episode_0029

“Ugh…”

Stretching my sluggish body, I woke from sleep.

Outside the window, sunlight slowly streamed in, illuminating the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my hands over my face.

‘I’ll sleep in later, really drag it out.’

Honestly, I just wanted to be lazy and roll around.

Even in this situation, the bed’s temptation was strong enough to weaken my resolve.

Crack- crack-

I stretched my stiff body, twisting it this way and that.

The sensation of my joints twisting and finding their place felt refreshing.

As my muscles stretched and it felt like blood was circulating throughout my body, the last remnants of sleep vanished.

“…”

After staring blankly for a moment, I shambled over to the window.

The morning cityscape visible outside the window.

The scenery, devoid of vitality and sound, was utterly desolate.

Gray concrete buildings.

Dull, cloudy weather.

The sunlight that had illuminated the motel room must have been fleeting, as it was now obscured by clouds.

Despite it being morning, it grew slightly dark.

The current situation, the silent city, and the weather all combined—

“This atmosphere is deadly…”

If there was any silver lining, it was that no zombies were immediately visible nearby. If they had been wailing too, I probably would have started swearing.

Staring blankly out the window, I turned and headed towards my companions.

I hadn’t specifically planned to sleep separately, but I chose a room close to the exit as a precaution.

It seemed better for responding to any unexpected events.

In the multi-person room where my companions had gathered, they were busy tidying up.

“Did everyone sleep well?”

“Oh, Seonghan. Did you sleep well?”

Just like yesterday, Shia replied to my greeting.

The others also offered faint smiles and greetings.

It was noticeable that everyone’s complexions were significantly better compared to when they first arrived.

In addition, they all seemed to have washed, having shed their grimy appearances.

While their clothes were unavoidable, it seemed they could no longer tolerate their bodies’ uncleanliness.

Now, having washed away the dirt and become clean, everyone’s impressions were different.

In particular, Jihyeok and Shia’s faces seemed to glow.

‘Just from washing… Ah. These people were celebrities.’

I had forgotten for a moment.

Even with bare faces, their small faces had an extraordinary presence.

…I accepted their greetings from a slight distance.

I roughly sat down and offered a meal to my companions.

Though it was just canned porridge piled high.

‘Now I can eat regular food.’

Since I’ve somewhat recovered my energy, there shouldn’t be any issues.

In the current situation, the very thought of being picky about food is a luxury.

The idea is simply to eat well whenever possible.

Because later, I might truly be stuck with a tear-soaked diet.

The people who had been slowly eating a single small can now ate heartily without a care. Seeing this eased some of my worries. I finished my third can of porridge and quietly said,

“I’ll be heading out for a bit.”

At the mention of “outside,” my companions tensed slightly, but they understood.

After all, there was only porridge and a little water for food.

It was a situation where something had to be acquired.

‘It’s fine because I’m here, but.’

Aside from the inventory full of food, I also intended to go out to check the situation outside.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, me too.”

While Jihyeok offering was understandable, it was unexpected for everyone to volunteer.

Their eyes were full of fear of the outside, but it didn’t stop them.

It wasn’t adaptation, but their courage was remarkable.

“It’s fine. For now, it’s faster and easier if I go alone.”

“But.”

“Although your conditions have improved a lot, you’re not there yet. Please rest and recuperate.”

I emptied my duffel bag and spoke to the people.

“Everyone will have to exert themselves later anyway. Don’t rush.”

“Still, to go out alone…”

“You don’t need to worry. If I need help, I’ll say so in advance.”

Everyone seemed very worried about me.

Dong-woo, having experienced me for a short while, wasn’t overly worried.

Instead, he seemed eager to follow me out.

“Take good care of the grandparents.”

When I subtly conveyed my refusal, Dong-woo assented.

With those words, I left the multi-person room.

I returned to the room I had slept in and began preparing to leave.

Preparation was just tying my safety boots tighter once more and picking up the crowbar leaning in a corner.

Before leaving, I re-checked the main entrance, where cover had been stacked, and then headed towards the back entrance.

“Once I’m out, lock the door securely and never open it, even if someone comes.”

Pulling up my neck warmer, I said to the people who had followed me out to see me off.

Somewhat firm and cold.

We weren’t in a situation to help anyone else right now.

The only people we needed to worry about and take care of were ourselves.

Fortunately, the people didn’t say anything more.

They showed their agreement by nodding gravely.

I, too, gave a light nod, then turned my body around…

“Oh, right. What are everyone’s shoe sizes?”

***

Seonghan wasn’t the only one emerging from what passed for a safe hiding spot.

Many people headed outside, prepared for death.

To find water to drink and food to eat.

In an ordinary household, there was a high probability that enough ingredients were stocked to last for a while. Water hadn’t been cut off yet either.

Numerous citizens, aware of the danger, began to hold out indoors as instructed by disaster alerts and broadcasts.

But there were also countless citizens who couldn’t do so.

In an era where one could order whatever they needed with a phone call or internet connection.

Food would be delivered wherever one desired, as long as they had money.

With the increase in single-person households and the trend of minimalist living.

People with no food stockpiled at home headed outside.

Many people came out onto the streets.

Cautiously. Carefully.

Some succeeded, while others failed.

Many people, as a result of their failure, became meals for zombies.

Even with caution, mistakes happened.

There were more zombies than expected.

Their stamina wasn’t as good as anticipated, preventing them from escaping.

It wasn’t just supplies that needed to be prepared.

People were completely unprepared for the current situation.

Body and mind, everything.

The agonizing screams and cries for help from people falling one by one merely served as good stimuli for the zombies.

People who died without being able to do anything in the sudden, disaster-like situation swelled the ranks of the zombies. And that speed was accelerating.

Zombies were encroaching upon the world.

Gradually, but very quickly.

The world everyone had taken for granted was falling apart accordingly.

***

I quickly left the street where the motel was located.

Instead of walking on rooftops, I followed the road, surveying my surroundings.

If I were to move with my companions, I’d need to scout the path beforehand.

And if I saw any noticeable marts or convenience stores, I planned to raid them.

With production stopped, securing as much as possible was crucial.

The first convenience store I spotted was already empty.

A broken entrance with numerous dried bloodstains.

The desolate shelves and interior looked like a business preparing for demolition.

‘People have started coming out.’

It wasn’t just the convenience store that had been raided.

Even restaurants with their signs still up and bars showed signs of having been plundered.

Not just traces of raids remained.

The remnants of what appeared to be, or rather, had been, victims.

Pieces of flesh and internal organs. Scattered bone fragments.

‘Didn’t these guys stop when their victims died?’

The traces on the street were more than just a few, as if a feast had taken place.

A feeling of my stomach turning surged within me.

Even the stinging sensation of bile rising up my esophagus.

I closed my eyes briefly, suppressing the unpleasant and repulsive feeling.

I composed myself, repeatedly exhaling shallowly.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to normal.

‘…’

Following the traces on the buildings and road with my eyes, I could make a guess.

Scenes of people unable to withstand starvation being chased on the streets.

Footwork that ran with all its might to escape, but eventually stopped.

A banquet of countless zombies rushing from all directions.

The owners of the human flesh fragments left on the street must have been frustrated.

They had decided they couldn’t escape and gave up.

What must it have felt like, what expressions must they have worn?

‘There were no thoughts at all.’

As someone who had a similar experience, I understood a little.

My mind just went blank, and I couldn’t think of anything.

“Ah. I’m going to die.”

Only this single fact was perceived.

At least, that’s how it was for me.

The difference was, they died and I lived.

This was the difference between the fragments of victims here and myself.

Those sensations are what I can never forget, even now.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to shake off the unpleasant feeling.

This was no time for reminiscing.

Following the traces again, I saw that a significant number of zombies had moved.

Their direction of movement was so haphazard it was impossible to pinpoint.

They seemed to have gone in groups, or a few had run off.

At the end of the traces, there were signs of feeding or marks of further movement.

Puddles of blood on the ground, presumed to be from victims.

Many footprints that had stepped through that blood.

As I came out onto the main street, the traces became more severe and numerous.

Someone who avoided zombies by escaping from the main street into an alley.

Someone who came out avoiding zombies only to find themselves on the main street.

The confusingly intertwined traces became increasingly difficult to interpret.

What I could discern from them was that no one had successfully escaped.

And that a significant number of zombies that had filled the streets had decreased.

This street was almost deserted.

It was the street that had been teeming with zombies when I scouted just before leaving Times Square.

Now it was eerily empty, as if by magic.

If the zombies had simply vanished, I would have been overjoyed…

But the problem was where these zombies, who had disappeared as if reset, would suddenly emerge from.

It was also possible they had chased fleeing people and flocked into buildings.

If zombies recognized people or were drawn by minor stimuli, I couldn’t tell what variables might arise in the future.

Turning things over in my mind, I stopped thinking and walked around.

For now, I didn’t hear any zombie moans nearby.

Judging it safe for now, I looked for any places worth checking.

Convenience stores were either empty or filled with zombies.

Many businesses, including restaurants, were severely damaged.

One building was billowing black smoke, as if it had been on fire.

The streets were rapidly being destroyed.

It was similar to a scene from an apocalypse movie poster.

The back view of a man walking against the backdrop of a ruined world.

A similar situation now.

I wandered through it, searching for places where I might find usable supplies.

Food was a given, and I intended to scrape together anything else I could find.

I raided a grocery store and a neighborhood market.

The grocery store I found showed signs of people having been there everywhere.

Empty shelves in places and sticky blood dried onto the floor.

Most long-preservable foods were completely gone.

Instant noodles and canned goods were nowhere to be seen.

Only items that were too bulky or heavy, like bottled water, remained.

Amidst that, I confirmed there was no alcohol or cigarettes.

It seemed the desire for luxury items was strong.

The fortunate thing was there were no zombies.

Whether to call this fortunate or not.

I didn’t know if they had chased after the people who had visited the grocery store.

Anyway, from here, I took items that didn’t have any zombie traces on them.

Especially vegetables and fruits.

It was a stroke of luck that the power hadn’t cut out yet, so they hadn’t spoiled.

Considering future health, vegetables were important.

If there was even a drop of blood or anything else on them, I cleanly gave up on them.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any meat.

I wondered if people were confident in storing it, or if they had just picked it up one by one.

The cleanly emptied shelves were regrettable.

Putting my regret aside, I moved on and found a warehouse at the back.

It looked like someone had tried to open it, with many signs of being battered and scratched.

They seemed to have given up because it wouldn’t break.

I broke the doorknob by force and opened the firmly shut door.

‘What a waste.’

The warehouse was quite empty, as if it had been cleared out.

What was visible were many brands of bottled water. Also various beverages.

And a small pile of domestic alcohol, but everything else was gone, leaving only slight remnants on the floor.

First, I diligently packed what I could and left the grocery store.

The results were more disappointing than I’d hoped, but I looked forward to the next place.

However, the next few attempts were just as disappointing.

I found a few more places, but the results were not good.

They were either already thoroughly looted or covered in zombie blood or bodily fluids.

The last place I found was burning.

‘How does a mart even catch fire…’

Watching the burning mart, I eventually took out a cigarette and lit it.

I took a short breather and pondered what to do.

I considered myself lucky that I hadn’t had to fight any zombies while moving around.

It was a misconception.

‘If it’s already like this, it’s going to be very difficult from now on.’

I had anticipated it, but people looted things much faster than expected.

I felt I needed to hurry up from now on.

As I continued to mull over various thoughts.

I couldn’t help but pause for a moment.

“A hardware store?”

I had been so distracted by the burning mart in front of me that I hadn’t noticed.

A small sign visible far down the alley.

[ Sky Hardware ]

“It wasn’t visible when I was searching so desperately.”

I stomped out my cigarette with my foot and grinned.

How much had I run around on the first day trying to find a single tool to hold in my hand?

Materials that would certainly be useful here and there, even if not immediately.

At the very least, a sledgehammer or a large hammer could be used as a weapon.

Hoping it wouldn’t be a wasted trip this time, I ran towards the hardware store.

It would be even better if there was something good.

That expectation filled my mind.