Memorize

Lee Yun-Jung, with a much cheerier tone, looked around and addressed everyone, causing Kim Han-Byeol to cautiously sit down, seemingly worn out from the tension. An Hyun and I also nodded and took a seat on the cold ground.

"Since we'll be leaving as soon as my sister returns, let's keep it brief. My name is An Hyun, and I'm twenty-two."

"What did you do before coming here?"

An Hyun scratched his face awkwardly but soon answered.

"I was just messing around in the neighborhood and working part-time. And you?"

"Me? I'm Lee Yun-Jung, also twenty-two. I took a break from university to prepare for the police civil service exam."

So, a dream of becoming a police officer? Somehow, I felt that a police uniform would suit Lee Yun-Jung very well. After chatting about police work and delinquency, both turned their curious gazes towards Kim Han-Byeol and me. Unable to resist their inquisitive stares, Kim Han-Byeol spoke up first.

"Kim Han-Byeol. I'm twenty-one years old. I'm a university student."

"You are my younger sibling. Which university did you go to?"

"I went to Yonsei University."

"Wow~! You must be really good at studying. I'm jealous."

After a moment of admiration, the two of them quickly turned their attention back to me, and Kim Han-Byeol also looked at me with an expectant expression. I felt awkward under the weight of their gaze, but I tried to respond to their expectations with as calm a face as I could manage.

"My name is Kim Su-Hyeon. I'm twenty-three years old. I was a soldier."

"Oppa found~! Then let's speak casually, oppa. By the way, were you in the Army, Air Force, or Navy?"

"So you're an older brother. Feel free to speak casually. What was your rank?"

I had thought Lee Yun-Jung was just fierce before, but she seemed naturally lively. At the same time, An Hyun, curious about the military, asked me.

"I was an Army sergeant."

"That's a shame. You would have been discharged soon if you had waited a little longer."

Seeing Lee Yun-Jung laugh lightly, I gave a wry smile and added,

"I had been discharged. I came here the day after I completed my discharge report."

"...."

"...."

"...."

What's with those sympathetic looks? What's with this pitying atmosphere?

"Why is everyone looking at me like that? I'm fine. I don't feel anything. So stop looking at me like that."

Even though I said I was okay, an awkward silence settled over us again. An Hyun cleared his throat and turned his head elsewhere, while Lee Yun-Jung looked at me with an overly sympathetic expression. Even Kim Han-Byeol looked at me with concern. I really felt nothing.

To break the awkward atmosphere, Lee Yun-Jung intentionally changed the subject with a bright tone.

"I still feel like I'm dreaming of being here. Normally, I'd be studying in the library, then close my book and run outside to call my friends. We'd chat in the lounge, go out for something delicious, and head home thinking I need to study hard from tomorrow. That's what I'd be doing."

Everyone's expression turned dreamy upon hearing that. An Hyun joined in with a faint smile.

"Probably, I'd be arguing with a customer trying to stiff me at the PC cafe. Catching those who run away without paying. Getting scolded by the boss for not cleaning properly. Then eating a chicken given by the boss's wife while at the counter, and finally leaving work to pick up Sol. Ugh. Oh, hyung, what were you planning to do first when you got home?"

"Me?"

I tilted my head in response to An Hyun suddenly turning the focus onto me. Hmm. Since it's been over a decade, I don't remember the details very well. After a brief moment of thought, I decided to speak plainly.

"Well, I guess I would have enjoyed the fresh air of freedom on my way home, realizing that I'm now a free person. Then, I'd visit home, bow deeply to my mother, and give my father a call. After that, I'd enjoy a delicious meal made by my mother and take a nice hot bath... Wait, why is everyone looking at me like that? Don't look at me with pity like I'm some kind of poor animal. I really am fine."

The commotion died down once An Sol came back after finishing her errands. I found her polite "I'm back" greeting endearing. However, that sound was like a signal that brought us back to reality. We all likely wanted to escape, even if just for a moment, from this hellish situation. An Hyun let out a heavy sigh and slowly got up from his seat.

After a brief, sweet rest, we started moving through the dark forest again. Though An Hyun and I were leading, I was the one subtly guiding the path. By detecting the surroundings and deliberately avoiding areas with fewer Deadmen, we had yet to encounter any.

But avoidance couldn't last forever. As we neared the forest's edge, Deadmen became more evenly distributed. All I could do was guide us in the direction with the fewest Deadmen.

The biggest concern was An Sol. Although we were heading in a relatively safe direction, we might still encounter dozens of Deadmen. I was anxious about whether Sol could stay calm in such a situation. At that moment, An Hyun suddenly signaled urgently and came to a halt.

"What's wrong?"

"Shh."

As An Hyun pointed, Lee Yun-Jung and I turned our heads to see three Deadmen wandering nearby. Their flaring nostrils and licking lips clearly indicated they had caught our scent. I glanced at An Sol, who was tightly covering her mouth with both hands and squeezing her eyes shut. We had narrowly avoided detection for now.

"Can they sense us through smell as well, not just sight and sound?"

"It seems like it. For now, stay low."

An Hyun quickly hid behind a large tree, pulling Sol into his embrace. Lee Yun-Jung, Kim Han-Byeol, and I followed suit, concealing ourselves and waiting for the Deadmen to pass. I saw An Hyun holding up his shield tightly, but I shook my head. It was better to deal with the Deadmen later. Although I couldn't remember the exact reason, I recalled that during our training, we were advised never to engage with Deadmen in the forest. It was a unanimous piece of advice given by those who had been through it.

Given the range of their detection, we should be able to exit the forest if we travel just half the distance we've already covered. We've managed to avoid detection so far, but if we engage these Deadmen, there's a high chance of being surrounded again. If the Deadmen signal for reinforcements, we'd be in serious trouble.

Even if we decide to deal with them, we'd have to do so quickly and without giving them a chance to signal others. Handling all three with just a rock or shield at once would be nearly impossible. At that moment, I felt a faint rattle from the longsword at my waist. I regretted not giving it to An Hyun earlier. Meanwhile, the Deadmen continued to sniff the air, inching closer to the tree where we were hiding.

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