Chapter 55

Yu-su and Muwon headed to the Director’s office together. Roughly thirty minutes later, Myeongju summoned everyone staying at the academy.

Dinner had already ended, and the relaxed atmosphere that had settled over the academy gradually tightened with unease. After the Seop brothers counted everyone present and nodded their confirmation, Myeongju cleared her throat and stepped forward.

“I apologize for calling everyone together so suddenly, but I have an announcement.”

The murmuring faded as people turned their attention toward her. Myeongju met their gazes one by one before continuing.

“Since settling at the academy, we’ve established several rules to improve our chances of survival. Today, I intend to add one more.”

The room grew quiet.

“Most of you already know that while a zombie bite usually causes an immediate transformation, there are cases in which the victim does not turn at all, or the process takes time. Starting today, anyone who returns from a scouting trip will be checked for bite wounds.”

The moment her explanation ended, someone spoke up.

“Bite wounds?”

“Yes. Checking after every trip outside may prevent far more serious problems later.”

Sangjin, one of the men who regularly joined the scouting parties, frowned. “We always go out in groups. Wouldn’t it be nearly impossible for someone to hide a bite?”

“You understand that I cannot be one hundred percent certain of that, don’t you, Sangjin?”

He nodded, though bitterness lingered in his expression. “That’s true, but it still feels unfair to those of us risking our lives out there.”

“I know every scout puts their life at risk,” Myeongju replied. “That is precisely why I go with you and never spare myself.”

“Well… yes. That’s true.”

“Accidents must be prevented before they happen. I’m asking everyone to accept this new rule. I will undergo the same thorough inspection as anyone else.”

Her voice was sincere and grave. No one raised any forceful objections, and most appeared reassured by her willingness to subject herself to the same scrutiny.

A hesitant voice rose from the crowd.

“Excuse me, but what happens if someone really has been bitten?”

“If they transformed immediately, then unfortunately, they would never have made it back to the academy. If they were bitten but still appear normal, we will isolate them first and monitor their condition.”

“I see.”

Someone nearby nodded slowly.

“Sister’s right, isn’t she? It would be a disaster if someone suddenly turned inside the building.”

Myeongju silenced the growing murmur with a light cough.

“That is exactly the concern. For that reason, I intend to inspect everyone once before we begin enforcing the rule.”

“What?”

A much louder commotion erupted, even among those who had agreed with her moments earlier.

“Wait, I haven’t even gone outside.”

“I haven’t so much as brushed against a zombie. Well, I did once, but that was a long time ago…”

As Myeongju surveyed the agitated crowd, she recalled Yu-su’s final words to her.

“Sister, we have to do this if we want to survive for any length of time. If we’re going to establish the rule, we should start immediately. I only hope that what happened to me never happens here.”

There had been nothing unreasonable in anything he had said. From beginning to end, his warning had made perfect sense.

Myeongju kept her voice calm.

“I determined that the safest course was to inspect everyone once before we began. Jo Geun-cheol will check the men, while I will check the women inside the Director’s office.”

As though he had already been warned in advance, Geun-cheol moved toward the conference room beside the Director’s office.

“That’s…” someone faltered.

“I understand checking the scouting teams, but all of us?” another survivor protested. “And right now?”

“Ugh, I don’t feel comfortable with that,” someone else muttered.

“Neither do I.” The final objection came from Sun-yeong, Yun-chang’s wife. After considering the matter for a moment, she rose and pointed directly at Yu-su. “Even so, you can’t make a decision like this on your own and force it on everyone else.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Did that man just go and speak to Sister? Is that why you suddenly decided everyone else should strip down?”

“That’s not…” Myeongju began.

“Yes.”

Yu-su rose before she could finish. He gave Jang Myeongju a silent nod of gratitude, recognizing that she had tried to shield him, then calmly met Sun-yeong’s stare.

“That’s correct. I was the one who recommended it.”

A low ripple of murmuring spread across the room.

The survivors had already formed a fragile sense of camaraderie, while Yu-su remained a newcomer in their eyes. To them, his proposal seemed less like a precaution than an outsider’s attempt to brand one of their own as a threat.

“If I’m going to explain why, I should first tell you how I came to be here.”

Being inspected meant exposing one’s naked body in front of someone else. Resistance was only natural, so Yu-su held nothing back.

“At the restaurant where I stayed before coming here, someone concealed a zombie bite and transformed without warning.”

The room fell silent.

“Most of the people sheltering there died. Those who were physically weak or had difficulty moving were killed first. Once they turned, they attacked the rest of us, and the entire situation became a vicious cycle.”

At the mention of someone deliberately hiding a bite, the survivors began exchanging suspicious glances.

“The noise also drew zombies from outside. The restaurant became a living hell. In the end, fewer than ten people survived out of a group of thirty.”

Yu-su knew that if the inspection uncovered nothing, the others would inevitably turn their resentment on him. Joo Hee-eun and Sim Gorak watched from nearby, anxiety plain in their eyes.

Before the meeting, Yu-su had taken them aside.

“I need to warn you about something in advance. There may be a commotion later,” Yu-su had told them.

“A commotion?” Joo Hee-eun had looked alarmed. “Assistant Manager, is something wrong?”

“I happened to notice that someone has a scar resembling a bite.”

“Oh…”

“I’ve already asked Sister to inspect it, so please cooperate with whatever happens.”

Remembering that warning, Joo Hee-eun finally joined in. “He’s telling the truth. It was complete chaos. So many people couldn’t bring themselves to attack their former friends after they turned. They hesitated, and that hesitation got them killed.”

“Oh my…”

Yu-su pressed on before fear could lead to more objections. “We have a rooftop above us, and barricades block the lower floors. If a zombie gets inside, we’ll be completely trapped. If that happens…” He paused, letting the terrifying thought sink in for everyone. Then, he bowed deeply. “I understand this will be uncomfortable, but I truly hope none of you ever have to endure the tragedy I faced.”

No one could refute him. Only a handful of sorrowful sighs disturbed the silence.

Park Hyeonseop clicked his tongue.

“What a fucking mess…”

“You’re telling me.” Park Jiseop stepped forward to support him. “Everyone, I agree with Yu-su. Staying alive comes first, doesn’t it? We’ll all endure the embarrassment once, and afterward, only those returning from outside will need to be checked. That way, no one has anything to fear.”

A few people continued to grumble that Yu-su had created unnecessary suspicion and turned everyone against one another, but they could no longer prevent the inspection from going ahead.

Sun-yeong watched the situation unfold, concealing her tightly clenched fists. “Fine. If we have to do it, then let’s get it over with.” She looked toward the Director’s office. “Who’s going first? I need to use the restroom.”

“Go ahead,” Myeongju replied. “We’ll begin with the people who left their belongings in the first sleeping room.”

The inspection proceeded far faster than anyone had expected. As time passed, the rows of waiting survivors steadily thinned. Just as someone stretched out on the sofa released a long yawn, a sharp cry rang out from inside the Director’s office.

“I told you, it isn’t! Does Sister not trust me?”

Until then, everyone who had entered the office had emerged laughing or chatting. The sudden argument made every head turn toward the door.

Park Jiseop, who had been waiting near the front, knocked.

“Sister?”

“Jiseop. Come in.”

“Don’t come in!” Sun-yeong screamed. “I’m undressed!”

Jiseop froze. A violent struggle erupted inside the office.

“No, don’t! I told you not to open the door, Sister!”

“Open the door!” Myeongju shouted.

“What the hell is going on?”

Jo Geun-cheol had just finished inspecting the men. He strode over and threw the office door wide open.

“Why is it so noisy in here?” His expression changed the moment he looked down. “Blood?”

Fortunately, Sun-yeong was still dressed, but the floor beneath her was drenched in red. Geun-cheol frowned and rushed inside, checking Jang Myeongju first.

“Sister Myeongju, are you hurt?”

The survivors who had been peering through the doorway rose and crowded toward the office. Jang Myeongju shook her head.

“No. Sun-yeong is the one who’s injured.”

They followed her gaze to Sun-yeong’s blood-soaked calf.

Still panting from the struggle and all the shouting, Sun-yeong straightened her back and spoke defiantly.

“Fine. You’re already inside, so go ahead and look. It isn’t a bite.”

A ragged wound stretched across her calf, as though something sharp had scraped away the flesh. The injury covered a considerable area and continued to bleed, but it certainly did not resemble a bite.

The problem was how fresh it looked.

It seemed almost as though she had inflicted the wound to conceal another injury. Suspicion swept through the group, and frightened whispers broke out as people backed away from the doorway. The Seop brothers and Jo Geun-cheol wore grim expressions, already bracing themselves as though Sun-yeong might transform at any moment.

Jang Myeongju broke the silence.

“Sun-yeong, you’ve had a fever for quite some time, haven’t you?”

Sun-yeong did not answer.

“Your body is still burning.”

Sun-yeong gave an indifferent shrug. “How could one fever reducer possibly cure me? Besides, I’m not the only person here who’s sick.”

“Then why did you hurt yourself?”

“I told you, I didn’t!” Sun-yeong exclaimed angrily. “How many times must I explain that I tripped on my way back from the restroom?” Her glare turned toward Yu-su, who was standing near the doorway. “This is your fault. Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?”

“You’re the one making this into a big problem.”

Do Muwon stepped in front of Yu-su, ready to fire back, but Yu-su patted him on the back and walked into the director’s office, stopping directly in front of Sun-yeong.

“W-what are you doing? Stay back.”

“If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize.”

“You think an apology will make this go away? Kyaak!”

Yu-su crouched without warning, seized Sun-yeong by the ankle, and yanked hard. Startled and thrown off balance, she crashed heavily into the chair behind her. Her face twisted into a snarl as she raised one arm to strike him, but Muwon caught her wrist before the blow could land.

“Let go! Are you two seriously insane?”

Muwon ignored her outburst and twisted her arm farther behind her back. Sun-yeong shrieked hysterically, thrashing with all her strength.

“Agh! Sister, are you just going to stand there and watch? If you let them do this to me, how is anyone supposed to trust you or follow you?”

“Sun-yeong, please calm down.” Jang Myeongju approached cautiously. “Brother Muwon, release her arm.”

“Wait.”

Yu-su had been quietly examining the wound on Sun-yeong’s calf. He leaned closer, his attention fixed on the torn flesh.

“The veins around the wound are raised. That’s one of the clearest signs of zombie infection. The veins become thick and distinct.”

A collective gasp swept through the onlookers.

Sun-yeong abruptly stopped struggling and stared down at her calf.

“Where? Where are they?”

There were no swollen veins anywhere around the wound. Finding nothing, Sun-yeong stamped her foot and screamed, “They’re not there! You’re lying! There’s nothing there!”

“Right. Jeong Yu-su is lying.” Sarcasm dripped from Muwon’s voice. “But I guess you really were bitten, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t…”

Yu-su’s calm follow-up stripped away what little remained of her defense.

“You made that wound yourself to hide the bite, didn’t you, Sun-yeong?”

The blood drained from Sun-yeong’s face. Her eyes darted frantically around the room as she searched for an excuse, but none came.

Jo Geun-cheol, who had been watching the confrontation unfold, gave a sharp nod. “Let’s tie her up. Park Hyeonseop, find something we can use to bind her.”

Hyeonseop immediately dashed away.

Yu-su released Sun-yeong’s ankle and stepped back with Muwon. Geun-cheol and Park Jiseop moved in at once, seizing Sun-yeong and holding her against the chair.

“No! No, I wasn’t bitten!” Sun-yeong bucked desperately beneath their hands. “And even if I was, there are people who get bitten and never turn into zombies!”

Myeongju’s expression tightened. “Sun-yeong, are you admitting that you were bitten?”

“Sister, no! I told you, I wasn’t!” Sun-yeong twisted toward the doorway and screamed, “Honey! Lee Yun-chang! Do something!”