How people survive.

01.

Only his lips were trembling. There was no hope left in his frozen face. In 20XX, the world declared a state of emergency.







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It was not long after the new year. Everyone was still enjoying the New Year's resolutions, but at exactly 5:30 p.m., an unknown epidemic broke out in the far-off western region of Africa. Humans are foolish and complacent creatures, so no one could stop the spread of the disease. And would you believe that because it was so contagious, it spread all the way to the easternmost tip of the country? Surprisingly, it was true. A month after the outbreak, it was difficult to find a human on the morning roads.




This mysterious infectious disease caused mental and physical problems to those infected, and surprisingly, they behaved similarly to the crazy zombies you only see in movies. That's why, when it first broke out, people called it a zombie disease, but its official name was "JH5•3." We didn't know why it broke out, there was no vaccine, and it spread quickly. People who sensed the danger of this disease slowly began to disappear from the country, cities, and neighborhoods. To be exact, they began to hide.




Yeoju, too, was desperate to survive on this Earth. The situation was truly absurd. Does that make sense? A student's life is a daily test, living for the college entrance exam, but the news she heard as soon as she returned from the academy was, "JH5•3, the zombie disease, is spreading rapidly in South Korea!" At first, she followed government guidelines and stayed home, keeping quiet. But with food and necessities running low, would people like Yeoju just sit still? No. People quietly began to come out one by one, and as a result, 1.5 million people in South Korea alone were infected. The number is likely even higher if you include unconfirmed cases.




In this situation that was worthy of cursing, Yeoju survived, and even after three months, she clung to her tenacious life. For a month, at first, she trusted the government. She thought the situation would stabilize quickly and that they would provide support accordingly. By the second month, people realized that the government had abandoned them. Of course, they did not think that politicians blinded by money would protect the powerless citizens. By the third month, people were living away from the infected. There was no hope. Yeoju's situation was not good. She tried everything she could to contact her parents right after school, but nothing came of it, and by the second month, Yeoju was faced with reality. The apartment she lived in had long been exposed to the infected, so she could only escape with a few pieces of food.




She came out, but had nowhere to go. 18 years old. What could an 18-year-old do? No one was by her side, and she learned how to survive on her own. At first, a few adults took pity on her and took care of her little by little, and thanks to them, she gradually learned how to survive. As things got worse, she parted ways with the adults she was grateful for and began to stand on her own. She didn't know she had such a talent for survival. She thought it was the result of diligently reading the survival comic book series she enjoyed as a child.



Yeoju gritted her teeth and survived. At first, she couldn't properly handle stealing food from the supermarket because of guilt, but after seeing with her own eyes those infected with the disease running towards her, trying to tear her to pieces, she didn't care. At first, she worried about how she would survive outside and worried about where to sleep, but now she was so used to it that she didn't even know if she was in a bed or on the floor. Ah, but I think she'll be able to tell the difference right away if she lies down on the bed. She was convinced that she had become a heartless person. Yeoju herself.



Still, perhaps because humans are creatures of justice, she missed people. She missed the old days when we laughed, chatted, shared warmth, and lived together day after day. It was human nature and habit. When was it? Sometimes, when this life became difficult and tiring, Yeoju recalled the past. She would bow her head as tears fell like rain and take a moment of silence. It was a habit she developed after living alone.







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You said you missed human warmth, that you longed to laugh and chat together. Yes, you said that. Yeoju still prays for it. About three months after she began living on her own, a few days later, she found someone to live with. At first, I didn't know his name, his age, or anything. In fact, even now, I don't know every detail about him.



Yeoju, whose once cheerful personality quickly faded after living alone, wasn't the type to strike up conversations or make the first move. But isn't this too much? Her daily routine consisted of waking up, gathering food, arriving at the hideout, eating, and sleeping. During these times, she barely spoke. If you ask me if I regret bringing this person with me, I'd say yes, only slightly. But it's not like she can't find food on her own, so she had nothing to say.



His name is Jeon Jungkook. He was the same age as the female protagonist, and he was a very cold-hearted person. Since saving him, I haven't spoken to him for a single day, except for saying thank you and exchanging a few lines. Sometimes I regret it, but if I had first seen him, I think I would save anyone. Even if they were people who had completely drained human kindness in this emergency. Anyone would act similarly to me. He collapsed with his narrow, long eyes closed. He kept repeating, "I'm sorry," for no reason.



























✨ Hello! I'm the author. I'm trying to write with my poor skills. It's a topic I've wanted to write about for a while... Starting from the next episode, Jungkook will appear in earnest and I plan to recall his first meeting with the female lead. Since he's a student, the content will be serialized slowly, a little bit quickly. The serialization cycle will probably be irregular. I erased and rewrote several times... Thank you for reading my work! Have a happy Lunar New Year holiday~~!!