NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 33
Chapter 33
—–CROW—–
Kang Hae-seok reclined in his office chair, puffing contentedly on a cigarette in his fifth-floor dormitory room. The window was open, but the room was thick with smoke.
“What now…?”
He stared at the hazy ceiling, lost in thought.
The cigarettes weren’t something his group had scavenged. They were from the masked man, Lee Seo-ho, a gift tucked inside the bag he brought with him.
Hae-seok appreciated the gesture. He could send out search parties for cigarettes, but scavenging in the zombie-infested city was a life-or-death gamble.
Even as the group’s leader, it was unreasonable to prioritize cigarettes over essential supplies.
Space and time were better spent searching for more food. The masked man’s cigarettes were a welcome luxury.
—*Creak.*
Hae-seok swiveled his chair to look out the open window.
“Damn it, there are more of them now.”
*Sigh…*
He exhaled a plume of smoke, his gaze fixed on the zombies surrounding the dormitory. Their numbers had increased recently.
He’d thinned them out with ample ammunition when he first established the dormitory as their base, but lately, they’d multiplied.
“…Is it because we’re here?”
The zombie virus was a mystery. They knew little about the creatures’ behavior. He had no idea why they were congregating around the dormitory. One thing was certain: the growing horde made scavenging increasingly difficult.
“Which is why this is a godsend.”
He grinned, looking out at the ruined cityscape. Food supplies in the area had been dwindling for a while.
Just as scavenging was becoming too risky, the masked man appeared, offering to trade food for women.
A lifeline. He could get a week’s worth of supplies in exchange for a woman. It was an offer too good to refuse.
Women were a renewable resource; they could be used again and again. As long as they had women, they could buy the man’s food. Safely.
The only question was how long the arrangement would last.
“At least until he’s fucked them all once…”
Even then, there was no guarantee the man wouldn’t change his mind. If he stopped coming, they might have to abandon the dormitory. This led Hae-seok to another dilemma:
—When to strike.
“[Crackle… Captain! He’s here.]”
A soldier’s voice crackled from the radio on his desk. Hae-seok picked it up, cigarette still dangling from his lips.
—Crackle.
“Send him up. I’ll be down.”
He finished the last of his cigarette, savoring the final puff.
Sigh…
He flicked the butt out the window, his eyes on the van parked outside the barricade.
He’d play along for now, trade women for food, and then, when the time was right, he’d ambush the masked man and take everything.
—
“Welcome! The Captain is waiting for you! Right this way…!”
A week after taking Ryu Da-hee from the dormitory, Seo-ho returned, driving the familiar van. The soldiers, now fully aware of his value as a food supplier, greeted him with practiced smiles and an eagerness that bordered on subservience.
“That bastard is actually smiling at me.”
He smirked behind his mask, watching Sergeant Park Sung-ho’s fawning display. The same man who had spat at him was now treating him like royalty.
“Imagining that smile turn to despair sends shivers down my spine.”
Once his plan unfolded, he’d make sure the soldiers experienced a special kind of “joy.” The anticipation was exhilarating.
Life was entertaining these days. It felt less like a zombie apocalypse and more like living in his own personal theme park.
As he followed Sergeant Park, he felt a tug on his sleeve.
*Tug.*
He turned to see Ryu Da-hee looking at him with a disgruntled expression.
“…What’s this?”
He studied her, trying to decipher her unspoken message. She glanced at Sergeant Park, then leaned in close.
—*Kiss.*
She quickly kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, “…You’ll be back for me soon, right?”
She looked at him anxiously, her cheeks flushed.
He found her behavior endearing and simply stroked her hair.
He’d explained to Da-hee last night that she’d have to return to the dormitory for a while. Like Oh Na-yeon, she’d been reluctant to leave the department store.
But after he’d outlined his plan, she’d accepted it, albeit with a sullen nod.
“I-Is there a problem?”
Sergeant Park, noticing the delay, turned back cautiously. Seo-ho shook his head and continued to follow.
—
“Well, well! Look who it is. Thanks for coming again.”
Upstairs, Kang Hae-seok greeted him, a group of women waiting expectantly nearby. They watched him with anxious eyes.
Only Oh Na-yeon met his gaze, waving discreetly. Her expression wasn’t one of welcome, but a desperate plea for acknowledgment.
Dark circles underscored her eyes; she clearly hadn’t been sleeping well.
“I can imagine why.”
He’d been keeping tabs on Na-yeon through his pigeons. He’d seen her repeatedly clutching negative pregnancy tests and pulling at her hair in frustration.
It was all part of his plan, so he could only smirk at her misery.
“…….”
He deliberately ignored Na-yeon’s pleading wave and turned away. Her hand dropped, her eyes widening in shock.
He gently pushed Ryu Da-hee towards the group of women.
“D-Da-hee…!”
Han Mo-ah, who had been watching Da-hee anxiously, rushed forward and embraced her.
“A-Are you okay? Did anything happen…?”
“Are *you* okay, Mo-ah?”
“……Yes.”
Tiny Mo-ah buried her face in Da-hee’s embrace. They looked more like sisters than friends.
“So, our esteemed customer. Which product will you be taking today?”
Kang Hae-seok, having inspected the food delivery, beamed and gestured towards the women. He was fully embracing his role as a pimp. Seo-ho silently pointed at one of the women.
“…My, my, you have a discerning eye, don’t you?”
Hae-seok followed his finger and grinned slyly. He’d chosen the small woman nestled in Da-hee’s arms: Han Mo-ah.
“Hey, bring her over.”
“H-Huh…?”
“Mo-ah!”
Two soldiers, accustomed to this routine, grabbed Mo-ah and brought her to Seo-ho. Da-hee cried out in protest, but the soldiers held her back.
“Good acting.”
He’d already informed Da-hee about his plan to take Mo-ah and instructed her to feign concern. Everyone knew how close they were.
It would be suspicious if Da-hee remained indifferent while Mo-ah was taken away by a stranger.
“Hmm? Another message?”
While the soldiers restrained Mo-ah, Seo-ho handed Hae-seok the usual note. He read it and nodded.
“Ah, don’t worry about that. I kept the last one safe, as requested.”
The note instructed Hae-seok not to touch Ryu Da-hee. He didn’t want the soldiers taking liberties with her now that she’d been “sold.”
From Hae-seok’s perspective, the note simply reinforced the image of a customer concerned about the well-being of his “purchase.”
“Well then, enjoy yourself.”
Having returned Da-hee and acquired Mo-ah, Seo-ho turned to leave. Before exiting the second floor, he glanced back at the group of women.
He made eye contact with Da-hee, and she nodded discreetly. His gaze finally settled on Oh Na-yeon. Oblivious to his attention, she trembled, her face etched with despair.
“She’s ripe for the picking.”
Satisfied, he smirked and left the dormitory.
—
Oh Na-yeon stood alone in the empty second-floor hall, staring blankly at the spot where Lee Seo-ho had been standing, her heart sinking. He’d ignored her.
“No, it’s because other people were watching…”
He had to maintain his facade. He couldn’t arouse suspicion among the soldiers. That’s why he’d ignored her greeting. She repeated this to herself, clinging to the hope that he hadn’t abandoned her yet.
“…But.”
Their wager. His promise to take responsibility for her if she became pregnant with his child. She hadn’t been able to show him the pregnancy test. Even the last one had been negative.
“W-What am I going to do… what am I going to do… what am I going to do…”
*Bite, bite.*
She gnawed on her fingernails, despair washing over her as she sank to the floor. He was going to abandon her. Perhaps he’d known all along that she wouldn’t conceive. Maybe that’s why he’d proposed the wager.
“…Sob, sob, sob…”
The thought overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face. She replayed every interaction she’d had with Seo-ho at the dormitory, every word, every gesture.
“I-I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have…”
She’d treated him like the other soldiers did, like a slave. She’d looked down on him, even as he suffered under the soldiers’ tyranny. She hated herself for her past ignorance and arrogance.
“If only… if only I’d been nice to Seo-ho oppa…”
If only she’d helped him. Maybe then she would have won his love. Maybe then he would have promised to stay with her, regardless of the pregnancy wager. Regret and self-recrimination fueled her tears, but the past couldn’t be changed. Her despair deepened.
She sat there, sobbing quietly in the deserted hall, when she heard a voice.
“Um… Oh Na-yeon?”
She slowly raised her head. Ryu Da-hee stood before her, arms crossed, her expression impassive.
“I have a message for you.”
One indifferent sentence. But Na-yeon instantly understood its significance. A message.
“Seo-ho oppa…!!”
It was a message from Seo-ho, relayed through Da-hee. A flicker of hope. He hadn’t abandoned her.
“W-What is it?! What did he say?!”
“First… let’s go somewhere more private.”
Da-hee looked around. While the hall was currently empty, it was a high-traffic area.
“Come to my room.”
She led the distraught Na-yeon to her room.
—
Two days later, a murder occurred at the dormitory.
—–CROW—–