Chapter 40. Routine

Chapter 40. Routine

I decided to figure out how to spend the day later and, for now, eat breakfast with Gayoung.

Gayoung was already busy preparing something in the kitchen, so I helped her set the table.

For breakfast, we had spicy red Bean Sprout Soup, simmered with chili powder, and Kimchi Stew made with the leftover Sirloin from yesterday’s Donkatsu.

“Oh, pork for breakfast… And it’s Kimchi-braised?”

“Is it a bit too heavy for breakfast?”

“No, not at all. In fact, it’s perfect. Meat for breakfast is always the best.”

“Hehe, I figured it would be fine since you always eat breakfast so well. Could you taste it for me?”

“Sure. Wow, it smells amazing.”

Gayoung held out a spoon of Bean Sprout Soup, supporting it with one hand.

Knowing I preferred my food a little less salty, she had made it spicy but not overly so.

Without a word, I gave her a thumbs-up and started dishing out rice.

Gayoung ate quietly, perhaps finding the situation of just the two of us eating a bit awkward.

I, too, simply focused on enjoying the delicious breakfast in front of me.

Red Bean Sprout Soup, red pork Kimchi Stew, red Kimchi, and red Cucumber Salad. The only thing on the table that wasn’t red was the rice, but I wasn’t about to complain about the side dishes, nor did the vibrant red meal feel out of place.

“Mister, will you be staying home all day today?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan for now. Oh, I might step out for a bit, though. To clear out the Zombies in the next building.”

“Oh, then could you possibly help me with something? Whenever you’re resting and feel up to it.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I want to move a Display Shelf in Apartment 501, but I tried lifting it, and it wouldn’t budge. And since I’ve been Farming so much, I’m running out of space, so things are getting disorganized.”

“Ah, you’re short on those display stands?”

“Yes, so I was planning to take the one we’re using here to Apartment 501. I figured I could organize the things in our apartment using the Chest of Drawers in my room, even without a Display Shelf.”

“In that case, let’s just leave the one we have here and I’ll go out for a bit this morning to get another Display Shelf. Are those open Display Shelves from the Convenience Store more convenient? I could also get ones with doors, like Chests of Drawers, from other apartments. But they’re usually a bit smaller.”

“The Convenience Store display stands would be better for organizing and using. They’re big, and we can use them all the way up to the ceiling. But they’re hard to carry, and you’re finally getting a day off…”

She seemed to feel bad asking me to work on my first day off.

But honestly, I prefer moving around to just resting idly.

Beyond just having energy left, staying still makes me feel restless, as if death is drawing one step closer.

Is this psychological state a form of mental compulsion?

“Ah, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. It’s perfectly doable. And I don’t think I could just sit around and rest all day anyway; I’d get restless. So don’t feel burdened, just tell me everything you need today. Let’s do the deep cleaning and organizing together, Mister. There must have been things in that other apartment you couldn’t move by yourself, right? Let’s take care of all the inconveniences.”

“Yes, thank you! Shall we do the dishes and have a cup of Coffee before we start?”

“Sounds good. Let’s do it together.”

“Then, Mister, you make the Coffee for me! I’ll have an iced one!”

As I was wondering how to spend the day, Gayoung’s request for help was a welcome sound.

So, I decided to help Gayoung with all the tasks she couldn’t manage alone.

Even if it’s just for one day, doing something feels better than just resting.

I always enjoyed cleaning and organizing, so this counts as rest too.

My body doesn’t need rest anyway, so I decided that as long as my mind is at ease, that’s relaxation.

After finishing the dishes, Gayoung and I enjoyed a moment of leisure, drinking Coffee in the Living Room.

The house had good natural light, so the Living Room was bright even without turning on the lights.

Gayoung sat on the Living Room Sofa, wearing short Dolphin Shorts and crossing her legs, which glowed particularly white.

My gaze drifted up, and I saw fine, white hairs on her slender, pale forearms, reflecting the sunlight.

“Mister. Can I come with you when you go to get the Display Shelf?”

“Of course. While we’re out, we can practice moving around outside. I’ll also teach you the Hand Signals Seonyoung and I use.”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll do my best. So please don’t hate me too much if I make a few mistakes.”

“Why would I hate you? And don’t be too nervous about going out. I can cover most things.”

Gayoung was shorter and had a smaller frame than Seonyoung.

She had a completely Slender Build, and it suddenly felt tragic that even someone so frail had no choice but to fight Zombies.

And perhaps because she grew up in a privileged environment, her heart seemed very tender, which worried me.

That’s why her courage in making such a difficult choice was all the more admirable.

After finishing our Coffee, we each prepared to go outside.

Following our familiar routine, I gathered the necessary items, changed clothes, and put on my Backpack.

Gayoung quickly put on her Farming Clothes and came out with her Survival Bag.

She held a Golf Club in one hand.

It seemed to be her mother’s, and she had chosen a Driver that showed some wear and had a heavy head.

When she first went out, she had picked the lightest one, but I didn’t think it would be enough for Gayoung to incapacitate a Zombie, even if she swung with all her might.

So, I had her swing all the Golf Clubs in the house herself and recommended a Driver with suitable elasticity and weight.

Hitting a Zombie’s head with the club head wouldn’t be easy, but since Gayoung could also generate a Shield, she should be able to handle Zombies if the conditions were right.

“Shall we go then? There’s nothing left in the Convenience Store in the Apartment Complex Shopping Area, so I’m thinking of going to the Convenience Store in the Drum Academy Building across the street.”

“Hoo… hoo… Okay, it’s not that far.”

“Yeah, I’ll explain the Hand Signals as we go.”

Gayoung and I stepped out the Entrance Door, and as we walked, I explained various precautions and Hand Signals.

I had actually told her a few times already, but the thought of her going on a proper Farming trip for the first time made me explain it once more.

Of course, we weren’t just going to gather supplies as usual, but seeing her so tense and taking deep breaths, I tried to engage her in conversation to help her relax a little.

We didn’t bring the Trolley, and as we exited the Apartment Entrance, I walked slightly ahead, beginning to move quietly.

Actually, these days, Seonyoung and I sometimes chat softly when walking along paths we’ve already cleared.

But since it was Gayoung’s first time, I decided to teach her the way we did at the beginning.

We quickly passed through the Apartment Complex Shopping Area, which was also familiar to Gayoung.

From the moment we left the shopping area and entered the road, I pointed out the Hiding Spots I usually used and the critical points to observe carefully.

With Gayoung, I held my breath and carefully crossed the street, as if we had gone back to the second day of the Zombie Apocalypse.

We checked the interiors of abandoned cars along the road, hid behind a Bus Stop to scout the surroundings, and eventually arrived at the Drum Academy Building.

After checking from outside that there were no Zombies inside, we entered the Convenience Store.

“When there’s a door like this, we usually knock. Even if there are Zombies inside, they can’t open it and come out anyway. So, we use sound to do a preliminary check for Zombies.”

Knock, knock, knock.

“If there’s no reaction, the chances are high that there aren’t any Zombies right near the door. Then we open the door to check, but we still need to be careful.”

“Yes, *chuckle*. Because of the Schneider you mentioned, Mister?”

“Yeah. But Seonyoung was the one who told me about that, not me. Seonyoung almost got bitten once.”

“Yes, I heard from Unnie too. She said if there’s no other option, just block the Zombie’s mouth. Then Mister will save you.”

“Well, it’s best not to get into such situations, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Alright, get ready to deploy your Shield, and let’s open the door.”

Gayoung stood in front of the door, signaled to me, and then carefully opened the Convenience Store storage room door.

Naturally, there were no Zombies in the storage room. I massaged Gayoung’s shoulder, praising her for a job well done, signaling that she could relax now.

“Alright, shall we pick out a Display Shelf? Even though they all look the same, their sizes actually vary.”

“Yes, just a moment. I’ll take a look.”

By the way, someone had smashed all the Convenience Store windows.

I hadn’t been this way in a while, so I didn’t know, but it seems there’s a survivor consistently active in this area.

A few chairs from the storage room were also gone, and naturally, there were no supplies left.

It was so empty that the Convenience Store interior looked even larger.

“Mister, I don’t think we can use the Display Shelves here.”

“Why? Is the size wrong?”

“Yes, the sizes are different, so we can’t assemble them with the ones we have at home. And also, look at this part here.”

Following Gayoung’s words, I went closer and saw that the Display Shelf’s frame was bent.

When we arrived at the Convenience Store and saw the Display Shelves toppled over, I wondered if something had happened, but for them to be bent like this, could there have been a fight inside?

“You’re right, we can’t use these. We’ll have to go to another Convenience Store.”

“Where else?”

“The closest one is the Convenience Store in the building where Minsu lives, but he probably wouldn’t be using Display Shelves anyway. It’s not far, so let’s go quickly.”

“Okay!”

Perhaps her tension had eased a bit on the way here, as she replied brightly to the suggestion of going further.

I put my mask back on, which I had briefly removed, and we left the Convenience Store, walking along the road.

“Mister. Mister.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Is this a Bungeoppang Cart?”

“Ah, you haven’t seen one before. Yes, this is it. There’s a Bungeoppang Machine inside too. Come in for a moment.”

As we walked along the road, Gayoung stopped when she saw the Food Stall Tent.

I had previously set up the Food Stall Tent again, inserting the poles into the Bungeoppang Cart, in case we might need to use it later.

Inside, the Bungeoppang Machine and a Fire Extinguisher were still there.

“Ah, so this is the Lock. It’s smaller than I expected, though. Mister, you could probably break it, couldn’t you?”

“Yeah, I left it for now since we don’t need it immediately, but I’ll consider it if we need it later.”

“I’d only heard about it from Unnie, so seeing it in person is quite fascinating. Even though this is my old neighborhood, it feels like I’ve stepped into a place I’ve only seen on TV… It’s strange.”

Shaking off the feeling that we should take a Proof Shot, we set off again.

Seonyoung and I were already familiar with this path, having traveled it many times, but for Gayoung, it was the first time passing through here since the Zombie Apocalypse.

So, even a small rustle from a branch swaying in the wind made her jump, her nerves on edge.

Had Seonyoung and I been that tense when we first started moving around?

Gayoung couldn’t control her pace at all, maintaining a state of complete tension.

Of course, it was much better than being careless, but excessive tension could lead to slow reactions and quick fatigue.

The best approach was to be moderately tense, relax the body, and maintain a sharp awareness of the surroundings.

It wasn’t as easy as it sounded, but seeing Gayoung’s completely stiff shoulders, I realized this wouldn’t do and started to nag.

Even if it’s for the other person’s good, repeating it makes it nagging, I guess.

Then it suddenly struck me that I was exactly like the frog who forgets it was once a tadpole.

Seonyoung and I probably walked around just as tense as Gayoung in the beginning.

And at night, we’d complain of body aches and fall asleep as if collapsing.

Gayoung will probably sleep like a log tonight too.

“Over there. Minsu and other people might be in that building, so don’t be too surprised if someone comes out. Keep your Poker Face as much as possible.”

“Understood.”

I spoke beforehand, before we arrived, and we slowly approached the building.

Minsu had cleared away the Zombie Corpses left on the sidewalk a while ago, so we wouldn’t have to see anything gruesome.

The problem was if there were two other survivors inside instead of Minsu.

According to what Manager Lee told me, we couldn’t rule out the possibility that two outside survivors had killed Minsu.

If that were the case, it would be like sticking our heads into the jaws of murderers.

It felt a bit unsettling to bring Gayoung to a place with such variables, but if I started weighing every single risk, Gayoung would never be able to go anywhere.

Besides, even if we went to a more distant Convenience Store, we’d still have to pass this building.

So, I mentally prepared myself, signaled to Gayoung, and then we crossed the street.

From the outside, nothing seemed to have changed.

The Convenience Store interior was also unchanged, except for the empty shelves, so we opened the door and went inside.