By midday, the city streets were a mix of decay and danger.
Luo led the group—Mia and Lily—through crumbling alleyways, scavenging what they could along the way. The plan was simple: find a building tall enough to scout for his villa, the place he had secured before the apocalypse—a hidden safehouse with supplies and equipment enough to survive weeks, maybe months.
Mia's jaw dropped when he casually mentioned it.
"Villa?" she whispered, her eyes wide. "You… you own a villa?"
Luo shrugged, brushing off the surprise. "I invested before all this… thought I'd get a head start on a comfortable life here."
Mia blinked. A villa? In Seoul? And I thought he was just a regular student…
Lily snorted from beside him, teasing without shame. "Well, now I know why he's been so overconfident all these years. Money really does buy everything… even attention."
Mia felt her cheeks heat up. Of course… she always does this.
---
As they moved through the streets, Mia's mind drifted back. The day she almost kissed Luo. They were younger, naive, caught in a quiet park near the university. Their lips had nearly met—but a stranger had interrupted. She had laughed nervously and pulled back.
And now here they were, in a city full of death, her jealousy over Lily igniting all over again.
"Don't even think about standing too close to him," Mia whispered, elbowing Lily.
"Oh, I'm not," Lily said with mock innocence—but her arm brushed Luo's as they climbed over a pile of rubble.
Mia huffed. "Sure you're not."
The teasing went back and forth like children arguing over toys, their voices echoing in the hollow streets. Luo simply laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head. They'll be the death of me before the zombies are.
---
The next building was a crumbling office tower, partially collapsed but stable enough to climb. Luo led them up the stairwell, each floor groaning under their weight.
Halfway up, a pack of zombies shuffled into the lobby below. Their moans carried upward.
"Run!" Luo shouted.
They sprinted, hopping broken steps, dodging falling debris. Lily vaulted over a railing, accidentally bumping into Mia.
"Watch it!" Mia snapped.
"Relax," Lily replied with a grin. "You're just jealous because I'm closer to him."
Mia froze. Then lunged forward, pretending to push Lily down the stairs.
Luo groaned, catching both of them before they could fall. "You two are insane."
Lily smirked. "Yeah, but it's fun."
Mia huffed. "Fun? This is a zombie apocalypse."
"You're no fun," Lily said innocently.
Luo couldn't help laughing, shaking his head at their childish bickering even as the groaning below grew louder.
---
When they reached the top floor, the city sprawled beneath them. Smoke rose from burning streets, bodies littered the alleys, and the occasional group of zombies wandered aimlessly.
Luo pointed toward a distant hillside, where a modern, secluded villa peeked through the trees.
"See that?" he asked.
Mia gasped. "That's… huge. You own that?"
"Yes," Luo said casually. "Everything we need to survive is there—water, food, medical supplies, weapons…"
Mia's thoughts flashed again to the day she almost kissed him. And I nearly ruined my chance back then… and now Lily is literally wrapped around him.
She sighed, trying to hide her jealousy, while Lily leaned closer to Luo, peeking through binoculars. "Looks like someone's already looted the main gate," she observed, pointing toward a small group of wandering humans.
Luo squinted. "We'll need to be careful. And quick."
---
Suddenly, a zombie lunged from the rooftop next to theirs, teeth bared.
Luo reacted instantly, grabbing a loose metal pipe and swinging. The zombie's skull cracked against the railing.
Mia tried to help, but Lily lunged first, using a kick to shove another back.
"Careful!" Mia shouted, but Lily just winked.
The three of them fought as a team, zombies falling one by one. Between punches, kicks, and occasional slips, laughter broke out.
"Seriously, you two fight like this in normal life too?" Luo asked, ducking a lunge.
"Sometimes," Lily said, brushing blood off her hands.
Mia groaned. "I swear… if you touch him one more time—"
"Or what?" Lily said with a smirk. "You'll cry?"
Mia pouted, and Luo rolled his eyes, chuckling.
---
After clearing the roof, they finally sat to catch their breath. The city stretched endlessly below them, silent except for distant moans.
Mia looked at Luo, her voice quiet. "Why… why did you always protect me?" she asked again.
Luo looked at her, conflicted. "I… I don't know. Part of me remembers… something from long ago. Something I can't fully recall."
Mia sighed, thinking of that almost-kiss years ago. "I almost… kissed you back then. I wonder… if things had been different."
Luo hesitated. He wanted to answer but words failed him.
---
Then the moment shattered.
A faint noise behind them—soft, mechanical.
Luo froze. "Not zombies."
Lily tensed. "White Hand?"
Mia's heart leapt. "They're tracking us?"
Luo nodded. "Yes. Somehow… they know our route."
They looked behind, and their blood ran cold.
It was a familiar sight.
A building partially collapsed—a classroom they had studied in years ago. Their old university classroom, now a hollow shell of memory.
The White Hand soldiers were moving toward it, organized, armed.
"We have to move," Luo said, his voice calm but sharp.
Lily looked at him, a mixture of fear and defiance in her eyes. "Let's go."
Mia clenched her fists, biting back tears. This… this is getting worse.
Together, they ran toward the villa, unaware that the traps, the virus, and the mysteries of their past were all converging behind them.
---
END OF CHAPTER 6