ZFS Chapter 5

Tae Yujun’s eyes widened in shock.

Antonio let out a startled “Kee—!” screech before collapsing onto the ground, sprawling flat. His body convulsed a few times, almost as if bouncing, before coming to an eerie stillness. There was no doubt—he was utterly lifeless.

“Br-Brother…”

He’s dead. Brother Antonio is… dead.

Tae Yujun’s jaw trembled, his teeth chattering audibly. He raised his head toward the direction the bullet had come from. Standing there was Won Hyuk, holding a pistol.

“Ah…”

Tae Yujun’s legs gave out, and he sank to the ground. His hands shook uncontrollably as warm, sticky blood with a putrid stench dripped steadily from his chin. It had likely smeared across his chest and stomach as well.

The sickly stench of rotting blood soon filled the air, pooling around him—a grim testament to Antonio’s death. Yet, as if unsatisfied, Won Hyuk strode forward and slammed a wooden plank down onto Antonio’s neck.

“What are you doing?!”

“These bastards—you’ve got to completely sever the carotid artery, or they’ll come back.”

“Stop it! Please, just stop!”

“Get a grip. That zombie just tried to eat you. Didn’t you see it drooling and licking its lips?”

“I did. But…”

On the back of the monster’s clothes, the words Korean Catholic Association were boldly printed alongside a large cross. Won Hyuk had no difficulty recognizing the monster’s identity from its attire. Judging by the clothes, it must have been one of Tae Yujun’s colleagues. Even so, to lash out at the person who had just saved his life? Won Hyuk felt a surge of irritation.

“Unbelievable. I just saved your life, and instead of gratitude, I’m getting scolded.”

Won Hyuk slung the wooden plank over his shoulder and sneered. Tae Yujun, still sitting on the ground, lowered his head. Every word Won Hyuk said was true. If not for him, Tae Yujun wouldn’t have survived.

“Thank you for saving me. Truly, I will never forget this kindness. But God will grieve over this.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Because God sees everything.”

“Does He now? Does God even exist?”

“What are you talking about?”

 

Wiping the blood trickling down his face, Tae Yujun spoke with a serious expression.

 

“Think about it. If God really existed, would He have unleashed this kind of hell? Would He have allowed zombies like these to roam free?”

 

Won Hyuk sneered, lightly swinging the wooden plank in his hand—a clear signal to head back to the car. Tae Yujun almost argued back but bit his tongue. That man didn’t seem like the type to engage in a meaningful religious debate, and now wasn’t the time for one either.

 

As they passed Antonio’s corpse, Tae Yujun instinctively squeezed his eyes shut. Everything about this situation was terrifying. He silently made the sign of the cross.

 

Climbing back into the vehicle, Tae Yujun said nothing. The truck’s interior remained dim, as the lights were deliberately left off.

 

“Why did you save me? I was just a bystander to you. You could have ignored me.”

 

“To leave a good impression.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“When I thought about it, you’re the only one who might have any leads on Dr. Jang right now. I only know the official details about him. But you—you’re different, aren’t you? His main residence, hideouts, personal research labs, places he frequents… and where he might go in a crisis like this. That’s the kind of information I need.”

 

The reasoning wasn’t wrong. Tae Yujun had already planned to head straight to the Yeouido lab.

 

“You’re planning to check those places one by one, aren’t you, Father? I figured I should follow you. Let’s go together.”

 

Won Hyuk casually placed a hand on Tae Yujun’s shoulder. Dumbfounded, Tae Yujun let out a hollow laugh.

 

What a calculative and cunning man. He’d acted as if he were letting him go without hesitation, only to save him at the last critical moment to build favor. Now, he was demanding to tag along. It was a sophisticated negotiation tactic.

 

“If I provide the locations, Brother—or rather, you—what will you offer in return?”

 

“This dependable sweet potato truck.”

 

Won Hyuk lightly tapped the gear lever.

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“I used to be a professional racer. I even competed in the F1 league. That’s why I’m crazy good at driving. With this old junk of a truck, I can still pull off stunt driving at over 140 kilometers per hour.”

 

“Are you for real?”

 

“If you don’t believe me, look it up online. My American name is Chris Irving.”

 

Still doubtful, Tae Yujun searched “Chris Irving” on his phone. Sure enough, a detailed Wikipedia entry about Won Hyuk’s personal information appeared.

 

Chris Irving.

Owner of the multinational pharmaceutical company “No More.” Born in Seoul, he moved to the United States at the age of ten with his mother, who later became the second wife of Jeff Irving, the founder of No More. Won the championship in the F2 League and advanced to the F1 League but retired in less than a season. Since then, he has devoted himself to business studies.

 

Below the text was a photo from his F1 days. In the image, he had a tall, striking appearance and a confident smile. He looked much younger than the present Won Hyuk. Upon closer inspection, there was no scar visible on his forehead.

 

“…I see, it’s true,”

 

“Why can’t you trust what people say?”

 

Because you seem shady, Tae Yujun thought but held back the words and nodded instead.

 

“And the gun. Like you saw earlier, I’m quite bold and decisive. On the way here, I must’ve killed around thirty zombies with just this gun.”

 

Won Hyuk pulled out the handgun he had used earlier from his coat. The thought that it was the same gun used to kill Antonio just moments ago made Tae Yujun uneasy.

 

“I even have a spare for father.”

 

Won Hyuk opened a glove box, revealing another handgun.

 

“These are the perks of sticking with me. And one more thing.”

 

“What is it? There’s more?”

 

“I’ll treat you lovingly.”

 

What nonsense is this? Tae Yujun frowned nervously.

 

“You’re so lovely, Father.”

 

“Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?”

 

This man was impossible to figure out. How did the topic jump from guns to this?

 

“I’m really picky, you know. I’ve never met anyone who matched my ideal type. But the moment I saw you, Father, I just knew.”

 

“Please stop.”

 

Every now and then, men would approach Tae Yujun like this. He was fed up with the same tired script—lines about how he had a unique charm women didn’t have or how his role as a future priest was irresistibly alluring. He’d had enough of such nonsense for a lifetime.

 

“No. Why are you so grumpy?”

 

“Apart from the fact that you saved my life, unpleasant things are still unpleasant.”

 

Tae Yujun spoke with a stern expression.

 

“Can’t I even say something lovely is lovely?”

 

“You should keep it to yourself.”

 

“I’m the type who can’t stand it if I don’t speak my mind.”

 

“Write it in a diary, then.”

 

“Hmm. Fine. Let’s simplify it to three conditions—a car, a gun, and loveliness.”

 

“I told you to keep the third one to yourself!”

 

“Alright, alright, let’s seal the deal now.”

 

Won Hyuk grinned shamelessly and extended his hand for a handshake. Tae Yujun felt both dumbfounded and wronged, but the exhaustion from the prolonged argument made it impossible to keep going. Besides, the key points of the situation stood out. The man’s gun and car, along with his ruthless ability to kill zombies without hesitation, would undoubtedly be a significant advantage in searching through Seoul.

 

“We’re both looking for Dr. Jang. But neither of us knows where he is. That’s why we’ve teamed up.”

 

“…fine.”

 

“Our cooperation lasts until we find Dr. Jang. After that, we go our separate ways.”

 

“That’s only natural.”

 

Tae Yujun shook the man’s hand. His palm was hot, rough with calluses. Won Hyuk didn’t let go for some time. His grip was so strong that it almost felt as though Tae Yujun’s entire body was trapped in his grasp.

 

Tae Yujun couldn’t figure out what Won Hyuk was really up to. Was he just trying to gather information? Could he be planning to harm Dr. Jang? Various thoughts crossed his mind. Tae Yujun resolved to treat this strictly as a temporary alliance and remain cautious. He wouldn’t let his guard down. If Won Hyuk ever tried to harm Dr. Jang, Tae Yujun was determined to act.

 

“You can let go of my hand now.”

 

“Just a little longer, lovely father.”

 

“Already again! And I’m not a priest yet. I haven’t been ordained, so I’m just a seminary student.”

 

“Then, what should I call you?”

 

“Just call me by my baptismal name, John, brother.”

 

“Hmm. That doesn’t quite roll off my tongue. How about my lovely one?”

 

“…my baptismal name, John.”

 

“Then, how about my lovely John?”

 

Worn out by Won Hyuk’s persistence, Tae Yujun finally surrendered, raising both hands in defeat.

 

“Ha, do whatever you want.”

 

“Got it. My love.”

 

With an unbothered grin, Won Hyuk finally released Tae Yujun’s hand. The lingering warmth on his palm left Tae Yujun feeling vaguely uncomfortable.

 

“Alright, let’s go find Dr. Jang now. We should first decide where to start searching and how to go about it.”

 

Won Hyuk turned on his phone and opened a map of Seoul. After thoroughly studying the layout of the city, Tae Yujun spoke up.

 

“Hmm… I think we should focus on more obvious locations rather than unexpected ones.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“While it’s possible the doctor went somewhere far, we should start with his private lab. It’s a place not many people know about. He often stayed there overnight, saying he was stuck on his research.”

 

“Where is it?”

 

“Yeouido. I was just about to head there myself.”

 

“Oh, Yeouido. That’s a bit of a drive from here.”

 

Won Hyuk zoomed in on the Yeouido area on the map.

 

“Alright, we’ll start with the Yeouido lab.”

 

He started the truck, and the distinctive rattling of the engine echoed loudly, a sound familiar to any truck.

 

“They seem to have sharp hearing, so let’s hurry and get out of here. Oh, before that—”

 

“Yes?”

 

Won Hyuk suddenly leaned in close to Tae Yujun.