Thomas sat in his office, staring at the wall in silence. The events of the day weighed heavily on his mind. It wasn't the first ti he had dealt with criminals, but this ti was different. This ti, it had happened within the walls of what was supposed to be a safe haven.
The MOA Complex was ant to be a place where people could rebuild, where they didn't have to fear the horrors of the outside world. And yet, monsters had existed right under his nose—not the undead, not the raiders, but people.
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Co in."
The door opened, and Rebecca stepped in, followed closely by Minji, Kai, Yana, and Nina. They looked better than they had earlier, but the ordeal had clearly taken a toll on them.
"Supre Commander," Minji said softly. "We just… wanted to thank you."
Thomas nodded and gestured for them to sit. "You don't have to thank . This never should have happened in the first place."
Kai shook her head. "No. We do have to thank you. If it weren't for you, those n might still be here. They might have hurt soone else."
Thomas leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "That's what bothers the most. That it even happened at all."
The room fell silent.
"I thought we had built sothing better here," he continued. "A place where people wouldn't have to constantly look over their shoulders. But today proved that we're not there yet."
Minji's hands tightened into fists. "I was terrified," she admitted. "I thought… I thought I was going to die. Or worse."
Yana nodded. " too. But the mont I saw the patrol arrive, I knew we were safe."
Thomas sighed. "You shouldn't have needed saving in the first place. No one should have to go through that."
Nina, the youngest of the group, wiped at her eyes. "Even in the old world, things like this happened all the ti. But back then, at least there was a real governnt. A real justice system."
Thomas t her gaze. "And that's why we need to build one here. This place isn't just a camp anymore. It's a city in the making. And a city needs laws."
Rebecca nodded in agreent. "The banishnt today sent a ssage. People will think twice before stepping out of line."
"But it won't erase what happened," Kai murmured.
"No," Thomas agreed. "It won't. But it's a start."
Another silence settled over them before Minji cleared her throat. "Actually… there's another reason we ca."
Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"We wanted to invite you to dinner," she said.
Thomas blinked in surprise. "Dinner?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. Just a small thing. Nothing fancy. We're cooking with so of the other survivors, and we thought… well, we thought you could use a break."
Thomas hesitated. He had a million things to do, and taking ti off felt almost irresponsible. But when he looked at them—the gratitude in their eyes, the quiet strength they carried despite what had happened—he found himself nodding.
"Alright," he said. "I'll be there."
The relief on their faces was instant.
"Great," Yana smiled. "We'll see you later, then."
As they left the room, Rebecca crossed her arms and smirked. "Didn't think you were the dinner-party type."
Thomas chuckled softly. "Neither did I."
In the evening.
The dinner was being held in one of the smaller communal kitchens, a repurposed break room that had once belonged to one of the mall's many restaurants. Now, it was just a simple space with a few folding tables, mismatched chairs, and a single propane stove.
When he arrived, Minji waved him over. "Hey, you actually ca."
Thomas smirked. "I said I would."
The rest of the group—Kai, Yana, and Nina—were already seated, along with a couple of other survivors who had helped prepare the food. The al itself was simple: packed noodles cooked in a large pot, sardines mixed with whatever seasonings they could scavenge, and a few crackers to go with it.
"Not exactly fine dining," Yana said, grinning as she handed Thomas a bowl. "But it's what we've got."
Thomas took a seat, picking up a spoon. "Better than so of the things I've eaten out there."
Kai snorted. "I don't even want to know."
The atmosphere was surprisingly light. Despite everything that had happened, despite the horrors of the world outside, there was laughter. People shared stories, cracked jokes, and for the first ti in what felt like forever, Thomas let himself relax.
Halfway through the al, Minji leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, Supre Commander."
Thomas arched an eyebrow. "What?"
Kai smirked. "Who's your bias?"
Thomas blinked. "My what?"
"Your bias," Yana repeated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "In K-pop. You know, the one idol you liked the most."
Thomas let out a short laugh. "I don't think that's relevant right now."
"Oh, co on," Nina pouted. "You had to have at least one."
The group looked at him expectantly.
Thomas sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. If you must know… back in the day, I was more into second-gen groups."
Minji gasped dramatically. "Wait—you're a second-gen fan?"
Thomas rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that."
Kai grinned. "Oh no, you did. So, who was it? SNSD? 2NE1?"
He took a sip of water, stalling for ti. "Taeyeon, maybe."
Yana smirked. "Called it."
The group erupted into playful teasing, their previous tension montarily forgotten. Even Thomas couldn't help but chuckle.
"I am sorry, I don't really know much about your group," Thomas admitted, setting his spoon down. "I was never really into the newer generation of idols."
Kai dramatically clutched her chest. "Ouch. That hurts."
Minji laughed. "It's fine. We weren't exactly expecting a military leader to be a hardcore fan."
Yana smirked. "But now that you've t us, maybe you'll start paying attention."
Thomas chuckled, shaking his head. "We'll see."
"So," Nina piped up, her curiosity still burning. "If you weren't into our group, does that an you never even heard our songs?"
Thomas thought for a mont. "I think I might have heard one or two, but I wouldn't be able to na them."
Minji pouted. "Well, that needs to change."
Kai nodded in agreent. "Yeah, Supre Commander. We're going to have to educate you. How about you co into our units and you can have our private performance."
"Eh?"
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