Magic on the Dead Chapter 84

The sky, which had been trailing dark clouds, finally began to pour down rain in a steady drizzle.

Normally, Eden would have considered resting even at the first drop of a light rain, but with their companions not far off and the zombies’ peculiarity of avoiding the rain, he couldn’t ignore the opportunity and pushed for a forced march.

Fortunately, Hajin silently followed his opinion without showing any signs of difficulty. However, the moment they ducked into a small neighborhood store to eat lunch, Hajin, who had been leaning against the wall, suddenly collapsed.

Clatter…! At the sound of merchandise falling, Eden, who had been searching for food, turned his head in surprise. Hajin was slumped on the ground, his knees having given out, scratching his head in embarrassment.

“Oh, sorry. I slipped.”

His voice, as he made the excuse, was low and cracked. Eden strode over and placed a hand on his forehead. He had thought his flush had been particularly noticeable for the past few days, and it seemed he had finally fallen ill.

The inside of his hand against the forehead was boiling hot, as if he had grabbed a hot pack. His face was also a little more swollen than usual; his condition looked quite serious.

Come to think of it, it was amazing that he had managed to endure the arduous journey that had lasted for about a month so robustly until now. Whatever the case, they couldn’t continue moving any further.

“Let’s rest here for today.”

Hajin’s reddened lips moved.

“No, it’s only lunchtime, and our companions might be close. Let’s hurry up and move…”

“If you keep being stubborn like that, we could get even more delayed. Listen to me.”

“Then let’s just go for one more day and then decide after checking my condition…”

A rather cold voice cut Hajin off.

“Do you think you can go faster by pushing yourself?”

“……”

“If it gets worse, a distance that could be covered in a day could stretch to several more. Stop being stubborn and rest quietly when I tell you to.”

It was obvious that trying to coax him kindly would only lead to an argument. Faltering at Eden’s fiercer-than-usual demeanor, he finally, slowly, nodded his chin.

Whine… Whimper… Pi, sensing Hajin’s unusual condition, also paced around anxiously.

As his feverish eyelids drooped, Eden’s hand, which had been on his forehead, now cupped Hajin’s chin.

After examining the face held in his hand from various angles, he straightened his bent back.

After a moment of thought, Eden left Pi by Hajin’s side and went outside the store.

Braving the light rain, he found a 10-story apartment complex with only two buildings. The lower floors were already a mess, as if someone had ransacked them, so he ended up having to climb an external pipe to the third floor.

The home he entered through the veranda, aside from signs that someone had packed to evacuate, was perfectly fine for spending a night. After quickly taking stock of the spacious bed and various remaining household items, he opened the locked front door.

Returning to the supermarket, Eden lifted Hajin, who was lying collapsed on the floor, onto his back. Although he had lost a lot of weight due to the hardships, the basic skeletal weight of a tall adult male was not to be underestimated.

Hoo— Steeling himself, he hoisted Hajin’s body up.

“Mr. Do Hajin. Are you okay?”

“Ugh…”

“You might fall, so put your arms around my neck.”

However, Hajin showed no signs of opening his eyes. His hot breath tickled the nape of his neck.

“This is driving me crazy.”

In order to support his completely limp body safely, he ended up forgoing the umbrella and setting off. With the bundle tied across his chest, he firmly secured Hajin on his back.

The light drizzle that had been falling turned into a downpour as they neared the apartment entrance. Whoosh— The fiercely pouring rain drenched both of them and Pi.

Should he consider it a blessing that at least no zombies appeared?

Eden anxiously bit his lip, feeling Hajin’s breath grow hotter and hotter.

Upon arrival, he immediately and decisively stripped off their soaked clothes. It seemed Hajin was regaining consciousness intermittently, as some mumbling sounds tickled his ear.

“…I… can…”

“Be quiet. I’ll wash you up quickly.”

Ignoring his own repeatedly erect penis, aroused by Hajin’s scent, Eden quickly wiped his body down with the bathwater the previous resident must have drawn.

The hour hand on the clock on the bedside table was already pointing to 6 PM.

It had already been four hours since he had forced open the body that kept shivering and curling up from the cold and lowered his temperature with a wet towel. Only after confirming that the goosebumps that had risen on the delicate yet firm skin had subsided did Eden let out a sigh of relief.

Hajin’s condition was worse than he had thought. He had lowered the fever for now, but since he hadn’t taken any medicine, it wouldn’t be strange if something else went wrong during the night.

Eden quietly berated himself for his carelessness in not checking his condition more thoroughly sooner.

“……”

Wheeze, wheeze. Taking comfort in the much calmer breathing, he got up from his seat. He had intended to make a simple porridge with the food he had brought from the supermarket, but unfortunately, he lacked a portable gas burner.

He had to get medicine for Hajin anyway, so he hurried to prepare to leave. The rain that had been pouring down fiercely had stopped, which meant it was time for the hidden zombies to come out and play. He had to be back before dark.

“Mr. Do Hajin, be good while I’m gone with Pi. I’m just going to look around the area and I’ll be back soon.”

“Mmm…”

It weighed on his mind to leave the sick man, but he would be able to return before he woke up. Eden gave Hajin’s damp forehead a rough pat and left the room with Pi.

🃏

Hajin’s eyelids, which had been twitching for a while as he groaned in a nightmare, suddenly flew open.

“Gasp…!”

As an unfamiliar ceiling filled his vision, he blinked blankly and pushed his heavy upper body up. Tick, tock, tick, tock… Aside from the sound of the second hand, the surroundings were excessively quiet.

Confused for a while, unable to distinguish between dream and reality, he turned his gaze to a corner of the room. In the large full-length mirror, he saw himself sitting on a cool summer blanket, wearing clothes he had never seen before.

At that moment, his temples throbbed. Thump— A throbbing sensation followed, as if someone had struck a large gong right next to his ear. Soon, a hot breath escaped him.

‘…What the?’

Sensing his unusual physical state, Hajin bit his lip as if to say he was screwed.

‘If it gets worse, a distance that could be covered in a day could stretch to several more.’

Belatedly, Eden’s fierce voice echoed in his head. His last memory was definitely of a shabby neighborhood store.

He had no memory of when he had been moved to an unfamiliar private house and put to sleep.

“…Mr. Jung Taegeon?”

Finally, clutching his dizzy head, he got up from his seat.

“Pi?”

When he pushed open the tightly closed door, a silent living room greeted him. Even after searching the bathroom and the veranda, he could find no trace of Jung Taegeon and Pi.

“Is no one here?”

Had they gone out for a bit?

Gulp. Swallowing nervously, Hajin turned his head and looked at the sunset illuminating the living room. He had no idea what was going on.

He clutched his hungry stomach and sat down, leaning his back against the living room wall. In the corner opposite him, the soaking wet bundle cloth and various food items that had spilled out from it were scattered about.

Tick, tock, tick, tock… The world was excessively quiet.

Unable to bear the awkward stillness, Hajin bit his lip anxiously.

…Where could they have gone, taking even Pi with them? It couldn’t have been to get food, as the groceries from the store were more than enough, and the refrigerator was overflowing with bottled water.

‘Ah, maybe.’

Thinking that they might have left a note, he got up from his seated position. Without even noticing the fever spreading to his fingertips, he practically turned the house upside down, but all he found were clumps of hair and dust, and miscellaneous household items.

‘Don’t tell me they abandoned me because I’m sick.’

The terrible thought briefly crossed his mind, but that was all.

No matter what, that guy had cherished his companions dearly. He had said their lives now depended on each other, so he wouldn’t do something as cruel as abandoning a sick companion.

Calming the faint anxiety in his heart, he returned to the room and slipped under the covers. This time, in the hazy state between his confused mind and encroaching sleep, the faces of his younger brother Junseok and his companions, who would be waiting for him, popped up like springs.

Why did I have to get sick at a time like this… He was going crazy with impatience, but as Eden had said, if he ignored his physical condition, it could be delayed by several more days.

He pressed his throbbing temples and consciously drifted off into a deep sleep.

But when he opened his eyes again, he was still lying alone in the empty house. The room, already shrouded in darkness, was like a pitch-black cave where not even an inch ahead was visible.

“…Mr. Jung Taegeon?”

His cracked voice echoed and returned to him.

“Pi?”

It was the same this time. No answer came from anywhere. He felt as if he were trapped in a coffin with not a single ray of light.

That Jung Taegeon, who had said that moving at night was dangerous and had never stepped outside after sunset, had not returned.

Soon, a flustered curse escaped Hajin’s lips.

“Fuck, what the…?”