Even Zombies Have Fandoms

Chapter 49

If he went out and walked a few steps, he would find him breathing and alive. Thinking this, his wildly beating heart gradually calmed, and a gentle voice echoed in his mind.

‘If I don’t trust you, hyung, who would I trust?’

This was one of the things Muyoung had said when he came to see him later, perhaps bothered by their conversation that had ended without proper closure.

He had stuck by his side all day today, treating him like a child in need of attention. As if he wanted to give reassurance to the stupid question of whether he wasn’t trustworthy, he constantly whispered that he believed in him. Showing such a foolish side had an unexpected effect.

“Then why didn’t you ask me for help…” Seokjae muttered, roughly tousling his hair with one hand.

While he was happy about this unexpected gain, he tried not to give it too much meaning since it came from someone whose memories weren’t intact. Yet here he was, questioning it just because of one nightmare.

His past self hadn’t refused to help him. He had just been waiting. Waiting for him to ask for help on his own. He had hoped he would realize that he was the best option.

If he had just said one word, ‘Help me’. No, if he had just jumped into his arms as he was, he would have protected him. He had been preparing for that. But as if mocking his thoughts, Muyoung didn’t reach out his hand.

Normally, people wish for help when in mortal danger. But to give up without a moment’s hesitation? He thought it meant the option was not even worth considering.

But if that wasn’t the case…

‘What could it be? Was it really because he didn’t want to cause me trouble?’

Is that even possible, no matter how kind someone is?

“…Yeah, I guess that could be possible,” Seokjae mumbled in a dejected voice.

If he had heard about such a person before, he would have sneered, asking if they’d been watching some third-rate drama. But remembering how Muyoung had rushed to save him at the hotel, not realizing he was doing it on purpose, it seemed plausible.

Above all, hadn’t he himself been running around trying to protect kids he had met by chance for an equally foolish reason? It seemed humans had stronger willpower to suppress their survival instincts than he thought.

“…”

As his naturally flowing thoughts were interrupted, silence fell. Although it was natural that only his own sounds would be present since he was alone in the room, there was a strange feeling of unreality. At the same time, the anxiety that had subsided earlier attacked him again.

Unlike before, this anxiety didn’t subside even when he looked in the direction where Muyoung would be, and instead, his heart that had calmed down started beating faster. Eventually, unable to bear it, Seokjae threw off his blanket and got up.

* * *

Click.

“…What’s that?”

Muyoung, who had been sitting against the bed’s headboard reading a book borrowed from the living room bookshelf, turned his head at the small noise from outside. It sounded very close, so he thought it might be Seokjae’s door opening.

“Is he going to get water?”

After tilting his head in thought, Muyoung found a plausible reason and turned his attention back to the book. But strangely, the footsteps kept getting closer to his room.

Rolling his eyes, Muyoung quickly turned off the bedside lamp and threw the book aside, diving under the covers like a child caught secretly looking at their phone. The experience of being scolded by parents for staying up late playing had become ingrained in his body, making him react instinctively to the approaching footsteps.

‘…Why did I hide?’

Only after closing his eyes, pretending to sleep, did he realize there was no need for this, but by then the doorknob was already halfway down, making it awkward to get up again.

Creak.

As he heard the door opening, Muyoung focused on pretending to be asleep, careful not to let his expression become unnatural.

‘If hyung wakes me, I’ll act like I just woke up then.’

Although he didn’t know why Seokjae had come to his room at this late hour, he thought he would soon wake him up for whatever reason he had.

Step, step. The clear sound of footsteps approached until they stopped right by the bed.

‘Is he going to wake me now?’

Unable to see the situation clearly with his eyes closed, Muyoung tried to keep his face relaxed, assuming Seokjae was probably looking down at him.

‘How should I wake up naturally? Should I yawn? No, that might seem too deliberate. I’ll just act surprised when he calls me.’

“…”

“…”

‘…Why isn’t he waking me?’

Even after deciding how to wake up, Seokjae, for some reason, didn’t take any action towards him.

‘Is he feeling sorry about it?’

As time passed, it became harder to maintain a neutral expression, so Muyoung decided to give a signal that he wasn’t in deep sleep.

“…Mmm.”

Making a sound as if in discomfort, he turned his body, which had been facing the ceiling, to the side. This allowed him to turn his back to Seokjae, giving his facial muscles, which had been twitching from pretending to sleep, a rest.

“Mmm… mm…”

Muyoung, who had been tossing and turning on the bed as if looking for a comfortable position, eventually ended up pressed against the wall. Yet Seokjae still didn’t call out to him or shake his shoulder.

‘Didn’t he come to wake me?’

Only then did Muyoung realize that Seokjae wasn’t hesitating to wake him out of consideration, but had no intention of waking him in the first place.

‘What if he just came to check if I’m sleeping well? Will he think I have bad sleeping habits?’

Muyoung was already a grown adult, too old for such checks. Moreover, even if that was the reason, Seokjae’s behavior of opening the door and watching him sleep was strange. Although Muyoung, busy feeling embarrassed about his exaggerated pretend sleep in front of Seokjae, didn’t realize this.

‘I should just get up.’

He didn’t want to show any more ridiculous behavior pretending to be asleep. The strain on his facial muscles had also reached its limit. His closed eyelids were trembling, and if Seokjae had good night vision, he might have noticed that Muyoung was awake.

Just as Muyoung decided to voluntarily wake up before an awkward situation could unfold, the blanket behind him was lifted.

Soon after, he felt the bed sink as if a hand was pressing on the mattress.

Is he finally going to wake me? Muyoung tightly closed his eyes again. But once more, Seokjae didn’t act as expected.

Creak. Suddenly burdened with the weight of two adult men, the mattress let out a scream, and Muyoung also let out a silent scream at the presence he felt behind him.

‘Is hyung lying down behind me right now?’

It was too clear to be a misconception – he could distinctly feel the soft breathing and the hand wrapping around his waist. Finally, unable to lie still any longer, Muyoung trembled and flinched. At that moment, Seokjae grabbed Muyoung’s waist and pulled him close.

“Huh.”

His body, which had been pressed against the wall, was dragged straight into Seokjae’s arms. Startled, he reflexively gasped, and Seokjae’s hand, which had been moving without hesitation, seemed to pause for a moment before hugging him tighter.

‘Did he notice I’m awake?’

Muyoung slightly opened his eyes and held his breath, but Seokjae just continued to hold him still. Only then did Muyoung realize with regret that he had missed the perfect timing to wake up naturally.

‘Wait, is this okay?’

The initial shock from this sudden major event in the middle of the night soon passed. Muyoung began to feel conscious of his body touching Seokjae’s. While an ordinary person probably wouldn’t notice the difference just from body temperature, he felt it would be better to move away a little.

With this thought, he started to shift his body forward slightly, but Seokjae, who had been quietly observing, spoke.

“Muyoung, you’re awake.”

At this line straight out of a thriller movie, Muyoung froze. Clearly, it was Seokjae who had come late at night and invaded his bed, but Muyoung felt his heart sink as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

“H-hyung?”

After hesitating for a moment, he carefully called out to Seokjae. In response, Seokjae let out a small sigh and rested his forehead against the nape of Muyoung’s neck.

“Muyoung.”

“Yes…?”

“Kang Muyoung…”

“Yes, hyung.”

As Seokjae continued to call only his name, Muyoung’s tension gradually eased. He naturally regained enough composure to assess the other person’s state.

‘Could it be…?’

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t figure out why Seokjae had come to his room, but by this point, there was one thing he could guess.

“Hyung, did you have a bad dream?”