By Zephyria 
“Wow. It’s real? They said the power was back on.”
A man with a rough appearance jumped out of the driver’s seat. After him, the others on the truck also revealed themselves one by one. They were part of the rebellion organization, people he had known for a long time. Unlike them, they were disguised as merchants on the surface, so their activities were not greatly restricted.
The man, looking around, spotted sacks piled up in one corner.
“Is that it? What we need to take?”
“Yeah. It’s too much for us to eat.”
“Thanks. I’ll repay this favor later.”
“Just go quickly.”
The man ordered his subordinates to load the sacks into the truck. Then, spotting two particularly large sacks, he looked back at Jang-cheon. When Jang-cheon gestured for him to handle them with care, the man sighed and shook his head. Figures. He should have known something was off when they offered food without expecting anything in return.
Once all the sacks were loaded, they were covered with a black cloth. Then, they headed towards the entrance, where members of other organizations were also arriving one after another. Though, they were mostly just old, beat-up trucks.
The man’s truck headed straight for area c. Upon arriving at area c, soldiers blocked the entrance. After showing their merchant permits, they were allowed to enter after a cursory inspection of a few sacks.
Jang-cheon’s choice of me became clear. He was like a bear, but at times like these, he was as cunning as a fox.
After entering area c and parking in a secluded spot, they unloaded the sacks. One of the sacks twitched, and when it was opened, a young man with silver hair and gray eyes peeked out.
Recognizing him, he let out a disbelieving laugh instead of a greeting.
“What in the world are you guys up to?”
Instead of answering, Ire told him he had gone through a lot and would repay the favor later, then tucked a pistol into his waistband. He then looked at another unopened sack before pulling his hood down low and leaving the area.
Entering an alley not far away, they found a maze-like structure. Clothes hung on clotheslines strung between buildings, and the smell of urine and traces of unknown vomit lingered in places.
Navigating the maze-like alleys, they passed by numbers marked on doors. They stopped at one marked ‘14’ and looked around. They knocked, but there was no response. Hadn’t he arrived yet? Just as they were about to knock again, the door opened, revealing a familiar face.
“Wow. Good to see you.”
Kim Seon-oh acted as nonchalantly as ever. He had heard that one of his eyes was injured and removed, but it wasn’t very noticeable. It was said that he had stayed behind to fight until the end when the officers retreated during combat, and Oh Nam-gi had praised him as a great man.
After a slight nod, Kim Seon-oh stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. Inside, Ire found Kwon So-young sitting and drinking tea. After greeting her, he took off the hood he had been wearing and looked around the room.
“Don’t worry. It’s just the two of us who got out.”
Kim Seon-oh quickly interjected.
“Actually, just the older sister. I’m under house arrest, so my report says I’ve been confined to home.”
“That’s right. You were under house arrest. Thanks to whom, by the way.”
At Kwon So-young’s words, Kim Seon-oh circled Ire with a slightly indignant expression.
“Did you know the car you’re driving is tracked in real-time?”
“Yes…”
“Look at this. You knew, yet you acted on your own? What gave you the confidence?”
It wasn’t so much that he had confidence, but rather that he had no other choice.
“Hey. At times like these, you should at least say you trusted the Lieutenant Colonel. Anyway, the point is, I got caught falsifying reports. That’s why I’m under house arrest. I’m not trying to make a point, but it’s disappointing. You deceived us completely, ungratefully.”
“……”
“Whose idea was it? Yours? Or Hayun’s hyung?”
At Kim Seon-oh’s words, Ire fell silent. It seemed they knew Kim Ha-yoon was with him. Kim Do-cheol would surely know too. He had suspected as much from the moment they visited A district under the pretense of checking the power plant. He guessed there might be surveillance cameras everywhere. However, he assumed they couldn’t install them in too many places due to the number of people watching.
“I’m more disappointed in Kim Ha-yoon. How could he suspect me? After all the time we’ve spent together?”
Kwon So-young wore a truly disappointed expression. He understood her feelings, and he also understood Kim Ha-yoon’s decision. Circumstances could change at any moment. Some people might betray from the start, while others might make such choices out of necessity, swept up by the flow of events.
Then, Kwon So-young sighed with a look of resignation.
“Well, I guess I would have done the same. My father is known to be close with Vice Chairman Park Ji-hoon, a fact everyone knows. There would be no reason for me to abandon my family and choose Kim Ha-yoon.”
After rationalizing Kim Ha-yoon’s choice, Kwon So-young still expressed anger and started to lose her temper again. Usually indifferent to everything, she was showing emotions uncharacteristic of her. At this point, Ire wondered why they had called him. It couldn’t just be to badmouth Kim Ha-yoon.
“How is hyung’s condition?”
“He has recovered significantly. He’s able to move…”
“That’s a relief.”
Kwon So-young also looked relieved. Then, they spread out a map and began to explain the reason they were there. Ire remained unfazed even when told that Zone D might be bombed.
A few days prior, a toy car the size of a fist was found near the district. At first, they thought someone had discarded it, but they realized it was too intricately made for that. Surprisingly, it contained a voice message.
From two people he knew well: Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi.
After asking how they were doing, they revealed an unexpected secret.
“Run, anywhere is fine. And please, stay alive.”
Seo Young-jun’s final plea made his nose tingle. It wasn’t that his time in the military was entirely a nightmare; he had gained them. He also thought of Kim Do-cheol, who always had a good-natured smile. When did he start dreaming of such ambitions? Did Kim Ha-yoon know nothing? Or did he know and keep him by his side?
As Ire remained silent, Kim Seon-oh asked again.
“Is it possible?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t think that’s my job. I’ll stay in Zone D.”
Kim Seon-oh looked taken aback.
“Don’t do this. We came all this way trusting you. Even you can’t fight fighter jets.”
Ire paused for a moment before speaking.
“It won’t be me, but someone else who will go.”
Who? A moment later, the door opened. Kim Seon-oh quickly drew his pistol from his waist, then froze. Lowering his gun, a disbelieving smile spread across his face. Kwon So-young also stood up and yelled, “You crazy bastard!”
* * *
Kim Do-cheol stared intently at the vehicle on the screen. Kwon So-young’s car was captured passing through the gate early in the morning. The vehicle was heading towards area c. What would a pampered princess be doing there?
The question wasn’t easily resolved. With a sense of unease, he monitored Zone D, but found nothing unusual. He had found it odd that there were more vehicles than usual, but his subordinate reported that they were there to collect the food distributed from district a.
“They’re so full of humanity. Even when they’re in dire straits, they’re sharing what they got from us. Should we call this being too meddlesome, or not knowing their place? What do you think, Park Woo-jin?”
Park Woo-jin, sitting opposite him, chuckled. He was convinced that Ire was the culprit behind his brother Park Mu-jin’s death. Therefore, he intended to find and kill Ire first during the upcoming air raid. If possible, he wanted to make it as painful as possible.
Before that, he had something to do tonight. He planned to visit Ire’s family in district a and repay them in kind. What expression would he wear when he heard his family had been wiped out before he died? The mere thought was exhilarating.
“What about Kim Seon-oh? You said he was under house arrest at home?”
“Yes. Just in case, I’ve placed people around him. He won’t be able to leave easily.”
“Good. I’m counting on you, Woo-jin. If you do this right, it will save the Vice Chairman’s face, you know?”
Park Woo-jin scoffed inwardly. He had heard from his father that if things went wrong, they would abandon Kim Do-cheol first. Kim Do-cheol mistakenly believed he held all the control. It was a pity that he hadn’t yet grasped who was truly disposable.
“You can go now. Make sure the kids keep their mouths shut.”
“Don’t worry.”
After bidding farewell, Park Woo-jin made a call. They weren’t soldiers, but they were people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill. When asked if they had reached their destination, he received a reply that they were approaching. Checking the time, a smile spread across Park Woo-jin’s face.
You should feel it too. What it feels like to have your family die. I’ll make sure you go out more painfully than my brother did. The mere thought of him crying while holding his dead body sent a surge of ecstasy through his face.