Chapter 14. Farming

Chapter 14. Farming

“So, you managed to talk to your dad?”

“Yes. He’s gathered with all his company colleagues. They’re planning to start cleanup operations in the area soon, and he said he’ll come once things are somewhat settled, so we should stay hidden at home.”

“Wow! Congratulations. That’s such a relief.”

The three of us sat around the kitchen table.

While Gayoung couldn’t reach her mother, it seemed her father was alright. When I told him about Seonyoung and myself, he was incredibly grateful and said we could stay at their house indefinitely, making ourselves comfortable.

On the table were a stew, various side dishes, and seasoned grilled beef, all clearly prepared by Gayoung’s mother. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten a home-cooked meal like this. Living alone and working, I mostly ate delivery food even before the Zombie Apocalypse.

“Thank you for the meal!”

“I’ll eat well too.”

All I’d done was cook the rice and grill the meat, yet their cheerful greetings made me feel a little embarrassed.

Come to think of it, I should have just let Gayoung call me ‘Oppa’. While it’s true I’m an ‘Ahjussi’, ‘Oppa’ sounds much nicer. I felt like I needed to draw a line, so I set the terms, but now it just feels awkward.

Clink. Thud.

We quickly finished our conversation and began to focus on eating. The only sounds at the table were the occasional clinking of tableware, with no other words exchanged. It was more than just the pleasure of eating; it was pure ecstasy.

“Ah… I’m full. I’ll do the dishes. Both of you, please rest.”

“No, I’ll do them. You barely slept yesterday, didn’t you? Your eyes are practically closing now. Go on, get some rest.”

Gayoung initially refused, but when I also urged her, pushing her gently, she finally went into her room. Seonyoung and I were also tired, but we were in better shape than yesterday. It seems I managed to pace myself a little better today.

“Seonyoung, would you like some coffee?”

“I’d love some!”

I brewed coffee next to her as she washed the dishes. It was a welcome sight, as I used to drink two cups a day just two days ago. Since the outbreak, I hadn’t been able to smoke or drink coffee, so this was perfect. Breathing in the fragrant coffee aroma, I felt like I could die from happiness. Was this the preciousness of everyday life?

It had only been a little over a day. Unable to enjoy the things I used to take for granted, even a small luxury like this brought immense happiness. Taking the opportunity, I pulled out the cigarettes from inside my bag, grabbed a coffee in one hand, and stepped out onto the veranda.

Puff, puff.

“Inhale. Exhale.”

I gazed blankly at the road outside, savoring the hazy sensation. The Grass Field I’d left on the first day, and the sports park stretching out beside it, came into view. And then, two men quickly entering a building in the sports park.

Survivors.

They were carrying something in both hands.

‘Right… maybe even now.’

Even if I couldn’t see them, somewhere, someone was fighting for survival. Even at this very moment, there must be people battling Zombies. No matter how happy and comfortable I felt now, I shouldn’t become complacent. I had to keep fighting. I tried to encourage myself, telling myself I was doing well.

“Team Leader! Ugh, that smell. Could you please stop smoking? Why does it feel like you’re always smoking whenever I look for you?”

“Ah… hearing that gives me PTSD. *chuckles* Why are you out here? Aren’t you resting?”

“I just wanted to talk about what we’re going to do tomorrow.”

Seonyoung’s voice came from the open veranda door. It reminded me of a conversation we’d had just before the Zombie Apocalypse. She always startled me.

“Let’s decide tomorrow after I check my side. I noticed a pretty big bruise when I was showering.”

“Ah… I hope it heals quickly.”

“It’ll be fine. So, don’t think about anything today, just get some good rest. And sleep in tomorrow.”

Just moments ago, I had resolved to keep fighting, but resting well is also crucial for survival. Especially with an injury like mine, it would be best to safely monitor its progress.

“Okay. Then I’ll sleep in the study, and you can take the master bedroom, Team Leader. I won’t be going to sleep right away, so let me know if you need anything!”

Seonyoung smiled happily at the mention of sleeping in, said she was going to watch some MeTube, and headed inside. Who would even upload videos in a situation like this? No, wait. Maybe it’s precisely *because* of this situation that more updates would be posted.

Gayoung’s house had three rooms and two bathrooms. Gayoung used her usual room, and Seonyoung gave me the master bedroom. In truth, the study Seonyoung went into was a small dressing room with a computer and a clothes rack. It was the smallest room, and Gayoung had already laid out bedding there. I had offered to use the study, but Seonyoung adamantly refused, saying the injured person should get priority.

As the long, arduous day drew to a close, we had endured a difficult day and dispersed to our respective rooms to rest.

—Mihamiha! Hello, everyone, my loyal subscribers. I hope you all survived safely today. This is Survival Man, checking in on Survival Day 2.

Lying on the spacious master bedroom bed, I plugged in my Cell Phone and opened MeTube. The top of MeTube was filled with videos related to the Zombie Apocalypse. Among them, I played a video by a MeTuber who went by the name Survival Man. Survival Man was a channel I had subscribed to and watched even before this. His main content involved camping or building shelters in remote locations like wilderness hills or islands. Looking at his video list, he had been uploading videos titled ‘Survival Man’s Survival Diary’ since yesterday. His professionalism was truly exceptional.

—As many of you already know, we’ve acquired *that*. The Divine Status Window!!! My subscribers have mentioned various Abilities in the comments. While it’s the unwritten rule to hide your Abilities in an apocalypse, for your curiosity, I’ve decided to reveal mine and show you how it develops.

On the first day of the Zombie Apocalypse, Survival Man had been in a remote mountain area with two companions for filming. Both of his companions turned into Zombies, but he barely managed to put them to rest and survived. The first video of his Survival Diary showed Survival Man, having survived, securing a base camp using the tent and supplies he had. The newly uploaded video today mainly focused on introducing his Ability. I didn’t know the location of Survival Man’s base camp, but he had filmed and uploaded the video by himself. Seeing him on screen looking alright, it seemed his situation was quite good.

—The number written under ‘Acquired’ decreased, and my Ability was strengthened. I’ll place a can here and test how much its power has increased.

Survival Man didn’t reveal the specific details written in his Status Window. In the video, he opened his mouth and spat out a Fireball. The Fireball shot from his mouth, flying at a slightly fast speed, and delivered a small impact to the can. The can, now on the floor, soon began to burn.

‘Isn’t that Fireball?’

—Do you see it? Just a moment… I’ll show you up close. It didn’t melt, but do you see how it’s completely charred black? It’s definitely more powerful than before I strengthened it with Acquired points. It’s not a dramatic change, but I believe if I hunt more Zombies and strengthen my Ability further, it will be useful in actual combat. I haven’t been able to use it on Zombies yet, but if the opportunity arises, I’ll prepare a video of me fighting Zombies.

—@Kangsu_Lee: Wow, fire comes out of his mouth. Doesn’t it hurt him?

—@bureng74: Ha… why is my Ability so useless? Survival Man, how did you upload this video so quickly, by the way?

—@user-pcx245okdla: Explosion is art!

—@nintotheza: Survival Day 2 attendance check~

—@niconiconee: Illegal! Illegal! Illegal!

It hadn’t even been an hour since the video was uploaded, but there were already quite a few comments. I scrolled through the Abilities others had mentioned. It seems quite a few people possess Abilities that feel alien to the world we used to live in. Just looking around me, even Gayoung has the Ability to create Shields, just like Seonyoung. Such Abilities could be actively used in combat and would be a great help right now.

On the other hand, no one was talking about an Ability similar to mine. It’s too early to say for sure, but it’s ambiguous whether my Ability is good or a dud.

‘I’ll find out with a little more time.’

It’s a vague guess, but I doubt there are any truly useless Abilities. Or maybe? Could there be Abilities that are completely unhelpful?

—So, wishing for everyone’s safety today, Survival Man will definitely return for Survival Day 3. See you again soon!

The video ended as I pondered various thoughts about Abilities. Survival Man showed an edited video of himself conducting various experiments, such as how many times he could spit out a Fireball, its range, and how long it took for his Ability to recover. He had analyzed his Ability quite diligently. That’s something I should learn from. In that sense, though it would be difficult, I needed to think of a way to learn more about my own Ability.

‘He’s an incredible person.’

After watching all his uploaded videos, I felt that Survival Man was truly amazing. He’d already set up a base camp and was experimenting with his Ability. On top of that, he was editing and uploading videos. Indeed, there are many incredible people in this world.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Team Leader. Can I come in?”

I was about to emulate Survival Man and delve deeper into my own Ability. At that moment, I heard a knock. I answered, and Seonyoung entered, holding a medicine box that looked like a first-aid kit.

“Where are you hurt? No, wait. Take off your shirt for a moment. I need to check.”

When I lifted my shirt to show her my side, Seonyoung gasped in surprise.

“Oh? You’re quite badly hurt! How much pain must you have been in… Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m alright for now. I just need to be a little careful when I move.”

“Your skin is all scraped up, what do you mean ‘fine’? Just hold still.”

Led by Seonyoung’s hand, I lay on the bed, and she gently applied ointment. After applying the ointment, she placed a wide piece of gauze and wrapped a bandage around it to finish. I, on the other hand, had foolishly worried about the danger of my injury but hadn’t even thought about applying medicine.

“Your Ability should help you recover quickly, Team Leader… right?”

“It should be fine. It is an Ability, after all. Thank you. It’s good to have you around, Seonyoung.”

“*chuckles* Flattery won’t get you anything more! Well then, good night.”

“You sleep well too, Seonyoung.”

After exchanging goodnights, Seonyoung, who had tidied up the medicine box, stood up. Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for her to sleep on the study floor? The bed was big enough that we could probably share it.

That impulsive train of thought continued.

Grab.

I grabbed Seonyoung’s wrist as she was about to leave the room.

“Sleep with me.”

Words tumbled out without passing through my brain, and silence fell over the room.