fic: Souls of Darkness, Part 3
Title: Souls of Darkness
Characters: Yongguk, Zelo, Himchan
Rating: R
Warnings: gore, character death, sexual content, language
Words: this chapter 17.630
Summary: Survival AU inspired by the Last of Us. A virus has spread that's making people blood thirsty and ruthlessly eat anyone on their way. A seasoned military man Yongguk tries to survive while meeting different people on the way. What will happen to them? Will the humanity be saved?
[ Mass post] [Part 2]
The suburb nearby was roaming with infected. Yongguk didn’t drive the car too close and he pulled over before getting any closer. The rising sun created dozens of silhouettes on the streets and it was clear they weren’t normal human beings as their walk was jittery and uncertain. Yongguk had to think of a strategy.
“Plan?” Junhong asked while in awe staring at the sight not too far from them. There was no way they could get past them all undetected.
They didn’t have a lot of options. There were no other roads to get to east but the road was straight through the town. They could easily drive the car across if there were no obstacles but judging by the amount of infected the army hadn’t visited and eliminated threats or cleared off possible car wrecks.
Yongguk looked at Junhong for a moment and then reached for his gun belt. He took out his revolver and handed it to the boy. "You know how to shoot, right?"
Junhong stared back in confusion. "Yeah?"
"I recommend you use this with both of your hands because it has a powerful kick. Aim for the head, don't straighten your arms too much."
"Thank you. But what are you gonna do?" Junhong asked him while checking the gun he had in his hands and the crowd further away in the suburb.
Yongguk settled back behind the wheel and took a deep breath. He didn't know if it was going to work but they had to get through. It would've taken a few days more to get off the road and around the city. "I'll drive through it."
"Are you mad?" Junhong spoke angrily although he couldn't help but smile at Yongguk's courage and determination. Yongguk glanced back shortly with a grin, "Maybe I am. Just hold tight and shoot if they get too close."
Yongguk started the car and sped up to full speed. They got past a few blocks without a big threat, what with infected running behind them and trying to catch up. What Yongguk hated most about the infection was that it didn't slow people down. They weren't as smart as before they turned but it seemed they knew how to run better.
Too many infected were getting to them even from the sides of the road and driving over them was starting to be too challenging for the car to handle. They had to bail.
Junhong had to shoot a man trying to get to him through the window before he could exit the car. He knew if he screamed it would've just attracted more people but the man's dead gaze and sharp teeth in his gaping mouth trying to bite him made him want to curl up into a ball and disappear under the ground. The man was too close for a good aim so Junhong tried his screwdriver which he stuck in the eye of the stranger who dropped on the ground. Junhong got out of the car and searched for Yongguk amongst the many infected circling them.
"Mr. Bang!"
Junhong jumped up on the car hood and on the roof to avoid the closest infected and to scout for the survival expert. Yongguk was fighting off a few infected near the car and Junhong decided to help him by shooting the ones reaching for him from behind him. It wasn't that short time ago when Junhong had fired a gun but there was no time to doubt himself. He managed to drop the two infected crawling towards Yongguk's legs and he yelled, "Yongguk, get here now!"
Junhong lowered his gun as he noticed a horde from inside the buildings get out and come for them. Yongguk ran up to him but they needed to keep on running away from the people. "Come on!"
As they had run further into the center of the town, they stopped and Yongguk gasped in shortness of breath, "We need to find something to get out. We don't have time to look for working cars. We don't have enough bullets or strength to get them all."
Junhong wasn't really listening to him. Yongguk saw his shocked expression and moved close to grab a hold of his arm, to get moving.
"The people that came out... their faces were all bloody. Their eyes were missing. Why were their eyes missing? How could they know where we were?"
Yongguk stared into the distance while helping Junhong to get a move on. He had only witnessed a few of the bloodied creatures but he didn't want to imagine what Junhong had seen. "Come on now, we need to be safe."
They went inside a nearby library and after Yongguk sliced open a few infected librarian throats with his new knife, they were safe to have a break for a moment. They found chairs they could sit on and Junhong spoke his thoughts out loud, "I wish I could just sink in and disappear under ground. Where none of this would be relevant."
"Yeah. Everything would be the way they were. Back to normal."
"That's it!" Junhong stood up from his seat in excitement. Yongguk brushed fingers through his messy hair, waiting to understand the younger man. Junhong playfully hit Yongguk's shoulder to try and provoke him to be as enthused as he was but Yongguk still didn't get it.
"The underground! Subway!"
Yongguk smiled a little. The kid was smart. "Okay, you got me."
"I think I saw a subway sign outside too."
"Great. Let's go."
They got into the metro tunnel and walked cautiously down the steps to not make unnecessary noise. The first level most likely had a few infected here and there before the actual stations. Yongguk wanted to make sure Junhong wasn't too scared. "Hey, remember, I'm right here. We've made it this far and I'm going to do everything I can to get you back to safety."
"Okay," Junhong nodded hesitantly but smiled in appreciation. He could trust Yongguk.
"Don't worry about it. Just be careful."
"I will."
Junhong gripped the screwdriver hard and Yongguk held an axe he had taken from an emergency cabinet. They descended slowly and looked for the total amount of infected. There weren't many but Yongguk knew they couldn't pass through without getting their hands dirty.
He cleared a path with his axe swinging left and right while Junhong kept his eyes on the rest of the creatures behind them. Junhong didn't want to bump into the ones with blood on their faces and holes for their eyes so he squeezed Yongguk's shirt to get by a little faster.
They got through to a set of escalators which led to the subway tracks. No one had wandered off so down and Yongguk thought whether no human had set foot in that place for a long time. Otherwise the infected would've found their way everywhere in the station.
Yongguk pointed his flashlight at the darkness of the tunnel and they moved further with Junhong still holding onto the back of his shirt. Only faint light could be seen from a far distance, indicating that the roof had collapsed.
When Yongguk declared the train tracks safe for the time being, he looked over at Junhong and brought his arm over the young man's shoulders to encourage him. They walked for a while in silence, carefully listening to their surroundings.
As they reached the wreckage, Yongguk thought it was best to take a break. They had some time to warm up in the summer sun that heated the spot from the opening in the ceiling. Junhong sat down on the large chunks of concrete and grass while Yongguk checked where they were and looked up over ground. They were in the middle of a hay field, the dangerous town long left behind.
Yongguk sipped his water while Junhong did the same and he reasoned why he preferred to keep going underground. "We won't get lost. Less threat this way too, we're much safer down here. We won't be noticed either."
Junhong nodded in his thoughts and nervously tapped a beat on his knee with his fingers. "I just wonder if my dad's gonna be there. You know, waiting for me."
Yongguk watched him for a moment, gritting his teeth. He knew he couldn't keep going for long if Junhong was motivated by false hope. Yongguk knew what a burden such a matter was but Junhong couldn't grow up in a world full of disappointment and death if he didn't learn how to cope.
"I'm sorry, Junhong. For bringing this up."
Junhong turned to look at Yongguk, who tried to find his words. "What is it?"
"When the general explained the reasons behind this trip, he told me things, I-I thought you should know..."
"What?"
"Your father is dead."
Junhong froze. He stared back at Yongguk for as long as it took for him to gulp and start breathing again. He panicked. "What? How? Why? What?"
"Apparently he was killed by the resistance. That's why we're doing this, I guess he wanted you to be safe."
Junhong got up and jumped down back on the train tracks, fidgeting in distress.
"Why did you tell me this? How am I supposed to know what to do now? What do I do?"
Yongguk got down to follow Junhong who was slowly walking away from the sunlight and into the darkness of the tunnel.
"Look," Yongguk started, but he didn't know what to say. He rubbed his face and then ran his fingers through his hair. He could hear Junhong sobbing a few steps in front of him.
"I lost my family," Yongguk sighed out loud. Maybe he felt encouraged by the darkness surrounding them as he didn't have to worry about anyone responding to him or seeing his emotions. "My father died a long time ago. My mother and brother, well, they're not,... I don't know if they're gone but they might as well be. They left when the outbreak started and I've been on my own ever since. I often think about them, especially my brother's family, and how well I could've taken care of them. But I can't really do anything about it now, can I."
Junhong had moved beside Yongguk without him noticing in the midst of the rush of memories. He asked him quietly, "You've been by yourself all this time?"
Yongguk looked up at him and tried to smile, "Yeah, but I like it that way. I've always been doing my own thing. It's easier now."
"But it's different with family. You should have someone to support you."
"Even at times like this?"
"Especially at times like this," Junhong smiled, and Yongguk realized having people around wasn't always a bad thing.
"Yeah, well, everyone sort of dies around me so I don't want to... I don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Is that why you first refused this job?"
Yongguk thought about not answering but silence would've revealed him anyway. "Yep."
"But you've done a kick-ass job!" Junhong was eager to praise him. Yongguk had to laugh.
"Well, we're more than past the halfway point so just try to chill before finally getting rid of me."
"Hmm, just when I started to like you."
They laughed. For the next two kilometers of the never-ending tunnel neither Junhong nor Yongguk spoke a word.
Their flashlights were dying so they stopped for a moment to rest and change batteries. Yongguk suggested Junhong to check his revolver for bullet count.
As they continued forward, they noticed a sign for the final stop. Junhong got excited to get closer to their destination and they helped each other up on to the platform. The station was quiet and empty except for a renovation area in front of the escalators. They had to look for a way to climb it and exit. A constructed wood board for walking was just enough for Yongguk to climb onto so he did and called for Junhong and lent his hand for him.
Junhong reached for his hand but he fell down, screaming. It wasn't an accident. Someone was pulling at his leg.
"Junhong!" Yongguk shouted, and he maneuvered himself back down from the steel pipe and wood plank structure. He saw that Junhong's reliable screwdriver had moved out of his reach and an infected, dark haired woman was trying to gnaw at Junhong wherever she could find exposed skin.
She was too strong for Junhong and she was gripping his arms to keep him from fighting her off. Her saliva dripping from her open mouth and sharp teeth had wet Junhong's shirt and Junhong was begging for help over the woman's revolting snarl.
Yongguk shouted at him again, "Close your eyes, Junhong!"
He kicked the woman in the head and she collapsed a few meters away from the impact. Yongguk beat her head into a bloody pulp with a steel pipe, groaning madly at her until she no longer made sounds.
Yongguk rushed over to Junhong who was still in the same position, nearly lying on the floor, his whole body shaking. His face was wet from his tears and Junhong couldn't stop crying. He wailed as he saw Yongguk in his reach and Yongguk kneeled down to hug him.
Junhong clutched at Yongguk's shirt and hugged him tight, not wanting to let go. When he was finally able to speak, he yelped, "I wish my dad was here!"
"It's all right now, Junhong. It's all right."
Yongguk petted Junhong's head to calm him down but an incredible sadness came over him. Yongguk couldn't describe how he was feeling or why he felt that way. What he knew was to make sure something like that never happened to Junhong again, and he held Junhong in his arms a little tighter.
"Look at that."
The sun was going down and it created a beautiful horizon of an orange and purple sky. Yongguk and Junhong were standing in the middle of a road, admiring the scenery and how far they had come. They had been on the move for days and nights and they were close to the secret base in the east.
"You've grown so much," Yongguk joked and ruffled Junhong's dark, short hair. Junhong had asked him to cut his hair to leave his old self behind, and of course, to get rid of the horrible root growth. The new hair looked good on him, Yongguk thought. It also seemed like Junhong had grown taller and taller and Yongguk couldn't reach the same height as easily anymore - not that he often tried.
"Come on," Junhong laughed and started walking in the middle of the empty road, towards the sunset.
They approached suburbs that looked abandoned which could never be taken for granted but they had walked through enough towns to know when buildings were infested with sick people.
Junhong saw a straggler on the way, walked closer to it, and after seeing his presence waking the man's senses, he knew it wasn't a normal human being. He straightened out his arm that held his revolver and he shot the man in the head.
"You sure about making noise?" Yongguk asked while walking on the road with him. He didn't believe anyone was out there but he could never be too careful. He didn't want their ammo to run out too soon.
"If there's still someone in this empty town, then they better show up now," Junhong said confidently and reloaded his gun. "We can take them out."
"True."
They walked further into the city of shattered windows, empty yards and abandoned cars.
An office building had boarded up windows on the first floor and a chained lock on the doors. Yongguk walked closer to see it. He heard nothing inside.
"I guess they've all withered and died."
"Hmm," Junhong replied while staring into the distance. Yongguk pulled him back on track to keep walking but he noticed what Junhong had been staring at. Another building had no boards or chains on it but the doors were rattling like someone was trying to ram through them.
"Come on, now," Yongguk pulled at Junhong's arm and they sped up their walking. They heard a gunshot from the way they were heading, and Yongguk cursed. They didn't have enough ammo to deal with bandits let alone another horde of infected. He prayed for them to find the secret base sooner than later.
"Just stay cool and we can get by stealth," Yongguk spoke although he was mostly reassuring himself.
The gunshot was the last push for the doors behind Yongguk and Junhong to open and a mass of infected flooded out, drawn to the noise. Yongguk and Junhong had to run. More and more infected got closer and Yongguk and Junhong were at a loss. They didn't know the town, they didn't know what had happened or where to go and where to hide.
They ran across a park that was flourishing in the aftermath of not being tended, and they came to a parking lot full of cars. Yongguk had an idea. "Look for a car we can get into! Don't break the windows!"
Yongguk spotted a well-preserved car and he fumbled with his tools to pick the door lock. Junhong joined him and told him to hurry - some of the infected from the horde on the road noticed them already. They couldn't handle more of them and making noise would've alerted them all.
Yongguk got the door open and he got inside after Junhong. He took out some duct tape and all of the clothes and rags he could find from his backpack, and Junhong did the same. They covered the nearest windows first and Yongguk moved to the front seat while Junhong taped clothes to cover up the rear window.
"Oh my God," Junhong let out shakily. He swore he heard a noise nearby. He watched as Yongguk reclined the front seats for more coverage and used the time to say something profound, "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
Something bumped into the car and Yongguk moved to the backseat where Junhong was already hiding in the legroom under the front seat. Junhong was physically shaking but Yongguk didn't do much better. Junhong was in his own thoughts, cold sweat running down his temples as he stared at the windows. Yongguk grabbed a hold of Junhong's hands which distracted him from his anxiety. Junhong looked back at Yongguk, who held his hands firmly with his own and whispered, "We're going to make it, okay? Think happy thoughts."
As usual, Junhong nodded and closed his eyes but as the car got bumped, he opened his eyes and nearly in tears, with a dry throat, he whispered, "It doesn't help."
"Then look at me, alright?" Yongguk answered hastily, still holding onto Junhong's hands. He couldn't be weak in that moment but his hands shaking and his heart beating like a drum told him otherwise. The car was moved and swayed continuously and Yongguk slightly regretted his idea. The horde had come through the park and moving across the parking lot and they were trapped right in the middle of it. If they just kept still and quiet they had a chance.
Yongguk woke up, crammed in the legroom under the front seat of the car, leaning onto something soft. For a moment he doubted everything to be a giant nightmare, but he was still clasping onto Junhong's hands. Junhong had fallen asleep by his side but he woke up as Yongguk shifted and turned. Yongguk slowly leaned forward to take a peek from under a cloth on the side window. It was dark but not pitch-black like usually at night. Yongguk estimated it was an early morning.
Junhong rubbed his eyes and looked at Yongguk, dazed, until he remembered what had happened.
"Wow. What a night. I guess we needed that sleep, huh."
Yongguk still kept watch by the window and he responded lazily, "Yeah."
"How is it?"
"We're good. For now."
"Nice. Breakfast time!" Junhong tried to sound enthusiastic but he was too tired and stressed out. Yongguk turned around and sat down on the seat to watch Junhong dig up two apples from his bag. He'd snatched them from a yard before hitting the last road and even though Yongguk had seen no point in picking up fruit, he had to admit he was badly craving for one.
Junhong handed the other apple to him and sighed in happiness after his first bite. Yongguk stared at his apple, at Junhong, and back at the apple. He knew something about how to appreciate little things but what was in the back of his mind was that the job was over soon, and he had to let Junhong go.
Yongguk thanked Junhong and bit into the apple but all of its taste was gone. Yongguk lowered his hand and forced himself not to think about it but biting his lip in reflex was a sign for Junhong to know he was worried about something.
"Something wrong?"
Yongguk smiled slightly, the moment briefly washing away his concerns, and he had to answer somehow, but he couldn't look Junhong in the eye.
"You need to remember to behave yourself, and stay away from trouble. You gotta eat enough, and always be fast on your feet, and..."
"Wow," Junhong interrupted him and Yongguk noticed him staring intently at him. Junhong smiled and teased him, "You're worried about me? You want to make sure I'm safe? After all of this is over, when we go our own ways?"
Yongguk bit his lip more and nodded slowly while humming a vague answer. He wasn't sure how to take it in. The grief of their separation was a lot to handle and Junhong could see his bottom lip tremble, he was sure of it.
Junhong looked at him curiously, and Yongguk had to be more clear. "I just hope you make it and do well, and... fine, I care for you."
After a short pause, Junhong asked him, "Can I ask you something?"
Yongguk looked in his eyes kindly, assuring him he could share anything with him.
Junhong's eyes teared up and he couldn't help but pout. He wasn't sad but anxious.
"Can I call you my dad?"
Yongguk felt his heart skip a beat and he opened his mouth as if to say something but he couldn't. Still in shock, he watched as Junhong raised his hand to wipe a tear off his cheek while still looking at him patiently. Yongguk broke into a smile and said yes.
"Come here," he leaped forward to hug Junhong and as he embraced the boy, all of his repressed emotions rushed through him. Junhong hugged him back and they both let out a sigh of comfort. Yongguk gave Junhong a last pat on the back before backing away and smiling brightly. "Come on, let's go, shall we?"
They got out of the car and carefully headed towards the center of the town. Yongguk checked up on his coordinates and the supposed secret base was not too far away. He asked Junhong silly questions like what his favorite ice cream flavor was or what music he liked but Junhong was happy to answer and in turn Junhong talked about what he dreamed of: having someone like Yongguk by his side, who encouraged him and let him be who he was.
"Stop it right there!"
Someone with a foreign accent shouted at them from close range. It was still dark but Yongguk could see several flashlights appear to surround them. A group of men forced them to kneel down. Yongguk told Junhong to raise his hands up behind his head immediately and a man walked closer to them. He was wearing a military suit and he looked like the guy in charge. Yongguk and Junhong glanced at each other nervously. They couldn't fail when they were so close to the end. Yongguk cursed under his breath.
"Please turn around and leave or you'll be sorry."
"No, you don't understand," Yongguk dared to speak. The man punched him in the jaw and Yongguk fell backwards.
"No, it's true!" Junhong defended him, "Show him the papers! Maybe they're working with them!"
Yongguk straightened up from the muddy ground, raising his hands again. If the men with guns pointed at them were a part of the resistance, they were done. If they heard a word about who Junhong was, they were dead.
"Well, speak!" The man in command ordered him.
Yongguk felt his face tingle from the punch and he didn't want anything to do with them but if he stayed quiet everything was over.
"Do you know the codename ZEL-0?"
The face of the man in charge turned pale and he lowered his gun just a little, clearing his throat, "How do you know that?"
"Let me find some credentials. I'm a military officer and I have been ordered..." Yongguk spoke, while slowly moving his hands onto his bag and opening it up. The men surrounding them were highly alerted but Yongguk kept his cool and kept his movements slow. He reached for the papers explaining his mission and authority and he sighed in relief when he got to hand them over.
They spent a minute in silence as the leader read the papers and evaluated the situation. He signaled the others to lower their weapons.
"I am very sorry about the misunderstanding," the man returned the papers and offered his hand in turn to help Yongguk up. "I'm Alek Vlahos. We're a part of the secret unit here in the east. I'm the master chief of the assembly and my team has been hunting down the resistance for quite some time now. We can't ignore a few drifters roaming our streets. I do apologize again. Follow me."
Yongguk nodded in understanding and put his arm around Junhong's shoulders to calm him down. "It's all right now, see? We did it. We made it."
As they followed the army men into a closed off area, big vault doors opened to an entrance into a lobby that looked right out of a sci-fi movie. Junhong's eyes gleamed in awe. Yongguk smiled at him and for the first time in a long time he could feel relaxed. He didn't need to worry about anything and he could breath calmly.
There were heavily armed guards in every corner of the building though so he made sure not to touch anything and he told Junhong, who was running around to see the newest technology, to be careful.
Junhong stared into an entrance of a laboratory until a man came to ask for his information. Yongguk didn't look around much as he still wanted to keep an eye on Junhong and he didn't fully trust the place yet.
A smart looking guy was checking Junhong in. Well, as smart as the white lab coat made him. And the short, pointy black hair that made it seem like a current had run through him, and the thin glasses framing his heart-shaped face. He had to be some kind of a scientist. But he couldn't be at the right age. Not with that smooth complexion.
The man turned over to him and Yongguk froze up. He hoped he hadn't noticed him staring at him. But such good looking and untainted faces were hard to come by. It was something very different from the mangled infected everywhere else. Yongguk walked to him and Junhong, who was back in his own world admiring the facility that was close to the graphics from his favorite comic books.
"Ah, you must be Bang Yong Guk," the man spoke and bowed in greeting, still gripping his clipboard firmly. "Doctor Kim Him Chan. Welcome to our humble abode. I would shake your hand but I'm not willing to take chances."
Yongguk looked down at himself and his dirty, scruffy appearance topped with a patchy stubble. He didn't know why he felt the need to justify himself to a stranger but he dusted the dirt off on his black t-shirt and argued, "I'm clean!"
The man raised his eyebrow in disbelief as he looked up and down at Yongguk. "Sure you are."
"What kind of a doctor are you?" Yongguk kept his defensive approach and didn't bother with direct eye contact. He hadn't had to deal with human contact in a long while other than Junhong.
"I specialize in biophysics."
Yongguk was a little speechless. There was no way the young man knew anything about biophysics. Yongguk didn't even know what the word meant exactly and he considered himself to be a smart man. "How old are you?"
Kim Himchan smiled a little, taking Yongguk's surprise as a compliment. "26."
"What? You're my age."
Yongguk had to look at him in the eye. Then again Kim Himchan probably wasn't the kind of person to be out in the field fighting the sick people. He didn't have any visible scars which Yongguk had a bunch, a sign of the struggles of the outside world. Kim Himchan did nothing but smile, this time even more smug than before.
"Back to the point. We are grateful of you for bringing Junhong here. You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's safe with us. Now I suggest you take a long shower and groom yourself a little while Junhong settles in. Then we can have dinner and hear all about your adventures. Junhong, there are a lot of people waiting for you."
Junhong's eyes sparkled and he smiled. "Really?"
Kim Himchan nodded with a confident smile while making his way upstairs with Junhong. Yongguk tagged along reluctantly. He had to watch over Junhong, even if the place turned out to be as expected. He didn't know if he could stay or if he was supposed to leave anyway.
Junhong was let into a room of his own and Himchan told him to get ready for breakfast. He continued on with Yongguk, who was suspicious of the young man.
"You're not a real doctor."
"I am. I just don't own a coat so I borrowed one."
"What about your glasses?"
"They were just for show. I can see perfectly fine."
"At least that hair is real."
"Nope. I was going for the mad scientist look to confuse you."
Yongguk rolled his eyes at the man's ridiculousness but he was intrigued. All that effort to create a false first impression. Kim Himchan seemed to be unfazed by the events of the apocalypse. Yongguk watched him carefully to find out more about him. "Have you been outside? Do you know what's out there?"
Himchan nodded as if the answer was obvious. "Yeah. I used to live on the other side of the county and had to worry about survival as much as the rest of us. But when things settled down a bit, we started to do experiments to find a cure. Considering most of my infected test subjects I retrieved myself since no one here was as capable and efficient, I think I can survive by myself if needed."
"Wow. And here I thought that you were a nerd who doesn't go out much," Yongguk laughed. He didn't understand why he tried to crack a joke since making acquaintances was never his thing, and he had most likely offended the other man. Yongguk just wanted to walk the other way without further embarrassment. Luckily, Kim Himchan smiled.
Maybe it was pretentious to hide the awkward silence but Kim Himchan kept walking with him. Yongguk was relieved. He had a feeling the doctor was after all one of the good guys and he had brought Junhong into the right place.
"Here. This is your suite for the night. Freshen up. There are some clean clothes by the bed."
Yongguk stepped inside the warmly furnished room. He looked around the entire room before turning to the doorway. He didn't have to worry about thugs or infected sneaking up on him at night at a place like that. "Thank you, Kim Himchan."
"Please, call me Himchan. And no problem. Just use the water supply considerately."
Yongguk nodded and watched the man close the door behind him and leave. He headed straight to the bathroom. He hadn't had the time to properly look at himself in the mirror and when he did, he was horrified. Yongguk brushed his fingers through the hard stubble on his face and then through his hair that needed serious grooming. No wonder he felt old. He looked at the electric razor on the side by the sink and Yongguk sighed. What a luxury.
Yongguk wandered in the hallways for a while before he heard chatter. He followed the noise and walked into a room that had been transformed into a dining area. Junhong was already there stuffing his face with food, and Himchan stood up from beside him, asking Yongguk to join them. The rest of the table was surrounded by different people from the lab, the security, and maintenance. They were like a one big family all gathered around the same table.
"How is it, Junhong? This place?"
Junhong had barely swallowed his food when he explained excitedly, "You can't even imagine! They have this solar panel system that generates a massive power supply, and a greenhouse and a garden and a farm to supply their own food, and a robot making facility!"
Yongguk nodded while looking at Himchan to see if all of it was real. After having a slurp of tomato soup, Himchan explained, slightly shaking his head, "It's not really a robot making facility."
"No, it's true!" Junhong grinned with food in his mouth.
"Fine, you know what, it is," Himchan laughed as he decided to play along. Yongguk smiled and he felt lucky.
When everyone was leaving back to their own thing, Yongguk was lounging in the lobby reading Junhong's comic book while Junhong himself was getting familiar with his new home. The place had high security and a lot of resources so it was best for him to stay there until the military dealt with the resistance.
Yongguk stopped in his tracks as he saw Himchan walk across the hall in a new attire. He was sporting a black tank top, dark skinny jeans and a thigh gun holster to which Yongguk had to gulp a little. Who did he think he was?
In his hands he was holding a black recurve bow and a quiver full of arrows and he was carrying a backpack. Yongguk could imagine he knew his way around weapons but a bow required a variety of skills, and Yongguk had to stop gaping his mouth at him and intervene.
"Excuse me, are you going somewhere?"
Himchan curved his mouth upward in a sly smile, "What does it look like?"
"I mean are you sure you can handle it?"
Himchan rolled his eyes and sneered at him, amused. Yongguk was baffled by him, and he didn't expect to react the way he did.
"Let me come with you."
Himchan stared Yongguk down and Yongguk regretted every word. "I don't think you fully comprehend what you're getting yourself into. You're safe and sound here, you wouldn't want to sacrifice that for me, for this trip."
"Is it important?"
"Very."
"Explain."
"If I do... I'd rather want you here to be safe and keep Junhong company."
"Is this trip in any way beneficial to Junhong?"
Himchan didn't reply right away. He couldn't turn Yongguk away. "Yes."
"Then I'm all up for it. I'm coming with you. I don't want to sit around waiting for things to get more in disarray if I can help."
"Fine. Let's go get some gear for you."
Junhong tried not to cry when he heard the news. Yongguk made sure he understood him, "I'm not leaving you. I'll come back. This is just something I have to do for myself. I'm sure you can get along with people here just fine. And if you don't, you can keep on improving your drawing skills. Make me a comic book for when I return."
Yongguk hugged him shortly and patted his head, "I love you, okay."
"Okay. Dad."
Yongguk blushed as he left the room.
He got into the parking lot with Himchan who went into the driver's seat of a jeep. It was fair to say that Yongguk didn't want to argue with him so from then on he would do as he was told. Himchan seemed to know what he was doing better than him.
When Himchan was backing up the car, he spoke, "Just a fair warning: I am a nerd who didn't go out much. But things change, right?"
Yongguk, riding shotgun, couldn't agree more. He used to be scared of people, scared of attachments, and then he met Junhong whom he could proudly call his son. He never thought he could have people close to him again.
"So what is it that we go after?"
"The cure for mankind."