Never So Close to a Man
It was the first time I'd ever seen a man this up close. Seo Yura—those women who always scowled the moment she approached. Sure, she'd neglected her appearance while buried in research and churning out papers, but her low self-esteem and plain looks had convinced her she'd never have anything to do with men her whole life. In a way, it was a self-imposed barrier. In a society where the shattered gender ratio made it normal for women to fawn over men, she hated the idea of bowing her head to any man more than anything. No, she hated submitting to anyone. Especially just because they were male? Expecting special treatment? Disgusting. Deep down, she resented that society. The egos of those empty-headed men grew by the day, and there were times she wished that world would just end in flames. She never imagined it actually would...
But one thing was certain: she was one of the lucky ones. On the day the world was overrun by monsters, she was in the safest underground research wing. Not for any noble reason like overtime, but still—while others were dying, she sealed herself in her safe haven, keeping everyone out. Planning to emerge once it all blew over. How long had she waited like that? Time blurred. Her mind frayed at the edges. She'd never craved human warmth so desperately. Food and power were infinite here, thanks to the artificial sun tech that only worked in the shelter—shining all day to produce endless energy. Basic needs were no issue.
The real problem was psychological terror. What if she ended up truly alone? If everyone else died and she was the last one standing... Terrifying. That fear drove her to send out drones for reconnaissance over and over, scouting for any survivors. After countless runs with full anti-monster defenses...
"A man..."
She spotted him—a person on the verge of being devoured. She blasted the monster with her antimatter particle beam, rescued him immediately, and rushed him inside before more could swarm. "A man, this close..." She managed to save him, but it only complicated things. It was the first time in her life she'd been this close to a man. She couldn't control her pounding heart. In the end, she was a woman too. Blood rushed to her head. He was the kind of handsome guy who'd normally trigger a "no females within 10 meters" restraining order. He even smelled good, somehow. She swallowed hard. I want him. The emotions Seo Yura had suppressed for so long began bubbling up.
My eyes fluttered open. Embracing my languid body, I sat up to a pristine white ceiling. Reveling in rare deep sleep, I stretched fully.
"Huh? Wait, yesterday wasn't a dream, right?"
Everything from yesterday felt too surreal, so I instinctively scanned my surroundings the moment I woke. Relief washed over me—this was inside the shelter, no dream. Phew... I was in H-5 zone, the room Seo Yura had lent me. It looked just like a regular home—spacious enough for one person, with a living room, kitchen, master bedroom, and bathroom all perfectly equipped. Modern, sleek interior design. No idea why there was a TV, but I turned it on out of curiosity. As expected, it didn't work—just black-and-white static noise hissing roughly.
Dragging my heavy body to the kitchen, hunger hit fast after my long fast. She'd said to eat whatever I wanted, so I flung open the fridge. Cold mist billowed out instantly. Inside was packed with food and ingredients: unknown foreign sauces and spices, vegetables glistening with freshness. This was way better stocked than my pre-apocalypse fridge—no empty spots at all. A true all-purpose cooking box; I could make anything. Not that I was a great cook. I grabbed some eggs, fried them up, and finished off yesterday's leftover meat. Damn... this is heaven... Surviving when I'd wanted to die felt worth it now, being able to feast like this again.
After scarfing down breakfast and cleaning up, boredom set in. Nothing to do. She'd told me not to go out or do anything until she came back. Suddenly, free time stretched endlessly.
"Hm... this peace feels unfamiliar after so long."
My daily routine had been endless running and hiding. Sitting still felt awkward, stirring a strange unease. This place had dozens more rooms like this. H-5 was where I was; H-1 was general living quarters, H-2 waste processing, H-3 the hygiene area where I'd showered yesterday. H-4 and beyond were more residences, apparently. The corridors seemed endless, so who knew how far it went. Just H zone was massive. Then there was A (AI control) for info management, D (Defense) for monster countermeasures—tons of facilities. Yura usually stayed in A zone... Should I check it out? No, no—she'd just told me to stay put.
I nearly did something stupid out of boredom. Better to think how to win her favor. She'd lived alone here forever—must've been lonely. Probably why she saved me, even at personal risk. She needed company. Humans aren't meant to be solitary. Play to her mood, and things would work out. As my plan solidified...
The glass door slid open, and Seo Yura entered.
"Ah, you're here."
"Yeah, sleep well? No discomfort or anything?"
"Not at all. It's been ages since I slept so comfortably. Thank you."
"No need to thank me... Anyway, glad to hear it. How's the arm wound? Still hurt?"
"Ah... stings a bit if I move it, but it's fine."
"Be precise. Monster erosion doesn't just eat flesh—it goes deeper. The nano regeneration particles will aid skin regrowth, but if there's any issue with the body reconstruction protocol, tell me right away."
"Proto... what? Yes?"
"If you don't get it, fine. Just tell me if it hurts."
"Ah, got it..."
Researcher habit? She threw around incomprehensible terms sometimes. Yesterday it was hydraulic cylinders and shielding functions—all beyond me.
Yura narrowed her eyes, staring intently as if peering through my skin to my guts. Her neck craned forward, scanning me top to bottom.
"You ate breakfast?"
"Yes, just finished."
"Hm... You're bored right now, aren't you?"
"Bored? No, how did you—"
"Nothing to do. You've been cooped up here since treatment. Right?"
"Ah... yeah..."
She wasn't wrong. All I could do was roll around in bed. Endless eat-sleep-shit cycle in a no-internet void. I'd been waiting for her partly because of that.
"Wanna check out G zone? Lots of fun stuff."
G zone? Wait, what was that? G... G... Game? No way... For real? My half-lidded eyes shot wide open. She grinned as if answering my thoughts. I nodded eagerly.
Following Yura down the elevator to G zone. Ding! The doors opened to dazzling RGB lights assaulting my retinas. Sharp 8-bit sounds stirred nostalgia. This was a treasure trove. From clunky 1900s arcade machines to cutting-edge consoles—even limited-edition game CDs.
"Didn't expect guys to like games..."
She laughed, surprised by my reaction. What guy hates games? Well, maybe not here—men too busy rubbing up on women. Anyway...
"These are all limited editions, right? Where'd you get them? This one wasn't even for sale... Museum-worthy."
"Heh! Glad you like 'em."
Like? This was paradise. Heart pounding, I powered on an arcade machine and fired it up.