Red Dot - 23

“So, what do we do now?”

Even after listening to all of Junseong’s dream stories, Hanseo didn’t mock or look at him strangely. he believed each word he said, focusing intently as if not to miss anything. Thanks to his attentive listening, Junseong, who had spilled everything, felt much more at ease.

Junseong carefully gripped and released the bandaged right hand while answering.

“Although the plan went completely awry because of the incident earlier, the only thing that changed is that we don’t know what lies ahead. But what needs to be done is still the same.”

“Going to the Inhan Hospital?”

Seeing Junseong nodding, Hanseo grabbed his uninjured left hand. With his othis hand, he held a flashlight, illuminating the way ahead.

“But let’s get some rest before that.”

Given the long journey and the fact that it was already night after crossing evening, his words made sense. The problem was that the place they stood in was a subway tunnel. As far as Junseong remembered, except for the shelter where Cheolho was, everything else was eithis locked or in such disarray that one couldn’t rest for a moment.

“Should we just sleep on the tracks?”

Hanseo, looking at Junseong with a serious expression, pulled him towards her.

“The alarm has been silent for a while. We might end up wandering and come all the way here. The distance isn’t too far.”

Although the vehicle depot where zombies were lured was undoubtedly a different tunnel, if they walked a little after coming out from there, they could reach a road connected to this side. Staying defenseless in the tunnel for the night was undoubtedly dangerous.

“And if we’re going to sleep, it should be on a bed.”

“A bed?”

Hanseo pointed to the screen door where zombies were densely crowded in the distance. It was the platform of the next station after Gaeaneun Station.

“Let’s go outside.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Junseong frowned and shook his head.

“Don’t you see all those zombies? They’ll tear us apart the moment we open the door.”

Seeing Junseong, who couldn’t even attempt to open the screen door, Hanseo laughed with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Just do as I say. Then, you won’t die.”

“Even though you’re an immune person, zombies won’t bite, no matter what…”

Currently, numerous zombies were screaming and banging on the glass, precisely toward Junseong.

Holding Junseong’s hand tightly to prevent him from escaping, Hanseo looked into his eyes and smiled.

“Hey… this is not right…”

Junseong kept lowering his head and moving his body backward. Now, he even suspected whethis Hanseo intended to kill him.

“Don’t worry.”

Hanseo raised his head, pulling back Junseong, who was trying to run away. Unbeknownst to him, he had been holding his hand tightly, lifting both feet onto the platform.

Crash! Clang!

Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk!

The zombies, now covered in blood, opened their mouths wide and screamed in front of them. The sound of the glass being violently pounded on felt like it was directly grabbing and shaking Junseong’s brain.

“You don’t have to freeze like that.”

“It’s not as easy as you say.”

Hanseo, who climbed onto the platform and stood closely beside Junseong, laughed while looking back at him.

“Ah, do you see all those zombies? They might have followed us here. The distance isn’t that far.”

As if saying it wasn’t enough, Hanseo held Junseong’s waist tightly and, turning around, pulled him down. Junseong, effortlessly lifted up, found himself standing on the platform, both feet on the foothold in front of the screen door.

“Wait…!”

Junseong, who was about to stop Hanseo in a hurry, realized something strange. Just a moment ago, the zombies, who were banging on the glass and screaming wildly, suddenly fell silent. Each of them lowered their shoulders and emitted only faint moans, similar to the zombie they encountered at the vehicle depot. The aggressive reactions they had shown until now were nowhere to be seen.

“Look.”

Having known that it would turn out like this, Hanseo took advantage of Junseong’s distraction and opened the door.

The emergency door of the screen door pushed, and the zombies clinging to the glass on that side staggered back like raindrops being swept away by a windshield wiper. Even though Junseong, the prey, was right in front of them, they seemed to have no intention of attacking.

Hanseo completely stepped out from the inside of the screen door and closed it. With a thud, the closing sound made everyone look in this direction, but there was no zombie rushing towards them. They were all eithis staggering in place or slowly wandering around.

Maintaining the state of being embraced by Hanseo, Junseong whispered to her.

“Does the person become safe if I’m holding you?”

“I guess I’m some kind of invisible cloak.”

A curious situation.

Junseong, with the thought that he might be attacked by zombies if he didn’t act carefully, was cautiously moving through the gaps between the almost stationary zombies. This was done while facing Hanseo and walking sideways.

It seemed somewhat ridiculous, like a funny walk, or a waltz beginner’s cautious steps.

Not liking the quite slow pace, Hanseo suddenly bent his body. Then, he swiftly inserted his arms behind Junseong’s knees and lifted him up.

Puzzled by the feeling of floating, Junseong, holding Hanseo’s shoulders, needlessly looked around. There were only zombies who had lost their minds, looking at him.

“What’s this?”

“I want to sleep quickly, so I’m slowing down.”

Embarrassed, Junseong, forgetting that he was being embraced, tried to push his away with both arms.

Snap!

He turned his head in surprise at the short scream heard nearby.

A small-sized zombie nearby, upon seeing Junseong, shook its head continuously, making a cackling sound. It didn’t seem frighteningly aggressive, as if it was about to rush, but it moved away, staggering to anothis side. The othis zombies also diverted their gazes from Junseong as if searching for anothis prey.

Junseong, still in an awkward position, not realizing he was being embraced by Hanseo, watched the zombies’ reactions.

‘It seems like it works only if I stick closely.’

From the reactions, it seemed like he had to adhere to the upper body rather than the lower body. Perhaps distinguishing around the heart or head.

Lost in thought, Junseong, Hanseo still embracing him, carefully moved through the gaps between the zombies.

Junseong fixed his gaze on the zombies, raising his arm on Hanseo’s shoulder. He intended to stick closely, considering being shoulder-to-shoulder, but due to Hanseo’s taller stature, the posture didn’t work well.

Trying to adjust his posture as the approaching zombies approached, Hanseo’s arm wrapped around his waist, and the previously slightly separated sides were now fully touched. The approaching zombies staggered and came to a halt.

“What are you doing?”

In response to Hanseo’s laughter-infused voice, he casually replied, “Analysis. Trying to figure out how to move less awkwardly.”

“I see.”

Hanseo, who laughed softly, firmly embraced Junseong’s waist and walked away.

‘Just this level of closeness makes zombies naturally turn away.’

It couldn’t be anything but a convenient and perfect vaccine. With this level of closeness, if the four of them, with Do Hanseo in the center, moved in step, they could safely pass through a crowd of zombies, even in the worst scenario.

If Chaeyi heard Junseong’s thoughts, he would have probably admonished him not to use his good brains for weird things.

Junseong, having emerged from the subway, once again surveyed the deserted streets and roads. Nevertheless, the roads here seemed to be clear, probably due to car accidents or cars being abandoned, allowing the road to be open to some extent. The problem was that, in the absence of cars, zombies were wandering around everywhere on the roads.

While Junseong scanned the surrounding distance and the condition of the road with his eyes, Hanseo was looking for something else.

“There it is.”

Hanseo pointed somewhere. Junseong turned his head toward the direction he indicated.

[Love Me MOTEL]

A dazzling neon sign adorned the high-rise motel. Looking downward, he could see parking lot curtains alternating between red and blue. There were also unnecessary international flags as eye-catching as the sign.

It was a motel that didn’t suit the street filled with zombies at all.

“Let’s go in.”

Hanseo, a face that knew no embarrassment, grabbed Junseong’s waist and headed towards the motel.