Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Perfectly Ripe Fruit
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Kang Haeseok was reclining in his office chair on the fifth floor of the dormitory, in his own room, savoring a cigarette.
The window was open, but the inside of the room was thick with cigarette smoke.
‘Now what….’
Kang Haeseok stared at the hazy ceiling, lost in thought.
The cigarettes he was smoking were, of course, not something his group had obtained themselves.
The mysterious man in the mask.
It was what had been inside the gift bag that Lee Seoho had brought for him.
He quite liked the gift.
Of course, Kang Haeseok could obtain cigarettes himself through scouting parties.
But in this zombie-infested city, going out on a scouting run meant risking your life.
No matter that Kang Haeseok was the leader of this group, it would be quite unreasonable to tell them to prioritize grabbing cigarettes on such an important mission.
The space and time to carry those cigarettes could be used to find one more bit of food instead, which would be far more beneficial.
That was why the cigarettes provided by the masked man were such a welcome gift to Kang Haeseok.
━Creak.
Kang Haeseok turned his chair to look out the open window.
“Fuck, there’s even more of them.”
He exhaled a plume of thick cigarette smoke out the window and gazed down at the zombies surrounding the dormitory.
Lately, the number of zombies around the dormitory had increased.
When Kang Haeseok had first chosen the dormitory as their base, he’d thinned them out with plenty of ammo.
But for some reason, lately their numbers had swelled.
‘…Maybe it’s because we’re here.’
The zombie virus itself was a mystery, and they knew next to nothing about the creatures’ movements.
So he had no idea why they were gathering around the dormitory.
One thing was certain, though.
The growing zombie horde had made it much harder to head out on scouting runs.
‘Lucky for us, then.’
Kang Haeseok grinned as he took in the ruined city from his high vantage point.
The food supplies in the area had already been pretty much exhausted.
Just as he’d started judging it a waste of resources to send anyone out scavenging amid the shortages.
That was when the guy offering to trade women for food had shown up, giving him some breathing room.
For the price of providing a woman to fuck, he could get a full week’s worth of food.
It was such a staggeringly good deal that calling anyone who turned it down an idiot wouldn’t be wrong.
Women didn’t get used up from a single fuck.
You could fuck the bitch again later.
Which meant that as long as they kept possession of the women, they could keep buying food from that man.
Safely.
The only hitch was how long the deal would last.
‘At least until he’s fucked each of the women once, it should be fine….’
Even so, there was no telling when the man might change his mind.
If he suddenly stopped coming to trade, they might really have to abandon the dormitory.
That was why Kang Haeseok was deep in thought.
━When to take the man down.
[Static… Company commander! He’s here. ]
Just then, a familiar soldier’s voice came from the radio on the desk.
Kang Haeseok picked it up, cigarette still dangling from his lips, and spoke.
━Static.
“Send him up. I’m coming down.”
Kang Haeseok finished the last of his cigarette butt precious-like and exhaled with a “Hoo….”
He tossed the butt out the window and looked down at the van in front of the barricade.
For now, he’d keep selling off women and enjoying the man’s food for a while.
Then, biding his time, he’d ambush him and plunder all his supplies—that was the plan Kang Haeseok harbored in his mind.
。 。 。
“You’re here! The company commander’s waiting! This way…!”
It had been a week since I’d taken Ryu Dahee from the dormitory.
I drove the van up to the dormitory with practiced ease.
By now, the soldiers must have fully internalized that I was a ‘valuable food supplier.’
The moment they saw me, they greeted me warmly with salesman smiles.
‘That bastard’s grinning at me like that now.’
I smirked beneath my mask as I watched Corporal Park Seongho grovel with a fawning smile.
The same guy who’d spat at my face was now treating me like VIP royalty.
‘Imagining turning that expression to one of despair soon gives me chills.’
Naturally, once my plan went off without a hitch, I intended to give the soldiers some enjoyable moments too.
The anticipation made my heart race.
Life had been pretty fun lately.
Less like surviving a zombie apocalypse and more like living in a theme park made just for me.
I was walking behind Corporal Park Seongho as he led the way when.
Tug…
Ryu Dahee, beside me, pulled at my sleeve.
I turned to look, and she was glaring at me with a dissatisfied expression.
‘…What?’
Wondering if she had something to say, I watched her intently.
Ryu Dahee glanced at Corporal Park Seongho up ahead, then leaned in toward me.
Smack.
She planted a kiss on my cheek and whispered in my ear.
“…You’ll come pick me up soon, right?”
Her cheeks flushed as she gazed at me anxiously.
Finding her adorable, I silently stroked her head once.
I’d explained to Ryu Dahee last night that she’d have to return to the dormitory for a while.
Like Oh Nayeon, she hadn’t wanted to leave the department store.
But after I’d laid out the rough plan, she’d nodded with a reluctant, unhappy look.
“Ho, is something wrong?”
Corporal Park Seongho, noticing the distance between us, cautiously glanced back and asked.
I shook my head and continued following him.
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.
.
“Man, it’s been a while. Thanks for coming by every time.”
When we reached the second floor, Kang Haeseok was there welcoming me naturally, with a woman already waiting.
The group of women watched me with anxious eyes.
Among them, only Oh Nayeon, catching my gaze, waved secretly so no one else would notice.
Her expression seemed less ‘happy to see me’ and more ‘please don’t ignore me.’
Dark circles under her eyes—she must not have slept properly lately.
‘Can’t blame her.’
I’d checked Oh Nayeon’s status often through the pigeons.
Every time, what came into view was her clutching a single-line pregnancy test and tearing at her hair.
Since it was all part of the plan, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“…….”
When I turned my head, ignoring Oh Nayeon’s pitiable wave and smile.
She dropped her hand, eyes wide with shock.
I then gently pushed Ryu Dahee on the back, sending her toward the dormitory group.
“D-Dahee…!”
Han Moa, who’d been watching her worriedly, rushed over and threw herself into Ryu Dahee’s arms.
“A-Are you okay? Nothing happened…?”
“Moa, what about you? Everything alright?”
“……Yeah.”
The petite Han Moa buried her face in the chest of Ryu Dahee, who smiled gently.
They looked more like sisters than friends.
“Alright then, our esteemed customer. Which product will you be taking today?”
Kang Haeseok, having checked the food I’d handed over, flashed a satisfied smile and spread his arms toward the women before me.
He’d fully transformed into a pimp now.
Without a word, I raised a finger and pointed at one of the women.
“…Damn, customer really knows how to pick ’em.”
Kang Haeseok looked where my finger pointed and grinned lecherously.
I’d pointed at the petite girl nestled in Ryu Dahee’s arms.
Han Moa.
“Hey, bring her over.”
“Wh-what…?”
“Moa…!”
At Kang Haeseok’s chin flick, two nearby soldiers familiarly dragged Han Moa over to me.
Ryu Dahee cried out desperately at the sight, but the soldiers blocked her.
‘Good acting.’
I’d already explained to Ryu Dahee in advance that I’d be taking Han Moa.
And instructed her to act worried if I picked her.
After all, everyone here knew how close the two were.
Ryu Dahee standing silently while her best friend was dragged off by the mysterious me would look suspicious.
“Hm? Another message?”
While the soldiers restrained Han Moa, I handed Kang Haeseok the note I always passed along.
He read it and nodded.
“Ah, don’t worry about that part. We kept the last girl safe and sound.”
The note’s contents were ‘Don’t touch Ryu Dahee.’
These soldiers might try laying hands on a woman who’d already been ‘sold’ once.
But from Kang Haeseok’s perspective, it’d just look like a customer who didn’t want his ‘product’ dirtied, so no issue.
“Then, enjoy your time.”
Having returned Ryu Dahee and received Han Moa, I turned and started walking away.
Just before leaving the second floor.
I glanced back at the group of women.
Ryu Dahee’s eyes met mine furtively, and she gave a subtle nod.
Then I turned my gaze to Oh Nayeon last.
Unaware that my eyes behind the sunglasses were on her.
She sat there trembling, her face etched with despair.
‘That’s about ripe.’
Satisfied with the sight of fruit perfectly ready to pick, I smiled and left the dormitory.
。 。 。
After Lee Seoho departed, Oh Nayeon stood dazed in the now-empty second-floor hall, staring blankly at the spot where he’d been.
Lee Seoho had ignored her.
‘No, it must be because other people were watching….’
He had to hide his identity from the others.
He couldn’t afford to raise suspicions among the soldiers.
That was why he’d ignored her greeting.
Oh Nayeon kept telling herself that in her head.
She hadn’t been abandoned by him yet.
‘…But.’
Their bet.
His promise that if she got pregnant with his child, he’d take responsibility for her for life.
And when he’d arrived just now.
Oh Nayeon hadn’t been able to show him the pregnancy test from afar.
Even the final check had come up with just a single line.
“Wh-what do I do… What do I do… What do I do…”
Crunch, crunch.
Oh Nayeon sat down on the floor, biting her nails in despair.
At this rate, Lee Seoho would abandon her.
No, maybe he already knew.
That she wouldn’t get pregnant with his child.
That might be why he’d proposed such a bet.
“…Hic, ugh, sob.”
Her thoughts reached that point, and despair overwhelmed her as tears began to fall.
What surfaced then were memories of how she’d treated him the first time they met in this dormitory—her attitude, her words, her actions.
They all started replaying in her mind.
‘I shouldn’t have… I really shouldn’t have….’
Back then, when the soldiers were treating Lee Seoho unjustly, Oh Nayeon had treated him like a slave too.
In this zombie-ravaged world.
She’d looked down on him just like those in power tormented him.
She hated her past self for being so foolish, pathetic, and resentful.
‘If only, back then, I’d treated Seo-ho oppa kindly….’
If she’d helped him then.
Maybe she could have won his real love.
Even without a bet over pregnancy, he might have promised to stay with her forever.
Regrets poured out alongside her tears nonstop.
But the past couldn’t be changed.
Which only made Oh Nayeon’s despair grow deeper.
She stayed like that for a long while, collapsed on the floor.
Softly sobbing in the empty second-floor hall with no one around.
“Um… Oh Nayeon?”
A voice called out to her.
At the sound, Oh Nayeon slowly lifted her head.
There stood Ryu Dahee, arms crossed, looking down at her with sharp eyes.
“I’ve got a message for you.”
Those indifferent words.
But Oh Nayeon instantly grasped their meaning.
A message.
‘Seo-ho oppa…!!’
It was a message from Lee Seoho, delivered through Ryu Dahee.
Proof that he hadn’t abandoned her yet.
“Wh-what is it?! What’d he say?!”
“First… shall we move somewhere else?”
Ignoring Oh Nayeon clinging desperately, Ryu Dahee glanced around.
No one nearby yet, but this was a busy path in the dormitory.
“Let’s go to my room.”
And so Ryu Dahee led the hollow-eyed, pleading Oh Nayeon to her room.
Later, Ryu Dahee relayed Lee Seoho’s message to Oh Nayeon.
And two days after that.
A murder occurred in the dormitory.
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