They walked toward the side of the cabin, where thick branches, old vines, and dry leaves had piled up. Sid spoke,

"Here. It looked like metal— buried under all this junk."

Together, they started pulling the mess away. The vines snapped under Evelise's strength, and Sid kicked aside old planks until finally— he froze.

"There!"

He said, smiling. Beneath the debris stood a rusty, half buried water pump. Evelise's eyes widened.

"You're kidding. This actually works?"

Sid grabbed the handle and gave it a few firm pumps. It squeaked and groaned, but no water came out.

"Nothing."

"You gave up too soon. Pump harder."

Sid shot her a look.

"Oh, so now you're the expert?"

"Pump. It. Harder,"

She said, glaring. He sighed and started again, putting more effort into it. The metal creaked, dust fell from the joints—and then suddenly, with a cough and a hiss, water burst out in a strong, steady stream. They both stepped back, laughing in surprise as clear water splashed over the dirt.

"It's actually clean!"

Sid shouted, eyes wide. Evelise's face lit up like a child's.

"It's working! You did it!"

They laughed together, watching the flow spill freely. Sid, on instinct, cupped his hands and brought some to his mouth. The next second, he spat it out immediately.

"Ugh! Tastes like oil!"

He gagged, wiping his mouth. Evelise smirked, hands on her hips.

"Idiot. You don't even know what it's connected to. Could be an old tank or something."

"Still, we found water. We really owe that old man who built this place. He must have planned for everything."

"Yeah, but now we have a new problem. How do we store it?"

Sid paused, thinking. Then he snapped his fingers.

"Easy. I can make something for that."

The light of realization hit him, and with the crafting recipes embedded in his mind, he quickly went to work. Gathering leftover wood, rope, and some metal scraps, he started assembling pieces together. In just a few minutes, the familiar glow of the system surrounded his hands as he raised his creation proudly.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE!]

[Crafting Complete!]

[Item Crafted: Water Barrel x1]

[Item Crafted: Wooden Bucket x2]

He held up the barrel like a gamer showing off loot.

"Ta dah! One homemade water system!"

Evelise clapped twice, unimpressed but clearly amused.

"Good job, builder boy. Now stop posing and start pumping. We need to fill that barrel before sunset."

Sid groaned but smiled, rolling up his sleeves.

"Yes, ma'am."

He grabbed the pump again and began working it, the steady gush of water filling the barrel little by little.

They both stood in front of the water barrel, the afternoon sun beating down on their backs. Evelise tapped her foot impatiently while Sid filled a bucket, rolling his shoulders with a tired sigh.

"Alright, ready when you are,"

He said, handing her the wooden scoop.

"Good,"

She said, snatching it from his hands.

"Now don't you dare stop pumping, got it?"

"Wait—what?"

"Pump the water. I can't exactly do it while I'm bathing!"

He gave her a long look.

"So I'm your personal water machine now?"

"Yes. Now shut up and pump!"

Grumbling, Sid grabbed the pump handle and started working it. Water splashed into the bucket, and Evelise began her shower behind the makeshift curtain they had hung from some branches. But every few seconds, when Sid slowed down even a little, her voice would echo sharply:

"Keep it steady! I said steady, not lazy!"

"I'm not a damn robot!"

"Pump harder!"

"I am pumping harder!"

A splash of cold water suddenly hit him across the face. Evelise's laughter followed right after.

"Oops. My hand slipped."

Sid wiped his face, glaring but unable to stop grinning.

"You did that on purpose."

After what felt like forever, she finally stepped out, water glistening on her skin.

"Your turn. Let's see if you can handle it."

"Oh, I'll manage,"

Sid said, stretching his arms. But when he turned, he noticed something— Evelise hadn't moved toward the pump. He frowned.

"Uh, aren't you going to—"

"I'm supervising,"

She interrupted smoothly, sitting cross legged on a nearby rock.

"It's only fair after what you made me go through."

"Of course you are."

He started pumping for himself with one hand while splashing the water over his shoulders. But after a minute, he noticed Evelise watching him a little too closely. Her eyes followed the water dripping down his chest, and when he looked at her, she quickly looked away, pretending to fix her hair.

"Enjoying the view?"

Her face turned red instantly.

"N-no! You're just— just wasting water! Stop showing off!"

"Oh, come on. You can't blame me for having a great physique in a zombie apocalypse,"

He teased, splashing more water across his chest dramatically.

"This is what survival looks like!"

Evelise groaned, covering her face with both hands.

"You are so insufferable."

But even as she said it, her voice wavered just enough to make Sid chuckle.

"Admit it, you missed this kind of entertainment."

"I'd rather get bitten by a zombie,"

She muttered.

After a few more minutes of teasing and laughter, they were both finally clean— drenched from head to toe, their laughter echoing through the clearing. Then, as the last drops fell from their hair, Sid froze.

"Uh… Evelise?"

"What?"

She asked, still smiling.

"We don't… have extra clothes."

The smile on her face vanished.

"…You're kidding."

"Nope. There are some in the basement, but they're old, never washed, and, of course, would be really uncomfortable."

A moment of silence passed. Then Evelise groaned loudly and kicked the ground.

"Unbelievable! Of course this would happen."

"Well, we could… uh, air dry?"

She glared.

"Outside? Are you insane?"

"It's either that or walk around smelling like wet zombies again."

Evelise sighed, defeated.

"Fine. But you stay on your side, got it?"

"Sure, sure."

And so they sat outside the cabin, under the roof of the water pump area, waiting in the afternoon heat for their clothes to dry. Their damp garments clung to their skin, hair dripping with water, and both pretended not to notice just how awkward the situation had become. Sid flexed dramatically, trying to push the awkwardness away, while Evelise hid a smirk, secretly enjoying the absurdity of it all.

[Task Completed: First Shower]

[+10 Bond Points gained]

[Current BP: 20 / 100]

[Heart Status: Violet]

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