Storming the Station
The rain poured down harder than before.
With so much already fallen, the downtown sewers were constantly spewing water back up to the surface.
Bubbling!
Splash! Splash!
Rough footprints scattered the backflowing rainwater in every direction as they moved.
The scattered droplets seemed to flow back toward the drains, only to clash with the surging streams and lose their way.
It was still too early for sunset.
Yet around the train station, patches of deep, murky darkness evoked the feel of early dawn.
Behind a massive cargo truck frozen like a rocky mountain, Han Jaejeong poked his head out, his face tense.
The relentless driving rain made it impossible to keep his vision clear without constantly wiping his face.
In his hands, as he scanned the surroundings without rest, was a familiar sledgehammer he'd seen once before.
An hour earlier, the group had been forced to surface urgently due to the wave-like flood of rainwater surging through the sewers.
Ironically, the spot they emerged was the gas station where they'd gotten fuel for the boat to head to the safe zone.
And there, Jaejeong had reunited with the sledgehammer that had lingered only in his memories.
Watching the zombies tossed about like leaves in the storm, unable to find their bearings, Jaejeong let out a wry smile.
The first place they'd reached after leaving the safe zone was the very key to getting back there.
It was an absurd coincidence that bordered on ridiculous.
"How's it look?"
Kang Youngman poked his head out from behind Jaejeong's bulk and asked.
The faces of the group strung out behind him were etched with tension.
At least the pounding rain freed them from the zombies' sensitive hearing.
And the intensifying wind had the creatures stumbling into each other and falling constantly.
"Five at the station entrance that I can see, and a bunch across the street. We sneak up quiet-like and take 'em out before they kick up a fuss."
"Got it."
As Youngman turned back to brief the group, it happened.
"Ah! Hurry the fuck up already. We'll freeze to death before we run into any zombie bastards. You said you'd handle it all—why're we dragging ass like this?"
From the rear, the Squad Leader grumbled in a voice pale with irritation and fear.
Youngman's eyes twitched in disbelief.
"A little rain won't kill you, kid. Prime of life, and you're whining like a baby."
"Old man's got that tough-guy face—must be why you can hack it. Fuck, man. We drag our asses all this way for a goddamn train station? Not even somewhere to duck the rain?"
"Young buck's got the mouth but no manners..."
Youngman started to chide the insolent Squad Leader but trailed off, unable to finish.
Lee Beom-sik's face flashed in his mind—the one who'd called him "old man."
The scolding words and the sharp glare he'd meant to unleash had all been aimed at Beom-sik before.
Back in that building where he'd first met Jaejeong and Beom-sik.
As Youngman swallowed his surging adrenaline and forced calm, Jaejeong kept his eyes locked on the five zombies milling at the station entrance.
Two passing the automatic doors jerked their heads sharply at every whoosh, reacting sensitively to the sound.
Another bashed its head against the glass like a broken bobblehead, shaking back and forth.
Each forward thrust reopened the door, which dutifully reset itself without pause.
The odd ones out were the pair in the flower bed.
Dulled by the rain's roar, they ignored the doors entirely.
So, clear the flower bed first, then hit the three at the doors without giving them a moment.
After that, duck behind one of those millennium-old-tree-thick pillars and peek inside.
Decision made, Jaejeong beckoned the group.
His gesture singled out Second, Youngest, Youngman, and Anna—four in total.
"You're Second, right?"
"Yeah, boss."
Second bowed his head sharply at Jaejeong's question.
"We'll take the flower bed. You three handle the trio at the doors. When those two drop and they react, hit 'em from behind. Hyun-soo."
"Yeah?"
Lee Hyun-soo crouched low and sidled up from beside Anna.
"You stay here with the rest and hold. I'll signal when it's clear—then come up."
"Got it."
"What about me? Nothin'?"
Jaejeong paused mid-turn at the Squad Leader's voice.
"You just stay put. Don't do jack shit."
"Sweet."
The Squad Leader retreated back as if he'd never spoken.
The agreement came too quick, too easy.
Shaking his head, Jaejeong lowered his stance and faced forward.
Then he began ascending the stairs, one cautious step at a time.
Second stuck right on his tail.
Their movements dragged slow, like time itself stretched thin.
Before long, with the flower bed right ahead, Jaejeong pulled back the sledgehammer.
Whoosh!
Cleaving rain and wind in a perfect arc, the hammer shattered one zombie's skull—right as Second reversed his rifle and smashed the butt into the other's head.
Thud! Crack!
Two down in a blink.
Not far off, the three at the doors whipped around, reacting violently.
Grahhh! Kyaaak!
The instant their eyes locked on the pair.
Just as ordered, the three struck from the opposite side, severing necks in a flash.
Youngman, crouched low like a tiger stalking deer, sliced horizontally with his machete.
Roll...
As the head with its grotesque expression tumbled across the pavement.
Anna's dagger plunged into another's brow, while the third's skull cracked open under Youngest's rifle butt, slumping into a meaty ragdoll.
Entrance cleared—Jaejeong confirmed it and waved to Hyun-soo watching from the truck.
Plenty more zombies in the area.
Not a small number, but the downpour still masked them well enough.
Leading the climb were Hyun-soo, Kang Minyoung, Lee Yeon-hui, Jeong Sang-ho—the Work Leader's former sidekick—and Jo Min-gyu, Yeon-hui's boyfriend. The Squad Leader scanned nonstop.
Meanwhile, Jaejeong hugged the pillar at the entrance, peering through the rain-veiled interior.
A palm-swipe cleared the water, revealing the inside at last.
But as he scanned, Jaejeong tilted his head.
Something was off.
The space beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass was eerily quiet—unbelievably so.
Not a zombie in sight, even squinting.
Before, he'd have rushed in at the promise of shelter. Not now.
Usually, this meant they were clustered somewhere.
Not guaranteed, of course.
But you had to assume the worst-case odds.
That way, you could handle surprises.
"Why's it so damn spotless?"
Anna sidled up beside him, peering in too.
Jaejeong replied without shifting his gaze.
"Gotta go in and check room by room. They could be piled up somewhere."
"Yeah. But how do we find the staff? The survivors the doc mentioned at the station."
All eyes turned at Anna's question.
"Can't sneak quiet all the way to the platforms anyway. If they're still kicking, we'll run into 'em soon enough."
"Fair point."
Anna nodded.
If they were still holding out inside, they'd notice the group soon.
Zombies clustered anywhere wouldn't let them stroll to the trains unmolested, after all.
Whirr!
With the automatic doors sliding open, the group stepped inside one by one.
The barren, static air—devoid of any motion—began pressing down on them heavily.
Sledgehammer in grip, Jaejeong led toward the front ticket counters.
Step. Step. Step.
The interior's silence bordered on tomb-like, overwhelming the group completely.
All senses sharpened for the worst, no one dared speak.
The absent zombies gnawed at Jaejeong more than the quiet.
Where the hell were they?
As Jaejeong and the group pondered the same at the counters.
The Squad Leader had wandered off alone to the convenience store.
Beyond the glass, the interior was a wreck.
The still-humming fridges stood empty—no drinks left. Shelves barren.
He cocked his head.
Weird.
When the outbreak hit, everyone bolted—no time to loot.
Who wolfed it all down?
He paced the store, tiles shattered here and there.
Not a scrap remained.
Not even gum.
Creeeak!
Gathering scattered cigarettes from the floor, he cracked open the storeroom door.
Empty here too.
He recalled the doc's words about station staff sending rescue signals.
Still alive, then?
Nearby bakeries, restaurants, fast food joints—same story.
Scale of the missing food suggested either a big survivor group or a few holdouts still scraping by.
One or the other.
Scanning around, his eyes caught summer-vacation merch and event banners lining the shops.
The place was frozen on that sweltering midsummer outbreak day.
His gaze landed on a giant cat character.
Perched on a surfboard, thin fishing-line threads from its head stretched to the ceiling.
Beneath its dynamic arm pose, a short promo blurb.
"Last chance this summer to head to a resort!
Shake the cat's arms left and right!
Winners register via homepage. Event valid until August 31."
The Squad Leader paused, eyes shifting to the arms—then shook them side to side, resolved.
But...
The massive cat suddenly bucked like it was surfing, belting out a shrill yowl.
In the dead quiet, the machine's racket blared deafeningly.
"Meow! I'm a surfing cat, meow! Come vacation with me, meow!"
The skull-rattling blast from the head speaker filled the station.
The startled Squad Leader's eyes darted to the group.
He fumbled frantically over the cat's body, yanking the arms—but the damn thing wouldn't quit.
He wanted to pump bullets into that grinning feline face mid-hum.
'Fuck! When does this shit end?!'
As his stress peaked.
The surfing cat froze solid, a light blinking in the belly pouch.
"Whew..."
Finally over.
The Squad Leader exhaled in near-death relief.
Good—no zombie horde from the noise.
Tsssk!
He lit a cigarette from the scavenged pack and lighter.
Then eyed the still-flashing pouch light.
Obvious prize slot—pull down, mouth opens, dispenses something.
He'd endured the group's murder glares for this event.
Had to check the result.
Clunk!
Pulled the pouch.
Grabbed the small ball inside and read the front lettering—
"You're a winner! Congratulations!"
The ear-splitting voice boomed again, shaking the station.
"Fuck, you shitting me? This is the prize?!"
Shoulders heaving in shock, he jammed the orb back—but the music rolled on.
And then—the cat's head split open side to side.
The thin ceiling lines shimmered iridescent, ascending.
The light show was pure omen.
Sure enough.
Hitting the ceiling, LED fireworks exploded like real ones—followed by actual blasts everywhere.
Bang! Boom! Bboom-bboom!
The cat's earlier noise was nothing compared to this thunderous chaos.
As everyone charged, glaring death at the Squad Leader—
Grahhh!
Rooaaar!
Zombie roars echoed from somewhere, one after another.
Infected People