Chapter 39: Routine

#

After we finished eating, Ga-yeong and Seon-yeong cleared up, and I got ready to head back outside alone.

It looked like it would take quite a while for those two to sort through all the medicine and tools they'd scavenged.

The haul was large, and the medications needed to be looked up.

In the meantime, I made my rounds of the apartment building, moving zombie corpses.

Personally, it was my least favorite time of the day.

The sight of the decaying zombie corpses and their unbearable stench were things I simply could not get used to.

I hadn't grown up sheltered, and I had a strong stomach, but this was a completely different matter.

After my post-meal cigarette, I sprinted straight up to the fifteenth floor.

Over all these days, without missing a single one, I'd been moving my body intensely and strengthening my abilities, and my stamina had improved so much it couldn't even be compared to before.

In truth, exercise probably accounted for little of the improvement. Most of it had come from killing zombies and strengthening my abilities.

One slightly puzzling thing was that I'd been continuously raising Enhanced Recovery and Body Enhancement with Available Points, but the actual gains I felt didn't seem to be directly proportional to what I put in.

Without concrete numbers, I couldn't be completely sure, but I was almost certain.

It seemed like the effect was greatest when an ability first manifested, and after that, the more Available Points you invested, the more the efficiency dropped off exponentially.

Still, raising them was better than not, so I'd kept at it steadily. But I was also mulling over whether I ought to save up Available Points in case a new ability emerged.

It felt like something I'd have to discuss later.

"Whoa, they're already skeletons?"

I'd come to the recycling station where we'd piled the bodies, and three white skeletons were lying there.

I muttered to myself at the unexpected sight.

I hadn't come all the way inside for a while, so I hadn't checked on the first corpses I'd moved. Today I'd stepped deeper inside to stack the latest load toward the back when I saw them. Not a scrap of flesh remained.

It was definitely strange for bodies left out on the ground to be reduced to bare bones in about two weeks.

But they were zombie corpses, and the world itself had gone strange, so I accepted it and moved on.

I wasn't going to conduct research on them. I simply had to accept it—what else could I do?

Click.

"Seon-yeong, Ga-yeong, you done?"

After moving all the corpses, I came back home.

I saw that both of them had changed into their scavenging clothes, so the sorting must have been more or less finished.

"Tae-sik, you worked hard. Just a sec. We're almost done."

"I just have to finish inputting this stuff too. Almost done now. One moment!"

It was time for the three of us to walk a circuit around the apartment complex and check for anything unusual.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we stopped outside Building 301, where I helped Seon-yeong and Ga-yeong practise using their shields.

There was no formal training method for Shield, but the two of them had settled on a few shapes and sizes and repeatedly generated them so they could deploy them quickly in an emergency.

I also played the role of a zombie while they practised defensive techniques and counterattacks.

"Tae-sik, let's go. We're all done."

"I'm done too. Let's go, let's go!"

#

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Mreeeow!

The three of us stepped out onto the road beside the apartment building, and the racket of dogs barking and cats yowling hit our ears.

It sounded as though packs of feral dogs and cats were fighting over territory.

For a while now, night after night, they'd been tearing into each other with shrieks so piercing they gave me goosebumps.

"Tae-sik, where the hell is that sound even coming from? I can't get a fix on the direction or the distance."

"Right? I can't really tell either. The sound's so damn loud it echoes all over the place."

"It's scary... do dogs and cats normally make such hair-raising sounds when they bark?"

"I figure it's because they've all gone completely feral."

They could hardly be called pets anymore.

They sounded vicious enough that I worried about running into them.

Still, they couldn't be as bad as zombies.

It seemed like the distance was still a bit far for now. My guess was they were somewhere over by the sports complex or on the far side beyond the park.

We made a wide circuit around the complex, but nothing unusual stood out.

Now and then we spotted people watching us through apartment windows, but we hadn't made contact with any of them yet.

Still, just in case, whenever we practiced our abilities out in front of our building, I constantly scanned the area to see if anyone was watching.

And if even one person was looking, we wouldn't go inside. Instead, we'd hide in the row of shops and wait until whoever was watching went back in first.

"Anyway, Ga-yeong's the problem. She practices, but she's got no Available Points, so her ability won't get any stronger."

"I know... Tae-sik, should I start going with you from now on? I've been thinking, and I need to be able to protect myself too."

"That's good thinking, Ga-yeong. It was really hard for me at first too, but now I can handle a few zombies, you know? And you could run into bad people, too. You've got to find the courage."

"Are you still keeping up with exercise? Stamina's the foundation, no matter what."

"Yes, I've kept exercising. I'm still far behind you and Seon-yeong... but these days I no longer tremble the moment I step outside."

Ga-yeong's trauma from the first day had once been so severe that even a short walk left her drenched in sweat.

Lately, though, she had improved enough to join us for evening walks without falling apart.

I'd always been willing to help once she made up her own mind to fight zombies, but reaching that point had taken longer than I expected.

"Ga-yeong, you need to steel yourself. By now you must realize no one is coming to rescue you. There's nowhere truly safe anymore. Think of the country as gone. Public order is a thing of the past. From now on, you have to protect yourself."

"Tae-sik, why make it sound so grim? Relax a little. Ga-yeong already knows. Ga-yeong, I'll help you too, so let's try to be brave."

"This is something I need to say seriously. Honestly, I expected Ga-yeong to ask us to take her along much sooner."

"It's true... I kept thinking about it, but I put it off day after day... I suppose I grew too comfortable while you and Seon-yeong were struggling outside... sniff..."

"Ga-yeong, don't cry. He's not trying to scold you."

We'd been practising our abilities outside the apartment entrance when Ga-yeong's shield vanished almost immediately, and I finally said something.

It wouldn't have mattered if we'd kept our distance, but as I gradually came to care for Ga-yeong, I found myself nagging her.

Once I started, my frustration may have made me sound a little cold.

Had I sounded too much like a lecturing old man?

Maybe I should have put it more gently.

"We need to find her a weapon, too. I've been looking around but haven't spotted anything decent. It can't be too heavy. Something light and sturdy... isn't there anything good?"

"Good grief... she's crying, and suddenly you're talking about weapons? Honestly, you're impossible."

"Hehehe... It's okay. I'm not crying anymore, Seon-yeong. It suddenly became kind of funny. Thank you, both of you. Without you, I'd have died a long time ago."

"Mm... that's true. Then if you're grateful, make us something with chicken tomorrow."

The sound of laughter rippled softly through the quiet apartment complex.

One moment the kid was crying, then she was suddenly laughing and chattering away with Seon-yeong.

After all, every day was the same and nothing much happened—how could they have had that much to talk about?

Still, I really did need to find her a weapon, and nothing suitable came to mind.

#

"Oh? Good morning, Tae-sik!"

"Yeah. You sleep well?"

"Yes. But why are you up so early? Huh? What are you doing...?"

"I'm making porridge. I think Seon-yeong is sick."

"Really? Is Seon-yeong sleeping now? Can I go in and see her?"

"Yeah, go on in. She's awake now."

"Seon-yeo~ng!"

Before daybreak, earlier than our usual wake-up time, I'd woken up to the sound of pained groaning.

I got up and checked on Seon-yeong. She had a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fever and was drenched in cold sweat.

She'd seemed fine, but apparently the fatigue had accumulated until her body finally gave out after yesterday.

I quickly made plain rice porridge and carried it into the bedroom on a tray with some kimchi.

Kimchi probably wasn't ideal for an upset stomach, but we were Korean. It couldn't be helped.

When I walked into the room, Ga-yeong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was placing a damp towel on Seon-yeong's forehead.

"Seon-yeong, eat a little porridge, take your medicine, and go back to sleep."

"Okay, thanks, Tae-sik. I'm sorry..."

"No, why are you apologizing? You should have told me if you were struggling. I did think you'd been holding up remarkably well."

"No, I said last night let's just sleep, but you—!"

Seon-yeong began raising her voice in irritation, then noticed Ga-yeong and closed her mouth again.

This was a little unfair.

When she'd suggested going straight to sleep, I had assumed she was only a little tired.

But when I said I'd give her a massage, she went and washed up, came back with massage oil and everything, and lay face down on the bed completely naked.

So I was innocent.

"Good grief... was this because of you, Tae-sik? What kind of animal are you? How can you be like that every night? What did you do, and how much, to leave someone sick in bed?"

"Ga-yeong, Seon-yeong is sick, so lower your voice. Why are you so loud? The next building will hear you. And this probably isn't because of me. The fatigue has been building for days."

"Both of you, get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out."

We were thrown out.

While we were out of the room anyway, I grabbed the medicine Ga-yeong had looked up and went back into the master bedroom.

What was I supposed to do today?

With her lying there sick, I did not feel right going out alone.

But staying home doing nothing felt like wasting the entire day.

"Did you finish eating? Here, take your medicine too."

"Yeah, thanks, Tae-sik. So, what are you going to do today?"

"I was actually just thinking about that... I wanted to ask you."

"The thought of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you going out alone makes me nervous. Can't you take just today off too?"

"Alright. I was leaning toward taking a rest day anyway. We've been going nonstop all this time, so I figure I'll watch a movie for a change, play some games."

"Okay, okay. Good thinking."

"Then get some rest. Call if you need anything."

It felt a little despicable to think this while Seon-yeong was ill, but her hazy eyes and flushed cheeks gave her an oddly sensual look.

Even so, I couldn't bring myself to touch her while she was sick. I tucked the blanket around her and left.

But what was I supposed to do all day now?

I'd already woken up way earlier than usual, and now that I'd actually decided to rest, I had no idea how to go about resting.

Thanks to my unnecessarily robust stamina, I wasn't sleepy, but I could hardly start playing games first thing in the morning...

Was being unable to rest properly another tragedy of modern life?