Even Zombies Have Fandoms

Chapter 97

“What?”

Muyoung blinked questioningly and tilted his head.

‘What does he mean by unseen areas? He just thoroughly checked me, what more is there to see?’

His face was exceptionally honest. Looking at the innocent expression that revealed all his thoughts, Seokjae deliberately lowered his gaze slowly to provide an answer.

‘Where is he suddenly looking?’

Muyoung followed the dark pupils as intended, rolling his round eyes, and soon realized Seokjae’s gaze was directed at his legs. Making an “Ah” sound as if understanding, Muyoung continued:

“You don’t need to check here. My legs didn’t even hit the tree.”

“Really?”

When Muyoung politely declined with a smile, Seokjae slightly tilted his head to the side, mimicking Muyoung’s earlier gesture, and spoke again.

“You’re not hurt?”

“Of course not.”

“Are you sure?”

Muyoung thought Seokjae’s repeated confirmation, despite having seen him walking and standing fine just now, was his usual overprotectiveness. He was about to give a somewhat childish answer like “really, really” when—

♩ ♪ ♬~

The ringtone he had heard several times today came from outside the window. The alarm, which he hadn’t realized had stopped, seemed to have paused briefly before ringing again. Simultaneously, the zombies’ howls, which had momentarily quieted, grew louder.

*Kee-eek!*

One of those sounds, like a tearing vocal cord, specifically bothered Muyoung. It was a clear cry completely different from that zombie which could barely make a sound. Nevertheless, he felt an unpleasant phantom sensation as if one leg was becoming heavier.

*Hesitation.*

Unconsciously, he moved his right leg—the one the zombie had clung to—backward. Immediately, Seokjae’s eyes, which hadn’t been focused on any particular part of Muyoung’s lower body, fixed precisely there as if finding a target.

In that moment, Muyoung realized his feeling that Seokjae was being strangely forceful and coercive wasn’t just his imagination.

‘He could have just pressed it with his hand…’

There was a reason he insisted on seeing bare skin. Seokjae’s real purpose was to check if Muyoung had been bitten by a zombie!

“You said earlier you couldn’t remember well because of the chaos. So I’d like to check if possible.”

“…”

Was it because Muyoung had figured out his true intentions? Somehow, Seokjae seemed a bit tense as he tried to persuade him. This further confirmed Muyoung’s suspicion.

He lowered his head and exhaled softly.

‘So that’s what this was about.’

Pretending to be concerned about injuries while actually being suspicious. It could have been a situation where Muyoung felt betrayed. But the first emotion he felt was:

‘I’m glad I didn’t refuse hastily…’

Relief.

He didn’t suspect that Seokjae had hidden his purpose and made excuses fearing resistance. If that were the case, he could have brought it up in front of everyone. Yet he deliberately sought him out secretly when Kyungho and Junwoo couldn’t see. If not consideration, what else could this be?

‘From the beginning, letting me in despite the possibility I was infected was already taking an enormous risk.’

Honestly, he probably hadn’t told him directly to avoid frightening him.

‘Hyung cares for me this much, and I was about to refuse just because I was embarrassed…’

It was fortunate he hadn’t made such a mistake. If he had, Seokjae would have had to be forceful, which would have been difficult.

Having never worried about zombie infection himself, he’d been shocked only by the fact that a zombie had lunged at him, without considering the bite site. He felt sorry for not noticing Seokjae’s anguish until now.

‘Could it be that Hyung did such a reckless thing with this intention from the start?’

Junwoo and Kyungho hadn’t suspected him—hadn’t even thought in that direction—probably because they were shocked by Seokjae’s actions and words, which he was reluctant to even mention aloud.

‘…Hyung.’

To go to such lengths for him.

So Muyoung couldn’t refuse Seokjae’s request. Even if there were scars on his leg that would reveal his identity.

“Okay.”

After nodding willingly, Muyoung rolled up his pants himself to make viewing easier. Though they were jeans and stiff from being wet, fortunately, they would roll up to his calf where the zombie’s teeth had touched.

‘I hope he won’t just kick me out after this without listening to me once…’

He knew Seokjae wasn’t that kind of person, but having occasionally seen others expelled from groups, he was subtly worried. Especially since he hadn’t checked himself for wounds. His breathing trembled slightly with tension.

*Slide-*

Finally revealed, his skin was clean without any marks.

“Ah.”

After running his trembling hand down his calf, Muyoung sighed with relief at the smooth sensation without any bumps.

“Hah…”

Since his jeans were intact without any tears, it was somewhat expected. Still, actually confirming there was nothing there released his tension, and his stiff shoulders slumped.

Suddenly, large hands entered beneath both of Muyoung’s arms. Seokjae lifted him slightly.

*Thud.*

“It’s hard to see in the dark. Let me move you a bit.”

“Y-yes.”

Before he could react, Muyoung was lifted by Seokjae and placed on the windowsill, nodding creakily at his explanation. There was no reason to refuse. Plus, with all worries gone, a wave of exhaustion had made him indifferent to what happened.

So even though it was embarrassing and uncomfortable when Seokjae knelt down and manipulated his calf like clay due to the height difference, he didn’t mind.

“I want to see higher up, but it’s not rolling up well. Muyoung, would you take off your pants completely?”

Being in just underwear in front of him would also be fine…

“Uh, Hyung.”

No, no matter how tired he was, that was too much.

Of course, he knew that even if he stripped completely, he would look no different from a puppy being examined at an animal hospital in Seokjae’s eyes. But sitting in front of him wearing only underwear would be too embarrassing.

Yet he couldn’t refuse either, as it might seem suspicious…

“C-could I put on my shirt first? It feels a bit cold.”

So Muyoung chose a third option. Pretending to be cold, he hugged his arms and rubbed them.

After a moment of silence at this sight, Seokjae slowly rose and reached toward where the bag was placed.

“…Sure, I’ll get you clothes. Is anything from the bag okay?”

“Yes.”

Hearing the answer from behind, Seokjae rolled his eyes slightly to check Muyoung’s state and inwardly chuckled. With Seokjae no longer between his legs, Muyoung was swinging his legs back and forth, waiting obediently, looking quite innocent.

‘He’s not refusing this?’

At first, he had tried hard to avoid showing his upper body, but now he was willing to take off his pants too. What a change of heart.

In reality, contrary to Muyoung’s thinking, 90% of what Seokjae was doing was for his personal satisfaction. The remaining 10% was to comfort Muyoung’s tender heart, shocked by seeing a suicide threat for the first time.

The basis for his plan to use a medical examination as an excuse came from remembering the incident at the bicycle shop.

Muyoung’s tenseness at even the slightest contact, when hands barely brushed his abdomen. Seokjae had tried to exploit this. He thought this would simultaneously distract Muyoung from his depressed mood to the point of forgetting it and make him unable to take his eyes off Seokjae.

And incidentally, it would satisfy some of his own frustrations. It was such a win-win situation that his hesitation was brief.

He had been prepared for some rejection when trying to strip Muyoung completely. He had planned to appeal to Muyoung’s sympathy by pleading to see just a little because he was worried… But as soon as Seokjae pushed slightly, Muyoung helplessly allowed access to his body, like a precariously stacked structure collapsing.

So Seokjae decided to be a bit mischievous and test his boundaries further.

“Ah, thank you, Hyung.”

“…”

“Uwah! I-I can take off my pants myself!”

“…”

And the result was as expected.

Not only did Seokjae help him put on the top he’d brought, but he also unbuckled and removed Muyoung’s pants, which Muyoung didn’t refuse except for some slight struggling.

“Th-thank you…?”

His manners were impeccable, not forgetting to express gratitude. Embarrassed to be in only his underwear, he demurely hugged his knees with both arms and smiled brightly. Looking up at Seokjae like that was really…

‘He’s too defenseless.’

Despite being the one enjoying that defenselessness the most, Seokjae sighed deeply, thinking, ‘What should I do with this?’ He was treating Muyoung completely like a troublemaker.

*Slap.*

“Spread your legs. I can’t see properly like that.”

“Ah, y-yes, sir.”

Even after smacking his round bottom, there was no complaint, only an obedient response. Seokjae exhaled another short sigh and muttered inwardly:

‘This is really problematic…’

All while not taking his eyes off the soft flesh that had flinched and bounced at his touch before settling back down.