Walking Daddy

\'Stop.\'

Kim Hyeong-Jun set his right foot down and moved over to me.

\'Why did you stop all of a sudden?\'

‘These zombies… They’re not looking away.’

That caused Kim Hyeong-Jun’s eyes to widen, and he examined the zombies.

Zombies that didn’t look away were primed to become mutants. Which meant that all six hundred and fifty zombies here could turn into mutants.

With the chain of command broken, the zombies here had become soulless beings.

Kim Hyeong-Jun swallowed.

\'Should we move them to the zombie prison?\'

\'Yeah, let’s do that.’

It wasn’t every day you could get your hands on zombies that didn’t look away.

The reason Kim Hyeong-Jun and I had struggled with the mutant experiments for over a month was that it was difficult to find these kinds of zombies.

I snuck a glance at Kim Hyeong-Jun. I’d scolded him for what he had done just a while ago, but somehow, he’d managed to procure us some good samples.

For now… I knew the best thing to do was to keep my mouth shut.

* * *

After getting my underlings to move zombies that were blocking Achasan road to the zombie prison, I told my prison guards to keep an eye on them.

By the time we finished all our work, it was already four in the afternoon.

Kim Hyeong-Jun and I entered Shelter Seoul Forest rather late. Choi Soo-Hyun, who had been anxiously waiting for us, came running toward us as soon as she saw us.

She looked back and forth between Kim Hyeong-Jun and me.

“Why’d you come so late?”

“...?”

Her anxiousness told me that something had happened. I tilted my head, and Choi Soo-Hyun sighed.

“Han-Sol was here. Han-Sol came all the way here alone!”

- Where is Han-Sol?

“Han-Sol’s is tied up right now. The group leader said I couldn’t meet Han-Sol until you came…”

- Lead the way please.

Choi Soo-Hyun ran off after reading my notepad.

I followed Choi Soo-Hyun and saw a group of guards gathered outside the warehouse. The guard leader spat on the floor when Kim Hyeong-Jun and I appeared.

“Where have you been?”

- I had something to do.

“I bet you did.”

The guard leader sneered and rolled their eyes.

My eyebrows twitched reflexively.

Then Kim Hyeong-Jun stopped in front of me.

‘Let’s not listen to that bastard. We only need to talk to the group leader.’

‘Hyeong-Jun.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Make sure… You kill that bastard later.’

I furrowed my brow as I spoke, and Kim Hyeong-Jun smirked and patted my back. Soon after, Hwang Ji-Hye, who was in front of the warehouse, spotted us.

“Over here, Lee Hyun-Deok!”

As I walked toward Hwang Ji-Hye, the guards who were blocking the way stepped aside.

Hwang Ji-Hye looked around and whispered to me, “My apologies if you were offended by what we did. But this is what we came up with during our emergency meeting… So I had no choice but to tie Do Han-Sol up and keep him here.”

Hwang Ji-Hye was being unexpectedly gracious, which made me suspicious of her. Just the day before, she had been screaming furiously. I wondered what had gone through her mind to cause such a change in attitude.

I stared at her calmly, and she smacked her lips.

“You told us not to intervene in problems between zombies, right? This is the best we could do to cooperate.”

I’d sensed this in her before, when she gave me the crossbows and firearms, but she sure did value relationships.

I nodded and wrote in my notepad.

- So what happened?

“Do Han-Sol came to the shelter this morning. The guards at the gate didn’t open it, as instructed. But then, Do Han-Sol climbed over the wall.”

I couldn\'t say anything after listening to Hwang Ji-Hye. There was nothing to chastise her for.

There was a clause in Shelter Silence’s regulations that any zombies found within the shelter would be shot immediately. Considering this, Do Han-Sol was lucky enough not to have been shot.

I scratched my forehead, momentarily lost in thought.

‘Jumping over the wall without permission… Seems like Do Han-Sol has quite the personality.’

I could kind of guess what kind of person Do Han-Sol was.

I sighed and wrote in my notepad.

- Could you open the doors? I’ll talk to Do Han-Sol.

Hwang Ji-Hye read what I’d written and then gave the order to the guards guarding the warehouse.

“Open the doors.”

The tightly-shut doors swung open, and I saw Do Han-Sol inside, tied to a wooden chair.

Do Han-Sol raised his chin and stared at my face. He hardly seemed perturbed. Instead, he smirked as though he’d been expecting me all along.

\'So you’re the captain?’

‘I’m definitely not their captain. An alliance would be a better word.’

He was a man who appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties.

Do Han-Sol looked me up and down, then sighed and let his head sag. He flashed his red glowing eyes and got up from the chair. The ropes that were tying him down snapped like flimsy threads, and the back of the chair splintered.

The guards, who were observing the exchange, quickly aimed their guns at Do Han-Sol, but I raised my right hand to signal them to stop. Hwang Ji-Hye saw me and quickly issued her own orders.

“Lower your guns. Whoever opens fire… There’s no way for me to help you out.”

Do Han-Sol snorted as he watched their exchange, then looked at me.

\'You’re allied with these people?\'

\'What do you want?\'

\'What do I want? These people took my friends. I’m here to take them back, of course.’

I peeked behind me and saw Choi Soo-Hyun standing beside Kim Hyeong-Jun. I gestured for the two of them to move closer.

Choi Soo-Hyun observed Hwang Ji-Hye’s reaction then quickly ran to Do Han-Sol. On the other hand, Kim Hyeong-Jun looked me in the eyes.

\'I’ll look after the people here just in case.\'

I nodded without speaking.

Do Han-Sol looked at Choi Soo-Hyun.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

"I’m okay. How did you get here? How did you know we were here?”

At that moment, my eyes widened and I stepped between Do Han-Sol and Choi Soo-Hyun.

This man… He could talk.

Do Han-Sol furrowed his brow as I stepped in front of Choi Soo-Hyun.

\'What do you mean by this?\'

\'You… You ate a human, didn’t you?\'

‘So?’

I grabbed him by the collar. I couldn’t stand his audacity. He looked at me as if I was being ridiculous.

‘Woah, woah, we’ve got a noble in the house. Why? Do I look like a member of the Family to you?\'

‘Why’d you kill that person? What was the reason?\'

\'Should I have done nothing when a man’s going around with a knife in his hand?’

\'I’m sure there was a reason the man was holding a knife.’

I frowned at him. Do Han-Sol narrowed his eyes and shook my hand off.

\'Don\'t bark as though you know everything when, in fact, you don’t know anything. Before I kill you.\'

‘Then tell me why. Otherwise, I won’t help you.\'

\'Help? Who, you? Help me?\'

Do Han-Sol raised his eyebrows condescendingly. He looked at me from head to toe.

‘You seem like you live under a rock. I can’t be patient forever, you know.’

‘A rock?’

\'Why, are you getting mad?’

I laughed. This man was being ridiculous.

Do Han-Sol pointed at the rope on the floor.

‘I cooperated as much as I could, and I don\'t want you to disturb me anymore. What do you think?\'

It seemed like he’d cooperated by letting the survivors tie him up even though he could have easily snapped them.

While I thought his gesture was praiseworthy, I couldn’t let that attitude of his slide, especially if he was coming at me like this right from the get-go.

I reached out my right hand, offering to shake hands. Do Han-Sol snorted at my gesture.

‘What’s this all of a sudden? You want to make up for something?\'

I shrugged, and Do Han-Sol clicked his tongue.

\'What a weird ahjussi.\'

With that, he went for my hand without thinking twice.

That moment, a stinging current passed through my fingertips and up into my brain. I furrowed my brow and looked at Do Han-Sol\'s face.

I felt a dull ache, but it wasn’t painful.

It was a slight tingling feeling, like being pricked by a needle.

On the other hand, Do Han-Sol screamed, his eyes rolling toward the back of his head.

“AAAHHH!!!”

He then fell on his knees and his entire body started to tremble.

\'Let… Let go…!’

Do Han-Sol gritted his teeth, barely able to look up at me.

He writhed in pain and pulled at his hair with his left hand. I didn’t let my frown slip.

‘Living under a rock?’

‘I’m, I\'m sorry! Please… Please let… Go of me…!’

\'Are you willing to cooperate?\'

Do Han-Sol nodded violently with his eyes tightly closed, as if he didn’t even have the energy to answer.

I released my grip and let out a deep breath.

As I took in slow, deep breaths, the tingling feeling in my fingertips faded away. Do Han-Sol lay flat on the floor, sucking in deep, ragged breaths.

I heard the survivors discussing what had happened amongst themselves.

“What are they doing all of a sudden?”

“I have no clue, but I think Lee Hyun-Deok just knocked him down with his grip?”

“You fool, how could anyone cause that to happen to another man by using grip strength alone?”

After a moment, Kim Hyeong-Jun came over and tapped my shoulder with his finger.

\'How is he? Can you tell, vaguely?\'

‘I can’t tell exactly… But I think he’s weak.’

\'Ahjussi, you know that was a bit too much for him.’

Kim Hyeong-Jun looked at Do Han-Sol, who was having trouble even straightening his back. His face was contorted in a grimace. Choi Soo-Hyun shook Do Han-Sol\'s upper body anxiously, not knowing what to do.

“Han-Sol, Han-Sol! Wake up!”

Choi Soo-Hyun, all flustered, shouted at me.

“What did you do? Huh? What in the world did you do to him?!”

- He was getting worked up so I calmed him down.

Choi Soo-Hyun read my words while on the verge of bursting into tears.

There was nothing more I could tell her at the moment.

“Han-Sol!”

A familiar voice came from the entrance to the warehouse.

It was Hwang Deok-Rok, who had regained consciousness.

Hwang Deok-Rok slid in front of Do Han-Sol and looked at me straight in the eyes.

“Don\'t do this to him! He\'s not a bad guy! He’s a good guy!”

I didn’t know how to explain this situation. I wished that Do Han-Sol would get up and say something.

I looked at the two humans and smacked my lips. After a moment, Do Han-Sol supported his upper body up.

Do Han-Sol coughed and rubbed his aching forehead. He widened his eyes and blinked, shook his head vigorously, then looked at Hwang Deok-Rok and Choi Soo-Hyun.

The woman hugged him and burst into tears, while Hwang Deok-Rok patted him on the back repeatedly while asking if he was alright.

Do Han-Sol nodded blankly then looked at me in the eyes.

\'Just now… What did you do to me?\'

‘I don’t know how much you know… But this world isn’t as straightforward as you think.’

‘...’

Do Han-Sol looked at me with fear in his eyes, his lips tightly closed.

There was a lot to teach him.

I sighed and looked at Kim Hyeong-Jun.

\'He’s short on manners, but I think it’ll be fine to form an alliance with him. What do you think?\'

\'I think it’ll be fine as well. Judging by the way Choi Soo-Hyun and Hwang Deok-Rok are acting… He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, although he does have an attitude problem, like you said. And you know that people don’t lie through their actions.\'

We seemed to be on the same page. I nodded instead of answering.

Kim Hyeong-Jun stashed his hands into his pockets and looked at me.

‘I’m going to let you decide, ahjussi. In the meantime, I’ll send everyone else away.’

‘Wait, why?’

\'Just in case the alliance fails. You never know, right?\'

He had a point. If the alliance failed, it was safe to say that Do Han-Sol had no intention to live his life for the sake of humans.

I told him to usher everyone else outside.

Kim Hyeong-Jun nodded slightly and walked in front of Hwang Ji-Hye with his notepad. After a brief exchange, the guards went away.

As the guards dispersed, Hwang Ji-Hye approached me cautiously.

"I know this is a zombie thing so I don’t have a say in this… But I’ll be waiting with my guards, fifty meters away. I hope you understand.”

If that helped her feel better, I wasn’t about to deny her her request.

I nodded.

Hwang Ji-Hye bowed lightly and left the warehouse.

When Kim Hyeong-Jun finally closed the warehouse door, I looked at Do Han-Sol.

‘Listen carefully to what I’ll be saying from now on.’

I saw his Adam’s apple move violently. He looked at me nervously.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

\'I’m willing to form an alliance with you, based on how you react from now on.’

‘An… alliance? Why would I form an alliance with you when I don’t even know what kind of person you are?’

\'Do you want to protect people from the members of the Family?\'

‘Yes… Of course.\'

\'Do you want to protect your family?\'

Do Han-Sol glanced at Choi Soo-Hyun, who was next to him, and nodded. His expression reflected his determination. I looked at him with a satisfied smile.

\'Then answer my questions as honestly as you can from now on.’