

Maybe I’m already an adult.

“… Let’s go in. It’s cold.”

With those words, Gongdu turned around and walked away.

Infected people