SWZ Ch 9

The four survivors stood solemnly in a row, looking down at the young engineer skillfully changing the tire.

After confidently finishing the tire replacement, he said, “Overall, the car is in good condition. That’s a relief,” as he meticulously inspected the trunk and door locks.

Han Jungwoo was fixing their car as an apology for surprising them earlier.

Naturally, Junghyuk found it distasteful. But Jungwoo, feeling a little guilty about sending them off just like that, deliberately put on a playful act, volunteering as their makeshift mechanic for the day.

“It’d be a disaster if you ran into robbers. I actually went through something similar recently, and let me tell you, if your locks fail, you’re in real trouble.”

“Uh… right.”

The first survivor who had blocked Hyuk earlier, Lee Hyesu, glanced at the bite mark on Jungwoo’s neck with a complicated expression before shifting her gaze to the bright sky.

At first, she had assumed his awkward gait was due to an injury. But after hearing the full story… she thought she understood why.

Even in the apocalypse, humanity’s instinct to preserve its species remained strong.

Not that the two of them could contribute much to that.

“Alright, all done. Aside from the tire, the car’s in decent shape. You should be able to use it for at least a few more months.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

Lastly, he carefully wrapped thick tape around the sharp edges of the broken windshield to prevent injury. Then, taking off his work gloves, he gave the car’s body a couple of firm pats.

“Thank you. And… sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“Ahem. It’s fine.”

While Jungwoo worked on the car, Hyuk had been standing in the shade of a nearby store building, silently watching the other survivors.

He felt bitter, realizing that traveling with a younger partner led to misunderstandings like this. But at the same time, seeing Han Jungwoo chatting and laughing with them somehow made his stomach churn.

As the repairs seemed to be wrapping up, he shaded his eyes with one hand and slowly walked toward Jungwoo.

“All done?”

“Yeah, it’s done. Should we get going, Hyung?”

As Jungwoo dusted off his hands and stretched his stiff back, Hyuk naturally pulled him closer by the shoulder—a silent message to leave quickly.

Just then, Hyesu called out to them.

“Wait, you two!”

Hyuk sighed openly, making his discomfort clear, but Hyesu ignored it and approached, handing them a black plastic bag.

“It’s not much, but here. Take it.”

Inside the bag were a few caramel candies, half-melted from the car’s interior heat.

“You really don’t have to—”

“We feel bad for the misunderstanding, and we appreciate your help with the car. These days, nothing feels as reassuring as a sturdy vehicle. Actually… we’re heading to Gangwon Province to work on vaccine development. I don’t think we’ll see each other again, so I wanted to say goodbye in advance.”

“Oh, vaccine development.”

Jungwoo glanced at Hyuk, rolling his eyes slightly.

He figured this topic would interest Junghyuk, but the man had already climbed into the passenger seat, arms crossed.

After a moment of hesitation, Jungwoo shook his head. Even from what he had heard, the claim about vaccine development in Gangwon was just a questionable rumor.

“Good luck. I hope we meet again somewhere safe.”

With that, he quickly walked to the driver’s seat and grabbed a remaining bag of lollipops from his backpack.

“Here, let’s trade. I actually prefer caramel over lollipops.”

“Huh? This is too much—”

“Take it. I don’t eat much anyway. My body runs efficiently, even on less food. Pretty awesome, right?”

Before she could refuse, Jungwoo shoved the bag into her hands and swiftly got into the driver’s seat.

“Stay safe! Survive well! And Gangwon’s still chilly, so dress warmly!”

“Th-Thank you. You too, be careful!”

Jungwoo gripped the steering wheel with satisfaction.

He liked his new clothes, the weather was nice, and he’d done a good deed—it made him feel a little warmer inside. But still…

“Hyung, why do you look like that?”

“Because you’re being silly.”

“Why, why?”

“Just take it. I’m exchanging something for it.”

Hyuk seemed displeased. But it was just a handful of candy.

“Hyung, my food is mine. Hyung’s food is Hyung’s. We agreed to manage it this way.”

“Yeah, whatever. It’s none of my business whether you eat your food or give it away. But don’t give it all away. You’re too trusting and soft-hearted. How are you going to survive like that? I wonder if you can survive without me.”

Jungwoo started the engine and pursed his lips.

“I can survive without Hyung. Though I might get stabbed in the back.”

I won’t die. He muttered casually as he stepped on the accelerator.

Hyuk, leaning against the passenger window, had a calm look in his eyes.

“Our little one. You need to toughen up before you lose all your innocence. What should we do?”

“I’ll learn a lot while I’m with Hyung. So, Hyung, you should learn too. Good deeds come back to you someday. Even if I disappear one day, don’t be so stingy. Living alone is lonely.”

Hyuk’s brow furrowed slightly at those words.

“Didn’t those people say they were going to Pyeongtaek? Should we go to Pyeongtaek too? We might get government supplies. It sounds like a rumor, but in Gangwon Province…”

“No, let’s find a good place nearby to park and rest. Your back is a mess.”

Cha Junghyuk gazed out the window, unsure why he felt irritated. Jungwoo’s usual chatter was unusually annoying today.

Was it because he was acting like a naive fool? Or was it because he was giving away his own food?

Pondering the possibilities, he ran his fingers through his hair and reclined the passenger seat.

“Even if I disappear one day, don’t be so stingy. Living alone is lonely.”

He felt inexplicably annoyed.

+++

The place Jungwoo found was a public parking lot. There were a few broken-down cars, but none were in good enough condition to use.

The two of them skillfully siphoned fuel and parked the car near the exit of the parking lot in case they needed to make a quick getaway from any zombies.

As soon as they arrived at the parking lot, Hyuk grabbed Jungwoo, who was about to get out of the driver’s seat, and playfully teased him.

He tickled his chest and licked his earlobe a few times, making Jungwoo’s pants bulge instantly.

“Hyung, I… my back is…”

“Okay, I won’t go all the way. I just miss touching you. Don’t you like it?”

Of course, Jungwoo didn’t dislike it. Even if the sky split in two, he wanted to do naughty things with Hyuk.

But that was the problem. The clothes he was wearing were hard to find and of good quality, and his back was starting to ache again.

Hyuk’s hands, damp and warm from the early summer air, roamed under Jungwoo’s clothes, making him even more excited.

“Ah, um… These are new clothes. I don’t want to get them dirty. And why are you touching my chest like that…”

“You have other clothes.”

Hyuk chuckled softly and bit Jungwoo’s earlobe and neck gently.

Jungwoo blinked, then gave up and started to take off his clothes.

“Just the clothes. I’ll take them off. Are you only using your hands?”

“Yeah, just my hands. Come here, I’ll help you take them off.”

As Hyuk pulled off his shirt and licked his chest with his wet tongue, Jungwoo let out a faint sigh.

Junghyuk felt like Jungwoo was his plaything, always obedient and eager to please.

But today, he suddenly wondered if it was Jungwoo who was setting the boundaries in their relationship.

So, he felt like being a bit mean.

“Lean the seat back.”

“Ah! I said I don’t like my chest being touched…”

“You like it. Look how cute your nipples are.”

As Hyuk’s large hand moved from his chest down to his stomach and into his pants, Jungwoo shivered and gripped the door handle tightly. Hyuk, breathing heavily, leaned in closer.

“Pull down your pants.”

“Um, wait, are you going to use your mouth?”

Hyuk raised an eyebrow without answering. Jungwoo knew that look meant ‘Is there a problem?’ He squirmed uncomfortably and leaned back.

“Not that. Actually, I sweated a lot earlier. I smell like sweat. Let’s do that another time!”

“That’s why it’s better. Our little one is so pure.”

“Why is that good?!”

His face flushed bright red, and he pushed Hyuk’s shoulder hard enough to make a sound. Startled, thinking he might have pushed too hard, Jungwoo hesitated. Junghyuk grinned and leaned back in.

“If you hate it so much, how about you do it to me instead?”

“Wh-what…?”

“The car’s a bit cramped for teaching you how to give a blowjob. Should we do it outside? No one’s around.”

Why was Hyung acting like this? He had flatly refused earlier, saying he didn’t want to, but now he seemed okay with it. Jungwoo’s face looked like it was about to explode as he glanced around nervously.

A blowjob? He wanted to do it. But honestly, he wasn’t confident he could do it well. He couldn’t guarantee his back wouldn’t act up again, like it did yesterday.

“Hyung… you said you didn’t want to. Why are you doing this…?”

“Yeah, but you’re not a virgin anymore.”

That’s right. Thanks to someone’s persuasion, the twenty-one-year-old Han Jungwoo was no longer a virgin. Eventually, after much hesitation, he decided to listen to his conscience.

“Seriously… I don’t want to embarrass myself like yesterday. And I’m not sure I can give you a blowjob without gagging. You’re too big. Plus, my back hurts. Let’s do it another time!”

Jungwoo quickly opened the driver’s door and slipped out, afraid he might give in to the temptation again.

Why did Hyung always cling to him on days when he wasn’t feeling well? If he tried to seduce him on a good day, maybe he’d feel better.

He hurriedly hid behind an electric car charger to calm himself down.

Seeing this, Hyuk let out a sigh mixed with laughter.

“Is he simple-minded or clever?”

Today didn’t seem like a good day for teasing.

He casually opened the passenger door and leaned against the trunk of the car.

Maybe he should stick close to Jungwoo and not give him a chance to look elsewhere. His reactions would be entertaining.

He took out an old caramel from his pocket and put it in his mouth. It was one of the candies Jungwoo had received earlier and shared with him.

“…He gives away a lot.”

Just then, the sound of gravel crunching under tires echoed through the parking lot. Hyuk instinctively turned his head.

A sedan with a badly damaged bumper entered the parking lot. Fresh bloodstains suggested it had recently hit a zombie or a person.

“Looks like we can forget about having a quiet day. Guess I won’t be able to strip Jungwoo today.”

Chuckling, he wiped his sticky hands on his pants and called out to Jungwoo, who was fixing his clothes behind the electric car charger. Han Jungwoo, come out quickly.

But Hyuk’s voice was cut off by the sound of a stranger’s voice—the driver of the sedan.

“Hey! Thank goodness. This place looks safe enough to rest.”

“Yeah. Hopefully, there are no zombies…”

Two survivors got out of the sedan.

Hyuk recalled the familiar silhouettes he had seen earlier that day while heading to a clothing store with Jungwoo. He finally remembered where he had seen them.

They were acquaintances. Im Joonhyung, a senior colleague one year his senior, and Shin Jiyeon, a rookie seven years his junior.

Both were former muses of a designer whom model Cha Junghyuk had exposed long ago. Their careers had been ruined by Hyuk’s revelations.

It didn’t take long for the two to recognize Hyuk as well. Their eyes widened in surprise.

“Is that you, Hyuk?”

“Oh my god, Junghyuk!”

Fuck, this is why you should never ignore your instincts. He should have driven all night to get away.

Hyuk forced a fake smile.

“Well, well, look who’s still alive.”

It sounded more like he regretted that they were still alive. Joonhyung’s eyes narrowed menacingly, and Jiyeon grabbed his arm to restrain him. The tension between the three was palpable.

At that moment, Han Jungwoo finally emerged from behind the electric car charger, having calmed his arousal.

He slowly pulled up his pants and peeked around the charger, hearing the commotion.

Strange. There was no one here a moment ago. Suddenly, there were three people.

‘Hyung attracts trouble even when he’s doing nothing. It’s all because of his poor attitude.’

He remembered his father’s words about how being kind brings good fortune. Deciding to intervene, he walked over confidently.

As he approached, he overheard their conversation.

“Cha Junghyuk, you asshole. Do you have any idea how much we suffered because of you? Fuck you.”

“Wait, Joonhyung, calm down.”

“Calm down? This bitch ruined our lives. If you were going to be a whore, you should have at least fucked him properly.”

“That’s enough! You’re going too far!”

Wow, what was going on here? He wished he had some popcorn.

Was this a love triangle? They seemed to know each other. Former colleagues, perhaps? Or maybe former survival partners?

Jungwoo’s imaginative mind raced, already crafting a dramatic narrative.

Cha Junghyuk, a Casanova juggling multiple lovers, finds himself in a tight spot when his affairs are about to be exposed. He abandons everyone and runs away. The scorned lovers band together to seek revenge…

Fuck. Was this <Love and Revenge>? Did that make him the new side piece of the Casanova?

Jungwoo slowly backed away.

Intervening in this? This isn’t my place.

From the conversation, it sounded like things were seriously tangled. He didn’t want to get burned by sticking his nose into someone else’s fire. He welcomed dramatic love triangles in fiction, but he didn’t want to be the actual side piece in real life.

“Answer me, you bastard! You knew that pissing off that crazy bastard would ruin everything. If you had just kept quiet, none of this would have happened. But no, you had to stir up shit. Do you remember how you screwed up the entire industry?”

It seemed like Hyung had caused a huge mess in the industry.

The man named Joonhyung, who was passionately speaking, seemed extremely agitated. The woman next to him, trying to calm him down, looked overwhelmed.

Were they people Hyung knew from his modeling days? They both had a similar elegant aura like Junghyuk.

Especially Joonhyung, who had a rough and charismatic presence, unlike Hyuk. In terms of vibe, Jungwoo actually preferred Joonhyung over Junghyuk.

“Stop fighting! This isn’t the time for this!”

The atmosphere grew more intense. Joonhyung looked ready to throw a punch, while Hyuk casually filed his nails, maintaining his usual calm demeanor.

But then, Hyuk said something Jungwoo never expected.

“Don’t push your luck just because I’m going easy on you. Trash like you should rot in a gutter. If you don’t want to lose your front teeth again, shut your mouth. There are no dentists open right now.”

“Fuck, who do you think you’re talking to?!”

Wow, Hyung can be really harsh. Jungwoo watched in awe, like a spectator at a sports event.

He should have known better when they were kidnapped by Kim Jinwan a few days ago. Hyuk had skillfully threatened the driver. The more he peeled back the layers, the more surprises he found, like an onion.

Hyuk also seemed genuinely angry. Jungwoo started looking around, anticipating a physical fight.

On the other side of the parking lot, there was a broken parking meter and a snapped parking barrier.

Jungwoo picked up the barrier and cautiously approached the three.

Meanwhile, Hyuk was too focused on his anger to notice Jungwoo approaching.

“Sin Jiyeon, say something, damn it. You’re just as stupid as he is!”

“What did you say?!”

“Still as foul-mouthed as ever. You’re the stupid one, Joonhyung.”

“You son of a bitch!”

Finally, Joonhyung lunged at Hyuk with his fist raised. Jungwoo quickly stepped between them, holding up the parking barrier.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

Joonhyung and Jiyeon stared at Jungwoo in confusion. Hyuk chuckled and tapped the barrier lightly.

“I thought you were just watching from over there. Weren’t you curious to see how well I could fight? Why did you step in?”

“Well, I didn’t want to see you get hurt. And it seemed like a personal matter.”

Jungwoo hesitantly lowered the barrier to the ground.

The tension eased slightly, and Jiyeon looked relieved. But Joonhyung was still fuming.

“Who the hell are you?”

Jungwoo froze at Joonhyung’s threatening tone. Up close, Joonhyung was much larger than him, possibly even bigger than Junghyuk.

He needed to introduce himself politely, but how? Should he say he was Junghyuk’s new sex partner? Not in this situation.

Even the reckless Han Jungwoo knew that wouldn’t end well. He chose the safest lie.

“Calm down. I’m Cha Junghyuk’s survival partner, Han Jungwoo.”

“Joonhyung.”

Hyuk interrupted, pulling Jungwoo closer by placing his arm on his shoulder. Jungwoo looked up at him, bewildered.

Cha Junghyuk spoke in a calm, almost patronizing tone.

“Joonhyung, I told you not to curse in front of just anyone. Looks like you still haven’t kicked that habit. Jiyeon must have a hard time keeping up with you.”

“Ha. Is this your new toy? Look at the marks on his neck. It’s obvious what you’ve been up to. You’re a selfish, crazy bastard who uses people for your own gain.”

Selfish, crazy, and using people for his own gain…

Ironically, Jungwoo had witnessed all of these traits in Junghyuk over the past ten days. He knew Junghyuk was an adrenaline junkie who thrived on thrills and had a habit of using others to get what he wanted.

Joonhyung’s words didn’t shock Jungwoo, but Junghyuk suddenly lowered his voice, still smiling.

“Listen, Joonhyung. Jungwoo and I have an agreement to insult each other. But you don’t have that right. You need to respect people and situations.”

“What? What kind of agreement?”

Jungwoo’s eyes widened in surprise. Jiyeon looked equally shocked.

Hyuk leaned down and whispered into Jungwoo’s ear, his voice clear despite the attempt at discretion.

“Jungwoo, this is Joonhyung. He was a famous senior in the industry, known for his terrible attitude and dirty tricks. He’s the kind of guy who ruins lives. Stay away from him.”

Jungwoo’s mouth hung open in shock.

At the same time, Joonhyung kicked out in frustration.