Zombies Need Love Too!

“Leash her? What? Sis Sasha?”

“Rob. How was your end of things?”

“...”

Yoan casually ignored Derek’s horrified expression and tossed the question at Rob instead.

“Something felt off. Way more zombies than usual. I ran into several packs moving together.”

Rob paused, his gaze drifting toward Derek. “Luckily, the kid’s pretty decent with a bow.”

Ooh, really? Good for him. I knew I’d made the right call dragging him along.

I reached out to give Derek an encouraging head pat—then stopped mid-air.

After what happened earlier with Yoan, I wasn’t about to accidentally break the poor boy’s skull.

Instead, I went with a safe, approving thumbs up.

“Nice job.”

Once we got the general gist of what had happened, we lugged the rest of the food bags back to our hideout and sat around the dining table to debrief.

“Hmm... So far, zombie traits we’ve encountered include: highly aggressive, insanely fast, disturbingly strong, incredible regeneration, hard to kill, driven by instinct, and absolutely no self-awareness.”

Rob ticked them off on his fingers, like a particularly grim shopping list.

There were some minor variations, but overall, it matched what I knew from the story.

Except… what Yoan and I ran into earlier? That zombie was different.

“What if it was intelligent, like Sasha? But... different?” Bliss ventured carefully.

That seemed the most likely scenario.

“Yeah. That’s definitely possible. Which makes things a whole lot worse,” Yoan muttered, concern pinching his brow.

I couldn’t agree more.

A zombie with superhuman physical prowess and intelligence?

That wasn’t just bad news. That was a full-blown apocalypse expansion pack.

I grabbed Yoan’s collar and gave him a shake. “Need more people.”

Not just to fight off some zombie ambushes. We gotta assess threats in advance, strategize, and strike first. And for that, we need all kinds of people.

“Grrrk kurrrr… Not just grahk. Krrrg gurrr! Strike first gurrk… All kinds of prrrrrg…”

“I think I get what you’re trying to say,” Yoan said.

You get what I’m saying? For real?

“Right. We can’t keep playing defense and hoping for the best. It’s time to move fast and gather capable people.”

For once, we were on the same page. He even patted my head again, which I tolerated with the patience of a saint.

“Tomorrow, we focus on finding assets—”

Yoan froze, finger to lips.

Quiet.

He blew out the lamp.

Rob, who was quick on the uptake, dashed to the living room to snuff out the rest.

A heavy hush fell over us.

I knew what it was.

Zombies. Everywhere around us.

Honestly, it was a miracle we’d been so relaxed until now. This place might’ve been remote, but we were hardly secure.

My stomach dropped.

Kraaaak!

Gaah−!

Krrk-krrr…

Snarls and howls echoed from outside. A pack, riled up and on the move.

And then—an awful thought occurred to me.

What if the zombie that ran off earlier had followed us? What if it’d been testing our strength, and now it was back with reinforcements? 

Was that too paranoid?

Still. It was suspicious. Nothing all day, and then suddenly this?

CRASH—!

Before I could finish the thought, something slammed into the cabin wall with bone-rattling force.

Well. That answered that.

I was terrified, sure—but I had to step up.

***

Life is pain. Bad luck shows up like an uninvited guest, and ominous gut feelings are always right.

I’d known something like this would happen eventually. I just didn’t think it’d happen tonight.

Zombies had surrounded the cabin and were trying to smash their way in.

“Grrrk.”

Was I just caught up in the moment?

I was baring my teeth before realizing it.

I wanted to tear them limb from limb. Snap their bones, drink their blood, wear their skulls as—

“Don’t get cocky when you’re such a scaredy-cat.”

“Grrk?!”

“Are you seriously arguing with me right now?”

“...No.”

Yoan’s scolding was scarier than the zombies.

He sighed, then suddenly grabbed my face and turned it toward the floor.

The dining table had been pushed aside. Bliss rolled up the carpet underneath, revealing a trapdoor.

Bless whoever installed that!

“Fighting our way out’s a no-go. Let’s just escape safely. Rob.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rob was already on it, handing out emergency bags like a doomsday Santa.

Mine, however, was roughly the size of a small pony.

“Too big?” I could fit in it. What the hell did he pack?

“Well, Sasha, you’ve got to pull your weight,” Rob said.

If it was because I was strong, I’d have let it slide.

But this felt like a petty comment about food. Petty and unforgivable.

Fine. But I’m remembering this.

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Good. Rob, Derek, Bliss, Sasha, then me.”

“No. Me? Last.”

“Are you disobeying me again?”

“But, I won’t die.”

“Didn’t we already finish this conversation?”

THUD—! THUD—!

“My lord, now’s not really the time for a lovers’ spat—ow!”

Rob got smacked for his troubles and rubbed the back of his head with a pained grimace.

Normally, he’d complain, but time was short.

Rob slipped into the dark passage first, followed by Derek and Bliss. Then me.

Yoan, naturally, was still being stubborn at the rear.

“Go.”

“Ladies first.”

Now was not the time for chivalry.

I scowled and shoved him.

“Sasha!”

Oops. Might’ve pushed too hard.

But if I didn’t use force, he wouldn’t budge.

I heard a solid thud, but Yoan had good reflexes. Probably fine.

As the last in line, I turned to close the trapdoor behind me—

CRASH!

Right then, the door gave out completely, and zombies came pouring in like a tidal wave of death.

Krrrrrehk.

Krr! Krr!

Kaarrrhk!

Their eyes locked onto mine, glowing faintly in the dark.

I let go of the handle and leapt down, utterly demolishing the ladder on my way.

“Th-th-they comin'!”

So much for bravery. My legs were trembling.

“Take a deep breath and run calmly.”

I heard Yoan’s voice ahead of me.

The others had pulled ahead, and he’d waited behind.

I did my best to follow his advice—but more screeches echoed from behind.

The zombies had made it into the passage.

They’d flail around at first, confused, but then instincts would kick in.

And we? We were the prey.

But then a sudden idea brought me to a stop.

“Why me?”

I’m one of them, technically, aren’t I?

Maybe they won’t actually attack me?

“No way.”

Then again... that earlier one had attacked me.

Had I seriously already forgotten that?!

What little brainpower I had must be rotting.

“Sasha! Have you lost your mind?!”

While I stood there, having a full-blown crisis, Yoan yanked me forward like he was hauling a fish out of water.

“I don’t know what the hell you were thinking, but I’m not the sort who’d use you as a meat shield.”

SLASH—

With his free hand, Yoan cut down a zombie that had gotten too close.

He looked... actually worried.

Huh. That’s kinda dashing.

“So if you’re going to play meat shield, do it somewhere I can’t see you.”

“...Huh?”

“It bothers me otherwise.”

Oh. Well. That was—wait, what?

So it’s fine as long as he doesn’t see it?!

I jerked my wrist free and snorted. Dashing my butt!

Fine. Since he wanted to bring up the rear so badly, why not?

Let’s see him try dying for a change.

Kraarrhk!

The screams kept coming, echoing endlessly down the passage.

It felt like we’d been running forever.

“Ugh!”

“...?”

I turned, startled by the noise. Yoan was groaning.

The corridor was narrow, but there were still too many zombies for one person to handle.

“Uhh…!”

Without hesitation, I charged back and body-slammed the nearest group.

“Don’t get bit!”

I’m fine—but if he gets bitten? That’s game over.

Zombies biting the male lead is not part of the story plan!

“Agh…”

Didn’t hurt. But the impact flung me back like a rag doll.

“Stop!”

Still, I was already up and swinging again.

Kraarrr!

I fought like a woman possessed in the chaos, knowing I wouldn’t die easily.

“Get away! Yoan, no!”

Don’t you dare touch him. Yoan’s the male lead.

He has to survive, and team up with the female lead. It’s the only way to end this nightmare!