EPZ 34

Chapter: 34

In a world where every social system had collapsed, hygiene was one of the first things people were forced to abandon. Survival—whether you lived or died—was the only thing that really mattered.

Even so, their group had been relatively fortunate. It was all thanks to Jigu. With her strange ability to pull objects out of thin air, she regularly produced containers to collect rainwater for them.

But a bath? With warm water?

That was luxury on a completely different level from simply washing one’s face or brushing one’s teeth with rainwater.

The group’s hopes, however, were quickly and thoroughly shattered.

“No. It’s okay. I’ll stay with Edwin.”

“What?!”

“Th-that’s…”

“Ehh…!”

Jigu didn’t want to disappoint them, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t explain it precisely, but something about the mansion felt off. She couldn’t leave Edwin—unconscious as he was—alone in a place like this.

When Jigu clamped her mouth shut with a stubborn expression, Luke’s face flushed red and blue with frustration as he burst out,

“Do we really have to stay together? Hey, take us to our rooms already!”

“Jigu… I’d like to rest too.”

“M-me too…”

The others looked just as desperate as Jigu was stubborn.

Seeing those faces—the kind that wouldn’t budge no matter what she said—Jigu finally had no choice but to repeatedly urge them to run straight to the treatment room if anything happened.

After the group followed Demian and Lennart to their respective rooms, only two people remained in the treatment room where Edwin lay: Khalif and Jigu.

Thankfully, both the treatment room and the others’ rooms were on the second floor. That had been Demian’s consideration.

Although she had firmly refused, Demian had also offered Jigu the room closest to the treatment room, telling her to use it whenever she wanted to rest. She had no intention of going.

“…It’s quiet.”

The silence after everyone left felt strangely unfamiliar.

She hadn’t realized she would miss Edwin’s constant nagging this much. His dramatic reactions to the same old jokes had been so amusing that she sometimes pretended not to understand on purpose, acting clueless just to provoke him.

Now, surrounded by the steady beeping of the ECG, the monitor displaying his heart rate, and medical equipment she’d only ever seen in dramas, Edwin looked frighteningly fragile—his face pale, his breathing uneven and shallow, as if he might disappear at any moment.

“Eddy, wake up already.”

Muttering gloomily, Jigu slumped forward onto the bed, pressing her cheek down as she slowly blinked her stiff, dry eyes. The reddish haze swimming in her vision made her temples throb.

First, we have to deal with the zombies outside… And this mansion still feels suspicious.

If she could designate the treatment room as a Safe Zone, she’d feel a little better—but Lennart had said he would come by occasionally to check on Edwin’s condition, so she couldn’t do that either.

For now, I’ll just stay by Edwin’s side. If something happens… then I’ll designate this place as a Safe Zone. Everyone agreed to gather here anyway. But what if we lose someone again? Maybe we should’ve stayed together after all.

Uneasy thoughts spiraled endlessly.

As she closed her eyes tightly and let out a quiet sigh, a low voice cut through her worries.

“Jigu. Why are you always so anxious?”

Jigu forced her heavy eyelids open and rolled her eyes toward Khalif.

Oh. That is a very displeased face.

Warm body heat touched her throbbing forehead. Though his expression clearly showed disapproval, the hand rubbing her brow was gentle and warm.

The contrast made her let out a weak, wobbly laugh.

Flick!

“Ack! That hurts.”

“Quit exaggerating and answer me.”

Tch. Busted.

Jigu pouted and pushed herself upright. Khalif watched her silently.

Avoiding his persistent gray gaze by lowering her head, she hesitated before speaking.

“…You know, Khalif. The world I see is… a little different from what you see.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s always glowing red, like it’s constantly warning me about danger. Like it’s telling me never to let my guard down.”

If there were no system—if she couldn’t see skills—would she have accepted this world differently?

The world Jigu saw was always tinged red, the intensity merely varying.

Even inside the Safe Zone meant to protect “Original Jigu” from all threats.

Even now, standing beside Khalif.

Khalif, who had been silent, let out a sigh.

“I don’t know what makes you this anxious, or how the world you see is different.”

Jigu’s shoulders stiffened at his blunt words.

Of course. And yet… why did her chest still feel heavy?

The bedsheet crinkled in her tightening grip.

“But.”

“…?”

Tap.

Rough fingertips lightly settled on the back of her hand, where her knuckles had turned white.

As if coaxing her to relax, his hand gently stroked hers and slipped softly into her clenched fist. Jigu slowly raised her head.

“You said it before. You save me, and I become your companion.”

“…You remember that?”

“I do. Jigu, you’ve already saved me. So I’d like you to trust me a little more. Like you said… we’re companions.”

Companions.

It had just been something she blurted out carelessly to register Khalif as a party member. But now, coming from his voice, the meaningless word carried a strange resonance.

The person who appeared before her when she had given up on everything and sunk into despair.

A living person.

Someone who looked at her, called her name, and guarded her back.

The wavering darkness in her eyes gradually sharpened into clarity.

“…Okay.”

“Good. Then you should start by taking a bath. I doubt your current state is very good for the patient.”

“Ugh… fine…”

Only then did Jigu take stock of herself, cheeks reddening as she nodded.

The stench rising from her body was awful—blackened, dried blood, some unknown sticky substance, dirt, and dried leaves all clinging together.

“Now then! Thank you for waiting. I personally prepared this meal with great care!”

The next morning, after Lennart announced he had prepared breakfast, the group gathered in the dining room and stared awkwardly at the plates before them.

Each plate held roasted potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and steak, all arranged with meticulous precision. The perfectly uniform sizes—down to the millimeter—gave off an unsettling sense of obsession and fastidiousness.

“See? I told you that bastard’s not right in the head.”

“Shut up and eat it gratefully.”

“Th-thank you so much for even preparing a meal for us.”

Watching Luke and Maya bicker rudely, Peggy quickly offered an awkward expression of thanks.

Lennart simply smiled calmly, unfazed by the trio.

“You shouldn’t expect too much from the taste. It’s freeze-dried alternative meat, after all.”

“Alternative… meat?”

Did he mean something like tofu or soy-based meat? Wouldn’t that be even harder to get?

As Peggy poked at the meat with a confused expression, Lennart nodded.

“Yes. It’s a steak made from cultured meat. As you know, obtaining fresh meat these days is… rather difficult.”

Should we even be eating this?

The moment Lennart finished speaking, Jigu looked down at her plate with a sour expression. Demian, too, hadn’t touched his food, his suspicious demeanor only making things feel more off.

Finally, Jigu set down her fork and glanced sideways at Demian with uneasy eyes. As if he’d been waiting, he met her gaze with a gentle smile.

“Is the meal not to your liking?”

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Oh dear. That makes my efforts rather meaningless.”

But the pitiful tone didn’t come from Demian.

Demian shot Lennart—who had drooped his brows dramatically—a sharp look before smiling again at Jigu.

“You don’t need to worry about him.”

As if used to being ignored to that degree, Lennart merely shrugged and popped a bite of meat into his mouth.

Was I just being paranoid?

Jigu eyed Lennart as he ate without hesitation, then looked back down at her own plate.

“…Yeah. I’m still not eating it.”