episode_0030

“Ah…”

When I arrived in front of the hardware store, I was dumbfounded.

A feeling of disappointment welled up.

Regrettably, the hardware store sign was a fake.

It seemed the owner had changed professions; below the hardware store sign hung the word ‘Gardening.’ A glance through the display window showed the interior was entirely filled with plants.

“No, the sign should be properly displayed…”

Normally, I would have just thought, ‘Ah, screw it!’ and moved on, but now irritation surged.

I considered smashing all the glass doors before leaving, but then something flashed through my mind.

After a moment of looking around, I quietly approached and peered inside again.

There was no sign of anyone.

It was only quiet, with no other discernible presence.

Knowing there was nothing to gain by making a ruckus, I gently opened the door and entered.

It was fortunate the door wasn’t locked.

The flower shop, roughly 30 pyeong in size, was filled with various plants.

Mostly colorful flowers emitting a fresh scent.

There were also small trees and bonsai, but that was it.

I felt this space would be very good for mental health.

For some reason, my frayed nerves felt a little calmer.

However, I had to maintain my guard now.

There was no telling when or where they might pop out.

I calmly looked around, but nothing particularly caught my eye.

At most, there were a few types of shovels.

As a regrettable consolation, I picked out a few clean shovels and took them.

Ordinary shovels were still useful, so that was good.

If worst came to worst, they could be swung as weapons.

I searched a bit more, just in case, but there was nothing I needed.

‘It would have been good if there were seeds.’

I had come in hoping for edible crop seeds, but it was a bust.

There were some, but they were all for ornamental plants.

“Hoo…”

Finally, a short sigh escaped my lips.

Today, everywhere I went was a bust.

It seemed my luck wasn’t with me; I must have picked the wrong day.

With more survivors about to emerge and the need to race for supplies, these consecutive failures completely drained my energy.

Feeling frustrated, I lit a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

Smoking in this calm space filled with beautiful flowers felt refreshingly rebellious.

‘What should I do…?’

It was an awkward time to return to the motel where my companions were.

Today’s haul was only a bit of water and some drinks.

‘No matter how much drinking water there is, it’s always not enough…’

After successfully raiding large supermarkets back to back, this amount of supplies felt very insufficient. I considered looking for more supermarkets but then dropped the idea.

For some reason, I felt no luck with food supplies today.

I decided to stop regretting what I didn’t have and moved on.

As my thoughts cleared, the street finally caught my eye.

It was an alleyway with a strong old-fashioned feel.

Low buildings and rustic walls.

Untidy sidewalks and long, drooping power lines clearly showed that this was a run-down neighborhood. It was a place with remnants of old charm that stirred emotions, but I quickly passed through it.

It would have been better if it weren’t for the traces of zombies adorning the streets and walls.

In places where people might have been, there were always traces of zombies.

I wondered if soon there would be no place left for the living to set foot.

Ultimately, I returned the way I came, having gained only disappointment.

With a slight difference in distance, the scenery of the street changed.

The familiar sight of the city.

By the time I reached here again, it was past noon.

So far, I hadn’t directly encountered any zombies.

It would be best if they continued to stay out of sight.

The quiet boulevard and the cars abandoned haphazardly on the road.

Occasionally, broken buildings were visible.

It was an utterly bleak sight.

Just as I was about to turn back, feeling there was no benefit in wandering this street any further.

An familiar icon appeared in the distance.

A sign with a famous sports equipment logo.

Beneath it, a group of people was moving.

‘Survivors.’

I immediately hid myself.

I concealed myself behind a wrecked car, far enough away not to block my view.

I wanted to call out to them, but I had to be cautious of people.

Even more so in such difficult and trying times.

I quietly held my breath and focused my gaze on the moving people.

‘There are about twenty of them. Soldiers… police mixed in. The ones at the back are civilians.’

As the distance gradually closed, the survivors’ expressions became visible.

Every one of them looked rigid and highly tense.

They felt so strained, as if they might scream and explode if someone nudged them.

The soldiers were all carrying guns.

The police also had guns in their hands.

The civilians were either holding blunt objects or were empty-handed.

Their faces were uniformly pale and vacant, as if they had seen ghosts.

Some were covered in blood, their appearances wretched.

Seemingly unaware that their bodies were drenched in cold sweat, the people nervously scanned their surroundings and moved slowly, turning off the road just before reaching my hiding spot.

‘Where are they going?’

Only after confirming they were far away did I get up from my spot.

I wanted to know where those people, moving despite their fear and not hiding, were headed.

The moment I thought that, my curiosity was immediately satisfied.

‘High school…?’

The road sign visible above where they had passed pointed towards a girls’ high school.

It seemed they intended to use the school as a shelter.

Facilities like school buildings or auditoriums could accommodate many people.

I watched the people getting further away in the distance.

Before I lost sight of them, I followed behind.

My steps were quick but quiet.

I kept pace without letting them notice me.

Had I walked for more than 15 minutes?

The luck of not encountering zombies today wasn’t exclusive to me.

The survivors ahead hadn’t encountered any zombies either.

Nevertheless, they looked extremely terrified.

Their exaggerated vigilance made them seem precarious, even from a distance.

A few of the soldiers were somewhat less affected.

I didn’t know if it was the result of training or a sense of duty to protect people.

Whatever the reason, they were gritting their teeth and enduring.

The civilians looked almost half-mad.

It was remarkable that they managed to keep walking and follow the soldiers.

They, who had moved with such difficulty, finally arrived at a place where a large building was visible.

【 Yeongdeungpo Girls’ High School 】

Like any other school, it had low walls and an iron main gate.

However, unusually, the building’s exterior behind the main gate was curved rather than straight.

The important thing was the main gate.

Soldiers, armed with rifles, had taken up defensive positions.

Police officers were also intermittently mixed in, holding their ground.

‘The military must have moved.’

Soldiers were deployed here and there, and vehicles that appeared to be military equipment were visible.

Beyond them, slightly over a hill, wasn’t clearly visible.

Looking around, I saw another building in the distance that seemed to be a school.

It was a bit far, but if they could connect the locations well, they might be able to protect many people.

‘Should I have tried talking to them?’

Soon, the survivors disappeared past the main gate’s hill, towards the building presumed to be the main hall. I had many questions, but there was a gain.

It seemed the military and police were mobilizing and rescuing civilians.

If they were using schools or large buildings as shelters, that wasn’t bad.

If the soldiers performed well, wouldn’t it be something to hope for?

With a small but hopeful expectation, I looked around the school’s vicinity.

It was full of residential areas and mixed commercial buildings.

I could only hope that the zombies had moved elsewhere and were gone.

Or even better, if the military’s firepower was strong enough to completely wipe out the zombies.

Although it wasn’t clear, I confirmed that there were more people who appeared to be soldiers, and I turned my steps towards the building in the distance that was presumed to be a school.

Indeed, it was a middle school building, and there were soldiers there as well.

Seeing them all holding rifles made me feel reassured.

It was obvious that loud gunshots would attract zombies.

However, it was also true that they were powerful weapons.

“A gun… a gun, huh…”

As I recalled the rifles the soldiers were holding, greed reared its head.

There was risk involved, but the power was equally certain.

I couldn’t help but covet them.

It would be difficult unless I confiscated them or took them from deceased soldiers.

I wouldn’t steal or seize them unless I was hostile.

If the opportunity arose, I would have to acquire one without fail.

Once I returned, I should discuss it with my companions.

If the soldiers were armed, they could protect my companions.

I watched the soldiers, busy with defensive preparations in the distance, before turning back the way I came.

I earnestly hoped in my heart that the soldiers and police would hold strong.

…After only getting busts, I was able to bring good news to my companions, which lightened my heart a little.

But it was still too early to give up.

On my trudging way back, I discovered something that caught my eye.

Army Express Korea Headquarters

It wasn’t a large sign, but the striking text caught my attention.

My curiosity was too great to just pass by.

It was located a little distance from Yeongdeungpo Station.

Previously, I must have passed it because it was swarming with zombies.

But it wasn’t that bad now.

That’s why I could find it.

Moreover, there were no zombies near the entrance of that building.

If I was lucky, I might be able to enter without encountering any zombies.

“It’s marked as ‘Army’ on the sign; surely there’s something inside, right?”

Ultimately, unable to resist my curiosity, I moved forward.

Killing my presence, I moved cautiously.

Using wrecked cars as cover, I slowly closed the distance.

There weren’t many zombies themselves, but I didn’t know what might happen if I were caught in such an open space.

If my luck was bad, all the zombies in the area might swarm.

After spending a little time moving stealthily,

I finally succeeded in entering the building quietly.

My target was the third floor.

Although the electricity was still working, I went up the emergency stairs.

With each step, a faint footfall echoed.

I flinched, worried that even small footsteps might attract zombies.

Fortunately, there was no sign of anything moving.

I could feel my shoulders tensing up from the strain.

The third floor, which I reached safely, was a mess.

The modern, pristine white hallway and walls were stained red and dark crimson.

The once clean, marble-like floor was shattered and dirty with bloodstains.

Though not as bad as the streets outside, there were scattered traces of zombies attacking people.

I stopped moving and slowly surveyed the hallway.

I scanned my eyes, following traces to see if there were any dangers.

There were no visible zombies.

Nor was there any chilling sensation of something choking my neck.

I felt there was no major danger, but I prepared for any potential threats.

Step by step, I moved down the hallway and reached my destination.

Whirring—

As I approached the door, the glass doors slid open to the left and right.

It wasn’t a loud sound, but it was enough to immediately signal someone’s entry into the space. Moreover, the current situation was not just quiet, but serene.

I swallowed my breath and moved quickly, scanning the interior.

I used the standing mannequins as cover and waited for a moment.

There was no movement or human presence.

For now, I was alone.

Once I made my assessment, I slowly stood up.

Aside from the entrance, there were no traces of zombies, and the rest was clean.

As I turned my gaze to examine the interior, I unknowingly widened my eyes.

A space that seemed to be over 200 pyeong.

Outfits set up on mannequins.

Various items neatly displayed.

“Oh, wow…!”

I smiled at the sight before my eyes.

Today, which had been full of nothing but busts.

Finally, I hit the jackpot.