HMT Chapter 5 (Part 3)

A live broadcast regarding virus prevention and emergency measures will begin in 10 minutes. For details, watch the news, listen to the radio, or tap the attached link.

Sangpil rushed to turn on the TV in the living room. The news appeared immediately. An anchor sat at the desk with a grave expression, silently waiting. Every channel showed the same broadcast. A red timer reading “09:21” glowed under the screen.

It must have been counting down to the live broadcast mentioned in the alert. Everyone watched the numbers change, unable to look away. Finally, a 30-second countdown began.

The anchor swallowed nervously, unable to hide her tension. When the timer struck “00:00,” she opened her mouth with a heavy voice.

―Hello, citizens. I am Lee Hoyeon, your emergency disaster broadcast anchor. What you are about to see is all real. Please remain seated until the broadcast ends.

She bowed her head, then raised it. The screen cut to a new scene.

―Grhk, krk, kyaaa!
―Aaaah! What is that…?!
―P-please… help me…!

The footage began in front of a large landmark building in Seoul. Amid ordinary people walking peacefully, a man covered in blood staggered into view.

The camera, which had been filming a woman standing near a sculpture, drifted toward the man automatically. The blood-soaked man lunged at her. She fell backward, and he buried his face into her white throat, jerking violently as he screamed.

The square erupted into chaos. Leaving the bleeding woman, the man charged at others nearby.

―Wh-what the hell is this, what is this…?!

The horrified words of the person filming came through clearly. The video then captured the mangled limbs of the woman as she convulsed on the ground.

It was the same woman who had been bitten first. Her eyes locked onto the camera, red vessels bursting until blood tears streamed down her face.

The video cut abruptly with more screams.

The second, third, and fourth clips were similar. Blood-drenched monsters bursting out from somewhere, attacking civilians. Victims turning into monsters themselves. People fleeing only to be hunted down.

The common thread was that every scene took place in heavily populated areas.

―The videos you just saw are all real. These events are currently happening throughout the Seoul metropolitan area. To explain how this occurred, we have invited Dr. Park Byungcheol from the Disease Control Agency.

A man in his fifties with neatly brushed white hair and a lab coat entered. He bowed to the camera and spoke in a grave tone.

―Hello, citizens. I am Park Byungcheol, head of virus and vaccine research at the Disease Control Agency.

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the sweat from his trembling forehead.

―What we know so far is this… the virus appears to spread through bites. Infection may also be possible if the blood of a carrier enters a wound, though this has not been confirmed. The primary, verified method of infection is through teeth.

He paused, swallowed, and continued.

―Because infected individuals show behavior similar to zombies depicted in media, we have designated this virus as the ‘zombie virus.’

Listening, Kim Min’s dry tongue pressed against his lips as he glanced at his friends and seniors.

They had seen it themselves.

Kyungtae had shown abnormal behavior even though there were no visible bite marks. His red eyes, his frenzy, he had fought wildly when people tried to restrain him, then fallen from the bus.

Had Kyungtae been infected not by a bite, but by monster blood sprayed onto a wound?

Everyone had scratches and minor injuries from escaping the chaos.

―We are researching as fast as possible, but this virus, one that turns humans into zombie-like creatures, has a genetic structure unlike any virus previously known. It is impossible to estimate how long creating a vaccine will take. For now, the best method is strict avoidance of carriers and preventing their blood from entering wounds.

“This is bullshit. So they’re telling us to survive on our own?! Does that make any sense? They call this an emergency broadcast?!”

A middle-aged man on the sofa erupted in anger. No one stopped him; they all shared similar thoughts. Dochon merely placed a firm hand on the man’s arm, signaling him to quiet down.

Dr. Park wiped his forehead again, then stood and bowed deeply. His eyes had hardened.

―Please wait just a little longer. My team and I will develop a vaccine. I swear it.

His expression was so resolute that even the angry man stopped complaining.

The camera returned to the anchor. She stared almost intensely enough to make viewers feel she was making direct eye contact.

Thank you, Dr. Park. Next, we will hear from Defense Minister Kang Baeksan about the current situation and government measures. Please remain with us until the end.

Her pleading tone made clear how desperately they wanted citizens to watch.

―Hello, citizens. I am Defense Minister Kang Baeksan.

A stern-faced man in uniform appeared on screen.

―I will begin quickly. As announced via emergency alerts, Seoul districts Seongbuk, Seongdong, Gangseo, Gangnam, Songpa, Jongno, and Gwanak are currently overrun by carriers of the zombie virus. This is not limited to Seoul. The military confirms that Suwon, Yongin, Yeoju, Hanam, Hwaseong, Seongnam, Gwacheon, Gapyeong, and Yangpyeong have also fallen.

“What?! We’re alive right here! How many survivors do they think there are? They’re talking like they’ve written us off!”

The same man from earlier yelled again, this time because Gapyeong was listed as lost territory.

“Sir, please let us listen. You’re making us miss important information.”

Dochon’s warning stare finally made the man sink back into the sofa.

―Do not be afraid. These closures are to protect citizens. The entire Korean military is moving toward the infected regions. Please stay in secure locations. The military will come to rescue you.

The tense atmosphere eased slightly. If the army intervened, surely the monsters could be eliminated.

―To survive, lock all doors and windows and remain inside until the military arrives. If you must face carriers, attack without hesitation. The government has decided not to classify them as living humans. Fight to survive. Their weak points are the head and neck. Destroy the brain or break the neck, and they will return to a corpse-like state.

Two soldiers demonstrated the proper attack on a mock zombie using a collapsible training blade. It looked so real that some viewers flinched.

―But above all, avoid encountering them. They appear to have sharper hearing and smell than before infection, though weakened vision. Do not draw their attention. Stay inside and survive on your existing supplies until the military reaches you. That is all.

He bowed deeply. The anchor returned, summarizing the key points with white text on a red background beneath her.

The broadcast continued for another thirty minutes. Police representatives promised cooperation with the military. A major news director discussed international reactions.

At the very end, they revealed this crisis was not limited to Korea, other countries were beginning to face similar outbreaks.

China and Japan were suppressing news and social media, while in the United States many people believed the videos spreading online were promotions for zombie movies or dramas, making evacuations and rescue efforts more difficult.

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve sold all my stocks first. They’re all going to tank, damn it.”

With that final comment from the man who had been grumbling under his breath while sneaking glances at Doochan throughout the broadcast, the emergency program came to an end. A link appeared at the bottom of the screen so people could replay it anytime.

Portal sites were already flooded with talk about the emergency broadcast. After turning off the TV, Sangpil let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Even so, I’m going to see my daughter. I can’t give up, even if we run into soldiers on the way. If there are troops heading toward Seoul, I plan to ask if we can go with them.”

The Defense Minister had clearly told citizens not to take risks and to stay in safe places.

In a situation like this, the pension Sangpil ran was a strong defensive position. A three-meter wall surrounded the property, so as long as no loud noise was made, there was very little chance of zombies swarming in.

The front gate was a weak point since it was an open-framed iron gate, but they could block that off with additional structures. For now, saying he would leave such a safe place and head straight into danger was no different from volunteering to walk into a war zone.

“Then, Mr. Kim, I can keep staying here, right? You’re not saying that if you leave, we all have to leave too… are you?”

It was the same man who had reacted so loudly to everything during the broadcast. He looked at Sangpil with obvious unease. Sangpil waved his hand and forced a smile.

“Of course not. If I were going to kick you out, I never would’ve invited you here in the first place, Mr. Hong. Even if my wife and I leave, anyone who wants to stay is free to stay. The world’s gone to hell, at the very least, survivors should help each other hang in there.”

At his words, about half the people gathered visibly relaxed.

“I… I want to go with you, sir. Please take me too.”

Minji, who had just stepped out of the room, spoke up. No one knew when she’d woken, but her expression was desperate.

“My mom still isn’t answering… I need to go to her too.”

Her words stirred the students.

“I… I’m worried about my mom too.”

Kim Min murmured quietly. Among the students, the only ones who hadn’t tried calling their parents were Yoon and Jiwoo.

“Now that everyone’s talking about their moms, I miss mine too.”

Ayoung sniffled softly. The phones and network still worked, yet by some cruel coincidence, not a single surviving student had been able to reach their family. Texts showed as sent but remained unread.

“Alright then. Come with us. Your mom lives in Seoul too, right?”

“…Yes. She lives in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno.”

“Our daughter’s place is also in Jongno. Looks like we’re headed in the same direction.”

Hyeja gently took Minji’s hand. Her age and style were similar to Minji’s mother’s, and that warm touch made Minji lower her head to hide her reddening eyes.

“So only three of you are going to Seoul? That seems risky. Anyone else want to go with them?”

When Doochan stepped in, everyone glanced at one another, gauging the mood.

Most of them had relatives in Seoul even if they themselves lived elsewhere. But staying put and waiting for the army still felt safer than going out on the road.

Thankfully, the zombies could be killed with tools like sickles and axes. If soldiers armed with far stronger weapons, guns, artillery, swept through, they might clear out the hordes outside fairly quickly.

The confusion spread through the student group too. They all tried calling their families again, faces tense. Jiwoo fidgeted with his phone just so he wouldn’t stand out for not calling anyone. The battery icon at the top glowed red after draining overnight.

“Have you been able to contact any other officers? The broadcast said the police are helping with the cleanup operation. What happened to your station?”

“Oh, our station?”

Unlike Jiwoo, Yoon had no intention of calling his family; instead, he addressed the officers. Lee Jaemin, who looked to be in his late twenties, gave a sheepish smile and glanced at Doochan. Feeling his gaze, Doochan answered in a heavy voice.

“Unfortunately… they all died in the line of duty. The station was the first place to turn into a war zone. A lot of infected people came in covered in blood, claiming they were reporting incidents… Officer Lee and I barely escaped that mess with our lives.”

The atmosphere grew even heavier. After scanning the gloomy faces, Doochan clapped his hands once.

“Officer Lee and I will escort the group heading to Seoul. If we use the siren to lure the monsters away, it’ll be much easier to get out.”

“Just knowing the police are helping makes me feel a lot safer.”

Yoon responded with a bright smile that looked perfectly sincere. But he had caught the flicker of anxiety that briefly crossed Jaemin’s face, an unstable glint like someone with something to hide.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Hwang. Everyone heading to Seoul, please gather over here. Our car has six seats, but if we clear the trunk we can probably fit eight.”

Sangpil started looking over the crowd for volunteers. Ideally, he wanted at least one strong young man with them. His gaze locked eagerly onto Yoon and Munsu. In his eyes, the two of them were the most capable fighters here.

“I’ll go with the officers and come back. I don’t think I can make it all the way to Seoul, but I want to at least make sure Minji gets safely out of Gapyeong.”

With that, Munsu moved to stand beside Minji. She lifted her tearful eyes and felt a lump in her throat at his concern.

“Hey, Han Min. What are you going to do?”

Kim Min nudged Han Min’s side with his elbow. Staring at the call log full of failed attempts, Han Min let out a long sigh.

“I’m worried about my family too, but… if the army’s coming to rescue people, honestly, I’d rather stay here. What if we go out there and end up in the same situation as yesterday…”

Just remembering the time he spent trapped on top of the bus in the freezing wind made his whole body tremble.

“I feel the same. Kim Haena, what about you?”

“I’m staying. Ayoung thinks so too.”

Among the first-years, everyone except Jiwoo and Minji chose to stay at the pension. Kim Min grabbed Jiwoo’s arm and shook it.

“Nam Jiwoo, you’re staying too, right?”

“Ah, I…”

Jiwoo trailed off and glanced at Yoon. In truth, it didn’t matter to him where he went. As long as he was with Yoon, staying here or going to Seoul made no difference. Either choice carried the same weight.

“You should just stay. Yesterday you couldn’t even handle one zombie properly with a shovel.”

Kim Min patted Jiwoo’s shoulder as if to discourage any heroic ideas. Jiwoo only gave an awkward smile and waited for Yoon’s decision.

“Yoon, what about you? I want to stay wherever you stay.”

Jisu asked the question Jiwoo couldn’t bring himself to voice. Yoon gently pried her hand from his arm and smiled.

“I’m worried about my parents too, but… I’m going to stay here. I think that’s what they’d want me to do.”

“Ah, thank God.”

Jisu sighed in relief at the same moment Jiwoo silently did the same. Even if Yoon had chosen to go to Seoul, Jiwoo would have followed him without hesitation, but staying here and waiting for the army still felt safer to him.

“What about Dohoon and Yejin?”

“I’m staying.”

“Me too. I still can’t really look at those monsters properly. I’m terrified of facing any of the people who turned into zombies.”

Dohoon and Yejin answered Yoon one after the other. In the end, among the students from Korea University, Minji was the only one who decided to go to Seoul.

After that, the pension grew busy. Including the owner couple and Minji, a total of eight people staying at the pension had decided to head to Seoul. It was more than expected. Most of them, like the owner couple, had children in Seoul. The owners packed enough food for everyone to survive a full week in the car.

“They told us to stay here and hold out. So if they take all the food, what are we supposed to eat?”

It was Hong Sujae, who had been grumbling nonstop during the emergency broadcast. He ran a pension about five hundred meters away from Haneul Pension. One of his guests had suddenly turned into a zombie and attacked everyone inside.

He had barely escaped that nightmare thanks to Sangpil and had been staying here since. Watching Sangpil pack up food from the fridge and pantry, food that could be eaten without cooking, he grew restless and finally spoke up.

“We can’t be sure what’ll happen. If we get stranded on the road, we’ll have to hold out in the car. We need at least a week’s worth. We’re leaving behind anything that needs to be cooked. With that, you all should be able to manage.”

Most of what Sangpil packed were canned goods and instant foods like ramen. Meat like pork belly, side dishes like kimchi, and rice were all left behind. The twenty-kilogram bag of rice was still nearly full. If they rationed carefully, they could last several days.

He took all the bottled water, but the people staying here could drink tap water. Korea’s water treatment facilities were among the best in the world.

Even though there was nothing unreasonable about Sangpil’s explanation, Sujae still looked displeased. Clicking his tongue, he watched the food being carried to the car.

“Let’s not make the people leaving feel guilty. If we run out, we can always fetch more from nearby. Given the situation, no one’s getting punished for theft. Doesn’t your pension still have plenty of food, Mr. Hong?”

Doochan stepped in to mediate. Strictly speaking, everything here belonged to Sangpil. Even if he took all the food, no one had the right to complain about ownership.

“Fine, whatever. Do what you want. Take it all for all I care.”

At Doochan’s rebuke, Sujae slipped on his shoes and stepped outside. Pulling out a crushed pack of cigarettes, he looked ready to smoke.

When all the luggage was loaded, Sangpil said goodbye to those staying behind.

“We’re leaving half the tools you can use as weapons. Stay safe until the soldiers arrive. The officers are only escorting us and will come right back, so don’t worry. Lieutenant Hwang, please take good care of the ones remaining.”

Even after deciding to head for Seoul to find his daughter, Sangpil remained concerned about the others, especially the Korea University students.

If he hadn’t found them, they’d probably be zombies or frozen to death by now. Maybe because he felt a special bond with them, he wanted to see them survive all the way to the end. If he didn’t have a daughter, he might have stayed and protected them as if they were his own.

“Minji, be careful. Call us if anything happens. Phones are still working, it seems.”

The students gathered to see Minji off. Kim Min waggled his phone at her like a drenched puppy. The shared experience of surviving together had created a stronger bond between them than before.

“…Thank you, everyone.”

Minji whispered softly. Jiwoo also stood in the back praying silently that her wish would come true.

For a moment, Jiwoo recalled the family he once had to himself. His eyes darkened like a shaded corner. Instead of sinking into gloom, he hurriedly glanced at Yoon. For him, the person standing beside him was someone he desperately wanted to protect even more than family. The emptiness inside him filled a little.

“Munsu, you be careful too. Even if the police officers are going with you, danger can happen anytime.”

After saying goodbye to Minji, they also gave Munsu a few encouraging words. Watching Kim Min give advice while patting Munsu’s much larger shoulder, Haena shook her head.

“I’m not worried about Munsu at all. I’m more worried about having to take care of you and Hanmin.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? We can pull our weight now! Did you not see yesterday? The way I handled that zombie with the sickle, like this, and like that…”

“If you mean flailing around with a sickle, yeah, I saw.”

“Do you two want to fight in a situation like this? Separate.”

As tension rose between Kim Min and Haena, Hanmin stepped between them.

“Yeah. Is this really the time? Once the owners leave, we need to check the food supply. Plenty of people are staying here.”

Dohoon pushed up his thick-rimmed glasses to grab everyone’s attention. His habit as the student council treasurer was showing.

“Kids, don’t cause trouble. Listen to the adults. Officer Lee and I will be back soon. Alright?”

After confirming that all the luggage and weapons were in the car, Doochan wrapped things up. The students nodded obediently. Jiwoo followed suit but couldn’t hide the uneasy flutter in his chest.

‘…That woman told me to be careful of the police.’

He still didn’t know why. Nothing about them seemed suspicious, at least, not yet.

Should he warn Munsu, who was going with them? But if he did, he’d have to explain everything that happened at dawn, and people would think he was crazy.

Besides, that woman had warned him not just about the police, but about Yoon too.

If he took her words seriously, he would have to treat Yoon with the same caution, and that was harder for Jiwoo than doing a backward dive.

So, in the end, Jiwoo stayed silent. Not knowing what consequences his choice would bring.

---

“Why aren’t they back yet…? How long has it been since we sent Minji off?”

“A little over six hours. It’s already eight.”

Answering Kim Min’s question, Hanmin checked the time on his phone. Right now, all the students except Jisu and Yejin were gathered in front of the main gate of the pension.

Around two in the afternoon, Sangpil’s group had left. The police car went first, followed by the SUV carrying the others. Thankfully, the only zombies near the pension were the three that had wandered into the yard yesterday. They were still wrapped in plastic and rotting away.

The front gate, which had been tightly bound with chains, opened, and the two vehicles drove out. Those who chose to stay at the pension walked all the way to the gate to see them off until the cars disappeared into the distance.

The gate was closed again and locked with chains. Some had suggested blocking the front gate completely, but they postponed the task since the police and Munsu were expected to return.

But even though the sun had already set long ago, the police car was still nowhere in sight. And every so often, distant screams and monstrous cries echoed faintly from far away.

The uneasiness sitting in everyone’s chest only grew heavier with time.

When evening came, they finally ate dinner because Sujae kept whining that he was starving. Until now, Hyeja had cooked for them, so preparing dinner themselves stirred up plenty of trouble.

Sujae didn’t lift a single finger and instead ordered everyone else around. He treated the younger students especially like servants. His behavior was the kind that made the kids seethe. Had they not been worried about the people who had left, a major argument might have broken out.

‘We can talk to the adults about this later. We also need to keep checking how much food is left and how long we can last with these numbers. Right now, making sure Munsu gets back safely comes first.’

The one who defused the explosive mood was Yoon. He patted the shaking backs of Haena and Dohoon to calm them down. After finishing the cleanup under Sujae’s nagging, the kids all headed to the front gate.

Thanks to the spare clothes the owner had given out before leaving, they were much better dressed than when they first came. Hanmin had even received a new pair of hiking shoes to replace the sneaker he’d lost. They all waited bundled up in the owners’ thick winter jackets, but the area around the pension remained silent.

“Should we try calling? Minji and Munsu probably put their phones on silent, right?”

“Yeah, let’s try. We can’t just stand here forever.”

Hanmin tapped at his screen, and Kim Min agreed. No one tried to stop them.

They had been standing out in the cold for over an hour. No matter how warmly they dressed, their hands and feet grew numb. With stiff fingers, Hanmin scrolled through his contacts and called Munsu.

A plain ringtone echoed from the phone. Dozens of seconds passed, but the ringtone continued without anyone picking up. Kim Min, who had pressed his ear against Hanmin’s phone, bit his lip anxiously.

“He’s not answering. Something really happened, didn’t it?”

Kim Min looked around at the group with frightened eyes. The adults, including Hosan and Sujae, had tried reassuring them that the police were with them, but there were only two officers. If they were surrounded by a horde of zombies, two wouldn’t stand a chance.

Everyone had been searching online for videos people uploaded. Many were far worse than what the emergency broadcast had shown.

Especially videos filmed from high-rise buildings, every single one showed roads completely flooded with zombies. Seoul, with its high population density, had suffered the worst.

Police and ambulances responded, but many of them ended up infected too. And the more people were bitten, the faster the infection spread. People bitten on the neck or face mutated in less than a minute.

The military had supposedly mobilized to contain the situation, yet videos online still echoed with endless screams.

Eventually, the call was cut and sent to voicemail. Hanmin ended the call.

A strange silence settled around the group. Munsu had ridden in the police car, not in Sangpil’s SUV. The officers had said they would lure zombies away with their siren just like they had when they rescued the students.

“Do you think Minji made it out of Gapyeong safely…? With this much time passed, she should’ve reached Seoul by now.”

When Kim Min voiced his gloomy worry, Haena let out a long sigh and ran her fingers through her hair.

“We don’t know that. There’s no guarantee the roads are clear. I saw in the videos, there were tons of car accidents on the highways. And since no one can clean them up right now, the crashed cars are probably still blocking the roads. That alone would slow them down several times.”

Her words made the atmosphere drop even lower.

‘What is that?’

Jiwoo, who had been rubbing his frozen hands while listening to the others talk, suddenly noticed something strange. It was dark around the pension. Sangpil had turned off all the outdoor lights earlier to avoid attracting zombies with the brightness.

The windows inside were covered with thick curtains to keep light from leaking out.

But in the darkness, something was moving. The shadow was darker than the darkness itself, pitch black, shifting as it slowly approached. Instinctively, Jiwoo grabbed Yoon’s arm.

“Jiwoo, what’s wrong?”

Yoon had been indifferent to the conversation for a while. He wasn’t interested in what happened to the people who had left.

Even if Munsu and the officers never returned, Yoon felt nothing. If anything, it was a relief, the police had seemed suspicious anyway. He couldn’t empathize at all with the kids who were worrying themselves sick. Moments like this reminded him that maybe, like his mother once said, something in him really was broken.

And Jiwoo’s worried expression bothered him more than anyone else’s.

Of all people, shouldn’t this kid be worrying about me the most?

Even though the pension was safe, nothing like the background screams from afar, it irritated him. It felt like someone else was playing with his toy.

And then Jiwoo suddenly grabbed his arm, even squeezing hard enough that his fingertips turned white. Yoon looked down, brows softening. To others, he looked like he was simply sharing the group’s worry.

“S-sorry.”

Jiwoo snapped out of it immediately at Yoon’s voice. He froze, horrified that he had touched Yoon first. He knew better than anyone that Yoon hated people touching him. Shocked by the eerie shadow, he’d made a mistake he normally never would.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. But are you okay? You look pale.”

Jiwoo squeezed his fist to steady himself.

“It’s not that… I think there’s something strange over there.”

“Where?”

Yoon took him seriously. His eyes followed the direction Jiwoo pointed. Narrowing his gaze, he caught the same abnormal movement.

“Guys.”

He called the others. They stopped discussing whether to call Minji next and turned toward him.

“Yoon, why are you always sticking with him?”

Dohoon shot Jiwoo a cold glare. Jiwoo’s shoulders curled inward. It was the same look he’d gotten from kids who tormented him in middle and high school. Cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Yoon noticed and took a small step forward, drawing Dohoon’s attention to himself.

“He and I are close. Anyway, he saw something weird over there.”

“What?”

Dohoon raised his voice, and everyone turned to look in the direction Yoon pointed.

Just as he said, there was something. Something swaying. Something approaching, slow and unsteady. The kids shrank back in fear. Only Yoon stepped closer to the gate, narrowing his eyes as if trying to identify it.

Jiwoo followed him nervously. He was scared, too, but he couldn’t let Yoon stand alone at the front. He swallowed dryly. If anything happened, he planned to pull Yoon back.

The gate was tightly bound with chains. Even if a few zombies approached, they wouldn’t be able to get inside. Only Jiwoo’s arm could fit between the bars. If they stepped back, they would have time to react.

To Jiwoo, the shadow looked like a zombie. It didn’t make their usual cries, but its movements weren’t human. But Yoon and Jiwoo came to different conclusions.

“…Munsu?”