One Step at a Time

This is strange... Even amidst his growing confusion, Jun-ho didn't stop running. He didn't feel tired at all, which made him consider picking up the pace, but he decided against it. Pushing himself too hard on the very first day ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt risky. A few more minutes passed, and Jun-ho finished his tenth lap around the park.

"Bizarre." It was strange enough that he had run two kilometers in under ten minutes despite not exercising regularly, but it was even stranger that he had barely broken a sweat, even considering the cool November breeze. Just then, a voice drifted over from nearby.

"My, that young man sure can run! Haha."

"Are you looking for a job? Good on you. It's much better for a young person to get out and exercise than to just rot at home."

"Sigh, my oldest grandson spends all day cooped up in his room. You're doing great, young man. And you're fast, too!"

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the compliments from the elderly folks resting on the benches, Jun-ho gave them a polite nod. Even during the apocalypse, survivors of that age group rarely posed any threat, so he didn't feel particularly tense. In fact, survivors in their sixties and older were exceedingly rare to begin with.

Leaving the park, Jun-ho bought a bottle of water from a convenience store. As he drank, he fell deep into thought. He had just run over two kilometers, yet his breathing was perfectly steady. It didn't feel like he had been running for ten minutes; it felt more like he had taken a leisurely stroll.

"Hmm... strange." Since he couldn't find an answer, Jun-ho brushed the thoughts aside. Whatever the reason, it was a positive change, not a negative one. Besides, he had far more pressing matters to attend to.

Returning home, Jun-ho took a quick shower and sat down in front of his computer. He began searching for a few names.

"As expected, nothing." Then again, they were ordinary people. It would be stranger if they were easily searchable on the internet.

"But I know where they live." Jun-ho opened a map website and searched for "Hadan-dong, Busan." The area was immediately highlighted in blue. He then entered the keywords "Hadan hardware store," and seven locations popped up on the screen.

Zooming in slightly, Jun-ho carefully examined each hardware store and its surrounding area. "The hardware stores right next to the school are..." There were three of them.

"Huh?" Jun-ho narrowed his eyes. He had thought he would have to visit all three, but the target was identified far more easily than expected.

"This is it. Suho Tool Center." Suho was a person's name. Specifically, it was the name of the son of the man Jun-ho absolutely had to meet. The man had talked about his children countless times, and Jun-ho had even met one of them in person, so he remembered them clearly. The daughter was Baek Su-ah, and the son was Baek Su-ho. The hardware store was clearly named after his son.

It was located within a fifty-meter radius of the middle school, and given the name Suho Tool Center, there was a ninety-nine percent chance it was his shop. Furthermore, looking at the street view, a small auto repair shop with a single lift and a tiny parking lot was attached right next to the hardware store building. This made it a hundred percent certain.

"Hyung-nim, just wait a little longer. I'll be there soon." He was someone Jun-ho absolutely had to meet, but now was not the time. For starters, Jun-ho himself wasn't ready yet.

After saving the location of the Suho Tool Center, Jun-ho paused to think. He then combined several keywords to run another search. The keywords were: AI, GPU servers, hosting, and computing infrastructure development. Dozens of company names immediately populated the screen. Jun-ho took the companies from the first page and cross-referenced them with the keywords "Songpa" and "Yoon Young-soo."

"Nothing...? Wait." One company popped up: Dow Computing. Jun-ho accessed their website and checked the company profile, but no employee names were listed other than the CEO. He scrolled to the very bottom of the homepage to check the address. The headquarters were in Pangyo, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the research facility was in Songpa.

"This must be it..." Seeing that the research facility was in Songpa, it wasn't a hundred percent guarantee like the Suho Tool Center, but the probability was extremely high. Jun-ho saved Dow Computing's location as well.

Next, he logged onto a real estate website to search for potential houses to move into. He kept the search area to his current city, Bucheon.

"A house with a yard. Even if it's a single-story, it must have a basement..." Searching for single-family homes and country houses for rent yielded hundreds of results. After ten minutes of diligent searching, he narrowed it down to a single-family home near the Chuni Mountain urban development zone and three nearby country houses as his final candidates.

After examining the final candidates on the map website using satellite images and street views, he selected the property with the most appealing location and layout. He then called the real estate agency.

"Hello. Yes, I'm calling about the single-family house listed for rent. Yes, the one near the Chuni Mountain development zone... Yes, that's the one. I'd like to take a look at the house. Ah, yes, I understand. Please send me a text, and I'll head over there tomorrow morning. Yes, thank you."

Hanging up with the realtor, Jun-ho murmured as he closely examined the street view of the house he was going to see tomorrow.

"A mountain in the back, fields and empty lots on both sides. The road in front is a one-way alley, and there's a junkyard across from it. Within a fifty-meter radius, there are only a few houses and a single restaurant. It's perfect."

It was the ideal location and setup to live in while preparing and testing various things before the shelter was completed. Furthermore, if he extended the lease, it would be highly suitable for other purposes as well.

"Alright. Unless something goes wrong, I'll take this house. Next..." He needed to sign up for a gym for serious physical training, as well as a boxing or kickboxing gym. In an apocalypse, where falling or being knocked down meant either being overpowered by an opponent or bitten by a zombie, stand-up striking arts were incredibly useful.

"One step at a time, step by step..." Trying to keep his impatience at bay, Jun-ho immersed himself in his searches once again.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, you're here?" Startled by the deep voice, Jun-hyeok turned his head.

"I've been here for a while. Anyway, is something seriously going on? Why aren't you going home? What are you still doing here?" Choi Hyun-woo, who was taller and much more heavily built than the 181-centimeter, 78-kilogram Jun-hyeok, had been his friend since high school. Though they went to different universities, they lived close by, and since both had served in the military and been discharged around the same time, they were as close as brothers. Best of all, they worked part-time at the same place, meaning they saw each other almost every weekday.

"Uh... no. It's nothing."

"Like hell it's nothing. You've been spacing out ever since I got here today. What's up? Wait, is it a girl? That Pilates girl from Instagram a few days ago? You traitorous bastard!" As Choi Hyun-woo pointed a dramatic finger at him, Jun-hyeok grimaced.

"It's nothing like that, you idiot. That Pilates girl is just doing whatever she wants. No, it's just... my brother's acting weird."

"Your brother? Jun-ho Hyung-nim? What's wrong with him?" Choi Hyun-woo knew Jun-ho. Unlike Jun-hyeok, who was tall and handsome even in his best friend's eyes, Jun-hyeok's older brother was the definition of ordinary, starting from his very name. Even though he was his best friend's brother, there was a six-year age gap, so they had a somewhat distant relationship where Hyun-woo would just bow politely whenever they crossed paths.

His ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perception of Jun-ho had completely changed a year ago, when Jun-hyeok's father passed away in a car accident. Choi Hyun-woo, who had been on military leave at the time, had rushed to the funeral home. He could never forget the sight of Jun-ho calmly greeting the mourners with an expressionless face, in stark contrast to his friend Jun-hyeok, who was weeping inconsolably.

Even with a six-year age gap, they were both still in their twenties. Yet, the Jun-ho he saw at the funeral home that day instantly shattered the image Hyun-woo had previously held of him. He no longer saw him as just his best friend's plain older brother, but as a mature, dependable adult.

Furthermore, after the funeral was over, Jun-ho had smiled and shaken hands with Hyun-woo, thanking him for staying through the entire service and the burial. But later, Hyun-woo had accidentally witnessed Jun-ho in the restroom, running the tap to drown out the sound of his heavy, desperate sobbing. Seeing a man who had remained so stoic and composed throughout his father's passing finally let his raw emotions pour out once everything was settled—it had struck a deep chord in Hyun-woo. He thought it was incredibly honorable. This seemingly ordinary office worker in his late twenties felt far more manly than any of his fellow Marines.

Since then, whenever he visited Jun-hyeok's house, Choi Hyun-woo would greet Jun-ho with a respectful ninety-degree bow and act as friendly as possible. After all, if his best friend's only brother was such a real man, he was practically an older brother to him as well.

"Ah, well, my brother... No, never mind. I'm just a bit worried because he seems to have a lot on his mind lately."

"True. Working hard at his job and then coming home to take care of a clueless younger brother like you. Jun-ho Hyung-nim really has his hands full."

"Hey, you bastard. Since when is he 'Jun-ho Hyung-nim' to you? Just call him 'Hyung,' man."

"He is Hyung-nim to me. Anyway, so you think Hyung-nim has a lot on his mind?"

"Yeah. Oh, and I think we're moving. I think that's what's been weighing on him lately." When Jun-hyeok shifted the subject, Choi Hyun-woo's eyes widened.

"What? Why? How come? To where?" Seeing Choi Hyun-woo's eyes practically popping out of his head, Jun-hyeok smacked his lips before replying.

"My brother suggested it. He said keeping Dad's room exactly as it is forever isn't great... But we're not going far. We'll probably stay in Bucheon."

"Ah, really? Well, that's a relief." At the mention of his friend's late father, Choi Hyun-woo nodded, his expression turning solemn.

"Anyway, I'm heading out. Don't slack off, do your job." At Jun-hyeok's words, Choi Hyun-woo flipped him the middle finger.

"Eat this. Hey, I'll call you tonight! You know we're meeting up with the guys today, right?"

"I don't know, man. I might not make it."

"What? Hey! You son of a bitch! Don't tell me you're meeting up with that Pilates girl? Hey! I'll call you! Just pick up!" Choi Hyun-woo, whose voice was already naturally booming, roared so loudly that passersby glanced over. However, upon seeing his massive frame and intimidating, scary facial expression, they quickly looked away. Shaking his head at his friend, Jun-hyeok hurried toward the bus stop.

His bus arrived shortly after. Sitting in the very back row, Jun-hyeok pulled out his phone out of habit. He thought about calling his brother, who had said he was quitting his job today, but decided against it. He would see him soon enough once he got home anyway.

"An apocalypse..." Even after the unbelievable experience he had early this morning, it still didn't feel real. The COVID-19 pandemic that had swept the globe was finally dying down. Although there were still many infections and deaths due to variants, vaccines were proving effective, so at least the younger generation didn't have much to worry about. Yet, after barely enjoying a few years of hard-won stability and peace, a zombie apocalypse was going to break out?

"This is crazy... How does that make any sense?" Jun-hyeok bit his lip as the thoughts that had been plaguing him all day at work swirled in his head. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to doubt it. If anyone knew, Jun-hyeok knew his brother was far from ordinary. His brother had never spoken a word of nonsense in his entire life. Especially after their father passed away, he had never shown weakness or lost his composure in front of him. And now, that very brother had made a prediction that came true with a hundred percent accuracy—undeniable proof. He had even dumped all the money their father had left behind into cryptocurrency.

"Which means... there's a very high chance it's actually going to happen." Suddenly, Choi Hyun-woo, whom he had just parted ways with, came to mind. His brother had told him not to tell a single soul, but keeping this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from his best friend felt incredibly suffocating and wrong.

"But even if I tell him, he'll definitely think I've lost my mind. Sigh..." A sigh escaped his lips. He really needed to talk to his brother about this once he got home. At the very least, Hyun-woo... the only friend who had stayed by his side throughout his father's funeral even while on military leave, deserved to be saved. With those thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, Jun-hyeok got off the bus and trudged back home.