ZFS Chapter 17

“Father, you’ve been working nonstop since early morning preparing meals. Take a seat and rest for a bit.”

 

“Brother, when did you manage to prepare all of this?”

 

“Before that, have something to eat.”

 

Won Hyuk sat Tae Yujun down and handed him a piece of bread and a bottle of water.

 

“Earlier, I noticed you forgot to grab anything for yourself, so I set some aside. Smart, right?”

 

Tae Yujun dipped his head slightly, appreciating Won Hyuk’s thoughtfulness.

 

“Thank you. Have you eaten, Brother?”

 

“Oh, I always make sure to eat well. I grab mine first whenever I’m serving meals.”

 

Tae Yujun let out a faint chuckle. As he bit into the bread, Won Hyuk, on the other hand, leaned back against the wall, sitting quietly. Then, after confirming Tae Yujun had finished eating, Won Hyuk patted the floor.

 

“You’ve eaten, so now get some rest.”

 

“Thanks to you, I’ll rest well. I really appreciate it.”

 

Tae Yujun cleared away the empty wrappers and shuffled onto the blanket, curling up and using his arm as a pillow. Suddenly, Won Hyuk flopped down beside him.

 

“Use my arm as a pillow.”

 

“Brother, being this close makes me uncomfortable.”

 

Won Hyuk chuckled under his breath.

 

“Do you hate me?”

 

“No, it’s not that.”

 

“Then, are you scared?”

 

Tae Yujun closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. He didn’t answer—not because he was annoyed, but because Won Hyuk had struck a nerve.

 

…scared wasn’t quite the right word, but I couldn’t deny that Won Hyuk gave me the chills.

 

How long had it even been since they met? Yet here he was, relying on someone so enigmatic and dangerous-looking, someone he couldn’t even begin to figure out.

 

If I had to pinpoint when it started, it was probably that day—when Baldy tried to burst their tire and turned into a zombie. Back then, Won Hyuk had risked his hand being bitten to save him.

 

No one had ever gone to such lengths for me before—not even my adoptive parents.

 

And yet, Won Hyuk’s true intentions remained unclear. Their relationship was little more than one of convenience. Trusting him too much could be reckless.

 

Conflicting emotions swirled within Tae Yujun.

 

But regardless of his inner turmoil, exhaustion began to take over. The blanket Won Hyuk had laid out effectively blocked the cold from the floor, and the hand brushing against his forehead and hair was surprisingly warm.

 

Wait. There’s a hand in my hair? What the—

 

Tae Yujun’s eyes snapped open. He found himself face-to-face with Won Hyuk, who was leaning in close.

 

“What’s got you so startled, Father?”

 

“N-No… Why are you so close? And why are you touching my hair?”

 

“I just thought it felt nice when you touched me before, so I figured I’d return the favor.”

 

“I can sleep just fine without it, so there’s no need. Also, this is too close—I might make you uncomfortable. I’ll move away.”

 

Clearing his throat, Tae Yujun tried to shift closer to the wall. But Won Hyuk grabbed his wrist, stopping him with a soft chuckle.

 

“Don’t be like that. Come here. Sleeping close keeps us much warmer, doesn’t it?”

 

For a split second, Tae Yujun almost gave in, almost leaned into the warmth radiating from Won Hyuk’s hand.

 

It wasn’t hard to imagine how comfortable it would be, sleeping close to this man. The chill of November offered the perfect excuse to borrow someone’s body heat.

 

But then he caught sight of Won Hyuk’s sly smirk and playful wink.

 

Nope. Absolutely not.

 

“No, thank you.”

 

Crap. This is getting dangerous. Keep it together, John.

 

Warning bells blared in Tae Yujun’s head. In the end, he turned his back on Won Hyuk, resting his arm under his head.

 

“You’re so cold, Father.”

 

Won Hyuk muttered from behind him. Tae Yujun pretended not to hear and silently recited a prayer in his mind.

 

Lead me not into temptation, he prayed.

 

---

 

The next few days seemed to pass without any trouble. Tae Yujun and Won Hyuk went out hunting for food about once a day, accompanied each time by a couple of sturdy men. It wasn’t easy, but after getting the hang of navigating to the mart and avoiding zombies, their confidence began to grow.

 

As a result, the amount of food they brought back gradually increased with each trip to the Bangsan Market. Soon, even after distributing food to everyone in the bunker daily, they had some reserves left.

 

“Now we don’t have to feel miserable over food anymore.”

 

“It feels like we’ve at least gained some hope of holding out until the rescue team arrives.”

 

The people, who had been lying around listlessly, staring at the news all day, started to regain their energy. Gradually, they grew more favorable toward Tae Yujun, who often prayed with the people in the bunker.

 

One person in particular who frequently prayed alongside Tae Yujun was Kim Eun-jin.

 

They were sitting in a corner of the auditorium, having their usual conversation.

 

“Today, I miss my mom and dad… my brother, too.”

 

On the day the disaster struck, she had been separated from her family, forced to flee to the bunker alone, effectively cutting ties with them. In a crisis like this, being with loved ones versus being alone made all the difference. Tae Yujun could empathize with Kim Eun-jin’s feelings.

 

“…you haven’t been able to contact your family, have you, Sister?”

 

“No. Our communication was cut off a few days ago. At first, they said they were all at home.”

 

“…I’m sure they’re safe.”

 

Although negative thoughts flashed through his mind, Tae Yujun deliberately suppressed them. For now, all he could do was hope for the safety of Kim Eun-jin’s family.

 

“That day, I was the only one who left the house and ended up drifting here. I can’t help but regret—if only I’d finished my fieldwork a little earlier and gone home sooner…”

 

Kim Eun-jin wiped her reddened eyes and sighed.

 

“Since I was on my way home from Yeouido at that time, I had no choice but to take refuge in this bunker, which was halfway there.”

 

Among her lamentations, one word caught Tae Yujun’s attention, Yeouido.

 

“You were in Yeouido on the day the zombie outbreak started?”

 

“Oh, yes. I mentioned I’m studying urban engineering, right? My thesis is about Seoul’s underground pathways, so I was there for research. I’d been exploring Yeouido intensively for months. Of course, when the zombie horde appeared out of nowhere, I had to abandon everything and run for my life.”

 

“Yeouido’s underground pathways? Are you talking about the passage connecting the National Assembly to Yeouido Station?”

 

“No, that’s a public underpass for vehicles and pedestrians. The ones I study are secret underground tunnels. These tunnels are deeper than public pathways and crisscross like a spider’s web. They’re in a part of the underpass the general public doesn’t know about.”

 

It was the first time Tae Yujun had heard such a thing. Despite his frequent visits to Yeouido to meet Dr. Jang, he had never encountered or heard of secret underground pathways.

 

“There are tunnels… deep underground?”

 

“It’s natural that you wouldn’t know. They were built in secret during wartime. Our research team and professor call them B2 because they’re dug two or more levels below ground. They’re off-limits to the public, and even finding the entrances is difficult.”

 

Tae Yujun found her story intriguing. There seemed to be no harm in digging deeper into this information.

 

“Could you tell me more about them? To be honest, my destination is Yeouido.”

 

“Oh my, really?”

 

Kim Eun-jin gasped and covered her mouth.

 

“As for Yeouido, there’s nothing I don’t know about its terrain and landmarks. I know them all inside out. Father, I can explain everything to you.”

 

Tearing up several times, she expressed relief at being able to help, then quickly turned on her tablet PC. Tae Yujun’s heart pounded as he looked at the screen.

 

“To think such a map exists…”

 

The tablet’s display was filled with a detailed map. Even a layperson could tell that every branch and turn in the underground pathways had been meticulously charted.

 

“It’s not 100% complete, so there might be some gaps and errors. But as you can see, I’ve identified the major routes. Look, I’ve even marked how to locate ten entrance points.”

 

Kim Eun-jin briefly explained the map. Upon closer inspection, there was even an entrance near the riverside where Dr. Jang’s lab was located.

 

“Are you saying all of these paths are connected?”

 

“Unless something’s happened, they should still be linked.”

 

“Then… it’s possible to traverse all of Yeouido underground?”

 

“It is, as you said, Father.”

 

Tae Yujun felt as though a weight had been lifted from his mind. Even if he managed to reach Yeouido, he had been dreading the prospect of evading hordes of zombies to get to Dr. Jang’s lab. But with this map, he could traverse underground and move freely without encountering them.

 

“Eun-jin, could I please have this map? I know it’s an important research document, but given the circumstances, I must ask for your generosity.”

 

“Of course, I’ll give it to you. You saved my life. If you hadn’t stopped that ruthless group from splitting us up… I might not even be alive now.”

 

Kim Eun-jin’s expression briefly turned bitter as she bit her lip.

 

“The map is a graphic file. I’ll send it to you via messenger.”

 

Tae Yujun shared his number and asked her to send it. However, her expression darkened as she tried to send the file.

 

“Huh? Strange. Why isn’t it going through?”

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Yes. There were no issues with the network earlier… but now it’s not working—I can’t get a signal. Is your phone the same, Father?”

 

Tae Yujun checked his phone. The signal bar from the mobile network carrier was faint but not entirely gone.

 

“My signal is weak, but it’s not completely out.”

 

“What could be causing this all of a sudden? We should check the radio later—if there’s an issue with the network, the news will report it.”

 

Kim Eun-jin quickly connected her tablet to Tae Yujun’s phone via Bluetooth. The map file was successfully transferred. Tae Yujun breathed a sigh of relief.