RE: Survival - Chapter 15

At the same time, three figures lingered outside the warehouse. One of them jiggled the door handle a few times but couldn’t open it, causing them to mutter among themselves.

One of them soon produced a portable hammer, ready to break the doorknob.

They exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Just as one raised the hammer,

“Stop.”

The voice belonged to Hyuk. The three men glared at him, annoyance plain on their faces.

“What’s your problem, now?”

“Go back and look after your brother.”

“If you put that down now, I won’t tell anyone else.”

“Do you have no guts?”

Hyuk frowned. If there was anyone he didn’t want to hear that from, it was these fools.

One of the men interrupted Hyuk’s thoughts.

“It’s because of that Yohan or whatever that your brother’s in this state. He dragged you guys into that zombie-infested mess and turned someone who was perfectly fine into this, and here you are, still licking his boots? Where’s your pride?”

Their eyes lacked reason, sanity long gone. Even if they broke in and stole food, there was no way they could escape the supermarket or oppose Yohan once he returned.

Their actions, driven purely by hunger, were foolish. In truth, Hyuk was offering them mercy.

“Leave. While I’m being nice.”

It was three against one. Under normal circumstances, Hyuk’s threat would have been ineffective, but the men didn’t dare challenge him. However, they weren’t ready to back down either, and the standoff continued.

Then Hyuk drew a kitchen knife from his waistband.

“You…”

“Unless you plan to use it, don’t waste your energy, guys.”

“Tch.”

If they had the courage, they wouldn’t be standing there, looking so weak.

The three men slunk away.

Hyuk’s expression darkened as their words echoed in his mind.

* * *

With the news that the zombies were all dealt with, people began to come up to the surface. The sight of the grotesque, hellish scene made some of them retch.

Yohan remarked with indifference,

“If you’re going to vomit, make sure to clean it up.”

“Oppa, really… at a time like this?”

“What? It wouldn’t be fair if one person pukes and someone else cleans it up. Seri, help that friend over there.”

Seri shot him a glare before patting the back of a college student who was dry heaving.

“Jung-hwan, take Gi-moon and a few others to the loading dock and bring back the carts and rolltainers.”

“Rolltainers?”

“Those wheeled carts, rectangular ones for carrying ramen boxes and such.”

“Oh, the handcarts? Got it.”

“The rest of you, load the zombies onto the carts. We’ll burn them on the rooftop. Make sure they’re completely dead before you touch them.”

As Yohan gave orders, Hyuk appeared, shoving three men forward who looked sullen but joined the work reluctantly.

There must have been some trouble in the basement when he wasn’t around. Yohan approached Hyuk.

“How’s Gun?”

“Same.”

“Sorry to hear that. And you, how are you holding up?”

“I don’t know.”

“Keep your mind steady. You’re the one who needs to stay sharp.”

Hyuk didn’t respond.

Yohan patted his back twice and started to turn away when Hyuk spoke up.

“Yohan hyung.”

Yohan looked back.

“I don’t blame you.”

Their eyes met.

What’s he trying to say?

Yohan paused, then nodded.

“If you need someone to blame, it’s okay to blame me.”

“…”

“Whether Gun survives and lives with one arm or dies, that guilt is mine.”

“…”

“Those who went out with you the other day and didn’t come back—Sung-hyun, Se-hwa, and another I didn’t know the name of—they flash in your mind whenever you close your eyes. Like a nightmare, they’ll keep appearing in your dreams. Am I right?”

“How did you…”

“It’ll only get worse. And you won’t forget any of them. That’s your burden alone.”

Yohan patted his shoulder again.

“You only lead others when you’re ready to bear and accept that responsibility. In this cursed world.”

No one had the right to stake another’s life, whether by persuasion, threat, or voluntary choice. Once someone chose to follow, the consequences rested solely on them.

But the guilt over those who died never truly fades.

Whether it’s the guilt of driving someone to their death or failing to protect them.

He had reached a point where guilt was so deeply ingrained that he had become almost numb.

Yohan turned away.

Hyuk stood there, watching him leave.

Yohan restrained any individual action and only moved when the last cart was filled. The scene of people lined up, pushing carts, rolltainers, and carrying loads resembled workers preparing for a store opening.

Except, the tools were stacked with corpses, and dark, rotting blood dripped from the metal surfaces, giving the scene an eerie touch.

The people carrying the corpses stopped at the loading dock. Supplies were piled high, untouched and wrapped in clear plastic, gleaming as if illuminated.

“Even if we throw out half the spoiled goods, we have enough for two or three months,” Yohan noted.

A glimmer of hope appeared in the people’s eyes.

The bodies in the carts became a secondary concern. What mattered more was that they had defeated the zombies and secured more food and water. The hope that survival was within reach.

“Oh, there’s beer. Are we having a feast tonight?”

“Seeing beer makes me crave chicken. But moving all this is daunting, hyung…”

Yohan pointed to a flat platform under the wrapped boxes.

“See that square board?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a pallet. And that orange thing over there that looks like a forklift is a hand pallet truck. You stick the prongs into the pallet, lift, and move everything at once. The real issue is finding more storage space. Check for larger storage when we head back.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Yohan started walking, while the others stared at the supplies, disbelief on their faces.

“The supplies won’t run away. Let’s move.”

They climbed two more floors up from the loading dock and reached the rooftop garden. Two remaining zombies approached them on the way but posed no real threat.

“Wow!”

Gasps escaped from the group as they reached the rooftop. The warm early summer breeze touched their faces. The sun felt blinding after so long.

After six months underground, they breathed deeply, as if they were in a mountain retreat with fresh air.

Not that the air was that fresh, Yohan thought but didn’t say.

Still, the air had likely improved compared to six months ago.

People clung to the railing. Even the battle-hardened group that had fought with Yohan let their guard down. Only Yohan remained vigilant.

The gray city was desolate. Black smoke rose from various places, and the streets were inhabited solely by the dead.

The city reeked of death and silence.

It was as if the city itself confirmed its demise; it was eerily quiet. The sound of a voice on the rooftop seemed capable of echoing across the entire road, making people instinctively hold their breath.

The survivors took in the ruined world, each lost in their thoughts.

Yohan’s eyes fixed on one spot.

Seoul University Hospital.

They needed a doctor or a nurse. It would still help Gun if it wasn’t too late. Even without a professional, specialized medical supplies or at least blood transfusion kits would be invaluable.

Jung-hwan, staring at the endless parade of the dead, clicked his tongue.

“So many zombies…”

“They gathered because of all the noise we made during the day. They’ll disperse again over time.”

“The world’s really ended, huh.”

“The world, yes. Humanity, not yet.”

Seri countered Yohan’s statement.

“Humanity looks pretty over too.”

“There are more survivors like us than you think. Big cities are dangerous, but in rural or remote areas, there might be people who haven’t even seen a zombie yet.”

At that moment, a series of gunshots echoed from the direction of Bupyeong. Perfect timing. Yohan shrugged.

“See? The military is still around. Now, let’s get to work. Stack the bodies.”

Yohan rearranged the pile of corpses as Seong-bae poured gasoline over them. With a click, the fire ignited, and thick smoke rose, carrying the acrid stench. Seri pinched her nose.

“Do we have to burn them like this?”

“Once summer comes, rotting bodies will spread disease. Burning them is the cleanest way.”

“But the smoke draws attention.”

“It does.”

“What if people come?”

“If someone can get past all these zombies, they’ll be a great asset to the camp.”

“And if they have bad intentions?”

Yohan’s answer, as if the question was too obvious, was simple.

“Then we kill them.”

Seri fell silent.

The burning continued for quite some time, but the people seemed more energetic. One grueling day of effort felt more fulfilling than six months of barely surviving. The hope in their eyes grew brighter and more vivid.

“We’ll need to move two or three more loads, so let’s pick up the pace, transport team. Jung-hwan, keep an eye on the fire. Make sure it doesn’t spread too fast.”

“Yes, hyung. What will you do?”

“Check that.”

Yohan pointed to the water tank. Though the water had stopped flowing, he planned to check it just in case.

On the roof were two large water tanks. After inspecting both, Yohan looked at the group and smiled.

“This camp’s luck is something else.”

One tank still had water left.