Chapter 48

At Dr. Park’s words, Seri nodded begrudgingly, her expression sulky.

“It’ll take about 30 minutes for the medicine to take effect. I’ll untie you then, Seri. Don’t worry too much. Who is Yohan, after all? He’ll be fine.”

The calm reassurance began to soothe Seri, her tense demeanor softening slightly. Though it no longer seemed as if she would bolt out the door, her resolve to search for Yohan remained unwavering.

“Uncle, load my gun with bullets. I’m heading out as soon as this is over.”

Leaving those words behind, Seri leaned her head against the bedframe, exhausted. Within minutes, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

When Hajin entered with Seri’s revolver loaded, he was greeted by the sight of Seri sleeping soundly, even drooling a little.

“…Did she fall asleep?”

“Ah, Hajin. Can you move Seri? I gave her a sedative, so she should sleep well for a while,” Dr. Park said with a faint smile. Hajin nodded.

After closing the infirmary door behind him, Hajin stepped into the hallway.

The situation was grim. The scouting team is not on its best form, Sweeper was missing, and Yohan was still unaccounted for. Seri, Jung-hwan, and Dongseok were severely injured.

Venturing out into the dark night with inexperienced people was too dangerous. While Hajin trusted Yohan, it was hard to shake his growing anxiety. After all, Yohan had saved his life countless times. The thought of sitting idle while Yohan was out there troubled him deeply.

But going out alone would be reckless—a literal suicide mission.

After instructing Seo-jun to place someone on lookout duty on the rooftop, Hajin climbed onto a delivery van parked outside and sat cross-legged, waiting for Yohan to return.

However, his patience didn’t last long. Hajin eventually stood up, resolved to search for Yohan himself.

No one else could do it.

* * *

The moment Yohan descended from the gas meter box with Kang Hyuk’s help, his last threads of sanity snapped, and he collapsed. Pain and exhaustion overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in the infirmary at the mart. He had no sense of how much time had passed. Forcing his heavy eyelids open, he noticed Seri sleeping at the edge of the bed. Remembering the night of silence from the walkie-talkie, Yohan exhaled softly in relief.

“Oppa…?”

As Yohan sat up and leaned against the bedframe, his movement woke Seri. She leapt toward him like a rhinoceros, burying her face in his chest.

Yohan patted her head a couple of times as he felt her trembling against him.

After sobbing for a while, Seri quickly gathered the camp survivors. It was as if news of some spectacle had spread—people swarmed into the infirmary.

“Hey! What is this? A show? Everyone, out!”

The infirmary became so crowded that Seo-jun had to step in, leaving only a few behind and shooing the rest out.

“I made porridge! For you, oppa!”

Ji-hye, one of the last to leave, insisted on staying to ensure Yohan got his nutrients. She clung to a corner of the infirmary with a stubborn resolve, only to have her porridge confiscated and herself sent out by Seo-jun.

“What’s with all the fuss? It’s not like I’m gravely injured,” Yohan said flatly, his tone indifferent.

The camp members looked visibly deflated at his words. Realizing the awkwardness he had caused, Yohan sheepishly scratched his forehead.

His gaze swept over the gathered survivors—Jung-hwan, injured by the arrow; Dongseok, who had gone silent over the walkie-talkie; Hajin, who had brought them back; Sweeper, who had left on a mission; and Kang Hyuk, who had saved him. They were all safe.

“How long was I out?” Yohan asked.

“When you’re unconscious like that, we call it ‘passing out,’ not sleeping,” Dr. Park interjected with a wry smile.

“Oh, right. Thank you, Doctor.”

Dr. Park acknowledged the thanks with a nod as Hajin answered Yohan’s question.

“You were out for a full two days.”

Two days? Yohan was startled. It had felt like just a few hours, half a day at most.

“Any casualties?”

“None.”

Yohan exhaled deeply and sank back into the cushions, his body losing tension.

Despite the intense battle with a large group of hostile enemies, there had been no casualties.

It was a first.

Whether fighting zombies or other people, losses had always been inevitable. From his past life to the present, there had always been casualties in crises. This was the first time he had fought with others and emerged unscathed.

This is different from before, Yohan thought.

He still had a long way to go, and perhaps he had been overreaching. But the results were undeniably positive.

A flawless victory.

For some reason, the realization sent a strange thrill through his chest.

Seeing Yohan’s joy, the camp members were visibly moved.

“Acting all robotic before, but you do know how to show emotions after all,” Old Man Park said, patting Yohan on the back. Yohan gave a faint smile, and the infirmary seemed to brighten, as if lit by colorful candles.

“Well done,” Old Man Park said warmly.

“Good work, Yohan,” another survivor added.

But Yohan quickly gathered his emotions. Though the battle was over, the struggle for survival continued. He ran his hands over his face and grinned.

“Alright, let’s get to work.”

A chill of silence fell over the room, as if they had been doused with cold water. The survivors exchanged wary glances, waiting for someone to speak up. As expected, Seri was the first to voice her thoughts.

“Take a break, you workaholic oppa!”

“Two days of rest is enough. There’s a lot to do. Hyuk, did you bring the group back?”

Kang Hyuk nodded. Yohan turned to the Sweeper next.

“You brought the survivors from the reserve camp too?”

“Yeah, thirteen of them.”

“That’s too many people. We need to set up the third camp quickly.”

Nearly forty people had now gathered in this area. If they weren’t careful, they could be overwhelmed by another zombie wave. Yohan tried to get up, but Sweeper stopped him.

“Don’t worry, boss. We’ll handle it.”

“Yesterday, we set up a temporary new camp and sent the new survivors there,” Sweeper informed Yohan.

“What? Where?”

“Sangil Middle School. You mentioned before that it would be a good spot for the third camp, close to Sangdong Station and the lakeside park.”

“Ah… I did say that,” Yohan admitted, surprised. He hadn’t expected Sweeper to remember and act on something he had mentioned in passing.

“What about supplies?”

“Enough for three days. I’ve logged everything we sent, so you can check it when you’re better,” Seo-jun replied this time.

Yohan could only let out a short laugh. “Good work.”

There wasn’t much else to say. He had no choice but to surrender to their insistence that he rest. Instead of working, he agreed to sit back and be briefed on the situation.

When everyone else left the infirmary, only Kang Hyuk remained. Seeing him now, Yohan realized how much he had changed. Though still young, Hyuk’s face bore a newfound maturity, as if he had shed a layer of his youth in the past ten days.

“You gave Gun a proper send-off?”

“Yeah.”

Yohan’s eyes fell on the small glass vial hanging around Hyuk’s neck. The grayish-white powder inside didn’t need explanation.

“That day really caught me off guard. I never thought I’d find you trapped there.”

Hyuk recalled the morning they had found Yohan. As Hyuk’s group was returning to camp, they had heard Yohan’s shouts echoing from the dead-end alley. Recognizing the voice, they had rushed to him. It was a stroke of luck, almost as if fate had been giving Yohan another chance.

“It was pure chance,” Yohan said. “Who are the people you brought back?”

“Four are my old classmates from Bucheon University’s sports department. I ran into them near my neighborhood. The other four were two pairs I found separately. I saved them while they were fighting zombies.”

“They know how to fight?”

“Yeah, they’re brave. They’ve been surviving on their own for a long time.”

“Can you trust them?”

“When we rescued you, they didn’t hesitate to help. Does that answer your question?”

Yohan let out a small laugh. “Altruistic fools, huh?”

Still, he added, “Don’t trust them blindly. For now, it’s best if you take charge of the eight. You heard about the scouting team, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you’ll take over as the leader of Scout Team 2. Handle operations with your group of eight.”

Hyuk nodded, as if he had been waiting for this.

“Should I head to the middle school camp then?”

“No. The scout team will have its own camp. We’ll set it up tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“Good. Go call Sweeper for me.”

Hyuk nodded energetically and started toward the door, but he paused just before stepping out.

“Why? Is there something else?”

“Hyung, I’ve decided… I’m going to focus on rescue operations.”

“That’s what the scout team is for,” Yohan replied.

“No, I mean I want rescuing people to be our first priority.”

The earnestness in Hyuk’s words struck Yohan. While it wasn’t completely aligned with his own survival philosophy, having such a clear sense of purpose was valuable in a world like this—provided it didn’t go too far.

Showing kindness was good, but it couldn’t be mistaken for obligation. Rescuing people was noble, but they also had to discern who was worth saving.

It was a delicate balance, one Yohan himself struggled with. He knew time and experience would teach Hyuk that lesson.

“Alright. Go on, then.”

As Hyuk left, Hajin stepped into the room.

“I called for Sweeper,” Yohan said.

“I know. I just had something to tell you first,” Hajin replied.

“Something to tell me?”

“It’s about yesterday, while you were unconscious. When Sweeper and the reservist camp survivors arrived.”

Hajin’s expression was unusually grave, though that wasn’t too surprising—it was his default look. He began explaining calmly.

“When Sweeper arrived, he was covered in blood. He said it was from fighting remnants of the biker gang. When I asked what happened, he brushed it off, saying it was nothing.”

“So we sent reinforcements to that area too,” Yohan noted. “What about it?”

“But something about the reservist camp survivors seemed off. They looked scared.”

Yohan felt a twinge of unease. Sweeper had quickly become a key member of the allied camp, thanks to his charisma and combat skills. If there were issues with him now, it could cause serious problems.

“So, I asked Lieutenant Ahn what happened.”

‘That man… is he even human? I’ve never seen anyone move like that, not even in the special forces. He dodged arrows at close range, laughed it off, and split his enemies with an axe. It was so unnerving we couldn’t help or run away. His movements gave me chills.’

Hajin recounted Ahn’s words, leaving Yohan’s face unreadable.

That description felt all too familiar.

It was the same feeling Yohan had when he first met Sweeper at the department store—the way he had dodged Yohan’s arrows so effortlessly. At the time, Yohan had dismissed it as luck or a poor shot, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“Sure, you could chalk it up to agility or reflexes, but it’s a bit much, isn’t it?” Yohan mused.

“And one more thing,” Hajin added.

“What?”

“Do you remember the day we fought the biker gang?”

“Of course.”

“That day, when you dodged their arrows… I got the same feeling about you.”

“That’s…” Yohan trailed off.