Chapter 19: A New Companion

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The imagined scene of the gates of hell opening to reveal a crowd of heads turning to look at him never materialized. The room was surprisingly clean and empty. Xiao Guang let out a sigh of relief, lowered the baseball bat in his hand, and glanced at Pei Zhuxuan.

“I didn’t know if there was anyone inside, but you all should be able to sense each other. If there’s no one next time, remind me.”

“Ah~”

What does that mean? Xiao Guang stared at Pei Zhuxuan. She met his gaze, then walked past him into the lounge, pointing toward the changing room in the corner of the room.

“Ah~”

What does that mean? Are there zombies inside? Xiao Guang followed her over, eyeing the tightly shut door of the changing room. He hesitated; if it was just ordinary zombies, that was one thing, but if there was a big one hiding in there, it’d be tough to fight.

He couldn’t deny the deep impression that the sumo Bolt had left on him. Living in this apocalypse was already filled with despair and frustration, and now there was an additional layer of fear.

Pei Zhuxuan seemed to understand Xiao Guang’s hesitation. Seeing him not open the door, she stepped forward and made a sound toward the changing room door.

“Ah~~”

No response from inside. Xiao Guang glanced at Pei Zhuxuan’s profile; how were her ears shaped so beautifully? She seemed impatient and made the sound again at the door.

“Ah~”

“Goo~~”

What was that? Was that a response? Instinctively, Xiao Guang pulled Pei Zhuxuan behind him, watching the changing room door warily. Unexpectedly, Pei Zhuxuan stepped out from behind him and pointed at the door again.

“Step back, I’m opening it.”

Xiao Guang slowly pushed the changing room door open with his bat. The crack widened bit by bit. He stared nervously inside until the door was fully open. Apart from a pile of clothes, there was no sign of anyone. Just as he was about to relax, he heard Pei Zhuxuan’s voice.

“Ah~~”

“Goo~~”

He heard it. The responding sound came from within the pile of clothes. The voice sounded weak, and Xiao Guang’s courage returned. The clothes pile wasn’t very big, so the zombie hiding inside probably wasn’t a threat.

He used the bat to lift the clothes. When he reached a red-haired coat, there was finally some movement. A hand tightly gripped the coat. Xiao Guang examined it carefully; it seemed to be a girl. Her nails were messy, with bite marks.

Looking at the small hand again, Xiao Guang cleared his throat, reached out, grabbed the coat, and pulled hard. The zombie hiding behind the coat appeared before him.

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Dressed neatly, she wore a blue blouse trimmed with lace on top and a beige plaid skirt below. Her long legs bore some stains, but compared to the zombies outside, she was much cleaner.

Her hair was long, covering her face. Xiao Guang looked at his anti-bite gloves and, feeling reassured, reached out to brush aside her hair. The delicate, beautiful face of a young girl appeared before him.

“Kim Minjoo~! Ah, you turned into a zombie too?!”

It wasn’t that Xiao Guang was easily startled; he genuinely used to pay attention to her. Kim Minjoo from Izone, along with Kang Hyewon, were his favorites. Although he never chased stars or went to signings, he had his own aesthetic, and it was natural to like beautiful girls.

Kim Minjoo’s eyes weren’t red. Xiao Guang studied them carefully: deep blue, thankfully. As long as they weren’t grayish-white, it was fine.

“Ah~”

“Goo~”

Was this kind of communication serious? Xiao Guang looked back at Pei Zhuxuan, then at Kim Minjoo, who was trying to shrink away. What should he do? Should he take care of her?

While Xiao Guang hesitated, Pei Zhuxuan made the decision for him. She raised her arm and firmly pointed at Kim Minjoo. Based on Xiao Guang’s recent experience with Pei Zhuxuan, if she wanted something, it used to be the little ball; now it was Kim Minjoo.

“Pei Zhuxuan, do you mean you want me to take her too?”

No reply. When Xiao Guang looked back at Kim Minjoo, she held up a piece of clothing to shield herself. It only covered her face; the rest of her was exposed. Xiao Guang sighed and said to Pei Zhuxuan,

“She’s not worth it, right? Doesn’t seem too bright. You used to shield the little ball with a whole flour sack, much bigger than this.”

His remark went unanswered by Pei Zhuxuan, who showed no amusement. Standing between the two, Xiao Guang kept pondering what to do.

What else could he do? Xiao Guang reached out, pulled away the clothing blocking Kim Minjoo’s face, grabbed her arm, and tried to help her stand. Kim Minjoo emitted a series of “goo” sounds and opened her mouth toward him.

Xiao Guang waved the baseball bat in front of Kim Minjoo’s eyes, gently tapping her head. Fear and grievance immediately appeared in her eyes.

“If you bite me, I’ll hit you. See this big bat? Hitting your head with it really hurts. Somehow, I feel like you’re a bit smarter than Pei Zhuxuan—both turned into zombies and yet your eyes are still so watery.”

“Ah~~”

Xiao Guang looked back at Pei Zhuxuan. What was that? Did she understand what he said? That shouldn’t be possible.

Kim Minjoo was still shrinking back, but the bat swayed in front of her eyes, forcing her to cooperate and stand. Once she was upright, Xiao Guang took a good look and leaned in to sniff.

“You smell both sweet and stinky. Aren’t you keeping up hygiene?”

It felt a bit like a landlord bully dragging a village girl to settle debts. Pei Zhuxuan led the way ahead, and Xiao Guang pulled Kim Minjoo’s arm as they left the changing room.

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“Pei Zhuxuan, just so you know, although we’re not short on supplies at home, I can’t just bring anyone in. Not to mention, what if someone mutates overnight and bites me? You know I’m a heavy sleeper. Yesterday, my leg was on your neck; if it had been an ordinary woman, she’d have been crushed.”

Pei Zhuxuan seemed not to hear Xiao Guang’s complaint. She walked out of the lounge and further down the corridor without making any noise. Xiao Guang stood in place, holding Kim Minjoo’s arm, watching her circle around and stop briefly in front of him before heading outside.

“Is that it? No Red Baby’s lounge, huh? Well, I guess you all haven’t been active recently. Groups like Izone are still new. Hey, short legs, don’t walk so fast. Kim Minjoo, if you shrink back again, I’ll hit you.”

He glanced at Pei Zhuxuan’s retreating figure, then turned back to warn Kim Minjoo, who was trying to dodge behind him. Xiao Guang pulled her along, quickening his pace.

They reached the back door of the building. With a click, the door opened. Several wandering zombies outside immediately charged over but froze upon seeing Pei Zhuxuan. When they spotted the baseball bat protruding from her shoulder, they turned and wandered away.

“I’m honestly amazed. What kind of virus is this, with so many variations? Could it be based on the host’s physique? Kim Minjoo, if you hide behind me again, I’m going to be mad.”

He yanked Kim Minjoo out from behind the door. She felt the sunlight outside and immediately hid behind Xiao Guang, cautiously glancing at the sky. She made a sound toward Pei Zhuxuan in front.

“Goo~~”

Pei Zhuxuan turned back, raised her hand, and pointed at Xiao Guang’s truck.

“Ah~~”

Good. Xiao Guang heard the sounds and smiled to himself. Zombies were starting to communicate; what was the big deal? He looked at Kim Minjoo, noticing the timid look in her eyes gradually fading. So, what exactly did you two say? I’m very curious.

Kim Minjoo’s arm twitched, and Xiao Guang noticed she was loosening her grip. Soon, she walked over to Pei Zhuxuan and gently grabbed her sleeve.

“Goo~”

“Ah~”

Pei Zhuxuan shook her arm, but Kim Minjoo held on tightly and wouldn’t let go. Xiao Guang watched, imagining their conversation based on their expressions:

Kim Minjoo: “Senpai, I’m scared.”

Pei Zhuxuan: “Don’t bother me, just follow.”