[TV NEWS BROADCAST] (Breaking News) Presidential Address Regarding the Gangneung Incident
"...Citizens, please do not be swayed by unverified rumors or videos. Follow the official government announcements. Currently, all access to Gangneung is temporarily restricted. The government is doing its utmost to rescue and protect the citizens in the area. All national resources will be mobilized to stabilize the situation as swiftly as possible..."
**
My footsteps felt heavier on the way back to Room 403.
I had achieved nothing at Room 401.
The squad was waiting for me in silence.
"We just survived death together, yet I don't even know your names. That's on me. Let's fix that now. We're comrades for real now."
An awkward silence lingered.
"I'll go first. I'm Captain Kang Ji-hoo. That's all that matters. Right now, I'm just someone who wants to get out of here with you."
I looked around at everyone again.
"Even just your name is enough. I can't keep calling you 'hey' or 'you' until this ends."
A few soft sighs broke the stillness.
"I'm Yoo Young-min, Alpha 3 Fire Team Leader. I'll take responsibility for this squad like you do, sir."
First to speak was First Sergeant Yoo.
"I'm Sergeant Kim Se-hyun." I already knew that.
"Corporal Jung Jae-hoon. Gunner, Team 3."
Team 3—so he must be close with Sergeant Yoo.
Even Dong-hoon, scratching his head, mumbled a half-hearted answer. "Park Dong-hoon."
Then Lee Hyung-seok, Choi Yoon-sung, Oh Se-min, Bae Jin-soo.
One last person remained.
He avoided eye contact and kept his usual cold demeanor.
"..."
He stared with distrust but said nothing.
After a moment, I sighed.
Sergeant Yoo quietly filled the gap. "Corporal Han Do-yoon."
Just knowing their names made me feel a little closer to them.
I memorized each face, attitude, and name.
To organize the situation and get everyone settled, I turned to Jae-hoon by the window.
"Give me a report on outside conditions."
He looked out without a word. His movements reminded me of Sergeant Yoo.
"They're lingering right in front of the barricades. If we're not careful, they might come through. Around 20 attackers."
...It's getting tougher.
Three civilians to rescue. Twenty attackers at our doorstep.
I quickly reviewed what I knew about them.
They reacted to gunfire and screams. Ji-won had reacted to visual stimuli. Did they have human senses?
They didn't seem to feel pain. They had a relentless drive to bite others. Their movement was blind and direct—charging straight. They failed to chase us when we escaped by vehicle.
With all this, I provisionally concluded they had similar physical abilities to humans.
"Discontinue external perimeter patrols. Jae-hoon and Do-yoon will take over window-based surveillance. Report immediately if any breach of the barricades occurs. Otherwise, use your judgment."
I checked my phone.
Dead battery.
"What time is it?"
"1747 hours."
Should we rotate shifts every two hours?
I looked around at the squad.
They were clearly exhausted.
No one looked remotely okay. They must be hungry, too.
"Let's go get food."
I dropped the commanding tone.
Emergency rations for Squad 5 included two boxes of MREs, one box of bottled water.
Three for transport, two on lookout.
Who should I take?
"Do-yoon, Se-min, Jin-soo, Hyung-seok. Let's move."
I intentionally included Do-yoon to round out the team.
"Me too?"
Why ask?
No matter how much you sulk, you're stuck with me now, kid.
We reached the first floor.
We didn't exit right away. Instead, we paused to observe. If attackers were nearby, recovering supplies would be impossible.
Thankfully, no immediate threat.
Some noise during the unloading process drew the attackers' attention. They twitched and came a bit closer.
...They were already close enough. Please, no more.
Fortunately, the barricade kept us out of sight.
With water and rations secured, we returned and distributed the evening meal.
Two boxes = 48 meals. Fourteen people. Three meals a day... barely one day's worth.
...We'll need to ration.
I noticed the first-floor office fridge was still well-stocked with water. Not sure how long that'll last, though.
I'll need to search the office properly.
I ate alone in Room 403.
Everyone else must've found it too unpleasant to eat while looking at Ji-won.
I didn't mind. It wasn't offensive. Still, my eyes kept drifting to Ji-won.
...Wait. Shouldn't he eat, too?
He was bound up after asking for water.
How do I feed him?
I took a bottle and approached him.
He bared his teeth again like a vicious dog.
Covered by a towel or not, it made no difference.
His body couldn't move. I slid the towel down under his chin.
"Stop trying to bite and drink this."
I tilted the bottle to pour water into his mouth.
It spilled instantly.
He thrashed around, trying to grab it.
Almost none was swallowed.
The bottle bounced off his head and clinked against the showerhead.
Maybe I should use the shower instead?
Tap water, but better than nothing.
I aimed the showerhead at his mouth and turned it on.
His throat moved—he was drinking.
Then—
Coughing.
I couldn't pat his back. I just waited.
Eventually, he calmed.
...We need to figure out how to feed him real food.
After the meal, I took a patrol around the pension.
First, Room 401. I knocked.
Holding a meal pack in hand.
The water and key had been taken.
"Are you in there?"
"...Yes."
They must've been shocked by Ji-won. Glad they hadn't run away.
"Have you eaten? Would you like an MRE?"
The door cracked open.
The chain was still latched.
I saw a face peek through the narrow gap.
"Can you give us some?"
I handed over the food.
"Let me know if you need anything else."
As I turned to leave—
"Uh, excuse me! That person from before... did he turn into a zombie?"
She really knew how to ask uncomfortable questions.
"We're observing him."
"..."
She said nothing more and shut the door.
I continued the patrol.
I called out Do-yoon again. And Dong-hoon.
"Ugh!"
Dong-hoon voiced his disapproval loud and clear.
Which means I'll keep calling him more.
...If the barricade fails, we'll need to defend the stairwell.
What could we use?
A mattress.
I ordered them to move one to the stairwell.
We stood it upright at the landing between the first and second floors.
It gave a slight sense of security.
I reassigned the lookouts to the rooftop.
It had better visibility—full 360° view.
Ah, right! The office.
I called Do-yoon and Dong-hoon again.
They were practically cursing me aloud.
Let them. I don't care.
I had them lay the mattress down again.
It's something I could've done alone.
But conflict breeds closeness.
The office had lots of instant noodles, canned coffee, bottled water.
Not a lot, considering our numbers.
...But if we're stuck here, it might extend our survival.
We couldn't take it all.
I grabbed two boxes of ramen.
They kept cursing until I came out.
They stopped the moment they saw me.
Complaints like: "We're stuck here because of that captain," "If we all die 'cause of that worthless guy..."
Their faces were pure resentment.
I pretended not to notice and told them to stand the mattress back up.
I climbed the stairs.
Checked every floor from first to rooftop.
Room 502 remained quiet.
The squad was split into 3-person teams.
Rooms on the fourth floor, excluding 401 and 403.
Sergeant Yoo was arranging the night watch.
Some were already asleep from exhaustion.
From Do-yoon's room, I heard:
"F*** this. It's bulls***."
...I'll need to handle Do-yoon more carefully.
I returned to Room 403.
Sat at the edge of the bedroom, watching Ji-won.
Earlier, he watched me.
Now, I watched him.
We're prepared to endure.
Now we must think about when and how to escape.
Tonight should be a time for recovery.
Everyone should eat and rest well.
...Should I do an evening roll call?
Nah. I already saw their faces.
I need information.
...My phone's dead.
It had been dead for a while.
What now?
For the first time, I reluctantly went to Room 401.
Knock knock—
"Uh... could I borrow a phone charger?"
I asked from outside.
The door opened, still chained.
She handed me the charger with a look of disdain.
Slam.
Touchy, huh.
Back in my room, I charged the phone.
193 missed calls.
The phone vibrated like it was issuing a warning.
I checked the internet for updates about Gangneung.
Surprisingly little information.
I tried to call the battalion commander to report our base at the pension.
Thankfully(?) no answer.
Then the operations officer.
Also no answer.
...Did something happen to the unit too?