The Only Woman in a Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 1 Chapter 1.2 - Isn't this a zombie story? (1)

Dayoung slapped her own cheek as hard as she could. 

 

A sharp smack echoed, and her face stung with pain. The throbbing ache made her whole body tremble. 

 

Summoning her courage, she peered out the window again. 

 

The view was packed with tall buildings and restaurant signs—clearly a downtown area—but the eerie, desolate atmosphere made her breath catch. There were no people in sight, only zombies shuffling around, dragging their feet.

 

“Wh-what do I do… What is this… Where the hell am I…?”

 

Slumping down beneath the window, Dayoung choked back a sob. Her mind was blank, unable to process the sudden situation. She couldn’t remember anything—how she got here, why she was here, or why zombies were roaming the streets. 

 

Nothing came to mind. 

 

Frantically scanning the room, her eyes landed on a small backpack tucked in the corner.

 

Carefully, she approached and unzipped it. Inside were two water bottles, three chocolate bars, and a wallet. Dayoung hesitantly opened the wallet. 

 

There was what looked like a family photo, no cash, a single card, and an ID. When she pulled out the ID, her jaw dropped. The name on it was her own—Kim Dayoung.

 

“Kim Dayoung… What the hell? Even the ID number is mine. But that’s not my face… How does this even make sense?”

 

The name, Chinese characters, and ID number all matched hers. But no matter how she looked at it, the photo on the ID wasn’t her. 

 

The woman in the picture was stunning—so beautiful that even Dayoung herself could see it.

 

“But is this photo Photoshopped? How can someone be this pretty? No way. Is this really my face now? No way. Am I really this beautiful?”

 

Dayoung couldn’t comprehend it. She stepped closer to the mirror hanging on one wall. When she saw her reflection, she nearly screamed again. The face from her ID card—though one cheek was swollen and red from being slapped—was undeniably the same.

 

“What the hell? This isn’t my real face! No. How is this happening…?”

 

What on earth was going on? Her face and body were different, yet her identity remained the same. 

 

Was this some kind of possession? 

 

No, was she trapped in a zombie fantasy? Not a romance novel, not even a historical one! Just some death-filled horror setting?! 

 

Dayoung’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts as she tucked the ID back into her wallet and stuffed it into her bag.

 

“I’m screwed. I can’t go out like this. I do love thrillers, but only when I’m watching them, okay?! I’m too chicken to even step into a haunted house!! If I stay here, I’ll starve to death. If I go out, I’ll get bitten by zombies. So I’m just supposed to die, is that it?”

 

As her thoughts spiraled, emotions surged. Tears welled up in her eyes—just as the door burst open. 

 

Startled, Dayoung instinctively clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. But when she saw a man holding a weapon, she started hiccuping uncontrollably.

 

“…?? Hic, hic.”

 

“Whoa, thought you were a zombie. Scared the hell outta me. Boss! There’s a girl in here!”

 

The man adjusted his grip on his weapon, keeping it trained on Dayoung. Then, hearing her hiccups, he finally spoke. 

 

After scanning her up and down, he turned and called out to someone. 

 

Moments later, a tall, well-built man with sharp features appeared at the doorway.

 

“Not a zombie? You’re human, right?”

 

“Y…yeah.”

 

Dayoung, extremely tense, forced her stiff lips to move. 

 

The answer came out with strange pronunciation, but she was too terrified to care. The bloodstained weapons in their hands were just as frightening. 

 

The corners of her lips trembled helplessly downward, and tears began to drip down.

 

“Are you crying because of us? We’re not weirdos! Hey, what’s up with her cheek? Lee Jihu, did you hit her or something?”

 

“Boss, I didn’t do anything! What do you take me for?! She was already crying when I got here!”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Kim… Dayoung.”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“24…”

 

“Could you come this way for now?”

 

“Okay…”

 

Dayoung slung what looked like her backpack over her shoulder and followed the men out of the room. 

 

As she stepped out of the small space—likely the company break room—her eyes met a chaotic sight: about a dozen desks and monitors in disarray. 

 

Waiting outside were four more men, each holding a weapon, watching as Dayoung emerged with the other two.

 

“Huh? A survivor?? Seriously?”

 

“No way. Looks like she’s the only one left.”

 

“Yeah. She’s probably still scared, so don’t mess with her.”

 

“Boss, is she coming with us?”

 

“Ian, seriously? She’s joining us??”

 

“Of course. In a world like this, nothing’s more dangerous than a woman traveling alone.”

 

Amid the men’s conversation, a familiar name caught Dayoung’s ears. 

 

Ian…? Wait… Park Ian? The Park Ian I’m thinking of? Is this really inside the novel?!

 

“Doesn’t seem like there’s anything else to see here. Let’s head back to the hideout, Ms. Dayoung.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

“We’re moving to our base. Will you come with us?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you have anyone else with you? It’d be dangerous for you to be alone.”

 

“Oh… no, it’s not that. It’s just… zombies… scary… um…”

 

“Ah…”

 

The man called ‘Boss’ stared straight at Dayoung. She was dressed in shorts so short her bottom might show, and a cropped top that would reveal everything if she lifted her arms even slightly. 

 

Ian let out a short sigh and strode toward her. 

 

Startled by his sudden approach, Dayoung flinched and stepped back—only to be immediately caught by Ian.