Even Zombies Have Fandoms

Chapter 57

“Ah.”

Realizing the person they were waiting for had arrived, Muyoung pulled his head back, escaping from Seokjae’s hand. As the lukewarm temperature disappeared, the large hand clenched into a fist as if regretful.

At the same time, two deep breaths were heard, like sighs being released, but Muyoung missed these sounds, absorbed in the thought that he needed to explain to the woman who was standing in the hallway, looking at them with strange eyes.

“That’s because-“

“You came alone?” Seokjae interrupted, grabbing Muyoung’s shoulder before he could finish speaking. When Muyoung looked at him with a puzzled expression, Seokjae smiled with his eyes and covered his mouth with his finger, ensuring the woman couldn’t see.

‘Ah, is he being considerate?’

It seemed Seokjae was being considerate, telling him not to speak, knowing how embarrassed Muyoung got whenever he spoke with his strange pronunciation.

“Hayun doesn’t always need to be here, right?”

“That’s right. Well, it’s not for me to say.”

While Muyoung was touched by Seokjae’s thoughtfulness, Seokjae and the woman began a subtle battle of wills.

“You want me to sit here?”

The woman said, looking at the two mismatched chairs sitting alone.

Currently, they were seated on an L-shaped sofa, with Junwoo, Kyungho, and Muyoung in that order on the long side, and Seokjae occupying the single seat at the bend.

The mismatched chairs the woman pointed out were brought from the kitchen when they belatedly realized there wouldn’t be enough seats for the two people coming down from the second floor. They were placed facing Seokjae.

“It would be more uncomfortable sitting next to someone, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Setting aside Seokjae sitting alone, looking at the sofa packed tightly with three people, frustratingly, his words were right. She silently sat in the prepared seat. Seokjae, who had been watching her with dry eyes, opened his mouth.

“There might be some faces we’re seeing for the first time, but since it doesn’t seem like introductions are wanted, we’ll skip that.”

He said this while looking at Junwoo, who was giving a look that said, ‘So you’re the second-floor people I’ve only heard about,’ but the woman frowned, thinking he was taking a jab at them for not coming down to introduce themselves. Ignoring her, Seokjae continued speaking with a stiff but appropriately polite tone.

“As I said this morning, our goal is to head towards the outskirts, that is, to leave this place, so we’re planning to depart now. I called you here today to decide on that schedule together.”

The woman, who found Seokjae unsettling despite his seemingly kind but emotionless demeanor save for politeness, cleared her throat before speaking.

“I’ll get straight to the point. We’re staying here.”

“What?”

“What do you mean…?”

As Muyoung and Kyungho exclaimed in surprise, the woman cut them off and repeated.

“We’re not going to move.”

“Just because you say so doesn’t mean it’ll happen the way you want.”

Junwoo retorted gruffly, realizing she was insisting on not moving, and she immediately glared at him.

“Who’s asking you to stay with us? Whether you leave or not, Hayun and I are staying here.”

The three were surprised, their mouths agape, not expecting her to say she’d break away from the group, even though they had anticipated she might oppose moving due to her cautiousness. Seokjae, sitting across from her, merely looked surprised but showed no sign of shock.

“I’m not trying to stop you from leaving, and I’m certainly not asking for your permission. This is a notification. We’re staying here.”

Seemingly uncomfortable with their stares, she pretended to brush back her hair that reached her shoulders, avoiding their gaze. Kyungho was the first of the three to regain his composure. He asked urgently.

“How are you going to manage with just the two of you? You can’t stay in the house all the time, are you going to leave the child alone when you go out? If something happens…”

The woman snorted at Kyungho’s concern and spoke sharply.

“That’s for me to figure out. Don’t worry about it.”

“But-“

“Since you really don’t seem to understand, let me tell you this: who do you think has kept Hayun alive until now? Do I look like an idiot who can’t do anything without other people?”

When he didn’t back down despite her telling him to mind his own business, she glared at him menacingly, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“Ah, no. That’s not what I… I’m sorry.”

Kyungho hastily shook his head, frightened by her fierce expression. After Kyungho’s apology, silence fell over the living room for a moment.

“…Have you ever traveled with a child here?”

The woman, whose anger seemed to have subsided a bit at Kyungho’s cowed appearance and seemingly sincere apology, sighed before speaking in a somewhat deflated voice.

“No… we haven’t…”

Kyungho answered diligently, and then Muyoung shook his head. Seokjae and Junwoo showed no reaction, but that seemed to be enough for her to understand as she made an expression that said, ‘I thought so.’

“It’s the same for me, but do you think Hayun, who doesn’t even reach that person’s chest, can keep up with your speed or stamina?”

Seokjae, suddenly pointed at, raised one eyebrow. Though startled, the woman continued speaking with a stern face.

“A child is smaller and weaker than you think. In a situation like this where they could die just from not being able to run, do you really think it’s safer for us to follow you? Really? Isn’t that just hastening our deaths rather than helping us live longer?”

Listening quietly, Muyoung realized why she had left behind the child she always kept with her.

‘She didn’t want to hurt her feelings.’

Even if it was a matter of practical considerations, no child would be unhurt hearing that they were a burden. Moved by the woman’s thoughtfulness for the child, Muyoung, forgetting why he had kept his mouth shut until now, clenched his fist and exclaimed.

“That’s okay! Tae can carry her!”

His serious resolve sounded like a child’s boast due to his pronunciation. Naturally, the serious atmosphere was instantly shattered.

“…”

“Pfft.”

“…Hyung.”

After experiencing the woman’s surprised eyes, the sound of Junwoo holding back laughter, and Kyungho’s wistful call, Muyoung quietly covered his mouth and closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment.

‘I’m really not going to say anything anymore…’

He wanted to hide in a mouse hole right then and there. If there was any consolation, it was that Seokjae showed no reaction.

‘If hyung had reacted too, I might have run out right away.’

But Seokjae, whom Muyoung believed had no reaction, was currently clicking his tongue inwardly.

‘I knew that cuteness couldn’t be stopped just by preventing it…’

To think he let even that woman hear that cute pronunciation. He was already annoyed that she seemed to be coveting Muyoung, and now he was irritated that she might have grown even more fond of him after realizing how cute he was because of this incident.

“…You say this now, but your mind could change at any time, right?”

Though the conversation had been briefly interrupted by Muyoung’s sudden action, fortunately for him, she quickly calmed her surprised heart and answered bluntly.

“My hyung isn’t that kind of person, you know?”

Junwoo glared at her and retorted, as if her words were questioning his character. The woman sighed deeply and poured out what was on her mind.

“Haa… It’s not that he’s that kind of person. When survival is threatened, anyone can go crazy at any time. Can you carry a child heavier than a sack of rice without complaining once, when you haven’t eaten or slept properly for days? Can you really not think about abandoning them even once?”

She paused briefly to catch her breath after speaking without interruption.

“…I don’t want to feel those dirty feelings anymore.”

Then, avoiding their gaze, she muttered as if talking to herself before looking at everyone with determination in her eyes and speaking firmly.

“That’s why we’re staying here.”

Seokjae, who had been sitting with his legs crossed and tapping his thigh with his index finger as if pondering something, opened his mouth.

“With the intention of dying?”

The air became heavy in an instant at his direct question.

“No. We’re staying here to survive.”

She met Seokjae’s pitch-black eyes squarely, without avoiding them. After a brief moment of eye contact with her, Seokjae, who had been quickly considering words that could summarize this situation, spoke.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it seems we need to hear about your plan to leave with peace of mind. You probably don’t want us bothering you either, so why don’t you explain it properly and we can end this?”

The woman, who had been looking strangely at Seokjae for skillfully avoiding mentioning that he wasn’t included among those worried, slightly shifted her gaze to Muyoung.

“That’s-“

“Strange.”

The moment she rolled her eyes, Seokjae uncrossed his legs. At the same time, the cool voice that flowed from his mouth prevented Muyoung and her eyes from meeting.

“Aren’t you in the middle of a conversation with me?”

Unlike earlier when he was leaning back, he leaned forward, tilting his head at an angle as he spoke. Understanding the implication of his words, the woman rubbed her arms as goosebumps rose.