The Veteran and the Newbie's Looting Squad
Nanika was a bundle of mistakes on her first looting run.
Even so, Kim Jun stayed relaxed. This wasn't his first rodeo, and he'd been through plenty while running with different partners over the years. In the old days he would've chewed her out immediately, but today was all about letting her adapt.
"Alright~ Let's take this nice and slow."
After clearing the zombies, he drove carefully, weaving around the countless obstacles and corpses littering the roadside. Nanika kept scanning everywhere with anxious eyes, while Emily—the seasoned veteran of outdoor expeditions—gazed at the passing scenery with a completely relaxed expression.
Not that there was anything pleasant to look at. You were lucky if you could drive without seeing bodies.
"Whew~"
"Ah, over there…."
The moment Kim Jun's vehicle passed the Sosabeol Public Gymnasium, Nanika flinched hard. The memory seemed to hit her all at once; she clutched her head and hunched forward. It wasn't a pleasant place for Kim Jun either. This was where he'd formed bonds and brought the girls back, but it was also where he'd watched survivors kill themselves right in front of him because he couldn't save them. If he saw the burned-out van deeper inside, the pain would probably be unbearable.
Once they left the gymnasium and reached the main road, Kim Jun surveyed the long stretch of highway. Burned-out vehicles lined the sides here too, leaving only their charred skeletons. The rice paddies that should have been rolled with straw after harvest lay completely barren.
He spotted a zombie shambling slowly in the distance and considered shooting it, but it was too far to be sure the bullet would reach.
"Straight ahead from here takes us to the gas station."
A little farther and they'd reach the overpass where everything had gotten so tangled in the beginning. The number of zombies on the way hadn't been too bad. It was clear that after sweeping the area once, their numbers had thinned out considerably.
Kim Jun reached the gas station shortly after.
"We're here."
"No zombies in sight around here?"
At Emily's question, Kim Jun nodded as he scanned the surroundings. Nanika steeled herself, knowing the real work was about to begin.
Before moving in, Kim Jun gave the horn one final test blast.
BEEEEEP!!!!!!!
"!?"
Nanika jumped and clamped her hands over her ears. They watched the area for a full five minutes after the sound faded, but no zombies appeared. Lucky.
"We're good! Let's move."
"U… yes."
Kim Jun stepped out first, shotgun in hand, checking the perimeter before waving them forward. Nanika followed quietly, backpack and double bag slung over her shoulders, gripping the bicycle-saddle cane tightly. She was still visibly tense. Emily slipped out the back door, crossbow at the ready, her face calm and easy.
"I'll take point. Nanika!"
"Yes, yessir! Oppa!"
"Stick right behind me."
At his command, Nanika hurried to press herself against his back and followed. Emily brought up the rear, scanning behind them carefully.
"Okay~ First things first, let's load up on fuel."
"I'll grab the boxes."
Emily hauled out the empty containers from the vehicle and tested the pump. While she worked the manual handle, filling them with gasoline and diesel, Kim Jun dashed into the warehouse. He emerged with cans of kerosene, engine oils, and several full drums.
"Load these up."
"Ugh!"
Nanika grunted as she lifted the heavy 20-liter drums, stacking them one by one on the cart Kim Jun provided. Together they pushed the cart back to the vehicle and packed everything neatly.
Securing a single gas station made them feel like oil barons. The abundance was almost overwhelming.
"You gotta be extra careful with fuel."
"Yes, oppa."
"One spark and it all goes up."
"Eek!"
"Not that it's ever happened," he added with a smirk.
Kim Jun ran a hand over the insulated gloves while glancing at the work gloves Nanika and Emily wore. He couldn't help chuckling.
That was when Emily, still cranking the pump, suddenly called out.
"Jun! Zombie!"
"?!"
"Ugh!"
At the word "zombie," Kim Jun's hand flew to his weapon. About fifty meters ahead, a single undead figure shuffled slowly toward them.
"Just one."
"We should take it down. Want me to handle it?"
Seeing Emily pull the crossbow from her back, Kim Jun decided to let her take the shot. It would be good practice.
"Prepare it slowly."
Using a shotgun or pistol would be too loud. They needed the silent options—the crossbow or air gun. Kim Jun gauged the distance and had Emily take the shot from outside the vehicle. After Do Kyung and Mari had each taken down zombies with the slingshot, it was time to test the new weapon.
"Good. Stay calm, load the arrow…."
She'd sounded confident, but now that she actually had to kill a zombie alone in the open, Emily muttered nervously to herself. She raised the crossbow, sighted carefully on the creature's head, and slowly squeezed the trigger.
Steady when you pull, even if you're shaking while you aim!
Swoosh!
The trigger released. The arrow Kim Jun had meticulously sharpened flew with devastating force and buried itself squarely in the approaching zombie's skull.
The creature staggered, arrow protruding from its head. Kim Jun raised the air gun and delivered the finishing shot to make sure.
Ting!
The lead pellet punched through the zombie's eye. It collapsed in a heap.
"Might need to boost the power on this thing," Kim Jun muttered, scratching his head as he examined the crossbow. At longer range it clearly wasn't a one-shot kill.
"Is it weaker than the slingshot?"
"When Do Kyung and Mari used it, they were at close range."
"Hmm~"
The fact that they could stand around chatting casually after a fight showed how much experience they'd gained.
Kim Jun took Nanika's still-trembling hand, finished securing the fuel, and headed for the convenience store next door.
"Grab the bags and cart! Next up is food."
"Yes, yessir!"
"Relax a little~"
Kim Jun took the lead while Emily gently reassured Nanika as they approached the store. The moment they stepped inside, the stench of rotting instant foods hit them like a wall. The salads and lunch boxes from the refrigerated section were covered in mold, filling the entire place with a nauseating smell. The ice cream freezer was… better left unseen.
"Alright~ Let's grab things one category at a time. Bottled water first!"
Even after filling the car last time, there were still plenty of the smaller sizes left. Nanika carefully packed the 500ml and 300ml bottles into her backpack.
"Next, canned goods."
"I'll handle that."
Emily started collecting the canned whelks, silkworm pupae, and perilla leaves they hadn't taken before. With the spam all eaten, only luncheon meat and cheap pressed ham remained.
"Ah~ We finished all the spam, so this is all that's left."
The shelf life was long, though. They had to take what they could to survive.
After that they gathered the remaining coffee, ramen, noodles, wet wipes, facial cleanser, and every useful tool in sight.
While the girls swept the shelves, Kim Jun loaded the air gun and moved to the counter. He grabbed some menthol cigarettes he never smoked and a few rechargeable electronic vapes he hadn't tried. His eyes fell on the blood-stained bills in the register. After a moment's thought, he took those too. Right now they were just paper and bits of metal, but someday they might be useful again.
"Jun! Look at this!"
Emily waved a box proudly. Condoms.
"It's the studded kind! XL size too!"
"Ah, put those away…."
"They've got strawberry flavor as well?"
"…."
Even though they all knew each other intimately, Nanika's face burned bright red. She kept her eyes down and simply grabbed whatever her hands touched, stuffing both bags full.
Emily, declaring she was definitely using them this time, swept up the ultra-thin "barely there" variety, the strawberry ones, and every last studded condom on the shelf.
Between the three of them they packed efficiently, yet the convenience store still held plenty of supplies.
"One or two more trips and we'll have cleaned this place out."
It felt like watching a mine slowly being depleted of its ore.
Anyway, they had gathered another bountiful haul. After checking their spoils, they loaded everything neatly into the vehicle.
"Let's head back."
"Yes, oppa."
When Kim Jun prepared to drive off with the two women, he switched up their positions. Nanika stayed in the camper to guard the supplies. Emily, now a true veteran of looting runs, sat in the passenger seat, idly stroking her crossbow.
Kim Jun confirmed both were settled and started the engine.
Nanika stared out the window at the completely ruined world, mouth agape.
It's really… completely collapsed.
This was the apocalyptic landscape she'd only seen in movies. Compared to that, her life at Kim Jun's house—doing laundry and cleaning like a sheltered flower—seemed pathetic. Her older sisters and even the younger ones like Rana must have faced all of this and endured. Her large eyes grew watery, but the man and woman in the front seats remained perfectly composed.
"A nice quiet looting run like this isn't bad, right?"
When Emily shrugged, Kim Jun carefully navigated around the debris on the main road and sped up on the way home.
"Once we're back we'll review what we did today. There's going to be a lot to handle."
"Hmm~ Does that list include sex?"
"…I'm not using the strawberry ones."
"We've got melon flavor too."
"Put them away…."
Emily kept licking her lips as she watched Kim Jun drive through the acrylic partition.
When they arrived home, the others were waiting via walkie-talkie. Everyone helped carry the fuel to the warehouse and the food up to the refrigerators and cupboards on the second and third floors.
"You brought luncheon meat?"
"We used up all the spam. That's all that was left."
"Ah, silkworm pupae… I tried them once as a kid."
"Isn't that a bug? Ew… absolutely disgusting!"
"We've got whelks too? Now I want bibim noodles."
The top stars had gathered plenty in one day and were already getting used to the routine. Nanika hesitated for a moment, then pitched in. She lifted one of the heavy oil drums, grunting as she carried it toward the warehouse.
Today was the first time she'd truly done "work," and despite how badly it had gone, she felt a small sense of accomplishment. She vowed that next time she went out, things would go much smoother.
Meanwhile, Kim Jun looked at the growing stack of fuel and decided he needed to loot some proper barrels soon. He'd fill them in one spot and create a dedicated fuel storage room.
I should clear some space and build a third warehouse too.
With the right materials, he was confident he could even build a tank right here on the spot.