SWZ Ch 3

There are exactly twelve cars parked in the garage. Jungwoo has already fixed four of them. Unfortunately, some of them were in a state where the engine and frame were completely smashed.

Jedong asked Jungwoo to fix the remaining four or five cars the next day because the person with the key to open the car doors was out.

“He’ll be back late, so do it tomorrow, tomorrow. Okay? Oh, my shoulder is stiff.”

“Can I rest then?”

“Of course! Rest, rest.”

“Wow. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a bed.”

The airbed Jedong provided was soft and clean.

To be fair, Jungwoo had been lying on a mattress two days ago, but that cheap mattress wasn’t a bed. No, it was an insult to beds. Compared to that, the airbed felt like a cloud.

If Jungwoo had really had sex on that mattress, his back, already troubled by a disc issue, might have been crushed.

“Then I’ll close my eyes for a bit.”

“Should I turn off the light?”

“Yes, please do.”

Jungwoo lay on the airbed, hugging a blanket and his backpack tightly. This time, he even wrapped his backpack securely in his arms.

The harsh lesson the cruel world had taught him was painful, but there was always a way to survive. If he worked hard like this, he might see Hyuk again someday.

With that resolve, Jungwoo closed his eyes. The fatigue from the physical work made him drowsy.

Jungwoo, who had fallen asleep, woke up again around 3 AM.

It was dark and quiet outside, but a rattling sound nearby kept bothering him.

‘Could someone be rummaging through my stuff again?’

He opened his eyes slightly and saw a man swaying. Judging by his appearance, it wasn’t Jedong or Uncle Mansik. Then…

“Who are you?”

The man turned around slowly, reeking of alcohol. It was a bad sign.

“Shit. It’s you?”

“Huh? What?”

You, the new guy. The man, his nose red, approached Jungwoo with a pair of pliers in his hand.

Oh no, that’s not how you hold them. As Jungwoo quickly sat up, the man swung his arm threateningly.

“The new guy didn’t even greet me. Huh?”

“A greeting? Suddenly? No, more importantly, could you put that down…”

“You little shit!”

What kind of situation was this? Even though Jungwoo enjoyed dangerous play and role-playing, he didn’t want to be in actual danger. Even if he was oblivious, he could tell this situation wasn’t pleasant.

‘Damn it, what do I do?’

Jungwoo, a mechanic to the bone, had no manual for such unexpected situations.

He was outmatched in strength, had no weapon, and no tricks up his sleeve. What did people usually do in situations like this?

Jungwoo desperately tried to think of something, anything. Sometimes, scenes from movies could be helpful.

‘Come on, think of something.’

Instead, all he could think of was a scene from an adult comic where two car engineers in jumpsuits were having sex on a sports car. He was doomed.

Too late, he regretted not carrying a weapon with him next time. And maybe he should stop watching adult content. If there was a next time.

As a last resort, Jungwoo raised his backpack to protect his head. Just then—

Clang—!

“Jedong!”

“Agh, aaagh!”

Out of nowhere, Jedong appeared with a frying pan and struck the man’s arm. He looked like he had just run over, sweating profusely.

Wow, impressive.

For the first time, that bald head looked radiant. Though he looked tough, Jedong seemed to be a righteous man.

Jungwoo felt a warmth in his heart. Was this what humanity felt like? Even in the midst of an apocalypse, the bond between people was still alive.

“Thank you! I thought I was going to die. Who is this guy?”

“I must have left the shutter open. Some drunk guy wandered in. He’s just a local drunk.”

Jedong hit the intruder’s back with the frying pan. Jungwoo flinched at the sound.

“A drunk?”

“Shit. I told you to just scare him—”

Before the intruder could finish, Jedong hit him on the back of the neck with the frying pan.

With a loud clang, the intruder foamed at the mouth and collapsed. Jungwoo was surprised that hitting a person could make such a sound.

“Are you okay, Jungwoo?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“Whew, it’s tough dealing with zombies, but humans are even worse these days, right?”

From now on, Jungwoo, we’ll be seeing more of these guys. If it’s okay with you, why don’t you join us? We’ll protect you, and you fix our stuff. I saw earlier that you’re good with more than just cars.

Jungwoo rolled his eyes and groaned, “Hmm.”

It didn’t sound bad. Not bad at all.

“Will you feed me?”

“Of course. And we’ll give you something to drink too.”

Was it okay to join a team so hastily?

“What do you think? Huh? Another one of our guys is coming soon. He’s good-looking and resourceful. He’s great at finding supplies, so we ‘scouted’ him.”

“I’ll think about it. I want to meet your team member first…”

“Decide now.”

“Don’t rush me. I need to think about it.”

Jedong’s insistence was a bit suspicious. It felt like a real estate agent pushing him to sign a contract quickly.

Jungwoo continued, looking annoyed, “The thing is, I think my skills are more valuable than I thought. I appreciate your offer, but I think I might be better off on my own.”

“What?”

“So, I’ll think about the partnership for another half day. Don’t worry, I’ll fix all the cars here before I go.”

He smiled innocently, his face smeared with grease. Jedong, however, did not look pleased.

“Jungwoo.”

“Yes?”

“Do you think the world is easy?”

Huh? As Jungwoo looked up in surprise, Jedong suddenly swung the frying pan he was hiding behind his back.

He was holding a camping knife. The tip of the blade barely missed Jungwoo’s hair.

“Shit!”

“You shouldn’t have done this. You owe me for the advance payment.”

“I fixed your cars!”

“Are you crazy? You think I gave you my blood for just fixing a few cars?”

Damn it. Jungwoo finally realized the truth.

‘Shit. I got played again.’

Forget about humanity. This world was doomed.

A few years ago, a villain in a movie I saw said something. What was his name? Tinos? Thanos? He said humanity needs to be wiped out or something like that.

Anyway, he was right. Humanity is evil, evil!

Jungwoo started to back away slowly. He thought he could manage if he could reach the wall where his tools were hanging.

“Calm down for now.”

“So, are you going to do it or not? Huh?”

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”

“Really? Then hand over your backpack first. If we’re going to be together, we’re one body now. There’s no yours or mine in a family.”

There’s an old saying that handsome guys are worth their looks and ugly guys have a good heart, but it’s all a lie.

These days, whether they’re good-looking or ugly, they’re all trash. At least I can say that Hyuk lives up to his looks. This guy is a joke.

Jungwoo slowly pushed his backpack forward with his toes. Just a little further and he could reach the spanner.

There were many cars he had fixed in the camp. If he just seized the opportunity, he might be able to leave safely.

But as Jungwoo got closer to the wall, Manshik and Jaedong scoffed and raised their hands. They had already figured it out.

“Hey, are you trying to trick us? Trying to escape?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Hey, Manshik. Bring some tools. We need to teach this guy a lesson.”

No way. No way this is happening. They might not kill him, since they need his skills, but they could break something or render him useless.

Manshik handed over a sledgehammer.

“A brat who doesn’t know his place needs to have something broken to listen. This guy too…!”

Han Jungwoo tightly closed his eyes. A dull thud echoed.

He didn’t want to die so pathetically. In a world where people should be helping each other, trusting someone shouldn’t be a sin. He felt a bit resentful.

But.

‘Why doesn’t it hurt? Did I get a one-way ticket to heaven?’

He slowly opened his eyes.

“Hey, this, this…”

A dull thud echoed again.

He couldn’t see well in the dark, but soon Manshik, foaming at the mouth, collapsed as if he had been hit.

It seemed there was someone else in the space.

An internal conflict? Not sure about the exact situation, but Jungwoo seized the opportunity to grab a spanner. Looks like he had terrible luck this week.

Luckily, this time it was one-on-one, not one-on-two. He shouted in his roughest tone.

“Who, who’s there! I have a weapon. Move!”

Click. The light suddenly turned on, and the tension vanished.

In movies, usually, a thunderstorm roars and shows the villain’s face.

The mysterious man nonchalantly flipped the light switch. Instead of a thunderstorm, late spring crickets chirped through the open garage door.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, a familiar face appeared.

“The world is small, right?”

“Huh? Oh…”

“Softie, did you hear my warning? Did you hear it through your ears or some other hole?”

It was Hyuk.

“We meet often. Destiny?”

“…”

Hyuk brushed his hands off and tapped Jungwoo’s shoulder.

“I’m curious how you’ve survived until now. You must be really lucky. Surely you didn’t team up with these guys, right? You said my face was handsome, but I’ll be disappointed if you partnered with these trash.”

Hyuk scrutinized Jungwoo from head to toe. Fortunately, there were no signs of severe harm.

Han Jungwoo stared blankly and then lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly.

Hyuk, noticing this, seemed a bit surprised and made an awkward expression. He wondered if he had been too harsh on the kid.

After a while, he gently spoke, looking somewhat relieved.

“Don’t cry.”

“…”

“It makes me feel bad. I thought you would survive well on your own… Life can be tough. Sometimes waves come; sometimes, tsunamis hit.”

“You, you…”

“Hmm?”

“You bastard! Give back what I’ve collected!”

The gentle atmosphere vanished. Han Jungwoo, eyes bloodshot, charged at Hyuk with a spanner.

+++

About thirty minutes later.

“Jungwoo…”

“Damn it! Don’t drag out your words!”

Jedong and Manshik were tied up with ropes and confined in the car center garage where Jungwoo had been.

As it turned out, Hyuk was used to hitting punks on the back of their heads to obtain survival supplies.

This time, he planned to hit Jaedong’s gang, steal their food, and take all their cars. In other words, he approached Jaedong on purpose.

Releasing the zombies from the building next to the adult store that Jungwoo had marked was part of the plan.

While the gang was busy dealing with the zombies, he planned to find a gap to steal supplies.

But unexpectedly, he encountered a guy masturbating in public, delaying his plan.

“So, Hyung is a conman who cheats other conmen. Low-class trash as expected.”

“Call it what you will.”

Unbelievable. Han Jungwoo clicked his tongue.

Jungwoo started the jeep he had fixed earlier, the most intact one, and loaded all the usable tools and food from the car center into it.

“Why did you come here? To find a partner?”

“…”

“Don’t want to talk?”

“No, I don’t. Because of you, I haven’t eaten for two days.”

Hyuk raised his eyebrows.

“So, I left one can behind.”

“Tsk.”

Jungwoo also packed the spare clothes and bottled water tightly and stuffed them into the car. Now that it’s come to this, he planned to enjoy the camper life.

The car is the base camp, the hideout. Since the car would be as good as his life, it would be tough to crush every zombie he sees, but he figured he could easily push aside any zombies he encountered on the road.

He loaded all his gear and started the car.

“Get out of the way. If you don’t want to get hit.”

“Ha, you’re bold. You know how to fix cars, right? Really?”

“Yep. Why, are you trying to sweet-talk me again?”

Hyuk narrowed his eyes like a fox.

Jungwoo felt uneasy about those eyes. This guy knew his weak points too well.

“Well, I’ll be off. Thanks for saving me today. Stay alive, okay?”

He quickly hit the accelerator to avoid being swayed, but Hyuk was quicker.

Slipping his hand through the slightly open window, he unlocked the passenger door and threw his leg inside while opening it, causing Jungwoo’s foot on the accelerator to jump in surprise.

“Ouch, are you crazy?!”

“Wow, I almost got my leg crushed, right?”

Jungwoo shouted in shock. This guy was also a nutcase, trying to make someone into a murderer. Even his racer dad wouldn’t do that… He started to nag.

Hyuk didn’t back down, grinning as he climbed into the car. He soon leaned towards Jungwoo sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Our innocent Jungwoo.”

“Damn, what now?!”

“You’ve never done car sex, have you?”

“Me, car sex…?”

What? Car sex? Jungwoo’s eyes widened in shock. Why would he ask that in this situation? Was he planning to?

However, even though Han Jungwoo was all about showing off, he wasn’t foolish enough to offer his back after getting tricked repeatedly.

“Have I done it? I told you I haven’t done regular sex either.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Probably not.

“I’m fucking curious, but… not with you, Hyung. I know you’ve got the same routine from three days ago. Do you think I’m an idiot who’d fall for this? Get out! Before I open the door and drift!”

“You know how to drift? Do you have a license?”

What does this guy take me for? Jungwoo’s eyes turned into slits as he glared at Hyuk.

Three years after 14-year-old Han Jungwoo fainted while racing with his father on the circuit.

Blood doesn’t lie; one of high school student Han Jungwoo’s main interests, who inherited both engineering and racing talent, was ‘stylish driving.’

“Hey, Jungwoo. You’ll ruin your health with car racing. Look at your dad’s back; aren’t you learning anything?”

“But it’s cool.”

“It is cool. Then, when you get your license, shall I teach you a bit? Driving is charming if done well. Just don’t tell your mom; she’ll scold me.”

“Honey? I heard everything. Come here for a sec.”

He wanted to woo his girlfriend by driving, do reverse parking with a parking ticket, flirt while casually putting on the seat belt, and go for a spectacular drive along the Gangwon coast.

But now, it all seemed like a dream. The ruined world was sad, this situation was sad, and seeing Hyuk looking down on him made him feel defiant for some reason.

“Come with me.”

“Hmm?”

Han Jungwoo got into a sleek, well-shaped SUV parked in front of the auto shop.

Hyuk naturally sat in the passenger seat this time too.

“Fasten your seat belt. Hold onto the handle.”

Click, the sound of the passenger seat belt buckling came.

At the same moment, Han Jungwoo hit the accelerator hard and performed a drift just before hitting the shop shutter. The car stopped perfectly, with just a leaf’s distance to spare.

“…”

“You saw that?”

There was a brief silence.

“I do have some skills, you know? Even if I’ve been living recklessly, how could I survive purely by luck for a year? With a car, you can run over zombies, South Korea has a high rate of private car ownership, and I know how to fix broken cars. I’m not just some sex-crazed maniac.”

No, Han Jungwoo was skilled, but he also survived thanks to his incredible luck. He was sex-crazed too, though.

Hyuk looked down at Jungwoo with a dumbfounded expression.

This was the guy who rolled his eyes saying he was dying when I poked his butt. But when he’s behind the wheel, he’s a different story.

The previously insincere gleam in Cha Junghyeok’s eyes was now filled with interest.

“Now I see, not just fluff but a scrubber.”

“Ugh, scrubbers are gross, like old men’s stubble. Anyway, I’m leaving. Don’t mess around, Hyung, just go on your way.”

As Jungwoo opened the SUV’s driver door to return to his car, Hyuk’s hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. His delicate face came close to Jungwoo’s.

“Damn, stop being clingy!”

To think the day would come when he’d tell a handsome guy not to be clingy. Han Jungwoo cheered inside.

But only for a moment; facing Hyuk’s closely pressed face, Jungwoo gasped.

Up close, Hyuk’s features had a different allure than when seen in a cheap adult shop.

Before, he had a somewhat wild, foxy look, but now, under the car’s interior light, there was a rebellious, rugged charm around his lips.

As Jungwoo blankly observed his features, Hyuk, seeming to read his expression, grinned and spoke.

“Why not, Jungwoo? You’re single, right?”

“So what? Am I a couple?!”

Was this an attack on his pride? Han Jungwoo shouted in frustration.

“Not that. I meant do you have a survival partner? Like a team of survivors you travel with.”

“No. I’m totally solo.”

Good. Hyuk smiled in relief.

“I’ve thought about it. You’ve got the skills, and I’ve got the means.”

“Not means, just good at backstabbing.”

“That’s a means too.”

Hyuk was planning to be blatantly shameless.

Seeing the hidden side of Han Jungwoo, who had always seemed so naive, Hyuk felt like showing his interest without any restraint. He also seemed quite useful.

“So, how about we form a team?”

“Why? To rob my backpack again?”

“You take care of your stuff, and I’ll take care of mine.”

A team, huh. Jungwoo was quite tempted inside.

This Hyung certainly seemed to have good means. Above all, he had what Jungwoo lacked – the knack for sweet-talking and seeing through people.

“You just have to fix the cars or electronics I steal while driving. We’ll split the food we gather equally, and we’ll each use what we need.”

It was a good offer. After this incident, Jungwoo had a feeling that finding a peaceful, quiet base camp like the Happy Sunshine officetel he had stayed at until recently would be difficult.

To navigate through this jungle-like reality, he might need someone like Hyuk, who was clever and resourceful, as a partner.

But Jungwoo wanted to be a bit more stubborn. His pride was already scratched, and he wanted to make Hyuk suffer for another three days or so, until he would have no choice but to accept when Hyuk begged.

If he leaves after that… it would be a pity about his face, but oh well.

Someone who has betrayed once can do it again. If there’s not even that much sincerity, it’s better to give up.

That was a new lesson Jungwoo learned over the last couple of days.

“I’m not that into it. I’ll fix the cars, but what are you going to do for me, Hyung? Without give and take, this deal is too one-sided. Do you think fixing cars is easy?”

“I won’t let you lose out. I’ve got what you like.”

What I like?

As Jungwoo looked puzzled, Hyuk whispered, adding:

“My face. And my dick.”

“Cough, cough!”

Words he hadn’t even imagined came out, making him choke in surprise.

“We can do it when we both feel like it. We can try car sex, bondage play, and find other things you might like.”

“Cough, cough. Stop, stop talking!”

In the end, Jungwoo covered Hyuk’s mouth.

Why does this Hyung only say flirtatious or scam-like things when he opens his mouth?

Is he a natural? Was his father a Casanova? Did he plant beans and get beans?

Sensing Jungwoo’s agitation, Hyuk licked the palm that was covering his mouth, driving the point home.

“Yuck! What are you doing?!”

“Hmm. It smells like oil. Interesting.”

Jungwoo’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato.

Why am I facing this ordeal? Now I can’t even tell if it’s an ordeal or a blessing.

The most unbearable thing in this situation wasn’t Hyuk’s shamelessness or the smell of oil emanating from his body.

‘Damn, I got hard. My pride’s completely gone.’

He was a twenty-one-year-old with a body full of energetic desire.

To hide his erection, he quickly got out of the driver’s seat and leaned against the car. Hyuk followed leisurely and stood in front of him.

Junghyeok looked down at the bulge in Jungwoo’s jeans and smiled slyly, a smile that already sensed victory.

“While you’re showing off like that, are you worried I’ll trick you again?”

“Yes. Seriously, your face is too much. It’s so irritating, I’m dying. It’s unfair…”

“You got hard just from that.”

“Don’t look.”

“You’re quite something.”

Hyuk slowly approached and placed his hand on the car, trapping Jungwoo between the car and himself like a sandwich.

“Move aside, Hyung.”

“Last time, you said you felt cheated because I didn’t give you what you wanted?”

“…”

“It’s not appropriate to roll around here.”

He stuck out his tongue slightly.

“If you let me put my tongue in, would you think about it again? I’m good at it.”

His tone was clearly teasing. Saying such vulgar things with such a pretty face was maddening for Han Jungwoo, who had such tastes.

Above all, Jungwoo was driven mad by the shamelessness of Hyuk, who seemed not to care about Jungwoo’s pride, as his own arousal grew unabated. It felt like the past few days’ worth of desire was rising.

‘If it weren’t for that face, that voice, and that body!’

In the end, Han Jungwoo reluctantly raised the white flag.

“…Then, I’ll think about it.”

A battle between pride and desire.

Actually, the winner was already decided.

No sooner had he answered than Hyuk grabbed his cheeks and kissed him.

Jungwoo thought Hyuk might just nibble on his lips without going further, but Hyuk surprisingly pushed his tongue into Jungwoo’s mouth, tangling it stickily.

“Ha, uh, mmm…”

“Fluff, relax your neck a bit.”

Soon, the hands holding his cheeks moved slowly, covering Jungwoo’s ears. The wet, steamy sounds of kisses echoed in his ears, louder than thunder.

“Mmm…”

As Jungwoo let out a lazy moan, Hyuk’s hot tongue tapped against the roof of his mouth in approval. At the same time, Jungwoo’s lower half was squeezed between the car and Hyuk’s legs, being rubbed gently.

‘Wait. Now that I think about it, this is my first kiss.’

Was it okay to lose my first kiss for such a lewd and inappropriate reason?

What would I say if someone asked about my first kiss experience later?

Despite his mind being clouded with random thoughts, Jungwoo acknowledged that Hyuk was good at kissing. Before he knew it, he was timidly holding onto Hyuk’s shoulders.

“Huh, ah! I, I can’t breathe.”

“You should breathe through your nose.”

“That’s easier said than, mmm… mm.”

After sweeping through Jungwoo’s mouth like devouring it, leaving just enough room to breathe, Hyuk finally pulled away with a lecherous smile.

Jungwoo’s legs gave out, making him stagger. If a hot, slimy creature had teased him all over, he imagined it would feel like this.

‘Is this what a kiss is? Are kisses supposed to be this messy?’

The sticky sounds that had filled his ears, the pressure on his lower body from rubbing against Hyuk’s knees, and the rough movements of his lips that seemed to steal his breath felt dreamlike.

“Ah, uh.”

“Legs gave out? It really was your first time. You’re terrible at this.”

“Re-really, Hyung.”

“Why, did you not like it? Did it feel too perverted?”

“No…”

No. I liked it so much it’s annoying. Why are you so good at this? Is everyone this good? Jungwoo mumbled, half in frustration, half in ecstasy.

“No, that’s just me being good. I’m honored you liked it.”

“Honored, my ass.”

“Now, do you feel like being my partner?”

…Okay. I’ll do it, be your partner. Jungwoo muttered, as if under a spell, while sitting down.

Hyuk smiled like a fox, having predicted this outcome.

Now, Jungwoo didn’t know what was what anymore.

In this ruined world, how much worse could it get by sticking with a backstabbing scammer every day?

In this gloomy world, the marathon with death is boring.

In a world where you don’t know when you’ll die, every moment is precious, so you should live happily as your heart desires.

“…Next time, I want to do it on the hood of a sports car.”

Han Jungwoo waved his hands in surrender, clearly capitulating.