Chapter 2

Dawn was just breaking the next morning

when another wave of zombies arrived.

I turned on the camera feed and cheerfully made myself another bowl of instant noodles.

I even added an egg and a handful of greens.

A balanced diet.

The internet was still working, and discussion of the zombies was everywhere.

Of course, plenty of people had noticed something was wrong and prepared early, just as I had.

Some were even livestreaming zombie attacks.

Others, apparently with a death wish, were doing eating streams.

I watched one young woman showing off her figure to the camera while taking huge bites of lobster.

Fucking idiot, I thought.

Then I noticed that the buildings behind her were near my own residential complex. If I could figure that out, so could other people.

After a moment’s thought, I registered an anonymous account and sent her a warning. She read it without replying. Apparently, she had great faith in her security door.

But she’d underestimated people.

Our lives were in fate’s hands now. If she wanted to get herself killed, I couldn’t stop her.

Sure enough, on the third day, she didn’t stream.

Hopefully her phone had just died.

Not even a zombie would believe that.

A week after those men left, they came back.

Only four of the original five remained. I didn’t know what had happened.

I’d spent all that time watching the cameras, and my nerves were shot.

I took a vicious bite of a freshly fried chicken drumstick and fixed my eyes on the screen.

The man at the rear suddenly stopped and glanced toward the camera again. It was brief this time, but I knew he might well have spotted me.

It no longer mattered. When the man in front saw the cement below, he pounded furiously on the door.

The noise was loud enough to frighten the others into stopping him.

They’d clearly realized there was still someone inside.

Afraid of attracting zombies, they had no choice but to leave.

I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

But half an hour later,

the residents’ group chat exploded. Those who’d lost all reason started swearing at me.

Those with some reason left began begging.

One young guy even added me privately and insisted on becoming my boyfriend.

I couldn’t help looking at the photo he sent.

Honestly? Pretty handsome.

A man said his wife was pregnant and due soon. He begged me to share a little food.

I knew they’d surely searched every supermarket and convenience store in the area by now.

They probably didn’t dare venture farther.

Once their food ran out, my reasonably large supermarket would be their only hope.

I still didn’t speak, but I didn’t leave the group either.

I needed to stay and glean information from their conversations.

To my surprise, they came back five days later. This time, there were ten of them.

One boy didn’t even look like an adult.

But the man who knew how to pick locks wasn’t there.

I narrowed my eyes, wondering what they planned to do.

I soon found out.

I had to hand it to our residential complex. So much talent.

They’d planted explosives at the weakest part of my wall!

Clearly, they’d spent the past few days putting them together.

They might not be powerful, but there were plenty of them.

It looked as though they intended to blow out the wall and let the zombies in to kill me.

Then, come nightfall, they could take whatever they wanted.

But that was apparently their last resort.

Because someone tagged me in the group again.

They wouldn’t set off the explosives until tomorrow. I had one night to think.

If I agreed to open the door, they’d remove them.

But I knew that even if I opened up, they wouldn’t spare me.

So I decided to take my chances.

I moved all the food that would keep into the basement, especially compressed biscuits and water.

As much as I could carry.

Until the basement was packed full.

I considered putting rat poison in the remaining water.

But then I remembered the man in the group who’d said his wife was pregnant.

I abandoned the idea.

Finally, I hid an alarm in the most concealed spot beneath the checkout counter.

That was my last resort.

If someone discovered my secret room,

I’d set off the alarm and bring the zombies in. I’d use them to drive those people away—or kill them.