Chapter 45

The rising sun cast a bright, merciless light over the decaying city.

Beyond the window, the world resembled a broken video game. Snow remained pristine where it had gathered on rooftops and abandoned cars, but the roads below had become a slushy chaos of white, red, and black. If only the zombies wandering outside, the ones that occasionally released long, mournful howls, were nothing more than NPCs.

Despite having slept for several hours, Hee-eun had dark circles beneath her eyes like heavy bruises. She forced her stiff, aching body to move.

“My entire body feels frozen solid…”

“My hands are chapped too.” Gorak rubbed them together. “Ugh.”

The cold was brutal enough to sink into the marrow. No matter how many blankets or uniforms they wrapped around themselves, they could not keep it from creeping into their bones.

Hee-eun released a hollow, miserable sigh.

“At this rate, we’re all going to get sick. We need to find somewhere warm. Anywhere.”

“If I let myself relax now, I’ll end up bedridden,” Gorak said. “The same thing happened during my college entrance exams.”

“If we have no other choice, we could try burning paper.”

“A grill from a galbi restaurant would be useful.”

Gorak shook his head almost immediately. The idea of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning after surviving the zombies was enough to terrify him.

Sniffling, Hee-eun walked over to Yu-su and looked down at him.

“This doesn’t seem like an ordinary cold. It’s too severe to be a simple fever, and he still can’t wake up.”

“…”

Had they taken Yu-su to a functioning hospital, the chart might have listed extreme stress, PTSD, depression, malnutrition, gastrointestinal problems, and severe sleep deprivation. But the hospitals here were frozen in time, occupied only by living corpses in doctors’ coats.

After painstakingly piecing together Yu-su’s movements from the beginning of the outbreak, Muwon had reached a different conclusion.

It would have been stranger if he had awakened easily.

Jeong Yu-su was Muwon’s complete opposite.

This was a man who would throw himself in front of a drunk driver to save a child he had never met. Now, he had witnessed a slaughter that bordered on a massacre.

No. He had not merely witnessed it.

He had drowned in it.

If I do this, if I do this, how am I any different from a murderer…?

Then there was the ability to rewind time by dying.

For someone like Yu-su, it would have been far too easy to shoulder responsibility for every death.

The concept of a loop was so unreal that Muwon still experienced flashes of instinctive doubt. Even so, he trusted Yu-su.

That was precisely why the situation felt so strange.

The Jeong Yu-su Muwon had known ten years ago should already have killed himself more than ten times. He would not be lying there, feverish and writhing in pain.

He would have ended everything already.

I’ll go help him.

Doesn’t that person look sick? Wait here.

Aren’t you embarrassed to be picking on your junior? I’m embarrassed just watching you.

Why are you acting like this? Do you want me to help you, hyung?

Jeong Yu-su was kind and righteous, the sort of man who put his convictions into action.

Muwon had never understood him. Sometimes Yu-su’s behavior had even made him furious, but eventually, Muwon had surrendered to it.

Perhaps awe was the more accurate word.

Yu-su seemed to live through endless acts of self-sacrifice, yet whenever he held fast to his beliefs, he shone.

Just as he had when diving.

You said you were afraid of heights. Afraid of falling…

Jeong Yu-su was a diver who fell more beautifully than anyone Muwon had ever seen, someone who appeared to fear no descent. Whenever he competed, he returned with a medal around his neck. At one point, his handsome face and talent had turned him into an online sensation, bringing an unexpected surge of popularity to the then-obscure sport.

Had that not been the reason Muwon noticed him in the first place?

From the closest possible distance, Muwon had watched Yu-su throw himself into the water hundreds of times. Yu-su had never hesitated. He had enjoyed every beautiful fall.

And yet this very same man claimed he was afraid.

Why did you end up like this, Jeong Yu-su?

Muwon reached out and lightly tapped Yu-su’s chin.

What had happened to crush him so completely?

Throughout the night, Muwon had regretted the ten-year void between them. He regretted failing to reject Yu-su’s declaration that they should cut ties. Even after their relationship ended, he should have kept track of what was happening in Yu-su’s life.

In the end, he had learned only that regret had no cure.

That was why he could not give up on Jeong Yu-su.

Muwon stood and stretched his stiff body, releasing a deep breath. “I’m going to eat something, then scout the area.”

“Manager Do…” Hee-eun looked at him carefully. “You haven’t slept, have you?”

“I won’t be able to sleep until I find medicine.”

After raising his blood sugar with nothing but cookies and chocolate, Muwon narrowed his eyes at Gorak.

“Sim Gorak.”

“Yes?”

“What weapon are you carrying? You need to keep watch over Jeong Yu-su too.”

Gorak had been swinging an umbrella he found in the bank because he could not bring himself to touch the nameplate bearing the words Division Head Kim Hyeoktae. He stopped and stared.

“What? Um, hyung, I want to come with you.”

“Then who’s going to watch the kid passed out over there?”

“Noona can do it.”

“One person isn’t enough. No one knows what might happen.”

“I feel like even more shit is going to happen if we go outside,” Gorak muttered.

Muwon had already stopped listening.

They had found spare bags and uniforms in the bank. Carrying two bags and a rifle, Muwon arranged several simple traps near the entrance and window, then looked at Yu-su one last time.

“Watch him carefully.” He glanced between Gorak and Hee-eun. “Both of you, be careful.”

“Yes, Manager Do.”

“Yes, hyung.” Gorak’s expression tightened. “Please be careful. Seriously.”

“Yeah.”

Gorak watched Muwon’s shadow disappear, then released a long sigh and gripped the edge of his blanket. Still seated nearby, Hee-eun rummaged through her backpack.

“Stop sighing. The Assistant Manager’s fever has gone down a little, hasn’t it?”

“I’m just worried.”

“Then eat something instead.”

“Thanks. You should eat too, noona.”

Muwon left with the morning sun and did not return until twilight had begun swallowing the city. He entered through the window rather than the front door.

The sight of blood tangled through his clothes and hair made Hee-eun leap to her feet.

“Manager Do?”

“Shh.”

“…”

Muwon climbed inside and roughly wiped his hands before pressing his palm against Yu-su’s forehead.

“Did anything happen?”

“No.”

Gorak looked him over. “Hyung, are you hurt?”

“This isn’t the time to worry about that.”

Hee-eun nearly asked why. Before the word could leave her mouth, zombies began screaming outside in unison.

Gorak and Hee-eun stared at Muwon, stunned.

“I don’t know why, but they’ve started gathering nearby.” Muwon glanced toward the window. “Did either of you hear anything unusual?”

“Any sounds?”

Hee-eun shook her head. “No.”

“They might enter this building too.”

Hee-eun rushed to the window, and Muwon went on, “There isn’t any medicine close by. If we want to find some, we’ll have to travel further. We need to get going.” Muwon knelt next to the curled-up figure on the couch and softly brushed Yu-su’s bangs from his forehead. “Jeong Yu-su, we’re leaving. Can you hear me?”

“…Ugh.”

Yu-su stirred vaguely from the depths of sleep.

For the first time in hours, his hazy brown eyes appeared between his partially opened lids. He blinked without focus, then rested his forehead against Muwon’s shoulder.

Five faint syllables escaped between labored breaths.

“Right now… what time is it…?”

“We left the restaurant. A full day has passed.”

“A day…”

The long breath that followed faded into silence.

To Muwon, it carried a hollow, piercing meaning.

In the end, I couldn’t die.

“Jeong Yu-su. Stay focused.”

“I…”

Yu-su’s eyes closed again as though someone had pressed a power switch.

Muwon called his name several times, but received no answer. Only hot, strained breaths escaped him.

They needed medicine after all.

Muwon had to bring the fever down, even by force.

He gritted his teeth and exhaled sharply.

“Carry him on your back. We’re going a long way.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“It’s going to be freezing outside, isn’t it?” Hee-eun asked.

“Fucking freezing.”

They layered several bank uniforms over Yu-su, then covered him with a bathrobe. The other three wrapped themselves in whatever clothing and blankets they could find. Before they could finish preparing to leave, Gorak, who had risen halfway from the floor, suddenly dropped flat again.

“Why?” Hee-eun asked.

“This…” Gorak reached beneath one of the counters. “I think this is a medicine box!”

He raised both hands triumphantly.

Between them was a slightly crushed carton of fever-reducing painkillers. The box had been trampled, but the damage appeared superficial.

Muwon snatched it and tore it open with desperate hands.

Inside, the blister pack remained mercifully intact.

A breath of relief escaped him.

“Ha. Nice work, Sim Gorak.”

“Thank God.” Gorak sagged. “I thought they were all ruined.”

“Quickly,” Hee-eun urged. “Let’s give him one. I have water.”

After checking the surrounding area, they settled Yu-su behind the counter.

Hee-eun flexed her chapped, raw fingers several times before busily reorganizing their supplies, while Gorak took up position near the doorway and kept watch.

Muwon brushed his fingers over Yu-su’s cheek, his hand trembling with caution.

“Jeong Yu-su. Wake up. I found the medicine.”

“Ugh…”

Yu-su was frozen stiff, as fragile-looking as a porcelain doll that might shatter beneath the slightest pressure. Unable to bring himself to shake him awake, Muwon rubbed his arms and legs instead. Perhaps the warmth of returning circulation reached him, or perhaps Muwon’s persistent, low-voiced calls finally broke through the haze. Either way, Yu-su’s eyelids slowly fluttered open.

His unfocused brown eyes trembled.

“Do Muwon…”

“I found the medicine. Take it.”

“I… Where am I…?”

Still too dazed to understand what was happening, Yu-su obediently opened his mouth, and Muwon placed two fever-reducing tablets on his tongue.

“Here’s some water. Swallow slowly.”

The sound of Yu-su gulping it down sent a surge of desperate relief through Muwon.

As he rubbed the area around Yu-su’s solar plexus, Sim Gorak leaned closer, his whisper taut with tension.

“Hyung. I hear footsteps.”

“…”

“It’s not a zombie. Whoever it is has a flashlight.”