Chapter 567
Myeong Jeha, whose motorcycle had brushed past the car carrying On Jihwa, was making deliveries somewhere other than the university hospital. He skillfully weaved through the buildings.
“After seeing him take off the helmet once, I'm losing my mind. Show his face again.”
“My heart's pounding from just his back...”
“My man would never let his girl go hungry.”
“Fuck, what if a delivery guy lets his girl starve? He'd have to steal customers' food for that.”
“LMAOOOOO”
“Holy shit LMAOO”
“But why are they showing the past again?”
He continued making pickups from one restaurant after another.
This time, every destination was the same.
The university hospital.
“Urgh... ngh...”
The rooftop of the university hospital appeared.
The hospital director twitched.
The way he bent his joints while bleeding looked exactly like before.
* * *
On Jihwa sat blankly in the lobby.
Even while sitting, her posture remained disciplined.
Ominous music played.
“Jihwa!”
“Hm?”
“What are you thinking about? I've been calling you. Are you sick?”
“Ah fuck, was Jihwa infected from this point?”
“So that's why they went back to the past lolol”
“She was sitting quietly because she wasn't feeling well TT__TT”
“What are we supposed to do with Jihwa...”
“I think she wasn't talking because she felt terrible TT_TT”
“No. What did you say?”
“I said Mom's going to the restroom.”
“Oh.”
“You wanna come? University hospitals really are ridiculous. The waiting time is longer than the treatment.”
“No. Go ahead.”
Her mother walked away.
On Jihwa simply observed the people passing through the crowded university hospital lobby.
* * *
“Senior, early this morning...”
“Yeah, I know. No need to explain.”
“...I'm sorry.”
Tak Jeongyun and Do Gyeoul appeared again.
The camera tilted upward.
On Jihwa sitting in the first-floor lobby.
Do Gyeoul and Tak Jeongyun heading to the second floor.
Myeong Jeha delivering something on the third floor.
Do Gyeoul walked to the right.
Myeong Jeha headed left.
Their timing overlapped.
Bang.
Something fell outside the building.
Myeong Jeha turned his head briefly, then raised his arm when his wrist vibrated.
Beep-beep.
A call notification appeared on his smartwatch.
He stopped and took out his phone.
Meanwhile, Do Gyeoul and Tak Jeongyun hurried upstairs.
Myeong Jeha removed his helmet and answered.
“Yes, teacher.”
—You're Eugene's guardian, right?
“Yeah. Why?”
—There was a bit of an incident at the daycare.
“What? What happened!”
He immediately sounded alarmed.
—Nothing serious. The kids argued and scratched each other a little. I thought you should know.
“No matter how serious it is, my kid... ha... Is Eugene there? Put her on.”
He frowned deeply.
A young child's voice came through.
—Oppaaa...
“Yeah, princess. Did you cry? Are you hurt? Who did it? I'll beat him up.”
—I didn't cryyy...
“What happened? Tell me.”
His tone while comforting his younger sister was surprisingly gentle.
—When Sangjun had his birthday party... he said my cake would taste bad... and he didn't want to eat it...
“Oh, what a rotten little brat. So our princess got upset?”
—Yeah... But Oppa... cakes are expensive... I don't need one... really...
Myeong Jeha sighed and raised his head.
Sweat glistened on the back of his neck.
“Does Oppa love Eugene or not?”
—You do...
“Does Eugene like cake or not?”
—I do.
“Then will Oppa get you something insanely delicious or not?”
—...
“Answer.”
—You will...
“That's right. I'll send something so amazing Sangjun won't dare run his mouth again. Have you ever seen Oppa lie? No, right?”
—Mm...
Hearing his sister's answer, Myeong Jeha smiled.
“Let's eat chicken tonight, okay?”
—Really?
“Yep. Oppa has to work again, so hang up.”
After ending the call, he returned to work and grumbled while walking through the corridor.
“Who the hell does that little punk Sangjun think he is? Damn it, I'd better make a shitload of money.”
The camera moved back to the first floor.
On Jihwa was taking pictures with a woman who introduced herself as a fan.
Myeong Jeha entered the elevator.
“Huh.”
“Wait, that's the control room from before.”
“Myeong Jeha's character is so good, fuck.”
“What?”
“Wasn't he just an extra?”
Inside the elevator was the doctor who had lowered the fire shutter in the previous episode.
He was answering a phone call, looking irritated.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
The doors opened.
Myeong Jeha got off.
The doctor remained inside.
* * *
On Jihwa walked through the corridor with her mother for treatment.
Suspicious music played.
* * *
Sunlight streamed through a wide window.
A nameplate sat on a wooden desk.
[Planning and Coordination Director / Kim Hwansu]
“The guy from before.”
“Damn old bastard.”
“Bring Jihwa back TT_TT”
“Fuck, that's my woman.”
The very man responsible for sending On Jihwa tumbling down the stairs appeared.
He had been enthusiastically agreeing with the hospital director during the meeting.
—Director. CCTV confirmed that one of the bereaved family members protesting the medical helicopter issue went to the rooftop. Judging by the blood on the clothes when he came down... and the guards... it seems this person caused the director's fall.
“So? What's his condition now?”
—The director is still delirious... We should report it immediately before the suspect escapes—
The expression of the man answering the phone inside his office darkened.
“No, no, no! Then what happens to our hospital's image?”
—But—
“We need On Jihwa to restore our image! Who'd want to come to a hospital that became the victim of such a crime by grieving family members!”
His free hand clicked the mouse.
“This absolutely cannot get outside.”
He stared at the screen.
“Hang up for now. I'll go there myself.”
* * *
The scene changed.
The elevator closed before Myeong Jeha's eyes.
“Fuck! Do these assholes not know how to live with others? Did they really graduate from university? Or fake their degrees?”
Still grumbling, Myeong Jeha headed down the stairs.
An ominous announcement echoed through the floor he had just left.
—Attention please...
* * *
The screen changed to the emergency room.
“AAAAAH!”
“Let go! Let go!”
“What the hell?!”
Chaos erupted instantly.
The white emergency room was filled with blood.
The doctor who had ridden the elevator with Myeong Jeha had also been bitten on the forearm.
“Urgh...”
Through the open doors, zombies flooded out.
As though intending to conquer the hospital.
* * *
“How about this?”
“It tingles a bit.”
On Jihwa was still receiving rehabilitation treatment.
Crack-crack.
The extracorporeal shockwave machine made unpleasant sounds.
She bit her lower lip.
The physical therapist's movements were sluggish.
“I'm losing my mind.”
“I don't understand anything, I'm just anxious;;”
“My heart's gonna burst. The suspense is insane.”
“Everyone looks suspicious. Tell us the truth already.”
“Fuck TT_TT”
“AAAAAH!”
The screen changed again.
Zombies poured out of the emergency room.
Patients.
Guardians.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Everyone was infected.
Several security guards in vests marked SECURITY tried to stop them.
It was hopeless.
“Why are there only this many of us?!”
Their shouts disappeared beneath the tide of zombies.
* * *
After finishing his delivery, Myeong Jeha headed to the smoking area.
“Ah, shit.”
His lighter wouldn't work.
“Here.”
“Oh, thanks.”
A nearby man lit it for him.
The smoking area sat on a hill overlooking the surrounding buildings.
Quite a few men were smoking there.
Helmet removed, Myeong Jeha answered another call.
“Yeah, hyung. Nah, I'm taking it easy with deliveries today. Yeah.”
[Call Waiting Service: 010-XXXX-XXXX]
He moved the phone away from his ear and checked the missed call.
“Hang on, another call's coming in. I'll call you later.”
Because of his job, Myeong Jeha made hundreds of calls daily.
His call history was a mess.
He dialed the missed number.
—The number is currently busy...
“What?”
He smoked while staring at the screen.
Then—
“Eek! What is that!”
“Huh?”
“That... person...?”
In the distance—
“Grrk... kgh!”
A horde of zombies approached.
“Oh, fuck.”
Throwing his cigarette away, Myeong Jeha instinctively ran.
Behind him came the sounds of panicked people being devoured.
“AAAAAAAH!”
On Jihwa was running too.
Her side profile, shown in close-up, was full of urgency.
* * *
“Move, you fuckers!”
Choosing the emergency stairs instead of the central lobby had been a mistake.
The door was locked.
Trapped in the stairwell, Myeong Jeha removed his helmet.
“Move! Move!”
Holding the helmet in his hand, he smashed the nearest zombie's face.
Several hits landed, but it wasn't enough.
One man.
Against countless enemies.
“I said move!”
As he swung the helmet, he frantically searched the inner pocket of his sukajan.
What emerged were several thick straws.
“Grrk!”
“Please!”
He stabbed the nearest zombie's neck with one.
Using his wrist, he pierced a vital point.
Blood splashed onto his arm.
“This is fucking ridiculous!”
He grabbed the staggering zombie and threw it down the stairs.
The horde behind it stumbled and tumbled down together.
Trampling each other.
Rolling.
Yet they crawled back up again.
Taking three steps at a time, Myeong Jeha ran upward and rattled the next emergency door.
—Attention. Emergency situation. Please evacuate...
The announcement echoed from the control room.
* * *
Clang!
“Ah!”
On Jihwa turned around.
The shutter had closed.
* * *
The scene returned to the changing room.
“Why the hell should I answer that?”
Myeong Jeha glared even at Do Gyeoul hiding behind Tak Jeongyun.
Blood stains of unknown origin remained on his forearm.
* * *
“Help me! Help me!”
On Jihwa sat on the floor, listening to the cries beyond the shutter.
The camera only showed her terrified profile.
Clang-clang-clang-clang.
The metal shrieked.
Beep-beep-beep-beep.
[Heart rate: 180 bpm]
Her watch screamed.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Footsteps approached.
“Ah fuck, the doctor TT_TT”
“Get lost, you bastard!”
“Jihwa, run TT_TT”
“Please please please!”
Just as the comments exploded—
“?”
“???”
“Huh?”
“Wait.”
“What?”
The person appearing above wasn't the doctor.
“Haa... haa... fuck, I'm going insane...”
It was Myeong Jeha.
Drenched in sweat.
The beeping stopped.
On Jihwa's smartwatch displayed the time.
[4:44]
“That's when Jihwa was running earlier.”
“Huh? But Myeong Jeha was beating zombies with the IV stand then.”
“How is he here? The timeline doesn't match.”
The camera widened.
On Jihwa.
Myeong Jeha above the stairs.
And the shutter.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
“???”
“No way.”
“WHAT?!”
It wasn't the solid fire shutter.
It was a see-through security shutter.
Inside the chaos, zombie arms flailed through the gaps.
And in front of it lay the hard case containing On Jihwa's bow and arrows.
Everything was different.
Their eyes met.
Terrifying music played.
“Could this be...”
IP 85.152 trembled.
“A loop story?!”
Somewhere, people screamed.
Boom!
Something exploded.
The building shook.
Children cried.
Both Myeong Jeha and On Jihwa fell.
The loosened shutter opened.
Beep-beep-beep-beep.
Their smartwatches sounded together.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sound of a second hand rewinding repeated.
The screen returned again.
A drone shot showed the spotless university hospital.
Everything was peaceful.
As though time before the zombie outbreak had repeated.
“Holy shit.”
“We saw Myeong Jeha heading to the cancer ward annex, so how did he meet Jihwa?”
“Did it start over?”
“Isn't this the rehab center, not the cancer building? That's the complete opposite direction.”
“This is a loop story.”
“Jihwa's death was probably the first run, and this is the second.”
“What the hell TT_TT This is so good.”
IP 85.152 finally understood why the zombie outbreak had felt artificial.
They had taken the edited scenes at face value.
Now they could see.
Artificially spread zombies.
How the outbreak that began on the first floor of the main building had spread to the cancer annex and even the separate rehabilitation hospital.
“The timelines were different.”
His blood ran cold.
“When does the loop restart?”
“Doesn't this mean Myeong Jeha's the only one suffering through all this?”
“Maybe Jihwa knows something too. She grabbed the hard case this time.”
“Turns out Myeong Jeha was the protagonist lolololol T_T”
“I'm seriously gonna faint.”
“Fuck, let me sleep TT_TT I only planned to watch one episode.”
“My New Year's ruined LMAO”
“What if this is already the second loop and Jihwa's death resets everything?”
“Or maybe Jihwa's death is the final event... Damn, my brain's exploding.”
“AAAAAHHHHH, goosebumps...”
Everything they thought they knew had been overturned.
Just like the screen had shown, they would have to start from the beginning.
Because nothing had truly been revealed.
They had been completely blindsided.