ZFS Chapter 13

“Brother, let’s stop here and rest. We’ll need to move once night falls.”

 

Tae Yujun brushed off the conversation and finished the remaining bread. It was factory-made, stamped with an expiration date that had already passed by several days. Clearly, a lot of time had passed since the zombie outbreak.

 

Rustle. Tae Yujun crumpled the bread bag, his grip revealing his impatience. So much time had flown by, and he still hadn’t been able to reach Dr. Jang. With each passing day, the chances of his safety seemed to shrink.

 

Even while resting, Tae Yujun kept checking the time and peering through the blinds to gauge how dark it had gotten outside. By the time the clock struck 8 p.m., the surroundings had turned pitch black.

 

“It’s dark now, Father. Let’s head back to that mart.”

 

The two of them packed their backpacks with deliberate care. Tae Yujun felt uneasy and frightened at the thought of returning to the spot where they’d fought off zombies just hours ago. Yet, it was clearly advantageous to procure supplies from a place they already knew. Having already mapped out the locations of the food, they could turn this into an efficient food hunt.

 

This isn’t murder, I’m not killing anyone—it’s about killing monsters to feed humans.

 

As Tae Yujun steeled himself, Won Hyuk openly prepared his weapons. He took a pair of kitchen scissors from his backpack, removing the packaging. Its blade was so well-sharpened that it sparkled like a knife.

 

“Planning to fight with those, Brother?”

 

“Didn’t using the chopping board work well on you earlier? It doesn’t hurt to have scissors, too. Here, take these.”

 

Won Hyuk handed Tae Yujun the scissors, even turning the handles toward him with a polite gesture as he passed them over. Tae Yujun chuckled faintly at the courtesy. Who would hand over slaying tools for zombies so respectfully?

 

Won Hyuk seemed to have taken a liking to the cleaver—the Chinese knife. Having tucked it into his belt, he looked even more intimidating.

 

“Then let’s go pull off a big score, Father.”

 

“On it.”

 

They opened the lounge door and stepped out, standing back-to-back as they scanned their surroundings. Since the academy building was dark, Tae Yujun followed closely behind Won Hyuk as they cautiously descended the stairs to the first floor.

 

After walking in silence, they finally reached the emergency exit. Won Hyuk removed the chain he’d wrapped around the handles earlier and stowed it in his bag.

 

One. Two. Three.

 

They mouthed the count, then opened the door in one swift motion. The cool autumn breeze swept in, but fortunately, no zombie stood waiting to greet them.

 

Gulp. Tae Yujun swallowed dryly, scanning the darkened street. Across the road, a couple of zombies shuffled slowly, while three others climbed a tree as if settling down for the night.

 

Seems like it’s true they can’t see us, like Won Hyuk claimed. One zombie didn’t even notice them as it hung upside down under the tree they passed by. Its flaring nostrils sent chills down Tae Yujun’s spine, but luckily, it didn’t move further.

 

Suppressing even their breathing, Tae Yujun and Won Hyuk re-entered Bangsan Market. In front of the Sambo Food Mart, they spotted a lone zombie wandering in circles, moaning incoherently, “Grooo… aaaah…”, its arms outstretched.

 

Won Hyuk signaled forward with his hand. Tae Yujun nodded in agreement. One sluggish zombie in the dead of night was a manageable risk.

 

They slipped into the store, maintaining a few meters of distance from the zombie. Anticipating the bell that would ring when the door opened, Tae Yujun had prepared an empty milk carton.

 

As soon as the door opened, he threw the carton as far as he could. The bell chimed, followed by the dull thud of the carton landing.

 

The zombie, unable to tell where the sound had come from, twisted its neck frantically in confusion. Won Hyuk gave Tae Yujun a thumbs-up.

 

Having successfully infiltrated, they retraced the path they’d taken earlier that morning and packed their belongings. While at it, they reorganized scattered cardboard boxes, securing small necessities like disposable chopsticks and wet wipes, and gathered them in one place.

 

“Father, please take care of the instant meals and canned goods section over there. Sweep them all up. I’ll pick up what’s fallen over here.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Carrying an empty box, Tae Yujun headed toward a shelf stocked with retort pouch foods. Quietly, he gathered powdered porridge, shelf-stable soy milk, and other ready-to-eat packs he’d scoped out earlier.

 

Next came the canned goods. Intent on collecting as fast and many as possible, he filled his arms with tuna cans. There was no time for leisurely shopping—just fill this box, grab another, and keep moving.

 

Speeding up, he carefully but efficiently pulled cans off the shelves. His hands became delicate, as he had to quickly pack a large quantity without making a sound. However, in his haste, a can fell with a loud clang.

 

“Gasp.”

 

A cold sweat trailed down his face. Tae Yujun instinctively looked toward the store entrance. The zombie they had seen earlier snapped its head toward the sound, extending its arms. It was a zombie clad in a military-green jumpsuit, its rotting face making it look like a ghostly soldier.

 

Damn. It must’ve heard that even from outside.

 

Tae Yujun gripped the tuna can tightly, as if it were a baseball. Meanwhile, the zombie opened the door and entered as if it were a customer, sniffing and growling like a beast. It creaked as it moved toward him.

 

Since it’s come to this, I’ll strike first!

 

Tae Yujun hurled a can of tuna with all his might.

Thud! Thud!

Like a clumsy pitcher, he threw the cans wildly. Some hit the zombie squarely in the eye sockets or forehead, while others missed entirely, causing little to no damage.

 

“Ack!”

The zombie covered its face with its bare hands, wincing as if in pain with every hit, yet it kept advancing without pause.

 

“Stay back!”

Even if you’re a monster, I don’t want to kill you. I’m done with being drenched in blood!

 

Tae Yujun clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw began to ache. But, of course, the zombie showed no concern for his struggles. Even as it was pelted with canned tuna, it continued to approach, its legs moving in a strange, bent manner.

 

“Ugh…”

As the zombie drew dangerously close, it was time to make a decision. Battling with tuna cans was no longer an option.

 

Tae Yujun bit down on the soft flesh inside his cheek and reached into his pocket. His fingers found the scissors Won Hyuk had handed him earlier.

 

“Father!”

From behind the zombie, Won Hyuk came sprinting. He reached the zombie in an instant and gripped its arms tightly.

 

“Do it now!”

 

Tae Yujun pulled the scissors from his pocket, gripping them tightly as he aimed for the zombie’s exposed nape. Its jumpsuit covered most of its body, leaving only a few vulnerable spots. Tae Yujun kept his focus, zeroing in on his target. The execution was swift. The zombie collapsed, rigid as a wooden plank.

 

Thud.

As the zombie fell sideways, its jumpsuit shifted, revealing a dark mark on the back of its neck.

 

“Huh…?”

Something felt off. Tae Yujun’s gaze fixed on the zombie’s neck, where a large Roman numeral seven had been tattooed.

 

The tattoo appeared exceptionally dark and vivid, as though freshly inked. Tae Yujun felt a creeping sense of unease and revulsion, realizing that this zombie had likely been a living person not long ago.

 

“Well done.”

 

“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

Tae Yujun bowed his head to Won Hyuk, wiping a few drops of blood from his face with the back of his hand. Won Hyuk pulled a rag from the shelf and wiped down the scissors’ blade, a smile playing on his lips.

 

“You’re thanking me before thanking God?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I thought you’d start with, ‘Lord, thank you. Amen.’ But I guess not.”

 

“Well, in this situation… you come first.”

 

Won Hyuk smirked, evidently pleased. He then gave the zombie’s head a light kick and handed the scissors back to Tae Yujun.

 

“Look at this. A tattoo on its neck? Guess we just took down a fashionable zombie.”

Won Hyuk joked with a mischievous grin.

 

The two resumed packing supplies once more. Won Hyuk, unusually cheerful, packed the boxes with a leisurely and content demeanor.

 

“…Brother, aren’t you afraid of zombies?”

 

“Me? Why would I be? They’re already dead.”

 

“I mean, aren’t you scared of the dead walking around?”

 

“They’re dead, so there’s nothing to fear. Living people are way scarier and crueler. Don’t you think so, Father?”

 

Won Hyuk shrugged. His remark about the living being scarier came from personal experience.

 

When he was a child, Won Hyuk had been small and frail. That made him an easy target for his foster father’s sons. His cruel stepbrothers would lock him in small cabinets, threaten never to let him out, and tell ghost stories to keep him awake in fear.

 

As he grew older, their bullying became even more vicious, to the point of threatening his life. Once, they even dragged him out under the pretense of playing a “hunting game” and tried to kill him, claiming it was an accident. After narrowly surviving and waking up in a hospital, Won Hyuk swore to himself that anyone who tried to harm him would face retribution—and he made sure to keep that promise.

 

Tae Yujun, quietly agreeing with the sentiment, held his tongue. Yes. The living—especially devout priests—are much scarier. He had learned that lesson just a few days ago. Even those who had raised him as a “child” had turned on him, calling him the “devil’s spawn.”

 

“Let’s go deliver these supplies to those terrifying living people.”

 

“Alright. Let’s quietly carry the boxes out.”