42nd Death - New School

'Pineapple… there it is.'

Jiho stood before the school gates, morning light spilling over him.

Hundreds of students flooded in around him, voices blurring into a storm of chatter.

With his heightened perception, he could single out individual conversations—every voice distinct, easy to isolate if he wanted.

Instinctively, he listened, searching for any trace of Daniel or Eunhee among the noise.

'No. Forget it.'

He sighed and shook his head, stepping forward.

'Even if I hear them… I don't…'

His gaze dropped.

'I'm not in the mood to look for them.'

As he moved through the crowd, his eyes flicked back to the subclass window.

🔻 Subclass: Blade Zombo

[Key Trait: You're a melee DPS focused on speed and critical hits.]

Light on defense, heavy on dodging. You move fast, hit fast, and rely on crits to deal real damage. Miss those crits, though, and your hits won't mean much.

'I've decided… I'm going to choose this one.'

But Jiho swallowed hard, his gaze faltering—drifting down to the hidden subclass listed just below.

🔻 Subclass: The Untriggered

Subclass Mechanics:

🧠 Active Skill – Everyone's Got a Choice

"You decide. But you only get one chance."

COST: None

DURATION: 30 seconds

COOLDOWN: 3 hours

Upon use, time is briefly suspended before a hostile encounter. You are presented with two paths:

▸ [FIGHT] – LV.1

Locks you into a lethal path. Grants a temporary stat boost that scales with skill level.

Failure to kill the target within the encounter results in instant death.

Success rewards EXP + unique subclass bonus. [NOTE: Reward depends on the individual you're facing.]

▸ [DISARM] – LV.1

Attempt to talk the enemy down.

Failure to persuade results in a severe penalty.

If you resort to violence after choosing [DISARM], the penalty is doubled.

Success rewards EXP + unique subclass bonus. [NOTE: Reward depends on the individual you're facing.]

🎭 LV.1 Insight:

Gain a brief glimpse into the enemy's current emotional state. Accuracy depends on your familiarity with the target.

🔓 LV.2+ Insight Unlocks: Difficulty ratings for BOTH options, emotional triggers or weaknesses, and triggering phrases.

[MORE SUBCLASS SKILLS WILL BE UNLOCKED UPON ADVANCING IN THIS CLASS.]

"I'm not choosing that one." He paused, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, the stat boost is tempting. But I'm not a killer. I'd rather keep my agency than get shackled to a kill-or-be-killed scenario. And I already decided—I won't become a liar."

So why does it still tempt me?

His fists clenched. A thrill pulsed through his chest.

'Damn it... it's just a trick.'

'This subclass was far more detailed than the others. It's like they're trying to sell it to me.'

'Fuck.'

[Is it really such a bad thing, boyo?] The prompt flickered into view as Jiho walked. [We did save you, after all.]

He didn't respond.

[But hey, like I said before—no pressure. I can't force you. You'll choose eventually. No biggy.]

'The way he says that... like I'm destined to choose it anyway. Screw that.'

"I'm my own person," he muttered, jaw tight. "I won't be manipulated. Not again."

"Besides, I'm in a pretty good position." He eyed his stats:

[Status Window]

Name: Jiho An

Class: Assassin

Level: 50

Stat Points Available: 400

[Strength]: 40

[Agility]: 40

[Vitality]: 100

[Perception]: 100

[Intelligence]: 25

'...!' His eyes widened at the familiar voice.

He turned his head.

There she was—surrounded by her friends, chatting, laughing; a bandage on her nose.

Cha.

He held his gaze, looking at her with a deadpanned face. The image of that moment—the way he accidentally smacked her face, the sound, the blood—hit him again. His chest twisted.

He stood at a distance, watching her.

'Come on. I'm stronger now. No one can hurt me anymore.'

His heart pounded.

'Come on.'

He stepped forward. Each footfall echoed in his skull.

Cha was the first to notice. Her eyes locked with his, and the laughter faded. Her friends turned, cautious. Guarded.

"It's Jiho...!" one of them said, eyes narrowing.

Jiho lowered his chin, keeping his expression blank.

One of the guys stepped forward to block him, glaring up at Jiho—who now towered over him.

'Shit... Did he get taller!?'

'He really is a zombie or something, huh!?'

"YOU FUCKER! Stay away from her!" the guy shouted, planting himself between them like a wall.

Jiho didn't react. His eyes were fixed on Cha, who stood frozen, her friends crowding protectively around her; their hostile gazes directed at Jiho.

"..."

He looked down, as if trying to find his words somewhere in the dirt.

"Uh..." he mumbled, "Cha... right?"

Silence.

He scratched the side of his neck, eyes softening with shame. He couldn't meet anyone's gaze.

"...I'm sorry," he said at last, voice small. "I was... just..." He paused, shook his head. "No. There's no excuse. It was my fault. I'm sorry."

They all blinked. Cha's lips parted slightly.

She watched him—this taller, quieter Jiho who suddenly looked so small—unable to hold a single stare.

"You didn't deserve that," he continued. "I just... wanted you to know—"

"FUCKER!" the guy snapped, stepping forward. "YOU ALMOST BROKE HER NOSE! THINK SHE'LL FORGIVE YOU!? You're lucky we didn't report your freak ass—"

He shoved Jiho.

Jiho barely flinched.

The guy stumbled backward, landing hard on his ass. "The fuck…!?" he muttered, looking up in disbelief. Heads turned.

"THIS FUCKER'S A ZOMBIE!" he shouted from the ground.

More heads turned. Fast. Fear rippling through the crowd.

"...I'm not a—" Jiho muttered, his voice strained.

"ZOMBIE!!! SHIT!! CALL SOMEONE! HE'S A FUCKING ZOMBIE, I KNOW IT!"

"What's he talking about?"

"Was he bit?!"

Students whispered around him, confused, tense—gazes narrowing in on Jiho from all directions.

'Motherfucker…' Jiho's expression flattened. Cold. Unreadable.

"I said, I'm not—"

"EVERYONE FUCKING RUN!!! HE'S A ZOMBIE!!!"

The shout cut through the tension like a blade.

Cha looked down at her friend—the one screaming—and reached for him.

"Stop it!" she called. But he didn't hear her, he only saw Jiho.

Jiho stood frozen. His head bowed.

Everyone's stares pierced him like knives.

"A zombie...? Oh shit, what if he's really bitten?! We're all gonna die!!"

"Someone get a teacher—!"

The voices blended. Swelled. Spiraled.

'Heh… piece of shit,' the one on the ground thought, sneering. 'Like hell I'll let you off. They should 'put you in a lab and dissect—'

He stopped.

Jiho was staring at him.

[RAGE MODE AVAILABLE!!!]

Jiho's hand trembled, clenched so tightly that blood welled beneath his nails.

He glared, locking eyes with the instigator.

The boy's breath hitched. He went silent.

"Shut... the fuck up..." Jiho growled—a whisper forced through gritted teeth.

Visions flashed. His hands gripping the boy's jaw—fingers tearing into his mouth, pulling his chin and skull apart, the flesh splitting open under the pressure, blood spilling across Jiho's face—

…It felt good.

"Hey." Two figures stepped up beside him—one on each side.

The rage paused.

One was a girl—dark lipstick, dark eyeshadow, dark hair, wearing a revealing black outfit that matched her intense presence.

The other was a spectacle of his own—tall, chiseled, broad-shouldered. A walking monolith.

"Jiho, right?" the girl asked, calm but firm. "Let's go. We've been waiting."

Jiho's breathing was still ragged, but her voice reached him. He blinked, confused.

"…!" Recognition struck.

He looked to her—then to the guy on his other side.

He'd seen them before. They were the ones who attacked him, claiming to be players.

Though back then, the guy was even bulkier—almost monstrous.

"You're—"

"Still waiting," the girl cut Jiho off, her gaze sharp.

Jiho's eyes widened as the two flanked him. Solid. Unmoving.

Students whispered all around:

"Who are they?"

"His friends…?"

"They look like models—"

"Wait… isn't that the Jiho who was released from the quarantine zone with that Jang guy? From that InstaGrab post?!"

"It's like a trio of supermodels…"

Then the tall guy stepped forward. Calm. Quiet.

He turned the instigator's head with two fingers.

"Hey, cockroach," he said softly. "Leave it. Or you answer to me."

The instigator gulped, looking up at him.

"From what I heard, Jiho came here to apologize to this lady. Right? Leave it at that." He turned to address the crowd.

"And the rest of you—" His voice rose, proud.

"You really gonna side with someone who mocks a guy who's been through hell? Anyone who does that…"He pointed to himself, chest puffed.

"Answers to me."

The girls gasped.

Meanwhile, the girl beside Jiho let out a long sigh, clearly unimpressed.

Jiho looked between the two of them, still disoriented.

"He used to be the fattest kid in the room," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Every girl he talked to shut him down. Now he just grandstands whenever he gets the chance."

"…" Jiho exhaled, then muttered, "You did try to kill me and take over the world. Not sure you're qualified to talk about subtlety."

Her breath caught. Her eyes sharpened.

"About that," she said, tone shifting.

"Don't mistake this for kindness." She looked away.

"This is just us… paying you back for the advice."

"Come on," the taller guy turned to both of them. "We'll be late for class. And school is way too important for that."

"He's so dreamy…"

"Education first..." the girls swooned.

"I'm Seokjin," he said, glancing at Jiho. "…Yuna," the girl added, as the three of them began walking together.

"…"

"…What happened to Black and Red?" Jiho deadpanned.

Both of them froze and blushed.

"SHUT UP! That's not us anymore!" Seokjin snapped. "And what kind of manners is that?! Introduce yourself!"

"…"

"…I'm Jiho. And…" He hesitated.

"…Thanks."

Seokjin looked away. So did Yuna. "Like I said," she muttered, "Just repaying a debt."

"…Okay." Jiho nodded as they disappeared into the building.

Unbeknownst to him, Cha's eyes stayed on his back, unmoving.

"Unbelievable," her friend hissed beside her. "That guy hurt you and has the balls to show up again? I'd spit on him if I were you. And that bandage—look what he did to your nose! Fuckin' ruined my mood." The others nodded, their voices sharp with disgust.

"...Right," Cha murmured.

But her eyes never left him. Her fingers drifted, almost unconsciously, to the edge of her bandage.

Jiho and his new... "friends" entered the school building.

Eyes followed.

...Cheeks flushed.

'I can hear you...!' he thought, pressing his lips together as the words rang out:

"Who is that hunk and that hottie next to him..." a girl muttered. "He looks like he could bench press me and you at the same time..."

His perception locked onto the hungry gazes—some from girls, some even from guys... though the guys carried more envy than heat; and turned more to Yuna.

"I'd fuck his brains out..."

His face burned redder than a tomato.

Then came the other side. The one that never left.

"You shouldn't," someone snapped. "At least with the middle one. That fucker's Jiho. He used to go to my school in the quarantine zone... total manipulator and liar."

"What did he do?"

"Planned to rape someone from my class. Isolate her or something. I don't know the details, but I know he did that."

"Holy shit, really? Guess he's just a golden statue full of shit..."

'...Some things never change,' Jiho thought. Daniel...! He imagined his fist crushing Daniel's skull.

His jaw clenched. Breaths uneven. Yet neither Seokjin nor Yuna cast a judging gaze at Jiho.

"...I mean, he is kinda hot. Yandere daddy, then," a girl muttered. "I'd think twice about fighting back if he raped me."

And just like that, Jiho's anger was relieved a little.

'They mentioned an InstaGrab post about me and hyung...?'

----------------------------

📘 SUBCLASSES

After meeting certain (yet undisclosed) conditions, a sentient zombie may choose a subclass in addition to their main class. Subclasses grant additional versatility and refine the user's expertise in a chosen path.

On rare occasions, a hidden or elevated subclass may appear—uniquely tailored to the individual.

📘 PLAYERS

Nothing is known about the players yet. Only this: they were bitten. But instead of dying, they received a strange system that enhances them. They retain their sanity, emotions, thoughts, and memories.

By the system's definition—they are sentient zombies.

Yet, they display no hunger for human flesh.

Even without stat upgrades, their base strength equals that of four Olympic athletes combined into one.

With every level gained, they receive stat points—just like in an RPG.

📘 ZOMBIFICATION METER

Every player begins with a zombification meter—an indicator of how close they are to losing their mind. The meter rises with intense emotion.

To reduce it, one must kill: zombie, human, or player.

Past a certain level (of the player), something changes. The zombification meter no longer causes madness at 100%. Instead, it becomes a unique "ultimate ability" gauge.

Another way to annul zombification is to kill a zombie precisely when the meter hits 100%—a hidden workaround.

Unlikely, nearly impossible to discover early on.

And yet… by sheer dumb luck, Jiho An did.

He bypassed the system.

And even luck, it seems… gets rewarded.

📘 PINEAPPLE SCHOOL

In South Korea, few things matter more than education—and cramming.

After the Seoul outbreak, many schools inside the quarantine zone were shut down. In response, a massive education complex was built just outside the zone to accommodate displaced students. Now known as Pineapple School, it houses thousands of students—from elementary all the way to university level.

Given the circumstances, it's not surprising that Jiho now shares a school with students from all over, including those whose schools were lost to the outbreak.

📘 YUNA & SEOKJIN

Jiho's former attackers—and confirmed players.

Seokjin was the one who punched Jiho hard enough to nearly break his arms & send him through a small building...

…Though that probably wouldn't work now, considering the way Jiho is currently.

It was later revealed that both Yuna and Seokjin are still in school—presumably high school.

Their appearance at Pineapple confirms their original school was also destroyed, marking them as recent transfers invited to join the institution.

📘 CHA

A girl Jiho accidentally hit shortly after leaving the quarantine zone. They attended the same school.

He later apologized for it.