Chapter 84: Now It's Really Time
***
“Wake up, oppa.”
“Ugh… mmm.”
Kim Jun woke up to Mari shaking him, let out a long yawn, and pulled her into a hug.
“No you don’t. We’re on duty right now!”
With the actress standing there wearing nothing but panties, her breasts bouncing with every movement, Kim Jun chuckled and climbed out of bed, stretching his arms wide.
While Mari got dressed, he headed to the bathroom to wash up. When the door opened and she stepped out fully clothed, he was already done rinsing his face and hair and was reaching for a towel.
“Hoo…”
His condition felt great today, so finishing the remaining soundproof generator boxes should be quick work.
The real problem came after that.
Christmas was right around the corner, and when he thought about stocking up on everything they were still missing, no matter how he looked at it, there was only one path left.
It was finally time to visit that place.
“Do we really have to go there now…?”
“You’re muttering to yourself while eating. Where are you going?”
At Emily’s question, Kim Jun let out a sigh and said,
“Everyone, listen up.”
When he spoke with a serious expression, all eight top stars looked at him with tense faces.
“I think it’s time we seriously gear up and start thinking about next year.”
“Huh… it’s almost Christmas already?”
“Haa~ So next year really is coming.”
The ones who seemed to have already expected this and were taking it in stride were Emily and Rana.
The other girls still hadn’t fully escaped the reality of the zombie era and sank into their own complicated thoughts.
“Remember what I told you before? I got information about the Sinreung Police Station that has weapons.”
“…”
“Once we finish building all the soundproof generator boxes, we’re heading there. There’s no other way. We’re going to need guns for the long term.”
“Didn’t you say we had enough shotgun and air gun ammo?”
At Eun Ji’s question, Kim Jun nodded.
“For now, we still have lead for the air gun pellets, and we have the mold, so we can make more ourselves. As for shotgun shells… we still have some left from when we raided the gun shop.”
“Then… you’re talking about other weapons?”
“Pistol rounds, and there should be tasers there too. Those are something you girls could actually use.”
He had tried firearms a few times, but everyone was scared of using them properly and the risk was too high.
But tasers should be safe enough for them to handle.
The cartridges would be the issue, but those were weapons they could keep gathering by looting police stations in the future.
“And if we can get our hands on a rifle, that would be a huge score…”
“Does the police station… have rifles?”
This time Emily asked, and Kim Jun thought for a moment.
“In the old days, police outposts kept reserve army rifles. I’m not sure if they still do nowadays.”
“Hmm?”
“That’s why I said it would be a huge score if they have them.”
It was definitely worth trying.
If it was a carbine, getting ammo for it would be a nightmare, but if it was an M-16 or K-2, he would raid nearby military bases to secure ammunition no matter what.
Of course, he had no idea how many zombies might be inside reserve training grounds or military bases—or whether there might be groups of survivors.
“Then when are we leaving?”
“As soon as we finish the soundproof boxes.”
“So… the day after tomorrow, then…”
The other girls steeled themselves and began deciding the rotation order for the weapon-gathering raid.
After many of them had already taken turns, it was finally time for the top stars who hadn’t gone yet.
Gaya raised her hand first, volunteering for this raid.
“It’s finally my turn after everyone else went, and the next one after me is…”
“…Me.”
The girl who had gone with Gaya last time to raid the seedling shop and hardware store together—In Ah—raised her hand.
So the partners for this trip ended up being Gaya and In Ah.
Kim Jun smiled, hoping this would help ease the awkward atmosphere between them, but In Ah still looked uncomfortable.
***
“I’ll do my best this time.”
“If you hammer well, I’ll praise you… yeah, I should do that.”
They had been intimately close just this morning, but at times like this, he needed to just keep praising her for doing a good job.
Mari, whose hands were skilled enough to handle surgical scalpels and ties, swung the hammer hard against the wood.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
“That’s it. Good job.”
When Kim Jun praised Mari’s hammering, Rana, who was holding sandpaper, carefully smoothed the assembled box, while Do Kyung watched as she cut planks with a saw.
“Yeah, everyone’s doing great.”
Kim Jun gave all three of them praise, and with their teamwork clicking perfectly, they built the boxes much faster than last time.
On the other side of the generator area, Gaya and In Ah were working on something else.
Using the leftover wood from the carpentry, they were making sharp poles with sickles and hatchets, then attaching fletching made from glue.
“I really hope nothing happens when we go out this time…”
“Ah, it’ll be fine. You have me, don’t you?”
“You’re not going to spend the night together, right?”
“That depends on the situation. The others have already gone with him.”
“All of them with Kim Jun oppa… ugh.”
In Ah was still thinking about that, and Gaya found it difficult to say anything in this situation.
After all, she had been the first one, and they had spent many nights together in the master bedroom since then.
“But you’re really good with that sickle.”
“I used one a lot when I was young.”
In Ah’s movements as she skillfully carved arrows with the sickle were remarkably steady. The crossbow bolts kept being produced, and soon Gaya began inspecting the other weapons and starting training with them.
Slingshot practice, crossbow shooting, and even the blackjacks they had once used—made by stuffing stockings with gravel and bolts and tying them off to swing like flails.
By evening, the remaining work was done by Kim Jun alone inside the warehouse, tinkering under the lights.
“You girls can head in first.”
“Aw~ Since we started together, we should finish together.”
“Yeah, yeah. Won’t it go faster if we all work on it?”
Three top stars and Kim Jun continued making boxes in the swirling sawdust.
In Ah, who had been about to go inside to make dinner, quietly watched the scene and felt a complicated mix of emotions.
All three of them had slept with Kim Jun, yet seeing them working together so harmoniously on survival equipment gave her a strange feeling.
Hmm…
Still unable to fully understand it, In Ah shook her head and headed up to the second floor.
Dinner that night happened in two shifts.
Some had eaten earlier because they were busy, while four others came up late, only sitting down to eat once it was already nine o’clock.
“Welcome back~ I’ll warm up the soup again.”
Instead of In Ah, Eun Ji set the table and served the four of them. After washing their hands, they finally ate their late meal.
“Haa~ Since we haven’t had to hunt zombies lately, our daily routine feels so relaxed, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t say that. You’ll jinx us and something will happen.”
“That only happens in movies.”
Mari and Rana joked with each other as their eyes drifted toward the TV and DVD player they used to watch back when electricity was plentiful.
“We also have that game console from last time.”
Inside the drawer were the classic game cartridges that Eun Ji and Kim Jun had looted from the bookstore. Those were perfect for passing the time, but they hadn’t been able to play them lately.
“Once we finish the soundproof boxes, let’s play them again after this raid is over.”
“Oh!”
“It’ll be Christmas by then, so we should throw a party before that.”
“Wow~ Christmas in this world!”
No matter how cheerfully they said it, thinking about it meant another year was coming to an end.
At most, they had thought the military would show up within a month or two—just like in the zombie movies and dramas—and the world would stabilize. But that hadn’t happened.
In the end, they had already been living together in this place for over five months, and it looked like they would be spending the New Year and even Lunar New Year here.
“Well, let’s try to think positively.”
Kim Jun clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention and said,
“We still haven’t even made it a full year yet, right? It can’t last that long, can it?”
“Haa~ I really hope so.”
In Ah, who had come down after finishing other chores, listened to the conversation and took barley tea out of the fridge, placing it on the table.
“Now that I think about it, Jun will be turning thirty next year, won’t he?”
“…”
Emily, who had been doing stretches nearby, stopped and spoke. Kim Jun flinched for a moment.
“Well, even now you already look three or four years more mature than that…”
He flinched at that too, but Kim Jun couldn’t come up with any rebuttal.
Saying something like “The military made me age faster” wouldn’t make the girls understand anyway.
***
Kim Jun woke up early the next morning and immediately moved all the generators in the warehouse into the soundproof boxes.
He gathered the wires in one place and flipped the switch. The power came on with a much quieter, gentler hum than before.
“Hmm~”
“Wow, it was worth building these.”
Eun Ji and Mari marveled at the result.
Eun Ji in particular stepped outside the warehouse and listened carefully.
“You can barely hear it from out here.”
“If you could, there’d be no point in making them.”
After setting everything up, Kim Jun handed one fire extinguisher each to Mari and Eun Ji and had them install them outside the warehouse.
“While I’m gone, make sure you two check on them regularly.”
“Ah, in case of fire?”
“Just in case. We built them, but there’s no ventilation inside, so if the heat builds up and smoke starts coming out… immediately flip the switch. And if it catches fire, put it out right away.”
Kim Jun explained everything—fire buckets, fire sand, and fire extinguishers—so they would be fully prepared for any emergency.
The two older girls nodded, clearly understanding the situation.
“We should check once every hour.”
“I’ll check them myself.”
When Eun Ji volunteered to take charge, Kim Jun nodded.
“It’ll be a bit of work, but thanks.”
“I’ll keep in mind that you might not be back until the day after tomorrow.”
They had the walkie-talkies, but even if they ended up spending the night outside the station, Eun Ji was prepared to account for everything.
Once all the preparations for departure were complete and they had finished lunch, Kim Jun got ready to leave.
“Alright~ Guns secured, armor on tight, safety gear all packed.”
After checking the situation outside, Kim Jun started the engine.
In the passenger seat, Gaya sat with a nervous expression, gently stroking her crossbow.
“This is the third time.”
“You’ll do great this time.”
“Yes, I’ll be extra, extra careful.”
In the back seat, In Ah scanned every direction, watching the blind spots the front couldn’t see.
“If we find an auto repair shop on the way, we should install a rear-view camera.”
“Yes, that would be good if we spot one.”
As Kim Jun drove toward the national highway, he observed the zombies’ movements.
When the familiar road appeared, both idols’ faces stiffened.
For Gaya, it was the horrific road under the overpass. Beyond that was the route In Ah had taken, leading to the hardware store and the flower complex.
“To get to Sinreung, we have to take the overpass up from here.”
“How long will it take?”
“About 20 kilometers.”
In the old days, that would have been nothing—just a few subway stops. But now it was a distance they had to cover while driving safely and dealing with every single zombie along the way.
Vrooooom—
They drove steadily at an economical 60 km/h. Both Gaya and In Ah frowned at the scattered wreckage of explosions visible everywhere.
It wasn’t as completely jammed as the outer road near the temple on the opposite side, but even here, cars that had been fleeing zombie attacks just a few months ago had crashed into each other and exploded. Traces of bodies could still be seen inside the wrecks.
Soon after, the view opened up to nothing but open fields on a four-lane road.
As they continued driving through the endless stretch, the only things they occasionally saw were zombies crawling in the far distance and abandoned tractors or construction equipment.
That was when it happened.
“Huh? Hey?! What’s that?”
“What?”
“Oppa! There’s a car coming this way really fast!”
“!?”
At the word “car,” Kim Jun immediately checked the rearview mirror.
Something was approaching at high speed.
It wasn’t a car. To be precise, it was a motorcycle.
“A motorcycle?”
“Ha, a survivor group?”
Kim Jun kept driving and stepped on the accelerator to put some distance between them.
Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—
At that moment, five motorcycles came roaring up with loud muffler noise, closing the gap faster and faster.
All but one were wearing helmets and had almost no safety gear.
In their hands, they held steel pipes, wooden clubs, and the like.
“This doesn’t look good…”
“Oppa, don’t tell me these guys…”
One of the motorcycles that had sped up suddenly made eye contact with Kim Jun in the driver’s seat.
It was definitely a survivor. A living person.
But the moment Kim Jun tried to say something, the man smirked and swung the wooden club in his hand at the campervan.
Crunch!
“Kyaa?!”
“These crazy bastards!”
The instant Kim Jun twisted the steering wheel to dodge, two more motorcycles from behind began smashing the rear of the campervan.
Thud! Thud! Crunch!
“Kyaaak! What the hell is this?!”
In the violently shaking vehicle, In Ah had no idea what to do as the rear door took heavy impacts.
“Hold on tight!”
The moment Kim Jun stepped harder on the accelerator, all five motorcycles matched the campervan’s speed and began attacking it with the intent to destroy it.