Episode 7: Survival

[TV News Segment]

(Breaking News) Presidential Address on the Gangneung Crisis

"...Fellow citizens, please do not be swayed by unverified rumors or videos. Follow only the official government announcements. Currently, all access to Gangneung is temporarily restricted. We are doing everything in our power to protect and rescue citizens in the area. The government will deploy all available resources to bring this situation under control as soon as possible..."

**

My steps felt heavier as I returned to Room 403.

I had accomplished nothing in Room 401.

The squad members were silently waiting for me.

"We just survived a life-or-death situation together, but I still don't know your names. That's on me. Let's fix that now. From this moment on… we're comrades."

An awkward silence lingered.

"I'll go first. I'm Captain Kang Ji-hoo. Nothing else matters right now. What does matter is that I want to survive this with all of you."

I looked around at everyone again.

"Just your names are fine. I can't keep calling you 'hey, you' forever."

A few sighs broke the silence. Those brief sighs spoke volumes about our current situation.

"I'm Yoo Young-min. I'm the gun crew leader for Alpha 3. Like you, sir, I'll take responsibility for our squad."

Sergeant Yoo stepped up first.

"I'm Sergeant Kim Se-hyun."

I already knew.

"I'm Corporal Jung Jae-hoon. I operate Gun 3."

Gun 3. That explains his connection with Sergeant Yoo.

Dong-hoon scratched his head and muttered.

"Park Dong-hoon."

Then came Lee Hyung-seok, Choi Yoon-seong, Oh Se-min, and Bae Jin-soo.

Only one man remained. I looked at him.

He averted his gaze, maintaining his cynical expression.

"..."

He said nothing, his eyes filled with distrust.

I looked at him a moment longer, then sighed.

Sergeant Yoo quietly filled in the silence.

"Corporal Han Do-yoon."

Just hearing their names made me feel slightly closer to them.

I etched their names, faces, and attitudes into my memory.

To assess the situation, I gave a directive to Jae-hoon, who was seated by the window.

"Give me a report on what's going on outside."

Without a word, Jae-hoon peered out. His movements reminded me of Sergeant Yoo.

"They're loitering just in front of the barricade. One wrong move and they might push inside. Roughly twenty of them."

…It's getting worse.

We had three civilians to protect, and now roughly twenty hostile entities nearby.

I reviewed their behavior in my mind: They reacted to gunshots, screams. Ji-won reacted to visual cues.

…Could they have human-like senses?

They didn't seem to feel pain, but displayed intense obsession when attacking others. Their movement was mindless—direct charges.

When we fled by car, they couldn't keep up.

Putting everything together, I concluded they had abilities similar to humans, at least for now.

"Disregard external barriers. Establish a watch from the windows. Jae-hoon and Do-yoon will take the first shift. If anyone crosses the barricade zone, report it immediately. Everything else is up to your judgment."

What time was it…? I checked my phone. Dead.

"What time is it?"

"17:47, sir."

Maybe we should rotate guard every two hours…

Everyone looked exhausted from the long day. Not a single person seemed okay. They must be starving, too.

"Let's go get food."

I dropped the commanding tone and softened my voice.

The emergency rations for our squad included two boxes of combat meals and one box of bottled water.

Three for transport, two on watch. Who should go…

"Do-yoon, Se-min, Jin-soo, Hyung-seok. Let's move."

I deliberately included Do-yoon in the group.

"Me too?"

Why are you even asking?

No matter how much attitude you give me, you're with us now, whether you like it or not.

We didn't head straight outside but observed from the broken doorway first.

If any hostiles were around the vehicle, recovery would be risky.

Fortunately, there was no immediate threat.

However, some noise during unloading drew attention—several hostiles glanced our way and approached.

…Weren't they close enough already? Please, no more.

Luckily, the barricade still blocked their line of sight.

We returned with water and rations. I distributed the evening meals.

Two boxes meant 48 packs. With 14 people, a full three meals would barely cover one day.

…We'll need to ration carefully.

I noticed earlier that the office fridge on the first floor had plenty of water.

Not sure how many days' worth, though.

I'll have to search the office more thoroughly.

I ate dinner alone in Room 403.

The others seemed unwilling to eat with Ji-won in view.

They couldn't leave him alone, but they also didn't feel comfortable being near him.

I didn't mind. But while eating, I couldn't take my eyes off Ji-won.

…Come to think of it, shouldn't he eat something too?

He was tied up after asking for water.

How do I feed him?

I brought a water bottle and approached.

He bared his teeth again, like a feral animal.

Of course, he was gagged, so he couldn't actually bite.

His body was restrained, so I pulled the towel down below his chin.

"Stop trying to bite and drink this."

I tilted the bottle and poured water gently.

He must've been really thirsty.

He jerked his head wildly, trying to grab the bottle.

Most of the water spilled.

The bottle, knocked from my hand, hit the shower head with a clunk.

Should I try using the shower?

It's just tap water, but he needs something.

Look, I tried to give you clean water, alright?

I aimed the shower head at his mouth and turned it on.

I saw his throat move—he was swallowing.

Then:

Hack, hack—

He coughed.

I couldn't pat him on the back, so I just watched until he calmed down.

…I'll need to figure out how to feed him soon.

After dinner, I made rounds to check the pension.

First, I knocked on Room 401, holding a combat meal.

The bottle of water and the key that had been left there were gone.

"You're still in there, right?"

"...Yes."

She must've been shocked after seeing Ji-won, but thankfully, she hadn't run away.

"Have you eaten? Would you like some rations?"

The door opened slightly.

The chain was still latched.

I saw part of her face through the gap.

"Could you please give me some?"

I handed the meal through the opening.

"Let me know if you need anything."

As I turned away:

"W-Wait! That man earlier—he's not a zombie, right?"

She really knows how to ask tough questions.

"We're observing him."

"..."

She went silent, then shut the door.

I continued my rounds.

I called Do-yoon and Dong-hoon again.

"Ugh!"

Dong-hoon groaned in protest.

The more you complain, the more I'll call you out.

We needed a backup plan in case the barricade fell. Maybe we could defend the stairwell.

What could we use…

I spotted a mattress.

I had the two of them drag it into the stairwell between the first and second floors.

It wasn't much, but it gave some peace of mind.

I reassigned the guards to the rooftop.

It had a much better view—full 360-degree visibility.

Oh, right.

I needed to check the first-floor office.

I called Dong-hoon and Do-yoon again.

They looked ready to curse me out, but I didn't care.

I had them lower the mattress for now.

I could've done it myself, but bonding happens through friction.

The office had cup noodles, canned coffee, and bottled water.

Considering our numbers, it might not last long.

...But if we're stuck here, it could mean surviving a bit longer.

We couldn't carry everything, so I grabbed two boxes of ramen.

I overheard them cursing me loudly until I emerged.

They stopped as soon as I appeared.

Apparently, they were blaming me for trapping them here and dooming everyone.

Their faces showed nothing but resentment.

I ignored it and ordered them to reset the mattress.

I checked from the first floor to the rooftop.

Room 502 was still silent.

The squad had split into groups of three and entered different rooms on the fourth floor, except for Rooms 401 and 403.

Sergeant Yoo was assigning night shifts. Some were already asleep.

From Do-yoon's room, I heard:

"Damn it. This is f***ed."

…I'll need to handle Do-yoon carefully.

I returned to Room 403 and sat by Ji-won, who was visible in the bedroom.

Earlier, he looked at me.

Now, I looked at her.

I was prepared to endure.

Now, I needed to think about when and how we'd leave.

Tonight had to be a time of recovery for everyone.

I hoped they'd all eat well, sleep well.

…Should I do a roll call before bed?

Nah, I already saw all their faces.

I needed intel.

…My phone was still dead.

Had been for a while.

What a time to be unplugged.

With growing discomfort, I headed to Room 401.

Knock knock—

"Excuse me… could I borrow a phone charger?"

I asked through the door.

The door opened. The latch was still on. She handed me a charger with an exasperated expression and slammed the door.

So prickly.

I returned to my room and plugged in the phone.

193 missed calls.

The phone buzzed like an alarm.

I opened the browser to check Gangneung's status.

There wasn't much information.

To report our holdout position, I called the battalion commander.

Fortunately—or not—he didn't answer.

Next, the operations officer.

Still nothing.

...Maybe something happened at the unit too.