She remained unresponsive, and the humanoid just stood there like a tall, motionless statue. Blood continued to flow from So-hee’s abdomen, which Dong-jun was holding.
"No..."
The word slipped out of Dong-jun’s mouth involuntarily. So-hee seemed to be losing consciousness.
No, stay calm. Calm down. If I think about it... there must be an answer. Even if this is the first time I’ve been in this situation... in my head... in my head...
Dong-jun closed his eyes.
One. Two. Three.
Had about three seconds passed?
Ah! That’s when I used a hemostatic agent!
Dong-jun immediately opened his eyes and surveyed the surroundings. It was merely an empty lot with cars and a telephone pole.
But there’s no such thing as a hemostatic agent here. What do I do? What do I do...
Just then, what caught Dong-jun’s eye was the steel mass over two meters tall. And a sentence he had once written in So-an flashed through his mind.
Even he thought it was absurd. To think that his only solution was a humanoid—a solution from a story...
He looked at So-hee again. Then at the humanoid. Dong-jun felt he had no more time to think. He began to feel around the humanoid’s body. But of course, he couldn't determine the location of the coolant or where the heat was emitted just by touch. He had never thought about the physical details of a humanoid's body so deeply, whether in his novels or in reality.
"Urgh..." A headache came on. But—
"Hey, humanoid!" Dong-jun shouted. "Save So-hee somehow! If you don't... your family will die!"
That was it. Perhaps the humanoid had been waiting for that cry from Dong-jun.
The humanoid immediately pressed its right flank. The outer skin lifted slightly and opened like a cover. From inside, a small but cold frost was emerging. The humanoid reached in and ripped out a connecting line that was emitting the cold air.
Then, it approached So-hee and looked at Dong-jun. Dong-jun anticipated its next move and removed the torn cloth covering So-hee’s abdomen. Immediately, the humanoid applied the severed line to the wound. Cold air poured from the end of the line, freezing the blood and flesh around So-hee’s abdomen.
"Nngh..."
A small groan escaped So-hee. Afterward, she closed her eyes. Dong-jun rushed forward in surprise, but the humanoid blocked him, looked at him, and slowly shook its head. It looked at him with an expression that seemed to say she had merely fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Dong-jun’s legs gave out. However, the situation was still not entirely safe. This was merely simple first aid.
Dong-jun told the humanoid to take So-hee to the nearest hospital. He wrote a note on his smartphone, tucked it into the humanoid's pocket space, and spoke. He told it to deliver this at the hospital.
"Go, now."
As soon as Dong-jun finished speaking, the humanoid picked her up with both hands and began to run. Dong-jun could do nothing but watch until it disappeared.
Eventually, the sound of the humanoid’s footsteps vanished completely. Only then did Dong-jun collapse on the spot. The expression on So-hee’s face when she closed her eyes lingered in his mind.
It’ll be okay. The humanoid took her...
He tried to soothe himself, but he wasn't certain. What if it didn't reach the hospital in time... what if the first aid wasn't enough...
"Haa..."
Dong-jun looked up at the sky. The world was growing dark. Tiny raindrops were falling between the clouds. It had been such a long day. When he left home this morning, he thought he just had to go to Guro and find some clues. But now...
Dong-jun looked at his hands. They were stained with So-hee’s blood. He could see the bloodstains already beginning to dry. His hands trembled. So-hee’s cold face and the drying blood on his palms kept haunting him. So-hee certainly had no reason to be here. She should have been safe at her home.
Because of me... trying to help me, that family was torn apart.
His chest tightened. So-hee and Park Sun-ja were people who could have lived ordinary lives. But just because they hid him and helped him escape, Park Sun-ja had to entrust her daughter to a total stranger like him and send her into a deadly situation. The weight of their lives, now fugitives chased by the police, pressed heavily on Dong-jun’s shoulders.
"...I'm so exhausted."
A vacant, newly constructed building caught Dong-jun’s eye. The floor was cold. But he didn't have the strength to look elsewhere. Dong-jun climbed the stairs to avoid police tracking as much as possible.
There was only one place where the door was open. In a corner on the second floor, he gathered the boxes he could see and layered them on the floor. It was a desperate measure to block the cold from the floor even a little.
Fortunately, he had brought items in anticipation of such a situation. He popped four heat packs from his bag and tucked them into his inner coat pockets and underarms, then wrapped himself in layers of thin blankets. He had a fire starter, but...
I can't start a fire. If there's smoke, it's more likely to expose my location.
He put it back in his bag. He curled up in the darkness, breathing in the chilling air. The faint warmth from the heat packs was his only comfort.
Before falling asleep, he called for Arisa once more. But Arisa still did not respond.
"...Hmm."
He wanted to run more. He wanted to find a way to connect So-an’s chip as soon as possible. But Dong-jun’s body had passed its limit long ago. The places where he had injured himself were bruised and aching, and both his stamina and hunger were at their breaking point.
There was no choice. Even if the police were tracking him, he doubted there was a safer place. There were about 6 days left. After that, the world might truly end. But if he didn't rest properly, even that opportunity might vanish.
"So-an..."
Dong-jun fell asleep like that.
How long had he been asleep? Sunlight streamed through the window.
"So-hee!"
The first thing he thought of upon waking was So-hee. He was worried about her, but he had no choice but to believe. His body was stiff. His back ached, and he felt chilly. But even so... he couldn't stay still.
"I have to go."
Dong-jun packed his bag. Just then, he felt the tablet.
"Please... read it later."
Park Sun-ja’s voice echoed in his ears.
"That... will be enough."
Dong-jun slowly opened his bag. He took out the tablet and turned on the screen. Tap, tap. His fingers hitting the tablet were still trembling. On the screen was a folder named [The Truth About My Husband].
Dong-jun pressed it. When the file opened, there were several files inside. The first file had a date written on it.
'2036. 01. 23'
It seemed to be a file where an audio record from about two weeks ago was recorded. Following that were a cam video file, a message file, and finally, an app with a peculiar name.
The name was [PLSA: prototype].
With trembling fingers, Dong-jun pressed the first audio file on the tablet screen. After about three seconds, along with crackling static, a familiar voice was heard over the sound of rain.
It was the voice of Mr. Park Pil-gu.
[2026-02-11 Conversation Log with SO-AN #68]
Dong-jun: If I sleep outside in winter without a heat pack, I'll freeze to death, right?
SO-AN: I recommend this more—understanding that in 2036, a heat pack is a luxury, and death is just the natural state of those who fail to find shelter.