Apocalypse: Apparently, I Can See Zombies

Jin-woo's heart couldn't help but sink to the pit of his stomach when he heard Madelyn's words. He suppressed his urge to ask what happened to her since her voice sounded quite hoarse.

Just then Madelyn quickly spoke.

"Jin-woo I'm sorry, I might not be able to save your mother. I also won't be able to send the White Tiger forces to rescue you and Mai-sun, the Marshal instead sent them to rescue the President and Prime Minister since they were in danger because of another virus outbreak at the hospital they were visiting."

Jin-woo's chest constricted when he heard Madelyn's first sentence, but he started to panic upon hearing the ones after.

"No, what do you mean the White Tiger forces can't come? And what happened to my mom? Is she… is she dead?"

Madelyn seemed to pause for a moment before she said in a helpless tone.

"Jin-woo, I'm truly sorry. The Marshal is planning on pinning the outbreak of the virus on me, and in order to silence your mother he plans on using her as the first experiment for a cure. I'm responsible for making the cure so that's why he hasn't gotten rid of me as yet. I can perhaps stall your mother's fate until they bring back your father's body but-"

Madelyn seemed to have realized what she had just said, and she suddenly stopped talking. However, it was too late, Jin-woo had already heard her.

Eyes widening, Jin-woo asked in a panic.

"My father? What happened to my father?!"

"…He's the cause of the virus outbreak at the hospital where the President and Prime Minister are at."

Madelyn said after a beat of silence.

"Your medication was made using the same source as the Av13 pill, but because they were processed differently and were mixed together when your mother stole them, some form of mutation occurred between them. I think this was what is causing the virus."

Jin-woo recalled he had found the pill bottle next to his father's couch, and he also saw him take his medication before leaving the house yesterday when he had checked the footage of his house camera.

Jin-woo didn't particularly know how to react, he felt somewhat numb.

Seong had a profound position within his family. Before they had moved to Itaewon from Gangnam, his parents' marriage was extremely strained due to his night terrors. He had only started taking sleep medication when he was six, but before that, his parents would wake up to his screaming in the middle of the night for the past six years.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jin-woo still had memories of his mother and father arguing during that time, their nerves stretched thin due to stress. However, after his mother and father saved up enough money to move to their first home in Itaewon for a 'fresh start,' everything became ten times as worse when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia just as they were getting ready to move.

Even though he was already registered to attend ISH Elementary School in Itaewon, the expenses of the medication and treatment forced them to postpone the move for a year.

But it was at this darkest hour for their family that a guardian angel as his mother describes descended on them.

At that time, Jin-woo's thoughts and emotions were extremely chaotic because of his nightmares. Only a few days out of the week would he be able to attend school, leaving his parents to argue about who would stay home with him when he couldn't. But after meeting Seong, Jin-woo's chaotic thoughts and emotions, which even he never understood, were understood by the unnaturally intelligent Seong.

It was with this understanding that Seong came up with many ways to help him, to the point that his nightmares abruptly stopped.

At that time, Seong would often let him stay at his house in Itaewon during the weekends and sometimes even all week, which allowed his parents to take a break for the first time.

Seong's existence was irreplaceable, and it was because of this that when he died, his family crumbled apart in just the span of four months.

Jin-woo had become dependent on Seong, but so had his parents to some extent.

During those months after Seong's death, his parents were not in the right state of mind mentally. But even so, up until then, they were all happy together.

Those four months Jin-woo experienced, all the abuse, all the mistreatment, the neglect. None of it could overshadow the last ten years of happiness.

So, how could he not feel pain upon hearing that his mother was going to die, while his father was already dead?

Hearing Jin-woo's silence on the other end, Madelyn spoke up.

"Jin-woo, the White Tiger forces have successfully rescued the President and their returning. However, I sent a few people who worked for the company to rescue you and Mai-sun. They should be arriving in an hour or so. I also gave them your number so they will contact you after they arrive."

Hearing this, Jin-woo's body stiffened.

"What about the other students?"

"…"

Silence suddenly came from the other end of the phone after Jin-woo asked that question.

"Jin-woo…"—Madelyn finally started speaking, but it seemed she was picking her words carefully—"They're moving using an armored vehicle so only a few people can be carried inside."

Hearing this, Jin-woo understood her words. She meant that he should be careful of the number of people he told this to, perhaps he could bring some of his friends along, but not strangers.

Jin-woo glanced at the classroom filled with students and six teachers on the monitor before clenching his fist tightly.

The three students who had been silently listening to Jin-woo's conversation had their faces change multiple times upon hearing the mention that the virus was spreading in other areas outside the school. They also noted that Jin-woo's parents were involved, perhaps even Jin-woo himself was involved too.

The three youths were looking at Jin-woo suspiciously at first, but upon hearing the later part of the conversation about a rescue coming, their suspicion towards Jin-woo were dashed away to be replaced by hope and pleading in their hearts for him to take them with him.

Jin-woo had never thought to leave the room to talk to Madelyn so that these three couldn't hear him because he wasn't expecting her to say what she did, he thought it was an update on the White Tiger forces coming to rescue everyone. He was too emotional after hearing about his parents' deaths that by the time he realized it was already too late, they had heard a few things they shouldn't have.

Jin-woo glanced over at the three students. For a split second, the thought of killing them actually crossed his mind.

Seong, who had been silently listening off to the side with a pained expression, also came to his senses and casually glanced over at the three students.

The boy saw Jin-woo look over at them and he seemed to have realized something as his face changed before he hurriedly said.

"No, don't kill us, we won't say anything. We swear!"

The two girls, hearing the boy's words, glanced at the gun in Jin-woo's waist and also recalled what they had just heard. Suddenly, their faces drained of blood, and they looked at Jin-woo with pleading expressions.

"Who is that?"

Madelyn suddenly asked from the phone.

"They're three students I found. They overheard our conversation."

Jin-woo said truthfully, which caused Madelyn to go silent for a moment before saying.

"If it's three students then along with you and Mai-sun at least two or three more students can be helped."

Upon hearing Madelyn's words, the three in the corner of the room showed relief expressions. But soon excitement began to rise in their hearts.

Jin-woo, however, stayed silent.

"Jin-woo, before the rescue team arrives, I hope you can help Mai-sun until then, please, I beg you. I'll also try to buy time for your mother. We've sent some people to recover a blood sample from your father's body; if I receive it, I might be able to make a cure so your mother doesn't turn during her experiment.

As long as she doesn't turn, I can guarantee her safety using some of my connections in the government."

"…Okay, I'll protect her."

Jin-woo said after a pause.

Madelyn noticed that Jin-woo gave a firm reply rather than the previous one where he said he would try. She seemed to smile at the other end of the phone as she said.

"Remember, the team will arrive in an hour, be careful until then. I have to go, goodbye."

Click.

The phone quickly hung up, and Jin-woo looked at it with a cold expression.

"She's lying about saving Aunty."

Seong suddenly said from the side with an equally cold expression.

"I know, but she had to so I would help Mai-sun."

Seong paused, then looked at Jin-woo with a worried expression.

"What are we going to do?"

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Jin-woo didn't respond and only glanced at the monitor showing the classroom.

After observing those people in the classroom, as well as the girl in the broadcasting booth for a while, Jin-woo suddenly turned around and walked over to the still struggling zombie.

The boy and the two girls watched in silence as Jin-woo walked across the room and stopped near the zombie. However, their eyes suddenly popped open in shock as they witnessed him abruptly pull out the gun that was tucked in his waist and shoot the zombie in its head.