First Date Long Overdue
It had been quite a while since I enjoyed a leisurely morning like this. The languid morning sunlight streamed through the window. Thanks to the air conditioner, the June weather felt perfectly comfortable.
I slipped my hand under the blanket and ran it slowly down Lee Yeonhee’s naked body, squeezing and caressing. Her warm body heat traveled into my palm. Just touching her put me in a good mood. But I stopped before my lust could fully ignite. I had a schedule today.
When I finished washing up and came out, Lee Yeonhee was packing a lunchbox with a smile that suggested something wonderful had happened.
“Just this one.”
“Here, say ah.”
She pointed at the inari sushi and naturally popped it into my mouth. The flavor was so good it woke me up completely. When I smiled without realizing it, Lee Yeonhee smiled back at me.
Once the lunchbox was ready, she asked, “Will you wait for me downstairs at the apartment entrance?”
“Got it, Noona. Take your time getting ready.”
The moment she heard my answer, she spun around and hurried into the room. Was she that happy? Even the way she moved to get prepared looked excited.
It was a shame a movie wasn’t part of the date course. We couldn’t go to a theater right now anyway. Internet, phones, and all forms of communication had been completely severed the moment the Wave began, so there was no way around it.
I gave the raid members a break too. They’d been worked to the bone these past few days, so they deserved some rest.
When I went down to the apartment complex, couples caught my eye. Pairs taking casual strolls around the grounds. Bursts of laughter from men and women drifting out of homes. Because I had a date planned, they stood out even more.
“Have you been waiting long?”
At the sound of her voice, I turned around.
“Wow….”
For a second I thought she was someone else. No, I thought the whole thing was a dream. It was a visual you simply didn’t see in the apocalypse.
I couldn’t speak. I was too busy drinking in the sight. Navy fabric with a white check pattern, a tennis skirt. The white shirt with its sleeves rolled up was neatly tucked into the skirt. White sneakers, cute socks, and even a pastel chain crossbody bag. It was a meticulously prepared, utterly lovely date outfit.
Anticipation for the date practically radiated from the picnic basket in her hand. Her hair, faded from washing until it was nearly blonde, suited her perfectly. I would have believed an idol had shown up for a photoshoot.
Was Lee Yeonhee’s flushed face thanks to the makeup?
“D-does it… look okay?”
“You’re incredibly beautiful, Noona.”
“…Really?”
She asked in a tiny whisper. I was at a loss for words. It was so frustrating I couldn’t even describe how lovely she looked. Even the way the hem of her skirt fluttered as she descended the stairs was adorable.
Kim Suhyuk, twenty-two years old, lifelong solo. So this is what dating feels like? Are we actually dating right now?
Even the self-proclaimed psychopath certified by a doctor was currently nothing more than a wooden puppet with a pounding heart. Yet I still couldn’t stop staring. I tried to casually circle around for a better view, but Lee Yeonhee turned first.
The skirt fluttering in the breeze, the flash of thigh beneath it, the exposed pale wrists—my head spun.
“You’re seriously gorgeous….”
Like a zombie, I could only dazedly repeat the same words.
“Aish, stop it already! You’re embarrassing me.”
Her face burned bright red as she looked away. I took the picnic basket from her hand and clasped her free hand with mine.
“Shall we go, Noona?”
“Y-yeah!”
As we walked toward the complex entrance, eyes converged on us from every direction. Only then did I realize how many people were watching.
Turn your eyes away and go mind your own business.
Territory Control
All onlookers were driven away.
My face felt like it was on fire. Once we stepped outside the apartment into the empty street, the tension finally eased a little.
Who is that?
I came downstairs to say hello because I saw Suhyuk standing in front of Building 1. Yesterday must have been hard, right? Did you get some good rest? What are you planning to do today? We could chat about this and that. If you haven’t eaten lunch yet, want to grab something together? It would be nice to invite him like that, wouldn’t it?
My steps quickened with that kind of happy anticipation.
And the moment I reached the bottom of the stairs—
“Have you been waiting long?”
A face overflowing with excitement and nervousness that anyone could see. A woman so dazzlingly beautiful it looked like she had fallen in love called out to Suhyuk.
Did someone like her live in this apartment? I had never seen her once since moving in.
What’s their relationship?
An inexplicable anxiety rose inside me.
“I-is it… o-okay?”
“You’re too beautiful, Noona.”
“…Really?”
Calling her Noona—maybe she’s his actual sister? No, that’s impossible. Anyone could tell she was his girlfriend. Why was I even entertaining such stupid assumptions?
“She’s really pretty….”
“Aish, I told you to stop! It’s embarrassing.”
A sweet, lovey-dovey scene. They were unmistakably lovers.
So that’s how it is.
“Shall we go, Noona?”
“Y-yeah!”
The lovely couple—who simply looking at them made my heart feel warm—walked away together.
At the crosswalk, we no longer needed to wait for the signal. My eyes met Lee Yeonhee’s. She must have been remembering the day the Wave began. What if I hadn’t saved her back then?
I immediately shook off the grim thought.
“Suhyuk, thank you.”
“For what?”
I pretended not to know.
“For saving me that time.”
“Of course I saved you. We were neighbors.”
“Hehe, there’s something else I’m thankful for.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you for making me happy.”
Had I really made her happy? Her words made me reflect. Honestly, I had simply used her however I wanted. In exchange, I had only given her safety. Did I even deserve this gratitude?
“If it weren’t for you, Suhyuk, I would never have felt this kind of happiness in my entire life.”
In the apocalypse, how many people could say so confidently that they were happy? At the very least, I hadn’t made her miserable.
“I’ll keep making you happy from now on.”
I didn’t know exactly how, but the words came out anyway.
“Thank you. But don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I understand.”
I released her lightly held hand and interlaced our fingers instead. It was a good thing I had cleared out the shopping district last time we came. Even though the apocalypse had happened, the buildings themselves were still usable. I had thought we might make use of them someday. I just hadn’t expected it to be this soon.
“You must be hungry since you skipped breakfast. Want to eat here?”
“Sounds good. The delicious smell was already making it hard to hold back.”
It was an atmospheric café—the most famous one in the neighborhood—though I had never visited before. The “Closed” sign hinted that the interior remained perfectly intact.
Lunch containers stacked neatly on the table. Finger foods easy to eat by hand. Tuna, beef, cheese gimbap, inari sushi, and even sandwiches on the side. The care she had taken to pack a variety of items was obvious.
“Try this. It’s going to be delicious.”
Lee Yeonhee made an ah sound as she fed me the gimbap. The moment I chewed, my eyes closed. I couldn’t focus on any other senses. My salivary glands kicked into overdrive and my mouth felt tight.
“It’s seriously too good.”
When I opened my eyes, her face practically had the word “happiness” written across it.
Hearts are about to fly out of her eyes.
I had no choice but to look away.
“Hehe.”
Her laugh tickled my chest. After the meal, we drank the coffee she had brewed at home.
“Is this our first date?”
A hint of nervousness colored Lee Yeonhee’s slightly raised voice.
I hadn’t really thought about it that way.
“Yeah, it’s our first date.”
We had done everything else first and only now were having our first proper date. It really was quite late.
“If there’s anything you want to do, just say the word. I’ll do everything for you.”
Childish bravado. In the past it would have been nothing but empty talk. But now it was different. In this world, I could do anything.
“Just… I hope we can keep having normal dates like today from now on.”
It was a modest wish.
“Sorry, I must have gotten too excited. The world has turned into this and yet…”
Now that the world had ended, it was a dream-like hope, but—
“That’s too easy.”
It really was easy for me.
“Look outside.”
The scenery of an ordinary shopping street where people simply weren’t walking around.
“I cleaned up the streets that were packed with zombies. Soon, people will walk here again.”
Someday, wouldn’t we be able to date exactly like before the apocalypse? Eating at shops, buying clothes.
“Noona, just trust me.”
“Yes. I always trust you.”
Lee Yeonhee, sitting beside me, leaned in and gave me a light kiss.
“This time, shall we go buy clothes? I’ll buy you everything.”
“Hehehe, you’ll really buy me everything?”
“Of course. I have plenty of money. Noona, you just pick whatever you like.”
They say people become childish when they fall in love. I laughed at my own ridiculous young-and-rich cosplay.
Good thing we came together.
I had felt the same way last time when I came to buy the bunny-girl costume. I should have brought her with me then.
That was when a map suddenly appeared in the corner of my vision.
Tsk. I was planning to handle it later.
Map Display Activated
Hostile entities detected in the shopping district vicinity. Red markers active.
“Noona, wait a moment.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Before I could answer, six men walked out from the shadows of the alley. They carried simple weapons—knives, iron pipes—and large bags, clearly intending to rob a store. They were at the level where they would die the instant they ran into zombies.
“Whoa, look at that bitch’s rack.”
“Insane. The world’s gone to hell and she’s dressed like that? Has she lost her sense of reality?”
“Let’s take her.”
“Kekeke. Yeah, what the hell are you doing walking around with just two people?”
They crept closer while spewing vulgar nonsense.
“Hey, come over here.”
“Don’t even think about running, got it?”
“We won’t eat you, so let’s play nice.”
“We’ve got other girls at our place. Want us to add you to the collection?”
“Kekekekeke, crazy bastards.”
Instead of answering, I glanced at Lee Yeonhee. The face that had been smiling all throughout our date was now clouded with shadow.
Grooooooan.
Grooooooan.
Groooooan.
Random Tower Summoning
Towers have materialized to surround the targets.
“Uhuhuh?”
“W-what the hell?!”
“No, fuck—what is this?!”
The towers rose as if to encircle them.
“Hey, just leave. I’ll let you go.”
I chose to drive them off rather than crush them. I didn’t want to waste focus on the date, and I definitely didn’t want to show Lee Yeonhee a scene splattered with blood.
“Hey, this is weird. Let’s just go.”
The guy in the black beanie grabbed the arm of the man beside him.
“Are you insane? Fuck, you’re just going to leave that?”
He pointed at us, spit flying from his mouth.
“Have you ever seen a woman like her?”
“No?”
“Exactly. You haven’t.”
“Is she a celebrity?”
When humans are pushed to the extreme, they become slaves to instinct. When instinct takes over, reason clouds and they make fatal misjudgments—even if the price is their lives.
“When else are we going to get to fuck a woman like that?”
“True.”
“Shall we try it? We outnumber them.”
“What about those weird buildings? I see crossbows too.”
“We just kill him before he can grab one.”
They were clearly misunderstanding the situation.
Thwip! Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
Arrows slammed into the ground in a tight perimeter around them. The men forgot what they were saying and simply stared in stunned silence.
“Go.”
Only then did they seem to realize something was wrong. They staggered and turned to run.
“We picked the wrong fucking target—run!”
“Shit!”
“Bad luck!”
They didn’t know it, but escaping from me was impossible. As I watched their retreating backs, I issued orders to the raid members through Territory Control.
⊳ Form three teams and head to the marked zone.
⊳ Capture every hostile in the area alive.
“Noona, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Don’t pay any attention to trash like that. Let’s finish our shopping.”
“Hehe, okay.”
Lee Yeonhee forced a smile. It had been a really long time since I’d been this pissed off.