Chapter 22: Another Reason to Keep on Living

Xiao Guang dreamed that Minju was screaming. As he rolled over, something pressed against his stomach. He opened his eyes to find Bae Joohyun’s head resting beneath him. He quickly pulled his legs back, and just as he was about to say something, he heard a sound coming from the living room.

Minju was indeed screaming. This surprised Xiao Guang; from the moment he found her until he went to sleep, she had been gentle and fragile. The only time she had made any significant noise was when he first pulled her out from a pile of clothes.

He looked down. Bae Joohyun’s red eyes seemed remarkably bright in the dark.

"Why is Minju screaming so loudly?"

It would have been a miracle if Bae Joohyun could have responded. After asking, Xiao Guang’s mind fully woke up. He adjusted his shorts, got out of bed, and grabbed a baseball bat from the bedside, intending to see what was going on. Who could have frightened Minju?

Before going to bed, Xiao Guang had specifically turned Minju’s chair toward the window, thinking that if she got bored, she could look at the night sky. He wasn't sure if he was being thoughtful, but Bae Joohyun had once loved watching the stars.

When he reached the chair, Minju stopped screaming and tilted her head toward him. Xiao Guang patted her head, then struck the floor with his bat in frustration. He had discovered what was scaring her.

The villa complex where he lived was a grand estate, but it wasn't the only residence in the area. Not far away was a tall green hedge, likely the boundary separating two properties. Beyond that hedge, colorful lights were swaying, just like a disco.

"Damn it, someone is partying in the apocalypse? I’m going to see which bastard that is."

Xiao Guang hesitated for a moment, but decided to go check. Although the person’s reckless behavior angered him, the fact that they were partying in the middle of the night meant they were likely alive. Xiao Guang hadn't seen a living person in over three months, and he decided to investigate.

He released Minju from the chair, put a bathrobe on her, patted her head, and carried her back into the bedroom. After a moment of thought, he said to Bae Joohyun, "I'm going out to take a look."

As he put on his gear at the door, Xiao Guang felt like he might be losing his mind. Why was he speaking to Bae Joohyun so naturally? Normally, he should have ignored her entirely.

He didn't dwell on it. He would check the situation and then deal with his own mental state later.

Xiao Guang didn't drive around to the entrance of the neighboring estate; instead, he drove his truck directly toward the hedge. When he reached the perimeter, he didn't hear any music. He looked up at the light beams in the sky, then moved closer to the hedge to peer across.

There was a camp-like tent structure, with a barbecue grill and some chairs nearby. A disco ball was suspended in the center of the tent, rotating and casting the beams of light he had seen in the sky.

Beneath the disco ball, six or seven zombies were swaying around. Xiao Guang looked closely, suspecting they were dancing. Even without music, their movements were unmistakably like a dance.

The zombies weren't just standing there; they would dance for a while and then tap on a machine nearby. Xiao Guang looked over and realized it was a soundboard. So, this had been intended as a little party.

Looking at the swaying zombies again, and at the tattered clothes worn by the young women among them, Xiao Guang mused that the rumors were true: when the wealthy were in a good mood, they would host parties with young women in their private estates.

Xiao Guang was annoyed. Party all you want, but scaring his Minju was crossing a line. He counted them again—seven zombies: two women and five men. It was manageable.

This time, Xiao Guang drove through the main gate, smashing it aside. Guided by the light beams, he drove straight in.

*Thump! Thump!*

The truck made a dull sound as it struck the bodies. He knocked down three at once, reversed, drove over them again, reversed, and drove over them once more.

Xiao Guang didn't know why he was being so violent. It wasn't just for Minju; he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He reversed the truck and hopped out.

Zombies are resilient creatures. Usually, as long as their brains are intact, they will stare back at you with their eyes wide open.

There was a lot of blood on the ground, but Xiao Guang ignored it. He walked past the zombies—who were making low, wheezing sounds—swinging his baseball bat. By the light of his truck, he felt he recognized someone—or rather, one of the zombies.

"Isn't this our 'forever innocent' Lee Seungri? And the one next to him, wouldn't that be a member of Big Bang? Let me see."

Xiao Guang didn't recognize him by his face alone, but the area was covered in large posters. Comparing the images to the clothes the zombie was wearing, Xiao Guang felt certain.

He used his bat to flip over a zombie whose legs had been crushed. It didn't look like G-Dragon—G-Dragon was quite slender, while this zombie had a massive belly.

"It must be your wealthy businessman friend, right? I guessed it. I never imagined that after cursing you online for so long, a day like this would actually come."

Seungri’s chest was clearly caved in, but he stared intently at Xiao Guang, his hands reaching forward. Xiao Guang walked up to him and, in the safest way possible, pinned Seungri’s chest with the bat, looking into his eyes.

"Not gray and pale, so you haven't lost all your humanity yet. No wonder you knew how to crawl after I hit you with the truck. It’s a pity I’m not a zombie, so you understand what I mean—to me, you are a monster."

Lee Seungri definitely retained some memories from before the infection, or perhaps his instincts were begging for mercy in that moment. Watching Xiao Guang approach, even with the bat pinning his chest, he tried to retreat, despite having a leg crushed by the truck.

Xiao Guang felt a wave of emotions, especially after living alone for over three months in the apocalypse. He had always heard people say that justice would eventually arrive, or that justice delayed is no justice at all.

He had only ever played the role of a hero or a dark bounty hunter online or while bragging. He never expected to actually find himself standing before Lee Seungri.

"On behalf of those you victimized, those you hurt, and those who lost all hope in justice and life, I declare: Lee Seungri, you do not have the right to be a zombie like them. You are going straight to hell."

Xiao Guang raised the baseball bat, pressed his foot against Seungri’s chest, and brought the bat down with a heavy swing.

Seungri tried to block with his arms—a primal instinct—but Xiao Guang raised the bat again. He wanted to send Lee Seungri to hell, and since the process would be slow, he wanted him to know the true meaning of fear, even if he couldn't feel pain.

One arm was shattered, then the other. Xiao Guang knew Seungri was afraid. Zombies could feel fear; Xiao Guang had already verified this. Thinking of the two cute female zombies at home, Xiao Guang raised the bat one last time.

"Lee Seungri, you can officially say goodbye to this world."

The zombie roared and growled, but the bat landed on his jaw, shattering the bone in a single strike and silencing him forever.

Another heavy blow to the nose left a crater in his face. Xiao Guang looked at the grotesque sight, knocked out an eyeball with one swing, caught his breath, and finally brought the bat down on the top of his skull.

*Crunch.*

The forehead collapsed, but Xiao Guang didn't leave. He stared at Seungri’s remaining eye for nearly ten seconds, watching it twitch.

He knew it—it was just like with his landlord. Unless the head was completely obliterated, they wouldn't truly die. But Xiao Guang didn't intend to strike again. He dragged the other zombies over to Seungri, pulled a canister of gasoline from the back of the truck, and poured it over them.

"You’re a bad person. Even in death, I’m afraid you’ll pollute the air. So, I’ve decided to burn you."

The fire roared as the gasoline ignited. Xiao Guang moved his truck further away and kept watching until there was no more movement in the flames, then drove off.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of hope for the future. This was the apocalypse, and surviving required conviction. Today’s events seemed to have given Xiao Guang a reason to keep going.

Xiao Guang, still wearing his helmet, smiled happily. This feeling wasn't half bad.