Chapter 1

The electronic screech and the hammering bass crushed his eardrums, climbed the walls, and burrowed into his guts. In the cramped space, people were packed tight, bodies glued together, swaying with no room to breathe.

In the heaving crowd—reeked through with alcohol, sweat, and perfume—one person stood out.

Even under the dark lighting, his face looked starkly pale. Between eyes that were cleanly cut and wide open, light-brown irises shone with an almost unsettling clarity.

A rounded bridge of the nose gave him a soft, pliable look at first glance—then you looked again and caught it: something oddly feline about the shape of him, like a cat wearing a human face.

In the middle of the roaring club, he sat alone with a sunk expression, staring down at his phone.

[myYoung❤]

Text Message — SMS

(Today) 10:11 PM

You didn’t read it?

Still?

I don’t even understand what you think you’re doing.

Why can’t I reach you like this?

The messages were one-sided and relentless—every line searching for the same person.

Even while he stared, more kept landing.

[myYoung❤]

Text Message — SMS

(Today) 10:52 PM

At least tell me why you suddenly started acting like this.

It’s been days. Why are you not answering at all?

Looks like your phone’s on, though.

Are you sick?

Yeonhoo pressed his fingers to his throbbing temple, battered by the noise, and glared at the contact name: [myYoung❤].

Miyoung...

My little baby rabbit. Pretty baby. Love. Miyoung.

The moment he first saw her at the café, Yeonhoo fell in love—and didn’t even get a chance to deny it.

But in front of someone he liked, he turned useless. Stiff. Clumsy. The kind of person who couldn’t step in, only circle around at the edges like he belonged nowhere.

Then, by pure accident, he found out what game she played—and the username she used.

Zombie Village.

Zombie Village: Flesh for Survival was a game where you built a base in a world crawling with zombies, ran raids to kill them, or looted other players’ bases to expand your territory and resources.

And the “Miyoung” he met inside that game—

(Global) Miu: If you don’t want to die, tell me the truth.

(Global) Miu: Who sent you?

(Global) 0momo0: p-please don’t kill me

—started by unloading a terrifying machine gun into him.

(Sniper) Miu: Momo.

(Sniper) Miu: Are you even human?

(Sniper) Miu: You shot the bomb and triggered a wipe. That’s the 24th time? lol I don’t think there’s even a piece of my body left at this point.

(Sniper) Miu: I told you how many times to watch the wipe mechanic, and you set it off again... what, is your brain broken?

(Sniper) Miu: At this point you’re basically saying “Hope everyone I play with gets fucked,” right?

(Sniper) Miu: If you’re not going to play, stop screwing around and just die already.

(Sniper) Miu: Quit wasting everyone’s time. lol

Even after they ended up in the same alliance, it didn’t stop—no weapon in hand, but the beatdown came anyway, every day, in full sentences.

(Alliance) Miu: Stop trying to hold me back.

(Alliance) Miu: What are you going to do with a spy hanging around? lol

And then, after one particular incident, Miu stopped “suspecting” and jumped straight to certain.

(Alliance) Miu: If you don’t like what I’m saying, vote yes next week when we do the kick poll again.

(Alliance) Miu: I can’t stand talking in a place that has a spy in it.

Whenever there was an opening, Miu tried to get Yeonhoo kicked—dragging him in front of everyone and beating him down until he couldn’t even breathe.

In real life she’s so sweet... so why is she like that in the game...?

Miyoung was gentle in real life. Warm. The kind of person who made the air around her feel lighter.

In the game, she was terrifying.

But I still like her.

What was he supposed to do? No matter how scary she was, she was still his baby rabbit—his destiny.

Sure, being doubted hurt a little...

(Alliance) 0momo0: It’s not me.

(Alliance) 0momo0: Just watch. I’ll prove it.

(Alliance) Miu: Wow, look who showed up. The villain. lol

Her mouth is brutal.

...Fine. He’d wiped away tears more than once. More than “a little,” if he was being honest.

Still—after the misunderstanding calmed down, there were times Miyoung texted him first.

[myYoung❤]

Text Message — SMS

XX/XX 11:54 PM

Why aren’t you logging in today?

What, do you miss me???

Ah...

What are you doing?

Did you switch to someone else?

How am I supposed to switch too :(

I’m logging in right now!!!!!

She—of her own accord—came looking for him.

Yeonhoo thought, She’s finally opening up. All I have to do is confess.

Then—

(Whisper) Opening: I’m saying this because you’re honestly so damn pathetic.

(Whisper) Opening: Miu isn’t a girl. everyone knows except you.

The Miu he’d been calling “Miyoung” in his head was actually a man.

And the worst part?

There was already someone in his life who fit a little too well.

K >. .

rnjsaldjs47

XX/XX 3:12 PM

When are you free?

We’re due to meet up already.

Sorry~~

I didn’t even tell you when, did I

XX/XX 3:12 PM

Sorry, I’ve been busy lately haha!!!

I’ll contact you again!

Okay.

XX/XX 4:02 PM

You’re not seriously going through something, right?

XX/XX 8:09 PM

I’m here.

XX/XX 9:02 PM

When do I see you?

I’m not trying to pressure you or anything, I’m just curious.

XX/XX 12:01 AM

wh y are you onl y ign oring me

i remem ber

XX/XX 2:01 PM

Ah—sorry. I drank too much and sent something weird.

XX/XX 4:00 PM

You’re not mad, right????

call — Voice Call — 4:01 PM

call — Missed — 4:02 PM

XX/XX 8:04 AM

Why have you totally disappeared lately???

Are we really not meeting?

XX/XX 8:04 AM

Why have you totally disappeared lately???

Are we really not meeting?

XX/XX 8:10 PM

You’re not checking your DMs???

Are you quitting StarGram now too????

...What were the odds the person he already knew—

the person who’d been coming on way too hard, making everything uncomfortable—

was the very same person behind “Miu”?

“Ha... I’m fucked.”

When Yeonhoo remembered how he’d acted cute, how he’d poured on sweetness because he thought it was Miyoung, his face went dead.

Even while he stared at the message thread, more messages kept arriving—still searching for him, still pressing.

[myYoung❤]

Text Message — SMS

(Today) 11:32 PM

I seriously don’t know what you think you’re doing.

Is this supposed to get under my skin?

Haha.

This is pissing me off.

Are you even reading?

Did you block me?

No. You didn’t.

Honestly, the tone alone was a fingerprint. If he hadn’t recognized it, then he was the crazy bastard here.

Watching the texts keep flooding in, Yeonhoo felt something inside him go blank.

Whatever. I’ll quit the game. I’ll block him too.

Up until that moment, that was the plan.

“Here you are.”

He had no idea that in a few minutes, blocking wouldn’t even be an option.

The bass rolled through the room. Eyes met.

No matter how dressed up the people around them were, none of them could touch that face. A huge body paired with a surprisingly small face, blue-tinted hair curling loose and falling over his forehead.

The loud hair didn’t feel excessive at all—his features were too sharp, too vivid for it to overwhelm him.

Yeonhoo froze.

The surrounding crowd murmured too, stunned by the man’s looks, but that wasn’t why Yeonhoo’s body locked up.

“You’re not happy to see me?”

Those dramatic eyes creased, and his long mouth curved into a slow, sliding smile.

Yeonhoo’s pupils trembled.

“Why are you pretending you don’t know me?”

How did it end up like this?

The Miyoung he liked was a petite, bright, cute girl—one hundred fifty-five centimeters of sunshine.

Not this towering bastard, well over one ninety, built like a wall with muscles that looked almost offensively lively—

“My name’s Kwon Mieon.”

No. No, no, no.

“Wait—hold on—let go—!”

His arm was caught in an instant, and he was being dragged like luggage.

“Hey!” a woman called from behind—someone standing with Yeonhoo’s group—voice urgent.

Kwon Mieon didn’t even look back. He just kept his grip on Yeonhoo’s wrist and pushed through, straight out of the club.

“Try running again after you already reeled me in.”

The hand around his wrist tightened like a clamp.

Staring at that broad back and that massive frame, Yeonhoo thought—

“Damn it.”

If he’d never touched that goddamn Zombie Village, none of this would’ve happened.