Shopping for supplies.

That night, after completing the task without a hitch, Hannah Walsh sent Jack a message.

“Liam is hoarding supplies like a hamster. He’s in high spirits, happily shopping away, but the way he’s going about it makes him look like some kind of weirdo.”

She then sent him two sets of photos.

The first showed the entrance to Liam’s rented apartment, where three layers of reinforced steel gleamed under the lights.

For people in the security industry, modifications like these were nothing unusual. It was obviously being turned into a safe house, and it looked even sturdier than the ones their company usually built.

The second set showed Liam wearing a mask and changing clothes as he shopped at various supermarkets and shopping centres or collected parcels from different delivery depots.

There was nothing wrong with reinforcing an apartment, nor was it unusual to change outfits several times a day while shopping. Wearing a mask in summer to avoid being recognised wasn’t particularly strange either.

But when all these things happened together, they looked seriously suspicious. Anyone seeing the photos might think Liam was involved in something secretive or illegal.

Although Jack’s instincts told him something unusual was going on, he chose to believe that the man he loved wouldn’t do anything illegal.

He called Hannah Walsh and gave her specific instructions.

“Hannah, don’t tell anyone about this. Make sure nobody finds out. If necessary, help cover for him. I’ll deal with everything when I get back.”

Before reconciling with Liam and leaving on his business trip, Jack had already confided in Hannah Walsh. Knowing that someone he trusted was keeping an eye on Liam put his mind at ease.

Dropping her usual flippant tone, Hannah replied seriously.

“Don’t worry. I understand. But you’d better come back soon and explain why he’s hoarding supplies. I’m so curious I could burst! You reunite after two years, and the first thing he does is spend your money stocking up like a hamster. That’s seriously weird.”

“Mhm.”

Jack didn’t explain further. He ended the call and sank into thought.

He knew Liam well. The guy liked to joke around, but he wasn’t reckless.

Ever since Liam had called to say he was coming to see him, his behaviour had been a little strange. He constantly wanted to stay close to Jack, refused to remain at the hotel, and insisted on renting an apartment next door even after misunderstanding Jack’s relationship with Kai.

Even after they reconciled, Liam still insisted on renting his own place. Now, he had gone a step further and turned it into a safe house.

As much as Jack loved having Liam chase after him again, he wasn’t blind to the warning signs.

Liam seemed… desperately short of a sense of security.

Wait. Security!

Jack suddenly remembered that Liam had mentioned having nightmares ever since his mother passed away. He had brought it up several times.

At first, Jack had assumed the dreams were simply a result of grief. But now, he wondered if there was more to them.

“……”

Within seconds, worry flooded Jack’s mind.

He took out his phone and called Liam. Then, before the call could continue, he hung up and switched to a video call instead.

If Liam was frightened enough to reinforce an apartment and stockpile supplies, these couldn’t be ordinary nightmares!

Jack had been far too careless.

Was Liam being targeted by a person or an organisation and too afraid to tell him? Was he, once again, trying to handle everything alone, just as he had when he unilaterally ended their relationship?

The video connected quickly.

The screen shook for a moment before the phone was propped up. Liam was sitting at the hotel table, eating crayfish and fried skewers.

Once the phone was steady, he put on a fresh pair of disposable gloves, picked up a crayfish, and waved at the screen.

“Jack, I’m having a late night snack…”

Seeing Liam’s lips stained red from the spicy food, Jack immediately relaxed.

“I thought you’d gone to sleep.”

“Nope. I’m having a midnight snack and doing some online shopping.”

Liam sucked the head of a crayfish, his voice muffled as he expertly peeled the shell.

Jack smiled fondly.

“Have you been sleeping well lately? Are you still having nightmares?”

“……”

Liam was about to answer automatically that everything was fine. But after a moment, he changed his mind and shook his head.

“Not really. The dreams are getting more vivid and frightening. Sometimes, when I wake up, I can barely tell whether I’m awake or still dreaming…”

His safe house was already packed with supplies. There was no way he could hide everything from Jack when he returned.

He needed to prepare Jack as much as possible before then.

Jack frowned.

“Can you tell me more about these nightmares? What exactly happens in them?”

This sounded serious.

“Of course. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while, but I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me…”

Liam immediately put down his crayfish, removed his gloves, and wiped his mouth. Then he sat up straight, his expression turning solemn. He even adjusted his phone so Jack could see his face more clearly.

Jack nodded, looking concerned.

“That’s my fault. Go ahead. I’m listening.”

“Jack…”

Liam hesitated before continuing.

“What I’m about to tell you might sound crazy. You might even think I’ve completely lost my mind. But I hope you’ll at least believe that I’m not sick. If none of this happens when the time comes, I’ll go to a doctor and get myself checked. Alright?”

Jack nodded seriously.

“Alright. Tell me. I believe you.”

Liam took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts before explaining.

“Ever since Mum passed away, I’ve been having recurring nightmares about the end of the world. They’re like something straight out of a horror movie. Natural disasters, viruses, zombies… And the dreams come with specific dates.”

“I dreamed that the drought would end before the month was over. After that, there would be terrifying toxic rain. Anyone caught in it would die from some mysterious virus, only to come back to life as a zombie.”

“The zombies attack the living on instinct. Anyone injured by them gets infected and eventually mutates, too. Then, in the middle of all that chaos, some people develop superpowers…”

Liam shuddered.

“It’s terrifying. I was too scared to tell anyone.”

After finishing, he let out a long breath and carefully studied Jack’s expression.

He had expected Jack to laugh at him or accuse him of being delusional. After all, what he’d just described sounded completely unbelievable.

But Jack didn’t laugh.

Instead, he listened with a serious expression, taking every word into consideration. Whether it was because he trusted Liam or simply respected him enough to hear him out, that alone was enough to reassure Liam.

After a long pause, Jack asked, “The drought will end before the month is over?”

So Liam wasn’t being threatened by some enemy or organisation. It was just the nightmares.

Still, the dreams were unusually specific. They sounded almost too real.

Jack had heard reports of people experiencing strange premonitions before major disasters. Perhaps some people were more sensitive to certain warning signs than others.

Liam nodded.

“That’s right. Around August 27, there’ll be toxic rain carrying a deadly virus. After that, zombies will appear, and the apocalypse will begin. That’s the basic idea.”

He paused before continuing.

“I think major disasters must have warning signs. As the dreams became more realistic, I started wanting to take precautions.”

Jack’s expression shifted.

“Precautions? You mean buying things and stockpiling supplies?”

The reinforced apartment and the huge amount of supplies certainly sounded like something out of a doomsday prepper’s manual.

It was absurd, but Liam seemed completely serious.

“Yes.”

Liam nodded. After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell Jack everything.

“I even turned the apartment into a safe house and stored all the things I’ve bought there. I didn’t dare tell you the truth because I wanted to apologise and explain everything later.”

He paused, then added quickly, “Anyway, by the time you come back, most of the shopping will be done. If nothing happens, we can donate the supplies to struggling rural communities or people who need them. At least the money won’t have gone to waste.”

“Smart.”

Jack praised him without hesitation. It was a good solution. If the disaster never happened, the supplies could still help people in need.

Liam continued, “If a real disaster does happen, we won’t have to worry about supplies while we wait for rescue.”

His voice grew quieter.

“In my dream, I eventually died after being bitten by a zombie because I ran out of supplies. You were fine, but you couldn’t get to me in time…”

Seeing Jack’s expression darken, Liam hurried to explain.

“Jack, I’m not lying to you. This is also why I was so determined to find you before. If the world really ends, I couldn’t bear the thought of us never reconciling.”

Even though he had returned to the past and had the chance to change everything, remembering how things had ended in his previous life still hurt.

Jack rubbed his face with both hands, took a deep breath, and spoke firmly.

“That won’t happen. No matter what happens, we’ll stay together. There won’t be any situation where I arrive too late. I promise.”

If the world really did end, he would stay by Liam’s side, whatever it took.

“I believe you, Jack.”

Liam smiled before asking softly, “Then, Jack, do you believe me?”

Jack smiled and nodded.

“Whether these are just nightmares or an actual warning of a disaster, we’ll find out soon enough. I believe you. If nothing happens, we’ll donate all the supplies you’ve bought and take you to the best hospital for a thorough examination.”

His expression turned serious.

“But you mustn’t tell anyone else about this. Understand?”

Liam nodded eagerly.

“Of course. I know. You’re the only person I trust, Jack.”

If he really was ill and everything he remembered from his previous life had only been a nightmare, that would be the best possible outcome.

Once the call ended, Liam went back to eating his late night snack while browsing online shops.

Jack had told him to buy whatever he wanted. Money wasn’t a problem.

Well, in that case, Liam certainly wasn’t going to hold back!

Now that Jack was on board, he could stock up on even more supplies. By the time Jack returned, the weather reports should have started coming in, and they could decide what to do next.