RE: Survival - Chapter 13

Yohan wasn’t foolish enough to miss that Seri’s words were out of genuine concern, worried about him going alone.

Thwap! He flicked Seri on the forehead, making her yelp softly.

“Rest, dummy. Is that what resting looks like?”

“Why, you like it too, don’t you? You’re not going, are you?”

“Do it yourself if you want it so badly. Don’t you have hands? You little minx.”

Seri’s face twisted into an exaggeratedly fierce expression. She could pull off a scary look when she tried. Yohan shook his head and added,

“The entrance is sealed for now, but without quick follow-up measures, it’ll be pointless. This mission might cost a life; I can’t let it go to waste.”

“Follow-up measures…?”

“We don’t know how long that glass door will hold. We need to block any view from the inside to the outside. Zombies react to movement; if they see anything inside, they’ll keep coming. Before that glass shatters under their weight, we need to clear the debris on the first floor.”

Yohan turned to leave but paused as if remembering something.

“Oh, Seri, can you write neatly?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Before hearing her full answer, Yohan grabbed a few sheets of A3-sized POP paper from a nearby shelf.

“Write this down.”

Seri began jotting down Yohan’s words on the back of the POP paper.

“If you have business, go to the parking lot. Any noise or glass-breaking will be met with immediate gunfire.”

“If you have business… gunfire.”

Yohan’s expression turned peculiar as he watched Seri write.

“Seri, I’m not one for gender stereotypes, but…”

“Shut up, oppa. I know.”

“Even a guy with toes for fingers would write better. This is—”

Seri’s slap at him was futile; it only hurt her hand.

Why even hit him when he was decked out in gear like that?

“Hyung, where are you going to use this?”

“I’m putting it on the glass entrance. No point in having someone shatter it after we worked so hard to block it. It’s for deterrence.”

“Deterrence?” Seri asked.

“We have guns. If someone with bad intentions sees this, they’ll think twice.”

Of course, revealing their possession of guns could invite raiders looking to seize them, but sometimes showing strength was safer than hiding it—especially when the camp wasn’t stable yet.

It was partly a bluff.

Raiders wouldn’t expect only thirty people with just two guns in such a large supermarket. Only particularly bold raiders would risk an encounter, and it wasn’t the time for those types to emerge. Yet.

Then again… what if they think the writing is some kind of code because it’s unreadable?

Yohan genuinely worried as he looked at the scribbled warning.

* * *

Seri and Jung-hwan’s relentless persuading finally kept Yohan from heading out alone. He moved to the first floor’s furniture and bedding section. As he approached, some young men and women subtly edged away.

I must really be disliked.

He gathered bedding materials and locked himself in a random storage room.

Taking their advice, he decided to rest. Though he still had enough stamina, the timing was tricky.

Night would soon fall.

Daytime, even with the tiniest bit of light, was different. But nighttime in the zombie era was pitch black. Unless equipped with its own power generator like the first shelter or stocked with enough resources to light candles like here, most survivors would curl up and pray for the darkness to pass.

Lost in thought, Yohan drifted into sleep.

Bang, bang!

The sound of pounding on a metal door snapped him awake.

How long was I out? Yohan rubbed his eyes and stood.

“Oppa! Are you in there?”

“Yeah, coming out.”

Seri stood at the storage room door.

Yohan asked her, “What’s up? Something happen?”

“The water stopped running.”

“Water?”

“Yeah, they said it’s been off since this morning. I checked; it’s out in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms.”

“The water tank must be empty.”

Yohan lifted the sink handle. Nothing happened. The flush button did nothing either. The toilet lids exuded an ominous stench.

‘The good times are over.’

Now the survivors would realize just how luxurious their situation had been. His joining this camp was a stroke of luck for them, though they’d never admit it.

“Gather everyone.”

At his command, Seri called the people together. Their expressions were tense, wondering what new crisis awaited. Yohan counted heads, noting about five were missing.

“Where’s Hyuk?”

“Hasn’t moved an inch.”

Two valuable fighters rendered useless. Yohan let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

“Should I get him?”

“Leave him. Someone should stay with Gun.”

Yohan patted Seri’s head a couple of times in thanks and sent her back. The murmurs of the group quieted as he faced them.

“As you’ve noticed, the water supply has stopped. I was going to check how much was left in the tank, but now there’s no need. Until we find a solution, don’t waste water. Don’t flush; just use the toilets. Clean yourselves with wet wipes or dampened tissues.”

Worry etched deeper into their faces. Whether it was due to the water shortage or dissatisfaction with him, he couldn’t tell.

“Are you unhappy with my decisions?”

Yohan spoke slowly.

“Think it through. If things had been managed with control and water had been rationed from six months ago, you might still be using clean water now. The process may not have been pleasant, but my aim is to ensure that even when this store’s resources run out, you’ll still survive.”

As he spoke, Yohan put on his protective gear.

“Starting with securing this store and providing you with light, I’ll prove myself step by step. I hope to see relaxed faces when I return after clearing out the zombies. Jung-hwan, ready?”

“Yes, hyung.”

Yohan led the combat team toward the emergency exit. Elder Park and Hyuk were left in charge of the supplies.

There were 11 participants this time.

Yohan split them into two teams, mixing experienced and new members equally. He took the high ground to cover them.

Each team of five had four members on watch in all directions and one in the center to support where zombies were densest. This formation was more stable and secure than the previous group of four. With long-range support, there was little risk.

Even if unexpected danger arose, they were close enough to the emergency exit for the sturdy door to shield them.

Initially, the new members showed signs of tension but soon grew confident after a few successful kills.

Graar!

Two zombies approached.

“Two on the right!”

Seong-bae, in his first fight, attacked one zombie while Jung-hwan swiftly took down the other.

“Got it. Handled!”

Yohan barely had to intervene. He focused on taking out zombies approaching from a distance.

The cleanup went smoothly.

After nearly three hours of fighting, with piles of zombie corpses forming mounds that blocked their view, the waves stopped. Silence and stillness blanketed the supermarket.

“Is it over?” one of the new combatants asked.

Yohan shrugged and tapped a metal handle with his knife, signaling any hidden zombies to come out.

Nothing.

“Looks like it’s all clear.”

“Hold on a bit longer.”

Yohan intensified the noise, tapping louder. A lone zombie reacted from afar.

A whistle of an arrow flew, piercing its head.

Yohan resumed tapping. The escalating noise drew even the zombies outside toward the glass doors. But there was no movement inside the store.

“Looks like it’s done.”

Smiles spread across the group.

“Good work. The new guys are pretty talented for their first time. Why were you all hiding like cowards before?”

“Yeah, who knew it’d be this easy…”

“Idiot, it’s thanks to Yohan oppa, don’t act cocky.”

A little harsh, but Yohan smirked and directed, “Jung-hwan, check the men for wounds. Seri, check the women. Report even small cuts. I’m going to check the parking lot situation.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Okay, got it.”

Yohan climbed the second-floor emergency exit to peek at the parking lot. Through the cracked door, he saw cars scattered haphazardly, zombies abundant among the many hiding spots.

The parking lot entrance was a single point of access from the ground, which was fortunate. If there were separate entry and exit points, they would need to block both. He estimated the width of the entrance.

A 2.5-ton truck and a 1-ton truck would be enough to seal it off. He closed the door quietly, having noted the number of zombies and vehicle positions.

Returning, he checked for injuries. The resting group stood as he approached, but he waved them down and asked Jung-hwan,

“You can rest a bit more. Any injuries?”

“No, none.”

“Good.”

“How’s the parking lot?”

“Neither great nor terrible.”

Securing the entrance with vehicles posed challenges.

They needed vehicles with keys or working batteries, or the means to recharge or replace them.

The mission’s complexity could escalate over time, possibly more dangerous than blocking the main entrance.

‘Still, if we can just get through this next step…’

Yohan mulled over his options while pulling out black vinyl sheets from his bag. They were for covering the glass. He posted the warning sign with the handwritten message on the entrance and added the black sheet over it.

Covering the entire glass wasn’t necessary; Yohan obscured about three-quarters. This way, it was easy to monitor outside and maintain light inside.

Concealing enough to prevent zombies’ sight was key.

Satisfied with his work, he turned to the group.

“We might as well finish the parking lot while we’re at it. Still got energy?”

The group’s faces reflected a mix of shock and disbelief at his nonchalant tone.

“Don’t whine. By the way, anyone know how to work on cars?”

“Uh, I majored in automotive engineering.”

“Automotive engineering?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect. That takes a load off my mind. Which year?”

“Class of ‘08.”

“Repair experience?”

“Four years.”

This young man, who had removed Yohan’s worry in one go, was Kim Ki-moon. Tall and good-looking, he had remained quietly unobtrusive until now. Yohan curbed his urge to applaud.

“Great. Engineer, can you start a car without keys?”