Antisocial Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Threat

Bo-yeon couldn’t count how many close calls had passed before her eyes. If Do-kyung hadn’t acted when he did, she would have been dragged away by the zombies and met a terrible fate.

Instead of waiting for the zombies to pass, Do-kyung climbed up the outer wall of the building, relying on nothing but his bare hands.

With just his hands…

He gripped the gaps in the windows and pipes along the wall, stepping on whatever footholds he could find. At one point, he even supported the weight of both of them with a single hand, his eccentric strength on full display.

His forearm muscles strained, and the blood vessels on the back of his hand throbbed with effort. His speed was astonishing. It was dizzying to watch as they passed the fourth floor, 11 meters high—said to be the greatest fear for humans.

He reached the fifth floor, where the pharmacy was, and extended his hand to enter the building. The two of them swayed dangerously like a pendulum in the wind.

The cold wind was eerie, almost like a scene out of a horror movie. Bo-yeon realized she could barely catch her breath.

“Close your eyes.”

Do-kyung whispered, sensing her uneven breathing. The arm around his neck had tightened, and Bo-yeon didn’t want to make it worse. She closed her eyes tightly, silently wishing for this to end quickly.

Do-kyung stepped onto the open window ledge, pulling them both inside with a swift, controlled movement. He landed lightly, scanning the room before carefully setting Bo-yeon down.

The zombies inside the building were distracted, facing downwards after the commotion a moment earlier.

“Now cry.”

“…..”

Do-kyung teased Bo-yeon, lightly tapping her soft cheek. She felt as though she might collapse from the overwhelming exhaustion. If he hadn’t caught her, trembling and on the verge of falling, she surely would have.

Grrrr. Grrk. Gggkkk. The ominous groans of the monsters filled the air, echoing through the city. The sound of an explosion followed, adding to the tension.

“What’s going on outside?”

“Bait. It’s easier to move if you move them to one side.”

It meant someone had set the fire intentionally. The nights in the city were never as quiet as the days. Between the dark buildings, lights flickered occasionally, and human screams echoed through the air. The city was alive with people caught up in the chaos.

“I keep hearing people screaming…”

They were in danger, and most would likely die—victims of their fellow humans’ selfishness.

However, Do-kyung showed no interest in the outside world. He didn’t care whether others burned to death or not.

“……”

When he didn’t respond, Bo-yeon realized there was nothing she could do. There was no police to report it to. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the distant screams. Her eyelids fluttered with guilt.

“L-let’s go together…”

After a moment, Bo-yeon noticed that Do-kyung had disappeared inside alone, and she quickly followed him. She grabbed the hem of his clothes and trailed behind him like a child.

It frustrated her that she couldn’t do anything properly, that she felt so helpless. Yet, Do-kyung didn’t push her away. Instead, he allowed her to cling to him.

Do-kyung was the first to find the inhaler for Bo-yeon.

“This?”

“Ah! Yes, that’s right.”

Bo-yeon took the inhaler with trembling hands. She felt guilty about taking something that wasn’t hers, but she opened the package, hoping others would understand given the urgency of the situation. The bitter powder hit the back of her throat.

A wave of relief washed over her. Her breathing, which had been erratic and unstable, finally seemed to settle.

“Thank you…”

Bo-yeon whispered, her voice trembling slightly. The calm gaze met hers for a moment before looking away.

The two of them took all the remaining inhalers and continued searching the pharmacy. They had deliberately chosen the pharmacy over the first floor, but signs of looting were already evident. The shelves of disinfectants and antibiotics were nearly empty, and the only thing Do-kyung seemed interested in was an empty box.

“They’ve looted everything.”

Thud. The lightly fluttering paper box had ‘CONDOM’ written in English. 

“……”

Bo-yeon looked at Do-kyung with trembling eyes. It was surprising that what he was looking for was a condom, but it was shocking that other people had taken a bunch of condoms in this situation. 

“Don’t forget. Why am I so lenient with you?”

When their eyes met, he shot her a chilling look and whispered softly. The intense pressure seemed to squeeze her heart.

There was a deal between them. Do-kyung had saved Bo-yeon, not abandoned her in a dangerous situation, and even found the inhaler for her. He had proven his worth. Now, it was Bo-yeon’s turn to pay the price.

“Answer.”

His eyes were like the barrel of a pitch-black gun. Beyond the window, the ghostly figure shook ominously. Bo-yeon understood. She couldn’t survive outside the bunker without Do-kyung. The world beyond was even crueler than she had imagined.

“Ah, I won’t forget…”

In that moment, Bo-yeon noticed the birth control pills. She hadn’t had her period for three months due to stress, and she figured it would be a good idea to take them, if possible.

“This is, I haven’t had my period for three, three months…”

Bo-yeon wasn’t sure what she was mumbling, so she whispered in a panic. Her face turned red with shame as she discreetly slipped the birth control pills into her backpack. When she chose survival over morality, the contents of her backpack began to accumulate.

Do-kyung slowly eased the pressure that had been weighing down on Bo-yeon, who was still tense.

Pssh. The sound of muffled gunshots echoed at short intervals.

The decibel level was noticeably low, thanks to the silenced submachine gun K-7 and the 9mm subsonic bullets.

Among the few zombies trapped on the stairs, only those nearby heard the faint sound and began moving up. However, due to the long-range shots, they couldn’t pinpoint the direction and were quickly taken down.

Each shot pierced the zombies’ foreheads with deadly accuracy. The steady rhythm of gunfire even made her feel somewhat at ease.

Was it because of his sharp eyesight? Good vision made an excellent sniper, but considering he had scaled the building’s outer wall with his bare hands, Bo-yeon didn’t think he’d be bad at close combat either.

Bo-yeon followed him down the stairs, hearing the faint thuds of zombies falling with each gunshot. Unable to see ahead, she gripped the handrail tightly as she walked. However, wet, sticky blood dripped down, and the pungent smell made her stomach turn.

“You’re so weak.”

Do-kyung, noticing her erratic breathing, clicked his tongue and whispered. His gaze remained fixed ahead.

“I-I’m sorry…”

It was almost effortless, despite Bo-yeon not contributing, only weighing him down. Bo-yeon was taken aback by his incredible fighting ability. She hadn’t seen the mutants yet, but even the regular zombies were overwhelming.

He was truly a human weapon—immunity, night vision, and unparalleled combat skills. It was hard to fully assess the strategic value of someone like Joo Do-kyung at this point.

Bo-yeon thought blankly as she safely escaped the building, carried on Do-kyung’s back.

How lucky would it be to be protected by someone like him? Was there anyone among the survivors enduring the hellish nights of Seoul who wouldn’t want him by their side?

Even if that protection came with a cold-hearted and merciless edge?