𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 27

The chill of autumn hung heavy in the air as the desolate streets of the city lay abandoned, a haunting stillness cloaking the once-vibrant place. The sky, tinted with an eerie hue, loomed over the broken, deserted landscape, where the remains of a once bustling society now lay in ruins.

Abandoned vehicles lined the cracked and green-ridden roads, their paint faded and windshields shattered, like relics of a bygone era. Shattered glass littered the sidewalks, remains of once-thriving storefronts now left in disarray, their goods either looted or left to decay.

The eerie quietude was only broken by the footsteps of the Search Team of Platoon Two of Sungjin Division.

Clad in a mismatch of modified military uniforms and scavenged attires, Yeon-hwa, Yu-jeong, Young-shin, Chi-yeol, Young-soo, Jun-hee, So-yoon, Soon-yi, and Hee-rak wove through the skeletal remains of a decaying city, their steps muffled by the layers of dust that blanketed the ground. Each member bore a rifle at the ready, looking out for any potential dangers lurking within the desolate urban surroundings.

Yeon-hwa led the group with a stoic expression. She wore a black turtleneck beneath an oversized grey hoodie, the fabric worn but resilient, and a black leather jacket draped over her shoulders. Ripped black jeans clung to her form, a witness to the battles they had faced so far. Completing her ensemble was a long silver chain, a glint of contrary against the muted backdrop.

Yu-jeong, the ever-supportive class president, walked beside her. "Let's take one last look into this store and return," she said, her voice barely rising above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the pervasive silence.

The group nodded, walking towards the store. As they approached the run-down store, they split up to find supplies. Yeon-hwa navigated through the narrow aisles, her eyes scanning the sparse shelves for anything useful.

The dim light filtering through the grimy windows cast a muted glow on the desolation within. Cans of expired goods lined the shelves like forgotten pieces of a time when the shelves were always stocked.

As she scoured the shelves, her eyes fell upon something. An old magazine lay discarded on the dusty floor. She crouched down, her gloved hands gingerly picking it up.

The cover bore the image of a man, stern and unfamiliar- her adoptive father. Despite the time that had passed since she had last seen him, the image stirred a mixture of resentment and concern within her.

The magazine, a pristine artifact in this decaying world, featured her father as a beacon of success- a wealthy businessman whose life was portrayed as enviable. The irony of his glamorous image in contrast to the desolation around her struck her like a cruel joke.

Yeon-hwa's fingers traced the contours of her father's face on the cover. The man who had never truly been a father to her, a distant figure in her tumultuous life. The glossy pages held a pretense of the life she had left behind- the extravagant one, only filled with a huge amount of expectations and disappointments. Yet, in this moment of isolation and hardship, it all seemed like a distant dream.

The emotions welled up within her- a mix of anger, disappointment, and an unexplainable worry. She held the magazine, feeling its weight as if carrying the burdens of a past she could never fully escape.

Yu-jeong, diligent in her search, approached with an armful of canned goods. Her eyes met Yeon-hwa's, noticing the magazine in her hands. "What's that?"

Yeon-hwa's lips curved into a bitter smile. "Just an old magazine. Nothing important." She just left the magazine on a shelf nearby.

Yu-jeong's eyes fell upon the magazine cover, and her mind quickly recognized the reputed man. A sense of realization hit her as she looked at Yeon-hwa. "Are you alright?"