Red Dot - 13
– Episode 13 –
“Your arm hurts, doesn’t it? Just come down quietly.”
“But can’t you at least let me down?”
Feeling pressure under his groin and buttocks, Junseong pushed Hanseo away. This time, Hanseo retreated willingly.
Junseong was aware that Hanseo’s actions were a clear display of consideration. However, if he descended first, there would be no one to slowly lower the rope for him. Descending alone with one rope, controlling the speed, was a highly difficult descent that could lead to a severe injury if not done correctly. Junseong could do it recklessly in his dreams because there was no pain, but in reality, he wouldn’t have dared.
As he tried to untie the knot above his thigh to release the rope, Hanseo firmly grasped his arm and pulled it away. Unfortunately, the arm he grabbed was the one that had been winding and unwinding the rope, so the sudden grip caused pain, and Junseong let out a groan.
Seeing Junseong wince in pain, Hanseo released his grip.
“See, even a slight touch hurts.”
“Where’s the ‘slight’ in this?”
“From my perspective, it’s quite slight.”
Hanseo, who responded affably, wrapped the rope connected to Junseong around his own arm. Following Junseong’s lead, Hanseo leaned against a cabinet and asked.
“You said ten minutes, right? There’s not much time left.”
Checking the time after Hanseo’s nonchalant remark, Junseong eventually sat on the windowsill with an awkward expression. To lighten the load, he took off his backpack and placed it under the windowsill. Hanseo, after trying to lift the backpack himself, looked at Junseong with a newfound appreciation.
With a light movement, Junseong sat on the windowsill. Without the backpack, he did feel lighter.
Holding the rope with both legs outside, Junseong looked at Hanseo with anxious eyes. Hanseo was strangely enthusiastic, already holding the rope tight.
“I’m going down.”
Being helped down by someone was a first for Junseong, so he was still a bit nervous. Nevertheless, in his dreams, he descended holding onto a rope like a special forces member.
Recalling his dream self, Junseong adjusted his posture and descended outside the windowsill.
Despite his initial anxiety, Hanseo was supporting him with ease. Moreover, he was lowering the rope much more smoothly and steadily than Junseong had done by himself.
‘I hope my arm doesn’t hurt.’
Although he had a considerable amount of muscle compared to himself, he couldn’t help but worry, especially thinking about his tingling arm and sore shoulder.
‘Worrying, huh.’
Even though they exchanged names and jokes, he still couldn’t fully trust this person. But it seemed that their guard had lowered a bit.
Around the time they reached the second floor after passing the third floor.
Suddenly, the rope, which had been descending smoothly, stopped abruptly. Junseong initially thought it paused for a moment to untie the knot above his thigh, but even after a few seconds, it didn’t move.
‘Did he get hurt?’
Just as he thought Hanseo might have hurt himself while trying to untie the rope, something unexpected happened.
The sensation of his body suddenly dropping below hit him. The three people below each let out a short scream.
“Ugh…!”
He was surprised, but he didn’t crash straight to the ground. Gripping the rope even tighter with both hands, he lifted his knees and crouched to reduce the impact when he hit the ground.
Fortunately, Junseong’s body didn’t crash onto the ground.
Junseong’s body paused between the second and first floors. Feeling his heart drop, Junseong was able to regain his composure, thanks to Chaeyi, who was calling him worriedly from below.
After the false plummet a while ago, the descent proceeded slowly enough to be considered gentle. Junseong could finally exhale in relief after landing both feet on the ground.
“Oppa, are you okay?”
Amidst the much louder alarm sound than what they heard on the third floor, Chaeyi approached with a worried expression. Although Junseong had safely arrived, Chaeyi seemed quite startled by the sudden descent.
Petting Chaeyi’s head to reassure her, Junseong removed the rope from his legs and shook the rope. It was a signal that he had reached the ground.
Hanseo leaned out of the third-floor window, looking down at Junseong without saying a word, checking on his condition.
‘What was that just now?’
The rapid descent with a trembling heart a while ago bothered him.
During the time when he lacked skills, he had unintentionally tumbled when incorrectly adjusting the force to untie the rope. There was no pain, but afterward, his arm felt weak as if half of it had been paralyzed. Since it didn’t cause pain in the dream, if he had been hurt similarly, the pain would have been considerable.
If his arm was injured, it wouldn’t be easy to descend holding onto one rope, even for a descent expert like him. In that case, he would have to figure out how to lower Hanseo safely.
Hanseo disappeared back into the window without raising the rope again. Not lifting the rope, he seemed to be genuinely concerned about Junseong.
Contrary to Junseong’s concern, Hanseo appeared on the windowsill in a very healthy condition. With Junseong’s backpack on his back and Chaeyi’s improvised rod on his belt, he firmly held the rope close to the cabinet.
Immediately after.
Contrary to Junseong’s worries, Hanseo demonstrated an incredibly smooth descent. Like a veteran in descent, he skillfully adjusted the speed by pushing off the wall at the right time. When he landed, he lightly lifted his foot as if he had descended from the first-floor window.
‘People who are good at sports are good at everything.’
Admiring Hanseo’s athletic ability, Junseong recalled that he was the top student in kendo.
Temporarily surprised by the incredible descent of the strong-willed man holding onto one rope without filling his legs, Junseong approached Hanseo and took off the backpack himself.
“Are you okay?”
“With what?”
“When you missed the rope a while ago and caught it again? Weren’t you hurt?”
“The question is wrong. Why would you ask why I released the rope like that?”
“Did you do it on purpose?”
As Junseong asked while moving the backpack, Hanseo looked at him silently for a moment.
For a moment, Junseong wondered if Hanseo intentionally did that. Playing a joke in such an urgent situation? Or did he really try to drop him? For what reason?
As Junseong raised his head with anxiety, Hanseo smiled slightly.
“No, there’s no way.”
“Alright then. It looks like you’re not hurt. Let’s go.”
Thinking it was fortunate, Junseong led the way towards the hill. For a moment, he worried that he might have felt guilty if Hanseo had been injured.
Hanseo, once again, silently watched Junseong’s back.
Crossing the low hill, Junseong and the others were able to reach the roadside outside the university grounds. They entered a narrow alley nearby, hiding from the zombies’ eyes.
In the shadows of the alley, they could finally see the situation outside properly.
Cars scattered across the road as if involved in a massive collision.
The flames from a shop visible in the distance.
Dotted with crimson bloodstains here and there.
The harrowing screams echoing from somewhere.
Countless zombies screaming with terrifying roars that could drown out that sound.
Parts of bodies separated from them.
The overpowering stench of blood filled the street to the point of unbearable if not for covering noses and mouths.
It was truly hell itself.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
Witnessing a scene that could make her faint any moment, Soyeon covered her mouth with both hands. Fortunately, she managed to suppress the urge to vomit somehow.
Standing next to her, Jiwoo was no different. Her legs trembled so much that she seemed about to collapse at any moment.
Chaeyi seemed to be in a slightly better condition, but she, too, lost her complexion. As if by habit, she held onto Junseong’s sleeve with trembling hands.
Checking the condition of the three, who were no different from what he saw in his dream, Junseong suddenly looked at Hanseo.
‘Why is he so unscathed?’
He felt as if he were watching the scene before the zombie outbreak. There was a misconception that he was not witnessing the current hellish situation. Even though screams of dying people and the zombie, now turned into a driver, blared loudly, Hanseo remained calm as if it had nothing to do with him.
It felt like the leisure of a third party, as if he were watching a movie beyond the screen.
Junseong couldn’t grasp what Hanseo might be thinking. Even when they were in the student council room, he showed abnormal calmness.
‘Maybe he’ll come to his senses if he fights zombies directly.’
It was clear that he had never faced zombies properly, judging by the neatness of his clothes. He was fortunate to arrive safely in the student council room, and afterward, thanks to the alarm he prepared and the rope, he managed to avoid encounters with zombies. It was simply good luck.
But now things were different.
An ideal route that avoids direct confrontation with zombies… it doesn’t exist.
Junseong couldn’t help but think about what Hanseo might be contemplating. Hanseo had already shown an abnormal calmness when they arrived at the student council room.
‘He’ll probably snap out of it when he fights zombies directly.’
Judging by the cleanliness of his clothes, it was evident that he had never faced zombies properly. He was lucky to arrive unharmed in the student council room, and afterward, thanks to the alarm he prepared and the rope, he managed to avoid encounters with zombies. It was simply good luck.
But now things were different.
An ideal route that avoids direct confrontation with zombies… it doesn’t exist.
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