Dye in My Color... Jeong Da-jeong...
Whoosh—whoosh. Amid the blurring scenery whipping past, Jeong Da-jeong gripped the motorcycle handlebars, speeding away like a madwoman. That psycho... The distance from Cheongun grew farther and farther, and only then did she finally exhale the tension that had knotted her chest, her mind racing.
Cheongun, huh. It had happened by chance at that real estate office they'd stopped at. While waiting for him to finish eyeing the map, her gaze had wandered to a wall-mounted map of Gucheon City. Without even realizing it, her eyes locked onto her own home. More precisely, she remembered the morning of doomsday.
"Sorry... The guy who was supposed to sub for me bailed last minute..."
"It's fine. Just pack your stuff slowly and wait."
"Honey, don't worry about it. Pack your bags ahead of time so we can load up and go first thing tomorrow."
"Bring some Melona ice cream when you come back?"
Originally, Da-jeong's family had planned to leave for vacation early that morning. It had only been delayed a bit because of her situation. She'd told them she'd wait at home...
They must all be safe.
Once that thought lodged in her head, she'd been watching for an opening ever since. A chance to escape him and return to her family. Luckily, the opportunity came sooner than expected.
Careful not to alert him while he was distracted with his clothes, pretending to pack items. Grabbing the keys. Taking every last key to make sure he couldn't follow. The moment he tried on the helmet, his vision restricted—
Gulp.
VROOOOOM!
She revved the engine and tore out of the shop on the motorcycle. Destination: home. Not the fake one where he'd raped her all night—not enough, even into the morning—defiled her, toyed with her at will. But the real home, filled only with happy memories, where her family waited.
As she drew closer to her apartment in Hwajeong-dong, Da-jeong's nerves sharpened even more.
"Grrr..."
"...!"
Turning a corner, she faced a horde of zombies. Staying as calm as possible, she twisted the handlebars, weaving through them nimbly. For the first time, she felt grateful for her motorcycle-obsessed brother.
"Come on, just try riding it once?"
Back then, she'd been exasperated—who asks their family to ride a bike?—and only pretended to try it a few times for allowance money. But...
"Grrraa..."
"Eeeek..."
"Groooaaar..."
Without that, she couldn't have pierced through the zombies ahead like this, heading home. And she never could have escaped that psycho.
"Run and you're dead?"
She had to loop around a few times where there was no gap, delaying her, but Da-jeong finally reached the apartment complex where her home was.
Clang!
Clang!
"Grroooaaar—!"
Zombies swarming at the motorcycle's roar. She hurriedly dismounted, unlocked the front gate, and slipped inside.
The front gate closes.
Slam. Slam—
Thud, thud, thud.
"Kreeee, grrooo—!"
By a hair's breadth, the gate shut behind her. Ignoring the zombies pounding on it, she rushed to the elevator and mashed the button.
Beep. Beep—
"Come on, hurry...!"
[32nd Floor]
[32nd Floor...]
[32nd Floor...]
But against her desperate wish, the elevator stalled on every floor, refusing to descend. No matter how long she waited, it showed no sign of coming. And worse—
Thud. Thud-thud—
"Grooo—."
Zombies from the underground parking lot, drawn by the noise, were climbing up. No choice—she headed for the stairs. Glimpses of zombie movements through the gaps between floors. The thought of reaching her home on the 28th floor without being caught—killing zombies on the stairs the whole way—already choked her breath.
Whoosh.
"...I'm going back."
Steeling her resolve, she drew the hammer from her belt.
…
"Huff... huff... huff...!"
She braced her buckling knees with her hand, gasping raggedly.
One more floor... Just one more...
Repeating it to herself, she wiped away the trickle of blood or sweat—or whatever it was.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Step by step. Another zombie appeared as she crested the stairs.
"Grrra..."
"Ah..."
But this time, she froze.
"Uncle from the bank...?"
The friendly bank teller from three floors up, someone she'd chatted with a few times. But none of that warmth remained.
"Grrk. Grooo—."
His head half-eaten, he lurched toward her solely to devour, no trace of the man he was.
Grinding her teeth.
"...Sor... sorry..."
Steadying her wavering heart, she raised the hammer—
"Kreeee...?"
A tiny child zombie peeked from behind the bank teller zombie.
Face completely torn away—it should have been unrecognizable. But she knew. On its wrist hung the same crude bracelet the kid had proudly given her from kindergarten craft time in the elevator just days ago.
"Ah..."
Crack—something inside her snapped.
Forcing it down, she squeezed her eyes shut and swung the hammer.
Splat. Squish. Squish. Squish. Crack—
"Haa... haa..."
After repeated blows, she cleared the path to her door and frantically punched the door lock.
Beep, beep. Beep. Beep—
It couldn't be. Please, no. It had to be wrong. Praying desperately, she locked it.
Ding—the front door swung open with a cheerful chime. She flung it wide, ready to fight—only to see the overturned dining table, blood-splattered floor and walls. The beloved potted plant her dad cherished, shattered, dirt everywhere in the living room.
"Ah... N-no. No way..."
That's when she heard it from the master bedroom. Shoes still on, she burst through the door. There was Dad, sitting on the bed watching TV, just like always—his back to her.
Da-jeong rushed forward to hug him—
Whoosh.
"Grrra?"
Something that used to be Dad turned, shards of the flowerpot embedded in its face.
Crack.
"D-Dad... No... This can't...!"
Stumbling back, denying reality, but doomsday waited for no one.
Thud. Thud.
"Grooo?"
Screeech.
"Krrk..."
Mom and brother—now zombies—emerged one by one from the room, drawn by the noise.
She couldn't hold out. She fled to her room and locked the door.
Click.
Only now did she see her room. Unlike the desolate outside, her suitcase lay open as she'd left it that morning, clothes strewn on the bed—her perfect little world, untouched.
Thud. Thud-thud.
Thud.
"Grrk. Grooo."
"Grrk. Grrgle."
"Gulp. Grooo—."
Contrasted against the destroyed world outside.
Finally, she collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Wahhh—
"Hic... N-no... Hnng... Nooo...!"
The zombies reacted, pounding the door harder.
Thud, thud, thud.
Flinch.
"Hic, hnng... Hic... Hngh...!"
She wailed in terror, they hammered louder in response...
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
"Hngh... Snff... Ngh...!"
The cycle fed on itself. 10 minutes, 30, an hour... until the sun dipped low.
Still...
But doomsday granted no more time.
Thud-thud, craaack.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Creeeak.
Damage accumulated; cracks spiderwebbed the door that had shielded her from the world.
Flinch, grip.
She jolted, fingers tightening on the hammer instinctively—but
Clang.
It dropped to the floor. Fragile her, who could barely kill neighbors she'd chatted with—how could she kill her family?
"...I can't do this anymore..."
Drip, drop.
"I give up..."
She staggered up, hand reaching for the doorknob.
It'll hurt. Even thorns make her tear up. How much worse torn by thicker teeth?
...I don't want this. What did I do wrong to deserve this pain? Injustice welled, tears threatening again.
Drip.
"Hic..."
The trip—I was so excited. Didn't even spend this month's paycheck. So many hearted restaurants I haven't tried. And... I never even fell in love...
Thud.
"Ah..."
A hand—Mom's, surely, with the eczema-peeled fingertips—burst through the door.
Yes. She grabbed it, whispering through the gap.
"Sorry. Made you wait... again..."
As she shut her eyes, yielding to death once more—
Crash!
The window shattered. An unexpected figure appeared.
"Here's Johnny—!"
With wild, gleaming eyes full of murderous glee. Twin blades dripping blood.
"Kyaaah—!"
Da-jeong shrieked, collapsing in terror.
"H-How...?! This is the 28th floor—no, how did you even know I was here...?"
Cheongun snorted at her question.
"Hah— that's your dying words?"
What a pathetic, utterly worthless question. Yawn-worthy. Whether I'd sprinted here, followed the zombie horde drawn by the bike noise to find her place, or dived through a third-floor-up window—what's the big deal?
The question she should ask is this: After pissing me off enough to chase her down like that...
"What I'm gonna do to you?"
"Ah, aa... ah..."
Terror flooded her face. The expression when fully broken. The form her end would take. Already high on anticipation, on the verge of madness.
I just hoped she'd shatter into my color, become one with me.
With that thought, I forcibly triggered Jeong Da-jeong's awakening.