Chapter 93 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

**Chapter 93: 888. The Chapter of the Zombie and the Girl (5).** * * * "Heehee. It's cool." "...Really?" "Yeah! Hwa Min unnie feels cool, it's nice..." Underneath the vast night sky, filled with stars that seemed to dance on the waves. Hee ah nestled closely against my slightly cooled body, brushing her face against the cool fabric, entranced by the spectacle of stars densely set against the black canvas of the sky. Her mystical, slightly gray eyes seemed captivated by the breathtaking panorama, unwilling to tear away from the celestial beauty. Well. "...That's good to hear, then." While I basked in the unique, warm pulsation of the child in my arms, my thoughts wandered, analyzing why each star had led to our current predicament. It's said that the night triggers different hormonal secretions compared to the day. Those embarrassing thoughts I murmured earlier, the kind that are difficult to revisit. Such musings stem from what one might call the monster of dawn emotion, capturing someone to the extent that they end up sobbing 'I sometimes...shed tears...'. Victims of their fleeting emotions, who would wake the next morning only to face the creations of their nocturnal fits, might often cry upon realizing the ramifications of their past. Kicking the blanket aside in frustration was just a bonus. The wisdom of the ancients, "letters written at night must be read again in the morning, and never sent off immediately," was never wrong. Perhaps this phenomenon of dawn emotion isn't solely a modern social issue, but a timeless occurrence steeped in tradition. Hence, there really was nothing wrong with me. Even the thoughts that would embarrass me into hiding by daylight seemed acceptable here. And the lamentations at the break of dawn, where I fancied myself the protagonist of a tragedy. "........" All of it, a result of this damnable night air. ─Swish. "Huh? Unnie, suddenly Hwa Min unnie feels warm..." "Maybe it's just your imagination? You know, since you only just woke up." "Hmm...? Is that it...?" "Yeah, yeah. Our Hee ah must be really tired~" Hee ah, tentatively lifting the curtain, beamed brightly when she found me on the balcony, leaning against the railing. Admittedly, I was startled by why Hee ah would emerge at such an early hour. Yet, despite my shock, Hee ah continued to make her way towards me, parting the fluttering white fabric as she approached. Step by cautious step. The sight of this girl, whiter than the curtain, walking towards me was even more enchanting than the night sky I had been admiring moments before. But, I wondered if the noise I made while moving to the balcony had woken her, or maybe it was my solitary murmurs in the serene atmosphere that disturbed her sleep. These two plausible reasons caused me to sweat nervously as I watched the child draw nearer. "Even so─" Ultimately, though, my concerns were unfounded. What greeted me wasn't a playful complaint about having been woken, nor a curiosity over why I was ominously muttering to myself. ─Cuddle. "─Being in warm Hwa Min unnie's arms, that's nice too." ".........." With the soft, gentle sound of brushing cotton. A single child, without a word, simply threw herself into my arms, dispelling my worries. ** The pounding on the door and the screams, the human figure swiftly engulfed and unrecognizable amidst the swarm of zombies. If a smile naturally creeps to one's lips in such a dire, unamusing situation. It only signifies that people have become so utterly broken by the horror of this world that they can no longer cope. Indeed. ".........." We were broken. A desert seems beautiful because it conceals an oasis within it. Life, filled only with suffering, is said to be beautiful because people believe that tomorrow will be better than today. However, in a completely barren desert devoid of oases, in a life where only despair awaits the future. Does what they mean by hope truly exist? Was it from when I began estimating my future based on the number of canned goods in the kitchen drawer, rather than hoping for a rescue team and dinner with family tomorrow? Or from when I started telling time by the position of the sun rather than looking skyward for a rescue helicopter? Tick-tock, tick-tock. Like sand falling from an hourglass, the grains of sanity began slipping away from us. In an environment where even a sane person can slowly go mad, it's no wonder insanity was burgeoning. 'How do we... kill them...? How...? How...?' ─Tap, tap. Jeong Eun wore a forced brave face and hearty laughter to awkwardly mask the fear lurking beneath her facade. '...Senior. Is there anything I can help you with?' '.........' 'Should I fix the door? Or shut the windows? Scout? Investigate? Analyze? Please, give me anything to do.' Yeon Yi had been trying to delegate all decisions to others, hiding behind the lead of someone else, clutching to their coattails without ever looking ahead. I watched as the precious friends I had been living with were gradually being driven to the edge of a cliff. 'Haha...haha...' And I realized, as I watched them, that I too was gradually transforming into something not so different from them. After entering Hee ah's house, we all briefly found some respite and seemed to be improving, but the situation hadn't truly improved at all. Though we might have recovered a momentary peace, we couldn't truly alter this bleak and hopeless reality. And this realization. '...Heehee.' It wasn't just us. We all knew. Or rather, we couldn't help but know, with the clear evidence placed before us. There was no way a child, who seemed not even ten years old, had been living alone in such a large house. Countless mismatched pairs of chopsticks and spoons, and four beautifully set teacups. And then. '...This.' The photograph on the wall capturing three of the happiest-looking people one could imagine. We had seen it all with our own eyes. Unlike us, whose hopes had dwindled, this child, who might not even have any illusions of hope left, still stood firm. Considering Hee ah's age, bursting into tears and letting go wouldn’t be surprising. But. "──Come on. Let's play a game, Hwa Min unnie!" "...Game?" "Yeah! A game. Yeon Yi unnie and Jeong Eun unnie, come here! Let's play together~ Heehee!" The child was different. Despite having every reason to give up on the world, unlike us who had already abandoned it, she persevered. ─Thunk. "Oh... it's over?" "...Eh!? It's over!? Can't we play again... Yeon Yi unnie...?" "Wow... Yeon Yi, I didn't think you were this competitive. Going all out against an elementary school kid... You're really ruthless." "N-no! It's just... Hee ah is too good...! It's true! Please believe me, senior!!" The child, not losing hope, observed the world with clear eyes. Even in this dreadfully altered world, Hee ah remained true to herself. And. "Hurry up and throw...!!" "...To be or not to be, that is the question." "If you don't throw it now, your character will die, alright?" Had that hope slowly become contagious? Or was it simply that life, already so broken, felt worth embracing with that mindset? Somewhere along the way, Yeon Yi also decided to try her hand at something herself. Jeong Eun, once hiding her vulnerabilities behind a façade of strength, managed to exhale her pent-up breaths and regain some composure. Indeed. All thanks to this child. "........" "....Heehee..." I looked down. In my arms, wrapped in a gray cardigan, Hee ah's eyes were half-closed as if sleep, which she had shaken off, was encroaching yet again. No matter how mature, a child is still just a child, isn't she? At her adorableness, I smiled briefly and decided it might be time to head back to bed for Hee ah's sake. The earlier thought of staying up all night had long since vanished. "You'll catch a cold, Hee ah. Then Yeon Yi will scold me... Shall we head back now?" "...Yeah. Let's go together, unnie." Dusting off my sleeve that was soiled from the railing, I spoke to Hee ah, whose gaze was fixed on me. Her responses were laced with drowsiness, indicating she was ready to sleep. I cautiously followed her in, ensuring she wouldn't stumble. There were no need for pleasantries of 'Are you okay?' or 'Is it hard?' in the quiet space we shared. What we did was simply huddle together and gaze at the beautiful night sky. That was the entirety of our exchange. Yet, even that one embrace provided more solace than a hundred words ever could. ─Plod, plod. "Hee ah, there was a 2nd installment in that game box. Do you think there’s a 3rd?" "...Huh? Uh... not at home. But... maybe they have it at the store." "Hmm... I see." In truth, nothing had really changed. Nothing visible or tangible seemed to exist. Perhaps after I settled Hee ah back in her room, it would unfold as another repetitive, mundane day like any other. Nevertheless. "──Still, there's bound to be a 1st if there's a 2nd." The reason I could hold onto hope. The reason we could all rise again. "Then later, let's play that game together." It's not that life is beautiful because certain happiness lies ahead. But because we've been gifted with the ability to hope for and dream of a beautiful future. "──Next time, you and I, Hee ah, let's be on the same team." "......Yeah! Sounds good, Hee ah unnie!" That was the belief I decided to hold. An utterly whimsical reason, just to act grown up before this child. ** * * *