Bomi peered up at Chorong.

 

"What are you doing up there?"She shouted.There was no reply. Eunji and Hayoung wasted no time in getting Yookyung up the wall. Chorong remained silent. Hayoung went over next with a grunt of effort. Eunji went up easily due to her strength. Lastly, Bomi was left. She could hear the others urging Chorong to jump down as she backed away from the wall. Once she was a distance away, she broke into a run and lifted herself up the wall easily. She was always the best in gym class. Sports and her just clicked. When she was up the wall, she could see Chorong’s face. It was like she was frozen.

 

"Just jump,you’ll be alright!" 

 

"We’re here to catch you Chorong!" Namjoo reassured.

 

"Let’s jump together, okay?" Bomi asked."On the count of three."

 

"1..2.."She tugged on Chorong’s wrist and they fell to the ground, unscathed, breaking their fall with their hands.

 

"It wasn’t three yet!"Chorong yelled.

 

"I know,because you wouldn’t jump on three anyway!"Bomi asserted.

 

Chorong was silent for a moment, and then she took a deep breath.  "You’re right.I’m sorry for holding you guys back" She said apologetically. "It’s just that I have a fear of heights.I’m really sorry."

 

"It’s okay,"Namjoo said, giving Chorong a squeeze.

 

"All right,let’s move on" Yookyung declared. They continued their jog along the alley. 

 

Chorong was silent the whole way, and Bomi felt guilty at this.

 

"I’m sorry," She whispered. Chorong gave a small smile in return."You did nothing wrong.I’m just kinda ashamed at myself."

 

"Everyone has fears, Chorong. Even me.I’m scared of losing the people I care about." Bomi confessed, hoping it will comfort her.

 

"Thanks.I wouldn’t choose other people to kill zombies with." Chorong gave a genuine smile.

 

They ran in sync, and now that they understood each other better, every step felt renewed.Purposeful.The feeling that they were invincible as long as they were all together. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all. The sun was still rising, the ground below them still stable. It could be worse.

 

"Guys!Let’s try this mall for some clothes," Yookyung announced. They had entered an open air mall that strangely didn’t have any of the infected.Although they were safe there, Bomi had an unsettling feeling.The place was too quiet.Way too quiet.

 

"Look!"Hayoung pointed out to a shop.It was a camping shop.The shop window displayed a small tent,mannequins that had on camping clothes and large backpacks.

 

"It’s locked though.Do we break in?"Chorong asked,shaking the door.

 

"What choice do we have?"Eunji thought out loud.She swung her bloodied axe down on the lock.Two more hits and it gave way.

 

They were about to enter the shop when they heard footsteps behind them.

 

---

 

 

Naeun turned around at the sound of the footsteps and the sound of a gun cocking. It turns out that they weren't alone in that place after all.

 

"I knew this place was too quiet,"Bomi whispered.

 

"What do we have here?"A big burly Chinese man said menacingly from about 5 metres away.

 

"Looks like they're breaking into the shop,"a lady dressed in a black leather ensemble commented.

 

A third voice joined them from above."I think we should tell them how things work around here,"The girls looked up to see the figure from above jump down to the ground floor, landing in a perfect posture. It was a boy who couldn't have been much older than them. He had brown hair,a tall and lanky body,and a playful expression.

 

"I'm sorry,we didn't mean any harm," Chorong began to explain, but several more people emerged out from the shadows, each one training their guns or knives on the girls. The boy approached Naeun, who was the closest to him, and put his arm around Naeun and his machete at . Naeun could feel herself getting tense, who would have known that they would run into such trouble?

 

"Drop your guns first,"The lady demanded. "And I do not appreciate trespassers."

 

"Okay,"Yookyung said,and slowly lowered her gun. Naeun exchanged apprehensive glances with Hayoung,who was beside her. What was going on? Still,they put their guns on the floor and their hands up in the air,as if surrendering.

 

"Explain,"The buff man said.

 

Yookyung began to explain all about ELITE,and their mission to gather an army to fight back. All the time the tall boy kept his machete on Naeun's neck. It was honestly super uncomfortable and fear palpitated in her heart. They avoided a danger earlier only to swerve into another one. And this time, the threat was actual people. She looked around and saw that her friends were in a similar situation. Hayoung had a pistol trained to her temple, and Eunji was flanked by two unfriendly looking men.

 

"Hmm,"The lady said."I did think that this wasn't just a normal infection.It spread so fast that the whole thing seemed premeditated."

 

"You're right."Yookyung said hastily."So will you help us?"

 

The two of them looked at the heavily muscled man. He spoke about how their had a group of about 30 survivors in the mall,and how they had planned to wait a week for help to arrive. The reason why there weren't any of the infected around was because they took turns guarding the perimeter of the mall. "We would love to help you.After all,my wife turned into one of them."There was sadness in his eyes but his voice was emotionless,dead. It was as if he had witnessed too many deaths, too much suffering.

 

"And we have one condition. You must give us the cure. As a promise." The lady said.

 

Yookyung handed over a tiny case that encased a syringe,the syringe contained the Cure.The man opened it and smiled."Thank you."He held out his hand and Yookyung shook it."You can call me Xiao,it's a Chinese character for small."

 

Naeun smiled. The man was anything but small.

 

The leather-clad lady spoke up. "And I'm Yuri. We are the leaders here. You can let them go," She nodded at her team of survivors, and they began to lower their weapons.

 

"Oh thank god," Namjoo's muttered under her breath. Naeun looked around. Everyone seemed relieved.

 

An alliance was formed, and the girls were allowed to go into the camping shop and take whatever they needed. A meeting was called for half an hour later, giving them time to clean up and change.