Inside a villa on the outskirts of the ruined city, a family that hadn't managed to escape yet was living. No, since the government had restricted outings in the first place, it was more accurate to say they couldn't leave. Sumi opened an icebox instead of the refrigerator, which had already lost power, to check the remaining food. Four bags of ramen and six cans; there wasn't a drop of water, but they were in better shape than most places.

"Mom! Cockroach! Cockroach!!!"

At her daughter's scream from the room, Sumi clicked the box shut and stood up. When Sumi entered the room with her daughter hiding behind her, the pests were already having a party in the corner.

"Hurry, get the calendar. Those things aren't even paying rent..."

"Oh, Mom! Seriously, how long do we have to live like this?"

It was like this every time. Only a month had passed since that day, but for some reason, she couldn't get used to the swarm of bugs and the rotting stench coming only from the master bedroom. Should she get an exorcism? Right, the phones aren't working.

"Honey, what's wrong? Again?"

"Oh, Dad!"

A swarm of bugs in the corner, and Sumi's family at the door. They formed a perfect symmetry centered around the bookshelf against the wall. The man looked back and forth between the bugs and Sumi before finally taking out a lighter. As the man stepped forward as if he were actually going to start a fire, Sumi quickly raised her arm to block his path.

"What are you doing? If you start a fire here, we'll all die, not just them."

"Honey, when are we going to catch those with a calendar? Just—I can burn those things and put it out. Huh?"

"I said no."

Just as Sumi finally snatched the lighter from the man's hand, the wall suddenly began to vibrate. Thump, thump—a noise they had never heard before.

Sensing something strange, Sumi tried to push her family out of the room, but it was too late. With a crash, the wall collapsed, and the first thing they noticed was a horrific stench. A smell far more nauseating than anything before.

Sumi turned her head. She made eye contact with it.

A tadpole in the brook...

Hong Suhae headed toward the coin laundry, humming a children's song as if he'd lost his mind from the recent forced march. With his torn shirt and a heart as tattered as his long-lost insoles, he wanted to entrust his body to a washing machine and rest immediately.

The laundry was quiet. Right, who would come out to wash clothes at a time like this? They'd be crazy. Suhae found the cleanest-looking washing machine, put in a coin, opened the door, and settled himself inside.

Thump, thump. At the unexpected sound of footsteps coming from outside, Suhae closed the washing machine door and held his breath.

Tinkle. Guest entered the laundry.