Please Shoot Me - 22
After being dazed for a while, Ryung fumbled around and muttered to himself.
“I guess I’m… Alive.”
At his words, Yuyeon once again moved the hair scattered across his forehead.
“I’m guessing your head must hurt from all that bullshit.”
His throat rose and fell lazily, and his expression became more languid. As if there really was something therapeutic about this meaningless act.
“Yes, it hurts. More of it, please.”
He tightly closed his eyes, as if to savor more of her fine breath.
“I’m sober now.”
At the insinuation, Yuyeon lightly flicked his forehead with the back of her hand and jerked him to his feet. He looked up at her, gingerly rubbing the spot where she touched him.
“You need to work on those unexpected actions of yours.”
“What?”
“It’s bad for my heart.”
“Stop talking nonsense and figure out what you’re going to do about it.”
“I’m not just saying that, I’m serious. A man my age has desires and you need to be careful.”
His pale ears turned a subtle shade of red, followed by his lips. He looked just the same as when he had an erect*on.
It has been hypothesized that zombies are actually more like wild animals with dead brains, a beating heart, but a weak heart that can’t pump blood to the brain and therefore can’t think. So is it the strength of the heart that keeps Ryung sane? It’s just a guess, but it occurred to Yuyeon that maybe it’s the strength of his heart.
“Hey, before you go to the lab, tell me if you get sick again.”
“Why? You want to do it again?”
He asked, a smirk on his face.
“Yeah.”
His eyes narrowed at her simple answer that omitted the reason. His gaze, which had been darting around in the air in mild surprise, settled on Yuyeon’s lips.
“I… That… Sunbae.”
“Yes?”
“Am I… Not getting the timing right to push you?”
“What?”
“You’ve been so nice to me for so long, so I’m wondering if I’m just standing there like an idiot in front of an open door.”
He asked politely, even as he laid his thoughts bare, and Yuyeon’s jaw dropped at the boldness of his question. The subtle tension in the silence was uncomfortable, and she felt a wave of fear wash over her, as if the slightest break would send her crashing to the ground. Going high meant going higher, which meant falling harder. Still afraid of heights, she wasn’t sure she could meet his gaze.
“No, it’s closed. I’ve already put a lock on it, but I’m thinking about adding another one.”
Ryung shrugged and snorted. He easily backed down when Yuyeon refused. It was a gentleness that came from having been rejected from the recipient of his one-sided love for five years. One-sided love can be frustrating, but he kept it to invitations, not coercion, and even then, if she showed signs of being overwhelmed, he would immediately be apologetic.
“I’m sorry, I was presumptuous. I can’t open a single lock, so I don’t think you need to go any further.”
“Fine, then.”
The corners of their mouths turned up at the same time in a playful exchange. Another small chuckle scattered her complicated thoughts.
The room they’d fled into was about the size of a private cafe. Small tables and a few chairs were scattered around, and a coffee machine and calculator sat in one corner. The dusty windows let in only faint sunlight, and it felt damp and cool inside.
The faint sound of gunfire could be heard from time to time outside, as if they had inevitably run into a zombie during their search. Out of habit, Yuyeon scanned the room carefully before sitting down in front of Ryung.
“What do we do now?”
“Well, we’ll hold out until we don’t hear those gunshots anymore, then we’ll go out. Ah, we should move in the daylight, but the moon isn’t cooperating.”
While zombies are equally active during the day and night, humans have limited vision, so moving at night was four times more dangerous. And with no electricity outside the safe zone, they’d have to rely on the dim light of the moon in the darkness, with no streetlights.
“Why don’t we go out and get the car now? From the sound of the gunfire, it sounds like they’re still walking around.”
It was a tantalizing suggestion, but Yuyeon shook her head.
“I don’t know what their punishment will be if they lose the car. They might have to replace it on their own salary, which is two years’ worth of salary, let alone a year in a military car.”
“Who cares, they’re not even on my team. If you’re not so sure about stealing it… What about negotiation?”
“If they were willing to negotiate, he wouldn’t have tried to kill you like that.”
“…”
“You have a venomous glint in your eye. He’d kill you if he caught you.”
A little twitch, and he rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes.
“He deserved it, I guess. I don’t regret it.”
The stubbornness in his slightly pouty lips was like a child returning from a fight in kindergarten. In the end, she didn’t bother to argue with him, since his fiery temper had gotten him out of his comfort zone.
“Yeah, well, that’s why it’s impossible to negotiate.”
“Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Once the decision was made to wait and see what would happen, Yuyeon shifted on her hips and stretched out, resting her head against the wall. With the release of tension, her muscles completely relaxed and exhaustion washed over her.
“Rest. You’ve been running a lot and you need to replenish your stamina.”
She mumbled through closed eyes. If she was this tired from doing nothing, how exhausted Ryung must be… And he had been awake since yesterday…
Her body briefly twitched, startled by the momentary lucidity. She had gotten too used to the battlefield to fall asleep at this point. Yuyeon rubbed her heavy eyelids and stifled a yawn. Ryung looked at her and spat out a sigh. In response, Yuyeon lifted one eyelid.
“What?”
He smirked, wringing his hands and crossing his legs.
“I’m just saying, I don’t feel particularly tired, and I haven’t slept the night before. I’ve been awake for three days now.”
“Right… Zombies don’t sleep.”
“I guess that’s why I get tired when I keep running, but I recover quickly, and now I’m energized again.”
There was a dizzying mix of sorrow and apprehension in Ryung’s eyes as he realized how different his body had become, but he skillfully hid his unease with a smile.
“So, don’t bother with me. I’ll just let my sunbae get some sleep, and if anything happens, I’ll pick you up and run.”
Yuyeon suddenly remembered what had happened earlier and opened both her eyes again.
“I’m hungry, but it’s not the kind of hunger chocolate can satisfy.”
Zombies only eat human flesh. If he really had all the characteristics of a zombie, he might be holding back hunger right now.
“I’d like you to finish what you were saying about… Hunger.”
“What? Do you think I’m going to eat you in your sleep?”
The playful tension felt eerie. Yueyon cut off the panic creeping up her spine before it could reach her face. She didn’t want to show it to him.
“I was wondering about your condition.”
When she finished, he quickly wiped the mischief from his face.
“It’s just… It’s like I haven’t eaten in a day. I’m hungry, but as long as I can stand it…”
“Really? If that’s really ‘hunger,’ why don’t you just eat something to fill your stomach?”
“Actually… That’s what I thought, so I tried that chocolate bar earlier, but it came right back up. It’s like my body is rejecting the food.”
Yuyeon sighed and closed her eyes. The more she learned about his condition, the more impatient she felt to get him to Seonwoo as soon as possible, but her head ached with the inability of her body to keep up with her mind. She wondered if this was the feeling of deprivation that powerless parents must feel.
“I can handle it, so make yourself comfortable. I’ll wake you up when it’s quiet outside.”
He spoke in a soft voice. Her twitching brow seemed to indicate that she was about to doze off. Relief spread through her at the sound of his voice, the same as always: if she did as he said, her headache would go away and her body would be relieved of its fatigue. She forgot all about everything and relaxed her whole body.
“Sure, I’ll sleep for an hour.”
Just as she was about to accept the favor and let her mind slip into darkness, she heard a small rustle, and soon her head was leaning against something. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know that he was sitting next to her, offering her his shoulder. His body was cold and hard, but the slight movement with each breathing was reassuring.
“Goodnight.”
The muffled voice grew distant as sleep washed over her.
Unconscious, brought forth by her sleepiness, surely ended her day. However, she faced a nightmare she couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried.
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