ZFS Chapter 19

Tae Yujun opened his backpack, which lay in the corner of the small room, and checked its contents. He had packed only the essentials—a rosary, a Bible, food, and water.

 

Afterward, he changed his clothes. As he neatly dressed in his black cassock and finished washing up, Won Hyuk busied himself with packing. Unlike Tae Yujun, his backpack contained ominous items—mostly cooking tools repurposed as weapons looted from the grocery mart.

 

They had prepared about four days’ worth of food, just in case.

As they were about to leave, light footsteps sounded behind them.

 

“Big brother.”

 

Turning around, Tae Yujun saw the boy who had come with his grandmother standing at the door. As always, the child clutched a toy sword in one hand, his eyes filled with curiosity.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Tae Yujun hesitated. He didn’t want to tell the boy they were leaving the bunker now. The truth might be too much for a child who had been waiting eagerly for a chance to go outside.

 

“…Are you going out, big brother?”

 

The boy’s question was innocent, born purely of curiosity. Even so, guilt surged in Tae Yujun’s chest. It felt as though he were abandoning the weak and helpless to escape on his own.

 

“Well…”

 

“Father, staying here won’t achieve anything. Don’t forget our purpose.”

 

Won Hyuk, having finished packing, slung his backpack over his shoulder and fixed his gaze on Tae Yujun. His expression was unusually serious.

 

Tae Yujun knew that too. The reason he had left the monastery and embarked on this harsh journey was to reach Yeouido. That was why he had decided to accompany this man, even though they were practically strangers.

 

“If it’s just useless sympathy, drop it. We’ve already earned enough heaven points feeding these people up until now.”

 

“…You’re right.”

 

It was a truth Tae Yujun couldn’t deny.

 

Even so, before leaving, he wanted to at least offer one last, brief prayer.

 

Lord, please, let these people escape this darkness one day.

 

---

 

It was time to leave.

 

Won Hyuk and Tae Yujun gathered those with experience in procuring supplies to give them final instructions. Some voiced their fears, admitting they had no confidence in surviving on their own without the two of them. Some even cried. Amid the sobbing and commotion, Won Hyuk reluctantly pulled a small key from his pocket.

 

“What’s that?”

 

When Tae Yujun asked, Won Hyuk shrugged.

 

“A master key. I only have two of these, and I’m leaving one behind for everyone.”

 

“A master key?”

 

“Yes. I spent a fortune to have just two of these specially made. I’ll leave one here as my ticket to heaven.”

 

His words didn’t sound like a joke. The key was crafted from a luxurious material, its teeth uniquely shaped—unlike anything they had seen before. As if seeking praise, Won Hyuk tilted his head toward Tae Yujun.

 

“Not even a little praise for me?”

 

“Oh, um… well done. Right. I think you’ll definitely make it to… heaven.”

 

“It feels nice to hear you say that, Father. Here, take it.”

 

Won Hyuk then handed the key to Kim Eun-jin.

 

“You can unlock any car with this. Find a decent truck and steal it. This is me being ridiculously generous, so don’t forget it. Remember me, okay? I fed all of you, so if we ever meet again, make sure to repay the favor.”

 

With a shameless farewell, Won Hyuk said his goodbyes, while Tae Yujun shook hands with everyone individually. His farewell with Kim Eun-jin lasted the longest.

 

“Don’t worry too much, Eun-jin.”

 

“Father, I’ll definitely be praying for you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“But… I have one favor to ask.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“If… by any chance, you pass through Yongsan, could you stop by my house? I know it’s a ridiculous request, but…”

 

Tears welled up in Kim Eun-jin’s eyes.

 

“…I just want to know if my family is safe.”

 

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Tae Yujun held both of her hands.

 

“I can’t promise anything since we have a set destination, but if we ever pass through Yongsan, I’ll stop by. You even gave me a map—how could I not?”

 

“Thank you… Thank you so much, Father. I’ll give you my house’s passcode. If you meet my family, please tell them I’m doing well.”

 

“I will. Don’t cry.”

 

Tae Yujun comforted her and reached for the door handle, but before he could open it, a child’s voice rang out clearly above the sighs and prayers of the crowd.

 

“Big brother, take this.”

 

“Hm?”

 

The voice came from below, barely reaching his waist. It was the little boy he had met earlier, holding out a shabby toy sword.

 

“This is something precious to you, isn’t it?”

 

“I heard big brother is going to fight monsters. Then you need a sword. Big brother, please take it.”

 

“….”

 

“Use this to fight the monsters.”

 

The boy insisted, pressing the plastic sword into Tae Yujun’s hand. Even though it was just flimsy and insignificant—incapable of harming anything.

 

“Thank you for giving me something so precious.”

 

Tae Yujun patted the boy’s head and smiled.

 

---

 

As they stepped outside, a heavy darkness settled over them like a fog. Whether it was due to poor maintenance by the Korea Power Corporation or zombies constantly climbing over them, the streetlights flickered and failed to function properly. Yet, they were the only source of light to rely on, so the two carefully felt their way through the gloom toward the truck.

 

Even in the oppressive darkness, the banner reading “Delicious Sweet Potatoes” stood out vividly.

 

Tae Yujun shot a cautious glance at Won Hyuk and asked,

“Um… can’t we take that banner down?”

 

No matter how he looked at it, the sign felt completely out of place. More importantly, it was embarrassing. He’d been meaning to bring it up for a while now but hadn’t had the chance. The thought had been nagging at him for quite some time.

 

“What’s the problem with it?”

Won Hyuk asked, looking genuinely confused.

 

“It just… doesn’t feel right.”

 

“There’s no better disguise. You can park anywhere, and it looks perfectly natural.”

 

“Still… it’s a little embarrassing….”

 

“Embarrassing? Please. When I first lost my Jack Lauren and had to start driving this truck, I felt plenty ashamed. But now? I’ve grown attached to these sweet potatoes. Even the rugged driving experience has its charm.”

 

Won Hyuk shrugged nonchalantly.

 

Realizing this wasn’t the time to argue, Tae Yujun sighed and climbed into the truck.

 

“All right, let’s figure out how to get to Yeouido. According to the morning news, Gangbuk and Gangnam are still under movement restrictions, and Yeouido is isolated—like an island floating on the Han River. I’d bet Mapo Bridge is still blocked.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t think we should try Mapo Bridge again. We’ll need another route.”

 

“I’m open to anything—except swimming across the Han River. I’m a decent diver myself, but that river’s width is no joke.”

 

As he spoke, Won Hyuk pulled up a map of Seoul on the navigation system. Next to Mapo Bridge—the one they had failed to cross before—Wonhyo Bridge appeared on the screen.

 

“What about Wonhyo Bridge? It might be open. And even if it’s closed, at least we’ll be closer to figuring something out.”

 

“Hmm… sounds good. If we can cross there, great. If not, we’ll find another way from there. The sun will rise in about an hour anyway.”

 

They decided to head deeper into the city from their current position west of Seoul, near Gwanghwamun.

 

The truck rumbled leisurely through the empty streets. Zombies stirred at the sound of the engine, but in the dead of night, they only staggered weakly. Their sluggish swipes couldn’t even reach the truck, and they weren’t fast enough to give chase.

 

As Tae Yujun glanced at the side mirror, his gaze landed on a particular zombie.

 

It still wore glasses where its eyes had once been. Its checkered shirt had turned to rags, and with a backpack slung over one shoulder, it limped along. It looked like an IT developer on his morning commute to work.

 

That man must have turned into a zombie in the middle of his ordinary life, never realizing it would be his last day as a human.

 

Tae Yujun crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

 

Did that guy even know he had become a monster? Was he aware that even in death, he found no peace—only endless wandering in this purgatory?

 

Won Hyuk glanced at him.

“Father, are you cold? You’ve got your arms crossed.”

 

Tae Yujun cleared his throat.

“No, it’s just….”

 

“What? Something bothering you?”

 

“No, not really. I was just thinking how horrifying this all is.”

 

Won Hyuk nodded.

“Horrifying, yeah. Everywhere you look.”

 

Then he added,

“But what can we do? We have to survive and keep moving.”

 

Hearing that, Tae Yujun tore his gaze from the side mirror. The checkered-shirt zombie faded into the distance.

Ahead, the faint light of dawn began to break.

 

“At this rate, we’ll see the sunrise soon. We don’t want to be stuck outside when that happens. Should we find a place to hole up, like that academy last time?”

 

Clicking his tongue, Won Hyuk looked toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to peek over the skyscrapers. At the mention of finding shelter, something clicked in Tae Yujun’s mind.

 

“Where are we now?”

 

“We just passed Unmyeong Women’s University. If we keep going, we’ll reach Yongsan Station.”

 

“Yongsan? In that case, I know a place.”

 

“Oh? What, Father? Do you have a luxury apartment in Yongsan or something?”

 

“No. Eun Jin—the one who was staying in the bunker with us—her home is in Yongsan. She told me to stop by if I ever could. Considering the situation, it’s probably empty. She gave me the door code, so it should be a safe place to rest.”

 

Won Hyuk let out a low whistle.

“Not bad. Let’s aim to get there before sunrise. Hold on tight—I think we’ll hit 140.”

 

“140?!”

 

Before Tae Yujun could grab the passenger handle, the truck launched forward like a racecar.

 

VRRROOOOAAARR!

 

With a deafening roar, it tore down the wide, deserted road, the tires screeching as it picked up speed.

 

Screeeeech!

 

Just before dawn, the truck skidded to a stop in an alley of a residential neighborhood.

 

“Get out. Now.”

“Huff… Huff… Lord, have mercy.”

“Save your prayers for later. Get moving.”

 

The racecar-like speed of the truck had left Tae Yujun utterly drained. His legs trembled as he stepped out, spurred on by Won Hyuk’s urgent insistence.