Chapter 21: Other Survivors

As Ji-hoon and Soo Won reached the entrance of the manhole, a voice startled them from behind. They turned to find a man in his early thirties, brandishing a bat, with a woman standing beside him, also armed with a bat.

"Who are you?" the man demanded, his voice firm and cautious.

Ji-hoon and Soo Won exchanged a quick glance, assessing the situation. "We're survivors " Soo Won replied cautiously, keeping her tone neutral.

"We got separated from our group and ended up down there. We've been trying to find our way back to the surface for a while since then" She added.

The man eyed them sceptically, his grip tightening on the bat. "Survivors, huh? How did you get separated from your group?"

"We were with a larger group, but we got separated during a confrontation with infected," Soo Won added, her voice calm but resolute. "We've been on our own ever since."

The man's expression softened slightly, though he remained wary. "Well, you're lucky we found you before the infected did. Come with us, we'll take you somewhere safe, we shouldn't stay out in the open for long"

They followed these two strangers they had just met as they led them to a shelter.

"We'll be safe here" the man said as they got the front to an apartment.

As they entered the shelter, Ji-hoon and Soo Won took in their surroundings. It was a small, dimly lit room with makeshift bedding and supplies scattered around. It appeared like a place someone could use as a temporary refuge so they assumed the couple must have been using it as a refuge before. Despite its modest appearance, it offered a sense of security in the midst of the chaos outside.

As they settled into the shelter, Soo Won appeared more relaxed, her posture easing as she took in their surroundings with a sense of relief. She exchanged polite nods with their hosts, seemingly reassured by their hospitality.

Meanwhile, Ji-hoon remained on edge, his senses heightened as he observed their surroundings with a wary gaze. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease, a nagging suspicion that their hosts might not be as benevolent as they appeared. Every sound, every movement set his nerves on edge, his instincts warning him to remain vigilant.

Ji-hoon knew he was just being paranoid, but after what happened to Min-jae, he couldn't help but be cautious. At that moment, Soo Won was the only person he felt like he could trust, and he silently vowed to protect her at all costs.

After a while, during which their hosts seemed to finish arranging their belongings, they approached Ji-hoon and Soo Won, taking seats opposite theirs.

"Forgive my earlier bluntness," the man began, his tone softened. "It's just that you have to be wary of everything and everyone in these times." He paused, offering a slight smile before continuing. "We should introduce ourselves first, I guess. I'm Min-joon, and this is my wife, Hye-jin."

Ji-hoon and Soo Won exchanged glances, noting the sincerity in Min-joon's voice.

"I'm Soo Won and he's Ji-hoon" Soo Won introduced them, taking the lead when she saw that Ji-hoon had no intentions of doing so.

Ji-hoon just nodded in agreement as Soo Won introduced them. Though he remained silent, his gaze was steady, observing Min-joon and Hye-jin carefully, still cautious despite the apparent sincerity in their hosts.

"I guess he doesn't talk much" Min-joon said as he noticed that Ji-hoon hadn't spoken since they met them.

"He's always been like that" Soo Won replied with a small smile, trying to ease the tension. "But he's a good listener."

Min-joon nodded understandingly, then turned his attention back to Ji-hoon. "Well, Ji-hoon, your eyes look like those of someone that have gone through a lot so I can understand you being cautious. It's a dangerous world out there, and trust isn't something easily earned."

Ji-hoon remained silent, his guard still up, but he nodded in acknowledgment of Min-joon's words. Deep down, he appreciated the caution, knowing all too well the consequences of mistakes in these perilous times.

Leaving it at that, Min-joon continued his introduction.

"Hye-jin and I are from a survivor camp some distance from here. We were on a date when the state of emergency was declared and had been stuck outside since then but we were lucky to meet a group of other survivors and we all formed a camp led by a man called Seo-jun. He has been leading us since then and the camp has grown quite a lot now. We were scavenging for some supplies for the camp when we met you guys"

"Seo-jun sounds like a capable leader," Soo Won remarked as Min-joon ended, offering a small smile. "It's reassuring to know there are organized groups out there, especially in times like these."

Min-joon nodded in agreement. "He's done a remarkable job keeping us safe and ensuring we have what we need to survive. We're always on the lookout for new members who are willing to contribute to the group."

While Soo Won was impressed by Seo-jun and his ability to lead a group of people at a time like this, Ji-hoon's mind was filled with concerns. He understood that a camp with a large number of people could easily attract the attention of the infected, making it a potential target for danger.

Despite everything that Min-joon had said, just the thought that an intelligent infected in their midst could easily turn the entire camp into infected drove away any thoughts of safety that their numbers could bring.

"We have to meet with the rest of our group first before we can decide to join your camp or not" Soo Won replied to the invitation Min-joon had given them.

"Oh, I can understand that, how do you plan to meet them though?" Min-joon asked.

"We planned to meet at Pinaencheo Oasiseu." Soo Won replied.

"Oh that's very close to the camp, they might even meet other scavenger groups from the camp. We can go together then" Min-joon suggested and this time Soo Won hesistated to reply. While she didn't think Min-joon was a bad person it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

Ji-hoon also felt the same but since the camp was close to the rendezvous point, there was no way he could reject them going together, even if he did, they were bound to meet other members of the camp and it wouldn't hurt to have Min-joon and Hye-jin with them when that happened, there was also the fact that he didn't know if the internet was accessible again and it would be better to have someone lead them.

Soo Won and Ji-hoon stared at each other for a while contemplating their choices before Ji-hoon replied "We can go together"

"Great, give us a few minutes to pack our stuff then and we'll be on our way" Min-joon said enthusiastically as he and Hye-jin got up to pack their stuff.

Meanwhile, Soo Won and the other were getting suspicious of Jae-ho.