Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Rift

When I stepped outside the apartment, I could see the damage from the earlier earthquake with my own eyes.

The signboard of a chicken shop had fallen, and a streetlight leaned dangerously to one side.

The asphalt roads were split open like cracked cookies.

Tree roots had burst out of the ground in ugly tangles.

Worried about aftershocks, people wandered outside their homes.

But it was well past midnight.

Reassured by the quiet surroundings and unable to fight off their fatigue, they began going back inside one by one.

A disaster alert had come in, advising people to place high objects on the floor and take shelter in a safe location in case of aftershocks.

But no one knew where a safe location was.

In the end, there was no choice but to return home.

For just a few days, things would remain calm like this.

But it was the stillness before a typhoon.

A greater calamity would follow.

Since a massive earthquake hadn’t occurred, I could predict that the dimensional rift had fractured into smaller pieces.

If a single massive rift had formed, the book said it would have been large enough to disturb Earth’s axis.

The entire tectonic plates would have shaken and split apart.

But since no great quake came, the rift must have branched into multiple cracks.

That wasn’t something to feel relieved about.

Those rifts, which now looked like thin white threads, would gradually widen.

They must already be forming recklessly beneath the ground, above the sky, and deep within alleys.

When those threads slowly spread into oval shapes.

I didn’t even want to imagine what would emerge from within.

Through the thousands, tens of thousands of dimensional cracks scattered across Earth.

Alien lifeforms would crawl in.

I swallowed hard and hurried toward where Han-jun lived.

Luckily, even in this chaos, I managed to catch a taxi speeding down the road.

With my heavy backpack weighing me down, I knocked on the door of Han-jun’s studio apartment, utterly drained.

Knock, knock, knock—

What would he say when he saw me like this.

We had parted only hours ago, and now I was back, carrying a huge backpack.

Would he think I was some idiot runaway at this age.

“Ah, who is it at this hour.”

It seemed he was annoyed to be disturbed in the middle of the night, his voice thick with irritation.

“It’s me.”

“Hyung?”

At the sound of my voice, the door swung open.

Han-jun peeked out wearing nothing but his underwear.

With a body like that, it was a hot sight people would probably cheer at.

“……I did say we’d see each other again.”

Even as I said it, I sounded insane.

Who storms someone’s place at 2 a.m. after saying goodbye earlier that night.

Han-jun’s dumbfounded expression was understandable.

“……W-what.”

“Can I come in. My bag’s really heavy.”

Leaving behind his flustered self, I stepped straight into his room.

In one corner stood an old fan.

It wasn’t even that hot, but cold sweat poured down me from nerves.

I set down my bag and turned on the fan.

I blasted it at full power, drying my sweat.

I stood there blankly, hoping the cool wind might blow away the heaviness in my chest.

Han-jun, clearly finding my sudden intrusion and fan session bizarre, approached and asked again.

“Hyung, what is it. What happened?”

“……”

“Hyung?”

I needed to answer.

But I didn’t have the energy.

Physically and mentally, I was completely drained.

I wanted to survive.

But honestly, I wasn’t confident I could.

You might say I knew things others didn’t.

That I knew the future, so what was there to fear.

But could this really be called knowing the future.

Out of 63,004 destruction scenarios, I had read only a few hundred.

Every single one was hopelessly bleak.

It was almost miraculous I was alive this far in.

I turned my head and looked at Han-jun sitting beside me.

Handsome bastard.

Seeing his upright, steady face made me feel strangely reassured, like tears might spill at any moment.

He was the only lifeline and hope.

For me.

For humanity.

“Can I sleep here tonight?”

“……What?”

“Let me stay.”

“I, I don’t have extra blankets.”

Uncharacteristically flustered, Han-jun’s eyes darted around before he suddenly began putting on clothes.

After carefully dressing in a T-shirt and pants, he sat against the wall in the far corner.

As if guarding himself from me.

He positioned himself as far away as possible, and I blinked in confusion.

“What’s with you.”

“Nothing. Anyway, what happened.”

“……Uh, well…… Mom went on a trip to Jeju.”

“Yeah.”

What should I say.

Since I was planning to stick to him anyway, I decided to say whatever came to mind.

My brain was already overworked and wouldn’t squeeze out anything better.

“I was alone at home, then the earthquake hit, and I got really scared.”

“What?”

Han-jun’s face turned murderous.

“The only place I could think of was here. I’ll just stay a few days.”

“Why a few days?”

“They said there might be aftershocks. What if it happens again while I’m alone. I’ll cry. I’m tired. Give me something to cover up with.”

I lay down right where I was.

I feel like I’m getting more shameless by the minute.

“……Hyung, can I hit you once?”

“Nope. That hurts. Ow!”

He hit me anyway.

Considering he was irritated, it didn’t hurt much.

I rubbed my shoulder, gave him a pitiful look, and smiled faintly.

Han-jun let out a deep sigh.

Still, it was fortunate he didn’t kick me out.

I’d stay here a few days and observe how things unfolded.

His place was cramped.

With two grown men lying down, it felt packed.

There wasn’t much furniture, and the wallpaper had mold stains from what looked like summer monsoon leaks.

But the floor was spotless.

Seeing how neatly he managed the boxing gym alone, it made sense.

He was a clean freak.

I looked at Han-jun lying as far from me as possible, having pushed the only blanket toward me.

“I could just sleep with the mat.”

“f*ck, then just leave.”

“Thanks. Good night.”

He spoke harshly, but still gave me the only blanket.

I turned toward him, who lay on the mat without one.

Thinking that staying close to him might create some path to survival somehow.

My anxious heart finally calmed.

I thought I wouldn’t sleep tonight, but beside him, I felt I might.

I stared at his profile, which to me was like a tranquilizer.

With his eyes closed, he muttered lowly.

“Turn your head.”

How did he know I was staring with his eyes shut.

What a strange guy.

But I couldn’t irritate the homeowner.

I turned to face the wall and said again.

“Good night, Jun.”

“……Yeah.”

“Aren’t you going to tell me to sleep well too?”

“Ha, you’re really annoying.”

I was about to give up on hearing it when.

“……Sleep well.”

He answered quietly, almost too soft to hear.

In this situation where nothing was good.

A small smile slipped out.

Despite the world being like this, the next morning still came.

Warm sunlight squeezed through the small window.

Unable to withstand the brightness, I rose with messy hair.

Without thinking much, I looked at the sky outside.

The clouds were shaped strangely.

The sky itself was clear and blue, but swirling formations and heaving clusters looked ominous.

“Ugh.”

“You’re up?”

Han-jun, who had woken early, seemed to have showered.

He was drying his wet hair with a towel.

“Where are you going?”

“Going for a run, then work.”

Right.

Before heading to the gym, Han-jun always ran around the neighborhood.

He was ridiculously diligent.

Even if he worked under someone he knew, he still worked over ten hours a day, six days a week.

Sometimes I thought I should report his boss to the Ministry of Labor.

“Have a good run. I’ll guard the house.”

I waved from under the blanket.

His brows furrowed deeply.

“Hyung, you’re really not going home?”

“I’ll just stay a few days. I’ll pay you. How much? 100,000 won a day?”

“……”

The mention of 100,000 won seemed tempting.

His expression softened slightly.

After staring down at me, who had suddenly invaded and nested in his house, he cleared his throat and turned toward the door.

“I’m leaving.”

Such a blunt farewell.

Watching his back, I called out.

“What should we eat for dinner later?”

“……Anything.”

Bang—

He shut the door curtly.

I’d eat lunch at the gym later.

Dinner with him after work.

I’d buy groceries on the way back.

Since I didn’t know how things would unfold.

I planned to stock up as much food as possible.

If only there were a storage room.

I’d just pile everything up here.

I also thought it would be good to have a car.

Mom’s car would be parked at Gimpo Airport.

Or maybe I should buy a van that could carry lots of supplies.

I didn’t have money, but installments or leasing would do.

Once society collapsed, there’d be no need to repay debts anyway.

If I’m buying one, maybe I should get something big and nice.

Before alien monsters appear.

I need to secure a vehicle as soon as possible.