ZFS Chapter 23

Although Tae Yujun had only ridden a roller coaster once in middle school and hadn’t since, he remembered the sensation vividly. This felt just like that—no, even scarier and faster.

 

“Let’s go!”

 

“Waaah!”

 

Won Hyuk drove like lightning, while Tae Yujun clung to the passenger-side handle with both hands, screaming his lungs out. This wasn’t just speeding—it was a runaway train with no brakes.

 

Even in the midst of all this, Won Hyuk remained completely composed. So much so that he even rolled down the driver’s side window and called out to the back, as if checking in was just a casual afterthought.

 

“Hey, you good back there?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Are you still alive?!”

 

“Y-Yeah! Aaah!”

 

A loud thud followed, accompanied by the sound of someone tumbling around in the truck bed.

 

“Hold on to something!”

 

“I underst—Aaah!”

 

Won Hyuk kept up the breakneck speed until they finally lost the horde of zombies. Only then did he bring the truck to a stop. The entire time, both Tae Yujun and the man in the truck bed had let out intermittent screams.

 

“Well, looks like we can stop now.”

 

“Haa… Haa…”

 

“Let’s get out and check if he’s okay.”

 

With a light dusting of his hands, Won Hyuk stepped out of the driver’s seat. Tae Yujun, legs still trembling, climbed out of the passenger side and made his way to the back.

 

The man barely managed to sit up, looking like his soul had left his body.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Y-Yeah… more or less…”

 

His hair was a mess, his glasses were broken, but he quickly grabbed Won Hyuk’s hand and pulled himself upright.

 

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been bitten and killed. I really appreciate it.”

 

Bowing so deeply his head nearly touched the ground, the man expressed his gratitude.

 

“Thank Father instead. It was the priest who spotted you and insisted we help.”

 

At those words, the man’s eyes widened.

 

“You’re a priest?”

 

“I’m not ordained yet. I was attending seminary. But more importantly, why were you wandering around without a vehicle in such a dangerous place?”

 

“Well… I was out looking for food.”

 

Carefully, the man revealed what he had been holding close to his chest. Tae Yujun peered inside the convenience store bag—cans of food, snacks, chocolate bars.

 

“My younger sister and I have been hiding at home, but we ran out of food…”

 

His voice was weak. Now that Tae Yujun looked closer, his thin face and pale complexion suggested he hadn’t eaten in days.

 

“I knew zombies got slower at night, so I snuck out. The convenience store had already been looted, but I managed to grab a few cans. Just my luck, I ran into a horde on the way back… I thought I was done for until you two showed up.”

 

His thin body trembled as he spoke.

 

“My name is Park Changyeong. Thank you so much. I won’t forget this kindness.”

 

“It’s fine. We didn’t do it for thanks.”

 

Shrugging as if it were no big deal, Won Hyuk dusted off his hands.

 

“Well, now that everything’s settled, shall we get going, Father?”

 

He turned toward the driver’s seat, but Tae Yujun didn’t immediately move.

 

“Where do you live?”

 

“Oh, near the convenience store. An apartment complex at the next intersection.”

 

“That’s on our way. We’ll take you home. There might still be zombies nearby—it’s too dangerous to go alone.”

 

“Oh, no, you shouldn’t. I’m already grateful you saved me.”

 

Changyeong waved his hands in refusal, but Tae Yujun’s stance remained firm.

 

“It’s too dangerous to go alone.”

 

Then, he looked at Won Hyuk, silently asking for agreement.

 

“Father, we need to hurry…”

 

“But we can’t just leave him. His already weak sister is waiting for him—he needs to make it back safely.”

 

Won Hyuk hesitated. Then, Tae Yujun offered an irresistible deal.

 

“Brother, I’ll let you rest your forehead against mine. For as long as you want.”

 

At that, Won Hyuk’s eyes lit up. He had been running low on energy anyway.

 

“If that’s what you want, Father, then that’s what we’ll do. But since the truck only has two seats, you’ll have to ride in the truck bed again. That okay?”

 

“Oh, absolutely! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.”

 

Changyeong bowed repeatedly before climbing into the truck bed. Without being asked, he started tidying up—loose sweet potatoes, a megaphone, ropes, and cords had all been tossed around in the chaos.

 

Once everything was in order, Won Hyuk and Tae Yujun got back inside the truck. As the engine rumbled to life, Tae Yujun carefully chose his words before speaking.

 

“Back there… thank you.”

 

Thanks to Won Hyuk’s quick thinking, he had managed to escape. He hadn’t expected him to lure the zombies away by shouting like a street vendor selling sweet potatoes, but it worked.

 

Won Hyuk glanced at him and grinned.

 

“Good thing those dumb zombies took the bait. Glad you’re safe, Father.”

 

“….”

 

“Gotta have a traveling companion, right?”

 

His tone was playful, but Tae Yujun felt strangely moved. It had been a long time since anyone besides Dr. Jang had worried about his well-being. He turned to look out the window, hiding his embarrassment.

 

Won Hyuk smirked and asked,

 

“So, what do you think? Pretty good choice, using the sweet potato truck, huh?”

 

“Yes. It’s got a megaphone, it’s big, and it’s very useful.”

 

Won Hyuk chuckled, while Tae Yujun scratched the back of his neck, a small smile tugging at his lips.

 

---

 

Fortunately, there weren’t many zombies on the way, so they arrived safely at Changyeong’s home. After stepping out in front of the apartment, he bowed his head in gratitude and persistently offered a can of food.

 

“I’d like to give you this as a token of my gratitude.”

 

“If you give this away, what will you eat? It’s fine. You worked hard to get it, so share it with your younger sister.”

 

Tae Yujun returned the can to the man’s arms. Embarrassed, he hesitated before accepting it.

 

“But wouldn’t it be safer to head to a bunker? Of course, a bunker isn’t a perfect solution, but going out like this to gather food is way too dangerous.”

 

A bunker provided at least some level of safety, but it also came with the burden of human conflicts. There was no guarantee the Sinyongsan bunker would be any different from the one in Gwanghwamun. Still, in Tae Yujun’s view, waiting for a rescue team in a bunker—rather than struggling to survive without supplies—seemed like the better option.

 

“Yes, we were actually planning to go to the Sinyongsan Station bunker. But my younger sister hurt her leg while escaping from zombies…”

 

Changyeong trailed off.

 

“Without a car, moving her is difficult. If we walk too slowly and get ambushed, it’s over.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Finally understanding the siblings’ predicament, Tae Yujun let out a small sigh.

 

“Then we’ll take you there.”

 

Won Hyuk suddenly chimed in. Tae Yujun turned to him, surprised.

 

“What’s with that shocked look, Father? I have to do some good deeds too if I want to secure a spot in heaven.”

 

Won Hyuk sounded somewhat indignant. Seeing him—someone who didn’t even believe in God—talking about heaven, Tae Yujun found it suspicious.

 

“I’m not shocked. I’m just curious about what you’re thinking.”

 

“Father, your hand.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I mean, the unlimited forehead resting is nice and all, but I’d like to book an extra one.”

 

Won Hyuk pointed at Tae Yujun’s hand.

 

“What do you mean by booking?”

 

“There’s such a thing.”

 

Won Hyuk grinned. It was a suspiciously smug smile. But if all he wanted was to borrow a hand, there was no harm in it. Tae Yujun responded readily.

 

“Alright. But do you really believe your headache disappears when I touch you?”

 

“Of course. Even when my head feels like it’s about to split, the moment your hand brushes against me, the pain vanishes.”

 

Won Hyuk spoke with certainty. Tae Yujun folded his arms, gazed off into the distance for a moment, then nodded.

 

“Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll stroke your forehead as much as you want, but in return, you have to do everything I say today. How about that?”

 

“Sounds great! No—more than great, it’s fantastic!”

 

Won Hyuk jumped up, thrilled. Watching him overreact, Tae Yujun gave him a light shove before turning to Changyeong.

 

“Then, would you and your younger sister like to ride in our truck?”

 

“If you’re willing, we’d be incredibly grateful.”

 

Changyeong clasped his hands together, expressing his gratitude as if he had just won the lottery.

 

“Then let’s go inside.”

 

“Yes. Our home is on the third floor.”

 

It was a typical hallway-style apartment. Instead of taking the elevator, the three of them climbed the stairs.

 

Knock, knock.

 

Changyeong knocked on the door in a rhythmic pattern. From what Tae Yujun noticed, it seemed like the siblings had a prearranged signal. A moment later, the door carefully creaked open from the inside.

 

A girl who looked about twenty peeked out. She had long hair, wary eyes, and a thin frame. Her ankle was wrapped in a bandage.

 

“O-Oppa. Who are these people?”

 

“Hyoyeong, don’t worry. They’re not bad people. They saved me on the road and brought me home.”

 

“Really?”

 

The girl, called Hyoyeong, gasped in surprise but soon let out a sigh of relief.

 

“And don’t be alarmed—they also offered to take us to the Sinyongsan Station bunker.”

 

“Really? Oh my gosh, thank you so much!”

 

Hyoyeong covered her mouth in shock.

 

“We’re passing through anyway. But more importantly, hurry and pack. We need to reach Sinyongsan Station before dawn.”

 

“You’re right. Please wait a moment. We’ll get ready quickly.”

 

She hurried into a small room while Changyeong led Tae Yujun and Won Hyuk to the living room sofa. Moving swiftly between rooms, the kitchen, and the bathroom, he packed his belongings into a Boston bag and a backpack.

 

One thing stood out—there was a desktop computer and a laptop in the living room, and through the open door of another room, several more desktop computers were visible.

 

As Changyeong carefully wrapped a laptop and placed it in his bag, Tae Yujun asked,

 

“Do you work with computers?”

 

“Oh, I’m still a student. But I dabble in various things as a hobby.”

 

He gestured toward the equipment.

 

“But thanks to that, I’ve been able to gather information. I know my way around computers.”

 

“Are you talking about the bunker website? We got a lot of information from there too.”

 

“Ah… Actually, I’m a hacker. I was digging through the Ministry of National Defense’s intranet and the Ministry of Land’s servers, gathering various information.”

 

“A hacker?”