Even Zombies Have Fandoms

Chapter 87

What Muyoung discovered was a written conversation between unidentified students. A peaceful dialogue in rounded handwriting.

[My parents are coming to pick me up. What about you?]

[Yeah, me too.

But isn’t it ridiculous they’re telling us to study in this situation? ㅗㅗㅗ]

[Ikr lol. Still, getting out of school early is awesome]

[For real. When you see what the bald eagle sent us, it seems serious, but if we’re getting time off, I wish they’d give us a whole month lol]

The reason this place, which had only a few cars crashed into buildings, had become a site where vehicles overflowed from the road onto the sidewalk was because everyone’s destination was the school.

‘So that’s why there were so many empty cars in good condition…’

Getting out of a car and fleeing isn’t easy when dangerous creatures are rampaging outside, even if you know it’s the only way to survive. That’s why when examining cars, you usually find the owner infected in the driver’s seat, or the windows shattered where zombies attacked.

But the cars on this street not only had empty interiors but their exteriors were also intact.

‘When traffic jammed, they probably couldn’t wait and came on foot to pick up their children.’

It also explained why there was no damage on the lower floor. No parent would be unaware of their child’s classroom. With clear destinations, they had no reason to go to other floors.

But… how many people actually reached here without a scratch?

It would have been nice if everyone met their families and escaped together, but judging by the number of zombies outside and the state of the fourth floor, it seemed that sadly, no miracle had occurred. They probably never thought that coming to rescue their children would put them in danger.

Muyoung felt even more sorrowful than when he saw the terrible scene on the fourth floor. Despite the empty space, he tightly closed his eyes as if the disaster he had never witnessed was replaying before him.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed Muyoung’s arm.

“What’s wrong?”

It was Seokjae, who had been on high alert for any remaining zombies among the many obstacles in this place. He immediately noticed Muyoung’s distress when he suddenly stopped walking.

“Are your ears hurting again?”

He tried to check Muyoung’s face as usual without thinking, but had to stop. His hands were still covered in blood.

Clicking his tongue softly, Seokjae lowered his hands without hesitation and instead spread his arms.

“Want to be carried again?”

“N-no! I’m fine.”

Despite secretly hoping Muyoung would want to be carried again, Muyoung refused without a moment’s hesitation. He even stepped backward as if avoiding it. Seokjae raised one eyebrow crookedly, displeased with Muyoung’s reaction.

“I-I’m really okay.”

Muyoung felt nonexistent cold sweat and quickly shook his head, refusing again. He needed to be helpful and make up for his previous behavior, not cause more worry by getting lost in other thoughts. It was utterly pathetic.

“Hmm.”

“I’m not sick or anything, it’s just, this place…”

Under Seokjae’s suspicious gaze, Muyoung unconsciously started explaining but then trailed off. Seokjae probably already realized what Muyoung had noticed, but what if he hadn’t? Muyoung didn’t want to cause him pain by sharing this sad story.

“I-I was just angry about how terrible the school is.”

So Muyoung made up an excuse and subtly hid the graffiti he’d found under his foot so Seokjae wouldn’t see it. He felt slightly guilty for stepping on someone else’s belongings, but this wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

“…Angry?”

“Huh? Y-yes.”

Though Seokjae questioned him, the suspicion had disappeared from his eyes, so Muyoung answered with relief. After staring with a strange expression for a few seconds, Seokjae nodded.

“Alright. Make sure to tell me if you’re struggling.”

“Yes.”

Muyoung sighed with relief, unaware that Seokjae was thinking, ‘Better not mention that parents and children probably tore each other apart.’ He wiped the droplets falling from his hair and rubbed his face vigorously to clear his mind.

‘Right, now’s not the time to think about others. The people I need to protect are here…’

Muttering inwardly, Muyoung looked at Seokjae and then turned to check where Kyungho and Junwoo should be, but made a surprised sound.

“Huh?”

Where did they go? The boys who should have been behind them were nowhere to be seen.

Frantically looking around, fortunately, he quickly spotted them. Perhaps they were shocked by how their peers had died en masse due to the school’s inadequate response. They were so focused on the chaotic classroom scene that they hadn’t noticed Seokjae and Muyoung stopping briefly and had walked ahead.

“Hey-!”

Rushing forward, Muyoung covered his mouth after his voice came out too loud, then called again more quietly.

“Hey guys…!”

The two didn’t turn to look at Muyoung. How focused were they that they couldn’t even hear him calling? Muyoung sighed softly but blamed himself for getting distracted and quickened his pace.

“Kyungho, Junwoo!”

They only responded when Muyoung was close enough to grab them. Despite approaching footsteps that should have made them turn around, they didn’t react until Muyoung called their names.

“How could you two go ahead alone?”

“Huh? When did you guys fall behind?”

“…”

Though he was going to scold them out of concern, Junwoo’s wide-eyed surprise made Muyoung’s tension dissolve, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“We didn’t fall behind, you two went ahead.”

Seokjae, who had leisurely followed Muyoung as he scurried like a hamster, glanced at the scene and spoke. Deciding he couldn’t scold them, he unhesitatingly tapped both their heads lightly with the back of his hand.

“Even if we didn’t signal, how could you go ahead when the people in front stopped? You were distracted.”

“Ugh, I see. Sorry. I must have been completely focused on looking around.”

“Ouch. Sorry, hyungs…”

Despite Seokjae’s light gesture and casual words about being distracted, the impact sounded heavy. Feeling like he was being scolded too, Muyoung flinched but then awkwardly smiled and changed the subject to something he was curious about.

“No, it’s fine. But why didn’t you answer when I called? I was worried.”

“Oh, it was probably too noisy outside to hear you.”

“Outside?”

Muyoung, eyes wide with confusion, consciously focused on his hearing that he had been avoiding.

*Clatter, tap-tap-tap-*

*Scratch…*

Indeed, various noises filled the corridor. The sound of windows rattling in the wind, raindrops hitting surfaces, and…

*Scratch, scratch.*

Mixed in was the sound of something being scratched. It was a strange noise that could easily be mistaken for tree branches scraping against windows in the wind.

“…”

At first, Muyoung thought so too, but soon felt something was off. It was too strange for the noise level to be so different just a few steps away from where he and Seokjae had been. It made no sense unless the source of the noise was very close by, not outside.

‘We need to get out of here right now.’

Just as he thought this—

*Scratch… Clang- Scratch…*

Was it coincidence? A metallic sound mixed with the scraping noise like tree branches. It was coming from a classroom they hadn’t checked yet. Unlike the others, its door was closed, and barricaded desks were visible through the window.

‘…!’

Just as he realized this, the desks lost their balance as if pushed by something and toppled toward the window.

*CRASH—!*

One desk leg broke through the already cracked glass. Large shards scattered across the floor with a loud noise.

Simultaneously, they saw a rotting hunk of flesh repeatedly ramming its head against the gap between the tower of stacked desks and chairs, making dull thudding sounds.

*Creeeeak…*

“Khh… Ahhh…”

Though its voice was hoarse as if its vocal cords had been bitten off, it was clearly a zombie.

Despite the darkness and the furniture gap, it was easy to guess the zombie’s body wasn’t intact. Unlike other zombies that swung their arms, this one was only trying to remove obstacles with its teeth.

‘This is bad.’

The sound Muyoung had mistaken for tree branches scraping against windows was this disgusting creature struggling to hunt its prey.

“Huh.”

Kyungho gasped in shock at the horrific sight. As if that sound were a signal, Muyoung and Seokjae each grabbed Junwoo and Kyungho and ran.

The creature in the classroom only had its teeth left as a means of attack, and even after becoming a zombie, it couldn’t escape due to the furniture and the intact door. So perhaps they didn’t need to flee urgently as it wasn’t an immediate threat.

*Grrrk!*

Yes, if that were the only one there.

“Kee- ack!”

Whether due to the sound of breaking glass or because that hoarse breathing had reached its kind, they could feel the once faint cries growing fiercer against their skin.