Dead Man Switch Chapter 1.7

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The state of the people left behind after sunbae entered the shower room to wash up was dismal. Choi Dabin was hunched over on the bench in the middle of the changing room, absentmindedly lost in thought, and Park Geon-woo kept crying and dry heaving. The horrifying scene I witnessed earlier vividly came to mind.

 

I was at a loss as to what to do. I thought about trying to comfort Park Geon-woo, but it seemed that touching someone in that state might have the opposite effect, so I gave up on the idea.

 

“Ho-hyeon oppa.”

 

Choi Dabin called out to me as I stood still. She still had her head lowered.

 

“Yes, Dabin.”

 

“How do you know Ki Young-won sunbae-nim, oppa?”

 

“There’s nothing between us.”

 

From my perspective, he was a complete stranger, but the other person acted like he knew me. He kept pretending to be friendly, and if I rejected him, I felt like I would end up getting my head split open with an axe. So, I played along to keep things balanced.

 

Honest words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back. Somehow, it didn’t seem like the right time to say such things. So, I evaded the question.

 

“We just ran into each other by chance. Somehow, we ended up deciding to stay together.”

 

“Are you saying that you didn’t know each other before?”

 

“That’s right. Why do you ask?”

 

“I was wondering if that sunbae was always like that.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I don’t know much about it myself, I’ve only heard rumors here and there. Ki Young-won sunbae-nim is famous in the fine arts department. Many people secretly liked him while being too scared to approach him directly.”

 

His story, unknown to me, flowed out through Choi Dabin’s mouth. Ki Young-won, an art student who leads an ordinary school life. Ki Young-won, who is popular among female students. Wow, it was so out of place that it gave me goosebumps.

 

“But as far as I know, he wasn’t to that extent…  He didn’t seem like that.”

 

She hesitated, unable to find the right words. Then she soon corrected herself.

 

“No, never mind. Maybe everyone is just becoming more sensitive because of the situation. Given the circumstances, who would act the same way as usual at a time like this? Please just pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

 

Not long after Choi Dabin finished speaking, Yoon Jun-seok appeared. The area where there was a hairdryer, a full-length mirror, and cotton swabs was his designated smoking area. It seemed like he had gone there to smoke again.

 

“Ah, fuck.”

 

He angrily threw away what he had clenched in his hand. Unfortunately, it flew in my direction. Reflexively, I turned my head to avoid it. The crumpled empty cigarette pack flew through the air, hitting the wall with a thud and falling to the ground.

 

“I’m out of cigarettes. I told Lee Yu-jin to bring some from the convenience store. Fuck, how annoying.”

 

The expedition they sent to find provisions had failed. No one said it out loud, but everyone implicitly thought the same. The two people who had left with everyone’s expectations probably wouldn’t come back again.

 

“The moment she left, whining about how I was nagging her, I knew it would turn out like this. I’m really fucking out of luck.”

 

Yoon Jun-seok clenched his teeth in frustration. At that moment, Choi Dabin unexpectedly spoke up.

 

“You were too harsh, oppa.”

 

“What?”

 

“You were too harsh. Yu-jin was in pain back then. You could have made an exception at least once.”

 

Yoon Jun-seok, taken aback, suddenly got angry.

 

“So, it’s my fault? Huh? Is it my fault?”

 

“I can’t say that you’re completely at fault, oppa. Geon-woo said he would go instead, and Ingyu oppa and I agreed as well. But you insisted until the end that there were no exceptions, and she ended up going.”

 

“Is this some kind of childish game to you? People’s lives are at stake, and you want to consider each individual circumstance and decide who gets help and who doesn’t? Hey, try doing that in the military. You’ll get your ass kicked in no time.”

 

“So…”

 

A muffled voice came from behind. Park Geon-woo, who had been huddled in the corner, suddenly lifted his head and looked at us. His tear-stained face showed a strange madness.

 

“So, you verbally abused a sick person, swearing and cursing at them? You couldn’t even handle them properly and ended up kicking them out the door?”

 

“What? I indulged you and you’re like this now?”

 

Yoon Jun-seok fiercely slammed his hand on the table. I quickly stood up and blocked his path. I could sense Choi Dabin flinching behind me.

 

“Stop it.”

 

“This is why women are no good. Always complaining, always hiding behind men. You’ve got some messed up habits. And you, Park Geon-woo, you too. You, a guy who hasn’t even served in the military, falling for a fucking girl.”

 

“Hyung!”

 

I couldn’t listen anymore. I frowned and raised my voice. Yoon Jun-seok closed his mouth and stared at me. I regretted it belatedly. I forced a smile, loosening the stiffness on my face.

 

“Just a moment.”

 

I rummaged through my pants pocket. I could feel the texture of a rectangular box of cigarettes at my fingertips. I had brought it from the room and fortunately hadn’t lost it along the way.

 

“Would you like to smoke one?”

 

“These are too weak, smoking them would just ruin my taste.”

 

Yoon Jun-seok grumbled as he looked at the pack of cigarettes I offered. Yet, he flicked his chin towards the self-proclaimed smoking area. It was essentially his approval.

 

“Let’s go. I’ll lend you a lighter too.”

 

“I have my own lighter, you bastard.”

 

I lightly pushed his shoulder and took a step forward. I glanced back. Choi Dabin and Park Geon-woo were looking at me. I sighed quietly and gestured with my eyes. Choi Dabin nodded silently.

 

I arrived in front of the dresser with a fan and a hairdryer. I lit the cigarette and took a puff. Bitter smoke filled the air. It had been a while since I smoked. The dormitory was a non-smoking area, so I had never smoked  for three days, even while cramming for my assignments. I had consumed caffeine and taurine like water though.

 

“Hyung, please cheer up. You know how everyone is on edge right now.”

 

“Hey, Jeong Ho-hyeon. Do I look like a joke to you?”

 

In my heart, I wanted to vigorously nod my head in agreement with his words. I wanted to applaud for his accurate self-objectification. But I couldn’t do that.

 

I don’t know how many more people are still alive on campus, but us five are the only known survivors. There was no point in causing further division. The best-case scenario would be each of us going our separate ways and surviving on our own, but in the worst case, we could all die.

 

I will just let things slide no matter the situation. Don’t do anything that stands out or creates unnecessary friction. That was my principle. Good things are good, after all. Even though it was difficult to adhere to my principles in this situation, to the point where it made my stomach churn, I had no choice.

 

“There’s no way.”

 

“You saw it earlier, didn’t you? Huh? That young kid, acting all high and mighty without even responding.”

 

“They’re young. They’re just barely twenty. Well, what can you do? There’s no point in fighting with kids like them. It’s just a waste of time. Hyung, please understand.”

 

“That bastard, all talk and no action.”

 

He let out a frustrated puff of smoke. Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him, he spoke up.

 

“Hey, doesn’t this feel like a movie right now?”

 

“What kind of movie?”

 

I was puzzled. Why would he bring up movies in this situation?

 

“A zombie movie. It’s totally like that.”

 

As I listened, his words strangely resonated with the current situation. I wondered why I hadn’t thought of the word ‘zombie’ until now. However, the idea of zombies in 21st century South Korea seemed incredibly out of place. It would have been more plausible to imagine a new disease spreading and people dying due to fine dust and chronic stress.

 

“In life, you experience all sorts of things. I always thought if our country were to collapse, it would be from North Korea launching nuclear weapons.”

 

Yoon Jun-seok kept on with his incessant ranting. I slowly exhaled the smoke from the cigarette I had taken a deep drag from. As the nicotine entered my body, my mind became somewhat numb, easing the tension that had stiffened my body.

 

“Aren’t zombies something that comes out in places like the US? Blowing their heads off with shotguns and incinerating them with flamethrowers. In our damn country, what can we do when there’s a bunch of guys who know how to shoot guns? We don’t even have guns. Hey, where did you serve your military service?”

 

“I was in the capital defense unit.”

 

“What? This bastard, you’re too loosened up. Must have had an easy military life, huh? Punk, I served in Gangwon-do, you know. It’s the best unit, you know?”

 

The choice of conversation topic was truly absurd. What’s the point of talking about military life now? If we kept going, it felt like we would end up talking about all the football stories from the military. So, I deliberately changed the subject.

 

“What about the ones outside? Are they real zombies?”

 

“I don’t know. If I knew that, would I be like this, you bastard?”

 

“……”

 

“It’s ridiculous to think that someone intentionally spread the zombie virus. If they wanted to destroy the country, they should have detonated it right in the heart of Seoul. Places like Sinchon or Gangnam, you know? What’s the point of spreading it in this rural area? Only wild boars and deer would get infected to their hearts’ content.”

 

I listened to his words with one ear and let them flow out from the other, gazing up at the ceiling in the distance. The fluorescent light was blinding. I guess I should be grateful that at least the electricity and water were still working.

 

“Jeong Ho-hyeon, isn’t there something like that? There are rules in zombie movies.”

 

“What kind of rule?”

 

“In those movies, the couple who always makes a fuss are the ones to die first. Since Lee Yu-jin is gone now, only that brat Park Geon-woo is left.”

 

He chuckled, puffing on his cigarette. My head went cold. It was a remark that shouldn’t have been made, even as a joke. I hoped that Park Geon-woo in the changing room wouldn’t overhear this conversation.

 

“After that, they say the annoying character dies. The one who just keeps whining unnecessarily. So, is it Choi Dabin’s turn next?”

 

“Hyung, now that I think about it, I’ve heard of that rule too.”

 

I suddenly spoke up, and he turned to look at me.

 

“Huh?”

 

“But the one I know is a bit different.”

 

I flicked away the remaining half of the cigarette butt with my foot and stomped on it to put it out. I smiled at him.

 

“The stupid thug-like bastard who talks nonsense gets fucked up first.”

 

“… What?”

 

“I was kidding. It’s just a joke.”

 

“Fuck. Jeong Ho-hyeon, are you crazy?”

 

I was grabbed by the collar and forcefully slammed against the wall. Thud! The back of my head hit the wall with a resounding thud. For a moment, I couldn’t see anything in front of me.

 

“You bastard, you must want to die!”

 

“Ugh.”

 

My vision became speckled and distorted. It hurt, it hurt terribly. I wondered if my head would shatter before I was killed by the zombies. I put on a determined expression and fumbled forward, trying to pry his hand off me.

 

Thud! The hand gripping my collar released surprisingly easily. Despite the throbbing pain, I mustered the strength to open my eyes. Yoon Jun-seok was writhing on the floor. Violent blows followed, one after another, raining down on him, defenseless and curled up.

 

“Hey, Ho-hyeon said it was just a joke.”

 

It was sunbae. Water droplets dripped from his jet-black hair, as if he had just come out of the shower. He was barefoot, wearing only pants and nothing on top. I had suspected as much from looking at his clothes, but he had a good physique. His arms and legs were well-proportioned, and his frame was solid and muscular. He had a well-defined upper body with visible muscles.

 

However, there was a decisive flaw. His upper body was covered in scars. From thin, faint scratches to large scars that made one wonder if he had undergone surgery, there was not a spot on his body that was untouched. If he were an ordinary college student who grew up and attended school normally, there was no way he could have ended up like that.

 

“Keugh, keugh…”

 

Yoon Jun-seok, clutching his solar plexus, hunched over and writhed in pain. It was evident that the blow had been forceful, as blood trickled from his nose and foam formed at the corners of his mouth.

 

“But why did you have to take it fucking seriously and go nuts?”

 

Sunbae, who had been muttering softly, lifted his head. A chill ran down my spine. There was a large horizontal scar across his neck. It was a horrifying scar as if his throat had been halfway severed. There wasn’t even a trace of stitches, and the flesh gaped wide open, with fresh flesh growing.

 

I wasn’t a medical student nor did I have any medical expertise, but even I knew one thing. Ordinary people cannot survive such wounds.

 

“Huh? Why are you making a fuss?”

 

Sunbae asked once again, but the person he was addressing couldn’t respond. Despite knowing that, he kicked Yoon Jun-seok’s side of the head and insisted on an answer.

 

“Oppas! What’s going on?”

 

Hearing the loud noise, the hoobaes hurriedly rushed over. Seeing the blood droplets on the floor, Park Geon-woo involuntarily held his breath and took a step back.

 

“Heok, heugh….”

 

Yoon Jun-seok’s face, under the gaze of everyone, contorted with embarrassment and pain. Sunbae tapped his own lips with the tip of his index finger and made a gesture as if lifting them up.

 

“Smile. Don’t fucking ruin the mood.”

 

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