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Chapter 2 - A Desperate Gamble

Chapter 2

Han So Hee sat slumped, shaking against the wall of the room she just entered, staring at the door.

She was sitting still with fear for an hour or so now.

"Get a hold of yourself, you stupid" she shouted at herself.

She turned around to check the room, staring blankly at the array of equipment scattered around the room.

It was one of the sports room that the hotel had for the athletes travelling from abroad.

"How did I end up here?" she wondered.

This feels like something straight out of a drama...

She had looked around at the weapons—guns, arrows, training gear—and the reality of her situation had hit her like a ton of bricks. 

"Is this really happening?" she had thought, her eyes widening.

She glanced around in the other room equipments — a pile of guns used for training, arrows lined up neatly in a rack, targets plastered on the walls.

"What is this place?"

she thought, her mind struggling to process her new reality.

"A sports room? Who puts guns and arrows in a sports room?"

"This feels just like one of those zombie dramas I used to watch... except this is real. Too real."

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It's Midnight, She had no choice but to stay there. The zombies were right outside, and the door felt like her only shield.

From the past 2 hours, Every time she peered out through the tiny window, the hallway outside was crawling with zombies.

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Next Morning, Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in almost a day. She sighed and stood, pacing the room, her eyes darting between the weapons. 

"Should I use them?"

In those dramas, the survivors always end up training with whatever they have. They teach themselves to fight. 

Maybe... maybe I can do the same.

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"What choice do I have?" she reasoned, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up a gun.

She took a deep breath, then checked the gun, fumbling with it awkwardly as she loaded the bullets.

I can't stay here forever, she thought bitterly.

Hunger was gnawing at her, and fear was twisting in her gut. The thought of firing a gun did terrified her, but so did staying locked in this room, slowly starving to death.

*inhale* *exhale*

"If they could shoot, so can I"

*bang* *misses*

*bang* misses*

*Bang* *gets a shot*

*bang* *bang* *bang*

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Desperation was creeping in. She spent the next few hours teaching herself the basics of handling a gun, her hands trembling as she loaded the bullets.

Her gaze fell on a set of arrows. 

Maybe I can try those too, she thought, grabbing one and practicing her aim at the targets. 

It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. She had to learn quickly if she wanted to make it out alive, practicing her aim on makeshift targets.

So, she had spent the next day picking up the weapons and awkwardly training with them. The gun felt foreign in her hands, and each time she shot at the targets on the wall, her body tensed with the recoil. 

Thankfully, one of the room that she was using to practice was soundproof. The arrows, too, had felt clumsy at first, but after hours of practicing, she started to hit the marks more often than not.

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But now, it was three days later, and her situation had only gotten worse. She was hungry—starving, really. 

The small fridge in the corner of the room had offered little solace. It had only four bottles of water, and by now, she had already gone through three.

How do people in dramas do this? she thought, feeling the sharp ache of hunger gnawing at her insides. 

They train for days without eating, and somehow they're fine. But here I am, struggling to even think straight.

*stomach growl*

*sigh* I have to get out of here. I can't stay holed up in this room forever.

She realized she couldn't stay in the room much longer. There was no food here, just weapons and gear she had barely learned to use. 

If she didn't find something to eat soon, she'd collapse before the zombies even got to her. She sighed and stood up, pacing the small space.

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The convenience store, she thought suddenly, remembering the last time she was in the mall. 

It would be full of zombies now, but the convenience store would still have shelves stocked with food. 

I'll have to pass through it to get to my room on the 12th floor anyway. I can grab as much food as I can and head straight to room 1102.

The plan gave her a small sense of purpose. 

Okay. I can do this. 

She went over to the gun she had been practicing with, loading it with shaky hands. She also grabbed some arrows—just in case. Her muscles were sore from the makeshift training sessions, but she couldn't afford to rest anymore.

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Taking a deep breath, So Hee cracked the door open and peered outside. The hallway was dim and eerily quiet, save for the faint shuffling of zombies in the distance. 

She gripped the gun tightly, stepped into the corridor, and quickly made her way toward her first goal.

Her first goal: the mall. I need food.

She made her way toward it, cautiously navigating the halls. But when she reached the entrance, her heart sank. 

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The mall was crawling with the undead, their grotesque forms blocking her path. But her eyes were fixed on the convenience store. I just need to get in, grab food, and get out.

She aimed her gun and fired at a few zombies, clearing a path. 

*bang*

*bang*

Her legs shook with fear, but she moved forward, pushing herself through the store's doors. Quickly, she grabbed whatever she could find stuffed the sports bag that she took from the room she trained in—packs of instant noodles, snacks, bottled water, anything that could last.

With her bag around ¾ full of supplies, she darted back out, heart racing as she dodged more zombies.

She knew her next goal: the stairs leading up to the 12th floor.

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She headed for the stairwell, knowing the elevator wasn't an option. 

The stairs were dimly lit and claustrophobic, but there was no turning back now. 

Just a few more floors, and I'll be safe, she told herself, running as fast as she could. 

The thought of reaching room 1102 filled her with a new sense of determination.

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Finally, she reached the 12th floor, sweat dripping down her forehead. She could barely breathe as she shot down the last few zombies standing in her way. With a final push, she reached her room—1102—and slammed the door behind her.

She collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling as she ripped open one of the snacks and devoured it. The hunger had clouded her mind, but now, with food in her stomach, she started to think more clearly. 

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She ate in silence, occasionally glancing toward the window. 

This can't just be happening here, 

she thought, walking over to pull the curtains back.

The sight outside confirmed her fears—zombies roamed the streets, chaos unfolding everywhere. 

It's not just the hotel, she realized grimly. 

It's probably the whole world.

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After finishing her food, So Hee stood up, feeling the weight of her situation settle over her. She couldn't stay here forever. 

The TV and her phone were useless—no signal, no news. If she wanted to survive, she'd have to go out there, find others, and figure out what had happened.

Her mind was made up. She gathered her weapons and steeled herself for what came next. 

I'm not going to die here, she thought. 

I'm going to find survivors... or somewhere safe.

With one last glance at the room she once called safe, Han left, determined to fight her way through the zombie-infested world outside.

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