Chapter 57 - Screw It, Let's Go All In!
Kim Jun woke up clutching his throbbing head after a wild night of heavy drinking at the team dinner.
Checking the time by looking at a clock instead of his phone had become second nature now. In a world without digital displays, time marched on. Kim Jun mentally mapped out the day's tasks as he rose.
“Huuuaaaahm~”
Even splashing his face with cold water did nothing to clear the hangover headache and lingering fatigue. He was still a few days shy of thirty, yet his stamina seemed to be draining faster than before. He made a mental note to double his workout routine from now on. Just then, a truly delicious aroma drifted in from the kitchen.
“Sister, is this enough?”
“When it comes to eating, he’ll definitely ask for more noodles. Don’t hold back. We’ve been hoarding it without touching any anyway.”
“Ugh, you’re right, aren’t you?”
Seeing Eun Ji and In Ah already up early and hard at work in the kitchen, Kim Jun greeted them warmly and took a seat at the table.
“Smells great. What are you making?”
“We’re boiling the pheasant you caught yesterday, oppa.”
“Oh?”
Eun Ji opened the fridge, scooped a spoonful of the rich broth she’d been simmering since dawn, and offered it to him.
“Just like you said, oppa. Once it’s properly reduced, it makes a decent naengmyeon broth, doesn’t it?”
Kim Jun took a sip and gave a thumbs-up at the savory flavor.
In the kitchen, In Ah was sweating profusely as she boiled buckwheat noodles in a large pot over a butane stove. Behind her, the boiled pheasant meat had been carefully shredded, and the young radish kimchi they’d made last time was sliced thin to serve as garnish.
It was a proper, authentic bowl of mul-naengmyeon. Kim Jun sipped water and waited in relaxed anticipation. After yesterday’s intense drinking session, this cold, refreshing hangover cure was exactly what he needed.
“Alright, let’s eat!”
Kim Jun savored the Pyongyang-style naengmyeon broth born from the apocalypse and felt deeply satisfied to enjoy such a rare delicacy after so long. The other girls also soothed their stomachs with the icy noodles instead of a spicy soup, and just as expected, the massive amount of noodles they’d boiled still wasn’t quite enough.
“Ah, you don’t know anything. Why are you adding vinegar and mustard here?”
“It’s not like I’m worrying about what other people eat.”
Do Kyung and Emily bickered over the vinegar and mustard while eating their naengmyeon. Meanwhile, Nanika, who had been about to pour some herself, flinched and quietly set the vinegar bottle back down while watching them.
Kim Jun couldn’t help but smile. He had grown so used to scenes like this that they felt comforting.
After the meal, once the bowls were cleared, Kim Jun lit a post-meal cigarette and, for the first time in a while, got to work.
The project with Do Kyung and In Ah involved giving the car a thorough once-over. They focused on repairing the bumper, which had taken countless zombie impacts and crushing blows.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
They straightened the dented metal panels and reinforced them with stronger structural supports, essentially turning the vehicle into something resembling an armored car.
A single solid hit would completely pulverize a zombie’s body. They also added extra armor plating in case the windows ever shattered. Just in case.
“It looks like one of those.”
“Hm?”
“You know, the cars they drive around tigers and lions in at safari parks.”
“Well, not that different, I guess.”
At Do Kyung’s comment, Kim Jun nodded and reached out a hand for the next tool.
In Ah was quick and precise with her hands, while Do Kyung solved problems with raw strength. Their combination proved surprisingly effective during work.
“Next time we go looting, should we take you two with us?”
“Huh?”
Do Kyung looked flustered by Kim Jun’s sudden suggestion, but In Ah accepted it coolly.
“I’m fine with it anytime.”
“Hmm, alright then.”
Kim Jun nodded, deciding that the next outing would be with these two.
Then In Ah, while still working on the car, asked cautiously.
“Oppa, um…”
“Yeah?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to attach something sharp to the front? To kill zombies more efficiently.”
“Whoa, that’s brutal.”
Do Kyung frowned, but Kim Jun nodded at In Ah’s sparkling-eyed question.
“Not a bad idea. But here’s the thing.”
“Yes?”
“Zombies would die easily, but their bodies would get caught and dangle there. What if we’re driving around with an infected corpse stuck to the front and it turns?”
“Ah…”
“Pushing them aside and crushing them is one thing, but having zombie corpses jammed in the bumper is bad for hygiene and infection risk.”
“R-right, of course.”
In Ah lowered her head after the short consideration. Kim Jun almost reached out to pat her for offering the idea, but stopped himself.
Suddenly, the memory of that morning after spending the night with Mari flashed through his mind—the moment they had come face to face.
Come to think of it, these three…
The trio of Eun Ji, In Ah, and Do Kyung still hadn’t crossed that physical line with him. They would eventually if the timing felt right, but for now he was content to keep rotating with the girls he was already comfortable with.
“All done!”
After installing the new reinforced structure on the bumper, Kim Jun noted that fuel efficiency would probably drop a bit. Still, safety came first. He filled the tank to the brim, washed the car, and called it finished.
A little while later, Kim Jun sat staring at the living room TV that hadn’t been used in a long time, lost in thought.
The girls were passing time with the toys he had brought them—playing Jenga, a game of baduk, or card games like poker and Go-Stop. They had read their favorite completed novels so many times they could practically recite them from memory.
In that moment, Kim Jun pulled out the old gaming console he had grabbed with Eun Ji during a bookstore raid long ago.
It was a Combo Boy, a knockoff of the Aladdin Boy from his childhood memories. Unfortunately, he had never really gotten the chance to play it properly.
“I shoved this away to save electricity…”
“You said all the power was going to the well pump, right?”
“Exactly.”
Just as Eun Ji said, the electricity needed to run the pump for water had forced them to give up on entertainment. Before that, they had watched movies and recorded dramas on the DVDs Kim Jun owned, but those had sat unused for so long they had become decorative items the girls meticulously dusted.
At that point, Kim Jun made up his mind.
“We need to secure some extra electricity on the next looting run.”
“Huh?”
The girls looked puzzled. They understood gathering food, water, or daily necessities, but the idea of bringing back electricity left them confused.
Kim Jun had everyone sit down, pulled out a notebook, and explained step by step.
“Listen up. The main power for this house comes from the camping generator. We run it every day, rotating with the solar panels and solar thermal collectors on the roof.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“We’re also pedaling the bikes and exercise cycles like crazy. So that’s part of our main electricity source too, right?”
At Emily’s comment, Kim Jun almost said that it only maintained the fridge and rice cooker, but stopped himself.
“That’s why I’m planning to loot more batteries and generators this time.”
“Where would we even go to get those?”
“First, car batteries—we can find plenty at auto repair shops. There’s one good spot I have in mind for batteries.”
Everyone finally understood what he meant by going out to gather electricity for survival.
“We’ll have to carry a lot of heavy stuff. Do Kyung, you up for it?”
“…Yeah. Sure, I’ll do it.”
She had already heard the hint last time, so she had decided to join this supply run.
“And we’ll look for smaller appliances that use less power than induction stoves, microwaves, or that TV. In Ah, you’re coming too.”
“Yes, got it.”
Having chosen his two partners, Kim Jun began preparing to leave the next morning. The days were getting shorter, which meant solar and solar-thermal efficiency was dropping. It was better to prepare now.
As he glanced at the calendar by chance, Kim Jun let out a sigh.
“It won’t be long before a whole year has passed, huh?”
In this zombie crisis with no end in sight, they kept moving forward just to survive. Thinking of the people at the temple and the survivors holding on somewhere out there, Kim Jun prayed in front of the calendar that this nightmare would end soon.
The next day, after finishing all preparations, Kim Jun checked on In Ah and Do Kyung—his support partners for the day—then got behind the wheel.
The three elders were all staying inside the house, so he could leave with peace of mind.
The moment they set off, Kim Jun scanned the surroundings before heading toward the main national highway.
“The route today goes over the hill to the highway IC area.”
“The highway…? Won’t that be dangerous?”
Do Kyung asked worriedly. She still remembered the horrific scene they had witnessed the last time they tried to enter an overpass.
Kim Jun knew exactly what she meant, but explained calmly according to his calculations.
“Going any farther onto the highway would be risky. But we’re stopping before the IC. That whole area is nothing but rice paddies and fields. There are a few secondhand appliance stores and car repair shops scattered around.”
Typical shops lining a rural national road.
They were the kind of places where customers would look at products in person then place delivery orders, so foot traffic would be low.
The only concern was how many zombies they might encounter on the way there.
“Do Kyung’s riding shotgun today, so we don’t have to worry about slingshot accuracy.”
“If I see any, I’ll shoot them right away.”
Do Kyung, the experienced survivor who had already used the techniques Kim Jun taught her to kill zombies, shrugged confidently. In Ah, sitting in the back seat, watched the two of them and prayed silently that today’s looting run would end safely.
And it didn’t take long before they saw the results.
“Oppa, zombies ahead!”
“In Ah! Check the surroundings!”
“Yes, yes!”
In Ah hurriedly scanned the area with the binoculars. She reported that there were no zombies chasing from behind, the left side was all rice paddies, and the right side of the road looked clear.
“None! Looks like just those three up front.”
“Okay! Do Kyung, get ready!”
“Yes!”
Do Kyung grabbed a bolt from the dashboard, loaded her slingshot, muttered something under her breath, then leaned her upper body out the window and pulled back the band.
Thwack—!
Ting—!
The slingshot bolt and air gun pellet fired at the same time. Two of the three zombies were hit instantly and staggered. But the remaining one in the middle suddenly broke into a sprint.
Kyaaaaaaaah—!
“Shit! Get back inside, it’s a runner!”
“Eek!”
As Do Kyung hurriedly pulled herself back in, Kim Jun reversed the car to create distance and calmly loaded another pellet.
He took aim at the forehead of the zombie charging at full speed and pulled the trigger once more.
Ting—!
It took a little longer, but after confirming all three zombies were dead, the looting team let out a long sigh and continued on their way.
No matter how many times they did this, the journey itself was always more dangerous than actually gathering supplies.
And so they reached their destination, began scavenging, and time passed.
“Kyaaaaaaaaah!”
When the girls on the third floor screamed, Eun Ji and Gaya, who had been quietly preparing dinner, looked at each other in confusion.
“Who’s up there making that much noise?”
“Sounds like Nanika. I’ll go check.”
Eun Ji stood up, wiped her wet hands, and headed upstairs with Mari, who had also come out after hearing the commotion.
The moment they reached the rooftop room, they saw Nanika and Rana with deathly pale faces and instinctively knew something was wrong.
“What’s going on?”
“S-sister… outside… outside!”
“Outside what?”
“Zombies are coming this way!”
“!?”
Eun Ji and Mari rushed to the rooftop railing and looked down. Sure enough, a horde of zombies was slowly converging on the house.
Uuuuuurgh—
Kraaaah— Krraaah—
“!”
“What the hell is that?!”
The top stars had been behaving quietly inside the house while waiting for Kim Jun and his partners to return from their outing.
But now, with Kim Jun gone, a swarm of zombies was approaching.
If those things climbed over the wall and broke into the house… the six remaining vulnerable women would be discovered in no time.
“Ha…”
“Hey, hurry to the second floor!”
Mari quickly led the two younger girls downstairs. Eun Ji watched them go, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
The idols on the second floor had no idea how to handle the sudden crisis.
All the while, the zombies continued to gather in front of Kim Jun’s stronghold.