Red Dot - 38

– Chapter 38 –

Some time passed.

Having given up on pushing Hanseo away, Junseong decided to just relax.

Junseong seated Hanseo at the head of the bed and leaned against his chest, resting his back comfortably against Hanseo’s chest. He placed his head on Hanseo’s shoulder.

Looking down at Junseong, who had relaxed against him, Hanseo smiled softly.

“Gave up, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Junseong sighed briefly and asked, “So, why? Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“The kiss.”

Turning his head slightly, he averted his gaze to the far floor next to the bed.

“Is it not allowed?”

“It’s not about allowed or not. It’s something you do with a lover.”

“Then, do you want to be lovers?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Not allowed?”

Junseong’s response sounded like a sigh, as if he had given some answer of his own.

“I often dreamed about it. People can’t help but act on their impulses during strange times like this.”

The surroundings were engulfed in corpses, left abandoned as if discarded within, with no means or methods to cover them. Communication, the internet, and other essential functions were all disabled, making it impossible to communicate with the outside. Family, friends, and even acquaintances who used to exchange greetings were turned into corpses or devoured by others, each for themselves.

How many people could withstand this hell with a sound mind?

If he hadn’t experienced the dreams, he probably wouldn’t understand Hanseo. On the other hand, because of those dream experiences, he could understand him to some extent. He had also killed someone directly within that realm.

The sensations from that time were still vivid.

Junseong’s eyes darkened.

“I don’t know how it was before you met me, but in a lawless land, impulsive actions like that might happen. Impulses like wanting to fool around regardless of gender, just like earlier.”

Junseong decided to be a bit lenient with Hanseo, who had overcome the walls he had built. There was a feeling of indebtedness towards him, but the most significant reason was Hanseo being the “vaccine.”

Just knowing that Hanseo was the vaccine made him as important to Junseong as his sister, Kang Chae. He had become someone Junseong had to protect at all costs.

“From now on, make one promise.”

“What promise? How should I promise?”

Hanseo’s voice from behind sounded joyful. Turning around, he felt like he would be smiling more humanely than before.

“Promise me one thing. It might become irrelevant once the rescue helicopter arrives… but never kill without a just cause.”

Junseong thought about Hanseo, whom he would send off on the rescue helicopter, but he also considered the possibility that it might not work.

“On the contrary, if it’s a just cause, you have to kill. You must live.”

Because you are the vaccine.

Whether Hanseo knew Junseong’s true intentions or not, he made a sound like “hmm” and asked, “So, does that just cause also apply when you’re in danger?”

“Yeah.”

A sound of laughter echoed through the throat. It was like a pleasant, rolled-up laugh swirling inside the throat, debating whether to swallow it or spit it out.

“Will you promise then? I get these strange impulses quite often.”

Hanseo’s soft, low voice stimulated Junseong’s ears.

“When that happens, can’t you help me suppress it? In any way possible.”

Junseong nodded, thinking that at most, it would be impulsive kisses like earlier. Although it was his first time kissing someone, it wasn’t as bad as he thought, and if Hanseo could control his emotions by giving in a little, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. In this world, managing one’s emotions and mental state was the most urgent task.

“Sure.”

Hanseo smiled once again, small but delightful.

The hand that embraced Junseong rose and gently encircled his jaw. Then, turning his head, he made him look over his shoulder.

Taeju’s face, responding in a good mood, approached Junseong.

“You’re going to be the inhibitor of my impulses.”

As if explaining the role of an inhibitor, Hanseo’s lips soon met Junseong’s.

“Junseong-ssi!”

Taeju, who had been pacing around anxiously, unable to enter and fidgeting in place, opened the door to the hospital room, greeted Junseong with a slightly flushed face.

“Are you okay now?”

In her joy, Taeju grabbed Junseong’s hand with both of hers and shook it vigorously.

“Can you walk? Do you feel dizzy or like you’re going to vomit?”

“I’m okay. Sorry for worrying you.”

“No need to apologize!”

Junseong was taken aback by the sudden loud voice.

“If it weren’t for Junseong-ssi, I probably…! Uh….”

Taeju, who had been pouring out words in excitement, suddenly trembled. Junseong wasn’t aware of the intimidating gaze directed behind him.

Not realizing how excited she had become, Taeju abruptly let go of Junseong’s hand. She looked around to see if there was anyone nearby, and spoke, her interrupted words mumbled.

“Uh, um… So… he probably had an important matter to attend to! Yes, a significant matter…”

After saying that, she awkwardly scratched the back of her head, feeling embarrassed.

She hadn’t told anyone about what happened on the fifth floor.

The nurse who had been treating them so well turned out to be a person who laid survivors on the operating table one by one for organ trafficking.

If the other survivors knew, they would probably fall into tremendous panic. Since the rescue helicopter would arrive soon, they could go to a comfortable place and rest, so there was no need to instill unnecessary fear.

Fortunately, they were spending time in their respective rooms.

Taeju bowed towards Junseong and the Hanseo behind him.

“Thank you! For saving us twice… You’re truly a savior of lives.”

With a brightened face, Taeju, who had straightened her waist, was glowing more than ever.

“If we can contact each other outside, I’ll treat you to a meal! You won’t feel dizzy or nauseous, right?”

“I won’t. Sorry for causing you worry.”

“No problem! I’m just so relieved!”

Smiling broadly, Taeju bowed again and briskly entered her own room.

Junseong looked at the door of Taeju’s room and asked Hanseo, “No one knows about the events on the fifth floor, right?”

“Yeah. There’s nothing good that would come from telling them.”

“You did well.”

Junseong sighed bitterly.

Although he couldn’t grasp the situation firsthand because he was asleep due to anesthesia, Hanseo, who gathered information on his behalf, revealed a lot.

Naturally, the three people on the fifth floor and the fake nurse Park Hyeonje were all in cahoots.

They kindly wrote in red letters on the emergency stairwell doors from the first to the fourth floor, indicating the presence of zombies. People, seeing that, would think there were zombies on the floors with writing. Conversely, they would assume that the floors without writing were safe zones. While it was true that the floors without writing had no zombies, something even more terrifying than them awaited on the fifth floor.

When the ones coming up from the underground through the emergency stairs reached the fifth floor, their stamina was inevitably depleted. Looking at the door without writing, they would think, “Now we can rest; we survived.” At that point, they would open the door, and healthy men and women in their 20s and 30s, who were alone, would soon be caught by the men in black clothes and taken to the operating table. If the person was over 40 or not in good health, and if they were not alone but with others, they would call the fake nurse on standby on the upper floor, guiding them to the seventh floor.

Those who had been performing organ extraction surgeries one by one in this way knew that a rescue helicopter would come to this hospital today. They planned to close the door on the seventh floor at the scheduled time, climb to the rooftop with only themselves, and kill the rescue team members on the helicopter. Then, they intended to hijack the helicopter, transferring all the organs to their hideout.

Due to the prevalence of murders during the zombie outbreak, organ trafficking through overseas brokers became inevitable in times like these.

It was the only region where it wouldn’t be strange if someone suddenly died.

‘Even so, to the survivors in the hospital…’

Junseong wasn’t particularly proud of his high moral standards, but the actions of the group on the fifth floor were truly horrifying.

‘Maybe the reason they wanted to give me a private room was to lay me on the operating table first.’

Junseong felt a bit uncomfortable thinking that the reason Park Hyeonje suggested a private room was to lay him down first. The reason for the uneasy expression when they switched rooms with Taeju.

However…

As Junseong was organizing his thoughts, he felt something bothering him.

“How did you know that the rescue helicopter would come? You even knew it would arrive at 4 p.m.”

Junseong’s question was met with a nod from Hanseo.

“I asked, and they said it was notified from above.”

“Above meaning…”

“Their boss.”

It was strange. How did the boss of those involved in organ trafficking know that the rescue helicopter would arrive on the rooftop of this hospital?

Junseong’s face became serious.

“The placement of the rescue helicopter was determined this morning. The communication network has been cut off since yesterday afternoon, so how could they know in advance about the location and time of the rescue helicopter?”

Even as he spoke, a chill ran down his spine.