Chapter 102
After storing their catch in the supply warehouse, Yohan and Seri headed toward the cafeteria that Ji-hye managed.
The welfare center she oversaw served as a community hub, providing two daily meals at designated times. It wasn’t just a cafeteria—it also functioned as a coffee shop and a bar, making it a key gathering place for the settlement.
At this late hour, the dining hall was relatively empty.
“Oppa! Seri!”
Ji-hye greeted them with a bright smile as she emerged from the kitchen. She was dressed simply, yet her naturally cheerful face carried an air of innocence and charm.
“Hyung, you’re here?”
From the kitchen, Jung-su stepped forward, lifting his foot over the doorway. He had never been an outstanding fighter, but his athletic build from his sports science background always ensured he met expectations as a reconnaissance team member. After keeping their relationship secret for a while, he and Ji-hye had finally made it public.
“Oh wow, wow. So you two are basically living together now?”
Seri squinted at them, making both blush simultaneously.
Yohan nudged Seri, prompting her to hand over one of the bass they had brought.
“Do you want it raw or grilled?”
“Grilled.”
“Got it! Just a moment!”
Ji-hye nodded enthusiastically before rushing back into the kitchen. She was always full of energy.
“Oppa, your hair’s getting long. Since you’re here, how about a trim?”
Seri reached up to toy with Yohan’s bangs as she spoke.
The welfare center’s second and third floors housed a barbershop and a tailor’s workshop. What had started as a small effort to be useful had turned into a skill Seri had become quite proficient in.
Yohan’s neatly maintained hair was the result of countless test runs on other men, all leading to this perfected style.
Her fingers grew increasingly deliberate as she played with his hair, making Yohan quietly take her hand and lower it.
‘Again, with this.’
He hadn’t outright rejected her advances, and that had emboldened her to escalate things. It was getting to a rather dangerous level.
“Here you gooo~!”
Right on cue, Ji-hye arrived with a playful flourish, bringing along a plate of side dishes and perfectly grilled fish. It was clear she had put in extra effort, and just looking at it made their mouths water.
“Thanks as always.”
“No need to thank me!”
After finishing their meal, Yohan sipped on the coffee Ji-hye had prepared and casually asked,
“So, you two are living together now?”
“Yeah, it turned out that way, hyung.”
“Good. Looks nice. But…”
Yohan trailed off. He had concerns.
Zombie survival rule number two: airborne infection.
The hypothesis that mutations increased the likelihood of airborne transmission was gaining traction. Since arriving on the island, there hadn’t been a single case of someone suddenly turning into a zombie from minor wounds.
But the group was still at risk.
What Yohan was particularly concerned about was pregnancy and childbirth.
Without an OB-GYN or a proper surgical room, giving birth in this world was essentially a gamble with death.
But it wasn’t something Yohan could easily bring up. It was a personal matter, a choice.
“Hyung, just say whatever’s on your mind.”
“It’s nothing. You’ll figure it out yourselves.”
“…Huh?”
Jung-su blinked, confused, but before he could press further, Seri cut in.
“He’s telling you to use birth control. Ahjussi, you’re using condoms, right?”
“……”
In an instant, three out of four people at the table turned beet red.
Yohan pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
“A-Ah, it’s fine, hyung.”
“Why?! Didn’t you guys have sex education?”
“What you’re doing isn’t sex education—it’s sexual harassment.”
Seri pouted.
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? We’re all adults.”
“Enough. That’s enough. Ji-hye, sorry to ask when you’re busy, but I need you to start preparing supplies.”
“Supplies?”
“Yeah.”
“Leave it to me, oppa! What do you need?”
“Gear and emergency rations.”
“Huh.”
Ji-hye and Jung-su had been with Yohan long enough to immediately grasp what that meant.
They exchanged a glance before their faces turned serious.
Ji-hye was part of the tech and production team, while Jung-su was a recon member. If scouting missions resumed, Jung-su would be thrown into danger, and the two of them would be apart for some time.
“I’m not cruel enough to separate newlyweds. Jung-su, you won’t be joining this mission.”
“A-Ah, it’s not about that, hyung. Don’t worry about me.”
“It’s not because of Ji-hye. This time, I’m only taking snipers.”
“…Oh.”
“Someone needs to protect the island. So, I’ll leave things in your hands.”
“Understood!”
Despite his attempts to sound casual, Jung-su’s reply carried a noticeable hint of relief.
—
That night, Yohan stood by the shore, gazing at the sea. The air felt strangely sentimental.
No matter how tough he acted, he was still human.
Even if he denied it, he, too, had been slowly sinking into this false sense of peace.
The thought of resuming scouting missions was enough to stir emotions within him.
‘Maybe it’s just because the scenery is breathtaking.’
His base had been built specifically for its ocean view, situated on a hillside overlooking the shore and the pier.
With such an open landscape, the unobstructed horizon felt vast and liberating.
“Scouting must resume. There’s no choice.”
Yohan steadied himself.
It was risky, but there was no avoiding it.
There were two reasons why reconnaissance had to continue:
1. To acquire resources that couldn’t be produced on the island.
2. To maintain the combat team’s readiness.
The hard-earned peace from their struggles and battles had lasted a month—that was enough.
Someone might die.
Truth be told, they could survive without certain supplies. Most of the items they needed were hygiene products like toilet paper, condoms, pads, and soap.
No one openly voiced their reluctance, but deep down, Yohan knew that many were hesitant about leaving the island.
Unlike Bucheon, this place truly felt safe.
Yohan liked the peace, too. He enjoyed this life. But it had only been a month—and already, people were growing too comfortable.
They were still survivors in a fallen world, and they had only lasted nine months since the collapse.
He had to remember that fact.
“Oppa, what are you thinking about?”
Seri walked over from the neighboring house, holding two cans of beer. Her cheeks were flushed—she had clearly already had a drink before coming over.
She casually poured beer into a glass and handed it to Yohan.
“Cheers. What’s got you so deep in thought?”
“Running simulations for tomorrow’s scouting mission.”
“Seriously, you’re something else.”
It wasn’t sarcasm—just genuine admiration. In her eyes, Yohan was someone who never stopped, a relentless force of discipline and self-improvement.
She took a seat beside him and sipped her beer while gazing out at the nighttime sea.
Yohan reached out and ruffled her hair.
She often called him a workaholic with no answers, but the truth was, she had been keeping up with his training and goals better than anyone else. Her improvement was obvious, and by now, she was more than capable of pulling her own weight.
Honestly, his first impression of her wasn’t great, but over time, she had become someone significant in his life.
Not in a romantic sense, but as a comrade he felt the strongest attachment to.
Vitality.
That was what she brought.
She had an energy that was hard to define.
Sure, she had some annoying ‘old-woman’ tendencies, but there was a noticeable difference in the group’s mood when she was around versus when she wasn’t.
She was unique, charismatic.
But at this moment, those eyes of hers were a problem.
Yohan avoided her gaze.
There was determination in her expression, an undeniable request in her eyes. He could feel a bead of cold sweat forming at the back of his neck.
She was drinking faster. So was he.
She was doing it on purpose.
‘She’s planned this out.’
Yohan realized it then. He could no longer avoid making a decision.
Seri leaned in, closing the space between them.
Her well-maintained skin carried a faint, sweet scent.
The warmth of bare skin brushing against his own.
It had been a while since he’d felt this kind of tension.
His body ‘reacted’ instinctively—something beyond his control.
He gently pushed her away.
“You’re drunk. Go to bed.”
“Do I look drunk to you?”
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Why am I acting like this? Oppa, you’re not an idiot. And judging by the way you’re ‘reacting’, you’re definitely not impotent either. Do you not like me? If you don’t, just say so. I won’t cling to you.”
Her words hit him straight in the chest, leaving him speechless.
“You don’t hate me.”
She climbed onto his lap, her pale hands moving behind his neck, locking around him.
“When the others started living together, the adults tried to warn them, and you were the one who said it—you said that having an outlet for desire was important.”
He had, indeed, said that.
“I held back because I knew things were dangerous before. I even thought about just jumping you, but that felt like I’d be throwing my pride away. But now? Is it still dangerous?”
Her breath was warm and sweet.
She asked the question, but she didn’t wait for an answer.
Because in the next moment, her lips pressed against his.
And Yohan didn’t push her away.
“I want you, oppa.”
A change in relationships leads to new variables.
And new variables lead to unpredictable outcomes.
Yohan wasn’t prepared to deal with what this would mean.
‘I don’t love her.’
But…
He was only human, a man with desires like anyone else.
And after months of her unwavering presence by his side, he had little reason to refuse.
“You idiot… You should’ve said that sooner.”
He pulled her close, tightly. A small sound escaped her lips.
As he pulled back, a fine silver strand of saliva stretched between them, glistening under the moonlight.
“Don’t expect my attitude to change after this.”
“You really have zero sense of romance.”
“You already knew that.”
Love doesn’t exist. Romance is a luxury.
Hadn’t he already accepted that?
Yohan whispered those words against her ear, making her shudder with a quiet, breathless sigh.
Their breathing grew heavier, their bodies warmer.
At this point, there was no turning back.
Seri pressed closer, her figure fitting against him perfectly.
She was soft, a stark contrast to the hardened body he had built through training.
A brief hesitation.
And then, her voice—
“Here? Now?”
“If you want.”
“Ugh… that’s kind of embarrassing. What if someone sees?”
Before she could even finish speaking, he was already undoing the clasp on her pants.
“Oppa, slow down… I— I don’t have much experience.”
“I know.”
No matter how confident she acted, she couldn’t completely hide her inexperience.
Even Jung-hwan had seen through her little performances before.
She clung to him tightly, her arms wrapped around his neck, as if she didn’t want to let go.
The night grew deeper, and the sound of rising heartbeats filled the space between them.
(T/N: Damn! Our boy is getting laid!)
