Chapter 114: A Long-Overdue Visit
Emily, wake up. It's morning.
"Mmm~ Yeah~"
Kim Jun shook Emily, who was snoring away soundly in bed, until she stirred.
She wasn't wearing a single stitch, so every time he moved her, her large breasts swayed heavily.
"Wake up~"
Slap! Slap!
"Uhh!!"
When she simply rolled over without opening her eyes at all, Kim Jun gave her bare ass a firm smack. Emily curled up, forced awake, and rubbed at her eyes.
"You don't even care anymore…."
"Still, get up and wash first."
Kim Jun led the staggering Emily to the shower, turned on the water, and poured it over her head.
"Shit, it's cold!"
"Hold still!"
He gripped her head like a stubborn child and rinsed her thoroughly, then squeezed out shampoo and worked it through her blonde hair.
The cold water gradually chased away Emily's drowsiness. She grumbled the whole time, but she clearly didn't mind Kim Jun washing her; she stood obediently and let him continue.
Afterward he took soap from the sink and lathered her from face to neck, back, full breasts, and down across her lower belly. She pressed her soapy body against his, rubbing playfully.
"Wash with me~"
"Yeah. I need to get clean too."
The two of them stayed in the bathroom, using each other's bodies as washcloths, sliding and pressing together until blood rushed south again.
"Mmm~"
"…."
This time Emily took the showerhead, carefully rinsing every inch of Kim Jun. Then she quietly knelt, opened her mouth in front of his hardened length, and took him in.
Another round of morning lovemaking began. Only after Emily stretched her lips wide at the end, letting the thick load slide down her long tongue, did they finally finish washing and step out.
Today's breakfast was a generous spread, thanks to In Ah and Eun Ji taking the lead while Gaya, Nanika, and the others pitched in.
"Ha~ This really is an incredible improvement."
"What is?"
Mari's exclamation came as she gazed at the dining table.
"Remember when we first got here? Everyone had been starving so long we were eating watery soup, doenjang jjigae that was basically river water, and porridge sprinkled with dried seaweed."
"Ah~ Even that was enough to calm my heart back then."
Thinking about those first days still made his head spin.
They had plenty of rice and soju, but the only side dish was kimchi from the fridge. They had to process all the meat and vegetables before they spoiled, turning them into ham and jerky just to survive. With nine mouths to feed, trying to stretch every bite eventually caused plenty of friction.
"There were even two people who fought over a single slice of ham, right?"
When Gaya said it playfully, Emily let out a small laugh.
"Yeah, and the one who wouldn't let anyone touch the ham was you, Miss Volleyball."
"Hey, crazy! Back then if we just grabbed stuff from the fridge we'd run out in no time, you know?"
"Yeah~ Sure it was."
When the old stories surfaced, Kim Jun glanced sideways at Gaya. Her face flushed and she quietly focused on her meal.
Looking back now, food had been so scarce that the big sister had stepped up and offered to use her mouth when there weren't even any condoms left.
After that, In Ah raided the seed shop and started farming. They began growing mushrooms, and within a month they had lettuce, perilla leaves, spinach, and young radish. The meals still felt like little more than grass at first, but they became proper. Later, convenience store raids, bartering, and hunting brought plenty of meat dishes to the table.
After breakfast, while everyone cleared the dishes and started washing up, Kim Jun nodded in satisfaction at the steady flow of water from the well and went to brush his teeth.
For today's work he called everyone out except those handling household chores, insisting the more hands the better.
"Ugh~ Ugh~ Wow, this is heavy!"
The girls grunted as they carried the oil cans one by one from the storage shed.
Kim Jun had them set the cans down, then began preparing in earnest to build a dedicated oil warehouse.
The location was the empty space beside the well pipe they had installed last time. It used to hold an LPG tank before city gas was available.
"Watch this! You attach a funnel to the drum and pour it in here."
They began carefully transferring the collected fuel—gasoline, diesel, kerosene—into the proper drums according to type.
Once the lids were sealed tight, Kim Jun brought out a manual pump and fitted it into the gasoline drum.
"See? This thing sticks perfectly to the drum. Insert it like this, then look—there's a locking nut on the handle. Tighten it all the way."
He handed it over so they could try. Gaya and Emily installed the pump with confidence and locked it perfectly.
When he told them to turn the handle, Emily grabbed it and pumped. Gasoline flowed out and collected in the waiting bowl.
"Oh~ So that's how it works?"
"When you're done, close it tight with the locking cap. If even the tiniest spark gets in…"
"Boom!!"
"Then we're all dead. We have to stay ready at all times."
Kim Jun mounted a throwable fire extinguisher on the nearby wall as he spoke.
It was something they had taken from the junk shop last time—easy to use in sudden fires at subway stations or express bus terminals.
He labeled each drum clearly—gasoline, kerosene, diesel—and stressed caution so they would never mix fuels by accident.
"If there's one thing we have to be extra careful with, it's oil."
"Yes."
"I'd like to run a proper fire-safety drill, but that's not really possible right now, so let's focus on building this warehouse first."
They had wood, wire mesh, and slate sheets—everything needed—so construction wasn't difficult.
By moving the fuel outside into its own shed, they freed up an entire room in the first-floor storage for other uses. Kim Jun decided to think about future applications later.
After finishing the day's tasks, he focused entirely on completing the oil warehouse.
The others matched his pace, hammering and sanding alongside him. Their teamwork had grown seamless.
Once the respectable oil warehouse was finished, Kim Jun began preparing for another supply run.
"Ughhh…"
Mari examined Do Kyung, who was clutching her face and crying in pain, but could only shake her head.
"This needs proper dental treatment."
"It hurts so much I can't even eat."
Do Kyung had been fine until the molar pain hit; now she couldn't chew anything. The filling from a childhood cavity had fallen out completely, leaving the tooth so sensitive that even water made her grimace.
"Take some painkillers for now. We'll figure out treatment right away."
Mari gave her the multi-purpose tablet from the medical kit that worked well for headaches, toothaches, and cramps. Do Kyung swallowed it immediately and tried to endure.
While that was happening, Kim Jun gathered the others and prepared for the supply run.
"I was planning to hit the gun shop, but that can wait. We need to visit Jeongto Temple first."
"We haven't been there since the new year, right?"
"Might as well go now. I hope everyone's been doing well."
Jeongto Temple was home to the monks who had dug their own well and grew food in greenhouses for self-sufficiency, along with the mother, nurse, and dentist Kim Jun had rescued.
"But even if there is a dentist, they won't be able to do much without equipment," Mari sighed.
Nanika, who had received treatment there before, raised her hand.
"Um… I got scaling done there. They just scraped it off."
"That's right! They use this tiny spear thing and scrape really hard. It hurts, but they do a good job."
Emily put a finger in her mouth to show the healthy new gum tissue that had grown back after being scraped once.
Kim Jun nodded.
"What if we take the gold and silver we got from the jewelry store last time and ask them to fill the tooth with gold?"
"It's not pure gold. They mix silver and tin. Plus, taking impressions and fitting it properly would take days…"
When Mari explained the realities of dentistry, Kim Jun scratched his head and answered coolly.
"Then we'll just go again. Isn't health the most important thing?"
There was no real problem making the trip.
He decided on the same partner as last time, which meant Do Kyung was drafted whether she liked it or not. Then he asked Rana.
"Rana, how are your teeth?"
"I don't have any cavities. I got scaling done last year."
Back in the peaceful world before zombies, the agency's dedicated dentist had kept her teeth perfectly white and straight.
"Hmm. Then Rana will sit this one out. Let's pick one person who needs dental care."
Nanika and Emily had already gone once, so they passed. Mari said her own teeth were still fine. Eun Ji, In Ah, and Gaya looked at one another until Gaya quietly raised her hand.
"Then… would it be all right if I went?"
Gaya admitted that her scaling was overdue and her back molars had become a little sensitive. She opened her mouth to show them.
Kim Jun saw a straight black line on one of her white molars that definitely needed scraping.
"All right. Gaya and Do Kyung will go to Jeongto Temple for dental treatment. Since we'll need things to barter, let's pack some rice."
"Yes. Should we load everything tonight?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
At Kim Jun's quick decision, Gaya and Eun Ji stood up immediately and began gathering the others to fill the vehicle.
They packed powdered milk, unpolished rice, and the flour and starch they had taken too much of from the mart—items that were now at risk of attracting bugs. All of it would be useful at the temple.
So their next supply run became a trip for dental care and trading rice and materials.
"Ughhh…"
"Do Kyung, rest for a while. Gaya, keep watch from the back."
"Yes, oppa. I'll handle this side."
Kim Jun had placed her in the passenger seat but told her to rest since she was a patient. He handed Gaya the crossbow so she could stand guard from behind.
The road to Jeongto Temple was complicated, but they had traveled it many times. No zombies appeared.
Strangely, the outside world was unusually quiet today.
Thanks to that, the car reached the temple without trouble. Kim Jun's group arrived as naturally as if they were out for a neighborhood hike.
Beep— Beep—
After honking twice and slowly stepping out with weapons ready, Kim Jun led the two women into the temple buildings.
"Wow~ So this is it?"
Gaya marveled at the dignified temple pagoda standing proudly in the mountains for the first time. Do Kyung looked relieved that she could finally get treatment for her aching tooth at a place she hadn't visited in so long.
"Hehe~ Welcome, welcome. What honored guests we have today."
The head monk, wearing thick winter robes, a furry hat, and a heavy scarf, greeted them warmly. Kim Jun's group returned the greeting with proper respect.
"Ugh, hello, monk."
"Hehe, does our benefactor carry such worry on her face?"
"Her tooth broke. Is there any way to treat it?"
"Hmm. That particular benefactor is praying at the moment. Please wait a little while."
Do Kyung followed the monks to wait. Kim Jun watched Gaya as she looked around the temple grounds, seeming to find peace in the quiet surroundings, and gently stroked her hair.
"Still, this place looks safer than the bar lady's house."
"So they say."
Just then a woman in her thirties emerged from the smoky cooking area, her hands and clothes covered in charcoal. She froze when her eyes met Kim Jun's.
"…Ah?!"
"Oh my!"
She quickly wiped her hands on her clothes and bowed deeply with both palms together.
"H-hello…?"
"You're Ha Jun's mother, correct?"
"Yes, yes!"
Ha Jun's mom had improved greatly. She now helped with meals inside the temple.
In another room, a small child toddled around on unsteady legs.
"He's grown so much."
"Yes. We're truly grateful for what you did back then."
"Hehe~ The believer has visited us again?"
Seong Jeong, who had been eating with the others, approached and pressed his palms together in greeting. Kim Jun returned the gesture and glanced inside.
Even in these times they were still using a traditional furnace. He couldn't tell what was bubbling in the pot.
"What is today's offering?"
"Well, you see…"
"There isn't much rice left, so we're making vegetable porridge."
At Ha Jun's mom's words, Kim Jun scratched his head and looked at Gaya.
"Wow~ We came at exactly the right time, didn't we?"
"Pardon?"
Kim Jun chuckled and pointed toward the vehicle.
"Would you like to come with us? We brought rice and wheat to offer."
It felt less like bartering and more like a donation of offerings to the temple.
While Do Kyung received treatment for her tooth, Kim Jun and Gaya helped the monks and nuns carry supplies from the camper van.
In the middle of the apocalypse, it was a day overflowing with grace and peaceful moments.
...At least for now.