Chapter 92 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

Episode 92: The Chapter of the Zombie and the Girl (4) --- "Hwa Min...! Hurry...!" “..........” Should I flee or stand and fight? I found myself lost in profound thought, staring at the red glowing monster in front of me. If I were to turn my back and run as fast as I could now, while all that I had gained on my journey would vanish in an instant, at least I would preserve my life. The journey ahead would undoubtedly be arduous, but it would be something I could slowly rebuild from the start again. Retracing the path I had already walked would surely lessen the hardship and time required. But is that truly the best option? "...I" If I could just shake off this ounce of fear and confront this monster. Betting my own life, which might be my greatest and last gamble, to protect the strongest bastion of humanity. Together with the companions who have shared my hardships, the weapons imbued with memories, the pet that might still be following me, I could preserve all the bonds and memories I’ve built. What’s suspended on one side of the scale was a prize worth betting my life for on the opposite side. The weight of a choice, which felt heavy enough to decide everything with just a flick of a finger. Faced with it, I eventually made my decision── ───Beep beep beep, beep beep beep!! "Whoa! What, what was that!?" "Oh. Time out, Hwa Min." Hearing the deafening alarm, I dropped the dice I was holding. Roll. The side that faced up on the rolling dice read, 'Epic Fail'. --- "I told you to roll it quickly!? Huh? You want to die, Lee Hwa Min!? How long does it take to roll a single die!?" "Ugh, ughhhhh───" Shake, shake. I was being vigorously shaken by Jeong Eun, her grip on my collar. Her forehead veins popping as she scolded me for taking so long to fight or flee with determination, whether to run away quickly or fight with eyes closed. Every time she shook me fiercely, a pitiful scream escaped my lips, as if I were making sounds with my mouth wide open in front of a fan. Hee-inn... “Don’t get so mad, Jeong Eun. It’s just a game, right? This is why news always says games promote violence──Ah?!" “Of all people, it’s you saying that!? You’re done for today, you bastard!!” Bang, bang. Objects flew through the air. "Yeon I, what happens in this case?" "Hmm.... I'm sure it was written around here... Ah, found it. It says, 'If a player exceeds the time limit of 2 minutes in one turn, all actions of that turn are invalidated, and the turn is passed to the opponent.' It’s our turn now, Hee Ah." "Ah-ha." Hee Ah and Yeon I, who had become as close as family, were gently confirming the rules together, leaving behind the board game littered with dice and cards. It seems the rule was designed to prevent one player from dragging out the time excessively. So that's why there was a stopwatch-like device in the board game box. Once again, I was learning from defeat today. “Aaaahhh─, aah──” "Die...! Die...!" Yet, I wonder when she'll stop. Tossed around like grain being threshed, I was merely waiting for Jeong Eun’s anger to subside. "If I'm ever on the same team as you again...! Hee Ah...! Please be on my team...! Please, I beg you...!! If I team up with this guy one more time, my stomach will burst...!!" “You can’t, Jeong Eun! Hee Ah is on my team!” “....Nuh-uh.” That was what Jeong Eun was saying for the seventh time, repeating the same words. Heh, heh. Even if you deny it, in the end, we'll be tied together again, won’t we? Look, even this time. Whether drawing lots or rock-paper-scissors, the two of us will inevitably be together forever...! You are not free...! Come on, come on..! Stop the futile struggle and come over to my side! ─Thump, thump! “You little...!!” “Haha...! Cough, cough! Wait, stop! It hit a bone....!” The alarm was louder than I had expected. If it were used outside, it might attract all the zombies around. Not that I’d ever leisurely spread out a board game and play outside anyway. No one would do that. Scratch, scratch. "... Ugh." With Jeong Eun's hand on my neck, I gently rubbed the still-aching inner part of my ear from the sudden outburst of noise. 34 days since the zombie apocalypse. The seventeenth day since I met Hee Ah. A time where everyone was impossibly bright and smiling without a shade of gloom. ...Indeed. "........." A daily life that seemed overwhelmingly happy. --- “Phew. Is summer approaching already?” I dislike summer because of the heat. The chill of early spring nights, where cold breezes used to blow, was gradually fading away. Feeling that time passes no matter what I do, I quietly gazed at the star-filled night sky. The city, once filled with streetlights and neon signs, where it was hard to spot even a single star. Such a place had now turned into a town devoid of any small lights, becoming a perfect observatory for stargazing. Under the moon that was slowly waxing beyond half into a full moon. I gazed at the canned food in my hand, illuminated by the bright moonlight. ─01. 22. 2019. "...Boring." The reflected numbers indicated January 22nd of next year. A time slightly less than a year from now, short if short, or long if long. That was the remaining lifespan of this can. In the end, like a pile of vegetables that had to be discarded because everyone couldn't eat them all, even canned food, known for its long shelf life, would become inedible after just three more seasons. Those stored inside the house. The canned goods left behind on the shelves of supermarkets, untouched by anyone. Perhaps even the freshly made products stored in the factories where they were produced. As time went on, the cans would begin to emit a musty smell, attracting fruit flies and insects, which would overrun the area completely. Yes. Everything would rot to the core. ['■■■■■■....'] ['■■....■■■......'] “Disgusting, aren’t you guys.” Just like those creatures wandering the grounds outside this mansion even now. No matter how much food we had piled up in the storage, it was never enough for a family unit consisting of three high school students in their growth spurt and a child. In reality, we had already eaten or discarded most of the perishable foods, including vegetables. Limited to lounging indoors and minimizing physical activity, we were satisfied with two meals a day. Thanks to that, the pantry hadn't been entirely stripped bare just yet. In addition, counting the canned goods we brought with us when we moved into this house, we could probably make it through another month. But— “...Phew.” How long can this peace truly last? It’s already been a month since the incident we call the zombie apocalypse occurred. The city remained engulfed in darkness with no lights coming on, television sets and cell phones stayed blank with dark screens. Well, with no power or means to charge them in the first place, I'm not sure if calling them inoperative is even correct. Even trying to use a radio, now considered an antique, with batteries couldn’t pick up anything beyond static noise. The sky I gazed at with an aching neck showed no helicopters flying for rescue, not even a sparrow. Previously, we could catch a glimpse of survivors now and then, but recently, not a single person was in sight. Therefore... It might seem surprising to some or expected to others, but... Truthfully, we had long since abandoned the hope of being rescued. How long must we wait? Will rescue really come if we keep waiting? Is it possible that outside, everything and everyone, apart from us, has perished? With no hope, there was nothing left to expect. We lived by laughing, sometimes to the point of madness. Because... “—Haha.” That’s how we managed to endure. That's how we could face another meaningless day. When we close our eyes today, tomorrow will surely begin. With the food stocks shrinking, and as one by one the clocks count down toward zero. We would smile brightly and start another game against the dwindling numbers. And so, another day would begin. And another day would pass. Time would continue to flow. And flow again. Until, finally. The moment our countdown numbers point to zero, meaning nothing exists at all... What will become of us— —Tap. "──Hwa Min, sister?" “......!?” The serene night sky. Perhaps it was because I was absorbed in its contemplation. Lost in deep thought, I didn't notice someone had come up right behind me until they tapped my back. Hiccup. As the unexpected sensation caused my heart to leap. I turned around. "─Heehee. It’s really you, Sister Hwa Min!" “.......” There stood a girl looking at me. Not with a feeling of colorlessness or void. But with a sense of 'purity' that emerged strongly, devoid of any blemish or dirt. The kind of child who was purely and entirely white. "What were you doing here alone?" “──Hee Ah.” “Yes, it's me, Hee Ah. Is there something bothering you, Sister Hwa Min?” In the gentle moonlight filtering through the fluttering curtains of the open veranda, Hee Ah stood. --- **