Zombie Outbreak Day 2: Bows, Sweets, and a Slave's Resolve
“Oppa...”
“It’s just popping one off from the top of the dam—what’s there to worry about?”
“Right? No need to worry, huh?”
“Of course not~ Hey, with this, just whoosh-whoosh and it’s done!”
“Kyung...”
“Huh? You laughed~”
“No, why is a bow whoosh-whoosh!!!”
“Huh? You’ve been on the internet too? Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh~!!”
Finally, So-hyun smiled brightly. I gave her head a light stroke and climbed the ladder.
“Oppa, be careful...!!!”
“Yeah~ I told you it’s fine—stop worrying~ Just watch carefully from there.”
“Yessir~!”
So-hyun gave a clumsy salute with her reply. I struck a dramatic pose and drew the bowstring. Pure Olympic gold-medal archer vibes.
A compound bow with sleek engineering design. I’d wanted a crossbow, but they’re illegal—couldn’t get one.
I drew the string, aligned the sights, and fired. Twang—the arrow flew with a satisfying sound.
It pierced the zombie’s skull effortlessly.
“Nice!!!”
“Did you get it?!”
“Yeah~~ One shot!”
Damn, this is fun. There’s a real thrill the moment my arrow skewers a zombie’s head. Would’ve been even better from farther away, though. Hitting it right from overhead dulled the satisfaction a bit.
“Oppa, good job!”
The second I came down the ladder, So-hyun trotted over and started kneading my shoulders like mad. Her little fern-like hands didn’t do much, but her eager effort to help was cute.
“Did you talk to Na-young?”
“Well... I tried chatting about this and that...”
“But?”
“She won’t answer... Na-young unnie won’t really kill herself, right?”
“Psh, as if she’d die. No way. Where else in this world is as good to live as right here?”
“True, but...”
“I’ll keep an eye on Na-young.”
“Okay...!”
So-hyun’s eyes were still anxious. Can’t blame her—she begged me to watch her in case of suicide, then I made her bark like a dog.
“It’s fine~ People don’t die that easily.”
“...Okay.”
Though they drop dead surprisingly quick sometimes.
Sweets are good for depression, I hear. A-ram, Na-young—half our house was mired in gloom. Today called for a sugar binge.
So-hyun and I raided the dessert pantry, grabbing all sorts of treats.
“Th-this looks tasty too.”
“This one...”
“Ah, cake...!!”
“Ch-chocolate!!!”
Already cradling an armful of snacks, So-hyun’s eyes sparkled at every new dessert. Total chipmunk—cheeks stuffed, but still greedy for more.
“We can have more later. I won’t nag about snacking.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. Plenty to go around.”
“Yay~!”
Back from snack shopping, the two women sat obediently at the table, collars on. Depressed or not, disobeying orders was off the table.
“Dig in.”
“Yes~!”
The pair silently shoved food into their mouths. Eyes dead, jaws working mechanically...
“Don’t wanna eat?”
“...Woof.”
“Then don’t fucking eat it.”
“...Woof.”
“Oppa...!!!”
“What? She says no—why waste food?”
“Go to your room.”
“...Woof.”
Appetite ruiner. Stubborn bitch—takes her forever to quit. Look at A-ram. I snapped about her not eating, and boom—cheeks ballooned with snacks, chomping away. Smart girl.
My hand naturally drifted to A-ram’s head.
“If only you acted this pretty like our A-ram~”
“Thank you...”
So-hyun glanced between us a few times, then gathered snacks into a bowl.
“Um... Can I eat with Na-young unnie?”
“Go for it? Talk nice, So-hyun.”
“Yes...!!!”
“...Unnie.”
Na-young didn’t even twitch at So-hyun’s call.
‘Mom...’
Her mind was all family. No room for anything else.
So-hyun pitied her, worried too. That man hated gloom. He might boot her out any second.
“Unnie... Cheer up. You really gonna die like this?”
“Leave me...”
“Family troubles?”
“...Yeah.”
“Tell me about them...”
So-hyun’s plea got through—Na-young spoke slowly.
“Mom, when I headed out... called me a crazy bitch, told me to dress proper...”
“...Hated that?”
“Just pissed me off then... ended up kidnapped... Mom was right.”
“......”
“Our place ran a little side-dish shop. Always broke, since I was a kid.”
“Pretty clothes, good food. Never even touched a new phone.”
“Always cheap shit. Cheap. Cheap. Fucking miserable.”
“I... lived with grandma, so I get it...”
“...Grandma?”
“Lucky? She passed a few months back...”
“...Sorry. But we’re probably different...”
Na-young confessed like absolution.
“Pretty, so a little effort got me stuff.”
“School: snacks from the tuck shop. College: bigger leagues.”
“Sweet smile—clothes, bags... first designer shit, overseas trips. Knew it was wrong. But that life? Too damn comfy.”
“Karma for backstabbing guys, I guess...”
“Who’d you live with, unnie?”
“Mom, dad, little sis... family of four.”
“Little bro?”
“Sis. Shared a room—she’d steal my clothes, snatch my bags. Still called me a slut for the gifts I brought.”
“...Harsh.”
“I am a slut... not wrong.”
So-hyun went quiet at the raw self-loathing. Even the insults sounded nostalgic from Na-young.
“They all dead...?”
“Side-dish shop—tons of food, they’re fine, right?”
“...When it runs out?”
“...Maybe turns around before then.”
“You believe that?”
Na-young’s sharp gaze hit her—So-hyun couldn’t lie.
“You know too... it’s over. That’s why you kiss his ass so hard.”
“Hate it? Some bitch bawling all day...”
So-hyun gripped Na-young’s hand. Delivered her heart, deliberate and clear.
“Don’t hate.”
“......”
“Don’t hate.”
“Got it...”
‘Should I say it?’
She hesitated—but blurted it.
“Unnie. Oppa’s moodier than he seems...”
“...You his real sis?”
“Nah. Same as you... maybe worse...”
“Treats you nice...”
“All whims. Useless? Gone anytime.”
“...You’re cute. You’ll last.”
So-hyun shook it off—like it didn’t matter now.
“You matter now, unnie.”
“Unnie. Lived backstabbing guys, right?”
“Yeah...”
“Why not now?”
“...That prick’s not that simple.”
“Moodier than you think. See how he babies A-ram unnie?”
“...Saw.”
“Like he’d rip out his guts for her—adorable, right?”
“...Yeah.”
“Unnie. Play pretty a bit... might let you save family...”
“Bring ’em here, farm inside the wall... oh, tons of bows—zombies easy.”
“Just save ’em...”
“Side-dish shop—three weeks, hell, a month of food?”
“...Yeah.”
“Backstabbing men your specialty?”
“Not specialty...”
“Anyway! Do something!!! Family’s alive! Let ’em starve huddled at home?”
“I’ll do something.”
Hope welled in Na-young’s eyes.
“Thanks, So-hyun...”
“No... sorry I can’t help more...”
“Nah... let’s both push hard...”
“Yes! Fighting!!!”
“Fighting...! Yeah... Fighting!!!”
The two hugged tight. So-hyun finally exhaled in relief.
‘Good...’
‘Won’t get kicked out now...’
‘’Cause I’m useful.’
No worry for Na-young in that relief.
Na-young paused at the mirror before leaving. Just two scraps of fabric: provocative black lace panties and bra. Nothing else adorned her.
Men crave beauty and purity. Na-young knew—so light makeup amplified her allure.
Refined face, sharp features. Flawless skin screamed untouched innocence.
That collar and chain at her throat. A depraved streak amid the purity—dizzying. Erotic, even to her.
That man would...
“Fighting...!”
Na-young steeled up and stepped out. Pride fully discarded.