episode_0275

There’s nothing really set in stone about it. At home, I can do whatever I want. Even I, when I come back from work, enjoy relaxing in just a pair of shorts. Someone else enjoys playing games in just their underwear. Someone else only wears tracksuits. Someone else can’t throw away ragged clothes with stretched-out necks, wearing them for over ten years.

This isn’t limited to men. I’ve heard that women, being people too, usually prefer loose, comfortable clothing. Still, there’s a difference from men, and that would be dolphin shorts.

These shorts, originally a kind of uniform for track and field athletes, became widely known to the public and received a lot of love. Comfortable and soft material. Appropriate side slits. Simple and pretty primary color designs. At some point, the visual impact of these shorts, so beloved by women, became immense.

When I see women walking around in these on a nice or hot day, I’ve had the experience, regrettably, of my gaze being involuntarily stolen. If the person also has a good figure, there’s no need to even say anything; it’s just a given. Occasionally, if they’d gather their legs and crouch in a comfortable sitting position, I’d have to manage my gaze to avoid getting reported.

Since the zombie apocalypse, I hadn’t been able to see such desirable attire, so I’d forgotten about it. But for the first time in a long time, I’m feeling the power of dolphin shorts. And I’m trying my best to manage my gaze appropriately. Because of the two women wearing navy blue and pink dolphin shorts, respectively, my eyes are strained.

“…”

I repeatedly close and open my eyes slowly. It’s difficult because Shia and Heize are sleeping, pressed close to me on both sides. Their beautiful, long legs, extending from beneath their shorts, are softly wrapped around my body. One pair from each side.

‘Why did they wear something like this…?’

The blanket seemed to have rolled up while they slept, resting over their stomachs. Thanks to that, it wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen their defenselessly exposed legs.

Men are vulnerable to visual stimuli. My optic nerves reacting unconsciously was something unavoidable as a biological being.

Shia’s soft and supple thighs. Heize’s firm and smooth thighs. Just the texture of their skin alone felt intoxicating.

Then there were the dolphin shorts, cunningly covering just a small area of skin. Perhaps due to insufficient side slits, they even slightly pressed down on their thigh flesh, stimulating my eyes. So… I’m having a very hard time right now.

“Mmm…” Shia, perhaps uncomfortable with her position, snuggled closer and wrapped her legs around me.

‘D-don’t rub!’

Every time her soft skin brushed against my body, a strangely sweet scent rose. Then, from her slightly cool and sleek black hair, a subtle shampoo fragrance hit my nose directly.

*Snore, snore—* From Heize, who was making cute snoring sounds, there was also a strangely refreshing, pleasant scent. No sooner had I thought that than her firm, smooth legs, which had been folded, pressed tightly against my body.

‘Hoo boy…’

Even setting aside having just woken up, my body was starting to heat up. The women’s skin and scent were just too stimulating. And then there was their large chests, pressed down by their own arms.

‘I want to un-bunch that…’

Their chests, clad in comfortable cotton T-shirts as pajamas, were gently “biting” and swallowing the fabric around their breasts. Because of that, the soft curves and vast cleavage were starkly revealed. Thanks to that, I’m having a very hard time.

The moment I thought their baby hairs, though different in color, were cute and their long eyelashes pretty. *Rustle—* I quietly got up and left the bed.

“Mmm…” “Hmm…” After tossing and turning to get comfortable, the two soon didn’t stir. The revealed under-buttocks due to the short shorts were indeed a kill point, but…

I gently covered the two, who were breathing softly and evenly, with a blanket. Unlike their bodies, which were optimized to stimulate a man’s lust, their sleeping faces resembled those of children.

“…”

Naughty girls. Watching them sleep, defenseless and unaware of the world, made my heart feel conflicted. Both Shia and Heize… I feel them gradually approaching me as women.

What couldn’t even be learned in school was relationships with the opposite sex. No matter how ignorant one is, if you don’t know this, you’re an idiot. I’m not unaware of Shia’s quiet, gentle, and subtle approaches. Considering she harbored a fear of men, I couldn’t take her efforts lightly.

Heize was the same. The spirited and beautiful woman, despite being Western, clearly showed signs of being single her whole life. Heize’s clumsy but overt advances didn’t cause me to feel repulsed.

She followed me all the way here, despite suffering so much because of men. All for me. As time passes, I feel it more clearly. That they are sincere about me.

About this… I don’t really know. No, I’m being cowardly. Because I’m just unilaterally receiving their goodwill. Could it be a misunderstanding, mixed with the special situation of disaster and trivial things directly related to survival? Could it be a confusion between gratitude and feelings as a member of the opposite sex?

I don’t intend to distort Shia and Heize’s sincerity. I feel that they will continue to smile at me. I also know that even if I desired them, they wouldn’t refuse.

‘…That wouldn’t be fun.’

It’s a weak excuse, but there’s something definite too. That I don’t want to treat Shia and Heize carelessly. That I wish for them to continue smiling at me. It’s my definite wish that they see me as a whole man, not because I saved their lives, or because I helped them survive.

The feelings of these two charming women make me that much duller.

But I can’t show soft thoughts. “Did you… really kill them all?” ‘…’

My hands are already stained with blood. About this, I have no regrets whatsoever. It’s not that I enjoy killing. It’s just that I clashed with an enemy, and after seeing the end, I was the one left standing.

The level at which others’ blabbering could prick my heart passed long ago. Others aren’t going to fight for me. They’re not going to suffer in my stead. They’re not going to understand my grievances or feelings, so others’ gossip has no impact on me.

However… dealing with the wavering emotions of those with whom I’ve shared my heart… I haven’t gotten used to it. Even after becoming strong enough not to get beaten up, no matter how much time passes. That alone, I haven’t gotten used to.

I was very grateful to Heize, who declared she would stay with me. Just yesterday, I could confirm her sincerity as she guarded my back. But what if it goes beyond that…? What if they see me effortlessly twist necks, tear off limbs, and sever them without a second thought? Could Shia and Heize truly still smile at me then?

I gazed at their beautiful sleeping faces for a moment, then quietly left the room.

“Oh? Why are you already up?” Dong-woo, who had been lingering in the hallway, approached with a smile. Hyunwoo was with him.

“Are you on watch?”

“Yes. They put us on the last shift so we could rest a bit.” Hyunwoo replied, his expression not bad, aside from the tired look.

“Nothing happened?”

“Nope! All clear on duty!”

“Hmph. Quiet down. You’ll wake people.”

“Ah~ Hyung-nim, you don’t know a thing~” Dong-woo chuckled mischievously, as if an earthquake was no big deal.

“Turns out the soundproofing in each room is really good.”

“Really?”

It definitely felt that way…

“Chairman Choi said something like… Anyway, he boasted that he spent a lot of money on a special design, so it would be quiet even if there was a ruckus inside.” “For exactly one hour.” “Pfft-haha!”

The younger ones, tormented by Chairman Choi’s chatter, waved their hands, indicating their disgust. And with that, I naturally received an unofficial report that there had been no significant problems during the past hours.

‘That’s a relief.’

I was relieved that they had a peaceful night.

“Hyung-nim. Do you have any plans today?”

“Plans? Why?”

“Hyuk hyung asked us to ask you if we ran into Seonghan hyung.” It seemed even Hyuk hyung felt a sense of unease that he couldn’t just ignore.

“I don’t have plans, but there’s something to do.”

“Something to do?”

I nodded at the two youngsters whose eyes were sparkling.

“You two, let’s do some odd jobs later.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Eat a hearty meal later.”

Because we’ll have to move diligently today. The younger ones, unaware of my thoughts, unnecessarily stretched their bodies, full of enthusiasm. …They’re really cute kids.

***

While Seonghan was acting like a fool among beautiful women, An inferno unfolded in the southern part of the Republic of Korea.

Earthquakes, a type of disaster rarely encountered in Korea. In addition, an earthquake of unprecedented intensity shook the ground. That fact was more than enough to plunge the remaining survivors into chaos.

Because a large-scale announcement was impossible, the intensity of the earthquake, which would remain unofficial, was almost a 7. The official record for the strongest earthquake in Korean Peninsula history, several years ago, was 5.8. Considering that fact, it was an unprecedented disaster that had struck.

It was nothing comparable to the situation Seonghan and his companions experienced in the capital area. The only fortunate thing was that it didn’t last long. Nevertheless, the damage was immense.

Intact roads cracked and split like cookie crumbs. Cracks climbing vertically up building walls made observers doubt their eyes. Buildings that were old or poorly constructed took direct, massive damage. Various facilities that had ceased to function suffered enormous destruction. In short, the situation was utter devastation.

Survivors who had been hiding and enduring inside perished meaninglessly. They vanished, buried under collapsing buildings. Unable to avoid falling debris, they sustained fatal injuries. Even escaping outside the buildings was just as dangerous. Innumerable people were unlucky enough to be crushed by utility poles or fall into the crevices of cracks.

Still, there were those who saved their lives. However, they were then chased by zombies. The earthquake, fairly enough, swallowed a significant number of zombies, but not all of them. Injured, exhausted, and shocked people were no different from helpless rabbits to the remaining zombies. The surviving humans might have been justified in resenting the unforgiving nature, but they couldn’t. Because they had already died before they could even blame it, and instead, they had to run through a hellish landscape to escape.

In a situation where they couldn’t even appeal for help to anyone, survivors were driven to the brink. Despite that, they struggled to somehow keep breathing. And that struggle was happening in various places.

“Casualties?” The man with a deep voice spoke curtly, his expression grim.

A man responded to the middle-aged man’s stern tone. “It’s not precise, but for now, there are no fatalities. So far, four seriously injured, and many with minor injuries.” The man, with a small trickle of blood from his head, answered without concern.

“Can necessary measures be taken?”

“We are doing our best.”

“Hmm… What about the defensive situation?”

“We’re checking, but the barricades haven’t completely collapsed yet. All personnel who can move are rushing to quickly repair them.”

The middle-aged man nodded gravely. Then he slowly turned his gaze and indicated one man. “Director-nim. What’s the situation?”

“…I apologize. Nothing has been properly assessed yet.” The man, called Director, couldn’t lift his head. But no one blamed him for it.

“How much time has passed already, and you call that an answer?! In this situation, you should have figured out something!” Except for one person.

“…”

“Don’t just keep your mouth shut like that, say someth—” “Section Chief-nim.” The middle-aged man cut him off stiffly.

“Shut up.”

“!”

“Unless you’re going to step up yourself.”

The man, cut off by the blunt words, couldn’t retort. Instead, he twisted his expression as much as he could and turned his head away. It was an unpleasant action, but the middle-aged man didn’t even glance at him.

“Do you need personnel?”

“Th-that is…”

“Captain Shin. Can you divert some soldiers?” At the middle-aged man’s words, the Director quickly continued.

“Lieutenant Colonel-nim. The soldiers are too exhausted. I, with my colleagues, will somehow…”

“The staff are just as exhausted. And we here can still manage to respond somehow, but you cannot. In fact, your side needs to be prioritized, so don’t decline.”

“Tsk…”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes, I can. I will form teams immediately.”

“Good. Director-nim. Please move with Captain Shin’s support. I say this, but… truthfully, there isn’t much we can do for you.”

At the Lieutenant Colonel’s words, the Director bowed his head slightly.

“I will do my best to hurry.”

“Even though the situation is like this, your safety is the top priority. Don’t forget that.”

At the stiff yet considerate words, the Director offered a deep bow in place of a greeting.

“Don’t spare any resources needed for treatment. Especially if anything was damaged by the earthquake or became difficult to store, consume it all.”

“Understood.”

The Lieutenant Colonel nodded and rose from his seat. “Everyone, let’s hurry. Tonight will be a long night.”

At the Lieutenant Colonel’s words, the brief meeting concluded. Simultaneously, people quickly dispersed and began to move.

‘Never give up…!’

The middle-aged man, moving at a brisk pace, began giving orders without rest. In this way, in unknown places everywhere, survivors were spending a long night in their own ways. To survive.

At the same time. It was when Seonghan, intoxicated by the scent of skin on the bed, reverently sang all four verses of the national anthem.