Red Dot - 151

Chapter 151

Twenty minutes passed since Junseong started driving the car.

Zombies occasionally jumped out and rushed toward them, but obstacles were not many, and zombies did not charge in groups, so Junseong avoided them without difficulty and moved forward.

Junseong looked down at the watch on his left wrist.

‘By now, they are probably at the tunnel. No, it’s probably around the time they split into two teams.’

Junseong, who was gauging the bus team’s situation, looked out the car window. They were on a two-lane road with not many wrecked vehicles, and on both sides, offices or shops about five stories tall lined up. Deep alleys between the buildings seemed to indicate many buildings were behind them too.

‘We’re here.’

Junseong, recognizing a familiar street he saw in a dream, grabbed Hanseo’s arm, who was holding the steering wheel.

“Stop the car up ahead.”

Hanseo could have asked why, but he only glanced at Junseong once and obediently stopped the car.

No zombies were visible around the roadside where they parked the car. Junseong, confirming this, met Hanseo’s gaze, who was looking at him.

“Will you do me a favor? No, please do it.”

At Junseong’s words, Hanseo’s lips, which habitually curled up, slowly dropped. Junseong never emphasized a ‘favor’ like this before, so this prelude felt ominously strange.

“You guessed the bus team will eventually head to the military shelter, didn’t you?”

Hanseo gave no reply.

That became a kind of answer, and Junseong shrugged as if he expected it.

“You didn’t even ask why we’re going to the military shelter when we sent people to the civilian shelter.”

Again, Hanseo didn’t open his mouth. He only stared at Junseong with an expressionless face.

Except for Yuseul, who passed the note, no one likely knew about the military shelter. It was unthinkable that Yuseul, desperate to rescue hostages, would show the note or leak information to anyone before identifying the spy on the bus.

Only then did Hanseo respond.

“The civilian shelter appeared in your dream, so Nam Ki-hyuk wouldn’t leave it alone.”

“Right, he definitely set some trap. That’s why I gave Yuseul a note with the route to the military shelter.”

Hanseo recalled the moment when Yuseul approached Junseong before the bus team left. She whispered so close to his ear that it sparked jealousy, and apparently, she passed a note in that moment.

While Hanseo frowned, recalling that moment, Junseong continued as if he didn’t notice.

“I diverted the followers to our side, but since Nam Ki-hyuk has drones, they’re probably still tracking the bus team. So, I planned a route to the civilian shelter first, then a change in direction to buy some time.”

“Why are you talking about something I don’t care about?”

Hanseo didn’t miss the oddity of Junseong rambling like someone obsessed with explaining.

To Hanseo, it was a story he didn’t care about. Whether the bus team went to the civilian shelter or the military shelter, it didn’t matter to him.

The only thing Hanseo cared about was Kang Junseong.

If he stretched his interest to the bus team, it was only to wonder if Gyeong-oh could do his job properly. Since Changmin said he’d be with Gyeong-oh, rescuing the hostages—one of the ‘nets’ bothering Junseong—might somehow be possible.

But that was it.

Whether the rescue succeeded or failed, it didn’t matter.

Whether the bus team headed to the civilian shelter or the military shelter, that didn’t matter either.

Junseong looked at the cold Hanseo, sighed, and scratched his cheek.

“I prepared all this in advance, so I’m asking you to follow my plan.”

“When did I ever not follow your plan?”

Hanseo raised an obvious question, and Junseong slightly turned his head. He was choosing his words carefully, but Hanseo, as if he couldn’t tolerate even that, grabbed Junseong’s chin and forced him to look at him.

“Kang Junseong, don’t beat around the bush and speak clearly.”

“…….”

Junseong, who was sorting out pre-chosen words in his mind, tightly closed his lips. Then he let out an even heavier sigh.

“No one but you can do it.”

He deliberately spoke with more force. He intended to reduce Hanseo’s resistance by clearly showing he relied on him.

“…If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought of splitting the team or using the military shelter.”

Junseong pulled Hanseo’s hand off his chin. Even without the hand holding him, Junseong looked straight at Hanseo and gave an order for a ‘mission’ only he could do.

A few minutes later.

Hanseo showed the most dissatisfied expression Junseong ever saw.

But Hanseo didn’t blindly resist or push Junseong. He repeated ‘no’ and ‘I won’t’ several times while hearing the ‘mission,’ but Junseong’s stubbornness was strong.

Hanseo knew why Junseong was so stubborn.

The mission Junseong gave was indeed something only he could do, and even with multiplied manpower, success was not guaranteed—it was that dangerous. If Hanseo refused to the end, Junseong would have to stop all plans to make a new one.

“Sly bastard.”

Hanseo muttered with full dissatisfaction.

Junseong probably knew. Hanseo would eventually agree to protect his plan.

Junseong looked at Hanseo and gently patted his head.

“Thanks.”

It was heartfelt.

Since Hanseo agreed to prevent Junseong’s efforts from going to waste, Junseong couldn’t help but be grateful.

Hanseo, quietly feeling Junseong’s touch, grabbed his wrist and pulled. Junseong’s upper body lurched toward Hanseo.

Before words could be exchanged, sudden lips swallowed Junseong’s breath. Relatively cool lips rubbed against Junseong’s warmth as if stealing it, and a long tongue from the gap stirred his mouth as if taking his saliva.

Junseong didn’t reject the sudden kiss. Like rewarding an obedient dog, he moved his tongue as Hanseo wanted and let out soft moans.

When their body temperatures rose similarly.

Hanseo pulled away and pressed his lips to Junseong’s rapidly moving Adam’s apple.

“Ugh…, it hurts.”

It was already sore from being bitten the previous day, and being bitten again in the same spot stung painfully. Each breath moved his Adam’s apple, pulling the bitten skin.

“Instead of a collar.”

A hot tongue, whispering, licked the bandaged Adam’s apple. Each time it soothed the bitten spot, a rough sound came.

Finally, Hanseo kissed the most prominent part of the Adam’s apple briefly, released Junseong, and met his eyes. Then he reached for the bl00d pack bag in the back seat.

“Put these in.”

Hanseo handed over two bl00d packs from the director’s house. Junseong, caught off guard, held one in each hand, feeling troubled.

“But…….”

Junseong trailed off as if to object.

He knew as well as Hanseo. Considering the mission he had to do, having these bl00d packs made a clear difference.

Even so, using these bl00d packs wasn’t easy. If it was a stranger’s bl00d, maybe, but using bl00d forcibly taken from Hanseo felt deeply uncomfortable.

Hanseo, watching Junseong’s hesitating lips, rolled up Junseong’s left sleeve to the elbow.

“Want me to cut my arm and fill new ones? Even if it clots, it’d work for a day.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

With that said, Junseong had no choice but to accept this time.

Overwhelmed by Hanseo’s firm gaze and demeanor, Junseong carefully put the two bl00d packs into his backpack.

Junseong glanced out the car window, confirmed it was still quiet outside, and tightly gripped the door handle with one hand.

“See you later, then.”

Without waiting for Hanseo’s reply, Junseong opened the door, stepped out, and scanned the surroundings again. Faint groans came from somewhere, and dried bloodstains scattered across the street, but no one was visible yet.

As Junseong checked the area and was about to close the door, his eyes met Hanseo’s, who sat in the driver’s seat.

“Don’t overdo it.”

Hanseo tapped his own Adam’s apple with long fingers.

“Your master’s collar is in my hands.”

Junseong smiled slightly and provocatively stroked his bandaged neck.

“You better not be late finding your master.”

Confirming Hanseo’s curved eyes, Junseong finally closed the door.

The car with only Hanseo sped down the road. When it disappeared from sight, Junseong pressed his lips tightly, lowering their corners.

Clenching his fists as tightly as his lips, Junseong turned around.

A five-story commercial building Junseong saw for the first time.

A laminated notice was on the glass door at the entrance.

[Regular Closure Notice for Entire Complex]

[10/31-11/02]

Confirming the notice, Junseong scanned the upper part of the large glass window beside the entrance. As heard, a window frame ran horizontally across the glass about two meters high, and when he reached up to feel it, something caught.

What he found on the window frame was a small key. The frame was covered in dust, blackening his fingertips, but the key was relatively clean.

Without hesitation, Junseong brought the key to the lock at the bottom of the glass door. As expected, it fit perfectly.

Click.

Confirming the sound of the lock opening, Junseong pushed the glass door. The door moved smoothly, as if welcoming him.

Junseong stood up and took a short deep breath.

The safe zone where Daewook’s group protected Chaeyi and drove out Nam Ki-hyuk’s gang.

This time, Junseong planned to use this place.

As Nam Ki-hyuk’s ‘grave.’