By Zephyria 
79
“…Yes?”
Byeonguk asked back, but there was no reply. Tae-muk flicked the Devouring Ghoul’s brain matter off his shoulder and asked.
“How many people have you rescued so far?”
“About 120.”
“Do you think you can save more?”
“…I think we’ve done as much as we can. It’s like we moved an entire mountain.”
Byeonguk glanced behind him. Before, dirt, buildings, trees, and people were mixed together like bibimbap, but now they were all sorted separately. The collapsed buildings were on one side, and the trees were piled up on another. And on the opposite side were the dead, next to the living, and then the injured.
Tae-muk nodded and headed towards his horse, which was standing far away.
“The shelter is out, and the hospital is already at capacity, you said.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What about the school where Dong-ja is?”
“There are about a hundred people there now, and I think we can fit about three hundred more, though I’m not sure.”
“Then let’s go to the school. We’ll take the people there, and we’ll join the hospital. Prepare to leave.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Byeonguk nodded and hurried off to deliver Tae-muk’s orders.
Meanwhile, Tae-muk looked up at the sunset sky. The vermilion sky mixed with gold was peaceful and beautiful, unlike the ground. Tae-muk pictured Ho-eun’s face in that sky. The face he saw when they parted ways just before entering the town.
The face that widened his eyes in surprise as he moved away, then drooped the corners of his eyes in worry.
No one in the world worries about him, yet that face, the weakest one here, worries about him.
“……”
Tae-muk clenched and unclenched his fist. It seemed like his reunion with Ho-eun would take longer than expected, and somehow, he felt a little… uneasy.
Ho-eun stared blankly at the sunset that had completely dyed the sky. In the meantime, Devouring Ghouls continued to pour into the hospital, the cannon fired three more times, Ho-eun was still sitting on the edge of the flower bed, and there was no word from Tae-muk.
“……”
Ho-eun, who had been looking at the fence with worried eyes, inadvertently turned his gaze and saw a bulletin board nearby. Slogans were neatly posted on the bulletin board.
[The God of War and Bondmates must go to the battlefield to save our families.]
[Reward given for reporting God of War and Bondmates evading military service.]
[The 31st Bond Ceremony – Find a partner for the God of War and Bondmates. Especially Bondmates are strongly encouraged to participate*]
[Five tips for evacuating when a Devouring Ghoul is discovered.]
They were familiar slogans. That was because they were posted everywhere in Hanyang. But among them, one in particular caught his eye.
[The 31st Bond Ceremony-]
He first met Tae-muk at that Bond Ceremony. That day felt so far away. In fact, it hadn’t been that long if you counted the days.
At that moment, the area near the fence became noisy again. Soldiers were frantically thrusting their swords and spears through the fence. The blood pouring at their feet was about to create a river. It seemed like the Devouring Ghouls were increasing, but he couldn’t tell if it was real or just a feeling.
“Has there been any news from the General yet?”
Ho-eun asked Seong-im, who was standing next to him, while keeping his eyes fixed on the fence. He asked even though he knew she wouldn’t be able to answer.
It had already been more than half a day since he parted ways with Tae-muk. They had parted ways in the early morning, at the break of dawn, but the lack of news was unsettling.
It seemed to be taking longer than expected… Who was he to even ‘expect’ anything, but he was still worried.
The Devouring Ghouls here were smart enough to use people as bait. Tae-muk was badly injured fighting a similar Devouring Ghoul in the village, and he was worried that he might have been injured again somewhere.
Ho-eun chewed on his lower lip.
He needed to hold his hand.
He needed to be by his side.
That was his job. He was his Bondmate.
Thinking that made him even more anxious, and he chewed on his lower lip so hard that it turned white. But suddenly, a small hand reached up from below and pulled down Ho-eun’s chin. Ho-eun released his lower lip. He looked down.
“……”
The child, who had been sleeping as if in a coma since leaving the hospital, was awake. Ho-eun immediately smiled.
“Did you sleep well? How do you feel?”
“……”
The child blinked and looked up at Ho-eun, then nodded. He didn’t know if it meant he slept well or not, or if he was in pain or not, but Ho-eun roughly interpreted it as meaning he was okay.
The child was staring blankly into space, without focus. His chubby cheeks, full of baby fat, were gaunt.
After a moment of hesitation, Ho-eun held the child in one arm and rummaged through the pouch on his side. He felt something hard and smooth among the pile of money. Ho-eun took it out and held it out to the child.
“Here.”
A round, silver coin-like object shone dully.
“……”
The child stared at it blankly, with an expression that said he didn’t know what it was. Ho-eun smiled faintly and rolled it around in his palm, cracking the shell. Soon, a dark brown kernel was revealed. The child pulled back his chin at the color, which was darker than soybean paste.
“It’s chocolate.”
Ho-eun told him what it was. But the child’s wariness did not subside.
“Chocolate is… a kind of candy… Ah! It’s like taffy. You know what taffy is, right?”
At the word taffy, the child’s eyes sparkled for a moment. He grabbed the chocolate and brought it straight to his mouth. And the moment the chocolate melted and touched his tongue.
“……”
The child’s sparse eyebrows arched upwards. Then he began to lick the chocolate incessantly. His small tongue peeked out and went back in, then peeked out again and went back in. Then he smacked his lips, recalling the unfamiliar but fantastic taste.
Ho-eun gently rubbed the child’s twitching cheek, which was so cute. But then he felt a gaze from the side. It was Seong-im.
“Would you like one too, Seong-im?”
Ho-eun took out a couple of chocolates from his pouch and held them out. Seong-im did not take them. She didn’t seem to want to eat them. Ho-eun wondered if he should take the chocolates back, but then he changed his mind. Gil-sang had enjoyed them, so Seong-im would surely like them too.
Ho-eun peeled the chocolate and held it out to her again.
“Try it. It’s delicious.”
Seong-im hesitated for a moment, then slowly took it and brought it to her mouth. She ate the chocolate with a blank face. But her brow was subtly smoothing out. Ho-eun felt strangely proud and chattered about things that Seong-im hadn’t even asked about.
“The Sergeant said that there are many children living in the town. I thought I might have a chance to meet them, so I brought them, and I’m glad I did. Right?”
He asked the last question while looking at the child. The child, who was fiercely sucking on the chocolate, nodded without knowing what he was saying. Ho-eun chuckled softly at the sight.
In Hanyang, money was the most valuable thing, but here, strangely enough, chocolate was more valuable than money. Chocolate was a big help in becoming friends with Dong-ja and Man-soo. It was the same today. It was as if his parents knew that and packed him a whole load of chocolate.
Ho-eun took a small breath. With the two people next to him eating chocolate, the surroundings, which had been filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, were now covered with a sweet smell. He gently savored it, then wiped the chocolate from the child’s mouth and asked.
“What’s your name?”
“……”
“You don’t have a name? Na-me.”
“……”
The child didn’t answer. He didn’t know if he didn’t have a name, or if he didn’t know the word ‘name’. Ho-eun was wondering how to explain ‘name’ when the child sucked on his lower lip and answered in a nasal voice.
“Park……”
“Park?”
“Park Jeong-woo, sir.”
“Jeong-woo, I’m Ho-eun. Choi Ho-eun.”
“Ho-eun……”
Jeong-woo repeated the name Ho-eun, Ho-eun, Ho-eun. Ho-eun also told Jeong-woo Seong-im’s name. Jeong-woo nodded as if he understood and began to eat the chocolate again.
The soft chocolate, unlike taffy, shrank quickly with each lick. It didn’t take long for the full moon shape to become a half-moon shape.
“……”
Jeong-woo stared at the remaining chocolate. Then he suddenly tried to put the chocolate in his Jeogori pocket. The melted chocolate got all over his clothes.
“Uh, don’t do that.”
Ho-eun quickly grabbed Jeong-woo’s wrist. His clothes were already dirty with blood and dirt, but there was no need to add more stains. Besides, the melted chocolate looked a bit… unsightly. But Jeong-woo struggled to pull his hand away.
“Gi, give to sister……”
“…Sister?”
“Want to give to sister……”
At those words, Ho-eun’s eyes sparkled.
“You have a sister?”
Jeong-woo nodded.
“Is she Jeong-woo’s sister? Your real sister?”
Jeong-woo nodded again at the repeated question.
Ho-eun was very happy to hear that. He had been worried about where he would go. He wanted to ask if he had a family, but he didn’t ask in case he saw something he shouldn’t have. Jeong-woo had already experienced enough misfortune today.
But he had a sister. He had to take him to her. His sister must be desperately looking for Jeong-woo too.