Chapter 30: Ambush

Xiao Guang found it difficult to find long stretches of time for solitary thought. Bae Ju-hyun and Kim Min-ju, who were always by his side, seemed to dislike it whenever he disappeared or remained motionless for too long.

Whenever complex emotions surged within him, before Xiao Guang could even begin to reflect, a small hand or a strange sound would inevitably interrupt his train of thought.

Bae Ju-hyun was beating up Min-ju again—though perhaps that wasn't the most accurate way to describe it; rather, Min-ju was sprawled on the floor, and Bae Ju-hyun was sitting astride her back.

One glance at Min-ju’s dodging head told Xiao Guang the reason: she had played with the little ball for too long and hadn't returned it to Bae Ju-hyun in time.

Setting aside his copy of *Advanced Driving Techniques*, Xiao Guang walked over and scooped up Bae Ju-hyun, letting Min-ju hide behind him. He looked into those reddened eyes, kissed Bae Ju-hyun’s forehead, and said, "Let her play a little longer. I'll get it back for you, okay?"

"Okay~"

Xiao Guang froze. Was he hallucinating? Had Bae Ju-hyun really said the word "okay"?

"Say it again, Bae Ju-hyun. Take your time. You can do it."

Xiao Guang watched her lips intently, waiting for her to repeat it.

"Okay."

Xiao Guang cradled her face and kissed her repeatedly. Behind him, Kim Min-ju, still holding the little ball in her mouth, widened her eyes. She took the ball out as if to try speaking as well, but a glare from Bae Ju-hyun’s reddened eyes sent the ball right back into her mouth, her deep blue pupils looking quite aggrieved.

Originally planning to continue lazing around the house, Xiao Guang went to the door to put on his gear. Since Bae Ju-hyun had started to speak, he realized he should do something. He believed that the two of them would slowly recover their ability to communicate, and eventually, they would need more things suited for girls.

Bae Ju-hyun followed him to the car, but Xiao Guang carried her back down, patting her head. "I'll be back soon. I’m just going to where I used to live; it’s very safe there."

Bae Ju-hyun seemed to want to follow, so Xiao Guang carried her back into the living room and placed Min-ju’s hand into hers. "Min-ju is still young and doesn't understand. Stay here and watch over her."

Helmet, protective suit—the transparent tape wrapped around it was a bit loose, but it should hold. He was only going to browse a few small shops near his apartment; he had seen many things girls liked there last time.

***

Driving carefully, Xiao Guang ignored the zombies that occasionally lunged at his vehicle, their bodies bouncing off the metal frame. He couldn't help but shake his head; the viral infection was truly an unfathomable thing. How could some develop so quickly?

There were only two or three zombies downstairs at the apartment building, far fewer than before, though all possessed the same vacant, grayish-white eyes. Xiao Guang hit the gas without hesitation, running them over. Watching them hiss at him from the ground, he stepped out of the car and gave his baseball bat a flick, wanting to keep his distance.

He grabbed more clothes for the girls, along with a handful of eyebrow pencils. He stopped by the convenience store, wondering if feminine hygiene products would be of any use, and tossed them into a bag.

With the bag full, Xiao Guang began to carefully select some well-preserved snacks from the floor.

"Ah... ah~~"

There was a sound outside. Xiao Guang immediately tightened his grip on the baseball bat and looked out. It seemed to be the zombie girl he had helped dress in denim earlier. Why was she alone? He tossed the food into the bag and walked out slowly.

The zombie girl’s denim outfit was crooked, and the buttons he had fastened were undone, revealing a tilted bra underneath. Xiao Guang looked at her. "Do you need something?"

"Ah... ah~~"

She seemed to be gesturing at something, finally clawing at her bra. Xiao Guang frowned. Was something hiding inside her denim jacket? A mouse?

He set his bat down on the bag and carefully reached his hand into her jacket. She was moving, and it felt like something was crawling toward her back. Xiao Guang reached in deeper, but suddenly, her arms clamped down tightly on him.

"Ah... ah~~!"

The same sound, but this time much louder. Hearing footsteps, Xiao Guang turned to see three other zombie girls in denim running toward him. In a panic, he pulled his hands back violently and slammed his helmet into the one in front of him.

The grip loosened instantly. Xiao Guang grabbed his bat and swung without hesitation at the nearest zombie girl. She blocked the blow with her arm, let out a sharp cry, and lunged at him.

It wasn't just her; the other two pounced as well. Xiao Guang held his arm against their chins. He noticed that of the three, only one had grayish-white eyes, while the other two appeared normal.

With all three on him, Xiao Guang found it hard to struggle. Fortunately, they only knew how to claw and bite. He could feel their teeth sinking into his leg through the protective suit.

He dropped the bat, reached into his back pocket with his right hand, pulled out a screwdriver, and drove it into the eye of the girl pinned by his left arm. Enduring the bites of the other two, he stabbed her face several times.

With one dealt with, the others were easier. He kicked one away, picked up his bat, and swung it heavily at the head of the next. It took only one strike to send her to the ground. Before she could rise, he struck again and again until her skull shattered, leaving only her legs twitching.

***

He turned to the first zombie girl. She stood there, watching the scene motionless. When she saw Xiao Guang look at her, she began gesturing and making those "ah" sounds again. Xiao Guang ignored her and chased after the last remaining zombie girl who was trying to run.

Even though her eyes hadn't turned gray, Xiao Guang swung the bat down anyway. Her hiss sounded particularly painful, but remembering the ambush, Xiao Guang smashed her until she no longer resembled a human.

"I need an explanation. Why?"

Knowing she likely couldn't understand him, Xiao Guang still pressed the tip of his bat against the face of the first zombie girl.

"I helped you. Even if it was just putting clothes on you, it was still help. But you clearly wanted to turn me into one of you, and I don't like that."

He poked her a few times. Her eyes stared straight at him, and she suddenly let out another string of unintelligible sounds. Xiao Guang watched her gestures and shook his head.

"I don't understand, and I don't care. But I don't want to be treated this way if I come back next time. So, I’m sorry. You don't look very good like this, and I can't let you go. Perhaps true death is the best ending for you. I hope you’re just as beautiful in your next life."

The zombie girl listened to the muffled voice coming from the helmet and looked at the bat in his hand. She seemed to grasp his meaning; her eyes shifted, and she knelt directly before him, bowing her head with her hands hanging limp, trembling.

Xiao Guang didn't know what she meant—was she begging for forgiveness, or asking him to end it? He glanced at the three mangled corpses on the ground, sighed, reached out to pat her head once, and slowly turned to leave.

Just as he turned his back, the zombie girl looked up. She watched his back, then saw him suddenly spin around, his bat raised high, swinging downward toward her face.

"This is the end of the world. I’ve been too stupid."

Xiao Guang shook the blood and flesh off the bat and looked at the bodies one last time. He would never return to this place.

The zombies were changing. If the two in his own home had transformed so much, why was he still viewing the world through the same old lens?

How foolish. He was too foolish, and this world was too foolish.