Chapter 85
The train left Demi-Human Town and arrived at Singil Station.
"The atmosphere is brutal."
I left the train stopped at Singil Station and finally headed toward the center of Yeouido, wearing the windbreaker whose light had finally settled down.
Everyone except Ha-seon was with me.
Ha-seon no longer needed to hide, but since voting would surely draw a lot of people, especially men, Ha-seon decided to stay on the train.
Ha-seon seemed to want to go out, though, so it might be fine to show Ha-seon around Demi-Human Town next time.
"Where did everyone go?"
"Hmm... I guess they all went farther inside the safe zone."
I answered Sua's question as we walked deeper into Yeouido.
The streets of the Yeouido Safe Zone were quiet, but they didn't feel peaceful.
How should I put it? Perhaps it was the suffocating silence just before a storm broke.
There was tension everywhere.
"Let's head toward the Yeouido side for now."
The message had said that voting would take place near the Administration Bureau, so we headed toward the Bureau.
Since something special was happening today, the cafes and various other shops were closed as well.
The children looked a little disappointed when they saw the shop where they had bought ice cream.
As we walked, promising that I'd definitely buy them some next time, we gradually began seeing people.
"Those are soldiers, aren't they?"
"Wow..."
I saw soldiers on patrol, along with the guns they were carrying.
Jiwoo let out an admiring exclamation at the sight of the guns.
The drone tried to appeal to Jiwoo by saying that it had a gun too, but apparently there was something about a gun held by a soldier that stirred the child's heart.
I knew that feeling well.
I knew the magazines in those guns were empty, but the people kept glancing at the soldiers, their expressions slightly tense.
I wondered if they really needed to guard the place so thoroughly, but there had to be a reason.
People gathered in groups of three or five, whispering anxiously whenever soldiers came near, but speaking loudly among themselves once the soldiers moved away.
And at the center of those conversations were the election posters plastered all over the concrete walls.
"...This is the first time I've seen the completed posters."
[Symbol No. 1. A Broad Territory, A Broad Heart - Hwang Doo-han]
The poster covering almost the entire wall on the left showed Hwang Doo-han, a man who clearly looked like he worked out.
He was the representative of the Awakened Alliance, which had expanded the safe zone.
"...He's scary."
Sua said that as she looked at the poster.
And she had every reason to feel that way.
The look in his eyes in the photograph seemed more vicious than a monster's.
I was pretty sure he'd been called the representative of the Awakened Alliance, but judging by his face alone, he looked like he represented some organization other than the Awakened Alliance.
The poster's slogan was written in red as well, further emphasizing its intense impression.
On the wall opposite it was another poster, slightly smaller than Hwang Doo-han's but neatly pasted up.
[Symbol No. 2. Rebuilding Tomorrow Through Order. - Lee Han-yeon]
An old man in a suit, with gentle yet firm eyes. It was Old Man Lee Han-yeon.
Though it seemed he had only arrived in Yeouido recently, he had already gained the support of many people.
He had drawn close to the people as much as possible, personally distributing supplies among them and even handling their requests directly through the Gallery marketplace, and that had earned him considerable support.
"They're strangely complete opposites..."
I muttered as I passed through the narrow alley where the two posters faced each other.
Perhaps it was because the election schedule, originally set comfortably far in the future, had suddenly been moved up to today.
There were also people staring at the posters as they prepared to vote.
"Tsk... Isn't this one a little too old?"
"What does age matter? As long as he does the job well. And honestly, people have always said that someone who's done it before does it best—he was a famous politician, after all."
"That's true... But this Hwang Doo-han guy's face is..."
"Hmm... He is a little frightening."
Listening in on that conversation, I headed toward the Administration Bureau.
There were an unusually large number of people in the plaza in front of the Administration Bureau, and there was a reason for it.
On election day, the two candidates were giving their final speeches.
They were about a hundred meters apart, yet both candidates were speaking at the same time through loudspeakers.
"Are you still talking about the laws and order of the old era? Hungry monsters are baring their teeth right in front of us! When we can't even guarantee tomorrow, will laws put food on our tables?"
Hwang Doo-han slammed his large fist down on the podium and shouted like a roaring beast.
His manner of speaking was oddly stiff, as though he were reading from a script on the podium.
He didn't seem to have much experience giving speeches, and though he was awkward, the citizens standing before the podium cheered and raised their hands at his rough voice.
"Representative Hwang, I acknowledge that you've protected us all this time. But we can't deny the history and laws we've built in the past. If we deny them, we'll never be able to return to the past."
Old Man Lee Han-yeon quietly countered him, gazing at Hwang Doo-han with unwavering eyes.
At this point, it felt less like a speech and more like a debate.
The taut air between the two men was so precarious that it seemed they could clash at any moment.
Holding their breath, the people watched the candidates' battle of wills with fascination, sometimes shouting the candidates' names.
They were excited by the strange tension created by this provocative confrontation.
At that moment, a short summons arrived on my terminal, telling me to come inside the Administration Bureau.
I straightened my clothes and entered the Administration Bureau building through the security, leaving the two men still shouting at each other outside behind me.
Perhaps because my face was fairly well known, they let me pass as soon as they saw me.
Even the golem, drones, and children were allowed through with me.
Inside the building, it was quiet enough that we couldn't hear the noise outside. It seemed to have soundproofing measures like the train.
After being guided to a room, I opened the door and waited a little. Soon, someone appeared.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Even when we tried to cut things short and come over, too many people crowded around us."
Hwang and Old Man Lee, who had been fighting with bulging veins outside moments ago, entered side by side, each holding a cup of coffee.
"Huh?"
Ignoring my dumbfounded exclamation, the two men entered and sat down on the sofa as if they were accustomed to it.
Hwang Doo-han had even crossed his legs comfortably, while the old man left him alone, took out some sugar from the corner of the office, and added it to his coffee.
"...Why are both of you here at the same time...?"
When I asked, unable to hide my bewilderment, Hwang Doo-han snickered and took a sip of coffee.
"We're actually close. Right, Old Man?"
"Close, my foot... We're just acquaintances, that's all..."
"You two were arguing pretty heatedly out there..."
"Ah... We were putting on an act. You saw it, didn't you? We have to fight as if we're going to kill each other so people feel more at ease. They need to believe that we're keeping each other in check and dividing the power, so it won't all be concentrated on one side."
Old Man Lee Han-yeon calmly chimed in as he set down his teacup.
"That's right. How uneasy would people be if the only two candidates got along?"
The old man's eyes instantly turned cold.
"And if we put on such a provocative show, won't people lose interest in the fact that the other two candidates for the Administration Bureau have gone missing?"
The air in the room grew somewhat stale.
Hwang Doo-han glanced at me and the children behind me.
He seemed to be wondering whether it was all right to say that, but I had been there when it happened.
"I should have brought a cup of coffee for you, too."
The old man tried to lighten the mood by offering me coffee with sugar in it, but I declined.
As we talked, the subject naturally turned to Demi-Human Town.
Since the voting was about to begin, we couldn't discuss the details, but both of them promised their support for Demi-Human Town, saying they would provide as much support as they had promised regardless of which of them won.
I stayed for a while, then used the excuse that the children were feeling cooped up to go outside.
The children were actually playing happily with the golem in the corner of the room, but I felt uncomfortable standing between the two candidates, so I simply left.
By then, a polling station had been set up in front of the Administration Bureau, and quite a crowd had gathered there.
"Even so, there really are a lot of survivors when they gather like this."
I hadn't realized it because they were usually spread throughout the large Yeouido Safe Zone, but seeing them gathered in one place made their numbers tangible.
Voting proceeded quickly.
There were only two candidates, and neither had particularly complicated pledges, so everyone was casting their votes quickly.
The vote counting was taking place almost simultaneously.
They brought the full ballot boxes one by one from the podium that had been used for the speeches moments earlier and counted the votes publicly before the people.
For reference, the counting process was being broadcast live through cameras on the plaza's large electronic screen and the Survivor Gallery.
However, the broadcast on the Survivor Gallery seemed to be nothing more than someone among the crowd streaming photos and videos for fun.
"Everyone's really interested."
The reaction on the Gallery was more explosive than I had expected.
Comments poured down on the Gallery window open on my smartphone before I could even hit refresh.
---
[Title: Live Voting Status in Yeouido]
(Photo)
(Video)
ㅇㅇ: Wow, we actually get to vote after the world has ended lol
Armchair Wizard: It's a little disappointing that they don't stamp your hand when you vote... Make sure to prepare that next time.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ: Uh-oh, don't count on there being a next time...
Adri: So who's which number?
ㄴ Survivor Gallery User: Don't decide who to vote for based on the number lol
---
I let out a hollow laugh after reading the post and looked toward the polling station.
I should vote too, shouldn't I?
I left the children with the drones and golem, walked over to where the line was shorter, and quickly cast my vote before coming back out.
I didn't think it would matter whom I chose, but I voted for the old man anyway.