The Only Woman in a Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 1 Chapter 5 - Isn't this a zombie story? (1)

 

Dohun threw the dress to one side and spoke. 

 

Was this a joke? Or was he serious? Dayoung was momentarily confused.

“Hey! Stop it! Noona’s frozen stiff! I told you, the first time someone hears your sarcasm, they’ll mistake it for the truth!”

“Ah… It’s a joke, right? You scared me…”

“Noona, it’s a joke. A joke! Dohun—that bird, no, that guy—has a knack for talking with a sarcastic tone. Just let his words go in one ear and out the other.”

“I see…”

“Don’t worry. Noona will get used to the way I talk soon enough.”

Dohun wasn’t just cheeky in appearance—his words were just as mischievous.

 

“Noona, what about this?”

Dohun grinned and showed her an item of clothing—a pair of training shorts that looked more like underwear. 

 

Was he doing this on purpose?

“It looks really comfy to sleep in. Not a fan?”

“Yeah. It would probably be comfortable for sleeping.”

“Right? Noona would probably fit into a size S.”

Dayoung burst into laughter as Dohun tossed the shorts into a large shopping basket. 

 

There was something about Dohun—he was incredibly cheeky, but not in an annoying way. 

 

Dayoung filled the basket with clothes, two of which were items Dohun had insisted looked pretty on her. She then carried the basket herself into the lingerie section to pick out undergarments. 

 

Thanks to the guys’ help, moving the baskets back to the room wasn’t too difficult.

 

“We decided to have dinner a little early today. Noona seemed hungry, so we’ll head down to the first floor right after we tidy up.”

“Okay. I’ll come down after I finish organizing. Thanks for helping me carry everything.”

“No problem.”

 

Once the guys left, Dayoung started by changing her clothes. 

 

Since it was hard to check the underwear sizes beforehand, she had grabbed two different sizes, but the 75D bra fit her perfectly. 

 

After putting on fresh undergarments, she slipped into knee-length shorts and a comfortable T-shirt. Hanging the clothes on one side of the wall would probably be enough to call it organized, but for some reason, Dayoung felt too lazy and flopped onto the bed.

 

“Kim Dayoung. Today has really been something else.”

 

Though it wasn’t her real body, she had exposed it here and there. The kind-hearted men had averted their eyes as if it were nothing, but in a world where women were rare, the slightest ill intent could have made her prey. 

 

Remembering what happened in the mall, her body grew inexplicably warm. She had never experienced sex before, but this body seemed to know the pleasures of it—judging by how easily it heated up and grew excited.

 

“Well, with a body and face like this, there’s no way she was a virgin.”

 

Dayoung pondered quietly. Maybe there was a reason she had possessed this body in this world. 

 

Could it be that someone pitied her for only ever fantasizing? Her thoughts spiraled. 

 

Here, she might experience pleasures she had never felt before. Could she command them like the legendary King Yama? Would it be cruel to toy with such good-hearted men? But then, she’d seem like such a wicked girl. 

 

Still, she was curious—about the sex as it had been described in the stories.

 

“You pervert, Kim Dayoung!”

 

She jolted upright at the growling protest of her stomach and hurried out of the room, heading downstairs. 

 

On her way to the first floor, the men she passed greeted her warmly. 

 

Their eagerness to strike up even a brief conversation was so obvious that even oblivious Dayoung couldn’t miss it. She responded with a faint smile.

 

“Noona, let me show you to the dining area.”

“Thank you.”

“You can speak casually with me.”

“Okay. Thanks. You can speak casually too, Jihu.”

 

When Dayoung flashed a small smile, the man’s ears turned bright red. 

 

So men really do react like this to pretty women, she mused. Even a tiny smile got such a response. 

 

The first floor had been arranged like a dining hall, with a food court neatly set up and dishes laid out on the tables.

 

“I hope the food suits your taste, Noona.”

 

The three men in charge of cooking approached and spoke. Ian’s group of 15 people was quite systematically organized. 

 

There were three people managing groceries and preparing meals, eight people scouting outside, and the remaining four handling internal management—all of them were in their 20s, making them the youngest group in Zombieverse. 

 

Though young, they were the most warm-hearted and kind group. Dayoung was genuinely grateful that they were the ones who had found her.

 

They usually split into two shifts for meals, but except for the three scouts guarding the entrance, everyone gathered around the table. 

 

Not long after they started eating, the radio crackled to life.

 

—Civilians spotted outside. Three men appeared.

—On my way.

 

At the sound of the radio, Jiseok quickly stuffed food into his mouth and spoke. As the one managing the scouts besides Ian, he swiftly left the dining area.

 

“Noona, have some more.”

“Thanks. But new people just arrived, right?”

“Yeah. Must be a lucky day. It’s rare to see people multiple times in a day. First you, and now them.”

 

While talking with Dohun, Jiseok returned to the dining area with the three men in tow. 

 

Dressed in ragged clothes, the men hesitated before following Jiseok inside. Their Adam’s apples bobbed once at the sight of the food laid out before them—and again when they noticed Dayoung sitting at the center.

 

“You can introduce yourselves later. Eat first. It’s better to talk after you’ve had a meal and a bath,” Jiseok said.

 

At his words, the three men stepped aside as the cooks quickly brought them rice and soup. 

 

The new men wolfed down the food before disappearing into the bathhouse under Minho’s guidance.

 

Dayoung studied them carefully—the three men who had appeared in the mall. 

 

Not every detail of the year spent in the mall would make it into the novel, but she roughly remembered the time they had spent there and recalled the story. 

 

At first, the three men had gotten along well with the group, but in the end, they betrayed them. Because of that, Ian’s group, which had originally numbered fifteen, was reduced to ten.

 

‘No way… Are they the ones? The bastards who caused trouble to take over the mall!’

 

As she watched their retreating figures, Dayoung made a silent vow. She didn’t know how long she’d be stuck here, but at the very least, she would protect this place where she now lived. She would protect these people who had treated her kindly. 

 

Even though she had known them for less than twenty-four hours, she had watched and read about them for the past two years. When five of them had died, and they buried them in the nearby empty lot, Dayoung had cried with them. 

 

Filled with a deep sense of closeness, she made a small resolution.

 

“Noona, what are you thinking about?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Just… new people make me nervous.”

“There are so many of us here—what’s there to be scared of? Don’t worry.”

“Yeah.”

 

After the meal, everyone helped clean up. The tables were reset for the second meal shift guarding the entrance, and Dayoung pitched in. Then, she joined them to properly introduce herself. 

 

The mealtime became an opportunity to learn about each member of the group, one by one.

 

“Noona, we’re throwing a welcome party later at the bar on B1.”

“Is everyone coming?”

“Yeah, since you’re here now, and we have new people too. We’ll turn off the exterior lights and gather everyone.”

“Got it. I’ll head down soon.”

“Okay. See you later, noona.”

“Yeah.”

 

Dayoung returned to her room. Since Dohun had handed her a watch and told her to come down to the basement by 8 p.m., she still had plenty of time. She finished organizing her clothes. 

 

Though it was midsummer, she grabbed a thin cardigan just in case the night turned chilly.

 

The moment she opened the curtain and stepped out, she was met by three people, as if they had been waiting for her. Their gleaming stares made her uneasy, but she forced a smile and greeted them.

“Hello.”

“Hi! Nice to meet you. I’m Park Dongwoo. Are you staying here with the group?”

“I’m Kim Dayoung. I think so—I just arrived today.”

“Alone?”

“Yes. Alone.”

“Surviving as a woman all by yourself—that’s impressive.”

 

“Dayoung noona~”

 

As she chatted with the three and walked downstairs, Dohun approached. Just when she had nothing left to say, his timely appearance made her smile.

“Dohun-ah.”

“Alright, let’s head down. Have you seen the whole store? Tonight, you can sleep in the temporary quarters on the first floor, and tomorrow, you can pick out furniture to set up your room.”