Magic on The Dead - Chapter 26
He carefully pulled on the rusty doorknob and opened the rooftop door. Eden, leaning against the railing, turned his head to confirm the sudden presence of an unexpected guest before shifting his gaze back.
Hajin tucked a heavy pair of pliers into his back pocket and approached Eden. As he stood beside him, there was no reaction. The man crossed his arms and looked out over the city.
It was just before dawn, and the mysterious hues of early light cascaded over his hair. His profile appeared cold and hollow, filled with countless thoughts.
Come to think of it, Hajin hadn’t seen him sleep properly even once over the past week. It was a painfully late realization.
Eden, who had endured Hajin’s blatant stare, eventually turned his head. Their eyes met. His gaze drifted down to the silver brooch in Hajin’s hand. The initials “HJ” engraved on the silver brooch gleamed in the light. It was the brooch attached to Hajin’s stage costume.
“Oh, this… Junseok gave it to me. He’s my younger brother.”
Hajin blurted out words that no one had asked for, instinctively fiddling with the brooch. Eden didn’t respond. Normally, he would have snapped back, saying no one asked or that there was no need to share unnecessary information, but this time, he simply looked back at the cityscape.
Hajin followed his gaze, watching the sunrise that lit up the horizon. The dawn sky, cleared of fine dust, was refreshing. Verdant mountains and the buildings spread out before them created a surreal scene. Large and small homes stood in eerie silence.
No people were in sight—only zombies with broken necks wandered aimlessly through the ruined city. The contrast of beautiful nature with the devastated cityscape was nothing short of ironic.
“Hajin Do.”
Startled, Hajin blinked his eyes, his hair disheveled like a bird’s nest. Even amidst the overwhelming sunrise, Eden’s crimson lips caught his attention.
“Let’s go together. To Yongwoon City.”
Was he still dreaming? It was the very sentence he had longed to hear, yet Hajin found himself unable to react. His breathing grew heavier as a rush of relief and sadness surged from deep within his chest. Finally…
“But there’s a condition.”
Hajin couldn’t bring himself to respond, swallowing nervously.
“We will not take anyone else with us. Under no circumstances will we accept another companion. I won’t compromise on that. Do you understand?”
Without a second thought, Hajin nodded vigorously. The sudden movement caused his vision to flash white for a moment. To regain his focus, he lightly tapped his cheeks a couple of times, finally managing to refocus his eyes. For some reason, it felt like Eden’s eyes were glowing intensely.
“Is that… all for the conditions?” Hajin asked in a hoarse voice.
Eden continued speaking.
“From now on, there will be no solo actions. You’ll move with full dedication for the sake of the team. Now that we’ve decided to travel together, your life is my life, and my life is yours.”
Hajin’s mouth slowly fell open. He finally realized that the “companionship” he had in mind and the “companionship” Eden was referring to were entirely different.
Not just casual travel mates, but comrades on a battlefield, holding each other’s dog tags tightly.
It became clear why Eden had taken days to think over Hajin’s suggestion. He had his own process for accepting someone into his circle. Understanding that, Hajin felt as if he’d been struck on the back of the head. His previous attempts at clumsy flirting, lightly proposing companionship, flashed before his eyes.
“To be honest, I’m barely managing to take care of my own people.”
Hajin finally grasped the meaning of those words. As he met Eden’s serious eyes, it became apparent that Eden had never taken this matter lightly.
“I’m thinking of checking out the hardware store after sunrise,” Eden said, patting Hajin’s shoulder as he gasped for breath.
“The day will be long, so rest up while you can.”
“Are you really planning to leave tomorrow—or the day after?”
“Before it gets hotter. It’s already late enough as it is.”
“…”
“Anything you want to say?”
“…No, I just… thank you for taking me along.”
Eden let out a faint chuckle before turning back to face the rising sun.
“The feeling’s mutual.”
Hajin felt a vague sense of relief at that response. Maybe Eden wasn’t as much of a jerk as he’d initially thought. Hope began to bloom in his mind.
Hajin glanced at Eden’s side profile for a moment, then slowly turned away.
“Are your legs just for decoration? Do you have no muscles at all?”
Forget it. He was absolutely a jerk. Hajin immediately took back his earlier thought.
As the dawn light filled the sky, Hajin wanted to rip out his own eyes for ever thinking Eden was charming.
“Huff… hold on… let me catch my breath!”
“You can’t just walk when I tell you to run at full speed. What are you, a newborn giraffe?”
Eden grabbed Hajin by the collar and dragged him into a corner. Even as he was being pulled along, Hajin couldn’t help but gape at the dozen or so zombies pressed against the glass door of the hardware store.
“Hajin, you need to work on your stamina.”
S***. This was a mistake. Hajin wiped the sweat trickling down his jawline and barely managed to stand up.
“My stamina… is just fine.”
In fact, stamina, flexibility, and agility were unexpectedly important qualities for a magician. To master even a single magic trick, it required thousands of repetitions and immense endurance. Being able to handle props like extensions of his own body required flexibility and speed.
For that reason, Hajin had never been one to neglect exercise. Of course, he had lost some endurance after being cooped up in a motel for so long, but still…
Then, Eden muttered something in passing.
“All talk and no action.”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Hajin was about to snap back, but the zombies scratching at the glass door made him clamp his mouth shut. The piercing screech of nails against the glass sent shivers down his spine. Swallowing hard, he hid in a blind spot, his throat tightening with anxiety.
Earlier that morning, Eden had dragged him out of the motel to head to the hardware store.
The hardware store was just across from the motel, down the second alley. It wasn’t far, and since they hadn’t seen any zombies when they left, Hajin wasn’t too worried. But the moment he stepped onto the street after a long time indoors, his legs gave out, and he collapsed.
Two zombies roaming nearby rushed at him, and Eden had to smash their heads in with a hammer, saving him once again. And that’s how Hajin ended up owing Eden his life—yet again.
“Grab that newspaper from the corner.”
At Eden’s urging, Hajin handed over the stack of newspapers within reach.
Eden spread out several sheets and approached the glass door. The zombies outside pounded against the glass as if they intended to break through. Despite the advanced state of decay, their bloated eyes and eyelids still looked menacing.
Eden opened a water bottle and poured water onto the edge of the newspaper. Then, he pressed the wet newspaper against the glass. After covering the entire glass door with newspaper, the zombies, who had been frantically banging their heads against it, started to calm down.
With their line of sight blocked, Eden surveyed the dim interior of the store, searching for anything useful.
The small, cramped hardware store, barely five pyeong in size, hadn’t been in business for a long time. It seemed almost barren, with only a few items left in stock.
“Make sure to stay alert and run properly on the way back,” Eden warned Hajin, who was still catching his breath.
“Huff… Yes, sir…” Hajin replied obediently, though deep down, he found himself looking forward to the day when Eden would trip and fall.
What did Eden call him earlier? A newborn giraffe? The sheer creativity of that insult made him chuckle at the wrong time.
Next time, he swore he would repay the favor and save Eden’s life. Steadying his trembling legs, Hajin stood up and followed Eden closely.
Eden gathered a well-sharpened pair of industrial scissors, thin wires, and several types of ropes, handing them all to Hajin. There was an impressive amount of rope, though it was unclear what he intended to use it for.
“Aren’t we going to grab weapons?” Hajin asked.
“Can you run around carrying an electric saw? It’s pretty heavy.”
“…No, not really.”
“Let’s look for more weapons at the supermarket.”
Eden, who seemed to know the local area and stores like the back of his hand, confidently laid out their next plan. Nodding in agreement, Hajin searched for survival tools on his own but was repeatedly shot down by Eden for picking impractical items.
The only useful item they found was a dusty hiking backpack in one corner of the hardware store. Hajin approached the bag, stuffing all the ropes Eden had given him into it. Just then, he noticed a toolbox hidden underneath the bag, which contained three flashlights and a pile of batteries.
“I found some flashlights and batteries!” Hajin said excitedly.
“Take as many batteries as you can carry,” Eden instructed.
While the store didn’t have a wide selection, they still managed to gather a few essential survival items. Hajin packed the industrial knife, scissors, four bundles of rope, flashlights, and batteries into the hiking backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
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Jennifer
I’m assuming this has been dropped but it would be nice to know for sure so that I can stop coming by to look for a new chapter. Thanks