Please Shoot Me - 3

Yuyeon warmly smiled at him and a loud bang echoed from the table. Setting his glass down like it was going to shatter, Ryung glared at the newcomer sitting next to Yuyeon and pursed his lips, unperturbed by the attention he was receiving. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sharp features of his eyes had a murderous energy behind them. It made the newcomer’s face turn blue; his crime was that he dared to make Ryung jealous.

“I, I… I suddenly feel sick, so I’ll get up first.”

“I’m drunk, too…”

“Me too…”

One by one, people who didn’t want to risk their lives because of Ryung’s behavior began to leave, and not too long later, the two had the table to themselves. Yuyeon’s plan to share a drink and get to know the newcomers was thwarted when Ryung chased them all away.

Ryung spontaneously moved to sit next to her and offered to serve her drinks. At first reluctant, Yuyeon eventually accepted his offer and filled her stomach with fruit.

Now that most of the land had been taken over by zombies, the fruit was a rare treat unless it was a formal occasion like a welcoming party. It was only after she let out a sigh of satisfaction that Ryung, who had been silently pouring her drinks, spoke up.

“The fruit was fresh at first, but you came late… Why are you so late?”

She drunkenly glanced at him.

“Why do you care that I’m late?”

“Because it’s natural to want to know about your crush, but you don’t know because you’ve never liked anyone before. You’re three years older than me, but you’ve never done anything like that, so why don’t you try liking me before it’s too late…”

“I won’t look pretty in 5 minutes.”

“But you were pretty 30 seconds ago, so where and how?”

“Forget it. When I get the chance…”

Yuyeon shook her head, reaching for the flash, but Ryung snatched it away, filling her drink instead.

“Are the higher-ups paging you again?”

“What?”

“You’ve been getting a lot of calls from them lately.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because it’s a rumor amongst the kids.”

“I’ve never heard of such a rumor, but I can guess what kind it is since A/Z’s executives are all male.”

“I know it’s just a rumor,” Ryung mumbled, filling Yuyeon’s glass.

“How do you know?”

“The woman I like isn’t so easy. She’s proud, righteous, and strong…”

“Really? But isn’t that why you brought up the rumor? To see if it was true?”

Ryung was speechless for a moment as the words pierced his lungs. Soon enough, he answered.

“… It’s not suspicious, but insecurity. When you’re in love alone, there’s a lot of room for imagination, and the mind is fragile, so please understand.”

“I don’t understand why you feel insecure.”

“You know… you’re human, you have a s*x drive, and I’m afraid because you interact with all those other men.”

Yuyeon laughed, full of energy.

“Why laugh, isn’t that an honest thought? It’s lonely in the troops.”

“Just shut up and drink.”

“Yuyeon, if I shut up, you wouldn’t even look at me, so I’m just babbling.”

Grumbling as Ryung filled his own glass, he suddenly noticed the white hairs on her sleeve and smiled.

“Well, at least I know why you’re late today.”

Following his gaze, Yuyeon looked down at her own sleeve. Even though she thought she had it all, the short, dense fur stood out against the black fabric. Yuyeon hid her arms under the table and coughed.

“You said we weren’t supposed to go outside except for on missions, but you were still worried about that dog, weren’t you?”

“It’s dangerous, but since it was still there…”

Yuyeon deeply sighed and drained her glass like it was water. Ryung just stared at her with his jaw clenched.

“So you brought him in?”

“I tried to bring him, but he still stayed by his master’s corpse, so maybe he doesn’t understand death…”

“So?”

“I just gave him some water and bread,” she mumbled, picking at the fur stuck to her clothes. Ryung barely caught the corner of her mouth twitching as he refilled her now-empty glass.

“Did you stroke the fur by any chance?”

“… Why?”

“I thought your hand would be pretty close to the dog, enough to make the fur stick to your sleeves.”

Yuyeon obediently answered with a nod. Ryung smirked, recognizing the drunkenness in her slowed movements.

“I like it.”

Lifting her heavy eyelids, Yuyeon looked up at him. Ryung was lying flat on the table, watching her red, alcohol-flushed face.

“I like that about you, that part of you that can’t help but be sweet… I don’t think sweetness is a weakness. You’re a noble and strong person in your own right.”

“…”

“Don’t feel so guilty. You were just doing what you had to do as team leader.”

Yuyeon slowly closed her eyes. She knew that Ryung had to kill the old man instead of her. No one is easy to kill. He was just taking on the burden that she couldn’t bear.

Yuyeon rested her head, heaving with alcohol, on the table and locked eyes with Ryung.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sweet. I only kill zombies because I hate them. I pity the dog, not the infected old man.”

Ryung sighed, his shoulders falling. “Hate” was a reflection on one’s own flaws. Yuyeon’s flaw was in the past, but it was definitely zombie-related.

“I know, I know what you’ve been through…”

“You… You don’t know anything about me.”

“I-I don’t know what you don’t tell me.”

Yuyeon exhaled heavily and patted Ryung’s head. Her eyes stared into his, filled with an unknown emotion. When he saw a glimmer of longing and guilt beyond her dark pupils, she stroked his head and spoke.

“My family were zombies, I killed them, all of them… I killed them, with my own hands. I had to live…”

His eyes flashed in panic at her sudden contact and her confession.

“You…”

“I’m not as strong as you think I am. I get lonely sometimes. You… you too?”

It wasn’t a question. It was more like a statement. Their gazes met, and a strange energy passed between them. Ryung’s throat bobbed up and down as he dryly swallowed. She stroked his white cheek, caressed his plump lower lip, and spoke.

“I’m lonely. Now.”

Kofi