Freefall — Chapter 1 (Part 3)

Run.

“What did you just do? Step aside.”

Click.

The metallic sound, paired with the soldier’s cold voice, made his heart sink. Gangsang, his face drained of color, tried to pull Ire toward the back door, but Ire pushed past him and opened the front door without hesitation. Matteo’s face stiffened as he turned around, and in front of him stood soldiers with their guns trained forward.

Run.

Matteo’s eyes screamed it at him. But he couldn’t run like this. If he ran, what about Matteo. What about the younger kids. He couldn’t drag everyone into hell just so he could live.

“I’ll go on my own. Just put the guns away….”

At once, they lowered their weapons. Two soldiers restrained Ire and led him to the vehicle. Despair filled Matteo’s face as he looked skyward, searching for God. Gangsang was on the verge of tears, and the younger children, awakened by the commotion, pressed their faces to the window, watching outside.

Once inside the car, the doors closed, and soldiers sat on both sides of him.

“You’d better not try anything stupid. Think about the family you’ve left behind.”

At a signal from the soldier in the passenger seat, the car pulled away. Ire deliberately avoided looking back at his family. Along the road, people came out one by one, curious about the unfamiliar vehicle visiting so early in the morning.

The soldiers didn’t ask a single question the entire way. The car left Zone B and traveled for a long time. They passed through tunnels, crossed bridges, and went through several gates. After driving for what felt like forever, a massive barrier wall, stacked high toward the sky, came into view.

It resembled the illustration a quack doctor had once explained to him. No, it looked even more imposing and solid than that. It was hard to believe that someone had thought to build something like this while a plague ravaged the world and people were dying by the day.

They arrived before a huge iron gate. After a brief radio exchange, the heavy door rose with a rumble. It looked as if it might open its mouth wide and swallow him whole, sending a chill down his spine. Passing through the gate led them into another tunnel.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, a flood of bright light poured in. Faced with the cityscape spread out before him, Ire was momentarily speechless. Unlike the worn-down, desolate Zone B, everything here was green.

The air was so clean it was hard to believe it was under the same sky, and tall buildings glittered in the sunlight. It felt like looking at the Earth from before its collapse, something he’d once seen in books. The sight was terrifying, yet made his heart race in a strange way.

Then, the soldier beside him suddenly forced something over his face. Before he could even protest, his throat burned sharply.

That was his last memory.

---

“Sister, where did I come from?”

At young Ire’s question, Sister Agape looked up at the sky without a moment’s hesitation.

“You’re a precious child sent from the heavens. That’s why you deserve to be loved more than anyone. Your parents must have been the same.”

“Then why did they abandon me….”

“They didn’t abandon you. They were trying to protect you. So you must live a good life. When someone appears who truly recognizes your worth, help that person. Then you’ll realize the light that resides within you.”

“When will that be?”

“Sister….”

“Sister Agape…?”

When he opened his eyes, he saw a stark white ceiling. Right before losing consciousness, it had felt like something pierced his neck. When he tried to move his hands, he found they were cuffed.

He forced himself upright and looked around. He had been lying on a sofa, its leather impossibly smooth and glossy. A heavy-looking ashtray sat on the table, and to the right was a large wooden desk. Behind it, one entire wall was filled with books.

Spotting a window, he staggered over. The sky was so blue it felt unreal. The land stretched wide and empty, with low buildings scattered around its edges.

Is this Zone A.

It was nothing like his last memory before passing out. The buildings and walls were all colorless, and there wasn’t a single person in sight. Barbed wire lined the tops of the walls, making it clear this was a place cut off from the outside world.

“You’re awake? They said you’d be out for at least three hours.”

Startled, he turned around to see someone standing there. The man had appeared without a sound. Was he the owner of this room. Seeing the wariness on Ire’s face, the man smiled gently. He then sat in the chair at the center, crossed his legs, and took out a cigar from a box. Using a special cutter, he clipped the thick end and lit it. Click. As the lighter’s flame flared up, Ire’s expression twisted.

“How long are you going to stand there? Come sit.”

Hesitating, Ire moved to the seat opposite him. Now the man’s face came clearly into view. Clean, pale skin. Jet-black hair. His eyes were so black they were almost chilling. Perfectly put together, he was a stunningly handsome man, someone you’d never see in Zone B even if you died and came back. At least, until he opened his mouth.

“Are the places you got hit okay? You’re pretty swollen.”

The vague suspicion he’d had turned into certainty.

“Don’t tell me you don’t remember. It’s not like I have such an unmemorable face.”

Ire clenched his molars. The low voice. The frost-sharp gaze. It was him. Compared to the blood-soaked figure from last night, this clean appearance was shocking. Wasn’t he supposed to be a criminal, thrown into prison? How could he look so untouched.

“Kim Hayun. Nice to meet you.”

The man smiled and held out his hand, but Ire couldn’t bring himself to take it. The image of a murderous monster lingered in his mind. It was hard to believe they were the same person, given how gentlemanly he seemed now.

Ire gathered himself and moved his lips.

“I didn’t do anything wrong…. Like I said yesterday, I only kept watch.”

“Only kept watch….” Kim Hayun echoed softly.

Just then, there was a knock, and a man in uniform entered. Ire recognized him instantly as the one who had come to Zone B looking for him. The name Park Taeyoung was displayed, with the rank of lieutenant beside it. If so, did that mean Kim Hayun outranked a lieutenant. And why was he wearing a suit instead of a uniform.

Kim Hayun took the documents from Lieutenant Park and tossed them onto the table in front of Ire.

“You can read, right?”

Carefully picking them up, Ire saw the pages filled densely with text.

“To put it bluntly, I like you. Ah, does that sound too much like a confession?”

“…….”

“I have a military unit under my command. You can think of it as a place that handles special missions. Of course, you’ll be treated accordingly. Normally, only handpicked talent from Zone A comes here, but you skipped all that and I brought you in directly. In crude terms, you’d call it a parachute hire. Not sure if people still use that word these days.”

Ire couldn’t hide his stiff expression. When he quietly set the documents he was holding down on the table, Kim Hayun’s gaze followed them, then returned to him.

“You’re already done reading?”

“I don’t plan on becoming a soldier….”

Kim Hayun stared at him, then smiled faintly, barely noticeable, and shifted his posture. All he really did was cross his legs the other way.

“Why not.”

“I like things the way they are now….”

“Living in a shithole of a home, worrying about your next meal? Or keeping lookout for lowlife thugs just to earn pocket change?”

At the cutting mockery, Ire’s brow twitched. Kim Hayun still wore that irritating grin. Without realizing it, Ire glanced at the ashtray on the table. If I smashed that over the bastard’s head right now, the lieutenant standing behind him would probably blow my head off with the gun on his hip. That was the kind of thought running through his mind.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m really fine…. Let’s just pretend we didn’t see what happened yesterday. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“Don’t tell me you think I brought you here to cover up what happened last night?”

Kim Hayun looked like he’d just heard an amusing joke.

“Do you really think I dragged you all the way here just to silence you?”

“…….”

“Listen carefully, kid. Even if I turned all of Zone B into a sea of fire, there’s no one here who could punish me.”

“…….”

“That means you don’t have a choice. Do you understand?”

“…….”

“You only have two options. Sign, or die.”

To think someone could smile so brightly while making a threat like that. Kim Hayun kept opening and closing the lid of the lighter in his hand. When Ire didn’t answer right away, his patience seemed to run out, and the motion stopped.

“Or should I just kill your entire family back in Zone B? Maybe then you’d listen.”

Ire’s gaze sharpened as it locked onto Kim Hayun.

“If you want, I can bring them here and kill them in front of you. Just like I butchered your friend.”

In that instant, his restraint snapped. Without thinking, Ire sprang up and lunged forward.

Fuck! Just try it!

Just before he could grab Kim Hayun by the collar, his neck was seized and he was slammed to the floor. A merciless kick followed. Thud. The impact rattled his face, his head ringing.

Blood dripped from his already split lips, drop by drop. Red stains bloomed on the expensive-colored carpet. When he lifted his head, the man called Lieutenant Park stood there with a blank expression, raising his foot again.

That was when Kim Hayun lifted a hand to stop him and stood up. He crouched in front of the fallen Ire, resting his arms on his knees, and smiled playfully. He looked like an innocent child.

A child crushing ants out of curiosity.

But his eyes gleamed like a beast’s.

“So family is your Achilles’ heel, huh?”

I shouldn’t have reacted. I should’ve endured it. Regret came too late.

Still smiling, Kim Hayun cupped Ire’s cheek with his hand, then rubbed his lower lip with his thumb. Soon, his lips were stained red, as if smeared with lipstick.

“You know this? If you just listen to me, your whole family can live full and comfortable lives.”

“…….”

“As a bonus, I can even cure your guardian’s illness. You said it was something wrong with his heart, didn’t you?”

Ire’s eyes widened slightly. The fact that he knew Matteo was sick, and even knew the exact condition, was shocking. There was a clinic in the neighborhood, but they were all quacks, and there were limits to what medicine he could get. That was why he’d been trying to get to Zone C. It was crawling with criminals, but he’d heard you could find all kinds of medicine there.

“Do you really mean that…?”

“That I’ll kill them all?”

“No…. That you’ll cure him.”

Kim Hayun narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ire.

“Fuck, how touching. And he’s not even your real father.”

“…….”

“If you want, I’ll have him treated in Zone A. I’ll provide all the support needed.”

His heart began to pound violently. He could save him. Matteo. He might be able to save him. Just that thought alone made his breathing feel tight.

“Why… me….”

“Are you curious why I’m going this far?”

“…….”

“I told you. I like you.”

The man’s smiling eyes were no different from that night. Whether drenched in blood or standing here now, it was the same. His instincts screamed at him. This man is dangerous. Getting involved will bring nothing good.

But the sweet offer he held out was too tempting to easily refuse.

After a long struggle, Ire pushed himself up to his feet.

He wiped the blood from his mouth, then met the man’s gaze head-on.

“Then bring Matteo here first.”

Snowflakes began to drift down one by one outside the window. Kim Hayun, who had been gazing up at the dark sky, lowered his eyes. On a bench beside the training field, Ire was talking with someone. Just as Kim Hayun lifted the coffee in his hand to his mouth, footsteps approached, and a large man came to stand beside him.

“What are you staring at so intently?”

“At least knock.”

“Knock, knock. Is that enough?”

The man then crossed his arms and looked down ahead. His name was Kim Docheol. He was in charge of training the recruits, was Hayun’s cousin, and three years older than him.

“That him? The kid you picked up from Zone B?”

“Yeah.”

Kim Docheol took a small pair of binoculars from his pocket and raised them to his eyes.

“Wow, he’s handsome. Mixed blood, huh. Who’s the person next to him? Too young to be his father.”

“Adoptive father.”

“Ah, the one who’s sick? I heard he refused treatment.”

Kim Hayun pressed his lips into a straight line. He had brought Matteo, Ire’s guardian, here and offered him treatment, but Matteo had refused outright. He wanted to take Ire back to Zone B. He even made it clear that if they detained him here without cause, he would file a formal complaint. Hayun had wondered where the kid got his fearlessness from. It seemed he took after his adoptive father.

“You’re not really planning to stick him in a proper unit, are you?”

“Have you ever seen me talk without meaning it?”

“Will it be fine? The others will be gunning for him.”

“Why.”

“What do you mean, why. Are you seriously asking?”

Despite Kim Docheol’s concern, Kim Hayun smiled meaningfully.

“Just watch. He’ll end up being the most outstanding one among the trainees.”

“Just what about that kid caught our captain’s eye, I wonder.”

Instead of answering, Kim Hayun turned his gaze back outside. The two were still talking. Matteo, the man sitting on the bench, covered his face as if in pain, while Ire, uncharacteristically, pulled him into an embrace and patted his back. The snowfall was growing heavier, and the two of them stayed there for quite some time, unable to leave.

---

Ire sat in a chair, staring down at his fingertips with a tense expression. Beside him was a bag filled with clothes Matteo had brought. Matteo had promised to come back and returned home. When Ire said he was enlisting, Matteo had opposed it, then later exploded in anger. Seeing his expression turn to despair had hurt, but Ire did not change his decision.

Letting out a sigh, Ire looked down at his arm. There was a small needle mark there.

“This way, please.”

Guided inside, he saw a doctor in a white coat sitting there. Even the atmosphere was completely different from the quack clinics where he used to live. As he nervously bit his lower lip without realizing it, the doctor glanced at him and smiled.

“Why are you so tense? Worried it might be something serious?”

“…….”

“We only did some basic tests, but you’re anemic. I’ll prescribe some medicine, so make sure you take it regularly. Other than that, there’s nothing wrong, so don’t worry.”

What was anemia? He was curious, but only nodded. As he stood up and left, a sigh of relief escaped him on its own. Once outside, he was taken somewhere else. The soldier in uniform walking beside him didn’t say a word the entire way. There, he was given clothes, and the man handed him a key.

“Here. These are your training uniform and daily wear. You’ll be staying in Room 9 on the third floor. It’s mealtime, so change and come down right away.”

“Now…?”

“Why. Is there a problem?”

He had thought he might have time to go home first. Shaking his head to say it was nothing, Ire took the clothes and walked down the corridor. His head was still full of thoughts about Matteo. Would Kim Hayun keep his promise? And if he didn’t, what then? Lost in thought, he bumped shoulders with someone and snapped back to reality.

Looking up, he found a man standing in front of him.

Before he could even apologize, the man’s face twisted in irritation.

“What the fuck?”

Ire frowned as well. It wasn’t pleasant for him either. The man, who had a scar on his cheek like a burn mark, was the soldier he had run into at the border of Zones B and C a few days ago. When Ire belatedly avoided his gaze, he heard a scoffing laugh.

“Well, look who it is. They say you meet your enemies in the army.”

Another man behind him chimed in.

“You know him?”

“Oh, yeah. I know him real well.”

The man stepped closer and gripped Ire’s shoulder tightly. The strength of his grip caused pain. When Ire grimaced and stepped back, the man tapped him with his fist instead.

“What did I tell you? I said I’d kill you if you caught my eye. And yet here you are?”

“Park Woojin, don’t. He looks like one of the new trainees.”

“Trainee? Haha. So you’re the one from Zone B?”

When Ire stayed silent with his lips pressed tight, Park Woojin grabbed his chin hard.

“Make sure you pass training. I’ll take special care of you. Got it, you little bastard.”

Judging by the murderous look in his eyes and the grinding of his teeth, he seemed serious about that so called special care. Was grabbing the rifle butt that one time really enough to warrant this? The thought crossed his mind, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing! Back off.”

When someone passing by shouted, Park Woojin released Ire’s face roughly and replied politely.

“We’re old acquaintances. Just exchanging greetings for a moment. Sorry.”

See you again, mongrel.

He whispered it and made a slicing motion across his neck. Was that a promise to kill him next time? He shoved Ire’s shoulder roughly and disappeared in the opposite direction. Ire squeezed his eyes shut and let out a breath.

Damn it. Of all places, why here.

Still, the man was a full-fledged soldier. If Ire failed training, they wouldn’t cross paths again. Until then, all he could do was avoid him as much as possible.

He moved to the building he’d been directed to and found his assigned room on the third floor. Knock, knock. As he opened the door, the low chatter inside stopped abruptly. Three pairs of eyes turned toward him.

One man stood wearing only pants, water still clinging to him as if he’d just finished washing. Another sat on the top bunk holding a book. The last sat on a chair with an ice pack pressed to his face. In the dead silence, Ire gave a small nod of greeting and awkwardly stepped inside. No matter how he looked at it, his bed seemed to be the one above the guy with the ice pack.

He placed the clothes he’d been given on the top bunk and looked around.

“The bathroom’s over there. There’s a changing area inside too.”

When the man with the ice pack spoke, the shirtless man elbowed him in the side. The room fell quiet in an instant, and Ire sensed that they weren’t exactly welcoming.

“Thanks….”

He went into the bathroom, took off his top, and looked around. It was spotless, not a trace of mold anywhere. The ventilation system worked properly, and even the soap and towels were clean. He turned on the shower, and before he could even count to three, the water turned warm, then almost scalding hot. In Zone B, where washing with cold water was common even in winter, this was a luxury he could hardly imagine.

Spotting soap, he washed his hair and body, then changed into the daily wear. The deep navy outfit, issued uniformly to trainees, was far softer and higher quality than anything he’d ever worn in his life.

Standing in front of the mirror, Ire stared quietly at the unit insignia on the left side of his chest, then sighed and turned away. When he stepped out, the same man pointed out a locker this time.

“You can put your stuff there.”

Again, the man beside him nudged him. Ire realized it meant not to keep talking.

“…Thanks.”

He opened the locker, took his belongings from the bag, and began organizing them. While doing so, he heard whispering behind him.

“I swear, I’m going to teach that bastard a lesson someday. Just wait.”

“Drop it. Isn’t it enough that your eye’s black and blue? Did you forget who his brother is? That devil Park Woojin.”

“That’s exactly why it pisses me off. Doesn’t it annoy you how he acts tough just because of his brother? When he’s not even that skilled.”

“He’s not unskilled. Let’s be fair, even if we hate him.”

“Oh Namgi. Sometimes I hate you more than that guy.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Get lost, asshole. I’m canceling that thing about introducing my sister too. Hey, Hangyeol. You tell me. You really think that bastard Park Mujin is skilled?”

“I don’t know. Just cut it out, both of you. Aren’t you embarrassed in front of the new guy?”

Listening to their conversation while putting things away on the top bunk, Ire suddenly froze. His hand had brushed against something. He grabbed it and pulled it out. It was clothing, made of smooth leather, in excellent condition. But this was supposed to be his locker. As he turned around holding it, the three of them fell silent again, as if on cue, and stared at him.

“There’s… this inside….”

The man with the ice pack stood up. Up close, his eye was badly bruised, a vivid blue.

“Looks like the guy who was here before left it behind. Give it to me. I’ll return it.”

“Thanks….”

Then he added,

“Um… wouldn’t it be better to dry your hair properly? There’s a dryer inside.”

“Dryer?”

“Yeah. Walking around with wet hair doesn’t look great. You’re not planning to leave it down, are you?”

“…….”

“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean it in a weird way. I was just asking because it suits you. But do you use any special treatment? Your hair’s really soft. Which salon do you go to?”

The nonstop questions left Ire completely baffled. What was treatment? And what was a salon? He just blinked with a flustered expression when another man appeared behind him.

“Hey, Seo Youngjun, cut it out. Let’s go eat.”

He hooked an arm around Seo Youngjun’s neck, dragged him along, opened the door, and disappeared in an instant. From outside, voices drifted back.

Do you think Zone B even has treatments? What a stupid question.

Ire touched his wet hair with a heavy heart, then carefully dried it with a towel. A feeling crept over him that life here would not be smooth sailing.