NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7
Chapter 7
—–CROW—–
I hadn’t expected this.
Of course, her voice was lovely, and I’d entertained the possibility.
But I’d learned my lesson about judging women by their voices.
Back before the outbreak, I’d been disillusioned by a few online personalities, the stark contrast between their virtual personas and their real-world appearances.
So I hadn’t allowed myself to get my hopes up.
“Sob…mister…I’m so sorry. Please don’t go…I’ve really learned my lesson…”
She looked pale and thin from lack of food, but her features were delicate, her skin fair. She was beautiful. And…
—*Squish.*—
…ample. She was clinging to my waist, so I couldn’t get a proper assessment, but they were definitely not small. I felt myself stirring.
“Ah, ah…! I’m sorry! I forgot about the hallway…! C-Come inside!”
She suddenly remembered my previous warning about the zombies and pulled me into her apartment. She’d learned well.
‘Not bad. Well-trained.’
I hadn’t even had to ask. I’d thought it would take more convincing to get her to invite me in, but she’d clearly been doing some thinking while I was gone. Regretting her decision, no doubt. That was the plan.
‘Oh, a college girl’s room…’
It was simple, mostly white, decorated with cute little knick-knacks. Surprisingly clean, considering the circumstances. Just a small pile of trash in one corner. She’d really been holed up here the entire time.
‘This is the important part.’
I sat down. She sat opposite me, nervously.
“Um…mister…or…should I call you…oppa?”
She was adjusting her language, realizing I was younger than she’d thought. Just like I’d been surprised by her appearance, she’d been surprised by mine.
“No, just call me mister.”
We were only four years apart, but there was something…forbidden…about being called “mister” by such a beautiful young woman. Even though I hadn’t done anything…yet.
“Um…was it hard getting here?”
She was making small talk, trying to be more considerate, making up for her previous lack of concern. Trying to show me that she’d changed. *I respect you now, please don’t abandon me.*
‘Her attitude has definitely changed…’
But simply letting me into her apartment wasn’t enough. I didn’t want a companion. I wanted a slave.
“Ah…! Mister…! Your shoulder…!”
She pointed at my shoulder, her eyes wide with concern.
‘Oh, right…’
My shoulder was bandaged. The bite from the robed zombie. I was immune, but the wound itself hadn’t healed. I’d bandaged it, but some blood had seeped through.
‘Perfect.’
“Actually…something happened while I was scavenging for food. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a zombie.”
“Oh…”
Her face paled.
“I…sob…I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…”
She lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes. She was probably thinking, *I was so comfortable accepting your food, and you were injured…* She looked at me, her face filled with guilt. Her eyes were trembling.
‘Perfect timing.’
Humans were social creatures. We felt obligated to repay debts. There were exceptions, of course, the psychopaths. But Ha-yeon was timid, desperate. She would want to repay her debt to me.
‘Time to begin.’
I took out the food I’d brought.
“Mister…this is…”
She looked at the food, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety.
“I was worried about you, so I stopped by on my way to the base I told you about.”
“Y-You’re going to the base?”
“Yes. Like I said, I don’t have a place to stay.”
Her eyes widened, her shoulders trembling. I was leaving. Abandoning her. Her second chance at life was slipping away.
—–CROW—–
She grabbed my hand.
“M-Mister…! Why don’t you…why don’t you stay here?”
“…Here?”
I’d expected her to beg me to take her with me. But I guess it made sense. She was too afraid to even leave her apartment to find food.
“It must be hard being alone…! Please…stay with me! We can help each other…! I-I’ll take care of your wound, I’ll do anything…!”
She forced a smile, her eyes pleading. That beautiful smile had probably gotten her a lot in life. She knew, instinctively, how to use it to her advantage. A normal survivor would have accepted her offer, or at least offered to take her along.
But that wasn’t my goal.
I hesitated.
“…I’m sorry, Ha-yeon.”
“…W-What?”
I gently pulled my hand away. I looked away, avoiding her gaze, reciting the lines I’d rehearsed.
“I was betrayed by my previous group. I almost died.”
A believable excuse, based on my own experiences.
“So I prefer to be alone.”
She looked devastated.
“N-No…! Mister, I would never betray you! I promise! Sob…p-please believe me…!”
She clung to my shirt, tears streaming down her face, her forced smile gone. She knew that if she lost me now, she would die. She was desperate.
“I-I’ll do anything you ask…! Anything at all! Just…sob…please don’t leave me…!”
She bowed her head, her tears soaking the floor.
‘Anything, she said.’
The words I wanted to hear. Of course, she was just saying that to survive. Once she was safe and fed, she might change her mind. But that was a problem for later. For now, this was enough.
But I had to push her a little further.
“I’m sorry…”
I pulled away again, my voice filled with fake regret. She looked at me, her face a mask of despair. She’d seen my resolve, the finality in my eyes. She knew what her future held.
Her trembling hand reached for my shirt again.
“Mister…w-why? I…I can do anything…anything you ask…! Sob…why…why not?”
Her voice rose in protest. She couldn’t understand why I was refusing her, after she’d offered everything.
‘Good.’
She was where I wanted her. She’d offered everything, and I’d refused. But…what if I showed a hint of weakness, a crack in my resolve? She would exploit it, desperate to survive.
“Actually…”
I paused, sensing the opportune moment.
“It’s not just the fear of betrayal that’s keeping me from staying with you.”
“What…? Then why…?”
She looked at me, her eyes filled with a desperate hope.
I placed my hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her back, my face serious.
“Having someone as beautiful as you by my side…I might…have impure thoughts.”
“…What?”
She stared at me, momentarily confused. Then, comprehension dawned, and her face flushed crimson.
“Y-You mean…”
“Yes, I’m ashamed to admit it, but…I have…needs. Being alone with you like this…”
I trailed off, closing my eyes, turning my head away as if overwhelmed by shame.
“I…I see…”
She was blushing, flustered. Her eyes darted downwards, towards my groin.
I swallowed, watching her throat bob as she swallowed.
“Anyway, I don’t want to make any mistakes, so it’s best if you just take the food and we go our separate ways…”
It was a ridiculous excuse, of course. Refusing to stay with a woman because I might assault her during a zombie apocalypse? Anyone else would laugh. Survival was paramount. But Ha-yeon wasn’t thinking clearly. This trivial reason, this flimsy excuse, was the only thing standing between her and certain death.
“…Okay.”
“…What?”
Her voice was barely a whisper. And then…
—*Grab.*—
Her hand clutched my arm.
“I…c-can…do that.”
Her face was flushed, her eyes a mixture of shame, desperation, and…something else. A flicker of excitement?
I fought back a smile, a small smirk playing on my lips.
“Ha-yeon, what do you mean, you can ‘do that’?”
She knew exactly what I meant. But it was important that *she* said it.
“…Sex.”
She blurted out the word, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes fixed on mine.
“I…I can have sex with you. It’s okay.”
I smiled.
But…*okay*? I didn’t like that. *Okay* implied consent, permission. She was going to be my slave. I had to establish dominance from the start.
I shook my head, my smile widening.
“No, Ha-yeon. You don’t have to do that.”
“N-No…!! It’s not a problem! I’m…I’m okay with it! I can do it!”
She pressed closer, clinging to me, refusing to let go.
“Don’t do this, Ha-yeon. You shouldn’t agree to something like that just because I want it.”
“I…really…sob…I really don’t mind…!”
Tears welled in her eyes again. I gently wiped them away, stroking her hair.
“Then can you answer me this?”
“…Yes?”
Her eyes, wet with tears, met mine. This was probably her first time doing something like this. She was ashamed, but also…aroused. Her breathing was ragged.
“If it’s not just because I want it, but because you want it too…”
I smiled.
“…then I might reconsider.”
Her shoulders trembled. She lowered her head, thinking, composing herself. Then she looked up at me, her eyes filled with a strange, almost hypnotic intensity.
“Please…have sex…with me.”
—–CROW—–