“Why are you laughing?”
The girl suddenly changed her expression, becoming serious.
“Well, I just… because you were laughing…”
Surprised by her sharp reaction, Seonwoo stammered awkwardly.
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
Then, she burst into laughter again. She was an utterly unpredictable child.
Is she mocking me?
Though he should have been annoyed, he found her actions oddly adorable. Her smile was genuinely charming.
“Where are you coming from?”
Now, her expression was filled with curiosity.
“Me? From Bunker 14.”
The girl tilted her head.
“Never heard of it.”
“It’s pretty far from here.”
Seonwoo wasn’t sure how to explain, so he mumbled a vague response. She nodded as if she understood, smiling.
“You’re with the resistance, aren’t you? You don’t have to say it. I’m Ahyoung. And you?”
“I’m Seonwoo.”
“You look a bit young. How old are you?”
“Since the new year started, I’m ten now.”
Ahyoung frowned briefly, lost in thought, then smiled brightly and extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m nine. Just a year apart, so we’re friends, right?”
Seonwoo, taken aback, shook her hand. She was truly a spirited child.
“If you’ve escaped from the resistance, you probably don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Huh? Yeah, I guess.”
What exactly is the resistance?
Seonwoo smiled awkwardly. Not knowing what the resistance was, it seemed best to play along for now.
“You saved my life, so I owe you. You can stay at my place for now. It’s in the slums, but it’s livable.”
Ahyoung spoke nonchalantly, her smile bright despite having faced danger moments ago. Her cheerfulness was almost suspiciously unwavering, and it made Seonwoo laugh.
“What? You do know how to smile! But what was with that awkward grin earlier? Anyway, come on.”
She winked playfully and tugged at his hand. Her hand was warm, and it made Seonwoo’s heart race.
“Hurry up! If we’re late, there won’t be anything left!”
Ahyoung darted around the rest stop, guiding Seonwoo who was pushing a cart. Seonwoo didn’t understand why they were rushing when it was just the two of them. Ahyoung expertly sifted through canned goods, vacuum-packed foods, clothes, and even toys, gathering what they needed. It was clear she had done this before.
“How much for all this? Wow, that’s a bargain.”
She walked to the counter and pretended to chat with a non-existent cashier. Then, she placed a piece of paper on the counter.
“Here you go. Keep the change; consider it a tip.”
Ahyoung nodded as if she were serious about it. Her actions were peculiar, almost like she was in a dream. Seonwoo, curious, scanned her information.
<Scanning target’s DNA information…>
Beep!
<Sample Number: None
Specimen: Not applicable
Gender: Female
Age: 8
Grade: 4
Infectiousness: None
Immunity: None
Special Characteristics: Unknown>
She wasn’t an experiment subject; she was a normal person. And her age? Eight.
Eight? Didn’t she say she was nine?
While the age estimate might not be precise, given her personality, it was hard to shake the suspicion she had lied. But the age didn’t matter much. What mattered was meeting someone in the real world, having a peer, and a friend.
“What are you thinking about? We’re not done yet.”
Ahyoung led the way to another store. Her boundless energy was daunting.
“Huff, huff, are we done yet?”
Seonwoo found fighting zombies less exhausting than shopping with her. Their cart was filled with items, yet Ahyoung still seemed unsatisfied, licking her lips as if she wanted more.
Suddenly, Seonwoo felt a shiver. It was a feeling akin to the reluctant errands of Korean men on weekends, seeking escape from household chores.
“It’s unfortunate, but let’s stop here for today.”
Ahyoung finally showed mercy.
Finally, freedom.
A smile crept onto Seonwoo’s face, but it was a premature relief. A new trial awaited him.
“Seonwoo, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it true the resistance eats children?”
“They eat children?”
“No need to hide it. I know everything.”
“Well, that’s not…”
Ahyoung covered Seonwoo’s mouth with her hand, her expression somber.
“Don’t say anything. It’s okay now. Just trust me.”
She decided everything on her own, leaving no room for discussion. Her words flowed endlessly, her chatter overwhelming. Seonwoo found himself missing the simpler challenge of shopping.
“Wait!”
Ahyoung suddenly raised her hand, halting. Seonwoo, startled, stopped too.
“Shh! We have to be quiet from here.”
Just as suddenly as she had spoken, she fell silent. Without knowing why, Seonwoo held his breath too.
“From here, it’s zombie territory.”
“Zombies? They roam around?”
The girl furrowed her brows, looking at Seonwoo with a puzzled expression.
“What? Where on earth have you been living? It’s been nine years since the zombie outbreak happened.”
Nine years?
Seonwoo began to grasp the situation. It became clear that during the closure of the underground city of Shilla, the escapees had breached the community center, allowing the zombies to escape into the real world.
“You… you’re not from the Resistance, are you? Where are you from?”
Seonwoo was startled. The girl seemed to have finally caught on to his true identity. Sure enough, she closed her eyes gently, as if she had figured everything out.
“I see now. I can be so dense sometimes. It took me this long to realize.”
With a confident nod and a sparkle in her eyes, the girl looked triumphant. Seonwoo felt a twinge of guilt, as if he had inadvertently lied to her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”
“I knew it. You’re a hero, right?”
Huh? What is she talking about now? Seonwoo stared at her, bewildered by the absurdity of her statement.
“My mom used to say a superhero would come and save us all. But you’re younger than I imagined.”
She gave a self-assured smile, shrugging her shoulders. Seonwoo, feeling perplexed, quickly extended a fist towards her.
Swish! Thwack!
“Ah!”
The girl flinched, covering her head with her hands and squeezing her eyes shut.
“I’m sorry! I’ll keep your secret.”
“I’m not a hero.”
Seonwoo let out a deep sigh. The girl cautiously removed her hands from her head. Just then, something crept up behind her.
Thud!
“Ah!”
The girl froze, her eyes wide in fear.
“W-what is this?”
It was the corpse of the zombie Seonwoo had just dealt with.
“Don’t be scared, it’s dead. But weren’t we supposed to stay quiet?”
“Y-yeah. Oh no… This is bad. Run!”
“Grrr!”
A zombie peeked its head out from the bushes. Seonwoo instinctively punched it.
Wham!
With one hit, the zombie was down. But that wasn’t the problem. Behind it, dozens more zombies were emerging. Seonwoo started running, following the girl.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s an entrance up ahead. Just keep running!”
As they sprinted, a massive barbed wire fence came into view. Beyond it, a city with people appeared.
So this is the real world.
Seonwoo caught glimpses of people inside the city. Despite being chased by zombies, a glimmer of hope sparked within him.
“Here, here!”
The girl signaled Seonwoo to follow her into a sewer entrance. Curious why she was heading there, Seonwoo followed.
Splash! Splash!
The sewer was filled with stagnant, foul-smelling water. The stench was overwhelming, but they couldn’t stop. The zombies were relentless.
Clang! Scrape!
“This is my secret passageway.”
The girl removed a manhole cover from inside the sewer.
“Hurry in!”
The inside of the manhole was damp and dark. Despite the numerous branches and potential confusion, the girl navigated with ease.
After some time, they emerged through another manhole into a secluded alley.
“Welcome to our city. Cool, right?”
“Uh? Yeah, it’s… cool.”
Seonwoo looked around, taking in the dilapidated buildings and people scattered about. His heart pounded with mixed emotions—hope and concern. The buildings looked ready to collapse, and the people wandered aimlessly, their eyes devoid of life. The real world was not what Seonwoo had imagined.
Vroom! Vroom!
As they reached a large open area, a motorcycle roared around the space.
Skid! Screech!
“Ahhh!”
A person, hands bound with rope, was being dragged behind the motorcycle, bloodied from being scraped along the ground. People watched with sympathetic eyes but did nothing to help. Seonwoo clenched his fists, his brow furrowing in anger.
“Don’t.”
The girl grabbed his hand, pulling him back. She glared at the scene with fierce eyes.
“Thugs.”
“Who are they? Why isn’t anyone helping?”
“They’re the police controlling the slums.”
“Police?”
Seonwoo couldn’t comprehend that these delinquent-looking people were police. The girl bit her lower lip in frustration.
“Scum.”
Her eyes blazed with anger. She seemed deeply frustrated by her own inability to act. The gang leader, covered in tattoos and wearing a leather jacket, caught the girl’s gaze and began walking toward her menacingly. Seonwoo silently clenched his fists, ready to strike back.
Suddenly, without warning, the girl was lifted into the air. Someone had grabbed her from behind and hoisted her up.
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