Chapter 42 – Plunder (1)

Loot (1)

5th floor of the main building of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Banseok University.

Thud- thud-

Two footsteps ringing in the hallway on the 5th floor of the College of Agriculture.

Among the two men who were walking down the bleak corridor looking quite tired, Nam Do-yoon opened his mouth.

“Today is the day you live another day, Junki.”
“Oooh— I’m bored— a chocolate bar or some kind of fucking bar.”

Took-! Took-!

A man frowning as he habitually struck a wooden sword, the tip of which was glistening with dark red blood, on his shoulder.

Sung Joon-gi’s pupils moved around in the empty space and began manipulating something.

“Fuck—where do all my bloody points go? Literally leaking, leaking.”
“Let’s be patient a little longer.”
“Until when? Fuck—until the ssam vegetables in the greenhouse are all grown?”

Seong Joon-gi’s answer was a blunt thud.

“What kind of name is Agricultural Sciences? Isn’t agricultural science a place to learn innovative agricultural technology or something like that?”
“That’s why there’s a large practice room in the mountain behind the main building. If you think about it a little deeper, we would be in a much better situation than engineering colleges or places like this.”
“I don’t have enough to eat right now, so what would I do if I could farm? To be honest, there is no guarantee that we will all succeed in farming. Come to think of it, these bastards are students of the College of Agriculture, and they don’t even farm and are stuck in their rooms, fucking!”

Seong Joon-gi continued the conversation, but couldn’t overcome his temper and spat out curse words.

Tok-!

Another tall kidney patting the tall shoulder of Sung Joon-gi, who is showing off with a red face.

Nam Do-yoon gave him a cool smile and comforted him.

“Let’s work hard a little more, Junki. It’s a fact that things keep getting better.”
“… That sucks more That’s why it’s a waste of points.”

Kkeudeuk-!

The unusual grip that came from Sung Joon-gi’s hand as he gripped the wooden sword tightly.

“All the food from the student cafeteria next door is now— yaaaaa!”

Sung Joon-gi, who was about to start grumbling again, suddenly shouted.

He held out his wooden sword and pointed it at a man caught in their sight.

Looking at Nam Do-yoon and Sung Joon-ki, a man with a frown on his face was clearly visible even from a distance.

“Because of you bastard—”
“It’s Junki.”

Nam Do-yoon, restlessly mucking his mouth, gently took back Seong Joon-gi, who was about to shout at the approaching man.

A man stopped in front of them, gently rubbing his belly.

“Ah, senior Doyoon, I’m in a bit of a hurry right now.”
“Park Jae-ha is really digging-“
“Okay. Good afternoon, Jaeha.”

Nam Do-yoon stopped Sung Joon-ki from jumping out again and smiled softly.

“Looks like we’re going to the bathroom, but we’re standing in the South Wing.”
“Ah~ Senior.”
“Don’t you remember we promised to only use the northern wing for hygiene reasons?”

Park Jae-ha crumpled his face in dissatisfaction at Nam Do-yoon’s question.

“Ah~ Senior. I can’t even go in there because of the real smell.”
“There is less water now, but I can use it to some extent, so the smell is lessened, isn’t it?”
“Oh then what are you doing? Even that little bit of water is a bitch in the morning… Women run out first.”

Park Jae-ha hurriedly corrects the words while watching Nam Do-yoon narrow his eyes at the sudden swearing.

He quickly rubbed his stomach as if showing off and slightly bent his knees.

“Senior, I really think I will come out, but can you move away just once?”
“No.”
“Ah, really—the smell of shit over there made me feel like vomiting.”
“Then can I just cover my nose and wrap it?”
“Even if you take it with your mouth, it’s disgusting and makes you vomit!”
“Then shut your mouth.”
“Yeah?! No, then how do you breathe?”
“Uh- come out in 5 seconds?”
“Kid-! Senior-! I’m still sick to my stomach, but what are you talking about-“

Park Jae-ha’s eyebrows were clearly distorted by the joke-like questions and answers that followed.

He tried to glare at Nam Do-yoon with an expression full of annoyance, but quickly erased his expression when he witnessed something.

“… Uh- I can go to the south wing and pack it, right?”

Park Jae-ha hurriedly grabs his stomach as if avoiding something and runs into the hallway to the southern wing.

Seeing that figure, Namdo Yoon sighed a little and turned his head.

“What? Why?”

A slim face that shamelessly cast Nam Do-yoon’s gaze.

Seong Joon-gi was avoiding Namdo-yoon’s eyes and, as usual, he was tapping his wooden sword on his shoulder.

“… Did you scare the kids again?”
“No, let’s listen, so kids whine like real kids. So I gave him a scare with a sword. If anyone sees it, they’ll think we’re the centipede’s parents.”
“It’s true that we are temporary guardians, so it’s not wrong in context.”
“Haha—when did the student council become the green mothers’ council, student president.”
“And it must be a club, not a sword.”
“Damn-! Then get a real sword, or this one was also difficult to find.”

Thud- thud-

The footsteps resumed with the shout of Seong Joon-gi, who jumped up at Nam Do-yoon’s joke.

Nam Do-yun continued as he turned the corner to go to his destination, the corner of the southern wing.

“Anyway, it’s true that they are younger than us. As adults, we should take care of it.”
“Hey, Nam Do-yoon. Those bastards are college students like us.”
“We are adults in class who have to get a job soon.”
“Bored of fuck— I’m about to start again.”
“Listen even if you’re tired.”
“Ah- it sounds like shit.”
“Listen even if it sucks.”
“Ah Nam Do-yoon looks like a bastard.”
“Even if Nam Do-yoon looks like a bastard, listen.”
“Her-! What the-.”

Nam Do-yoon responds casually to the continued provocations.

Sung Joon-gi finally let out a laugh at the constant tone.

Tok-!

Nam Do-yoon playfully bumps his shoulder.

Seong Joon-gi shook his head as he let out a sigh.

“By the way, why are you fidgeting in your pockets like that?”
“… Madman.”

Nam Do-yoon let out a laugh at Sung Joon-gi, who persistently looked down at his pants pocket.

Brisket-!

A rustle leaked from the pockets of his pants thanks to the small trembling of his hands.

Sung Joon-gi’s eyes narrowed strangely as he looked at them.

“Well, I’m not the kind of person who is so ignorant. I’m going to go to the door to see if Park Jae-ha really pooped on the North wing.”
“… No, something like that.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Something like that.”

Looking at Nam Do-yoon, who is in trouble, his smile grows more smirk.

But-

“Looking at it from the side, it doesn’t seem like it was a broadcast image. That’s enough for a Korean overachiever.”
“…”
“It’s much better than bitches struggling not to come out of the room they’ve been assigned to. Admit.”
“… Because it’s not really!”

A flushed face and desperate denial.

Seong Joon-gi laughed more blatantly at Nam Do-yoon’s reaction, which he had never seen before, and pushed his shoulder.

Hey~

“It’s okay~ It’s okay~. Why are you so ashamed of the person who ate the student council president with this?”

Nam Do-yoon glared at Sung Joon-ki, who quickly whipped his hand up and down his face.

“… It happened because I liked the promise, you bastard.”
“Puhahaha! Crazy bastard-!”
“And among the male idols that Hayan-san often sees, there must be no one uglier than me?”
“Ehehe~ They and you are the wrong size.”

Took-!

Seong Joon-gi puts his shoulder lightly on Nam Do-yoon’s shoulder and quietly whispers to him.

“They don’t have a story, a story. Look at you.”

Isn’t it the prince who saved the princess in crisis?

“Isn’t there a story that women love more than this one?”
“… Fuck, why am I listening to this?”
“Puhahahaha!”

Took-! Took-! Took-!

Nam Do-yoon roughly pushed away the arm of Seong Joon-gi, who was mercilessly slapping his shoulder, and stopped in front of the farthest corner room in the southern wing.

An A4 piece of paper with a nameplate on it that reads, “Professor’s office at the College of Agriculture.”

A green cross logo painted a little crudely on the paper.

Awesome profit!

“Moreover, I don’t think my head hurts at all thanks to that!”
“Thank god. Also, if you are sick, feel free to drop by anytime.”

A man steps back like an idiot, unaware of who is standing behind him, as if he would not miss a moment.

And a clear voice that flows through the cracks in the softly closed door.

Hehe— that, then tomorrow too—”

Took-!

The man, who had been walking backwards with an idiotic smile, was blocked by a large chin.

A tall man holding a wooden sword caught in the gaze of a man who hurriedly turned his head in surprise.

“Stop, senior.”
“Yes, Yujun.”

Seong Joon-gi lightly shrugged with the man who had stepped into his arms.

“The bastard was using the infirmary again as if it were a one-on-one fan meeting.”
“No, that’s not it, my head is really dizzy today.”
“This bastard will gossip whenever he opens his mouth. Hey—didn’t I tell you not to bother Mr. White?”

Then, he started making a U-turn into the hallway that brought him.

“Aww, look at the fucking sweat. It really does change.”
“Seo, even seniors are not easy!”
“This bastard is the sky-like sunbae-“

Seong Joon-gi poked his junior in the stomach with a wooden sword and winked at Nam Do-yoon who remained.

Nam Do-yoon mouthed ‘No’ and cautiously stood in front of the door with the green cross logo on it.

“Whoa-.”

My heart already beats just by standing there.

Straight-! Straight-!

“Yes, please come in.”

With the permission of the owner, Nam Do-yoon let out a small deep breath and opened the door.

Awesome profit!

The scene of the infirmary welcoming him through the softly opened door.

Convenience store medicines obtained from the coffin next to the desk used by the professor of agricultural sciences were regularly arranged.

“Wait a minute~”

And there was a woman who was sorting out the list of medications on the bookshelf.

The back of the sky with the sunlight coming through the window of the professor’s office.

Her white-and-black bustier and her one-piece dress lightly rustled as she turned.

“… Mr. Doyoon?”
“Yes, yes— Joe, good afternoon, Mr. White.”

Unknowingly, Nam Do-yoon desperately turned a blind eye to the part that caught his attention.

An unconcealable presence that accentuates the black part of the bustier dress too much.

“Where did you get hurt?!”
“Oh, no—!”

Namdoyun quickly shook his hand at Cha Ha-yeon, who hurriedly asked, and turned his head left and right.

“I just want to give you a little something…”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, I’m really glad you weren’t hurt. Then—would you like to sit down?”
“Yes.”

Namdoyun shook his head like a machine and hurriedly sat down at the seat guided by Cha Ha-yeon.

A man and a woman sitting side by side with a desk between them.

Nam Do-yoon tried not to look down and deliberately kept his eyes only on the top.

The perfect Cha-Ha-Yan face that comes into his pupils.

It was a beauty that made my eyes feel refreshed just by looking at it.

If her older sister Cha Seol-hee was gorgeous, Cha Ha-yeon was refreshing and innocent just to look at.

A relaxing landscape that would make you happy even if you just stare blankly at your face all day long.

Unknowingly, Nam Do-yoon opened his mouth and heard the words of his classmates who were flirting about High Queens at a drinking party.

A low-quality joke about dating Cha Seol-hee but marrying Cha Ha-yan.

In response to a joke that openly made him frown at the time, Namdo Yoon hurriedly swung his head around.

“Do-yoon?”
“… Ah, yes, yes!”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Ah-!”

Nam Do-yoon, who was flustered by his body for a moment, hurriedly put his hand in his pants pocket.

A rustle— a small object in his hand—

Ugh-

With a strange echo, it quietly floated in his hand.

A small object floating in his hand as if slowly performing a trick, approaching Cha Ha-yan.

“Wow-.”
“You said you wanted coffee.”

Namdoyun smiled proudly as she received a bag of her coffee mix with a bright smile.

“… It was just a passing word, but I’m so sorry if you care about me like this-“
“Ah- no! I got a lot while exploring the side hall, and I brought it because I thought of Ha-yeon. Don’t worry, we’ve piled up a lot on the 4th floor!”

Namdo Yoon desperately urges her in case she feels the pressure on her.

Cha Ha-yan puts a foot on Nam Do-yoon’s gesture! She smiled brightly and picked up a mineral water bottle from the desk.

A mineral water bottle marked with a black name pen on the appropriate amount to drink each day is carefully poured into a paper cup.

Squeeze-

Carefully opened coffee mix was poured into the half-full paper cup, and the bag gently stirred the coffee mix.

“… It doesn’t melt well.”

After stirring it several times, Cha Ha-yan smiled mischievously at Nam Do-yoon.

Nam Do-yoon barely came to his senses at that bright smile and sent an awkward smile.

Then, he continued to speak carefully about the words that bothered him.

“You don’t have to keep the infirmary because you’re pushing yourself like this, Mr. White.”
“… It’s just giving medicine according to the area you’re uncomfortable with, so what? It’s what I like to do.”
“But you must be tired because there are guys who bother you—”
“No. I think I should do what I can.”

Cha Ha-yan responds to the continued dissuade with a slightly subtle smile that is not like her.

“My sister told me to do whatever I felt I had to do.”

… They said they were caught later.

Her words made it feel like a lot of things were compressed.

Only then did Nam Do-yoon quietly shut his mouth and choose what he had to say.

Her older sister, Cha Seol-hee.

“… Uh- I think the cleaning of the side duct will be finished soon. At that time, the route to go to the library once again—”
“No.”

Cha Ha-in shook her head hurriedly.

“If it had been that easy, Mr. Doyoon would have gone to the library a long time ago. I don’t want him to be in danger because of me.”
“Still-“
“My older sister isn’t the only person important to me.”

Cha Ha-in cut off his words once more and gently met his eyes with hers.

“Do-yoon and Jun-ki are all as precious to someone as my older sister. It is not okay to put such people in danger because of my precious person.”
“…”

It was something I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

Nam Do-yoon, who nodded for a moment, said with a small smile.

“At a time like this, it is a mindset that must be learned unconditionally.”
“Ah—that, to that extent—”
“If you return as an idol, I will write a good story to the community once.”
“Are you going to use the coffee mix poured into cold water?”
“Ah- I won’t use that if you come out for free at our Banseokdae Festival.”
“Foot-! What is it, you have to talk to our boss about that.”
“At a time like this, is there any chance of a celebrity acquaintance who offered coffee mix as a bribe?”
“…”

The conversation that had been going on came to an abrupt halt.

Cha Ha-yan, who smiled faintly at Nam Do-yoon, quietly whispered to him.

“… Mr. Doyoon says you can always go back to the original world.”
“Of course.”

A definite answer that came out without a moment’s gap.

“The world does not end with just one zombie.”

Nam Do-yoon made eye contact with Cha Ha-yan and opened his mouth again.

“In the bizarre situation where humans eat humans, we must not forget the essence. Originally, humans have always killed humans.”

World War I and II.

Great incidents that made everyone cry the hell out.

“That is less than a hundred years ago. In terms of disease, there is also the Black Death that swept across Europe. Didn’t the Black Death still kill more people than zombies, at least in Europe?”

Namdo Yoon shrugged his shoulders and spoke softly.

“Perhaps Europe, which suffered from the Black Death, thought the world was about to perish? However, we are learning the Black Death as history in textbooks. Zombies will be no different. If we all join forces, soon even zombies will be a thing of the textbook past.”

… Textbooks, all of us.

A clear voice that softly repeats what he said.

Namdoyun smiled lightly at that figure and nodded his head.

“Not just us, but all of our friends in the library will be the same. They are my acquaintances, so I can tell you clearly.”

Nam Do-yoon’s gaze turned to the ceiling as if drawing someone.

“First of all, there is a friend named Tae who is reliable like a bear, and there is a friend named Yeri who is very smart.”

And-

Woojin, Minjun, Sejun, Seri, Changsik…

The faces and names I miss so much that flowed from his mouth.

“Lastly, Mr. Hayan’s older sister, Seolhee.”

Clearly-

“I bet you’re doing your best in the library.”

True faith without a single bit of doubt.

Cha Ha-in faced that unshakable face, and he smiled involuntarily.

“I want to see the friends Doyoon said about soon.”

Since they are acquaintances of Mr. Doyoon, they must all be good people.

Cha Ha-in quietly turned his head and stared out his window.

The blue sky coming into her pupils.

No, her pupils that draw a little farther than the sky.

“… Of course, my sister too.”

Nam Do-yoon stared blankly at Cha Ha-yan.

Thump-thump-

A beating heart rests on her side as she looks out the window.

“Yes.”

Cha Ha-yan’s face turned to look at Nam Do-yoon’s answer.

Watching her answer her answer with a bright smile, Nam Do-yoon could only whisper blankly.

“… Certainly.”