episode_0078

A considerable amount of time had passed since the zombie apocalypse broke out.

The tedious, repetitive daily life had dramatically changed.

Many things that were taken for granted were lost.

Especially the rich benefits civilization provided.

Now, realizing their value only after losing them, there were exceptions.

Electricity was still being supplied.

It was undeniable that electricity, which was so deeply intertwined with our lives it could be called most of it, was indispensable for survival.

Even in this shelter alone, the presence of electricity was becoming a necessity.

And, though supplementary, computer network communication services.

That is, the internet.

For reasons unknown, it was precariously maintaining its function.

I didn’t know the specifics, but I’d heard that these essences of civilization required meticulous coordination for maintenance and repair.

I thought perhaps these essences of civilization should be used meaningfully.

However, the video Dong-woo showed me seemed far from that.

On the screen, my group was confronting gangsters. The scenes of them being beaten were also graphic.

Looking at it now, it was clear that many people were just watching from behind or condoning it.

Now, seeing with my own eyes the situation I had only vaguely heard about back then.

“…What is this?”

I unconsciously gritted my teeth slightly.

A deeper anger than expected surged through me.

“Someone must have been secretly filming back then.”

“…We really should have just messed them all up back then…”

To think someone was holding up a smartphone while my companions were getting beaten.

As the boiling emotions swelled up from deep within.

The scene in the video changed, and then I appeared.

The video showed, without filter, me pacifying the gangsters.

‘Looking back, I handled them too gently. I should have pressed them down more.’

A deep regret washed over me, belatedly.

The video ended with the fight against the gangsters.

It felt disgusting that the video was uploaded without my consent, but for now, I couldn’t really make an issue of it. There was no way.

“Why did you ask me to watch this?”

In such a ruined world, I didn’t think I’d be reported for messing up gangsters.

The gangsters who would even file a complaint had long since been dealt with.

It just didn’t seem like it would become an urgent problem.

“Hmm… please watch the next video too.”

Dong-woo’s abrupt suggestion, delivered with a slight air of importance, made me frown slightly.

After giving him a brief glare, I played the next video.

And for a moment, I couldn’t help but focus.

‘This is…’

On the screen, soldiers and several civilians were hiding in a convenience store. The moment I saw it, I knew immediately.

‘It’s Sergeant Kang’s group.’

Perhaps it was filmed with a good quality device, as the expressions of the people clearly shown on the screen were so bad they naturally evoked pity.

The filmer seemed to have shot from atop a building, as the perspective was high.

And the filmer’s excited voice could be heard, but not a single word of concern for the people being chased was uttered.

I knew it was a world where people would point a camera first rather than report witnessing an accident, but seeing it like this, the feeling that hit me was truly different.

As I felt my emotions churning, I realized why Dong-woo had asked me to watch the video.

The soldiers hiding in the convenience store.

A mutant and numerous zombies chasing after them.

Gunfire began, and a moment later.

A sudden explosion, and me confronting the zombies.

My figure, taking down the zombies filling the alley with just a crowbar, was captured.

“This is you, right, hyung-nim? Your face is covered, but that’s your weapon.”

“……”

I couldn’t answer immediately.

I hadn’t committed a crime, so there was nothing to be scared of.

But I couldn’t speak rashly.

Dong-woo already knew a little about my combat prowess.

Rather than beating around the bush, it seemed better to just tell him.

He was a tight-lipped kid anyway, and I’d already made him promise to keep my secrets.

…Plus, I had a feeling he was someone who kept his promises.

But I didn’t know how I would explain myself, or how he would react to it. In my experience, pretending not to know and playing dumb was the best approach.

Dong-woo, wearing a triumphant expression, as if knowing or not knowing my thoughts.

“…You often make that face. Why do you do that?”

“Hehe~ No~ Just ’cause?”

“Huh……”

“Hyung-nim. If you look at the comments, there are a lot of people looking for you. Most of them are discrediting it as a composite or CGI, though.”

“…Why are they looking for me?”

Listening to Dong-woo, I silently looked down at the video.

In the video, I was leaving the alley filled with zombie corpses with Sergeant Kang’s group.

It was a huge relief that I wore a neck gaiter and a hat.

Zombie’s rotten blood was naturally not good for people.

I wore them to protect my scalp and skin, but who knew it would turn out like this?

It was clear that public disclosure of my identity would bring no good.

I resolved to continue wearing the neck gaiter, at least.

“Hyung-nim, I’ll take your secret to my grave. Don’t worry.”

“…”

“My grandfather said men repay kindness and always keep promises. I’m a man too, you know.”

“…Pfft!”

“Why, why are you laughing!”

“No. Nothing.”

His grandparents seemed to have raised him well.

Though he was a bit too immature to be seen as a man.

“…Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing~ If it wasn’t for you, hyung-nim, seriously—”

Sitting there, I listened to Dong-woo’s chatter and immersed myself in the internet.

Thankfully, he didn’t pry further about me.

Thanks to that, I didn’t have to make poor excuses.

…It seemed I liked this kind of thoughtfulness.

On Tube, there were countless unmoderated videos.

Some told stories about zombies, while others filmed survival vlogs.

Various message boards where people scribbled posts were the same.

Commonly, there were numerous videos and posts asking for help.

And content looking for people was constantly being uploaded.

Family, lovers, friends…

Only the genre had changed from daily life reality to apocalypse.

On the net, active communication was still happening.

Even in an environment where one could starve to death or feel their life threatened at any moment.

An unfamiliar awkwardness was felt in this twisted way of life.

“……”

“What’s wrong, hyung-nim?”

“…No, I just find it strange that the internet works even with the world like this.”

“Oh, that.”

Dong-woo slapped his palm at my mumbled words.

“…?”

“Uh, what was it, what was it? When you were out earlier, hyung-nim. I saw it on the internet for a bit. That, that, the Su… Defense Force?”

“…Capital Defense Command?”

“Ah, that’s right! That.”

“It’s the military. The Capital Defense Command.”

I didn’t know much about the military, but I knew that much.

“Ah, that’s it! They said those people protected some facilities?”

“……What?”

“It’s not certain if it’s true or not, but they said the military protected some important facilities.”

“Show me what you saw.”

Slightly flustered by my heavy voice, Dong-woo stammered.

“Uh, well, I just glanced at it, so I don’t remember. I’m sorry, hyung-nim.”

“…No. It’s fine.”

‘I doubt it, but…’

“Is there any way to find out about the status of bridges, like large bridges?”

“Bridges? Why, hyung-nim?”

“Just. Preferably a bridge related to the direction leading to Gangnam.”

“Hmm… Should I look it up online?”

“……”

I thought for a moment but shook my head.

There was no real need to know, and even if I did, there was nothing I could do.

However, I probably should keep track of the general situation.

Even if not right now…

The more various stories I encountered through the internet, the more complicated my head became.

Most of the posts were baseless rambling and trash.

The videos were overflowing with unhinged madness.

If half the world was broken, the other half seemed to be going insane.

Among them were some mind-boggling videos and posts.

Posts or videos titled something like ‘Zombie Hunting Log’.

People calling themselves hunters and hunting zombies were visible.

People who took proof shots, holding up zombie heads, showing how they hunted.

People strutting around as if they had been waiting for this moment.

It felt less like a struggle for survival and more like they were strongly enjoying a game.

‘Have they lost their minds?’

They seemed to not know how terrifying zombies were, but it wasn’t my business.

If they wanted to use their own lives as they pleased, what could I do?

Still, there were titles that seemed a bit better than these.

Posts recruiting people with titles like ‘XX Alliance’.

But they were all the same.

Most of the content was about recruiting young women.

It was unlikely these bastards were normal.

Many people seemed to want to form parties, but there was no substance.

After seeing posts and videos that troubled my eyes and mind, my head felt dizzy.

Ultimately, I stopped looking at my smartphone.

When my head is complicated, simple tasks are good.

With the feeling of resting my mind.

So I pulled Dong-woo along and simply organized the supplies.

Perishable ingredients like meat and vegetables were put into the restaurant refrigerators on the first floor. I was particularly careful to stock up on eggs.

‘Ramen without an egg just feels empty, you know.’

Seeing the packed refrigerators and freezers made me feel secure.

And Dong-woo seemed to feel the same.

His wide grin wasn’t unlikable.

Other items were roughly sorted, and then I prepared a meal.

Porridge for the sick and ramen for Dong-woo and me.

I cleared my head with simple labor and changed my mood with a delicious meal.

…Because I was hungry, even the ramen just tasted delicious.

After that, Dong-woo and I focused on taking care of our ailing companions.

I thought I had been careful, but the accumulated fatigue and overexertion seemed to have had a greater impact than expected. Everyone was struggling to recover.

The good thing was that it wasn’t getting worse.

In Dong-woo’s case, he was greatly worried about his elderly grandparents.

Nevertheless, his determined effort to diligently nurse them was admirable.

‘…Should I grill some meat for him later?’

Dong-woo did his best to such an extent that I had thoughts like that.

I also took diligent care of my companions.

I snatched short naps and watched over them carefully.

But despite such efforts, the companions did not recover easily.

Ultimately, we had to spend another full day filled with worry.

And when about two and a half days had passed.

One by one, the ailing companions slowly began to regain consciousness.

When evening came and everyone had regained consciousness enough to slightly lift their bodies.

Only then could Dong-woo and I escape from the time that had flowed so slowly due to our worries.

And we could fall asleep feeling relieved and content.

And as we slept, the rain began to fall once again.