Chapter 136
Suzy froze for a moment, suddenly unsure how to answer.
On the screen, Thomas had already lifted his gaze, looking at her through the camera.
Her lips parted slightly.
Before she could say anything, he had already moved past the question.
"By the way, I heard you’re heading out to look for supplies soon?"
The words she had been about to say slipped back down her throat.
She nodded. "Yeah. Did my uncle tell you?"
He gave a quiet "Mm," then continued, "Can I go with you?"
"You can, but... will your body be able to handle it?" Suzy asked.
Having him along wasn’t a bad thing. With his mercenary background, he was more than capable—there was no way he’d be a liability.
Still, his presence would make using the storage less convenient. She and Leonard would have to be careful around him.
But on the other hand... having him there would make it easier to grow closer.
Suzy hesitated, not rejecting him outright.
"I’m fine," he said seriously. "Thanks to the medicine you gave me, I’m much better. I’ll recover completely soon."
"That’s good," she replied. "I’ll let my uncle know."
He smiled faintly. "Alright."
His hand passed briefly across the screen.
Before Suzy could properly take in that rare smile, the screen suddenly went dark.
A soft thud followed—the dull sound of his phone hitting the table.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concern slipping into her voice.
"I’m fine. I just knocked into the phone," he said.
From her side, the black screen flickered back to life—
A chest.
Broad, well-defined. Naked.
Suzy drew in a quiet breath.
That was... something she hadn’t expected to see.
She quickly covered the corner of her lips, trying to compose herself.
On the other end, he adjusted the camera. The view shifted, and his chest disappeared, replaced by his slightly restrained, composed expression.
"Sorry," he said.
"It’s fine. Nothing to apologize for," Suzy replied, though inwardly she felt a trace of regret.
She had to admit—his physique was... impressive.
Solid. Powerful.
And she had barely gotten a proper look before he moved the camera away.
Now the screen was normal again—just his sharp, handsome face and a glimpse of his collarbone.
Reluctant to end the call, Suzy found another topic.
"By the way, is there anything specific you’re looking for on this trip?" she asked. "Besides food, I mean."
He seemed to think it over seriously.
"I’ll see when we get there," he said.
A hint of surprise crossed her face.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I thought you had something specific in mind... that’s why you wanted to come with us."
He didn’t seem like someone who acted without a plan.
Or perhaps... whatever he needed wasn’t something he could tell her.
Only then did Suzy realize she might have overstepped.
"The outside isn’t safe right now," he said quietly. "If I go with you, it’ll be safer for everyone."
More than anyone, Suzy understood just how valuable that "safety" was.
"True," she said.
"And you gave me such valuable medicine. It’s only right that I help you," he added.
Only then did she realize—his reason for coming along was to repay her.
She wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary.
But before she could, he spoke again, his voice softer.
"...It’s also been a while since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?"
Her fingers curled unconsciously.
She stared at him on the screen as he lowered his gaze again.
Her heart began to pound, and she quickly looked away, trying to steady herself.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
The silence stretched, quiet but not uncomfortable.
And yet, neither of them made a move to end the call.
Suzy let out a soft breath and forced a casual tone.
"So... do you want to see me that badly?"
She glanced at the screen.
He looked calm, but there was a faint tension beneath it.
"Yes," he said plainly.
When she didn’t respond, he added again, "I want to see you."
Her mind buzzed, her cheeks warming.
Hearing him say it so seriously only made her more flustered.
"Alright... then I’ll let you know the time before we head out," she said.
They spoke a little longer before he was the one to end the call.
Afterward, Suzy tossed her phone onto the bed and lay back, staring at the ceiling.
Her face still felt warm.
In her mind, the images replayed again and again—
His damp hair.
His restrained expression.
His bare chest.
And the way he had said, so earnestly—"I want to see you."
...Was that intentional?
Either way, it had worked.
She felt restless now... even a little anticipatory.
Rolling onto her side, she buried her face in the pillow.
Only after calming down did she pick up her phone again and message Leonard, telling him Thomas Kim would be joining them on the supply run.
Leonard agreed.
***
A few days passed, and Thomas had mostly recovered.
Suzy and Leonard stayed home, observing. There had been no major disturbances in the area.
Wendy had gone quiet, too.
The group they had spotted with the drone hadn’t reappeared either.
Taking advantage of a day when the rain had eased, Suzy and Leonard decided to set out.
Before leaving, Suzy contacted Thomas, arranging to meet at the entrance of the complex.
He had already prepared in advance.
As soon as he received the message, he set out.
Suzy and Leonard put on their raincoats, covering themselves completely, and headed downstairs.
As they passed the tenth floor—Wendy’s residence—they saw it.
Dried bloodstains.
In the damp air of the past few days, they had begun to rot, giving off a nauseating stench.
Holding their breath, the two hurried down.
Thankfully, there were no bodies in the stairwell.
It seemed Wendy had already dealt with them.
The way down was clear.
They reached the ground floor without incident.
At the entrance, they met up with Thomas without any issues.
On the way, Suzy had felt a trace of tension.
But the moment they stepped out into the rain, it was washed away.
The downpour was relentless.
It hadn’t seemed this heavy from inside.
But the instant they left the building, the rain came crashing down, striking their raincoats in sharp, stinging bursts.
Thomas stood near the guard booth, his clothes relatively dry.
"You’re here," he said with a faint smile.