Red Dot - 40

– Chapter 40 –
‘Even if I have to wait for my siblings, I can’t just leave after getting on the rescue helicopter.’

As he had told Hanseo, after this rescue helicopter, there would be no news of the next rescue. Knowing this, it was impossible for Junseong to join hands with Hanseo and peacefully go outside to live carefreely. His siblings and their friends were still surrounded by zombies, facing difficult days day by day.

Junseong lowered his hand from his forehead, looking at Hanseo in front of him.

‘He must dislike being subjected to research as a vaccine, right?’

The face, feeling cold, seemed to reveal not only ‘aversion’ and ‘distrust’ but also ‘hatred’ beyond that.

It was undoubtedly something to be reluctant about using one’s body as research material to save unknown people. However, if he thought a little about the rewards he would receive, Junseong was willing to volunteer.

Above all, he could escape from this hell first, safest and most well-treated.

‘But…’

Perhaps Hanseo knew all of this. Nevertheless, for some reason, he seemed to strongly resist his body being utilized.

‘Has he had an experience that caused such a deep wound?’

As Junseong currently was, he could only speculate that something significant had happened to Hanseo, causing such strong resistance.

Still, Junseong was determined to make sure Hanseo took the empty seat in the rescue helicopter. Whether it was a vaccine or not, he believed it was the safest way to keep him alive.

“Okay.”

Knowing that it shouldn’t be this way, he decided to change his thinking a bit.

“I won’t tell anyone that you’re a vaccine. When you get on the helicopter, you’ll just be an ordinary survivor. Nothing to do with being a vaccine. So, when you go on the helicopter, see your parents, eat warm food, and rest comfortably.”

It was a kind of compromise.

He had no right to negotiate with a vaccine holder like himself, but he planned to respect Hanseo’s decision and make sure he didn’t get dragged into vaccine research against his will.

Considering everyone’s interests, shouting right away that Hanseo was a vaccine holder, forcibly pushing him onto the helicopter for research purposes, was the right thing to do. This way, the zombie virus would disappear as soon as possible, and life could return to normal.

However, Hanseo was as stubborn as ever.

“I told you, if you’re going, you have to come with me.”

Hanseo, who arrogantly clenched his fist, looked down at Junseong with a raised chin.

“Where would I go without my suppressant?”

Junseong, nicknamed ‘Suppressant,’ felt a pressure from Hanseo that seemed stubborn and oppressive.

Approaching Junseong, Hanseo’s foot stretched out, and he looked down at him.

“Don’t throw it away.”

Actions, gaze, an arrogant atmosphere that didn’t match at all with these, and a statement that emerged oddly.

“Even if it’s for me or anything, you promised to be my suppressant, so are you going to throw it away alone?”

“It’s not like I’m throwing it away. It’s for your safety…”

“Who cares about such safety? I’m not interested in anything other than you taking care of me personally.”

In Hanseo’s words, Junseong felt an inexplicable strange feeling. When analyzed, it wasn’t an incorrect statement, but he couldn’t understand why it sounded provocative.

Amid Junseong’s confusion, Hanseo’s stubborn and childlike words continued.

“If I throw it away, I’ll probably die for sure.”

He just wished for a safe recovery, but expressing it continuously as ‘throwing away’ was unfair to Junseong.

“But now I know you better.”

Hanseo’s firm words, seeming to know the human heart and, no, actually knowing and using it, drove a wedge into Junseong.

“I can never throw you away.”

A self-assured smile, as if foreseeing victory, had already settled on Hanseo’s lips.

After a long struggle, Junseong finally raised his hands in surrender. Currently, he stands side by side with Hanseo, seeing off the other people.

One of the rescue team members approached, seemingly unable to leave them like this.

“Are you really okay? We don’t know when the next rescue will come. Among the rescue helicopters dispatched today, we’re the last ones.”

“We’re fine. We’ll manage on our own.”

“Even if you say that, there’s no way out, and I heard there isn’t much food left… Just come with us.”

Certainly, the food for the 7th-floor residents was minimal, barely enough for a day. However, Junseong’s backpack still had a few calorie bars and chocolate bars. And for the six of them, it was enough for three days’ worth of food. Combining everything, there was at least no worry about food for about four days.

Instead of explaining in detail, Junseong decided to state the reason and fact that anyone could understand.

“We agreed to meet my brother here. I can’t leave my brother behind.”

Even in the dream when he had to send Chaei off separately, saying this had made her understand and go back.

“Oh…”

The rescue team member sighed sadly and nodded.

“I understand that feeling. Alright, I sincerely hope your brother safely joins you.”

“Thank you.”

The rescue team member who exchanged greetings boarded the helicopter. Until then, Taeju kept urging them to hurry up and get on, but there was nothing they could do.

So, the first rescue helicopter with people on board took off.

Junseong didn’t know when or where he would meet the next rescue team.

‘Perhaps no more rescues will come here.’

As far as Junseong could remember, since the first rescue helicopter left, no second helicopter had come to this hospital. There had been no reinforcements to suppress other rescue teams or protect survivors.

‘If I hold out until the bald guy and Chaei and the others arrive with the kids in a week, somehow we can get out. I have to endure until then.’

Junseong looked at one of the buildings nearby.

‘I should visit there soon, coordinating the time.’

In that place Junseong was looking at, the solution he found in his last dream was stored.

However, the security was so strict that he couldn’t enter right away, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, if he waited a few more days, he would meet someone who could get him in, so he could endure the slight boredom until then.

‘Once I get it in my hands, now…’

“Kang Junseong.”

As Junseong pondered how to plan the route, Hanseo approached him from behind and hugged him tightly. Startled by the sudden backhug, Junseong was momentarily surprised.

“Junseong.”

A whisper reached his ears. The cold air from the rooftop and Hanseo’s breath met, creating a ticklish and warm breeze in his ear.

“Why do you keep calling me?”

Hanseo nibbled lightly on Junseong’s ear. It felt prickly and ticklish at the same time.

“Don’t throw me away.”

“I told you, I won’t.”

“If you throw me away, everyone will die for real, and I’ll die too.”

Junseong didn’t know why he was making such a terrifying statement, but he thought it was just Hanseo’s simple joke, so he lightly patted his arms.

“Okay. I won’t really throw you away.”

Only after receiving confirmation again did Hanseo smile softly.

It took Junseong a long time to find out why Hanseo had said that he would be thrown away or die that day.

Amidst the noisy propeller sound and the muffled ears due to the pressure, Taeju, who had dozed off for a moment on the helicopter, could already see the sky dominated by the thick sunset.

“It’s been over 4 o’clock since we left, but the time has already… strange.”

It was peculiar. They had been flying for almost an hour on the helicopter, and they still hadn’t reached the shelter.

Even though Inhansi was a somewhat extensive area, it seemed to be taking too long.

Taeju looked out of the window. Since the helicopter’s flight altitude wasn’t extremely high, he could get a somewhat clear view of the situation below.

It was a scene similar to what he had witnessed before. The pungent smoke rising from various buildings obscured the view, and the visible roads were completely blocked by cars haphazardly abandoned to the point that it might be considered completely barricaded. Though not clearly visible due to the distance, those walking slowly and those chasing someone in a disorderly crowd were undoubtedly zombies.

Observing the situation below, Taeju thought that the Inhansi he knew was much broader than he had thought. While pondering this, he was surprised to see a certain building.

“Huh? That’s the Je Yoo Trading building…”

Before transferring to his current workplace, Taeju used to work there. He had devoted himself to the job for seven years, starting ten years ago, so he couldn’t be mistaken.

What surprised Taeju, even more, was that the location of the Je Yoo Trading building he knew was not in Inhansi.

The reason Taeju felt particularly confused was that the Inhansi incident was not taking place where he knew the Je Yoo Trading building was located.

Curious, Taeju asked the firefighter sitting across from him.

“Excuse me. Where are we going right now?”

They were all so excited about being rescued that there was hardly any time to think deeply, and the firefighters had consistently said, “We are heading to the nearest shelter,” so Taeju naturally thought it was somewhere on the outskirts of Inhansi, or a safe area beyond that.

Seeing Taeju’s bewildered face, the firefighter kindly explained.

“As I mentioned earlier, we are heading to the nearest nearby shelter.”

“So, where is that nearby shelter? It’s not near Inhansi, is it?”

In the face of approaching anxiety, Taeju asked based on the information Junseong had provided.

“Since zombies have spread only in Inhansi, we immediately closed off the city yesterday to prevent the spread outside.”

A bitter expression spread across the firefighter’s face.

“It seems the information was cut off too early for you to know.”

Not only Taeju but also all the survivors gathered in the helicopter waited for his follow-up statement.

“Already, one-third of Korea is a zombie world.”