MONSTER 3

The world ended during the time he should have been having a growth spurt. Since he could not eat well, he did not grow to his full potential. But here was a guy who had grown remarkably tall under the same conditions, nodding and speaking.

“Yeah, I’m talking about you.”

Han Yuseong, who had been breathing heavily, soon let out a deep sigh. He did not know what he was doing, acting so childish. Maybe it was because he had met someone his age for the first time in a while.

“Hey. How old are you?”

When he blurted it out, the man tilted his head. His high nose bridge, delicately drawn eyes, and jawline came into view again. In the past, he would have been a celebrity with those looks, but now it meant nothing at all.

“Same as you.”

At the reply that came after a long pause, he gave a sidelong glance. When their eyes met, the man opened his mouth again.

“I’ll stand watch.”

Then, he turned around and sat down, facing the window through which light was faintly seeping between the wooden planks.

“…Do whatever.”

His stamina was already at its limit, and if there was a chance to rest, he had to take it. Yuseong glanced at the large back for a moment before lying down on the floor. When he tucked his backpack under the back of his head, there was the sound of a plastic water bottle being crushed.

Honestly,

When the thing that burst into his hiding space was a human hand, he was glad.

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆

The monsters crawled out from underground. Smashing through roads, causing landslides, and collapsing cities.

They also looked like giant rocks that had risen from the ground. However, these giant rocks, about two to three times the height of a person, definitely moved, and they ate people.

Where did the monsters come from, how long had they been underground, were they life forms that could exist scientifically, would they ever disappear…. There were many questions, but no one knew the answers.

They said the government or some scientists might have known, but who knows. So far, nothing had been officially announced.

Perhaps there had been no time to announce it. Countless numbers of them scrambled to the surface, and it took less than half a day for a city to collapse. Communications, water, electricity, everything was cut off. The world ended in just one day.

So it was worthy of being called a cataclysm.

Han Yuseong was on the lucky side. He was with his parents that day, and he was not in the city center where more people were crushed to death by buildings than were eaten by monsters. He was on the sea.

‘Ah, seriously, who rides a cruise ship at Wolmido? It’s so tacky.’

‘This is the historic place for your mom and me.’

‘Right, it was when I was a third-year medical student, wasn’t it? Your mom got proposed to here.’

Even though he had grumbled a little, he had been in a good mood. His parents, who seemed more excited than usual, the wind parting his hair, and the blue sea.

It was then, as he held onto the railing and looked out at the distant sea.

The Incheon Bridge collapsed. He blankly faced the scene, a deafening roar striking his ears.

The people who had been looking at the sea were slow to grasp the situation. Only after someone shouted that it was an earthquake did they turn their gaze to the land. They could not tell if the high-rise buildings that seemed to be shaking were due to the earthquake or the crashing waves.

He immediately searched for news on social media. There were dozens of videos of buildings collapsing and the ground splitting open.

He clicked on one of them. A pile of collapsed concrete was heaving. Something seemed to be wriggling inside, but the screen was shaking, making it difficult to see clearly.

Again, earthquake, Seoul, monster, explosion, strange creature, casualties…. He quickly scanned the information.

The word ‘ruin’ caught his eye. Just as his thumb was drawn toward it, the data connection was lost.

He looked at the land once more. It was still hard to believe in the actual existence of monsters.

“…Gasp!”

Yuseong took a sharp breath and his eyes flew open. The action of sitting up and surveying his surroundings immediately followed.

The surroundings were dark, and all sides were blocked. He belatedly remembered that he had fallen asleep in the container.

However, he was the only one in this space. Where is he? I think I heard something like a voice. As he was looking around, the container door opened.

Yuseong, who had been giving a sharp glare, soon let out a sigh and rubbed his face.

“Where have you been?”

To the question asked in a hoarse voice, the tall figure in the darkness replied, “Standing watch.” It seemed he had been guarding this place quite diligently.

Yuseong looked at the window boarded up with wooden planks. Not a single ray of light seeped in, and it was pitch black, so it seemed to be the middle of the night. He had let his guard down and slept for several hours straight.

Had he been that tired these past few days, living alone after falling away from the group? Perhaps he had been secretly glad that there was someone to stand watch for him.

“Rest. I’ll take over now.”

The man did not lie down even at those words. Saying to do as he pleased, he himself sat in front of the window and listened for sounds.

In a space where only the sound of the wind and the cry of an animal could be heard, he greeted the morning like that. With a stranger who seemed to know him.

Han Yuseong walked around inside the container, rummaging here and there. The number one priority of things to grab as soon as they are spotted was, of course, food, and other than that, necessities like fuel, medicine, batteries, lighters, and toiletries.

In fact, there were many times when packing toiletries only earned him criticism. But he was told that cleanliness was especially important when living in a group.

He had learned many other things besides that….

‘Now, Yuseong. If you just secure it here, it won’t come undone easily, right? You have to wrap the bandage tightly from the beginning for it to be secure.’

‘Just because the bleeding has stopped doesn’t mean it’s okay. You have to be careful of infection.’

“…I should take this.”

He found antibiotics in a box of miscellaneous items. There were a few more similar medicines, but he put only one in his pocket.

It seemed that someone had stayed here until just a few days ago. It looked more like they had gone out rather than left completely. Of course, he did not know whether they had left in a hurry or had been unable to return.

After rummaging through boxes and items in order, he found a box of clothes. He took out a windbreaker and held it against his body, and it was roughly his size. It had been getting a little chilly in the mornings and evenings lately, as if autumn was coming, so it was perfect timing. The pants he took out from the bottom seemed to fit him as well.

“The person who lived here must be about the same height as me.”

“Yeah.”

A reply came to his monologue. When he looked back, the tall man was standing blankly in the middle of the container, looking at him.

“Did you see them?”

When he asked with a slight frown, the man slowly opened his mouth.

“If the clothes fit, your heights must be similar.”

It was just a bland statement, but for some reason, he felt a strange sensation. As if he was missing something.

Unable to figure out why, he stared blankly at the white face before turning his head away.

After that, he continued to rummage through the clothes. He chose slightly thicker pants in preparation for colder weather, and also packed a T-shirt, socks, and a windbreaker, and changed into them right away. They smelled a bit dusty, but they fit his body well.

After rolling up his shabby clothes and placing them in a corner, he saw that the person who had come with him had his back turned and was sitting on the floor. As he got closer, he could see what was hidden by the huge back.

“Ramen…! Is it yours?”

“Yeah.”

With wide eyes, he scanned the items spread out on the floor. One packet of instant ramen, an alcohol burner that seemed to belong to the container’s owner, and a pot of water on top of it.

Ah, water…! Yuseong hastily turned his head and cast his gaze. His backpack was in the same place he had left it.

Only then did he see the large water container in one corner. Seeing the charcoal inside, it seemed to be purified water.

The sound of plastic being crushed suddenly grazed his ears. The sound that had been grating on his nerves until he fell asleep last night. Yuseong bit his lip and glared at the container, which held enough water for several days.

“Want some water?”

To him, who was like that, the man asked kindly. He disliked himself a little more.

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆

He ate boiled ramen for the first time in a long time. The expiration date had long passed, so the noodles had a strange texture and the soup powder had hardened, but it was still edible.

In fact, he might not have even known if it was very different from the original taste. It was just, fucking delicious.

“Hey. I told you to eat the rest.”

“I’m not that hungry.”

This delicious thing, he barely touched it. He said he had eaten a lot yesterday, so he was full.

“Did you catch and eat a conch or something?”

At those words, the man stared at him blankly. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then said in a cool tone.

“Something similar.”

“What. You hunt too?”

When he asked, looking over the man’s sturdy frame again, he nodded slightly.

These days, when it was difficult to find food, people sometimes raised animals or hunted. Although it was quite difficult to capture animals quietly, small animals like rabbits, chickens, and pheasants could be caught using traps.

“Still, you eat the rest of this.”

When he scowled pointedly at the man’s dazed expression, he picked up his chopsticks. And he continued his meal slowly.

He looks so cool and flawless, yet he can’t use chopsticks properly. As he watched with that indifferent thought, the man looked up. His eyes shone blue in the sunlight that seeped in from the window.

“Are you mixed-race?”

The man shook his head and asked, as if hesitating a little.

“Is it weird?”

No way. His face was so handsome that the unusual eye color did not stand out. He was not teasing him, and it was not a question to be asked by the most handsome person he had ever seen in his life.

“It’s not weird.”

At the plainly spoken words, the man lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. Yuseong looked at the eyes hidden by his eyelashes and asked.

“I’m going to Pyeongtaek, where are you going?”