The Only Woman in a Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 1 Chapter 2 - Isn't this a zombie story? (1)

Ian supported Dayoung’s hips and lifted her effortlessly, as if carrying a child. 

 

Dayoung was flustered by how easily he picked her up, but didn’t resist. The bloodstained weapons in the hands of the five men staring intently at her were far too terrifying.

 

“I… I can walk on my own…”

“It’s rare to find a survivor. I’d regret it if you died.”

“Ah… okay…”

 

Dayoung quietly wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck. 

 

As Ian strode forward with her in his arms, six men followed behind, scanning their surroundings. Though alert, their eyes kept drifting back to Dayoung.

 

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen a living woman—not a zombie. But damn, her clothes are way too revealing. When the boss carried her earlier, her butt was practically showing.”

“We’ve all been together this whole time. It’s the same for all of us. Hasn’t it been over three months? And her top’s no joke either—her chest was totally visible. Bet she’s not even wearing a bra.”

“Right, must’ve been that long. Whoa, she just made eye contact with me. Think she’s into me?”

“You freaks, shut up. She looks like a student. Watch your mouths—that’s sexual harassment.”

“Nah… her clothes are just like that. Never seen anything like it in my life. And she’s not a student. Heard earlier she’s 24.”

 

They whispered as if trying to keep quiet, but their voices reached Dayoung’s ears clearly. 

 

‘Oh my god. Am I really inside ‘Zombieverse’? Is this really Park Ian?’ 

 

T/N: Changed Zomnase to Zombieverse

 

She cautiously turned her head to study the face of the man holding her. 

 

It was exactly as described in the novel.

 

Thick eyebrows, deep double eyelids, and a straight nose bridge—his face was strikingly well-defined. 

 

Wow… He’s really handsome!

 

The men carefully opened the door at the back of the building. One by one, they stepped outside, adjusted their weapons, and scanned their surroundings.

 

“No matter what happens, just stay quiet. If you do, you won’t get killed by the zombies.”

“Okay…”

 

At Ian’s hushed words, Dayoung also answered in a whisper. 

 

It seemed they were about to go outside, but Dayoung couldn’t muster the courage to look at what was out there. 

 

Instead, she clung to Ian’s neck, burying her face and shutting her eyes. With her vision blocked, she could feel Ian’s hand supporting her thigh. 

 

What the… Why are his hands so big? 

 

It made her heart flutter.

 

The sensation of Ian walking transmitted through her, and the sounds of zombies limping or dragging their feet, along with their faint groans, reached her ears. 

 

Dayoung pressed herself even closer to Ian, trying her best to block out the noise. Leaning against his firm shoulders gave her a slight sense of security.

 

Ian flinched momentarily as Dayoung’s body pressed against him. 

 

Through the thin fabric, he could feel the softness of her ample chest. On top of that, his palm was already supporting the bare skin of her thigh, and now her chest was pressed against him too. 

 

He tried to focus, but the more he did, the more aware he became of Dayoung’s body against his, sending jolts through his nerves.

 

As she was carried in Ian’s arms, Dayoung lost herself in thought. 

 

What point in time is this now? What characters will appear later? What events will unfold? 

 

And so on. Amid her racing thoughts, Ian quietly spoke up.

 

“You can open your eyes now.”

 

At Ian’s words, Dayoung cautiously opened her eyes. 

 

It seemed they had entered a building, as no zombies were in sight. Looking around at what appeared to be a department store or outlet, Dayoung recalled a scene.

 

‘Ian and his group headed toward a nearby shopping mall—the largest supermall in South Korea, complete with a water park, supermarket, and self-sustaining power supply, making it a place where all basic needs could be met. 

 

Though it was packed with zombies, the mall was too valuable to abandon. 

 

They gathered cars with keys still in the ignition in a vacant lot a short distance away and connected a massive speaker. 

 

Carefully, they left the mall’s front entrance open and hid in a nearby van. Then, they pressed the car keys all at once. 

 

A chorus of beeping alarms echoed out. The blaring car horns, amplified by the speaker, lured the zombies inside the mall and those wandering nearby.

One by one, the zombies moved toward the vacant lot, and the group had to work for quite a while. 

 

Once the area was clear, they entered the mall and dealt with the remaining zombies. It took them exactly one month to clear out every zombie from B2 to the 3rd floor.’

 

They stayed in the mall for over a year, during which many people passed through. When supplies began running low, they decided to move and, upon hearing rumors of an underground bunker in Gangwon Province, set out. 

 

So, what point in time is this now? Dayoung thought. 

 

No wonder the guys’ clothes look so clean and neat—there must have been a reason.

 

“Aren’t you getting down? If you want to stay in my arms longer, that’s fine too.”

 

“Ah, I—I’ll get down.”

 

Dayoung asked to be let go, but pressed herself even closer against Ian’s firm body. 

 

I still want to stay like this a little longer. When else will I get to hug such a toned physique?! She had never known she could be this bold.

 

Unlike her words, Dayoung’s body language as she clung to Ian left him momentarily conflicted. 

 

Was she scared because this was a place full of rugged men? 

 

Part of him wanted to take her straight to his room—her presence was that tempting—but he couldn’t treat her carelessly. 

 

After a brief hesitation, Ian carefully set her down.

 

Dayoung felt disappointed, but since she couldn’t fully grasp her current situation, she had no choice but to follow his lead. 

 

Stepping out of Ian’s arms, she glanced around and noticed the rest of the group from the shopping mall gathering around, staring at her with fascination.

 

In movies and dramas, they’d lock someone up and assault them… What about these gangsters? 

 

The moment she flinched under their intense gazes, Ian stepped between her and the others, speaking up.

 

“You’re scaring her. Show some manners. Let me introduce you to our group. They’re not as scary as they look, so don’t be too nervous.”

“Okay…”

 

“I’ll skip the formalities. I’m Park Ian, 22. The guy with glasses over there is Kim Dohun, also 22. And next to him is Kang Jiseok, 25.”

 

Ian introduced each member watching Dayoung with interest, along with their ages. 

 

Every time a name was called, the guys waved at her as if announcing themselves, easing some of her tension. While the other names didn’t register much, Dayoung studied the three men carefully—all ranked within the top seven most popular characters in Zombieverse.

 

1st place: Park Ian. 3rd: Kim Dohun. 4th: Kang Jiseok. 

 

Ian, the group’s leader, was the most popular. Dohun was the brains, and Jiseok was the brawn. 

 

Just as described in the story, they were all incredibly handsome. I’m scared, but… wow. They’re so cool!

 

“Dayoung, would you like to introduce yourself?”

“I’m… Kim Dayoung, 24 years old.”

 

“Then, we can just call us casually—‘noona’ (older sister) for you and ‘oppa’ for the guys. If anyone ever acts rude to you, just tell Jiseok over there. He’s the type who believes men must always be polite to women. He’ll give them a good scolding.”

“Okay…”

“Speak comfortably. I’ll do the same. Dohun will show you around the building. See you at dinner.”

“Hm…”

 

As Ian walked away, Dohun approached with a smile. His soft double eyelids, fox-like upturned eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips matched the descriptions from the book exactly. Though he was the brains of the group, he had the prettiest face among the male characters in the novel. 

 

Of course, Dohun himself was insecure about his looks, but to Dayoung, seeing him felt like stepping into heaven.

 

“Nice to meet you, noona. Mind if I speak casually?”

“Yeah. Nice to meet you, too. Feel free.”

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen a woman. How’d you survive?”

“Huh? Well… I don’t really remember.”

“You don’t remember?”

“No. I’m not sure what happened.”

“Guess something must’ve gone down. Then again, it’s a world where staying sane is tough. But you don’t have to worry here—just relax. The first floor is for temporary housing and the cafeteria, and there’s a convenience store next to it. The second floor has private rooms, and the third floor has recreational facilities and a bathhouse. C’mon, I’ll show you your room.”

“Okay. How long have you been here?”

“About three months?”

 

Dayoung followed Dohun up the escalator. 

 

One side of the second floor had been cleared of merchandise and converted into living quarters. Though the rooms had no doors, leaving them fully visible, each was decorated with its occupant’s unique touch.

 

“This AdidXX is Ian’s room, the North XXX next to it is mine, and that NikX over there is Jiseok hyung’s (older brother). Where do you want yours? We’ll set it up for you.”

“Anywhere’s fine with me…”

 

“Ah, no. Our group is all nice, but you never know, so it’d probably be better near Ian’s room, my room, Jiseok hyung’s room, or Minho hyung’s room. What do you think? Oh, I’ll introduce you to Minho hyung a little later.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

“Then let’s go to the X store since it’s the biggest. It’s close to our rooms too. We’ll put in a bed and any necessary furniture, and since there’s no door, I’ll hang up a pretty curtain for you.”

“You don’t have to go that far for me.”

“No, Ian or Jiseok hyung would probably say the same thing. You’ll need to change clothes and stuff inside. Give me your bag—I’ll put it in my room for now. While we get things ready, noona, do you want to use the bathhouse? Today’s the day the tub has water. Ah, but since the women’s bath isn’t in use, maybe not. Minho hyung! Are you upstairs?”

“Yeah!”

 

Dohun carried Dayoung’s bag and called out to Minho on the third floor, to which a reply soon followed. When Dohun took Dayoung upstairs, a cute-looking man with wide eyes stared at her.

“I heard a girl was coming. So it’s true. Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Minho.”

“Hello. I’m Kim Dayoung.”

“You two are the same age—24. Minho hyung is usually around here, so if you need anything inside, just ask him. He’s also in charge of the hot water for the bathhouse. Hyung, can noona use it now?”

“Of course. Do you have spare clothes, by any chance? All the women’s clothes are stored on the basement level two.”

“I don’t have any spare clothes…”

 

Lee Minho. The man ranked 7th in popularity. 

 

Among the ranked men, he was the shortest, but in reality, he wasn’t that small—it was just that the others were too tall. 

 

Dohun and Minho took Dayoung to a nearby clothing store. 

 

Dayoung stared in fascination at the tightly packed rows of countless clothes hanging inside.