Chapter 21: Changes Unknown to Xiao Guang

According to the rules, Kim Min-ju should also be tied to a chair for observation for a day.

This protocol was established based on the initial treatment of Bae Ju-hyun. However, seeing Min-ju’s timid appearance, Xiao Guang hesitated.

Xiao Guang knew that zombies could feel fear. Back when he lived in the apartment, as long as he went out wearing his helmet and wielding a baseball bat, those zombies that had been struck by the bat would steer clear of him. This did not include the ones with cloudy, grey eyes; those had completely lost their humanity and would crazily lunge at any living person they saw.

"Ah~~"

Bae Ju-hyun made the choice for him. Watching her effortlessly carry a heavy armchair into the living room with one hand, Xiao Guang looked at Min-ju, who was standing at the doorway. Should he put some clothes on her first?

But Bae Ju-hyun clearly didn't think so. She pulled Min-ju over to sit in the chair and turned to look at Xiao Guang. Xiao Guang sighed; why did it feel like Bae Ju-hyun was ordering him around?

"I'm not doing this because you told me to. Don't think you're the master of this house. I'm just worried that Min-ju won't adapt to this place and will run around at night."

Xiao Guang had originally found a rope, but looking at Min-ju’s delicate frame, he turned and grabbed a large bathrobe instead, securing her to the chair. He turned to look at Bae Ju-hyun, "She hasn't bitten me, so there's no need to bind her mouth, right?"

Xiao Guang felt that Bae Ju-hyun’s red eyes glared at him, as if his preferential treatment of Min-ju made her unhappy. He reached out and pinched Min-ju’s cheeks until her lips puffed out. Seeing no sign of resistance from her, he let go.

"So well-behaved. I won't tie your mouth; after all, I don't have a little ball for you to play with."

Xiao Guang felt quite clever for finding a suitable excuse. He looked back at Bae Ju-hyun, "I'm not wrong, right? See, I gave you a ball back then, and you're still holding it in your mouth now."

After securing Min-ju and turning her chair toward the television, Xiao Guang wanted to watch a movie. But seeing Bae Ju-hyun already settled on the sofa, he could only press the remote again.

The SBS Gayo Daejeon began.

The sky had grown dark when Xiao Guang woke up, wiping the corner of his mouth. He was hungry.

He had actually fallen asleep while watching the music festival with two zombies. He had no vigilance at all.

What to eat tonight was a good question. Xiao Guang had wanted to try the instant bibimbap, but thinking back to how Bae Ju-hyun had eaten the first time, he decided to stick with instant noodles for today.

Cooking noodles in the kitchen, Xiao Guang felt a bit ridiculous. Not to mention that he had brought home another zombie today, how had his life with Bae Ju-hyun changed so much?

He had clearly just picked up a little pet out of kindness, but now the pet seemed to have a tendency to control him, and he was changing his own habits just to take care of them.

They were zombies, after all. What was wrong with his brain? They weren't the only pretty, innocent girls out there. If he wanted to, there were plenty of girls wandering the streets; he could see a different one every day for a year.

The aroma of the noodles brought Xiao Guang back to his senses. He boiled four packs at once and added three sausages. For him, this was enough to satisfy his appetite. There was plenty of good food in the basement storage room, but unfortunately, he was the only one who could cook. He poured all the noodles into a basin and carried it into the living room.

Xiao Guang ate first, sweating from the heat and feeling warm. He set down his chopsticks, looked at Bae Ju-hyun, and then at Min-ju, who was still staring at the TV. He took a two-minute break.

Bae Ju-hyun didn't resist today, but she kept her red eyes fixed on Xiao Guang. It made him feel a little uneasy. He was only standing next to her, pinning her with his legs—he had always done it that way before, so why did he suddenly feel like he was being crude?

When he fed Min-ju, his confidence returned. This was the correct way to feed her. Min-ju’s little mouth was like a tiny fountain; he would stuff the food in, and she would spit it out.

Could it be that Min-ju’s throat was too narrow, and he was stuffing too much?

He looked back at Bae Ju-hyun. She was still staring at him, as if telling him, "I'm watching how gently you treat Min-ju."

"Min-ju, everyone has a first time. I know you haven't felt this in a long time, and your throat might be dry, but you drank plenty of water this afternoon. Let it lubricate, and let me put it in. Just hold on; if it hurts, try to bear with it."

After saying this, Xiao Guang froze for a moment, chuckled, and pried open Min-ju’s mouth again.

Min-ju was tied to the chair, which was now reclined, so she had no choice but to accept Xiao Guang’s shameless feeding.

Between the stuffing and the spitting, he finally managed to get the rest of the noodles into her mouth. Min-ju’s face didn't look much better than a messy kitten's.

"Honestly, I’m never bringing another zombie home again. Why does this feel like I’m looking after a child ahead of schedule?"

As Xiao Guang wiped Min-ju’s face clean, he grumbled about the changes in his life. Min-ju seemed angry, opening her mouth slightly and making a low sound in her throat, but even though Xiao Guang’s hand was right on her face, she didn't try to bite him.

"You’re too cute to be a zombie. Behave, and stop making that noise. Look at how Bae Ju-hyun over there is watching you. She doesn't like disobedient children."

After cleaning Min-ju’s face, he thought for a moment and draped a bathrobe over her. He had to admit, he was taking very good care of Min-ju; Bae Ju-hyun had spent her first day in the chair completely naked.

"Hiss... United Nations... Sizzle... Static..."

The broken radio started making noise again. Xiao Guang thought he heard the words "United Nations," but he couldn't make out anything else. He frowned and sat next to the radio, trying to adjust the frequency, but it was no use.

Xiao Guang lowered his head, frowning, carefully waiting for something clear. He didn't notice that as soon as the radio started making noise, Bae Ju-hyun’s gaze shifted toward it, and even Min-ju, tied in the chair, turned her head toward the radio.

It was as if the chaotic noise in Xiao Guang’s ears was a language they could understand.

"They promised a rescue team, but who knows when it will be South Korea's turn? With South Korea's international standing, it's probably not much better than an African tribe. Sigh..."

Xiao Guang couldn't help but grumble. The radio hissed and crackled for over half an hour. He thought he had heard "United Nations" at the beginning, but the rest was just noise, and his ears were tired from listening.

"Why are you looking at me? Ready to sleep? Don't worry, I'll take care of my personal business, and then I'll hold you while we sleep."

Looking up and seeing Bae Ju-hyun staring his way, Xiao Guang forced a smile and said to her—though it was more for his own sake than hers.

In this apocalypse, one had to find reasons to keep going. Having Bae Ju-hyun hide under his covers every night was a reason Xiao Guang had grown quite fond of lately.

Xiao Guang went to the bathroom to take care of himself. Left in the living room, Bae Ju-hyun slowly turned her head to look at Kim Min-ju. The two zombies' gazes met.

"Ah~"

"~Goo~~"

With such simple monosyllables, the two zombies seemed to communicate. Bae Ju-hyun took the small ball out of her mouth. She opened her mouth, and though there was no sound, Min-ju seemed to hear something; her dark blue eyes showed a clear change.

If Xiao Guang had seen this, he would have found it amusing and assumed it was just like two pets meeting. He didn't know that the sound Bae Ju-hyun was making was very similar to the static on the radio.

"Time to sleep. Goodnight, Min-ju-xi."

Xiao Guang walked out of the bathroom and toward the living room. Hearing his voice, Bae Ju-hyun put the ball back into her mouth, gave a slight nod toward Min-ju, and waited for Xiao Guang to pick her up and head to the bedroom.