Chapter 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Han Seo-young, 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Han Seo-young, 24 years old
My name is Han Seo-young, and I'm 24 years old.
Right now, I'm dying on a rooftop.
On the rooftop of another agency's building, no less.
Why did I climb all the way up here to die?
Five days ago—
"I watched that drama last time. You picked it out?"
The man eating across from me was Jo Sung-yong, CEO of Mir Entertainment.
He was also my uncle who'd doted on me since I was little.
"My manager chose it. He has a pretty good eye for good projects."
"It's not an easy role to recommend, so he must really have a thing for you."
"I hope so."
I really wish he'd only have eyes for me.
I wished he'd fall so hard for me that he'd forget I'm just one of his actors.
"Your contract has a year left, right? No thoughts of coming over next year?"
"Not yet. But I'll think about it."
My favorite Song Ji-eun unnie was at his agency, but I had no real complaints about KG.
Plus, there was no guarantee that he would follow if I switched.
"Speaking of which, about Ji-eun..."
BAM!
"Wh-what?!"
The entire restaurant shook with an enormous crash.
Must've been a big accident nearby.
People started murmuring.
Faint screams echoed in the distance—what was going on?
"Kyaaack!!"
A blood-soaked person smashed through the glass door and collapsed on the floor.
Everyone screamed and jumped from their seats, rushing for the exits.
They tangled trying to squeeze out, turning the entrance into instant chaos.
"Seo-young! This way!"
Uncle grabbed my hand and we bolted for the emergency exit.
Fortunately, no one was there yet.
"Ah..."
The street outside the building we escaped to was a total warzone.
People trapped in overturned cars wailed for help.
Explosions rang out everywhere, and burning cars dotted the scene.
But the people were even stranger.
They walked around with twisted necks and dangling arms.
They approached those pinned under cars and tore into their throats.
They looked human... but they weren't human.
"Seo-young, hurry... run that way!"
The Mir Entertainment building wasn't far.
He must've figured we could grab a car from the parking lot and escape.
I ran after Uncle with everything I had.
Thank God I was wearing flats.
*
I'm holed up on the top floor with the surviving staff, where the CEO's office is.
The parking lot was a mess, so we fell back to the building... and now we're trapped.
The employees who went down to clear a path haven't returned.
They either ran or got taken out by the monsters.
We held out for two days on snacks and bottled water from the secretary's office.
On the third day, when food ran out, a few headed to the lower floors.
To raid the break room fridge for water and food.
"This should hold us a few more days."
We hadn't given up hope that rescuers or the military would come by then.
We didn't know one of them had been bitten in the arm fighting monsters below.
"Gack... urk... keheuk!"
Too late to dodge.
Two nearby staffers collapsed, bleeding out.
Their eyes rolled back—that man, no, that monster started biting everything in reach.
The CEO's office turned to hell in seconds.
*
"Haa... haa..."
Uncle locked the rooftop door.
Thick steel—it wouldn't give easily.
I sat by the door catching my breath when Uncle walked toward the railing.
"Uncle, what are you doing? It's dangerous over there."
"Seo-young..."
He turned, looking at me sadly.
A clear bite mark scarred his arm.
Ah.
"Rescue will come soon. You have to survive, got it?"
"Un-Uncle... Uncle—!!"
He hurled himself off the railing.
*
Exhausted, I lie on the ground.
How long has it been? Two days? Three?
I can handle hunger, but thirst is unbearable.
Will rescue really come?
Should I end it like Uncle?
Staying here means starving anyway.
The world had changed, yet the sky was painfully clear.
Suddenly, his face came to mind.
I miss him.
If I'd known it'd end like this, I wouldn't have acted so cold.
It was all to get his attention, but he never noticed.
Maybe I should've just told him I liked him.
Han Seo-young, rising 24-year-old actress.
Soon to die on this rooftop.
Death: 27:34
Song Ji-eun unwrapped the bandage and gasped in admiration.
"The wound's completely gone!"
Yoon Bo-ra chimed in from the side, repeating how amazing it was.
Heo Yun-ji, who'd seen it once before, just hummed and nodded.
I rotated my arm, testing it out—no issues.
Good enough to tackle that tedious road-clearing one more time.
Downhill slope, so the road clogged with cars was all in view.
Luckily, the jam section was short this time.
'Looks like under 25 minutes, so hurry up and then clear the highway entrance too.'
This was the closest highway on-ramp to home.
Planning to punch it through for later use.
Told them to stay in the car and activated the skill.
Remaining Time 24:59
"Raaargh—!!"
I roared again and started hurling cars.
Repetitive tasks get easier with practice.
This time, I cleared the path ridiculously faster than before.
From midway, I tossed two at once.
Saw a zombie cluster trapped, so I smashed cars over them to prevent future hassle.
The refrigerated truck looked useful, so I set it aside neatly.
Short jam meant I could afford the luxury.
Remaining Time 13:26
Cleared the jam with over 10 minutes left.
I bolted toward the highway on-ramp.
"Where are you going?"
"Gonna clear the highway too! Be right back."
I kept running, punching through one lane of the on-ramp.
Charred, burnt-out wrecks littered it, but the highway itself was surprisingly intact.
Ran all the way to where the toll gates were visible.
Found a passable toll booth, cleared surrounding zombies instead of cars.
'Done.'
Ran back to our car.
A minute left, not a scratch on me.
The girls greeted me warmly when I arrived.
"Good work, oppa."
"Here... water."
"I'll drive, Master. You rest in the passenger seat."
Opened navigation—no more red impassable sections.
Now, off to rescue the celebrity trapped on the rooftop.
Death: 26:41
I ignored lone zombies shambling around but got out to clear packs.
Racked up over 100 points on the way to the building.
Available Points: 13,131 pt
Black smoke rose from cars in the building's parking lot here and there.
"Ah, that's a waste."
"What is?"
A Ford pickup sat in the middle of the lot.
The rugged type used for American cop cars.
Too bad half of it was crushed from something falling on it.
Parked at the entrance and got out first.
"Grrr..."
Pulled the car door from the trunk, and zombies swarmed from everywhere.
Better clear them first to avoid trouble going in and out.
*
"No RV in sight?"
Asked Song Ji-eun after wiping out the zombies.
"There's another lot behind the building."
Checked the lot she mentioned—sure enough, an RV was parked there.
Rear was dented from a hit, but drivable.
A zombie with half its head gone staggered out from a corner.
Probably what dented the back when it fell against it.
"Kyaaack—!!"
It charged screeching, so I blew its head off.
Song Ji-eun saw it, covered her mouth, and trembled.
She's seen me kill zombies plenty—why now?
"What's up all of a sudden?"
"Th-the CEO..."
"What?"
"That's the shirt he often wears. And the shoes... they're his."
I'd just decapitated CEO Jo Sung-yong, turned zombie.
Song Ji-eun sank to the ground.
"Wh-what do we do... sob, the CEO..."
Must've hit her hard.
Come to think of it, CEO Jo was known in the industry as a gentleman.
He bowed to other company staff regardless of rank.
If that's how he was outside, imagine with his own celebs.
The tears she shed before CEO Jo's corpse were real.
*
Before leaving, I checked his shirt and pants pockets.
Song Ji-eun caught on and spoke up.
"Car keys aren't there."
"Know where they are?"
"Lobby reception desk. After filming that variety show, the crew started using it a lot, so keys got left there permanently."
Good to have an insider.
Was ready to ransack the CEO's office otherwise.
"You said someone's trapped on the rooftop. Let's head there first."
Looks like I'm saving one more Mir Entertainment celebrity.