"Uh...? Seriously? This is the end?"
"What's with you? It's like a novel you loved just finished."
"No, how did you know that?!"
"When it comes to you, I can tell right away."
"Wow, that's creepy."
"You really don't hold back with your big brother."
My name is Kim Dokyun. And the woman beside me is my little sister, Kim Dokja.
We're siblings.
Normal siblings... I don't think that's quite right. Maybe it's because we got through hard times together, but compared to most brothers and sisters, we rely on each other more. Or maybe we're just closer.
Anyway, Dokja's hobby is reading web novels. More precisely, she likes reading exactly one web novel.
If I remembered right, the title was [Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World].
'Did she call it [Ways of Survival]?'
One view, one comment. A trash novel that only my little sister read and commented on. But to someone, it was a masterpiece that stayed with her whole life.
I'm truly grateful to that novel. It was the biggest reason Dokja could still be here now.
So if a novel like that had just ended, all kinds of emotions had to be passing through her.
I understood.
"Keep staring like that and you're going to crawl right into your phone."
"!!"
"Ah, hello."
While I was focused on Dokja, a beautiful woman with brown hair that suited her perfectly was suddenly standing in front of her.
From the sound of it, she seemed to be a coworker from Dokja's company.
"Excuse me, but may I ask what your relationship with Dokja is?"
"I'm Yoo Sangah, a coworker of Ms. Dokja's."
"Ah! I see. I'm Kim Dokyun, Dokja's older brother. Please keep looking after my little sister."
"Not at all. Ms. Dokja is already doing well, so you don't need to worry too much."
Truthfully, the reason I always met Dokja after work and went home with her was because this world was dangerous, and I worried about her.
Even aside from that, we were both so busy that I wanted to spend even our commute home together.
It was a relief that this coworker, Yoo Sangah, seemed decent.
Dokja didn't look especially uncomfortable around her, either.
It felt like a weight had lifted off my chest.
"Then do you happen to know why Dokja's name includes a meaning associated with men?"
"Ah, of course I kno..."
"Ahem. Oppa?"
"Alright, alright."
Yeah, talking about Dokja while she was standing right here wasn't exactly right.
More than anything, Dokja had a painful past. And nobody wants that kind of past exposed through someone else's mouth.
Even if I'd gone through that past with her, her name was tied to it, so there was nothing I could do.
Bzzz
Dokja's phone rang right beside me.
At first I didn't pay much attention, but then a smile slowly bloomed across her face.
"Who is it? Your boyfriend?"
"No."
"This big brother doesn't care who you date. I only care about their character."
"I said no!"
Smack!!
"Aagh!!!"
Did she really have to hit me in the back just because I made a joke? We used to mess around like this all the time.
Come to think of it, that was already years ago.
That bastard who couldn't even be called our father died, and I dropped out of high school...
Come to think of it, my life had been just as turbulent as Dokja's. Well, I guess that was only natural, since we'd lived through it together.
Even so, the reason I was able to endure it... was probably Dokja.
If Dokja had [Ways of Survival], then I had Kim Dokja. Maybe that was what it felt like.
Of course, if you asked whether I wanted to go back to those days, I'd say no. But I did miss the time we spent together back then.
I don't see memories as something purely positive.
Back then and now, life was hard. To drag up the happiness of the past so you can endure the pain of the present. That's what memories are to me.
Flick
Suddenly, the lights in the subway went out.
A brief silence passed through the train, then murmurs spread through the car.
"Dokja, don't leave my side."
I was uneasy.
I'd never experienced anything like this in my life.
I was scared.
Scared that some accident would happen and we'd die here.
Even so, I couldn't show it.
I was Dokja's older brother.
Dokja was still struggling badly, mentally, and I had to protect her. That's why I couldn't let her see me looking weak...!
Baaang!
Screeeech!!!!
With the sound of the train slamming to a stop, a violent shock tore through the car.
"Kyaaaaah!!!"
"Wh-what is this!"
"Aaaagh!"
Pshhhhh...
'The train... stopped!'
"Dokja! Are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?!"
"I'm fine! What about Ms. Sangah?"
"Y-yes... I'm alright. What is going on?"
The moment the train stopped, of course I checked Dokja first, and Dokja checked on Ms. Sangah.
Thankfully, it didn't seem like any of the three of us were hurt.
Beeeep
"[Attention, passengers on the train! E-everyone evacu... evacuate...!]"
As soon as the announcement ended, silence swallowed the entire car.
'This isn't just an accident.'
That was the one thought that struck all of us at once.
"What the hell is happening?"
"Exactly."
Pajijijik
'What's that now?'
Red sparks began to spit from the aisle side of the car.
'Did the train break down when it slammed to a stop? Do we need to force the doors open and get out right now?'
Just as all kinds of thoughts were racing through my head, I heard a message that seemed to ring directly inside my mind.