Even Zombies Have Fandoms

Chapter 61

“I did tell her not to go outside alone no matter what, but how could you let the child wander around here and there? What if she opened the door and went out?”

As Muyoung fumbled for words, the woman, seemingly not intending to get angry, sighed softly and spoke as if admonishing him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think that far at all…”

“I thought so.”

Though she didn’t say anything more, her expression, accompanied by a snort, clearly revealed her thoughts: ‘How could you think of taking care of a child when you don’t know anything?’ She glanced at Muyoung, who gave a small embarrassed laugh, before turning back and walking forward.

How many seconds had passed? The woman quickly reached her desired spot and pointed with her chin to what was in front.

“Move this to the side, please.”

“…This?”

What she pointed to was a square platform under a large screen in the corner of the backyard. It was a surprising request, but Muyoung obediently approached the platform, thinking she wouldn’t answer even if he asked.

“How far to the side should I move it?”

“Just enough to reveal the bottom of the platform.”

Then I don’t need to lift it completely. Muyoung supported the bottom of the platform with one hand and grabbed one corner with the other. Then he lifted it, flipping the platform 90 degrees.

‘What could be underneath that she wants this moved?’

Muyoung set the platform upright carefully so it wouldn’t fall, then brushed off the black dust on his hands while checking what was revealed underneath.

“This is…”

He gasped.

“It’s really here.”

The woman muttered in a voice full of joy beside the surprised Muyoung.

“Is this a storage room door?”

Muyoung asked in a dazed voice. Under the platform was a square iron door big enough for one person to enter.

“It’s a bomb shelter, they say. This house is where three generations lived together, and apparently the grandfather had severe war trauma, so he insisted on building this no matter the cost.”

Thinking there was no need to hide anymore now that they had come this far, she began explaining even things Muyoung hadn’t asked, unlike her previous reticence.

‘No wonder there was so much food stacked in the freezer. A large family lived here.’

Unintentionally solving a minor curiosity, Muyoung said in amazement:

“How do you know all this so well?”

Could she have known the homeowners?

The woman stared at Muyoung’s curious face for a moment, then suddenly put down the bag she was holding.

“Don’t touch anything else, just open the front zipper there.”

Though it was abrupt, it seemed the answer was there, so he crouched down and carefully opened the zipper to find a notebook made of brown leather.

“What’s this?”

As Muyoung took out the notebook and asked, she said:

“It’s the diary of the person who owned the room I was staying in. The granddaughter must have been meticulous, as she recorded a lot. Thanks to that, I was able to learn many things.”

Opening the diary revealed page after page filled with densely written characters.

“I feel a bit sorry for reading someone’s diary without permission, but in a situation like this, even small pieces of information are important.”

“That’s right… Information is important.”

While respecting her choice, Muyoung felt awkward about peeking at someone else’s diary, so he smiled awkwardly as he put the notebook back in the bag and stood up.

“And did you know that the room at the end of the second-floor corridor is a study?”

“Umm… Yes.”

Though he had forgotten about it, thinking it wasn’t particularly necessary information, he quickly remembered that there was a room full of books on the second floor when they first entered this place to check for zombies.

“I searched just in case, and there were keys to this place, blueprints, and a contract together. Looking at it, it seems it was completed last year. So I think things like equipment and food should all be in good condition.”

She spoke as if boasting about what she had found, saying, “Isn’t it amazing?”

‘So that’s why she was so adamant about staying.’

Muyoung perfectly understood why she had confidently insisted on not going together. She thought waiting here to be rescued was the safest option for her and the child.

“If there are any lacking necessities, we can check and bring them from the house right now, isn’t it perfect?”

“It certainly seems like a good plan. But…”

A bomb shelter usable in this situation is definitely a great discovery. However, there was one thing that worried him.

“Won’t the homeowners be surprised if they’re inside?”

Thinking it might be an intrusion, Muyoung hesitantly asked. It seemed she hadn’t considered that possibility, as she paused and rolled her eyes before confidently rebutting, looking at the platform Muyoung had set aside:

“But the key was in the study, and the platform was still in place over the door. Doesn’t that mean no one’s inside? Who would cover it up and leave with zombies swarming outside?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

It did seem right, considering they were on the unusual side. Relieved, Muyoung nodded with a smile, and the woman cleared her throat before speaking.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“Huh? About what?”

“There’s a safe place here with enough food for over a month. Do you still want to move?”

“Ah.”

“I’m asking only you, not the others.”

Muyoung finally realized the meaning of the question the woman had asked him yesterday.

“I’m sorry. I still think it’s right for me to go with hyung and the kids.”

And he answered without a moment’s hesitation to the condition of just himself.

“I thought so. You don’t need to apologize. It’s not something to apologize for. If anything, it’s better for us as we’ll have more resources.”

The woman nodded with a composed expression as if she had expected this, then added as if warning:

“Don’t ever forget the promise you made at the beginning. Even if it’s selfish, I don’t want to share this with anyone but you.”

“Hmm…”

Although it bothered him to keep the existence of the bomb shelter a secret from Seokjae and the children, he had promised not to tell, and shouldn’t he respect the woman who had found and told him about this place first?

‘If she hadn’t told me, we would have passed by without knowing anyway, and Hayun is with her too…’

Even if he told everyone and they all entered together, it was obvious that the atmosphere would become incredibly tense from that moment on. Considering various factors like food distribution and quality of life, he judged that keeping his promise to her was better than sharing the information.

‘And we decided to move regardless of what decision is made. …Instead, I’ll do my absolute best to protect them!’

In the end, Muyoung decided to turn a blind eye to his pricking conscience just this once.

“Ah, don’t think anything strange. It’s just repaying a debt.”

While Muyoung was lost in his own thoughts, the woman, puzzled by his lack of response, hurriedly added. She was worried he might misunderstand her words.

“Strange thoughts? What debt…?”

Caught off guard by the sudden explanation, Muyoung looked at her with wide eyes.

“What debt does Hyunyoung-ssi have to me?”

“W-well, for saving me from that hellhole. Thanks to that, I was able to come to my senses before it was too late.”

Seeing Muyoung’s innocent eyes, she realized she had made a terribly presumptuous misunderstanding and began to ramble. She felt that if she gave him time to think, he might realize what foolish misunderstanding she had made.

“That hotel was a place I found just when I was about to go crazy after wandering the streets, so I entered without thinking. But then, because I was the last to join, they subtly pushed all sorts of chores and dangerous scouting work onto me. It was really absurd.”

Anxious, she hastily began spilling out past events she hadn’t intended to talk about, trying to prevent the creation of a dark history.

“They threatened to kick me out if I complained. And one guy kept creepily hitting on me. When I explicitly rejected him because he didn’t understand when I tried to be nice, he started nitpicking everything, calling me a freeloader and whatnot. What’s worse, he wasn’t just doing it to me, but to Hayun too. I’ve never seen such an awful person.”

As she spoke, the memories of the past vividly came back, causing her emotions to intensify. Towards the end, she gritted her teeth and poured out the frustration that had been building up.