A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 7: Superpowers on the Red Han River (4)

Through the open car door, the girl’s dying scream echoed. We had already left behind too much to mourn. Exhausted, I barely managed to speak.

“What about the others?”

“……There’s my apartment nearby. I just dropped them off there and came back.”

The reason for leaving them behind was all too clear. I owed my life to him, so there was no need to reproach. And yet, I was too drained to even mention it.

“Do you have any food at home?”

* * *

I must have dozed off.

When I opened my eyes, I was on a bed. There were signs someone had been lying next to me. It smelled like Yeo Do-yeon.

A dull headache throbbed, and as I sat up, my muscles ached as if they had finally relaxed, and fatigue and stiffness clouded my mind.

I rose unsteadily, bracing myself against the wall as I hobbled out to the living room.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Everyone had gathered around, watching something.

“What are you all doing?”

“Ah, uh, hyung, this, uh, um.”

Yang Il-ho, sweating nervously, pointed.

It was Gam Ji-yoon, Gam Chul’s daughter.

She was holding her hands out to the air.

And in front of her, a spoon was floating.

In mid-air.

—

“What was that just now?”

We all sat in a circle in the living room, snacking. Gam Ji-yoon was nestled on the sofa in her mother’s arms.

“Didn’t I mention picking something up from the monster’s body yesterday?”

“The, uh, blue thing?”

“Yeah.”

Yang Pan-seok pointed at Gam Ji-yoon.

“The kid touched it just now, and the gem went into her body.”

“In what way?”

“……Haa. Blue light… I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“The world’s already gone mad anyway.”

“A blue glow flashed, then it just slid into her.”

The world was truly turning upside down.

“And then she floated a spoon in mid-air?”

Yang Pan-seok nodded wearily.

Yeo Do-yeon wasn’t exactly human in her movements anymore. I had survived a fight with a creature’s jaws, and Gam Chul had walked away from a 120 km/h car crash.

And now, Gam Ji-yoon could float a spoon.

“Looks like monsters aren’t the only things showing up…”

I unwrapped a choco wafer, chewing thoughtfully, as everyone seemed to agree.

“Ji-yoon, you mentioned seeing blue things, right?”

“……Yes.”

“How did you float the spoon?”

“It, uh, with the blue stuff, just, just…”

A very coherent explanation.

“Noona.”

“……Yeah.”

“Maybe you should just go back to fighting. You could become a world champion.”

“……This is insane.”

Yang Pan-seok summarized the situation.

“Whether it’s Miss Yeo Do-yeon or Gam Ji-yoon, there’s definitely something going on with them. But we’re not going to figure it out by thinking about it here. Can someone open the curtains?”

Yang Pan-seok nudged Il-ho, who got up and opened the curtains. The burning 63 Building was clearly visible. The apartment faced south.

“I just saw the military in the distance.”

“Are you saying they’re already fighting in Gangnam?”

“Yes. Gunfire can be heard frequently around here.”

Right on cue, a gunshot echoed somewhere nearby. Louder and more terrifying than it sounded in movies.

“In my opinion, we’re already within the military’s operational range. Why don’t we try to find a safe way to make contact with them from here?”

“……Is there water?”

Chun Hwa-ran answered in his place.

“We have a baby, so we’ve been using bottled water. There are about four cases in storage.”

“And there’s a bit of beer I hid from my wife. Since Hwa-ran’s pregnant with our third, we’ve also stocked up a lot of food.”

Chun Hwa-ran jabbed Gam Chul in the side with her elbow. Looked like he had a henpecked life.

Yang Pan-seok started managing morale, using the tone he’d sometimes reserve for constituents.

“You’ve had it rough, especially with the baby on the way. You did well holding out as the man of the house.”

“Ah, ……I’m sorry. I mean, really, about yesterday.”

“I have three kids myself. I understand. What matters is you came back for us. You made the right decision under pressure.”

Gam Chul had abandoned us, but he came back. Even so, it would sour the mood if this got out of hand.

“We’re alive thanks to you, Mr. Gam. I hold no grudge.”

“Ah, councilmen…”

Though I saved his daughter’s life, Gam Chul had left me once already. I could only hope he remembered that well.

—

Following Yang Pan-seok’s example, I took my turn at boosting morale, starting with Yang Pan-seok himself.

“Councilman, are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Take care of yourself.”

“But isn’t taking care of you my job?”

“Always the smooth talker…”

It was obvious flattery, but he appreciated being cared for first. He lived a solitary life.

Next, I approached the lovestruck couple, Yang Il-ho and Lee Ho-jung. A match made in heaven.

“Hey, did you two kiss by the Han River?”

“Wh-what?! We didn’t!”

“……You’re embarrassed with me?”

“No, no! Ho-jung, that’s not what I meant…”

They both seemed to be returning to their usual personalities. Lee Ho-jung’s prickliness was back, so best not to approach further.

Leaving Il-ho as her sacrificial lamb, I went over to Gam Chul’s family.

“Mr. Gam, what department did you work in?”

“Ah, the international section.”

“Ever thought about moving to the social department? I know a lot of reporters there, having worked as a political aide.”

“Haha! I’m not sure if my job is still intact.”

“I lost mine yesterday, too. The National Assembly collapsed.”

“Oh dear…”

I poked Gam Seok’s plump cheeks as Chun Hwa-ran held him, watching the baby’s little hands wave in the air.

“Baby, who do you like more, Mommy or Daddy?”

“Ba-boo…”

“You like Mommy?”

“Waah…!”

“How about your sister?”

I patted Gam Ji-yoon’s head, then turned to Chun Hwa-ran.

“I didn’t realize you were expecting. You must have had a hard time yesterday.”

“Oh, it was nothing. You saved my daughter’s life, after all…”

“Only cost me a prosthetic leg. But having three kids must be exhausting.”

I casually asked about her profession.

“Oh, I work in a lab…”

“Ah, in science?”

“Yes, have you heard of Chunhwa Pharmaceuticals…?”

No clue.

“I only know about people’s happiness…”

“Oh my, such kind words…”

Judging by her tone and mannerisms, she seemed well-educated and well-bred. Not just another educated woman, but possibly someone from a wealthy family. I remembered her name.

My last target for morale management was clear.

Yeo Do-yeon.

She stood on the balcony, watching the crumbling city with sorrowful eyes. To others, she’d just look tough, but I could tell the subtle difference. For the record, my uncle can’t tell his daughter’s expressions apart.

As I hobbled over, she glanced at me and cracked a slight smile.

“Is that politician charm at work?”

“Always so cool.”

“Tch…”

Her raised fist made me flinch reflexively. After growing up taking hits, my body reacted instinctively.

“People would think I raised you by beating you.”

“Don’t you have any shame?”

“What did you say?”

She suddenly put me in a headlock. I quickly started babbling.

“Ah! Ah! Expressing affection with violence when you can’t be honest about your feelings isn’t healthy! A headlock in this context is too unnatural-”

“Who do you think you’re leaving behind?”

I shut up.

“You think I’d leave you behind?”

“……Well, if it meant only one of us…”

“Just shut up.”

I couldn’t see her expression, but I could guess as usual.

“Just stay like this, idiot.”

Sometimes, affection from a Busan woman can be rough.

“……Can’t you let me go now?”

“Nope.”

—

The evening passed without any incidents. We took turns watching through the window, and fortunately, the sound of gunfire nearby was gradually fading.

The military was close.

We were all gathered for dinner. Looking at the spread Chun Hwa-ran had prepared, Yang Pan-seok started his charm routine.

“Mr. Gam, you’re a lucky man. Your wife is beautiful, cooks well, is intelligent, and considerate…”

“Oh! Th-thank you!”

“Here, have a drink. Although I’m bragging with someone else’s alcohol…”

“Oh, I’ll gladly accept!”

Under normal circumstances, would an international reporter get to drink with a four-term congressman? I wasn’t sure.

I was sitting with Il-ho and Ho-jung, munching on snacks and speculating.

“Could they be aliens?”

“Honestly, they do look like it…”

“The real question is, why are they killing people? And they don’t seem too bright.”

“It’s hard to consider them one species…”

“They’re diverse, right?”

“Exactly. Biological weapons, teleportation, levitation, physical enhancement…”

Yang Il-ho, licking crumbs off his fingers, spoke seriously.

“But, hyung.”

“What?”

“Why are you so cool?”

“What?”

“All calm and everything, just, like, that leadership…!”

Grinning, Yang Il-ho gave a thumbs-up but quickly shut up when Lee Ho-jung smacked him on the back of the head.

“Good job.”

“So what’s the plan now? Meet up with the military?”

“This may sound a bit presumptuous, but we’re kind of the elite here. Once we join society’s infrastructure, our path doesn’t look so bleak.”

“I must have chosen the right side. Since the number of congressmen has decreased, doesn’t that make you politically more important? Going from 1/300 to 1/N, right?”

“Are you trying to become my chief political aide?”

“Do I drive? Know the law? I’d rather use my brains here than serve drinks to the old guys back in our district.”

Lee Ho-jung grinned slyly. Now that the emergency was subsiding, everyone seemed to be returning to their true personalities.

Despite the absence of Kang Seok-ho, no one mentioned him. It was just the way of this world now.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang, and the lively chatter turned to silence.

Gam Chul cautiously approached the door.

“……Who is it?”

“…Ah! We’re from the residents’ association! We’re gathering everyone for a meeting, and we were hoping you could join!”

Don’t open it, damn it. Something felt off.

I expected Gam Chul to wait for my approval before opening the door, but I’d forgotten he was drunk.

Gam Chul opened the door with a click.

– Thud.

The waiting assailant’s knife plunged into his body.