Red Dot - 22

– Chapter 22

“The fact that zombies aren’t trying to bite you doesn’t necessarily mean you’re immune,” Hanseo shrugged.

“To be more precise, wouldn’t it be closer to a ‘vaccine’?”

Observing Hanseo’s dry response, Junseong felt a momentary tremor in his chest.

In the dream, the first thing that came to mind for solving the zombie crisis was, of course, the existence of immune individuals. Anyone who has seen zombie dramas or movies would likely have thought the same.

While searching for a solution to the zombie crisis, Junseong had also struggled to find immune individuals over several chapters. However, finding an immune individual in Inhanshi, where the zombie virus had spread, was by no means easy. Even if they searched the entire country, it would take a considerable amount of time to analyze the virus completely and conduct tests on people based on that data. Moreover, even after searching globally, there might be no immune individuals.

Faced with the harsh reality, Junseong abandoned the search for precious immune individuals and focused on finding ways to eliminate or suppress the virus.

However, unexpectedly, he encountered an immune individual in an unforeseen place.

No, as Hanseo said, he was not exactly an immune individual but rather a completed vaccine.

Because the virus implanted in zombies resolutely rejected him.

If he were a simple immune individual, even if he were bitten by zombies, the virus wouldn’t spread. However, like regular people, immune individuals would still be perceived as prey by zombies and attacked.

Hanseo, on the other hand, was different.

A perfect vaccine in itself.

A virus couldn’t dare to touch him.

If Hanseo researched and developed whatever special thing he possessed, allowing everyone to receive a perfect vaccine, there would be no need to fear being bitten by zombies anymore. Zombies, unable to even expose their teeth, would roam aimlessly without finding prey, gradually decaying and disappearing.

Junseong never expected to find the perfect vaccine he couldn’t find even in countless repeated dreams in reality. Not only that, but the fact that he was in Inhanshi was astonishing, and he was also his younger sister’s university senior. It could only be considered a stroke of luck.

Perhaps, thanks to Do Hanseo, the zombie crisis might end much sooner than he had anticipated.

Hanseo silently looked at Junseong and took a step closer.

“Now that you know I’m the vaccine, the conversation should be easy.”

“What?”

When Hanseo approached too closely, Junseong stepped back. His back pressed firmly against the cold tunnel wall.

Without being able to push him away, Hanseo stood completely attached. He intentionally recreated the same posture as before.

“Did you see earlier? Zombies not only avoid me but also avoid you.”

Hanseo, lifting the corners of his mouth, showed a contrasting cold gaze.

“Now, if zombies rush at us like before, what should we do?”

The answer Hanseo expected was the one he had suggested, “Use anything to survive.” It included using oneself, other humans, anything.

Unfortunately, Junseong did not give the answer he wanted.

“We’ll do the same.”

“Now that I know I’m the vaccine?”

“I can’t exactly say that. However…”

Junseong pushed away Hanseo’s chest, which he had pressed too closely, with his fingertips.

“Whether you’re a vaccine or not, whether you’re attacked by zombies or not, whether you’re a shield or not, I’ll handle the biting.”

Hanseo did not like Junseong’s response.

“Weren’t you trying to survive in any way possible? That’s a way to die.”

“At least I’m not trash enough to use my friends’ lives as a shield.”

Junseong’s eyes were clear and unwavering. Hanseo, facing his firm gaze, realized belatedly that he had referred to him as a ‘friend.’

Pushing Hanseo away and stepping out of his embrace, Junseong added, “And who says it’s a way to die?”

Junseong recalled the last dream he had.

“Even if you get bitten and infected, there’s a way to kill the virus before turning into a zombie.”

“And how do you know that?”

“That’s…”

He couldn’t answer readily. The method was discovered thanks to several restarts through dreams, but he couldn’t explain that.

Seeing Junseong hesitate, Hanseo pulled something out of his jacket pocket. It was the watch Junseong had been wearing all along.

Up until now, Junseong was unaware that he didn’t have a watch. He glanced down at his empty left wrist. Indeed, he had completely forgotten that Hanseo had taken off his watch when the man bitten by a zombie rushed in after the screen door broke in the tent.

Hanseo swung the watch around.

“Shall I tell you why you keep looking at the watch?”

“…It’s just a habit. I have a habit of checking the time more often when I’m anxious.”

“Then why didn’t you even notice that there was no watch just now? Zombies were swarming in.”

“…”

He had nothing to say.

This recent incident, where zombies were lured, and furthermore, the screen door at Inhanshi was broken, was an unprecedented event in all the dreams he had had so far. If it had been a predicted event, he would have checked the time, recalled what happened at that specific time, and dealt with it accordingly. However, in this case, that was impossible from the beginning. He had never experienced it, so what was the point of checking the time?

Seeing Junseong remain silent with a stern face, Hanseo held Junseong’s left hand.

“The reason you often look at the watch is that you know what will happen in the future.”

Junseong tried to suppress his emotions and not show any hint on his face.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because, thanks to your precise movements timed as if you were ‘knowing the future,’ even those dull guys survived without a scratch. Isn’t that right?”

Looking down at Junseong’s left wrist, Hanseo, who was filling in the watch himself, raised his eyes and looked at Junseong.

“You know where zombies will pop out, where you can survive, where you can meet someone, everything. It’s possible because you know everything in advance.”

Having filled in the watch, Hanseo tapped the glass where the current time was displayed with his fingertip.

“But this time, even you didn’t know. It was a new event that didn’t fit your future foresight. So, there was no need to check the time.”

Junseong didn’t know how to respond. There was the option of denying outright and treating his as a strange person, but Hanseo wasn’t a person who could be swayed by such methods. He was systematically piling up evidence that was difficult to escape.

“In my opinion, your ability to foresee the future is accurate down to the second and even the millisecond, but there are a few significant gaps. For example, about me.”

Hanseo pointed to himself.

“Other than that, you knew everything down to the second. But now you know that an important vaccine is me.”

Junseong felt his mind becoming complicated.

‘I messed up.’

While Hanseo had sharp instincts, he should have been more cautious.

Crucially, he had gone so far as to say, “There is a way to kill the virus before turning into a zombie.” Such a statement could not be made lightly unless there was considerable confidence.

‘What should I do?’

Judging by his demeanor, Hanseo seemed unwilling to back down. It felt like he was demanding that since he had given out crucial information about being a ‘vaccine,’ he should reciprocate with something equivalent.

Junseong recalled how those who had shared stories about dreams had reacted. Among those who mocked and advised not to joke around, there were very few who genuinely believed. Even they, however, didn’t have positive outcomes regarding the abilities disclosed, so he didn’t want to talk about it.

There was no benefit in others knowing.

Suddenly, that thought occurred to him.

To Hanseo, he was the variable among variables.

Someone untouched by his abilities or dreams. And a vaccine.

Was it not okay to tell such a person?

There was no need to sacrifice himself to survive from zombies.

Contemplating, Junseong slowly spoke.

“Ugh!”

“Hold on a little longer.”

“Who used disinfectant so roughly…! Ah!”

Junseong couldn’t continue speaking due to the immense pain in his right hand. It was too painful to even scream. It wasn’t an exaggeration; it felt several times more agonizing than when he was bitten.

Despite Junseong’s agony, Hanseo firmly held onto his right hand and poured an entire bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Junseong, who was hunched over in pain, glared at Hanseo with resentful eyes.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“I don’t know.”

Even though he wore a blatantly insincere smile, Hanseo, holding the hydrogen peroxide in one hand, took out antibiotic ointment from his backpack, spread it thinly, added a bandage, and wrapped it around.

Junseong, who had regained his senses after enduring the intense pain of disinfection, sincerely marveled at his now neatly treated right hand.

“Did you do this on purpose?”

“I guess.”

Putting on a pretense of a smile that everyone could see through, Hanseo, who had taken out antibiotic ointment from her backpack, spread it thinly, added a bandage, and wrapped it around.

Junseong, who had regained his senses after enduring the intense pain of disinfection, sincerely marveled at his now neatly treated right hand.

“Why did you learn to do this?”

“You need to know simple first aid. Since you get various injuries while exercising.”

While Hanseo was storing the leftover medicine in Junseong’s backpack, he swung the bag over his shoulder. Although he had given most of the well-prepared emergency rations to the shelter, it still weighed a bit.

“Why are you carrying it?”

“I’ll carry it until your hand is healed.”

Junseong honestly didn’t mind Hanseo’s consideration. Unconsciously, he had become such a good friend to him that he felt sorry for comparing his to the murderer in his dreams.