The Only Woman in a Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 2 Chapter 46 - The Meaning of Yet Another Memory (1)

When they reached the entrance of the base, there were no more zombies left to deal with. 

 

Since the road to the village didn’t have many zombies either, Dayoung struck up a conversation with Dodam.

 

“Is there a big difference between regular soldiers and special forces?”

 

“Of course there is, ma’am. The training is tough, but the scariest part was going out on missions, ma’am. No—I mean, it was scary. You could die if you made a mistake. But since I’m not planning to stay long, they said new recruits could transfer to the regular forces, or at the latest, they’d reassign me once I made sergeant. But the veterans—their presence is no joke, ma’am. Especially our captain. She’s amazing. At first glance, she looks like an ordinary woman, but when she’s in uniform, armed, and on a mission, her presence… I’ve never seen anyone like her before, ma’am.”

 

Dayoung was curious about Dodam’s captain. 

 

Even though she was a woman, she led an entire team—and not a team made up of women, either. 

 

From what she heard, the team was all men except for the captain. She wondered how hard it must have been for her to reach that position.

 

“But don’t the team members disrespect her because she’s a woman?”

 

“Our captain? No way. I heard when she first joined, the team hated her and talked badly about her. But she crushed them all with her skills. People even say she’s ‘a woman in name only,’ ma’am. There’s nothing she can’t do—no, really, nothing. She’s skilled with all kinds of weapons, has tons of mission experience. Rumor has it she even worked for the National Intelligence Service.”

 

“Wow… That’s seriously impressive.”

 

“I think our captain is amazing too. They say she’s been through everything. Watching her makes you realize women can do just as much as men. It makes you think you should never look down on someone just because they’re a woman.”

 

While serving in the special forces, Dodam’s perspective on women changed a lot. 

 

It was because he realized, just like the protagonist in the movie Resident XX, that women could really fight like that. 

 

‘You never know when a strong woman of any style might appear—someone like Dayoung, who casually fires a gun by your side yet lands a perfect headshot.’

 

Of course, women might not overpower men in sheer strength, but strength can be built through training. Just like how none of the team members could defeat their captain in hand-to-hand combat.

 

“But, noona.”

“Yeah?”

“I heard you were a shooting athlete.”

“That’s right. Outdoor shooting. So, hitting moving targets is my specialty.”

“But you also know a lot about guns? Military firearms and sports guns must be different.”

“Ah. Being a shooting athlete got me interested in guns. When it comes to firearms, I might know more than you, an active-duty soldier.”

 

At Dayoung’s words, Dodam’s eyes widened in surprise. He thought she was just a BaeX enthusiast, but she turned out to be a gun enthusiast. 

 

In response to Dodam’s question, Dayoung grinned and began explaining the gun that both of them were holding.

 

“Seriously?”

“The gun you and I are holding right now—the K2C1. It uses 5.56×45mm NATO rounds. With K100 ammunition, it can shoot up to 600 meters. I’ve heard some units still use the K2, but most have probably switched to the K2C1. The M16A1? Discontinued in 1982. The U.S. military currently uses the A2, A3, and A4 models. Korea phased it out in the ’80s, replacing it with the K2.”

 

“…”

 

Dodam was left speechless by Dayoung’s explanation. He knew the K2C1 inside out since it was the standard issue in his unit, but when it came to older models like the M16A1, he had never even seen one in person.

 

“Personally, I think revolvers are cool and nice. They have good impact too. The S&W M60 feels comfortable. You know?”

“I don’t…”

“It’s the gun police officers use.”

“Ah…”

 

Dayoung seemed to know not just about rifles but guns in general. 

 

Dodam, reminded that he shouldn’t act like a know-it-all just because he was an active-duty soldier, buried the thought deep inside. Since their unit was located at the foot of the mountain, the air was fresher than in the village. 

 

After walking diligently along the unpaved road, the entrance to the distant village finally came into view. 

 

Suddenly, an object burst out from the forest path, and Dayoung reflexively aimed her gun.

 

The man who had emerged from the forest path was also pointing his gun at the group. Upon seeing them, he removed his hand from the grip and signaled surrender. 

 

Behind him, Jiseok slightly lowered his muzzle and stepped forward.

 

“Are you a soldier? I’m Lieutenant Jang Hayun from the 4756th Unit.”

“Loyalty! Private First Class Park. Do. Dam!”

 

At Hayun’s words, Dodam saluted and answered quietly. 

 

Though they were from different units, the mention of a lieutenant made him slightly nervous. 

 

Hayun quickly returned the salute, observing Dodam’s formal stance, Dayoung still pointing her gun at him without flinching, and the rest of the group. 

 

Noticing Dodam’s black uniform, Hayun asked, “Private Park Dodam, are you by any chance from Alpha Team?”

“Yes! Private First Class Park. Do. Dam, Alpha Team!”

“Keep it down…”

 

Dayoung gritted her teeth and covered Dodam’s mouth as he answered loudly. Dodam scratched his head and bowed apologetically at her reaction.

 

“There’s no need to announce your rank and name in a situation like this. So, you’re the one who’s been using the military radio?”

“Yes. I’ve been trying to contact our captain, but…”

“Where’s Alpha Team’s captain?”

 

“That… We lost contact a month ago.”

“Sigh… Then coming here was pointless…”

 

At Dodam’s words, Hayun looked deeply disappointed. 

 

Dayoung couldn’t help but wonder just who this so-called ‘Captain’ was that the soldiers were searching for.

 

“Who’s the leader here?”

“That would be me.”

 

At Hayun’s question, the group’s eyes turned toward Ian, who raised his hand from the back where he was holding onto the cart.

 

“By any chance, do you have a base?”

“Yes. We’ve settled in a shopping mall.”

“If it’s alright with you, may we join you? We have no group of our own. As you can see, I came here looking for the soldiers’ captain.”

 

At Hayun’s words, the group exchanged glances. 

 

Having more soldiers wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but considering Dayoung had been captured by soldiers before, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy. 

 

Moreover, Hayun’s demeanor was different from Dodam’s carefree, making them hesitate.

 

“Alright. Let’s go together for now.”

 

Dayoung, sensing why the group was hesitating, spoke up first. 

 

They didn’t need to be so cautious on her behalf. Though she had memories of what happened, since she hadn’t personally suffered much, seeing soldiers didn’t trigger any major trauma for her. 

 

To Dayoung, they just seemed like rescuers.

 

“Thank you. By any chance, does the shopping mall have a radio or something to contact the military?”

“I did bring a radio, but I’m not sure if any military forces have survived this situation. Normally, emergency broadcasts should be playing on the emergency radio frequency, but there’s been nothing so far.”

“Still, we should keep trying. There might still be living soldiers out there.”

 

“Let’s save the introductions for when we get back. Do you have any ammo left?”

“Yes, we still have some.”

“Then, please help keep watch with us while we move.”

“Understood.”

 

Hayoon stared intently at Dayoung. Though her small frame made the rifle look even larger, from a distance, she had pulled the trigger without a hint of hesitation, and every shot she fired brought down a zombie. 

 

That was why he had assumed they were a group of soldiers and approached them. 

 

But the person he was looking for wasn’t among them, and the only soldier was Dodam. 

 

Hayun let out a deep sigh involuntarily.

 

“If you go to the hideout, eat a warm meal, and wash up with hot water, some of your worries will fade.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Dayoung spoke cheerfully as if nothing was wrong, but her mind was in complete chaos. In the original story, when they had gone to the Gangwon bunker toward the end, the person there was Jang Hayun. 

 

It couldn’t just be a coincidence—the described appearance and military rank matched perfectly. It had to be him.

 

They weren’t supposed to come to the military base, so according to the plot, he should have checked the empty base and moved to the Gangwon bunker. 

 

But the original story had twisted again. 

 

Of course, if he went to the bunker, his fate would still be the same, but the hardships he’d face along the way would be different.

 

A character who appeared near the end but skyrocketed in popularity due to his rugged physique and beastly sex scenes—so much so that fans demanded a side story for Hayun. 

 

Dayoung kept sneaking glances at his face.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look too rough?”

 

“Uh… No. It’s just that you’re handsome.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What? No, I mean, I was just thinking.”

 

“…”

 

Seeing Dayoung’s ears turn red, Hayun’s expression softened slightly. 

 

It was clear that the group cherished her, given how unblemished she appeared. Every woman Hayun had met before coming here had either been consumed by fear or worn an expression of resignation, devoid of emotion. 

 

But Dayoung’s expressions changed constantly, and he could tell she was someone who was deeply cared for.

 

As Hayun gazed at Dayoung, Dodam tapped Hayun elbow a few times and pulled him back. 

 

Only after putting some distance between them and Dayoung did Dodam whisper quietly.

“Lieutenant. To get along with these people, the number one rule is to treat Dayoung noona well, got it? No doing things she dislikes, understood?”

“That woman next to  me?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be careful.”

 

They could hear everything. 

 

Honestly, I don’t understand why the men here whisper so loudly when they think they’re being discreet. If they were part of our group, I’d scold them for being overheard, but since they’re strangers, I couldn’t say anything. 

 

So I just let it go in one ear and out the other.