Dead Man Switch Chapter 1.6

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We sat in the changing room, each with our own locker and shelf, leaning against the walls. Who would have thought we would end up in a communal shower room that we had never used before, with this kind of arrangement? Yoon Jun-seok, who had been smoking silently in a corner, took up an entire bench and stretched out to sleep.

 

An awkward atmosphere filled the air. Since I didn’t know anything, I didn’t have much to say, and Sunbae leaning against the wall with crossed arms seemed unwilling to speak. In the end, the two hoobaes explained why they had ended up here.

 

“That day, I was packing my things to go back to my hometown.”

 

“I was taking a major exam late… I was on my way to the dormitory after the exam had just ended. I stopped by the convenience store on the first floor for a moment before heading up to my room.”

 

Our school had an extremely large campus. It was built in the mountains, and everyone complained that the land was cheap and the scale was unnecessarily large. Every year, at the beginning of the semester, you could easily spot freshmen getting lost on campus.

 

Amongst that vast campus, the student dormitory building was located in the most remote area, bordering the foothills of the mountain. Through the windows facing the mountain, all sorts of insects would come in, and there were rumors circulating like strange stories that wild boars had even entered the corridors a few years ago. That’s why noticing any unusual incidents happening at the school was always delayed.

 

“I was dragging my suitcase when I heard screams near the cafeteria. I wondered what was happening, if there was a fight or if bugs had appeared in the food. I was thinking about that as I tried to pass by.”

 

Choi Dabin explained the situation from that time while fumbling through her memories.

 

Since our school is located in a very remote area, public transportation was not available. It was so far into the mountains that without a private vehicle, it was virtually impossible to access. Therefore, the school provided shuttle buses that ran from the campus to the nearby town at specified hours.

 

After the end of the semester, the dormitory was surprisingly bustling. Students who had packed their belongings were waiting for the shuttle bus, while others gathered in the cafeteria, enjoying a celebratory dinner for the end of the semester. In the midst of it all, a student covered in blood rushed into the cafeteria, staggering, and collapsed. It was a mysterious sight, as the injuries seemed too severe for the student to have moved at all.

 

Everyone screamed and stepped back. Someone rushed to call the security guard. Among them, a brave student approached the fallen person.

 

〈Excuse me, excuse me! Are you okay?〉

 

〈…….〉

 

〈Yes? What did you say?〉

 

The person who was huddled in the pool of blood twitched.

 

〈Can you move? Hey… huh?〉

 

〈Keuk, kkereuk, kuaaaaak!〉

 

Soon, chaos erupted inside the student cafeteria.

 

“After that, I just dropped everything, including my suitcase, and ran. Both me and Geon-woo did the same. Since we only saw it through the glass from outside, we were able to escape quickly. I wonder what happened to the other people inside the cafeteria…”

 

Hundreds of students in the cafeteria and lobby were engulfed in panic and scattered in all directions. Most of them rushed out of the dormitory through the wide-open entrance, while a few ventured deeper into the building. Choi Dabin and Park Geon-woo were among the latter.

 

“We were lucky. If we lock the shower room door and stay quiet, we should be fine. Those outside may not see well, but they are sensitive to sound.”

 

Even Sunbae had said such words. ‘Follow me quietly and don’t make a sound.’ That too was because he already knew the behaviors of the monsters.

 

“So that’s why oppa was able to stay safe. You were just sleeping in the room as if you were dead. Those who were screaming or making noise while wandering around were all caught.”

 

“But we can’t stay here forever. There won’t be any food, and although the water might be overflowing, it won’t last.”

 

Dozens of showers were lined up on the wall beyond the shower room door. It seemed like there would be no risk of dying from dehydration if one stayed here.

 

“Should we go out and ask for help? There’s no internet or phone signal in the dormitory right now. In that case, maybe it’s better to…”

 

“You really… don’t know anything. It seems like you’ve been just staying in your room all along.”

 

Park Geon-woo muttered suddenly, while crouching down with his face buried in his knees. The glint of his trapped glasses reflected the pale light of the fluorescent lamp.

 

“Look.”

 

Park Geon-woo stood up abruptly and turned towards the window. In a corner of the changing room, there was a small window for ventilation. He released the lock and pushed the window upward at an angle, opening it.

 

The cool sunlight poured through the gap in the window. I squinted slightly. It felt strange how unfamiliar the sunlight was after not going outside for a while. My vision, which had turned white from the dazzling light, soon returned to normal.

 

The view of the cold, frosty winter campus came into sight all at once. The wide path with white paving blocks, well-maintained gardens, scattered benches and vending machines, and…

 

“Ah.”

 

I sighed quietly. It appeared that numerous people were wandering around with slow, stiff movements. Their walking gestures, with arms and legs stretched out, seemed rigid. Some were missing arms, others were missing legs. One person had their intestines protruding, swaying loosely from their knee. Decayed bodies stained with dark red blood were swaying under the sunlight.

 

No, they weren’t human. They couldn’t be called human. The campus was already filled with the walking dead, corpses roaming in search of living prey.

 

“If we go out, we’ll die. Even if we’re lucky enough to make it to the nearest building without getting caught, how will we get to the next building from there? And the one after that? It took over 30 minutes to walk to the main gate on a normal day, so how…”

 

“……”

 

“We’re trapped. We can’t get out. We’ll just stay trapped and die like this.”

 

“Hey, Park Geon-woo! Don’t say useless things.”

 

Choi Dabin raised her voice. Park Geon-woo, who had been huddled up, looked at her directly and rebutted.

 

“N-Noona don’t have any close friends here anyway. That’s why you can say it so easily. I have Yu-jin. I’m worried sick about her, what should I do?”

 

“Yu-jin?”

 

An unfamiliar name came up. I asked without thinking.

 

“Are you only worried about her? I’m worried too, you know. But what can we do? We can’t just go and find her right away.”

 

“I want to go and look for her now. I was so scared to go out before… I wish you didn’t send her away like that.”

 

Park Geon-woo sank down onto the spot. With his small and skinny frame, he seemed enveloped in a layer of vulnerability. Choi Dabin awkwardly tried to console him.

 

“Nothing bad will happen. Ingyu oppa went with her, right? They’re probably hiding somewhere safe. They’re just delayed because they’re waiting for the right moment to come back.”

 

“Heugh, euheugh…”

 

He lowered his head and started sobbing. I sat beside him and asked in the softest voice I could muster.

 

“Geon-woo, who is Yu-jin? If it’s okay, can you tell hyung about it?”

 

“She’s my girlfriend.”

 

Under his lowered head, a tearful response slipped out.

 

“Your girlfriend is outside right now?”

 

“We decided to form pairs among the people here and go out to find food because we don’t have anything to eat. Yu-jin and another guy were chosen. But Yu-jin’s health is really bad, so I asked if she could be exempted just this once and that I would go instead. But Jun-seok hyung said there’s no such thing and that exceptions couldn’t be made…”

 

He became agitated and rambled on. I glanced back discreetly. Yoon Jun-seok was deeply asleep, snoring even. That was a relief. He didn’t seem like the type to just sit there quietly after hearing gossip about himself.

 

“I see. You must be very worried.”

 

“H-Hyung. Ho-hyeon hyung. You know.”

 

He suddenly lifted his head. I was taken aback. His bloodshot eyes, stained with tears, looked at me through the lenses of his glasses.

 

“By any chance, did you happen to go to the convenience store on the first floor before coming here?”

 

The boy’s thin hand clenched desperately onto the hem of my shirt. It tugged at my clothes, causing some discomfort, but I didn’t show it.

 

“Yu-jin worked there part-time. Even when she had a shift, I would rush to grab her from the counter and bring her here without her even changing out of her uniform.”

 

The image of the part-time worker who would hand me boxes of energy drinks when I was on the verge of collapsing due to impending assignments came to mind. She would have her hair neatly tied back and wore the uniform vest.

 

Then, the next scene. The ominously open convenience store warehouse door, the sound of chewing, and the figure lying inside… I tried hard not to think about it anymore. My stomach churned uncomfortably.

 

“She worked late into the night, studying and doing night shifts, and then she came here without even knowing what was going on. She had barely slept for more than thirty hours and couldn’t even gather her thoughts… And they sent her out again to find food. I thought since she worked at the convenience store, she would know the layout well enough.”

 

Park Geon-woo poured out his pent-up words. I couldn’t say anything in response. I clenched my teeth to hide the trembling of my lips.

 

“Ho-hyeon hyung, have you seen… Yu-jin? She’s about 160 centimeters tall, hair that reaches her shoulders, and she was wearing a gray sweatshirt with a convenience store vest on top. Have you crossed paths with her on your way here? Please, tell me.”

 

He shook me as if seeking an answer. I swayed along with his shaking, maintaining my silence. The inside of my eyes felt hot.

 

“Geon-woo, stop. Oppa didn’t know anything because he was just in his room, remember?”

 

Choi Dabin confronted him. Park Geon-woo couldn’t hold back his anxiety any longer and cried out loud. I cautiously reached out and patted his back, trying to provide some comfort. That was all I could do. Sunbae showed no significant reaction and remained indifferent throughout. Then, as if sensing something, he looked towards the door.

 

“Hey, kids.”

 

His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a power that commanded attention. Both Dabin and I, and even Geon-woo who was sobbing, looked at him. Sunbae unfolded his arms and pointed towards the door.

 

“Outside.”

 

Thud. As soon as his words ended, the door trembled, sending a chilling sensation. A moment of silence followed. And once again, thud.

 

The air instantly froze. We approached the door. Yoon Jun-seok, who had just woken up from his sleep, quietly joined us.

 

Thud. Thud.

 

“… Please.”

 

A voice was heard.

 

“Open the door, please.”

 

It was a human voice. The voice that faintly drifted over the door seemed familiar, as if I had heard it before.

 

“It hurts… It’s hot. Please open the door.”

 

“Ingyu hyung?”

 

Park Geon-woo murmured to himself. In the next moment, he who had been standing behind me darted out like an arrow. The boy who had been crying sorrowfully until a moment ago seemed to have gathered an unexpected strength.

 

“Hyung, Ingyu hyung! I’ll open it right away.”

 

Park Geon-woo reached out his hand hastily towards the doorknob. Before he could press the unlock button, sunbae grabbed his wrist tightly. He let out a short groan of pain.

 

“Hey, don’t open it.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you know what’s outside? Don’t open it.”

 

He paused, receiving sunbae’s ominous gaze.

 

“Didn’t you hear them? Well, it’s a person!”

 

Yoon Jun-seok shouted angrily. It seemed more like a desire to oppose sunbae’s opinion rather than a result of rational thinking.

 

“It looks like the ones who went to find food have returned. Park Geon-woo, what are you doing? Your girlfriend is here, but you’re hesitating to open the door.”

 

Park Geon-woo hesitated, unsure of what to do between the two men. Sunbae tilted his head in annoyance.

 

“We don’t know if it’s still a person now. Will it still be a person even after we let them in?”

 

Desperate cries for help. Sunbae who hesitated to assist the unfamiliar person beyond the door. The puzzle pieces fell into place in my mind. An unpleasant shiver ran down my spine.

 

I had encountered the person called ‘Ingyu hyung’ earlier. I had a chance to help them. However, I didn’t. No, I chose not to.

 

“Geon-woo, I’m hurt. It hurts… Open it quickly.”

 

“Hyung! What about Yu-jin?”

 

“Yu-jin…? Yu, jin.”

 

“Is Yu-jin with you right now?”

 

From outside, only anxious breaths mixed with groans could be heard in response. In the end, Park Geon-woo reached out his hand, which wasn’t caught by sunbae, and pressed the unlock button. Diiing. A cheerful electronic sound that didn’t match the situation resonated.

 

“Heok.”

 

After pressing the button, he froze, realizing what he had done. The door slowly opened, revealing a gap of about half a forearm, through which a bloodied hand forcefully pushed its way in. Flesh was torn and exposed in various places, as if it had been gnawed by something.

 

Amidst the stunned onlookers, only sunbae reacted swiftly. He lifted one foot and kicked the door. A horrifying sound of bones and flesh being crushed resonated. Blood spurted from the hand.

 

“Aaah!”

 

A pained scream echoed through the air as the convulsing hand struggled to free itself. Sunbae kindly kicked the door once more, producing a solid thud, and the door closed, automatically locking with the door latch.

 

Outside the door, agonizing groans persisted for a while. Then, suddenly, all the sounds subsided. A deathly silence pervaded the air. Even after the situation had concluded, no one dared to utter a word.

 

“This… insane. You crazy bastard!”

 

Yoon Jun-seok was the first to regain his composure and explode with anger. He approached sunbae with determined steps.

 

“Are you insane? You psycho bastard, do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

 

Yoon Jun-seok approached closely, but seemed to lack the courage to grab sunbae by the collar or strike him, trembling instead.

 

“Why?”

 

“Why? What did you just say? You let go of that person’s hand, why?”

 

“I told you. Did it look like a person to you?”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Don’t you understand? You look like fuck, and you’re actually behaving like fuck to the point where it’s pissing me off.”

 

Sunbae pulled down his mask and quickly wiped his eye with the back of his hand. The blood splattered earlier stained it a deep red. The bloodstain spread beside his intense gaze, making his expression even more menacing. Even Yoon Jun-seok, who had been blazing with anger, flinched for a moment.

 

“If you have nothing else to say, get lost. I’m going to wash up. I’m already feeling like shit, so don’t push it further with your shitty attitude.”

 

With a fresh and crisp tone, he tossed the remark and turned away. Yoon Jun-seok’s face turned beet red.

 

“Hey, Ki Young-won, you bastard!”

 

“If you want to open the door that badly, go ahead and open it yourself. Don’t rely on your hoobaes to do it for you.”

 

Sunbae glanced over his shoulder and smirked.

 

“Can’t do it, huh?”

 

Yoon Jun-seok couldn’t muster a response. He could only mutter curses under his breath as he watched sunbae disappear into the shower room.

 

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