SRW | Chapter 05

Park Changjin muttered darkly as he stared at the liquor bottle in his hand. After all, he was a minor. Even if he committed a crime, he’d just end up in juvenile detention. And once he got out, he could jump straight into gang life. Park Changjin was determined to ruin Sun Eunsoo, no matter what it took. That way, no one would dare look down on him again. He staggered forward, his steps unsteady. Sun Eunsoo’s driver usually waited a few blocks away from the school gate. Park Changjin planned to ambush him on his way out.

“Heh heh, I’ll take a picture of that bastard crying and spread it to the whole school.”

Park Changjin slowly walked into the alley behind the building. It was so narrow that only one person could fit through, and there were no CCTV cameras around. He used to skip class here often, and now that experience was coming in handy. He chuckled to himself.

But then…

“Ugh!”

Park Changjin let out a scream as a sudden blow to the back of his head sent him sprawling forward. Blood trickled down his temple. Thanks to his thick skull, he quickly regained his senses and tried to get up. But someone behind him stomped on his back. If it had been an open space, he might’ve rolled away and found an opening, but the alley was too narrow, and the person behind him was too strong. Park Changjin struggled to turn his head and see who was attacking him. The shadow made it hard to see their face, but he could tell they were wearing the same school uniform.

“Damn it… who the hell are you?”

The attacker didn’t answer. Instead, Park Changjin felt them crouch down. He tried to muster his strength and break free, but another blow landed on the back of his head.

“Gah!”

Stars exploded in his vision. For a moment, Park Changjin felt the fear of death. There was no hesitation in the repeated strikes to his head. Were they really trying to kill him? When he saw the shadow raise their hand again, he broke down in tears.

“P-please, spare me! Please… gah!”

His vision blurred, and he wet himself. Before he passed out, Park Changjin caught a glimpse of cold, unmoving brown eyes staring down at him through the haze.

‘That guy…’

Who was it…?

Park Changjin couldn’t finish the thought as he lost consciousness. Thud. A bloodied brick fell beside his head.

And then, someone slowly stood up. They looked down at Park Changjin. Or rather, at the liquor bottle he’d been carrying, with a faint smile.

“You shouldn’t carry dangerous things around, Changjin. You might get hurt.”

The voice was gentle, completely out of place in such a horrifying situation.

*

“What’s up with them?”

I locked eyes with the squid squad as I passed them in the hallway. I was about to nod out of courtesy, but they suddenly turned pale and bolted. It was weird. They weren’t the type to freak out over a few punches. But I shrugged it off and fiddled with the collapsible baton hidden in my desk drawer. It was a military-grade baton I’d ordered from overseas. Yesterday, I practiced with it for less than ten minutes, and it already felt like an extension of my body. Seriously, the [Special Dexterity] skill is… ridiculously overpowered.

There are more effective weapons for dealing with monsters, but I chose the baton for two reasons.

First, it’s easy to carry.

And second, it doesn’t draw attention.

I don’t plan to become the leader of any survivor group. To avoid that, I need to hide my abilities, so carrying a baton as a self-defense tool is the perfect excuse.

The best plan would be to hide in the clubroom with Kim Jaeyoung, where I’ve stashed food and weapons, but since I don’t know when the days of darkness will come, I need to consider other options. If you go left from the classroom, you’ll reach the cafeteria; go right, and you’ll find the gym. The clubroom is even farther. No matter where I end up, the final destination has to be the clubroom. Aside from the food, I’ve also hidden a rifle from my family’s study there. I plan to give it to Kim Jaeyoung before he awakens.

Of course, a rifle won’t do much against monsters. Their skin is so tough that bullets just bounce off. If you want to even scratch them, you have to shove the gun into their mouths. The military proved that human-made firearms are useless. Despite all their firepower, they failed to protect South Korea. The surviving military forces only managed to reclaim Seoul later because they had a lot of awakened individuals.

Humans can’t stand against monsters without awakened abilities. And even among the awakened, few can take on a monster alone. Each monster has a different form, size, and fighting style, so awakened individuals have to form groups, like in a party quest, to fight them.

But even if it’s not very effective, a gun is still a gun. If it can distract a monster for even a moment… the chances of survival increase.

“Guys, no self-study during P.E. today. Change into your gym clothes and head to the field.”

The class president walked in and announced the P.E. schedule, prompting groans from all around. Midterms were over, and summer break was next week, yet they were still making us do P.E. No wonder the seniors preparing for the college entrance exam were annoyed.

Kim Jaeyoung walked to the back of the classroom to grab his gym clothes from his locker. I tugged on the hem of his uniform as he passed by. If he went to the field, I’d have to follow, but I didn’t have any gym clothes. I didn’t have any friends to borrow from either. I could’ve gone to the next class and threatened someone into handing theirs over, but I didn’t feel like going that far.

“I don’t have gym clothes.”

“You’re coming to the field?”

Kim Jaeyoung’s eyes widened when I said I’d go to the field, since I usually skipped P.E. without a care. When I nodded, he handed me his gym clothes without a second thought. Then he went to the class president and borrowed a set.

“Is the class president not going to the field?”

“He has a sunlight allergy, so he stays in the shade during outdoor P.E.”

“Ah.”

I grinned at the class president as a thank-you, but he quickly turned his head away with a stiff expression. What’s his problem? Does he think I’m a bad influence on Kim Jaeyoung?

“What the hell, am I supposed to wear that?”

Kim Jaeyoung in gym clothes… was seriously eye-catching. The class president was about 165 cm tall, so his gym clothes on Kim Jaeyoung, who was 187 cm, turned into shorts that barely covered half his thighs and a top that would show his stomach if he raised his arms.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

Kim Jaeyoung smirked and swept his hair back, causing his top to ride up and reveal his skin. You idiot, stop posing like that in those clothes…! Even the other guys in class were sneaking glances at him. Kim Jaeyoung didn’t seem to care about the attention.

“…No, it’s fine.”

Yeah, you can keep wearing that since you’re good-looking no matter what… I shook my head lightly and changed into Kim Jaeyoung’s gym clothes. Then I stuffed the collapsible baton into a large sports bag and slung it over my shoulder. Kim Jaeyoung’s eyes followed the bag, but I pretended not to notice.

“Teacher~ Can’t we go to the gym instead? It’s too hot.”

“The sports team’s using it, so no. And hey, you guys need some sunlight for vitamin D. You’re seniors now, stop whining in front of the underclassmen. Repeat after me: A healthy body houses a healthy mind!”

“A healthy body houses a healthy mind!”

The P.E. class was a combined session for the second and third-year boys. When the teacher announced a basketball and soccer match, everyone’s competitive spirit lit up. The teacher assigned the taller ten students to the basketball team and the rest to soccer. Naturally, Kim Jaeyoung and I were on the basketball team.

“Teacher, I want to play basketball. Can I switch?”

A short second-year raised his hand, eager to join the basketball team. The teacher said anyone who wanted to switch could, and the boy swapped places with someone who wanted to play soccer. The new addition to the basketball team high-fived a burly guy who looked like a bear…

“…Bear?”

The nickname sounded familiar. I narrowed my eyes and studied the bear-like guy. After a moment, I remembered. Bear! The guy who got tricked by me and became monster food in my dream! At first, I thought he’d be useful since he was from the sports team, but he was too nice and even argued with me a few times, so I killed him on the way from the gym to the cafeteria.

Yeah, he was dumb but kind. His alignment was probably good. Maybe I could use him again. It’s funny how human nature works. Even after he died because of me, I’m already thinking about how to use him again.

“Do you know him?”

Kim Jaeyoung followed my gaze and stared at Bear. Well, I do know him, but… I slung my arm over Kim Jaeyoung’s shoulder and answered.

“Only I know him.”

“Why?”

“Well… he stands out, doesn’t he?”