Red Dot - 3

Chapter 3

It hurts.

It hurt so much that he wondered why he had struck himself so hard.

Unable to accept it with just one blow, he even thumped his desk next to him in frustration. What followed was the very real sensation of pain.

Junseong’s complexion quickly turned thoughtful.

This wasn’t a dream; it was undeniably real.

On the one hand, the absurdity of the situation left him perplexed. He quickly checked other news programs on the internet, wondering if someone might be playing a prank.

The consistent news about riots, just like in his dream, filled the screen. Even the order of the news was the same.

Junseong, who was looking at the news list with a tense expression, checked his phone again. A few missed calls and text messages from a friend living near Inhansi, ongoing discussions about Inhansi’s riots in various mobile messenger group chats.

Even this was no different from his dream.

It was confusing. The vivid pain indicated that this was reality, but the situation was so much like the dream that he didn’t know how to come to terms with it.

But he knew.

Right now, what he needed to do was no different from the dream.

Junseong opened his message window without thinking too deeply.

[Hide in the TA room after class.]

It was a message he sent to his younger sibling who was currently attending university. Since the university was in the same Inhansi, it wouldn’t be long before it was also overrun by zombies.

Still, he wasn’t too worried.

If this “reality” was the same as the dream, then his younger sibling would surely be safe.

Periodically, Junseong had tested his thigh by hitting it or pinched his forearm to confirm the sensation of “pain.” He had finally decided to acknowledge that this was reality.

With that thought in mind, Junseong’s mind became even colder than in his dream. It was instinctive to know that this was the only way to increase the chances of survival.

About twenty minutes had passed since he had accepted reality.

Junseong was actively engaging in outdoor activities, contrary to the instructions in the disaster message.

“Rioters will be coming this way soon. You need to prepare and escape quickly.”

“What nonsense is this? Are you out of your mind?”

He used the word “rioters” instead of “zombies” as mentioned in the news, but still, no one paid attention to it. Even the neighbor next door, who had treated him like a son, stared at him as if he were crazy.

This reaction didn’t surprise him; he had seen it all in his dream. He knew how they would behave and how it would all end.

But he still couldn’t let it go. Despite the lack of time to prepare, thinking of now as “reality” made it impossible for him to simply walk past them.

Leaving the people who treated him as if he were crazy behind, Junseong left the one-room building with a bitter expression on his face.

He went to the nearby hardware store, which he rarely used. The old and worn-out hardware store was so old that he doubted if they were still in business. However, just like in the dream, it was a good treasure trove.

He bought various items, including a flashlight, rope, hammer, pliers, batteries, and even a lightweight machete for camping. The well-maintained machete from this place was especially sturdy and sharp, to the point that Junseong had used it throughout his dream.

He handed over the exact amount in cash to the puzzled hardware store owner, without even asking the prices of the items. Junseong checked his left wristwatch, a gift from his younger sibling a year ago, which was a retirement gift for a pro gamer.

“Sir, in 16 minutes, zombies… No, I mean, some strange, crazy people will attack here. The door here is weak, so it’ll be easily broken through. Before that, take shelter in the adjacent restaurant. It’s safer there.”

The owner of the hardware store laughed, dismissing it as nonsense, just like in the dream.

“It’s alright, forget it.”

Junseong left the store, knowing that even if the hardware store owner initially took his words as a joke, he would eventually run to the adjacent restaurant in time. If he didn’t convey this message, he would be torn to pieces and turned into a zombie inside the hardware store. Knowing this, Junseong felt it was imperative to say it.

Next, he headed to a nearby convenience store.

Behind the counter of the convenience store stood a young man of a similar age. Despite continuous emergency broadcasts on the small PC on the counter, he was casually playing games on his phone as if he had no connection to the situation.

The young man, recognizing Junseong, greeted him with a slight smile.

“Hello. Are you going on a trip somewhere?”

Junseong simply nodded his head and walked inside without a word. He had no time to spare for the young man, who would talk endlessly once he started. In the current situation, he couldn’t afford to waste any time.

Considering the available space in his sturdy backpack, he took four 500ml bottles of water and one bottle of ion drinks. While he should have filled it to the brim, considering the impending tasks that would take an indefinite amount of time, he had to be careful not to overload it due to the weight.

Instead, he grabbed all the calorie bars available at the convenience store. Whether it was a cheap one made of flour and cheese or an expensive one filled with various grains, he didn’t discriminate. He even grabbed a couple of high-calorie chocolate bars.

In addition, he selected a few other useful items and laid them out on the convenience store counter.

“Are you buying all of this?”

The young man at the counter was understandably surprised because, under normal circumstances, all he bought from the convenience store were lunchboxes or canned coffee.

While the young man scanned the barcodes of the items and sneakily observed Junseong, Junseong pointed to the various lighters on display at the counter. He selected the button-type lighters, which were a bit more expensive and easier to use, instead of the cheap, wheel-type lighters.

“Give me twenty of these. No, give me thirty.”

“Why do you need thirty lighters? You don’t even smoke.”

“Just because I need them.”

The young man’s face grew increasingly puzzled, but he couldn’t refuse to supply the items, especially the ones he had in stock. He handed over all the lighters and even opened a new box to match the quantity.

While walking out of the convenience store, without responding to the young man’s repeated questions about where he was going, Junseong adjusted his hefty backpack and said to him:

“You probably won’t listen to me anyway, but I’ll tell you anyway.”

For the past two months, every day, Junseong had experienced the same recurring dream, and he knew what had happened to the convenience store young man in his dream. Knowing it but still doing it, he conveyed the same message as always.

“Eight minutes from now, there will be a man coming in, bleeding from the eyes, begging for his life. Lock him out of the store immediately, no matter what he says, and secure the door. If possible, go inside the room behind the counter. That’s the safest place in here.”

The young man behind the counter gazed at the door inside the store that Junseong had mentioned and asked with a puzzled expression, “Bleeding from the eyes? What on earth are you talking about?”

“…It’s better to remember it. If you want to survive.”

Junseong felt the shifting gaze of the young man, as if he were seeing a bizarre person, and then left the convenience store. This time, he hoped the young man would follow his words.

“Have I completed the preparation of tools and supplies roughly?” Junseong wondered.

He had packed only the necessary items to closely replicate the optimal route he had followed in his previous dream, the one that had allowed him to survive for a long time. He knew what would happen next, so if he didn’t panic in the face of this “reality” and handled it well, he could find a solution to the terrible situation. Junseong’s goal was to survive until that day, no matter what.

He checked the time on his phone.

[11:54 AM]

“6 minutes…”

It was much later than the start of the last dream, where everything was going smoothly. The delay was due to the insistence of people in the one-room apartments and the advice to run, which had cost too much time.

It felt like he was watching the timer of a time bomb. He had never been this nervous in the previous dreams. Maybe it was because it was real now, but his heart was pounding too fast.

Exhaling deeply to calm his anxiety and tension, he felt some tension in his stiff body release.

“Next is the pharmacy.”

In the remaining 6 minutes, he had to gather all the necessary items from a nearby pharmacy.

[12:00 PM]

At noon, Inhansi truly became the world of the zombies, just as Junseong had experienced in his dream, as if it were a perfect reproduction.