ALL NOVEL Chapter 36
Chapter 36
—–CROW—–
“Okay, stop here.”
At Seo-ho’s signal, the zombies carrying him up the stairs halted. He was at Baek Min-ah’s apartment complex again, riding zombies to the ninth floor as before. The ride wasn’t bad. It wasn’t as fast as an elevator, but ascending effortlessly gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
“…So, when the time comes, do as I instructed. Do you understand my command?”
He relayed additional instructions to the zombies who had carried him. He was slightly concerned about the length and complexity of the command, but the zombies nodded in understanding. They seemed less like living corpses and more like beastly automatons.
“Now go. Make sure you keep track of the time.”
The two zombies slowly descended the stairs. After they were gone, Seo-ho took a deep breath and stood before Min-ah’s door. He paused, then knocked firmly.
*Knock, knock.*
The distance from the entrance to the living room was considerable, so he knocked loudly to ensure he was heard. A voice responded from inside.
“[…Is that Seo-ho-ssi?]”
“Yes, it’s me. Could you open the door?”
After confirming his voice, Min-ah unlocked the door and slowly opened it.
“You came again…”
She smiled faintly upon seeing him. She glanced nervously around outside, confirming he was alone, before asking,
“You… you haven’t found him yet, have you?”
Her anxious eyes betrayed her hope that he wasn’t there to deliver bad news about her husband, Yoon Kang-hyun. He smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t found him yet. I just stopped by to bring you some things.”
Min-ah’s face relaxed into a relieved smile.
“She firmly believes her husband is alive.”
She clung to the hope that her firefighter husband was trapped somewhere, waiting to be rescued, refusing to consider the possibility of his death.
“I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”
But that worked in his favor. The more she believed in Kang-hyun’s survival, the easier it would be to execute his plan.
“Thank you so much. I’m sure you don’t have much to spare in this situation.”
“Don’t mention it. I should prioritize helping a woman and child.”
“…Still…”
“Especially with your husband away.”
He gave her a playful smile.
“I’ll take responsibility for helping you until Kang-hyun-ssi returns, so don’t feel bad.”
His words, implying Kang-hyun’s eventual return and his willingness to fill his role in the meantime, seemed to touch Min-ah. She smiled gratefully and nodded.
“Thank you so much… I’m so glad there are people like you in this world…”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“She must have been struggling to manage everything alone.”
Women were accustomed to relying on others. In difficult times, they sought someone to depend on, to provide protection. It was a survival mechanism ingrained from generations past, a necessity during the vulnerable period of pregnancy. Min-ah, with her husband missing, had no one to rely on. She had a daughter to care for, and hordes of zombies roamed outside. She must have been under immense pressure, burdened by responsibility.
“Please, don’t hesitate to rely on me if you need anything.”
He gently placed his hand on her shoulder as she wiped away her tears.
“…Thank you, I will.”
Min-ah covered his hand with hers and smiled.
—*Ding.*
[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has increased.]
The system notification and the side quest progress message appeared.
“Going smoothly.”
He stepped inside, checking the message and smiling. These actions, designed to sway her emotions, were effectively raising her intimacy level.
“I’ll max it out today.”
The goal of the side quest was to reach 100% intimacy with Min-ah. He’d come prepared to achieve that today.
“Hi, Hyun-seo. Do you remember me?”
“…”
A small girl peeked out from a bedroom doorway, watching him shyly. He crouched down to her level.
“Hyun-seo! This uncle brought you some snacks. Say hello!”
Min-ah prompted the girl, but Hyun-seo retreated further into the room.
“I’m sorry… she’s very shy. I apologize.”
“No, no! It’s okay. She’s cute. And don’t worry.”
He placed the bag of food for Min-ah on the floor and rummaged through his backpack.
“I brought a present for Hyun-seo today.”
“…A present?”
Min-ah’s curiosity piqued as she watched him. Hyun-seo, apparently overhearing their conversation, peeked out again, her small face peering from behind the door, her eyes shining with interest. He grinned at her and pulled out the gift.
“Hyun-seo, you must be bored staying inside all the time, right? I brought something fun.”
“…Something fun?”
Hyun-seo finally emerged from the bedroom, her attention fully captured. He confidently held up his hand, revealing a small object.
“Oh my, where did you get that?”
“A friend of mine likes these kinds of things.”
“…A friend?”
Min-ah tilted her head, puzzled by his casual mention of a friend in the midst of the zombie apocalypse.
“I did borrow it.”
He’d brought a Game Boy Advance, a classic handheld console from Nintendo. And its owner was none other than Lee Ah-rin.
“‘N-No! Savior…! That’s my precious collectible…!'”
Ah-rin had been horrified when he’d told her he was borrowing it for Hyun-seo. She’d clung to the device, tears welling up in her eyes, like a child being told to share their toy with a cousin.
“‘…Hmm, you don’t want to lend it to me?'”
“‘…Huh?'”
*Thrust, thrust, thrust—!!*
“‘Haaahh! Ahh! I-I’m sorry—! I’m sorry for defying you…!♥'”
Fortunately, the now more compliant Ah-rin had agreed.
“I wanted to bring a Switch, but…”
Unfortunately, the power grid was down. Battery-powered consoles were useless without a power source like Ah-rin’s home generator. That’s why he’d brought an older, battery-operated handheld.
“Wow…!”
*Beep, beep.*
Hyun-seo, likely less than ten years old, had probably never seen such an old device. He turned it on and started playing Rhythm Tengoku. Hyun-seo’s eyes widened as she watched, then she moved closer to him. Toys were the best way to befriend children, and game consoles were the ultimate toy. The GBA had a wide selection of games suitable for girls, and Ah-rin’s collection had been extensive.
“Mister, how do you do this?”
“Well…”
He handed the console to Hyun-seo, and she sat beside him, engrossed in the game.
“Hee hee, they’re already getting along. Amazing.”
Min-ah smiled, amused by their interaction.
“I thought she might be bored.”
He smiled back, watching Hyun-seo play.
“Children have to stay inside all the time in this situation. I wanted to bring her something fun, even if it’s just for a little while.”
“…Seo-ho-ssi.”
Min-ah’s eyes teared up again as she looked at him.
—*Ding.*
[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has increased.]
The system message appeared as expected.
“Children don’t consider the dangers of the situation and just whine.”
Hyun-seo had probably complained to Min-ah about being cooped up. He’d anticipated this and brought the game console specifically to address Hyun-seo’s boredom.
“Do you like children?”
“Yes, I dreamed of being a kindergarten teacher when I was in middle school.”
“Oh my, hee hee. I can see that.”
His actions had clearly raised her opinion of him. Min-ah, her face relaxed for the first time since he’d met her, sat beside him and chatted. They laughed together as they watched Hyun-seo play. The kindergarten teacher story was a lie, of course.
—*Ding.*
[‘Baek Min-ah’s’ intimacy has increased.]
But the lie was incredibly effective.
“You’ll have dinner with us again today, right?”
“Huh? But I brought that food for you two…”
“Please, don’t refuse. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t offer you something.”
As before, Min-ah insisted he join them for dinner. But the atmosphere was subtly different this time. The previous meal had been an expression of gratitude, tinged with worry for her husband. This time, there was a distinct sense of warmth and welcome.
“So, you use a gun in emergencies?”
“Yes, I have a rifle that the soldiers left behind. I try to avoid combat to conserve ammo, though.”
“…That’s amazing. I’d be too scared to even move.”
“Hey, I’m a man. This isn’t difficult.”
“Hee hee, you’re more masculine than you look.”
This dinner felt different. The exhaustion and burden he’d seen in her face before had vanished, replaced by a peaceful smile.
“The ‘I love children’ act is working perfectly.”
It was well known that women were drawn to men who liked children and puppies. Min-ah saw him as a kind person for considering Hyun-seo’s boredom. And in her vulnerable state, with her husband missing, she was subconsciously drawn to a capable man who could easily navigate the zombie hordes.
“Just one more thing left to do…”
He ate the meal Min-ah had carefully prepared, anticipating the final event. Her intimacy level was currently at [52%]. After the final event, he estimated it would exceed 70%.
“Hyun-seo, put the game away while we eat.”
“J-Just a little longer…!”
“Let her play a little longer since it’s her first time.”
“Hmm… alright, just this once, Seo-ho-ssi…?”
Warm laughter filled the apartment as they continued their meal. Min-ah looked genuinely happy, perhaps experiencing such a lighthearted atmosphere for the first time in a long while. And then—
—*Bang! Bang!*
“…They’re here.”
As they were finishing their meal, a loud banging on the front door echoed through the apartment.
—–CROW—–