The inside of the mart was so dark that I couldn’t see a hand in front of my face without a flashlight.
They say big discount stores intentionally avoid windows to prevent customers from leaving before they check out their bargains.
Of course, a mart wouldn’t turn on the lights just for the four of us, so we had to wander around in the pitch blackness, unable to make out even the shape of a person when we turned a corner.
I mean, even the creepy haunted house has at least some light to see where you’re going.
There are no zombie-like things that would instantly knock you out with just a little bite.
So, what can we do?
We had no choice but to turn on the flashlight like a fishing boat that uses bright lights to attract squids, even though we knew it would also call in nearby zombies.
I didn’t want to turn it on, but with zero visibility, what other choice was there?
Sure, those monsters could be lured in by the light, but we concluded that the danger lurking in the pitch-black darkness was far more fatal than what was right in front of us.
Our goal wasn’t simply to avoid detection by the zombies; it was to grab groceries and get out, even if it meant fighting.
And if we had to face danger, at least it would be a kind we could counter.
Better the known threat of the light drawing them in than the unknown lurking somewhere in the black abyss.
After all, even without this light, those monsters would have found us just by the sound of our little footsteps.
Well, it might be no different than riding a bike on the wrong side of the road out of fear of an approaching car; it’s all about perspective.
I could only hope that not too many of them would come charging at us.
Schlurp, schlurp.
“………”
“………”
Each step we took was cautious, bracing for a zombie that might suddenly jump out from a corner.
With our weapons gripped tightly in both hands, we carefully entered the mart.
After about ten minutes of searching, we encountered a shocking revelation.
That revelation was—
Tap.
“─No zombies?”
“…..Looks like it. Did they all go out?”
It was an astonishing fact that there were no zombies in this vast mart.
With a bit of skepticism, I cranked the flashlight brightness up to the max—
But it still didn’t satisfy us, and Yuni, standing next to me, decided to stomp her foot just to test things out.
[…………………]
“…Are you sure there aren’t any?”
“…Should we wait a bit longer, Hyunjin-senpai?”
The terrible sounds of corpses howling that had haunted us night after night for two months were nonexistent.
No, it wasn’t just that.
The sounds of mangled flesh colliding with hard surfaces, which used to immediately echo at the slightest hint of movement, were gone.
The unpleasant sound of them clashing their teeth, which was always heard through the window, was absent as well.
[“………………….”]
The pitch-black interior of the mart was eerily filled with a silence so profound it felt unnatural.
This outcome had been somewhat expected, after all.
I mean, the options were that it was either teeming with zombies going crazy or almost empty, not totally different from flipping a coin.
So, in a way, it was a predicted outcome.
“….Well, it’s a relief if there are none.”
To clarify, it had already been two months since the outbreak of the zombie situation.
Aside from specialized buildings like schools or hospitals, this mart likely had the highest foot traffic when the incident first happened.
And that meant, conversely, that it was one of the first places where chaos erupted as people ran for their lives, getting mixed in with the zombies.
Seeing that there were no barricades made from surrounding tools or evidence of living traces like empty cans, it was easy to deduce that the people in this mart hadn’t put up a fight against the zombies on the first day and were swept away instead.
And by now, it made sense that the zombies lingering in here could have heard the movement of survivors and fled outside.
In fact, Yuni had mentioned several scenarios before we arrived, including this possibility.
Could those bloodstains on the floor that looked like something had been dragged be remnants from that day?
Perhaps they were traces left behind by the monsters.
And if that was the case—
“─This is sweet deal.”
It was clear what actions we would take.
Before, when we had no idea running away from school and even raiding a convenience store felt wrong, we hesitated.
Now, though, we might not even preserve our own lives, but here we were, casually contemplating police and past crimes as trivial worries.
But.
“We should take everything!”
“Um….The grocery aisle should be that way, senpai.”
“Can’t we just take the whole mart? It’s a waste.”
This time, not a single person hesitated.
‘….Ah. So, you all wanna die together?’
Maybe it was because the world had already fallen apart, and there was no point in caring anymore.
Thud.
‘…Did I lose?’
‘Hehe. I finally won, Unnie Yuni!’
‘Oh, Hia beat Yuni? Our Hia is so smart!’
Or maybe there was something precious and meaningful that couldn’t be measured by values dictated by others, like sin or morality.
“….From here, down…”
The youngest among us, Yuni, was already studying the layout of the building and calculating where the necessary items were.
“Hey, Hyunjin. Don’t forget Hia.”
The most anxious of us, Jung Eun, brushed off some dust from a wooden stick and showed me a thumbs-up, proudly displaying the backpack she had slung over her shoulder.
And—
“…..This is insane.”
Watching their transformation, I couldn’t help but smirk wryly.
Somehow, everyone had grown more reliable.
Now, we looked like a gang of criminals.
So,
Tap.
“Okay, Hia, let’s go over there.”
“…….Okay, I got it.”
Whether it was fear of the darkness or not, Hia had been clinging to my clothes since a while ago and staring into the pitch-black depths.
I held her hand reassuringly and proceeded to slowly enter the section of the mart where the groceries were displayed.
Squids move their arms instinctively toward the bright light pouring from above the surface.
Moths fly, believing the blazing campfire to be the moonlight guiding them.
Watching from afar, we might click our tongues at their foolishness and wonder why such simpleton creatures fall for such cheap imitations.
But the truly unfortunate ones are definitely them.
Because the kids who could tell them the truth have all been tricked.
All dead by now.
No one in this world can say they were deceived.
Because, the moment someone realizes they’ve been played, that person is no longer someone who’s been tricked.
In this world, there are only those who haven’t been tricked yet and those who already have.
So, everyone firmly believes they haven’t been fooled.
I, too, say I’m not fooled.
My choice is the right one.
But, who knows.
Who’s the one caught?
Who’s really the one tricked?
[‘……..’ ‘………..ㅏ’ ‘………ㅏㅏ’ ‘…ㅏ…….ㅏ…..’ ‘………….’ ‘……ㅡ……ㅏ……’ ‘……ㅜ…ㅣ’ ‘…………..’ ‘ㅡ…..ㅡ……..’ ‘………….ㅣ’ ‘……..ㅗ.’ ‘………ㅏ, ㅏ….’ ‘…………..’ ‘…………’]
Like a person waiting for fish to enter a trap, beneath the surface.
Like a fish nudging a bait, waiting for a fisherman to catch it.
In the darkness, something quietly stares at me, at us.
[””””””’…………………….””””””’]
Gazing into dozens, if not hundreds, of lifeless pairs of eyes.
I quietly muttered.
*i>”─Smart choice.”
“…Hia? Are you scared?”
Crunch.
The tiny wrinkle formed on the outfit I was clutching.
Did she hear my mumbled words?
“Don’t worry, Hia. I’m here, and there’s even a gorilla ahead—’This lady!?’—So, we’ve got this. The Unnies will take care of everything.”
*i>”Yeah…..I believe in you, Unnie.”
Hwa Min must have thought I was scared; she covered my hand, which was holding onto her outfit.
Feeling reassured by her warmth, I quietly considered what was about to unfold.
Scary.
I carefully rolled that brief echo around in my mouth like a grape.
…..
Yeah.
Maybe I really am scared, as she said.
I might never see my sisters’ beautiful faces again.
The thought of not being able to join them as they bravely push through all obstacles in this dark world, moving forward.
Really.
“─I’m scared.”
And regretful.
So very, very regretful.
Thus, carefully and cautiously—
*i>”………..”
I followed them, slowly entering the mart where the zombies lurked.
