By Zephyria 
(End)
[—This is the first time we haven’t heard any news of survivors returning from … in over two weeks, isn’t it?]
[—It’s not just the United States; no other country has reported the safe return of their citizens either.]
[—It seems the situation is getting increasingly difficult. After all, it’s been quite a while since the Zombie outbreak began…]
Ha-jin, who was watching the road ahead, changed the channel to turn off the gloomy conversation coming from the radio. This time, the voice of an announcer with a strong Australian accent grabbed his ear.
[—CM Corporation announced a new vaccine today in the form of a Muscle hypodermic injection. They say it will take ample time and stability testing before it can be commercialized, but so far, the vaccine from CM Corporation is the most promising…]
He listened intently, but this news was also just another piece of clickbait. The vaccines announced by pharmaceutical companies were mostly just bait to defend their stock prices, and commercialization would take at least a few more years.
Ha-jin, repeatedly disappointed, changed the channel again. Not long after tuning to a station playing pop songs, advertisements looking for missing people and broadcasts reporting local funeral news followed.
No matter what radio station he tuned into, it was all gloomy news. Feeling inexplicably anxious, he unknowingly sighed, and Eden, who was sitting in the passenger seat, reached out and turned off the radio. The car was instantly filled with silence.
“Are you alright?”
Eden, organizing the electronic pad he had placed on his lap, looked at Ha-jin. Today was the day he was leaving on a ‘Oahu Island business trip,’ and Ha-jin had volunteered to be his driver, setting out early in the morning to see him off.
Ha-jin couldn’t bring himself to say he was alright and just smiled awkwardly. As he blinked rapidly to hide his dark expression, Eden, who had been quietly watching him, asked him to pull the car over to the side of the road.
As soon as the car stopped, he gave Ha-jin a sweet kiss.
“Don’t worry too much. The place I’m going is safe.”
Despite his gentle reassurance, Ha-jin couldn’t calm his uncomfortably racing heart. Unlike Eden’s words that the destination was safe, Ha-jin knew all too well that there was no safe zone anywhere on Earth right now. Washington, which had barely achieved stability, had recently discovered several evolved Aberrant and issued another lockdown, and all of Asia except for Sakhalin Island had been wiped out.
The world was still suffering from the war with the corpses, and the number of people choosing social isolation to avoid the epidemic was not small. Ha-jin stared out the car window at the quiet, dead city and opened his mouth in a trembling voice.
“The return date isn’t set, is it?”
“At the earliest, a month, and depending on the situation on the ground, it could take up to three months.”
“…….”
“I’ll contact you at least once a day.”
Eden promised in a serious voice, as if making a vow. Ha-jin took the rugged Communicator he handed him and quickly nodded.
Eden, smiling bitterly at his earnest nod, flicked the tip of his elegant, upturned nose with his finger. Then, he lowered his gaze and stared silently at the hand holding the phone tightly. New, white flesh had already risen on his wrist, which had never been free of scars.
“Still, I’m relieved that Yun Mi-so is by your side. You’ve been listless like a sick chicken all this time, but your complexion has improved quite a bit since Yun Mi-so came.”
Eden then threw in a sincere joke.
“It’s not like I’m telling you to have a good time without me, so it’s best to enjoy it moderately.”
Ha-jin, noticing that he was deliberately making playful remarks to lighten the mood, let out an awkward sigh and grabbed the steering wheel again. Feeling sorry for only showing a gloomy side on the verge of parting, he tried to maintain a cheerful smile until he reached his destination.
The two shared mundane small talk as usual and then hugged each other tightly one last time. Eden, who pulled away first, waved his hand and boarded the black aircraft with the men in military uniforms.
Ha-jin, who was staring blankly at the scene, clenched his trembling fingertips tightly.
❖ ❖ ❖
From the second week after Eden left, Ha-jin began running a Magic healing program for counselors at the mental care center.
He was only continuing his unpaid activities as a volunteer because he had not yet received his official visa, but he did his best in the given work without caring.
By the third week, word had spread, and he was asked to take on programs at other regional centers, and from the fourth week, he began to conduct small Magic show in addition to education.
Today, in the fifth week, he performed Psychological magic for people who had come to the United States as Special Refugee like Mi-so and himself. The faces of the students, who had been overshadowed by darkness when they first met, were noticeably brighter.
With a sense of pride, Ha-jin finished the program, loaded the Magic tools into the car with Mi-so, and headed to Eden’s house. Mi-so, who took the wheel instead of the tired Ha-jin, glanced back at him.
“Has Jeong Tae-geon contacted you yet?”
“Yeah, he’ll probably call before I go to bed.”
Ha-jin said nonchalantly, but he couldn’t hide his anxiousness and shook his leg.
For the first few weeks, he had been contacted regularly at set times, but lately, as Eden’s situation on the ground became busier, the times for exchanging calls became ambiguous. Sometimes he would get a call in the early hours of the morning, and sometimes the ringing would sound just before he went to sleep.
As a result, Ha-jin had to carry the Communicator with him like a part of his body, even when he went to the bathroom, ate, or even practiced Magic. Even today, he had been extremely nervous throughout the program, wondering if he would get a call from him.
Mi-so, watching Ha-jin’s sunken mood, poked him in the side.
“How’s the situation there? Is everything alright?”
“I don’t know. It looks like it’ll take a few more months.”
Ha-jin, who tried to package his gloomy face calmly, lowered the window. Thanks to Jun-seok and Mi-so coming to his side, the suffocating sense of isolation and loneliness had disappeared, but from the moment Eden left his side, he had to suffer from phantom pain as if a part of his body had been cut off.
It was an emotion that couldn’t even be compared to fundamental loneliness or solitude. No, since he was truly feeling pain, it might not have been a simple emotion.
At the end of the day, when he finally heard Eden’s affectionate voice, his hands and feet would go numb, and he couldn’t bear it without collapsing on the bed. When he looked at his photos and videos stored in his phone, his face would flush with heat, and when he buried his nose in the pillowcase that smelled of him, his chest would throb as if his heart had been cut out.
There was no place from head to toe that didn’t feel pain. A nice house, a good car, and delicious food were all just illusions in the face of the absence of a loved one. Ha-jin could no longer imagine his life without Eden.
During the long hours when he didn’t receive a call today, longing and anxiety continued to multiply endlessly. Ha-jin closed his eyes wearily, feeling the wind blowing through the window.
❖ ❖ ❖
Today was Byeol’s birthday party. Ha-jin packed the earthworm Magic tool that the child especially loved in a shopping bag, grabbed the Communicator, and stepped out the door.
Pie and Jeffrey, Byeol were splashing around in the swimming pool in front of the house. No matter how much the weather exceeded the average, it was still winter. Ha-jin shuddered, feeling a chill just looking at them.
In the open kitchen connected to the balcony, Mi-so and Byeol’s parents were busy grilling barbecue. He lingered for a while, wondering if there was anything he could help with, but Mi-so waved him off, saying it was okay. He became an outcast and sat down on a sunbed by the pool.
It was early December, but the winter in Texas was mild and warm enough to get by with just a knit. Ha-jin thought it was a shame that he hadn’t spent the fall with Eden, but he secretly chuckled at the winter weather, which wasn’t much different from fall.
At that moment, the Communicator he was holding vibrated with a ringtone. Ha-jin automatically pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear. However, Eden’s words were not clear, probably because the situation on the ground was not good.
After repeatedly saying “Hello?” several times, he eventually let out a frustrated sigh at the disconnected call. Ha-jin pressed his thumb against the throbbing area near his heart and bit his lip.
Soon after, Byeol’s birthday party began. Mi-so gave Byeol a homemade cake, and Jeffrey proudly handed over an allowance envelope. Ha-jin gave him the earthworm Magic tool and a short letter.
The party ended late at night. According to Byeol’s insistence that everyone should sleep together, the adults spread out blankets in the middle of the living room of Eden’s house and closed their eyes.
However, Ha-jin couldn’t fall asleep. Eden’s return had been silent for more than two months. He had been somewhat relieved that he had been receiving calls fairly regularly lately, but on days like today when the communication status was unstable, he had to endure the same chronic phantom pain again.
He shook off his tingling wrist for no reason, opened the front door, and went outside. Soft lights were shining in various places in the yard where dusk had fallen. Ha-jin sat down on the sunbed with his knees together.
As it was his only nephew’s birthday, he had been secretly hoping that Eden might show up, so he couldn’t hide his overwhelming disappointment.
He stared intently at the Communicator and then helplessly tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. Ha-jin sat there as if stuck in place until the dawn broke.
❖ ❖ ❖
Ha-jin stood in front of the black Carnival and waved to Byeol. The child, who had lowered the window, peeked out and shouted in an excited voice.
“Uncle, come with us! There’s so much fun stuff at SeaWorld!”
Then Mi-so, who was holding Byeol, also leaned out the window and persuaded Ha-jin.
“Yeah, Do Ha-jin. It’ll be boring if you’re home alone. Why don’t you come with us now?”
Today was the day everyone was going to the theme park in San Antonio to celebrate the New Year. It was a trip that was made possible by Byeol, who was excited about the reopening of the amusement park. The members were Mi-so and Jeffrey, Byeol, and the couple, for a total of five people.
Ha-jin refused the trip offer under the pretext of taking care of Pie. He didn’t want to leave the house carelessly while his lover might return at any moment.
When he smiled and reiterated his refusal, the driver’s seat window slid down.
“Ha-jin, are you sure you don’t want to come with us? The house is so big, it’ll be lonely to be alone.”
“You’ve been upset because you haven’t heard from Eden lately. You should go to change your mood.”
While the couple was speaking in unison, Jeffrey, who was loading luggage into the Carnival, closed the trunk door and shouted.
[Ha-jin! Are you not going because you’re afraid you’ll miss Eden’s call while you’re playing? Hugo said that the business trip is going well, so aren’t you worrying too much?]
Ha-jin, who had been nagged in turn, let out a short sigh of “Ugh.”
“I’ve been lecturing hard these days, so I want to rest. Everyone, please stop worrying and go quickly, please.”
[Alright. We’re going.]
“I’ll be back, Ha-jin. Call me right away if anything happens!”
“Uncle, Byeol will buy you a present, so don’t cry and wait.”
“Ha-jin, make sure to eat the side dishes I made in the refrigerator!”
After the noisy greetings, the Carnival, carrying everyone, picked up speed and disappeared from sight. Ha-jin, who had been waving vigorously, let out a sigh of relief.
He was about to go straight back to the house, but he lingered near the entrance for a while, just in case. Then he saw a luxury sedan entering the neighborhood. He watched intently with a faint hope, but as expected, it just passed by the house.
Eden had not been in touch since the call two days ago. He had heard hopeful stories that the work was almost finished, but he didn’t know the exact return date, so he was feeling impatient every day.
Ha-jin put on a bitter smile and walked towards the house. Pie, who was rolling around in front of the swimming pool, wagged his tail cutely.
“Pie, I’m feeling down, should we have some snacks?”
“Woof!”
“Wait. I’ll get them.”
Ha-jin found Pie’s snacks in the dining room. He was passing through the living room with a bag of duck neck bones in his hand when he suddenly stopped in his tracks at the anchor’s comment on TV that caught his ear.
[—…The number of reports of Zombie sightings has exceeded 20, and lockdowns have been issued in California and Nevada. This is the first time lockdowns have been issued in states other than Washington. Recently, there have been occasional reports of unidentified individuals presumed to be Zombies in the central region… and there are increasing calls for stronger sanctions, including lockdowns. Next news…]
“Woof! Woof woof!”
It was then. Pie’s sharp howl was heard from outside the front door. He gasped in surprise, and a thunderous howling followed in succession.
“Krrr… Woof!”
This sound, as if pulling his throat, was no different from the signal he gave when he discovered an unfamiliar outsider.
“…!”
Pie’s appearance of growling whenever he encountered Zombies and the anchor’s voice were unsettlingly intertwined. Ha-jin, belatedly sensing the danger, threw away the snacks and hurriedly ran to the basement where the armory was located.
Kneeling in front of the second safe that Eden had told him about, he quickly pressed the keypad. His fingertips kept slipping due to nervousness, and he was out of breath. He barely opened the safe, grabbed the gun and magazines, and went outside.
The Carnival had left this place exactly 35 minutes ago, and there would be no helpers visiting the house for the time being.
“Pie!”
He kicked open the front door. Ha-jin, holding the loaded gun tightly with both hands, slowly looked around the house with a nervous face. But Pie was nowhere to be seen.
‘Stay calm, stay calm…’
While he was looking at the floor for any traces of blood, he heard the dog’s thunderous howling again.
Ha-jin raised his head in the direction of the sound. Pie was running towards the road entrance, facing the pouring sunlight.
“Pie! You…!”
Just as he was about to follow him in a hurry, a familiar-looking car caught his eye. Ha-jin’s eyes widened as he easily recognized the identity of the car.
The vehicle stopped at the entrance was the same model as the one he had boarded with the Blue Works employees when he first arrived in the United States.
Ha-jin’s gun, which had been facing forward, slowly fell down. He felt his heart beating fast, thump, thump, thump, and walked forward as if possessed.
The moment the shell-removed gun hit the floor and made a dull sound, a man got out of the car that resembled a black jaguar.
Eden, who had also discovered Ha-jin, stopped in his tracks as he moved.
“…….”
“…….”
At the end of a moment of silence, he began to approach Ha-jin in large strides.
Ha-jin looked at his lover, who was gradually getting closer, with an unbelievable face. A slow sigh escaped from his mouth, which had been standing blankly for a while.
Eden, who had already come close, pulled Ha-jin’s waist in tightly. The cool scent, hidden in the musty smell of dust, permeated his nose and into his heart. At that moment, the longing that had been like phantom pain transformed into a memory of just one season, and the anxiety that had been feeding on the past transformed into a foundation for joy.
Ha-jin raised his lowered hand and groped his lover’s face. His trembling fingertips stroked the roughened skin several times. As if not believing in Eden’s safe return, his hands, which had been caressing his cheeks, passed over his shoulders and reached his solid upper arm.
His two eyes busily scanned his whole body as if to find even the smallest flaw, wondering if there were any injuries. Then Eden grabbed Ha-jin’s chin and lifted it up.
Ha-jin, who had made eye contact with him by chance, stared blankly at Eden, who was smiling brightly.
A clear winter breeze brushed past the two people who had the midday sun on their backs.
At that moment, Ha-jin was finally able to be sure. Even though the world was still cruel and a peaceful future was as distant as an unreachable mirage, as long as they were by each other’s side, everything would be alright forever.
Eden buried his head on Ha-jin’s shoulder and whispered affectionately.
“I’m back.”
『Magic on the Dead』 Main story End