ZFS Chapter 12

The two of them decided to take turns keeping watch. Won Hyuk quickly washed up and took the first shift. Tae Yujun lay down on the hard cot, but sleep didn’t come easily.

 

“Father, aren’t you sleepy?”

 

“…yeah. I thought I’d fall asleep quickly since I’m so tired, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

 

“Well, it’d be odd to sleep soundly with zombies swarming outside.”

 

“I’m just worried about the people waiting for us in the bunker. Given the lack of any rescue, it seems the government’s situation has deteriorated significantly. And I can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen to us…”

 

Tae Yujun paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing.

 

“Most of all, I’m worried about Dr. Jang.”

 

He murmured the words, staring up at the ceiling.

 

Thinking about Dr. Jang made him curious about the contents of the package sent to Won Hyuk. What could have been inside that box, hastily delivered to the U.S. through him, that compelled Won Hyuk to come all the way here?

 

“Pardon me, brother.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If I ask you something, could you give me an answer?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“…what exactly was in the package Dr. Jang sent to the U.S.?”

 

Tae Yujun asked cautiously. He was prepared for Won Hyuk to refuse to answer, but unexpectedly, he responded without hesitation.

 

“Research materials on a new drug.”

 

“A new drug?”

 

“Yes. It was part of the blueprint for an antiviral treatment—Dr. Jang’s specialty.”

 

Dr. Jang was an expert in virology, having spent many years researching viruses. His primary focus was studying newly emerging viruses and developing treatments tailored to their specific characteristics.

 

“Do you know what virus the drug was for?”

 

“No idea. You see, viruses usually come with structural diagrams. They often look like creepy bugs or machines from a human perspective…”

 

Won Hyuk spread his hand and folded three fingers.

 

“But the new drug research materials were missing at least three critical pieces of information. Normally, they’d include details about the virus, its characteristics, and its structural diagram. Instead, they only contained part of the drug development process. From that incomplete recipe, I could sense a lot of nuance.”

 

“What do you mean by nuance?”

 

“The sender wanted to spark my curiosity—not just about the treatment, but about the virus itself. The fact that they sent such partial information to a secret address reinforces that. It felt like they were desperate to catch my attention.”

 

To catch his attention… Tae Yujun found it hard to interpret the intent. From what he knew, Dr. Jang and Won Hyuk had only worked together briefly years ago on a headache medication and hadn’t been in contact since. They weren’t close, nor were they antagonistic—just neutral acquaintances. So why did Dr. Jang send the new drug research to Won Hyuk specifically?

 

The deeper he delved into it, the more tangled the mystery became.

 

---

 

Tae Yujun woke from a light sleep to find Won Hyuk shaking him. His body still felt heavy with exhaustion, but knowing he wouldn’t get much rest anyway, he dragged himself upright.

 

“Father, now that you’re up, let’s eat something.”

 

“Oh, yes. I packed some food in my backpack.”

 

Tae Yujun’s stomach growled—it had been over a day since he last ate. He reached for the backpack left on the lounge chair and started rummaging through it.

 

“I picked up some ready-to-eat meals at the mart, just in case.”

 

“What do you have?”

 

“Five-minute curry, instant rice… though that needs a microwave, so it’s out. Ah, here’s something better—porridge you can make with just water. I also have two pieces of bread and some sterilized milk.”

 

“How did you manage to pack all this?”

 

“I’ve been packing supplies since I was a kid. I’m pretty good at it.”

 

With a faint, bitter smile, Tae Yujun handed the food to Won Hyuk. His smile, slight and melancholic, held Won Hyuk’s attention for a long moment.

 

“Why do you keep staring at me? Here, take it.”

 

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

 

Since they hadn’t packed chopsticks or spoons, they had to eat with their hands. Thankfully, the porridge was the kind you could drink directly from the container after adding water. Once they began eating, their long-suppressed hunger surged forward.

 

Tae Yujun quickly finished his porridge and tore into the bread. As he chewed and sipped milk, Won Hyuk suddenly reached out a hand.

 

“Gah!”

 

Instinctively, Tae Yujun flinched and shrank back. Won Hyuk frowned at him, his expression sharp. Now visibly wary, Tae Yujun hesitated before speaking.

 

“Brother, if you’re still hungry, you can have mine.”

 

He held out the bag of bread. Won Hyuk chuckled dryly.

 

“Do I look like someone who’d steal food from others? Not that I can guarantee I’d never stoop that low… I was just trying to brush the crumbs off your lip.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Here.”

 

Won Hyuk reached out and roughly wiped Tae Yujun’s lower lip. Tae Yujun’s face flushed bright red. Shame coursed through him—both for assuming Won Hyuk was greedy and for revealing, however unintentionally, his own fear of him.

 

“I won’t steal your food, and I won’t eat you either. Relax.”

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

“If you’re sorry, then eat this too.”

 

Won Hyuk handed him a piece of bread. Tae Yujun lowered his head, unable to do anything but accept it.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You looked like you were enjoying it so much, I figured I’d share.”

 

“…I’ll repay you.”

 

“Father, you’ve got a lot to repay me for already. I’ll add the cost of bringing me here and this bread to the tab. Just so you know, I can’t stand leaving debts unpaid.”

 

“I understand.”

 

How much is he trying to demand? Maybe a million won? A CEO must have different spending habits. Surely, he wouldn’t ask for tens of millions… right? I don’t have that kind of money. As he unwrapped the bread packaging, Tae Yujun thought about his bank account balance. Not that money mattered much in a world where it couldn’t buy food or stop zombies.

 

When he took a bite, the savory flavor of the bread filled his mouth. It tasted good, at least.

 

Contrary to Tae Yujun’s worries, Won Hyuk was already secretly planning to use Tae Yujun’s hands again as his personal headache cure. Unaware of each other’s thoughts, the two men finished their meal in silence, lost in their own worlds.

 

“Ah, I want some sweet potatoes,” Won Hyuk muttered.

 

“Then why not eat some?”

 

“No, I mean symbolically. Like when all this zombie chaos is over, and you and I are roasting sweet potatoes in peace. It’s the whole defeating-enemies-and-reaching-a-happy-ending vibe.”

 

“Sweet potatoes alone would be dry. What about a drink to go with them?”

 

“A cocktail.”

 

“A cocktail? That doesn’t suit you. Why a cocktail of all things?”

 

Won Hyuk stretched out on the old sofa, draping himself comfortably as if lounging on a resort’s sunbed.

 

“It’s been my dream. Sitting on a perfect beach, sipping cocktails with my ideal partner.”

 

“With your financial resources, it seems already doable.”

 

“I’ve been to plenty of resorts and beautiful beaches, but I never had the beauty by my side. Now, I’ve found one.”

 

“…surely you don’t mean me, do you?”

 

“Think whatever you like.”

 

With a playful smirk, Won Hyuk raised his milk carton as if it were a cocktail glass. Tae Yujun let out a dry laugh.

 

“What kind of alcohol do you like, Father?”

 

Tae Yujun didn’t respond. It was an obvious gesture of dismissal. In reaction, Won Hyuk flinched, furrowing his brows slightly.

 

“You’re not going to tell me you’ve never had a drink, are you? I’ve heard priests avoid alcohol and cigarettes their whole lives. Are you one of those cases, Father?”

 

Won Hyuk made his curiosity blatantly clear, as if he expected Tae Yujun to be someone who had never touched alcohol. Tae Yujun had seen that kind of gaze many times before—You’re clean, aren’t you? You’re pure, right? That sort of look.

 

“No. I’ve had a drink before.”

 

Fine, I’ll break your little illusion myself, Tae Yujun answered sharply, refusing to concede this time.

 

“Really? That’s surprising. When did you start drinking?”

 

“There was a time when I was a wandering lamb.”

 

Tae Yujun replied, sipping from his sterilized milk. Won Hyuk, resting his chin on one hand, stared intently at Tae Yujun’s wet lips.

 

“A wandering lamb, huh? That doesn’t sound like you, Father.”

 

“Wandering isn’t about whether it suits you. If it happens, it happens.”

 

The year he turned twenty, after being abandoned by those he considered family, Tae Yujun went through a period of intense turmoil. It was then that he learned to drink, even trying some of the strongest liquors.

 

“Now, I don’t go near alcohol, except for the wine used during Mass.”

 

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. So you’re saying you’ve never had a tequila sunrise? We should share a drink sometime.”

 

“Why would I drink with you? Once we find Dr. Jang, we’ll go our separate ways.”

 

“Still, having a tequila sunrise with you, Father, at a resort sounds like it’d be perfect…”

 

What is he even talking about? Earlier, he said he’d drink cocktails with some beauty, and now it sounds like he’s imagining drinking with me.

 

Tae Yujun shot him a brief glare.

 

“I’ll say it again. Aside from Mass wine, I don’t touch alcohol.”

 

Won Hyuk raised his empty hands as if to back off.

 

“Well, I suppose that makes sense, given how you’ve lived so far. But, you know, priest and wine—they really do suit each other, don’t they?”

 

He fixed his gaze on Tae Yujun. The contemplative look on his face suggested he was imagining something.

 

“What are you thinking about while staring at me like that?”

 

“Oh, nothing special. I was just imagining how well wine suits you, Father.”

 

“And what does that even mean?”

 

“Well, your complexion is so pale, almost ghostly white. Pair that with red wine, and it’s perfection. That’s all I’m saying.”

 

Tae Yujun couldn’t begin to fathom what kind of scene Won Hyuk was picturing. Continuing the conversation further about alcohol seemed utterly pointless.