Uncomfortable Cohabitation (5)

"A university, you mean?" Baby Bear had become incredibly polite. He kept glancing at me, carefully choosing his words and acting all meek and obedient. The reason was obvious. One punch. The hook I'd driven into this bastard's gut—not even a full-powered swing, just a short, sharp strike. That single blow had been enough to make the difference in strength between us crystal clear.

It was understandable. After that, I'd kicked one of his subordinates hard enough to send him flying into a wall, and my sister had instantly blown the head off the guy who hesitated before pulling the trigger. Any sane person would have learned not to fuck around.

"Yeah, the university. You talked like there were bullets there. How do you know?"

Ye-eun's eyes flicked toward me in the front seat. She didn't say anything, though. So Ye-eun had told him.

"Th-that... Lee Ye-eun said there were supplies on campus...."

"Really? Tell me exactly what you heard."

Baby Bear explained, stuttering at first but with surprising clarity. That was unexpected. The way he usually talked made me think the dumbass couldn't explain anything properly. Maybe all that time in the athletic department had drilled hierarchy and obedience into him. Or maybe he was explaining with his life on the line. I wasn't sure, but one thing had become certain.

"The equipment warehouse for the shooting club in the physical education department?"

I didn't know how they'd gotten permission—probably forced it through using the cult's influence—but there were more than enough bullets for us at Gucheon Athletic University. I didn't know the exact stockpile, but it was definitely far too much for just two people. And it wasn't just packed with air gun pellets and gas canisters.

"Yes, there... clay shooting shells, pellets, gas, plus .22 caliber powder guns and plenty of ammunition...."

When I glanced over, Ye-eun was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carrying a shotgun. It wasn't a semi-automatic that held ten rounds like my sister's, but it still held two. Actually, her situation might be better than ours. The twenty-four shells in my sister's pocket were all the shotgun ammo we had left.

And while my sister's marksmanship was incredible when taking down zombies, I sometimes felt it was wasteful. One rifle round per zombie. Efficient consumption, sure, but we didn't have infinite rifle ammunition. It was starting to feel like a shame to use them up.

Might be smarter to save the rifle rounds for people. So far most of our enemies had been zombies or variants, but the rifle felt more optimized for human combat. Precision shooting, rapid fire, suppressive fire... concepts from the advanced shooting knowledge that wasn't originally mine drifted through my head.

In that sense, securing more shotgun shells seemed like a good idea. Same for air guns. No need to waste excessive firepower on regular hunting or normal zombies. Especially when we had no idea what kinds of variants or enemies we'd face next. They also mentioned there were plenty of parts, and as my shooting skill rose, the importance of firearm maintenance kept nagging at me. This trip was worth it.

"But why go to the university?" Ye-eun asked. The ammunition would be too valuable to leave behind. Even Baby Bear looked curious.

"Isn't it obvious? To get the bullets."

"There are way too many zombies. Everyone still at the university is probably dead by now."

Baby Bear seemed to agree, staring straight at me. Makes sense. Both of them were from the athletic university and had made it out. Meaning everyone who didn't escape early ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had turned into zombies inside. A large number of zombies wasn't a big deal to me.

"There were tons at Sion Mountain Fortress too. I even killed the snake. Zombies are nothing."

Of course I wasn't letting my guard down. Lowering your guard gets you killed. At least until I obtained infection immunity or something similar.

"And we can't just stay holed up forever just because there are a lot of zombies."

"Um... is it okay if I ask one question? Would it be alright to ask if it's okay to ask one question...."

What the hell was this pathetic way of asking permission?

"Just ask."

"It's just... do you really need to take such risks? You're incredibly strong, you have food, and plenty of bullets...."

Ah. These guys had searched my bag. They'd seen the ammo can as well. But—

"How long do you think that'll last? Until the zombies starve to death? Do you really think those things will starve?"

"Eventually...."

"I don't know about you, but I don't see that happening. So shut your mouth and guide us."

Baby Bear flinched and froze at my words. The look in his eyes as he stared at me was pure bewilderment.

"G-guide?! Me...?"

"Who else? Do you want to die? Prove your usefulness."

When I let out a cold laugh, Choi Tae-woo trembled violently. Ye-eun's gaze met mine in the rearview mirror.

"Senior Choi Tae-woo can stay. I can guide you."

"You sure that's okay?"

"Yes, of course...."

"Not you."

I looked at Baby Bear. This bastard at least had ambition. The ambition for women and luxury, sure, but ambition nonetheless.

"Your air gun and everything else was taken. Food too. Don't you want the stuff we can't carry or safe territory? Taking over that massive six-story university building and the entire campus would be perfect."

"That...."

"You think you can just take something like that without doing anything? The guys below would stay nice and obedient, right?"

Choi Tae-woo was stupid, but not completely brainless. At least he had enough brains and sense to understand the world had changed and that power was now the most valuable thing. His instincts especially were sharp. Above all, he'd been thoroughly disciplined. He had the ability to give me the answer I wanted.

"O-of course not! I'll guide you!"

We had already shot one of his subordinates dead, left another half-dead, and sent him flying with what amounted to a light knock. So this was natural. If he wanted to live, he knew what the right choice was. A surprisingly smart Baby Bear. Even if he was an idiot as a person, as a bear this was a passing grade.

The problem lay elsewhere.

"So you're coming too?"

Lee Ye-eun. My childhood friend, the one I'd parted with on rather unpleasant terms. Someone I still couldn't fully trust. At my question, Lee Ye-eun blinked, her thick lashes lowering.

...She was wearing makeup?

"Can't I?"

"What makes you think I'd trust you?"

It wasn't me doing the arguing. It was Kang Ahyeon. My sister, who had stayed quiet until now.

"Because we're childhood friends."

"The childhood friend who confessed, got rejected, then left saying she couldn't stay as friends so coldly. Right? What exactly do you trust about someone like that?"

"She brought us guns. Air guns and food."

"That's only because unnie plans to stay here. Even if it's food that would disappear quickly if shared with the people here, three people could make it last longer. Isn't that right?"

Three people. Baby Bear was obviously excluded. Choi Tae-woo's shoulders slumped, but nobody cared.

Instead, Ye-eun looked at Kang Ahyeon. Their eyes met. Black and brown.

"Will you accept my apology?"

My sister's face, which had been about to spit venom, hardened. The words died on her lips.

"...Yes?"

"Hyun-ah."

"Uh, yeah?"

"I'm sorry for saying those things back then. For not considering your feelings and avoiding you on my own."

Both Kang Ahyeon and I froze. Even Baby Bear froze, reading the room.

"Saying I didn't enjoy the time we spent together was just spiteful nonsense. The truth is, I liked being with you too. I like you so much that I was too disappointed we didn't feel the same way... so I lied."

"It wasn't a lie. It was the truth...."

"Maybe. But it's different now."

Ye-eun slowly raised her head. The calculating light from before was gone, replaced by a miserable, earnest gaze.

"I... actually planned to break away from the cult and live alone once I became a national representative and gained freedom from them. More precisely, I wanted to get Hyun out of there."

"...Huh?"

"So I worked hard. I tried my best to become the best. I learned what Hyun liked and made sure I could do those things...."

Ye-eun closed her mouth and lowered her head with a pained expression. I'd never seen her like this before. It wasn't that she never apologized, but she was the type of person who never created situations that required one.

"It doesn't matter much now, but I just... want to be together. And I wanted to say that I was wrong."

It was completely different from what I'd expected. I'd assumed she was simply following someone smarter, more capable, stronger, and cooler in order to survive.

"I'm good with a gun. I'm the best at clay shooting in our university. Air guns and powder guns might be different... but I can help."

No Insight activated. So I couldn't confirm it. But my gut told me that if I left Lee Ye-eun here, I might never see her again.

"I'll give you anything I can. Please. Let me come with you."

At Ye-eun's pleading, I glanced at my sister. She looked back at me. We stared at each other, conflicted.

"...What do you want to do, oppa?"

Kang Ahyeon asked for my opinion. As always.

I hesitated for a moment.

"...If you get scared and run or get hurt, that's on you. Not my problem. Do whatever you want."

"Thank you."

Ye-eun smiled in relief at my grumbled words. It was the smile I remembered. I pretended not to notice.

*

The road to the university. Gucheon Athletic University sat on flat ground slightly east of Gucheon Village. A six-story building on a vast campus, surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and shops. It was literally the heart of the New Heaven Rapture Mission Church. If Sion Mountain Fortress was the brain, this place was the heart. This was where they constantly drew in new believers from outside and sent them back out.

It might have been a place I could have gone.

With my sister driving, I watched Baby Bear and Ye-eun from the back seat.

"...Let's walk from here."

The car stopped where it blocked the road. We got out of the pickup truck and gathered our gear. Ye-eun took the double-barrel shotgun, my sister the rifle. I secured my rifle on my back with the sling, tightened my arm guards, and double-checked the Holy Crusader's Sword at my waist and the machete on my back.

"Hyun-ah, are you sure that's enough? Even an air gun...."

"I don't know how to use it properly anyway. Better than carrying around something cumbersome. We're not going in there to stay."

The proper method wasn't to go in and stay, but to explore on foot from this point and retreat repeatedly. I shook my head. Ye-eun moved her lips as if she wanted to say something, then nodded. Instead, we packed only simple food, emptied our backpacks, and prepared to enter the university grounds.

"Baby Bear, lead the way."

Baby Bear took point. I followed right behind him, left arm protected by the guard held forward. The path leading to the university grounds was a scene straight from hell. Scattered corpses everywhere—not just ones that had been bitten or eaten, but bodies with smashed heads or ones that had been hit by cars, blood splattered across the ground. Not even crows flew overhead. In the bleak atmosphere, not even bugs swarmed despite the stench of decay.

I looked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at the familiar disgusting sight and muttered.

"We'll have to go over the cars."

"Over the cars?"

"Going around would be worse."

The road was completely blocked. Cars were packed so tightly it was ridiculous. Going around would mean detouring to the opposite side entirely. Better to walk across the cars. Fortunately none of them had low bodies.

I glanced at Baby Bear.

"Go first. I'll follow."

"O-okay...."

He let out a tense sigh, as if realizing he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really had to do this. Baby Bear checked the vehicles, grabbed an open door, and pulled himself up. The car body groaned, but once he was on top there was no problem. He glanced back at me and nodded, then reached out his hand.

Trying to score points?

The moment I reached for the hand extended to pull me up—

My eyes widened. My hand froze. Choi Tae-woo frowned in confusion. But that was all. His instincts were sharp, but in the face of his own death he was no different from a blind beast.

The aftermath came instantly.

CRRRRRRRRRACK!

A bloody mist sprayed outward. Something that had flown in pierced straight through Choi Tae-woo.

THUD!

His massive body rolled across the car roof and fell to the ground. Only then did we see what had happened.

"Kuh, hack, krrrk...."

A spear-like object had pierced through Choi Tae-woo's chest and grown longer. A sniper shot that had flown the moment he climbed onto the car, as if it had been waiting.

"Kk, krrrk, kuhk, gk...."

Choi Tae-woo's hand reached out, trembling as if he were suffocating. I put on a grief-stricken expression and drove the Holy Crusader's Sword into his head.

CRUNCH!

Only then did Choi Tae-woo's hand fall still.

"Fuck... how dare you snipe my Baby Bear...."

Good thing I didn't go up first. And good thing Choi Tae-woo didn't die instantly. I hid my sigh of relief and put on an expression of pure rage.