Our Restaurant is Operating Normally Even in the Apocalypse - Chapter 8

Episode 8. Kimchi Fried Rice

Nothing particularly special about it.

A taste all too familiar to those living alone.

But in this world, it was an incredibly luxurious meal.

Morak-morak.

For Gil-ho, who had been surviving on meals that prioritized nutrition and shelf life over taste, Jae-hyung’s kimchi fried rice, which greased his mouth with a spicy kick, felt like an immense luxury.

Before the world was destroyed by zombies like this, he hadn’t cared about the taste of food.

Just enough to get it down his throat.

He thought it was enough as long as it wasn’t completely inedible.

But only after a world arrived where even simple snacks became precious did he finally realize.

Why people had valued gourmet food so much.

Why they stood in line for hours at popular restaurants.

‘It would have been so much better if you were here with me….’

Gil-ho closed his eyes tightly and imagined Yoon-ji making a fuss while eating the kimchi fried rice Jae-hyung had made.

He put down his spoon with a bitter smile.

Having finished his meal, Gil-ho looked at Jae-hyung and said.

“…Thanks for the meal again.”

“Glad you enjoyed it. Shall we head out then?”

Gil-ho nodded, and seeing this, Jae-hyung showed a satisfied smile.

His expressions were richer than before, and his seizures had subsided.

That alone made the short journey with Gil-ho well worth it.

However, he wasn’t accompanying him just to soothe his wounds.

“Let’s.”

The decisive reason for choosing to accompany Gil-ho.

“I’m asking just in case, but you really don’t know how to drive?”

…It was none other than driving.

“Uh, um…. The pedal on the left is the gas, right?”

At Jae-hyung’s shocking answer, Gil-ho turned pale and let out a small sigh.

“…I shouldn’t have asked. Let’s get going.”

Resigned, he got into the driver’s seat familiarly, and Jae-hyung also chuckled and got into the passenger seat.

Their journey to Gangwon-do was based on a thorough division of roles.

The engine started with a loud, clattering noise.

The old truck driven by Gil-ho headed out onto the road leaving Seoul.

“By the way, couldn’t you just fly or teleport there using magic?”

As the loud yet quiet drive continued, Gil-ho’s question broke the silence between them.

Jae-hyung, who had been looking at the distant mountains, turned his head and replied.

“I can fly, but… it gives me motion sickness, so I prefer traveling on the ground whenever possible. Besides, for the space-distorting movement you’re talking about, I need the exact location coordinates… No, wait, if you don’t know about magic, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained it. There’s a sense that only those who can feel mana know. Don’t misunderstand, it’s not that I can’t find a way to explain it.”

He said it like a joke, but it was based on some truth.

Just as explaining how to flap wings to someone without them wouldn’t resonate, one must be able to read the flow of mana in nature to understand the theory and operational process of magic.

Regardless of education or IQ.

“…I see.”

Gil-ho also knew there was no point in asking, so he didn’t press further.

He just seemed to be thinking, ‘So it wasn’t an omnipotent ability like that.’

“Then why did you choose this old, noisy piece of junk truck? If the goal was just to travel, there were plenty of cars much quieter and faster than this one.”

Then Jae-hyung grinned and answered his question.

“Well, obviously, because driving a noisy truck like this is the only way to draw the aggro of all the zombies around.”

Since returning to the world he originally lived in.

Jae-hyung had never once ignored or neglected the lives of the survivors he had discovered.

But at the same time, he hadn’t gone out of his way to actively seek out survivors.

He just thought that if he walked as the flow went, wherever his feet led him, he would eventually arrive at the destination he was looking for.

But this trip to Gangwon-do was a little different.

He had a specific destination.

But there were no smartphones or maps to guide him there.

In the end, the only source from which he could obtain information was the survivors living in Gangwon-do.

Actively finding them and obtaining the route to the destination Captain Han taught him was the purpose of this journey.

And the purpose of the short journey with Gil-ho.

So they traveled for several days in the rattling truck.

Avoiding highways packed with cars that hadn’t been able to evacuate, and passing through country roads that would have been recommended as scenic drives if the world were peaceful.

“…I want to make something other than kimchi fried rice now.”

“Then how about making it with cheese on top this time? Yoon-ji actually said it was delicious to eat kimchi fried rice with pizza cheese melted over it…”

Just when Jae-hyung was getting sick of making kimchi fried rice.

The two arrived at a quiet country village.

This was the story up until the moment Jae-hyung and Gil-ho encountered Su-a.

“Hey, anyone there? Come out and talk to me. Even if you’re leaving, a little chat wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Jae-hyung, sitting in the passenger seat, recited a famous line from a gangster movie in front of a real gangster.

With his voice amplified by magic so that all the zombies scattered nearby could hear.

“Honestly, I’m a bit skeptical about whether this plan will work.”

Gil-ho, who had stopped the car and was looking at the scenery outside from the driver’s seat, muttered to himself in a low voice.

The plan was to draw the attention of the zombies while simultaneously making their presence known to any survivors hiding somewhere.

Honestly, he wanted to express his disapproval of Jae-hyung’s plan.

Because any survivor with a sane mind would never respond to such an obviously suspicious shout.

Just as Gil-ho expected.

Su-a, who was hiding behind a car parked on the roadside, was thinking.

‘That man must have completely lost his mind too.’

A crazy world where one couldn’t live with a sane mind.

The survivors who lived in it were going crazy in different ways as time went on.

At least the other humans Su-a had encountered so far had been like that.

That was why she wasn’t too surprised by Jae-hyung’s eccentric behavior of getting out of the old truck and shouting loudly to draw the zombies’ aggro.

Still, thanks to that crazy act, she was able to carry out her mission much more easily than she had originally thought.

After silently thanking the madman who was drawing the zombies’ aggro, Su-a moved her body slowly, muffling her footsteps.

‘Since this is an unexpected opportunity, I must never miss it.’

Her footsteps, filled with firm determination, were taken quietly and nimbly, using the parked cars as cover.

Her destination, a small pharmacy, was getting closer and closer.

But was it because she thought she was right in front of her destination?

Or was it the relief that an unknown madman was drawing the aggro of other zombies?

She ended up making a mistake she would never have made under normal circumstances.

“Gwoooo…!”

In front of a zombie that suddenly appeared.

“Kya, kyaaak…!”

Su-a screamed without realizing it.

“See, what did I tell you? I told you I felt a strong presence of a survivor around here!”

She had been discovered not only by the zombie but also by the two men who had lost their minds.

‘F*ck…!’

At Jae-hyung’s despicable tone, which would make anyone who heard it mistake him for a villain, Gil-ho let out a small sigh and replied.

“Isn’t the first order of business to save that woman? If we leave her like this, she’ll become lunch for those innocent zombies before we can even extract information.”

He continued, looking out the driver’s side window.

“Should we help?”

Then Jae-hyung grinned and shook his head.

“Your role is just driving. Using force and cooking are my jobs, so just rest here.”

“Alright.”

After answering, Gil-ho leaned back comfortably in the driver’s seat, defenseless, and Jae-hyung immediately opened the passenger door and stepped out.

For the sake of a thorough division of roles.

Jae-hyung walked slowly among the zombies.

Hwareureureuk!!

With blue flames swirling around his entire body.

“You all know, right? That blue flames are actually hotter than bright red ones. Unlike usual, I have a clear goal this time, so I hope you understand even if it’s hot.”

As soon as Jae-hyung finished speaking, the flames soared into the air.

Soon, blue flames like Will-o’-the-wisps flew toward the zombies.

“Gwooooo…!”

“Shut up, you bastards.”

Amidst the zombies that were instantly burning into ash.

Jae-hyung approached Su-a, who was in a fierce struggle with a zombie trying to pounce on her.

“Hi, nice to meet you. Wouldn’t you like to have a little chat with me?”

“Ugh…! Does it look like I’m in a state to have a conversation?!”

At Jae-hyung’s cliché greeting, which you’d only find in a textbook, Su-a, who was trying to push the zombie away with all her might, felt strangely irritated.

“But, you’ve managed to survive until now with skills that struggle against just this one?”

It was pure curiosity, not intended to be sarcastic or condescending.

But from Su-a’s perspective, it couldn’t help but feel like he was picking a fight.

That was why Su-a’s tone in answering the question was also sharp with thorns.

“…I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but get lost!”

A fierce voice filled with seething hostility.

And eyes.

If it were usual, he would have joked around with a slick attitude.

But given the situation, Jae-hyung grinned and lightly snapped his fingers.

Peoeok.

The zombie soared high into the air as if hit by something heavy.

Su-a, who had been struggling with it until a moment ago, was taken aback by the sudden sense of liberation.

Soon after, she could see it.

The vivid blue light flickering around Jae-hyung’s body.

“What on earth is this…”

A feeling like being possessed by a ghost.

But Su-a soon shook her head and tried to keep her composure.

And she hurriedly got up and dashed away like an arrow.

Toward the pharmacy right in front of her.

“Must be in quite a hurry, huh?”

Jae-hyung, left alone in an instant, smiled awkwardly and looked back.

“Ahjussi, come here for a second!”

Gil-ho, who had been taking a leisurely rest, walked out of the car with an indifferent expression and replied.

“Where did the survivor go, and why are you left alone?”

At Gil-ho’s question, Jae-hyung pointed his finger toward the pharmacy.

“As soon as I helped her, she ran straight to that pharmacy over there. I called you because since we’re here, you should grab some first-aid supplies or something.”

Since the two’s journey was only meant to be together until Gangwon-do, Jae-hyung’s suggestion made sense.

“Certainly, having antibiotics or medicines like that would be helpful. But how would we know which medicine is which?”

At Gil-ho’s question, Jae-hyung finally made a face as if he realized something.

“True… We usually only bought and took prescription drugs or over-the-counter products, so I don’t know what’s what either.”

“Still, it would be a gain if we could at least grab some disinfectant or bandages… Let’s go in for now.”

There’s no harm in stopping by.

Especially since the survivor they had gone through the trouble of finding had also headed to the pharmacy.

The two walked slowly toward the pharmacy that Su-a had headed to.