Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Settling into Safety
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So-yun and I headed over to Min-hyuk and Su-a, who had finished packing up their things.
Min-hyuk was doing a final check on his bags, making sure nothing was missing.
Next to him, So-yun was sorting through her stuff, her face flushed red as she kept stealing glances at me.
"Min-hyuk, Su-a. What do you think about us staying at my place for a while?"
"Your place? I'm cool with it, but what about you, Su-a? Weren't you against it before?"
"...We don't have anywhere else to stay right now, and Oppa promised to teach us how to survive."
"Survive? You mean like that swordsmanship?"
Min-hyuk looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.
Honestly, teaching them Weapon Technique would be tough.
I barely understood how I handled weapons so well myself.
But I could definitely teach them how to stay alive.
"I'll do my best."
If I taught these three about skills and handed them the real weapons hanging on my apartment walls...
That alone would be enough for them to survive in this world.
Because they were this novel's protagonists.
Feeling the sincerity in my words, Min-hyuk nodded.
"What about you, So-yun?"
"Huh? M-me?! Uh... S-sure! Oppa's so... reliable."
She panicked visibly, nodding her head.
But when our eyes met, she quickly looked away.
She must have really seen it.
The piano academy's door had a semi-transparent glass panel in the center.
If you focused, you could see inside pretty clearly.
It was probably meant for teachers to check if students were practicing properly.
She must have seen through that door.
Every time our eyes met, So-yun's cheeks turned red.
It was worrying Su-a.
A little time passed, and we all gathered our bags.
My Strength LV.1 had leveled up, so I could've carried most of it, but the three of them insisted on sharing equally, saying heavy loads might hinder us in a fight.
I figured I'd help if they got tired.
I'd already lured zombies to other buildings and cleared the path to the apartment, so we made steady progress without interruptions.
Whenever a stray zombie headed our way, I'd rush ahead and take it out first.
It was to avoid noise near the group drawing more in and putting them at risk.
Even while I handled zombies, the three kept moving forward.
"The apartment's..."
"Almost there. This way."
It was in a spot not too far from the bustling streets to begin with.
As the shops thinned out to just a few, our destination—the apartment complex—came into view.
"I... I might cry."
So-yun stared at it with teary eyes.
We hadn't walked far.
Just ten minutes.
It was so close.
Escaping what felt like an inescapable downtown had only taken ten minutes.
Overwhelmed with emotion, So-yun looked on the verge of tears.
If we weren't in a situation where noise could attract zombies, she probably would've sobbed openly.
Min-hyuk looked a bit dazed too, surprised the apartment was this nearby.
Su-a just quietly placed a hand on So-yun's shoulder to comfort her.
"..."
Their reactions varied, but all carried a tinge of melancholy.
Watching them, my heart ached.
They were the novel's protagonists, sure—but they were still just early twenties.
Too young to handle something like this easily.
"...Let's go."
"Yeah, I wanna get inside and wash up."
Min-hyuk shook off the gloom first.
So-yun nodded, holding back tears.
It was just like them to push through the sadness.
Once inside the complex, there were hardly any zombies, so we took it slow, looking around as we went.
We even set down our heavy bags for a breather.
"With all the people who must've lived here like in downtown, you'd think there'd be more zombies."
"Maybe most went out for food or supplies? And the ones who came back... were few."
Min-hyuk replied to Su-a's comment.
I thought the same.
A good chunk of those zombies downtown were probably from this complex.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be that many.
Maybe thinking of downtown zombies quieted our chatter.
I led them silently to my place.
The three trailed behind me, occasionally letting out gasps of awe.
"This is it?"
So-yun said excitedly.
She stomped her feet lightly, thrilled to finally reach the place we'd been looking forward to.
My home.
They'd all be surprised, no doubt.
I had been too, at first.
Up the stairs to my door, I unlocked it.
The living room's unusual sight—still striking no matter how many times I'd seen it—greeted us as I stepped in first. The others followed cautiously.
"Ex-excuse the intrusion. Wh-what... is all this, hyung?"
"...Whoa..."
They each reacted in their own colorful way, taking in the room.
One wall was lined with weapons and tools, the other with shelves packed full of canned goods.
It was only natural to be shocked by a setup that looked prepped for the apocalypse.
"With this much food, we didn't need to bring ours, huh?"
Min-hyuk laughed hollowly, lifting a massive tuna can from the shelf.
I chuckled lightly too.
"The more food, the better. Alright, everyone, unpack."
There were plenty of rooms.
The master bedroom went to me and Min-hyuk after everyone yielded it to the "house owner."
The women took a smaller one—which wasn't much smaller than the master, really.
The only real difference was the attached bathroom.
"The floor's not cold..."
"Blankets."
"No rattling windows."
Were they still influenced by the academy days?
The three were grateful even for these little things.
I got it when I saw the blankets too.
How could they be so fluffy and warm?
Just looking made me feel cozy.
We were all worn out from hauling bags, so Min-hyuk went first to shower.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
I'd been hovering by the bathroom door, waiting my turn after him, when he called out.
His voice was steady, but it almost seemed to tremble slightly.
"No water's coming out."
"The sink too."
It had come to this.
Electricity was still on, but water was probably next.
Day 1 of the outbreak.
Power and water started cutting out.
Time to buy that 50-point [Set Residence] from the shop.
50 points.
Pricey, sure—but cheaper than losing electricity and water.
[Residence has been selected.]
[Safe zone has been set.]
[Electricity and water will be supplied unlimitedly.]
[Duration: 6 days 23 hours...]
"Oh? It's back on."
I still had points to spare.
With the shop open, I spent 100 more on a skill.
[Purchasing random skill.]
[Acquired Dexterity Skill.]
Dexterity.
"...What even is this?"
First time I'd gotten a skill and felt this baffled.
No clue what it did or how to use it.
100 points felt wasted.
Should've saved them.
"Hyung, I'm all done."
"Yeah, okay..."
I must've looked down as I headed in, because Min-hyuk eyed me curiously.
Maybe because of the comfy beds, Min-hyuk and Su-a turned in early.
I got it.
Min-hyuk had burned through stamina building that ladder, and Su-a was already exhausted from the academy ordeal before zombie hunting.
Plus, hot showers after so long, and actual blankets on the beds?
Impossible not to crash.
Soon, the living room only had me and So-yun, fresh from her shower, sitting there.
"D-doesn't it feel weird being alone like this for the first time...?"
"Huh... Yeah, it does."
To target Su-a, I'd stuck close to her, so alone time with So-yun was rare.
"Um, are you... dating Su-a or something?"
"Huh? No? Su-a's with Min-hyuk."
"R-right? I knew that, but then why..."
So-yun stammered in confusion.
Her lips trembled like a broken doll's.
"Did you... see it?"
I knew she had, but asked softly anyway.
Her face flushed deeper as she nodded.
"I-I did..."
"Haa..."
I sighed, covering my face with both hands.
Looking up at her cautiously with a "I've messed up" expression, I said,
"...Keep it secret from Min-hyuk... please. I'll do anything."
"A-anything?"
Her eyes widened at my words.
No idea what she was imagining, but her cheeks burned even redder.
It reminded me of when Su-a first saw my true colors.
She'd said something like "anything" too back then.
Except no kissing or insertion.
"G-give me a bit to think."
So-yun fled to her room.
"Mm..."
Sharing the same Fetish, I could tell.
Conquering So-yun wouldn't be long now.