I Am Normal, the World Is Wrong
The pain from the bite did not fade; instead, it intensified, spreading through my entire body like wildfire. My frame trembled, and the agony that seemed to pierce deep into my marrow threatened to extinguish my consciousness. Yet, at some point, someone had wrapped bandages around the wound. It was only long after the dressing was applied that the torment began to subside. The searing, flame-like pain from moments ago had shifted into a heavy, dull ache, like a severe bout of flu. My heart slowly regained its rhythm, and I managed to catch my breath, finally pulling myself back to reality. Only then did my heavy eyelids flutter open, and the world around me began to sharpen into focus.
Before me was Sieun. Sieun, looking at me with bloodshot eyes. Sieun, with blood trickling from her lips. She was sitting right in front of me.
“Sie…un.”
An expression tangled with guilt, sorrow, and pain washed over her face.
“…I’m okay.”
She tried to force a smile, but it barely reached the corners of her lips. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and then, I lost consciousness once more.
— Kim Sieun —
What I saw was a blood-stained bandage, and beneath it, her face twisted in agony. How could she possibly say she was okay? Irritation and rage boiled within me. But it wasn’t anger directed at Jang Yeeun. It was anger at myself.
Since a while ago, every sound—the dripping of water, the rustling of the wind—had been stabbing at my ears, threatening to burst them. My head grew dizzier, and my stomach churned. I looked at my left hand, and what I saw was the site where I had been brutally torn. And yet... there were no teeth marks. No trace at all. All I could see were the marks of self-mutilation. What on earth am I looking at?
I immediately pulled a pen and notebook from my bag and began to write. Scratch, scratch—the sound of the pen meeting paper. It was an undeniable fact that I had been bitten by a zombie. If so, am I a zombie now? Or am I still human? The desire to 'eat' that I felt when I saw blood, that sheer pleasure... am I no longer human?
My molars ground together, and the thump, thump of my heart echoed like it was tearing my ears apart. If I am in the process of turning into a zombie, I had to know why. In the novel I wrote, not a single person who was bitten ever recovered. Jang Yeeun’s blood contains antibodies. If so, could drinking her blood immediately after infection resist the zombie virus? I wanted to know the answer.
In the novel I wrote, Jang Yeeun was just a woman with the setting of 'naturally possessing antibodies.' It was merely a plot device to prevent her from becoming a victim of secondary infection and dying a hollow death by the end of the story. Did that save me? And earlier, the monstrous strength I displayed—it was on a level similar to the physical capabilities of the zombies I had designed. Even if I could dismiss that as the kind of strength one finds in a fire, what unnerved me most was the feeling that my sense of touch was dulling. And this damn thirst and destructive urge rising from within my body. Even at this moment, I want to bite into Yeeun’s shoulder, into that sweet, delectable wound, and enjoy the sweetness.
...You crazy bitch. Hold it together.
To keep from losing my reason, I shoved the bandage that had been wrapped around my left arm into my mouth. Even the blood seeping from that bandage was sweet. How annoying.
I don't know how long I can maintain my sanity. There are people who sacrificed themselves for us. There are people who died because of me. They were people who were alive. I envied the protagonists who struggled to live because the present was so painful, because they wanted to run away. That’s how I came to love the apocalypse genre. Their struggle looked cool, and their desperate fight felt powerful. But when I, of all people, faced such a situation, I just froze, became a burden, and ended up hurting the world’s hope. I ruined the world I created.
I approached Jang Yeeun, who was breathing comfortably in her sleep.
Does the antibody in Jang Yeeun’s blood have the ability to block the changes that appear in those infected with the virus? If so, if those antibodies enter my body, could they suppress the effects of the zombie virus and return me to a normal, healthy human? As I stroked her cheek, a warm sensation was transmitted through my dulled sense of touch.
Until we reach Seoul National University, I must save her somehow. I’ll save Jang Yeeun, and then... it would be nice if I could survive, too.
I watched Jang Yeeun’s face for a moment.
"It's okay. I will protect you. No matter what happens, I will protect you."
— Jang Yeeun —
When I opened my eyes, Kim Sieun was sleeping beside me. With the bandage stuffed in her mouth, sucking on it like a baby, she almost looked cute. But the moment I saw the bandage soaked in blood and saliva, that feeling vanished in an instant. I don't know why she was holding such a filthy bandage in her mouth... but as I thought that and tried to sit up, a sharp pain surged from my right shoulder.
...Ah. Only then did the memories of yesterday begin to surface. The moment I made a sound, Sieun jumped up in surprise. As she spat out the saliva-drenched bandage, a red mixture of blood and spit flowed out.
“Did you sleep well?”
Sieun’s eyes were bloodshot, bright red. As if she had been tortured all night long. Only then did the surroundings come into view. Countless notebooks scattered in disarray. Had Sieun been taking notes all night long?
“The wound on your shoulder. Are you okay?”
Sieun opened her mouth, 'forcing' a smile. That kind of smile didn't look happy at all, no matter how I looked at it. Even so, I tried to smile back and say I was fine, but at that moment, my shoulder wouldn't lift properly.
“...Eat this.”
Watching me, Sieun held out a CalorieMate. It tasted like absolute garbage, but I had to eat something. As I was eating the CalorieMate, Sieun, who had been watching me quietly, spoke in a trembling voice.
“I’m sorry, really…”
“It wasn't intentional. It’s okay.”
“...Still.”
“It’s okay. I told you it’s okay.”
A moment of silence passed.
“But… we were both bitten by the infected… why are we so fine?”
“Right? We were hurt, blood was flowing, and we were definitely bitten…”
Sieun swallowed her words and lowered her eyes. She just stared at me with an expression as if she wanted to find the answer. Sieun must be having a hard time, too.
In the quiet time, Sieun looked at me for a moment before holding out the notebook she was holding.
“Look… at this.”
At those words, my gaze turned to the notebook. When I took it and opened it, it wasn't just a simple map. Every alley, building, and major intersection in our neighborhood was drawn in detail. Sieun paused for a moment and moved her finger over the map.
“Here, the road with the golf school and the PC bang in front. The road we originally planned to take has too many infected. So, we’ll go around toward the apartment, cut through the apartment complex in the back, and head toward Samgae Park.”
She pointed to the park drawn on the notebook.
“If we move through the park, it should be easier to run and escape. And if we dash forward from the park, we’ll hit Exit 2 of Mapo Station immediately.”
“What if there are… too many infected near Exit 2 of Mapo Station…”
Sieun fell into thought for a moment, then nodded and bit her lip.
"I didn't think of that."
She said, opening the notebook with her fingertips to start planning again.
"It's okay, though. We just need to find another way we can do it."
She quickly pointed to the map and began drawing a new route.
"I think it’s better to go this way. Avoid the places with many infected..."
However, at that moment, a good idea suddenly popped into my head.
“...Sieun, you definitely said the infected are sensitive to ‘noise,’ right?”
Sieun nodded while thinking for a moment and replied.
"Yes, that’s right."
She looked down at the notebook for a moment, then looked back up at me.
“They are sensitive to noise, so they seem to react to even the smallest sound. That’s why we need to move quietly.”
At that moment, a good idea popped into my head. A crazy idea, the kind I wouldn't normally have. But the whole world is crazy right now, so would it really change anything if I were just a little bit crazier?
“Then… shall we try looting a PC bang?”
Sieun tilted her head with a puzzled expression. She seemed not to understand what I meant.
“We’re going to have a huge fireworks show. We can’t worry about every little bit of common sense anymore!”
“...Fireworks? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Yes, fireworks. Let’s cause one big mess we couldn't normally do.”
“…Yeeun, do you know that your expression looks incredibly evil right now?”
…If one building blows up, it won't change much in this crazy world, right? Yes, let’s think that way. I am normal, the world is wrong.