Please Shoot Me - 14

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the way he stammered out his reply while his back was turned. As they talked, the sun decided it was time to rise and a dim light leaked through the door. Yuyeon lay on her side with her head propped up by her arms, staring at the faintest glimmer of his back. The large back was unfamiliar, and she realized that he had never shown her his back before.

“Didn’t you say earlier that I should love someone for my own happiness, but it doesn’t have to be you? That’s the advice that stuck with me.”

“Of course, I meant that I want you to like me, but that was just a side note, and I knew you wouldn’t mind hearing it. You know I’m super jealous, and… Didn’t you know? I’m a dork.”

“Assh*le.”

Yuyeon heard him let out a deep sigh.

“You’re so clueless. You have no sense for your surroundings and you have no feelings…”

“Thank you for saving my life.”

After a momentary silence, Ryung turned back toward her. His eyes were searching their surroundings and her body as if he finally noticed the light streaming in through the open door. His wandering gaze finally settled on Yuyeon’s smiling face.

“You still know who I am, don’t you?”

“…”

“Let’s go, Ryung.”

After talking to him all night, it was clear he was of a sound mind. She wondered if the higher-ups had gotten the results they were looking for since Ryung’s physical abilities had improved, but he hadn’t lost his mind.

However, he was still a ticking time bomb. At any moment, he could have a seizure, lose his sanity, and become aggressive. The one person who knew and understood this the best, Ryung, shook his head.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll do everything that I can.”

“…”

“I’ll take care of it.”

After listening to her pleading, Ryung let out a deep sigh and held out his pinky finger. It was just out of reach, but she could tell what he wanted.

“Promise me one thing, and I’ll go.”

“Hmmm… What is it?”

Yuyeon asked, willing to hear him out. Ryung’s face turned serious.

“You have to take responsibility for being the one that kills me.”

“Are you still saying that?”

“At the very least, I hope I don’t kill someone I love with my own hands. That’s my last wish.”

The words “me too” rose in her throat, but she forced them down and nodded her head. Ryung still looked uneasy at Yuyeon’s lukewarm response. Eventually, though, she stood up and tore down the wall separating them.

She put her robe back on, which she used as a blanket, pulled out her walkie-talkie, and changed the frequency. Without much thought, she called out to the person on the other side of the line.

“Are you awake?”

She hadn’t seen Seonwoo in six years, but her last contact with him was three days ago. Of course, their conversations consisted of sharing lab materials and troop status, so they felt more like coworkers than friends.

When he didn’t answer, she wondered if he was still sleeping, but then she heard a low voice.

[No.]

It sounded like he was still sleeping. Responding to the man’s voice, Ryung walked to the side like a crab and pricked up his ears. He wanted to hear what was being said.

“I need your help and you’re the only one I can ask.”

“[Um… My help? You?]

There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

[That’s… Odd.]

Yuyeon took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

“One of my men… Is infected. So…”

[Well, isn’t that just a matter of killing him?]

“…”

[You know what you’re good at.]

A sharp blade lurked beneath the nonchalant voice. The pain of the wound she would have received at any other time was now cutting into Yuyeon’s heart. Expecting this kind of reaction, she calmly spoke again.

“I know you’re pissed, and I can’t take back what I’ve already said, but I want to apologize even now. I’m sorry. I was so young back then, and I knew best what it was like to lose a family m*mber… I guess I didn’t want to part with you right away because you were my… Only friend.”

In the past, she had always felt sorry for him, but never directly apologized to him. She just tried to settle her debt by finding him the information he needed. The silence continued. It was a moment when she thought she might now be able to get his help at all.

[Wow, Seo Yuyeon can apologize. It’s almost like it is time for you to die.]

Over the crackling radio, she could hear him fidgeting. It was an indirect way of saying he would hear her out.

[You want to save him, right?]

She heard the answer she was looking for.

“Yeah… I’d like you to check him over.”

[Well, I can examine him, but how are you going to get him here on your own? I can shoot him with a tranquilizer gun if he comes this far. It works on elephants, and it works on zombies.]

The plans were beginning to unfold in earnest. Relieved, Yuyeon lifted her smiling gaze to find Ryung, who was rubbing the back of his neck and making a strange face. It was like he had already been shot with a tranquilizer gun.

“Uh… I don’t think I’ll need the tranquilizer gun.”

[What? Is he coming tied up? If you are trying to sneak around, you can’t use a vehicle.]

“He was bitten by an… Unusual zombie with fluorescent eyes.”

[Fluorescent?]

“Yeah, and the zombie got shot in the head and didn’t die immediately. I think it took about ten shots before he went down…”

After a moment of silence, a heavy sigh came over the radio.

[Human evolution or something, do you think it has anything to do with the material you sent me?]

“Yeah, I think so…”

[What’s the condition of the infected?]

“His appearance has changed to more zombie-like, but his mind is intact, his vital signs are normal, and he shows no aggression; he’s been with me for about 12 hours and he can still hold a conversation. He was already shot twice in the head early during the infection period, but he didn’t die and the wounds were repaired.”

As Yuyeon continued her report, she waved a hand at Ryung, who lowered his head in acknowledgment. No matter how much he ran his fingers through his silky hair, there was no sign of the bullet’s passage.

[Hmph, what kind of mutant is that… Didn’t they get the experiment they wanted? Human evolution or some bullshit…]

“Honestly… We don’t know, and we’re baffled ourselves.”

[Yeah, I’d like to see it with my own eyes. Bring him over.]

“Oh, that would be great…”

[Of course, if you’re confident you’ll get here.]

His words were followed by an evil laugh. As soon as Seonwoo was kicked out of the lab with his zombie sister, he was also banished from the safe zone, and because of that, the lab was located in a remote area far away from the headquarters. It was a 24-hour walk to get there, and not only because of the distance but also because of the zombies they needed to avoid. After laughing for a while, the other person grew quiet, and then calmly continued.

[I’ll wait.]

She was relieved to hear such a friendly saying. A faint smile tugged at the corners of Yuyeon’s mouth.

“Okay, thanks.”

The moment she put the walkie-talkie down, she sighed and her shoulders sagged, releasing all tension. Seonwoo had once been close to her, but now he was the most difficult and uncomfortable person in her life. She was the one who let her go because of her mistakes, but he was also the one she avoided because she was afraid to admit it. He was so much bigger than her, so much more mature than her, that he accepted her request when she needed him the most.

“I’m so glad, aren’t you?”

When Yuyeon’s face lit up with pride at having proved herself as his senior, Ryung shot her a puzzled glance, his face looking earthy in the darkness.

“‘I’ll wait for you~,’Yuck, ‘thank you~.’”

Ryung imitated a cheerful voice without changing his expression at all. Then, he spoke in his usual, low voice.

“That’s so sweet and affectionate, anyone would think you were his lover… Like me?”

“The least I could do is thank him for saving your life…”

“Did I say something?”

“Oi! What are you saying now?!”

“I’m just saying, me and you don’t have a relationship, and it’s none of your business how I feel since you usually don’t care what I mumble, anyway.”

He was right. Yuyeon should have just ignored Ryung, but she was reacting to his expression and words more than necessary. Maybe she was feeling guilty that he got infected instead of her.

“Well, from the way you talked to him, I can tell he’s a difficult person for you to confront, and I can see why you needed the courage to do so, so thank you.”

Ryung’s thanks were nonchalant, and he carefully picked up his own gun that was rolling around on the floor. She needlessly grumbled as she prepared to leave after him.

“What? You’re thanking me?”

Yuyeon asked, following him as he began to move first. As they exited the building where so much had happened, the night was long gone and the blue light of dawn was just beginning to creep in.

“Yes. Jealousy is jealousy, but gratitude is gratitude.”

“You have a way with words.”

She had been hearing confessions from him for at least five years, confessions of his affection that were so frank at first she had he had something else up his sleeve. At best, she thought he made a lowly bet or he was seeking revenge for being scolded by her. He was a man who wore his feelings openly as if he had been born with no pride or shame. She found it curious.

“Well, what can I do? I’m an idiot who can’t understand even the slightest hint of concealing my feelings. I can’t even make eye contact.”

“… That’s oddly off-putting. Is that why you’re angry?”

Ryung still didn’t make eye contact with her. The closer Yuyeon got to see his expression, the more he turned away. The unfamiliar look made Yuyeon think back to what she had done wrong. The atmosphere became awkward, and Ryung quickly explained.

“It’s not like that. It’s just that I don’t feel confident to show my face yet, and it’s only morning…”

“What…? You’re really fine and haven’t changed much.”

“But… Ouch!” Ryung yelled, unable to finish his sentence.

Kofi