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“How many bullets do you have?”

“Not many.”

Park Yang-gun reached out to me. A faint coin pouch jingled briefly. It seemed like a temporary pouch for bullets, but it didn’t look like it had much inside.

Still, bullets are bullets. Better than nothing. I happily smiled, took the bullet pouch, and then handed it back to Park Yang-gun.

If I carry it, the pouch jingles loudly with the bullets clashing. It’s better to let Park Yang-gun carry it since he makes no noise.

“Let’s hurry back.”

I walked briskly, feeling cheerful, but something tugged at me from behind. It was Park Yang-gun. He clicked his tongue.

“Slow down. Do you want to spread rumors that we stole something? The more you carry, the more you should look like you have nothing.”

“Ah.”

I clenched my mouth shut and walked dejectedly.

Camouflage is essential. It’s a time when many people move under the cover of darkness. There could be scavengers like us, and robbers who prey on those scavengers.

It’s better to blend in and not become a target.

Carefully, we made our way back to Villa Street. Not rushing, staying quiet, keeping an eye on our surroundings, like aimless wanderers with nowhere to go.

But no matter how much we camouflaged, an obstacle appeared.

“Wait, stop.”

It wasn’t my voice, nor Park Yang-gun’s. It came from the ground. A person lying on the road like a corpse or trash.

A faint shadow rose in front of us. At the same time, I felt movement behind me. Turning my head, I saw two people. Three surrounded us.

I felt more absurdity than crisis.

‘What kind of people are these?’

It seemed like they had been lying on the road, waiting for someone to pass by. Are they bandits? Just guarding the road and jumping out when someone passes?

As I hesitated to speak, Park Yang-gun stepped forward to defuse the situation.

“We didn’t find much either. Let’s just move on, okay? All we have is this pack of cigarettes. Take it and let’s call it a day.”

“Cigarettes? Just one pack?”

Rustling sounds. Park Yang-gun handed the cigarettes to the bandit blocking our way, negotiating. It seemed he had anticipated this and prepared the right resource.

I quietly gripped my handgun, preparing for things to go wrong. We had bullets now, so firing the remaining two shots wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The two behind us held faintly glowing knives. They swung them threateningly. The sound of blades cutting through the air.

“One pack of cigarettes isn’t enough. Hand over all your weapons, bags, and clothes.”

Real bandits. The kind who strip you of everything.

In front of the bandits, the thief pleaded.

“Come on, guys. How are we supposed to get back? Fighting won’t do any good. If we make noise, zombies will come. Let’s just move on.”

At that, the bandits suddenly fell silent. Then they chuckled and adjusted their weapons.

“Zombies? In this darkness? Don’t you know they don’t come out if they can’t see?”

“Hey, this is good. You don’t seem to know much, so you must have a lot. Hey, uncle. If you don’t want to die, lead us to your place.”

…Did night and day switch? Originally, zombies moved at night and people during the day. Did the zombies gain the upper hand and change that?

Anyway, it’s good. If there’s no reason for zombies to come, no need to hesitate.

I loosened my grip on the handgun. Slowly aimed, gauging the distance. Aiming for the torso would be enough.

“There are zombies.”

“Don’t lie. It’s too late to pretend now. How well-off are you to be out on the streets at night? Does your house have running water—”

“No. I’m a zombie. Grr!”

I screamed and fired the gun. Quickly, before the enemy could react. Sparks flew from the barrel, and I swiftly shot another person.

Bang, bang. Two gunshots echoed in an instant. Then, screams followed.

“Ahhh!”

“Gun!”

Too calm. At close range, it’s unlikely to miss, but it seemed like they were hit in areas that would make them die slowly. Clutching their stomachs or pressing them urgently.

I immediately switched to the hammer and moved aside. I didn’t trust Park Yang-gun to handle the remaining one. He probably wouldn’t attack in sync with me.

Sure enough. Park Yang-gun was a step ahead, already running away in front of me.

“Let’s go together.”

“What together—”

“It’s a handgun! Out of bullets, right?”

A voice came from behind. The bandit who wasn’t shot breathed roughly, like someone who hit the lottery, and quickly ran towards us.

“Just the handgun—”

The shot bandit was of no concern. Only the thought of getting my handgun blinded him. Does a handgun sell for a lot? Is there even a market for it?

‘Should I kill him first and think later?’

I reached out and tapped Park Yang-gun’s back.

“Let’s kill him and go.”

“Why deal with a guy with a knife? Doctors are hard to find, and if you get cut and infected, what then?”

“We can’t drag him home.”

If a fight breaks out, you have to kill to live in peace. Park Yang-gun muttered a curse under his breath and then turned sharply.

I saw him pulling something out of his pocket.

“Jeondohyeong taught me this—a hangman’s knot. You distract him, and I’ll strangle him from behind.”

A hangman’s knot? Did Jeondohyeong study various knots while camping? Anyway, if you loop it around the neck, it should kill. If he tries to cut the rope with the knife, just hit him.

I nodded and ran a few steps in the opposite direction of Park Yang-gun, raising my hammer.

“Are you really going to fight? If you get hurt, there’s no solution.”

“It’s the same for you. Just leave the handgun and go. Then there’s no need to fight.”

“You know that doesn’t make sense.”

The bandit looked around. Probably searching for Park Yang-gun.

“Where’d the other guy go? Where are you? Come out.”

I suddenly felt uneasy. What if Park Yang-gun just talked big and ran away? I also looked around. My legs were shaking.

But the bandit, noticing my gesture, chuckled.

“What? You got abandoned?”

“No. Surely not. No way.”

My voice carried undeniable doubt. I really doubted it. A master of escape, someone who runs away when no one expects betrayal, a thief whose every word is half a lie.

Surely not.

I slowly stepped back, and the bandit followed. His voice relaxed a bit.

“It’s just a handgun with no bullets. Isn’t it lighter than your life?”

“That’s what I wanted to say. There’s no need to fight like this.”

Fighting alone isn’t really an option. I’ll count to three, and if Park Yang-gun doesn’t move, I’ll run. I pulled out the flashlight I had as a makeshift flashbang.

In this darkness, a sudden bright light would blur their vision. I’d escape in that moment.

‘3, 2, 1.’

Click, I flipped the switch. Immediately, a bright beam shot straight at the bandit’s eyes. The white light stretched out like a lightsaber, hitting his pupils.

And also, silently, Park Yang-gun behind him.

“Ah!”

“Why the flashlight!”

Both instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes, but the bandit’s neck was already looped with a shoelace.

Park Yang-gun grumbled and quickly stepped back. Stumbling, as if he couldn’t see well. The knot tightened, pressing on the bandit’s neck.

“Gah!”

The bandit thrust the knife backward. Trying to cut the rope with the sharp blade. No time to waste.

Keeping the flashlight fixed on his eyes, I charged and swung the hammer. He noticed me too late and flailed the knife, but it was too late. My hammer struck his skull cleanly, and the blade harmlessly grazed my leather jacket.

He collapsed backward, dragged by Park Yang-gun. Park Yang-gun returned, panting.

“Dead?”

“Should be.”

I kicked the knife away and bashed his head a few more times. He shouldn’t be faking death at this point.

Click, I turned off the flashlight and exhaled. Equal fights are always tense.

“Let’s go back.”

“Wait.”

My eyes, adjusted to the bright flashlight, struggled to see in the dark, but slowly my vision returned.

Park Yang-gun crouched by the corpse, rummaging through pockets. Searching every pocket.

“Gotta take back the cigarettes I gave. …Nothing but my cigarettes. Tsk. Let’s go.”

“Right. The blackout should end soon, so let’s hurry.”

We quickened our pace back to the villa. As the blackout was ending and the lights were about to come back, there were fewer signs of life than when we left.

I sighed. It’s truly a world where you struggle to survive day by day. A world where if you don’t kill, you die, and everyone has adapted to this harsh reality.

Everything was just becoming more dangerous.

‘I feel a bit behind. I don’t know much about the street situation or the trends among individual survivors or pillagers. I need to study.’

Thinking that, I realized we had already returned to Villa Street. Park Yang-gun, comfortably turning on his phone, handed me my share.

“We’re back. Take it.”

“Yes, thanks for your hard work.”

“You too.”

I took the bullet pouch, the handgun, and the police vest. Armed, I went into my house and hid them in a corner.

 

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