Genre(s): Horror, Thriller, Romance, Angst
Language warning

Kang Seulyi would do anything for love.

But when her one and only true love brings up his wishful death, in the midst of an apocalypse, will she let him go or ask him to stay?

Inspecting over the two diggers is a slender man, on a lemon lollipop aggressively - making all kind of swishes and being one candy away from anorexia. Disgust dawns on one of the digger’s face - admittedly the tallest in the group - before he remarks, “Hey, Lee Sungjong. Since you won’t get your hands dirty the least you can do is be quiet, yeah?”

The sweet tooth scoffs as the yellow, hard ball sits against his cheeks. He then slips his bony hands into the horizontal pockets of his black slacks before snarkily attacking the older, “Jealous? Want me to share it with you? Geez, no wonder colleagues still call you Choding, grow up already,”

Choding scoffs then drills the point of his shovel into the raw earth from underneath them. With goggle eyes he spat, “How convincing, a grown man—I mean shemale is telling me to grow up while she’s making love to candy. Not only that, she sits idly by while her friends bury another friend’s parent. Hey, Lee Sungjong. Get your act together. Even Myungsoo’s girlfriend is more of a man than you’ll ever be,” the tallest, oldest one mock then adds, “so just shut up and keep watch will ya? I swear, for someone who pulls eye-sores zombie stunts on a weekly basis, why is it that he’s still here and not dead like the rest of them,”

As the duo continue to bicker about trivial matters, the third man is seemingly wearing Frodo’s elven cloak as he exercises his right to remain silent.

It has been 72 hours since the outbreak origin was reported near a recycling center. Therefore the stress, exhaustion, and irritation became visible in all three. Then to silence them once and for all, a loud crank is heard nearby.

Steadily, Sungjong shifts the candy in his mouth as he eyed the two, “Looks like your boss finally found the exit,” he warns with no sign of concerns. Choding, who is leggier, pokes his head out from above the grave.

Straight ahead of him, he observes sluggish movements.

As a tribute for his kindness, wealthy families had gifted a custom-made home to the landowner - the ‘boss’. For six years, the widower lived on the very land he had allowed strangers to bury their precious family members on. The land was made up of three secluded hilltops and fenced in by iron rods, the same height as road signs.

Choding, Sungyeol, study the walking deadman who got up after tripping over the handle of a steel wagon. He gasps before tucking his head in again, then naturally seeks guidance from the man beside him, “Myungsoo, what should we do? Your boss is heading this way and we haven’t dug deep enough,” he mumbles.

However, a mere smug on the one being question brought curiosity, yet, discomfort to both males. “You’re acting like he’s in a normal state to yell at us,”

The one with nothing but his height to dignify him nods as he held the tool close to his body, “Oh yeah, duh,” his nervous chuckle that followed eventually died when the other spoke again.

“Let him come. We’ll bury him in here with her,” the cold-one, Myungsoo blurts out.

This time Sungjong pop the sweet from out of his mouth before asking, “In there with your mom?” When Myungsoo did not answer and instead glanced over at the body that was wrapped in hospital white sheets, the other two simply exchanged looks.

Myungsoo loathed his mother. She was young and dumb - a ‘homewrecker’ they called her. Fifteen years junior her husband and she had got the guts to hire hitmen to wipe him off the face of the earth; when he excluded her and Myungsoo from his will. Then again, how could the one murdered embrace them? Myungsoo was born out of wedlock. “The bastard,” his step-father would call him.

Five days prior, his mother got into a car accident and has been in a coma since. The doctors relayed that she had passed the worst stages. But authorities speculated that she hadn’t and that she was at fault for the so-called “accident”. And if she wakes up, she will face jail time. However, what’s more, important than seeing her locked up, again, was a simple fact that Myungsoo already knew. No one else but she was to blame. And because he knew this, he also was aware that she would never wake up again.

Before the incident, he received a voicemail from her, sobbing and outraged. “Since you and that dead jerk don’t like me, I’m going to kill myself. Don’t try to find me; you said it yourself that even if one day I disappear you won’t look for me. So live well with that brat you only pay attention to and like. Keep in mind how you have treated me and remember this whether I live or die, you and that will never have my blessing!” then she hung up.

More than not, his mother was like a bitter ex who clung to him just because she could. Her unhealthy lifestyle, poor choices, and twisted personality made him sick.

But who was he to judge when he had inherited some of those flaws and practices?

“Guys! Myungsoo, your mom is alive!” Sungjong blurted. Looking over, they see slow hand motions and hear soft moans.

There was no way. Myungsoo made sure to pull her plug and watch her take her last breath just earlier. Hastily Sungyeol pulls his stickly long body up as he squats near the woman’s head. “Hang on Ms. Kim!” He shouts while ripping open the thick sheets. But when her pupil-less orbs drew him in and swallowed him, her outstretched arms fully wrapped the back of his head. The lad screams as she hauls him down and is more than ready to bite a chunk of his face off.

However, Myungsoo, who is quicker, grabs a hold of her covered leg before yanking her into the pit with him. Sungyeol, who slightly got dragged from the force, finds himself hanging over the edge. His face beet red from the sudden cut of oxygen.

Inside, Myungsoo rams his shovel into the back of the woman’s head. Ultimately killing her.

Sungjong repels when the sight and sound disturb him.

Sungyeol shivers as he attempts to compose himself, “Myung-Myungsoo,” his voice is weak and he appears unwell. “Wh-what was that? Your-your mother, d-did she gets bit?”

Myungsoo is impressed by his ability to produce coherent words, after all, he is known for freezing under heart-racing circumstances. “Aren’t you the zombie freak? Isn’t it obvious that this is airborne?”

There is a fine reason why Myungsoo sought out Sungyeol after the breaking headlines. Among their group of friends, Sungyeol often warned them of the possible occurring eruption if the human race continued to foster the idea of mixing and matching unnatural chemicals. And although it emanated from a hobby, Myungsoo believed Sungyeol held life-saving information he was more than inclined to share.

When they ended up really burying the two lifeless bodies together, the sun that had been beating down on them had them soaked in sweat. Sungjong unwraps another lemon lollipop before slipping it into his mouth, then he eyes an envious Sungyeol. “Just how many of those did you steal?”

The younger shrugs nonchalantly before frowning, “Steal? Correction, I took them. It was my store. Plus these things don’t sell well anyway so I had boxes of them stored in the back. Who knew right? That one day they’ll come in handy-dandy,”

As if to pick up their vile banter from before, the older retorts, “Handy dandy, God you sure is rhyming today. If only you were that good in doing other things too,”

Before Sungjong can snap back, the horns of a midnight Hyundai rob them of their attention. They watch in earnest as the window to the driver’s side rolls down reasonably, revealing a subtle, pretty face masked behind a sunglasses.

“Oh, Seulyi!” Sungyeol waves enthusiastically.

“Done yet? Let’s move,” she hollers before focusing on one of the men, “Myungsoo, I brought what you asked for,” she states before showing him a rolled up paper.

He nods, carries his shovel over one shoulder, then strides over casually. “Let me see,” he says and the moment he reaches out a hand, she meets him halfway. Myungsoo places the tool on the ground as he unravels the paper, leans against one of the doors to the backseat, and examines the contents. He hums, “Well done. Sungyeol should be able to read this,” he tucks the paper under his pit then locks gazes with her.

The lass’s sparkling eyes made him smile inside. “Are you okay?” She asks, forging confusion in his pale face.

He his head to her question, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well,” she begins carefully, “you did just bury your mother,”

The latter expressed no emotions briefly before detaching himself when Sungyeol and Sungjong force their way into the back of the vehicle. Gently, Myungsoo the bridge of her nose before whispering, “Don’t worry. I’m okay,” when he shows her his dimple, she can’t help but smile warmly.

“I’m glad,”

In the spacious car, Myungsoo studies the vacant streets from shotgun seat. Despite it being a brisk Autumn day, each block housed some kind of mystery and eeriness. Beside him, Seulyi is careful with her driving. Normally she speeds for the thrill of it, but this time it is different. They had to crawl through a maze of cars and she couldn’t crash her favorite and last car. Especially when it was her eighteenth birthday present from Myungsoo.

Finally, the noiseless ride ends when Sungyeol, who has been studying the map speaks, “I say we avoid the main course and stay on the smaller routes. It will take longer to get to Busan but at least we’ll avoid masses of them all at once,”

His seating partner pulls the candy out of his mouth, “Really? Are you sure you were a taxi driver before everything went down?”

Sungyeol rolls his eyes, “Lee Sungjong. Did you forget? Who was it that used to give you rides when you were out late and drunk because of stress? If you’re against my idea then we’ll hear yours,”

The lad clicks his tongue, “Maybe you forgot. But over the radio, they say that the US military group in Daegu has and was securing an entry passageway from the main road.  It’s safer just to take the big road. Who knows, maybe they’ve already gotten rid of the masses,”

“And since you missed the backstory, allow me to fill you in. That message was released only hours after the outbreak and we have yet to hear an update. It will be wise for anybody to dismiss the recorded message and think accordingly to the situation they are in,”

“And what makes you so positive that the military team had failed to clear a way for survivors?”

“An armed force will only draw those things in, even if the location is heavily guarded and monitored. Face it. If in between you and the force are hundreds of those walking dead things, you wouldn’t risk your life to get to the controlled area. Even if the operating squad outnumbered those things in bullets if they miss the head or has to reload you’re as good as fresh meat,”

As Sungyeol rambles on, Seulyi peeks over to Myungsoo swiftly.

He may have been her boyfriend for five years now, but she feels like she hardly knows him - or at least exactly what is on his mind. Sometimes he is predictable. Other times, he is a completely different person. “Why does it matter? We have a car,” Seulyi inserts herself into the squabble.

“You can’t be serious Seulyi,” Sungyeol voices in disappointment, “If an animal can cause a dent to just about anything but a truck, I doubt your 2011 Hyundai can ram three zombies in a row without half of its front smashed in,”

The woman scoffs at his nerdy comment. “Well, you know the call is Myungsoo’s, right?”

Loudly Sungyeol sneers, “I’m not worried. He and I see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, Miss Kang,” Sungyeol rests a hand on Myungsoo’s seat, “Aren’t I right, Myungsoo?”

To their surprise, the center of attention insists otherwise, “Let’s not go there,” - silence - “Avoiding sanctuaries may give us a better chance more than anything else,”

Seulyi parks the car. “What? Why?”

This time Sungyeol reaches pass the seat and smacks Myungsoo on the shoulder, “Why do you think so? How will the four of us in comparison have a better chance than say the hundreds or thousands of us?”

Sungjong chimes in abruptly, “He’s right. Besides, if the army is there then so are weapons. We’ll be protected there versus out here,”

“He’s not wrong,” Sungyeol adds before pointing out, “And if you won’t go there, then where else could you really go? Our neighboring countries has sealed off the borders. There’s nowhere else but the promised home in Busan,”

When Myungsoo became silent, Seulyi studied him carefully. She tried to read any hint within the cold stare or motionless. When she got nothing, the woman clicked her tongue before saying, “We won’t go to Busan then,” she announces, “but we need a place to sleep before it gets dark and we’re confined out here. Did you have a place in mind?”

Finally, Myungsoo reassures the rest that he’s still cooperative and hums. “Back at the cemetery,”

Sungyeol and Sungjong’s jaws drop in unison.

When Myungsoo got out of the car to close the gate behind them, Seulyi watched out for him through the rear mirrors. Meanwhile, in the backseat, a clearly upset Sungyeol indulged in mutism with his arms crossed and Sungjong who lost his appetite, stared at the candy in his hand.

Once a chain was used to lock the gate, Myungsoo turned about and noticed a zombie striding in their direction. It was still far and he could only imagine it had slipped in through the broken fence near the back.

Witnessing the same scene, Seulyi rolled down her window. “Myungsoo,” she calls.

“I know,” he replies calmly.

Seulyi glances out the round, only window from the second floor and examines the three men at work in the front yard. Particularly, Kim Myungsoo. Her lonely gaze didn’t last long when he looked up and briefly smiled at her. She does the same while trying to avoid any anxious bad, negative thoughts.

The gravesite is Myungsoo’s workplace and he was very familiar with the place pros and cons, however, she cannot comprehend why he would want to go back there. At first, she imagined it being because of his deceased mother, but when Myungsoo spares the hill she was bury at no attention, she thought it has to do with him resorting back to his anti-social, lone-wolf days.

Before they made it official, Myungsoo had a habit of not trusting others. He believed they only approach him for either his looks or possible inheritance, because no one else wanted to know more about his past: “where did you get your good looks from”, “it’s not plastic surgery right”, “is your stepdad giving you a car for your sixteenth birthday”, “will you get his spa in Jeju as an early birthday present”?

And to ask these questions when he isn’t close to his stepfather and when his mother tried to have the older assassinated, he found it insulting. Why did he have to receive anything from anyone who rejects him? Why did he have to be quiet and just take it when they blamed him and his mother for killing the man for his wealth? Why did he have to visit her when she first went to jail and he was put in an orphanage home for three years before he turned 18? Why did he have to pick her up at the prison’s front entrance a decade later because she was on ‘good behavior’ only for her to disapprove his one and only relationship, then tried to have herself and a family of four perished in an accident?

Yet, “You can’t blame yourself,” were the exact - regularly used - words of Seulyi when Myungsoo thought he had to cry himself to sleep, again.

Seulyi waves at Myungsoo and waits for him to return the gesture. But the man is quickly stolen by a jaded Sungjong. “I suppose we’ll keep a lookout and come up with a list of necessities and any stores nearby that may be safe enough to break into, however,” Sungjong pauses to bite his bottom lip as he draws the two in, “if anything happens to one of us, promise me, you won’t stop us from going to Busan,”

Before Myungsoo can give an answer, Sungyeol playfully brushes the shorter’s shoulder. “Don’t say that. The four of us will make it even if we won’t be joining the rest in Busan. Like Seulyi said, think positive,”

Sungjong sighs after rolling his eyes, “I’m surprised you’re so calm. Aren’t you worried about the conditions and location of your younger brother and aunt?”

A brief smile crosses the tallest face as he replies in a small voice, “I already know. They didn’t make it,”

Myungsoo and Sungyeol can tell the youngest felt guilty for asking so bluntly before he stutteringly suggests, “Well, then you two should get going. Didn’t you say the back fence needs some work, Myungsoo? Seulyi and I will make sure to stay inside so we won’t be spotted so don’t worry and just do what you need to do,” without waiting for their responses, he folded his arms and went in. As he shuts the door behind him, Myungsoo gazes up at the window again.

But no one special is longer looking down to him.

Seulyi was making her way downstairs when she exchange looks with the blondie. As she halts at the bottom of the steps, Sungjong wanders his way into the tiny kitchen. Going through the cabinets, he gathers whatever left that was edible - anything overdue is push to the side for the time being. “Myungsoo wants us to come up with a list of what we’ll need from now on and possible nearby places we can scout through later - and he said places with no people,” Sungjong wore a loosen glare as he organizes the can food he discovered. “This house gets its water from a well that might last us three months if we use it wisely. And as you know, only his super dead boss lived here so there are no women’s clothes. Myungsoo said there was a lost and found in the shelter that he will bring you to later. But before we get started, I want to ask you something,”

For some reason - even though Sungyeol and Sungjong constantly bicker and declare themselves frenemies - Seulyi finds herself more at odds with the blondie. Perhaps it had to do with his mutual relationship with Myungsoo through Sungyeol or the chilly look in his eyes when he constantly observed Seulyi from head to toe.

Growing up, Seulyi may be the most outgoing, confident, and cheerful person she herself knows but Sungjong’s presence made her stiff and not herself. She had no clue when her tip-toeing around the male started but it felt like forever. And the sweet tooth wasn’t exactly as sweet as the candies he consumed on an hourly.

“Yes..?”

And what’s scarier about him, was that Seulyi can’t seem to find the courage to bring it up to Myungsoo. She is afraid, Sungjong is more than capable of hurting just about anyone.

“I made a deal with the guys. If anything happens to one of us, then the rest of us will go to Busan no questions asked. However,” a pause as the corner of his lips curled up, “would either one of you leave the other one behind?”

Seulyi tries not to shiver, “Why?”

At her question, the man picks up one of the expired can food and simply beam at it. “The dead. They are like these cans. Overdue. Moldy. Toxic. But among them are some who are still very much alive,” She felt it. Always has. Something was satanic about Sungjong. No doubt about it.

He sighs, “They are the poor and lost souls,” doing her best not to stumble; she knows where the conversation is headed. “Maybe you’ve noticed it too? That one of them is here with us and his reason for coming back here isn’t exactly for our sake, but his,”

It was hard to believe that despite being in the same orphanage for three years, Sungjong and Myungsoo only spoke when Sungyeol introduced them in college. Yet, Sungjong knew about Myungsoo’s depression like the back of his hand. At least Seulyi is certain he does and is aware of the severity of it back then.

Seulyi knows Myungsoo hates talking about his past and especially his disorder. And she hates it that someone like Sungjong was throwing Myungsoo’s weakness around like it is some kind of joke - or a game of hot potato. “And yet, here you are, listening to Myungsoo who you say is a poor and a lost soul,” Seulyi had no intention of pissing Sungjong off, but he asked for it. “If he is either one of what you say he is, then what are you?”

The end of Sungjong’s lips twitch as the stare in his gaze sharpens, “Little girl,” he spits, “watch what you say. Out there are the dead. But in here, there’s me. And I warn you, I can be scarier and deadlier than those things out there. So don’t test me,” Seulyi isn’t certain of Sungjong’s capabilities, but his last statement reassures her that he isn’t one to be reckoned with, “I can make your death look like an attack,”

Luckily for Seulyi, Sungjong stomping out from the kitchen abruptly brings their uncomfortable conversation to an end. He slams his shoulder into hers as he makes a turn around the staircase and into the restroom - slamming the door behind him - Seulyi exhales slowly to calm her nerves and racing heart.

Sungyeol steadily holds the wood panel down as Myungsoo hammers it from the top as quickly and quietly as he possibly can. Glancing around, Sungyeol monitors their surroundings. “You never gave us - me - an answer why you wanted to come here instead of you-know-where,”

With beads of sweat trickling down Myungsoo’s forehead and neck, he heaves a worrisome sigh but does not stop working. “Where there are regulations, conflict will arise and familiar faces will be separated,” finally he stops hammering when Sungyeol releases the panel.

“Myungsoo, I know you don’t like people any more than I do but you can’t let your trust issues get the best out of you. If you really care about Seulyi, let’s go to that place. She will be safer there. Even if we must pull the weights of others to meet our survival needs, we have to do it. It can’t be just the four of us here. We won’t last. Once people discover that we’ve secured this small place, they’ll flood in. Then even Seulyi, you, me, and that Sungjong won’t be safe,” Sungyeol thought he is speaking volume when the chilly look in Myungsoo’s eyes changed into something softer.

But Myungsoo shut him down instantly, “I don’t want to live under any more rules and be apart from Seulyi. If they come, I’ll bury them here,” the man picks up his hammer and begins battering again.

Once they finished repairing the fence, Myungsoo showed Sungyeol to the shed behind the house.

Inside, the taller one coughs as dust invades his airways. Meanwhile, Myungsoo set his tool down on the wooden table made to weld metal and unlock the steel toolbox sitting at one of its corners. Inside he draws out two hatchets, screwdrivers, and other similar instruments.

Carefully, Sungyeol approaches him from the side with a foolish look on his face. “Don’t tell me. You’re going to make us carry those silly things?”

“If you’re not confident yet, will a hatchet be doable for you? Or do you prefer something lighter like this wrench?”

Sungyeol sighs, “Really? That’s too short for me. I prefer range and distance between me and them,” scanning around quickly, Sungyeol brighten up when he notices a tall bag leaning against the wall. Walking over, Sungyeol hauls out a golf club the length as his legs. He nods to himself but didn’t smile until he broke the head off it by striking it repeatedly against the rod. “This is it, my weapon,” Alas he holds the club up to show Myungsoo, “What do you think? I think there are enough clubs here for all of us to carry our own,”

Refusing to comment, Myungsoo waits for Sungyeol to meet gazes with him before holding out the grip of a hammer to him. “Still, it’s best to carry a more impactful substitute too,”

The other takes the hammer from him and slide it in between his waist and pants. “Fine,” he pats its side, “Now, when are we going to go out and gather materials? I’m sure they’re done with that list,”

Myungsoo nods and before he can take a step toward the only exit, the sluggish passing of a zombie trap him and Sungyeol in their stance.

“Wh-what on Earth was that?” Sungyeol asks in a horrified whisper. When either one of the men thought about hiding or shutting the door, a grayish arm begins feeling its way in through the open crack. Sungyeol freezes as Myungsoo takes the initiative to move forward and silently waiting for the right moment to shut the door.

He knows he can’t be rash since the number of zombies roaming just opposite of their only way out is still unknown. So with patience, he clutches the hatchet in hand. Ready to strike down his second kill.

Seulyi presses her healthy slim body against the door with all that she’s got and flinches to every vivid pound and moan. Facing forward, Seulyi studies the small hook that her car key used to hang from. With it holding nothing, Seulyi is afraid she is alone. “Myungsoo,” she mumbles. “I’m here,”

Sungyeol shivers at the bloody mess in the name of Myungsoo - with the golf club clench close to him. Myungsoo straightens himself out as he retracts his ax from the temple of a motionless zombie. Then he glances over to the front door; left wide open. He feels like breaking down but he knows he can’t. Seulyi’s car was gone and the gates were rammed down.

Seulyi couldn’t have left him. She wouldn’t have.

With that possibility burning through his skull, Myungsoo walks up the squeaky steps. Hoping Seulyi will be in the house smiling and welcoming him back.

Except it was empty.

“Seulyi!”

Myungsoo waited for a sound. After what seemed like an eternity, he sees a feminine figure standing at the top of the staircase, panting. A wave of relief washed over them both as Seulyi bolts down the stairs and leap into Myungsoo’s sore arms. Seulyi buries her face against Myungsoo’s chest as the latter keeps her warm. Catching their breath and hugging one another as hard as they could, Seulyi didn’t mind the rotten smell that was lingering onto and around her boyfriend.

Myungsoo planted a kiss on the crown of Seulyi’s head. His racing heart can’t seem to stop at the thought of losing her. Perhaps if he ever has to leave her side again, it will be best if there were more people around, he compromises.

Their reunion was cut short when they heard Sungyeol calling to them.

“Uh...guys! Guys get out of there!”

With their arms still locked around each other, they were astonished to see Seulyi’s car speeding their way. “Take cover!” They hear Sungyeol’s warning. In a heartbeat, Myungsoo spontaneously switched places with Seulyi, turned her around, and used himself as a shield to block her. While Seulyi was in a faze, the next thing she heard was the sound of crumbling bricks and a dying engine.

When the sound subsided, she opened her eyes to a cloud of smoke made from the dust and rock particles. On the other side of the house, they heard stomping.

“Myungsoo!” Sungyeol appeared at the halfway entrance after one side of the door was rammed down, as he coughed and cleared the way with big waving motions. “Myungsoo! Are you guys okay!”

“Ye-yeah,” Myungsoo answered before he checked on Seulyi. He was relieved when she coughed a couple of times to clear her airway. But before they could catch a break, they heard their friend’s voice.

“Quit wasting time here. Busan is waiting for us!”

Standing on the porch, they glared down an unapologetic Sungjong. With one hand pocketed, Seulyi thought to herself that he was indeed a bad guy. The blonde took out a lemon lollipop from his pocket, unwraps it, and pops it into his mouth. Aware of what he has done, Sungyeol was the first to attack him.

“Hey, Lee Sungjong! Was it you? The one who let these things in! And why did you tried to kill us with Seulyi’s car? Huh!” Sungyeol put all of his weight on each step he took down the stairs. Annoyed and betrayed, every fiber in Sungyeol was ready to hurt the pretty man but he simply stopped Sungyeol with an oblivious comment.

“Pl-uh-ease, they are hardly scratched. I made sure not to get the stairs in case she had no way of getting down,”

Sungyeol blinked, speechless.

Meanwhile, Seulyi who has been observing Myungsoo knew he was like a bomb waiting to go off. Sungjong was walking on thin ice and Seulyi was silently hoping Sungjong would notice it.

“You’ve got the guts,” Sungyeol hissed. “Myungsoo clearly said to make a list, not run down our only house with our only car!”

“Why do you care? You were against staying here too,”

As mad as he was, Sungyeol calmed down a notch when the other was right. Then quickly, he risked his friendship with Myungsoo when he turned to face the couple, “Myungsoo...can’t we go to Busan..?”  

Myungsoo swallowed, though his throat was dried from the pent-up frustrations, and looked over to the unrepairable vehicle.

“Myungsoo, let’s go there first and if you don’t like it, we’ll leave,” this time Seulyi chimed in, her hand in his. The place was never important to her as long as he is always with her, always touching her. However, after Sungjong came out and reveal his deep, sinister thoughts Seulyi couldn’t help but thought Busan wouldn’t be so bad. At least it won’t only be the four of them all the time.

A deep sigh escaped Myungsoo’s cracked lips then he looked into Seulyi’s eyes. The same set of eyes he will recognize and remember out of seven billion, “Will it make you happy if we go?”

Anything to avoid the blonde’s daggering glares.

“Yes,”

Having no form of transportation was the least of their worries when Sungjong refused to get his hands dirty, again, and Sungyeol being jumpy as usual - flinching to every sound he heard near or far. Along with Seulyi who clung onto Myungsoo because she had a severe case of nyctalopia - night blindness. Therefore, the safety of the whole group was left in the care and hands of Myungsoo. Who knew that a cemetery manager would end up

Before setting foot back into the big city, the group stopped when every one of them could smell death; the night breeze was strong.

“How much longer are we going to lurk around in the freakin’ dark!” Sungyeol unhappily snapped.

Seulyi thought about keeping quiet on the matter but it felt suffocating to hold it in any longer, “Well, if my car was still in its working state we wouldn’t have to walk to the city in the dark,”

They heard Sungjong scoffed but in front of Myungsoo, Sungjong knew better than to keep quiet. After all, Myungsoo may be his only hope to get to Busan alive.

“Seriously. I don’t think I would have hated you more if you just took the car and leave us behind. Why did you have to run the place down too?” Sungyeol’s question gained Sungjong’s elbow to his side. “Ah!”

Sungjong hissed, “Shut up. Those things will hear you—”

“Shh,” Myungsoo shushed them before stopping in his tracks. The trio copied him before they followed his gaze. In the night, they witnessed a number of silhouettes wobbling their direction. It didn’t take them long to know what they were and luckily for them, the zombies haven’t noticed their presence. Close by, Myungsoo noticed an abandoned, broken down car that was left in the grassy area for display. Quickly, he gestured toward it and whispered, “Get in there and don’t make any noise—” right when he was about to finish, one of the dead moaned and charged forward when it heard them. “Go!” Myungsoo demanded.

Sungjong was the quickest he has ever been on his feet when he sprinted toward the motionless vehicle. Meanwhile, Sungyeol grabbed Seulyi by the arm before hauling her after him. He thought he was leading both Seulyi and Myungsoo toward the car, but when Seulyi suddenly let out a cry, he turned his head and noticed Myungsoo wasn’t with them.

“Myungsoo!” Sungyeol called but at he could see was that the zombie was already on top of Myungsoo and the male was trying to keep it off of him. “Myungsoo hold on!”

“J-just go! Take Seulyi and run!” Myungsoo demanded.

“No! I’ll help you Myungsoo—” quickly Sungyeol pulled Seulyi toward him when another zombie tried to grab onto her.

As much as he hated to admit it, it was too late for Myungsoo. Sungyeol bit back his tears as he used all of his strength to drag Seulyi, who was a mess, after him. They hurried to the vehicle where Sungjong had been screaming for them to ‘run’ and ‘come over’. Sungyeol pushed Seulyi into the backseat with Sungjong before he got in and shut the door.

Helpless, Sungjong watched as the mob gathered around Myungsoo. Meanwhile, Sungyeol had his back to the whole scene as he tried to hold down a wailing Seulyi. “Myungsoo! Help him! Help my Myungsoo!” Sungyeol snatched onto both of Seulyi’s wrists.

“Seulyi! Seulyi calm down!”

“What’s wrong with her?” Sungjong asked, nonchalant.

Sungyeol glared at the blonde, “Shut up,”

The other rolled his eyes and sighed, “So dramatic,”

Somehow, despite the scene that unfolded before them, Sungjong slept fine. Seulyi, too, has fallen victim to slumber after she bawled her eyes out and dried out . Sungyeol, who was the only one who couldn’t sleep, stared at the now empty road. Except it wasn’t necessarily vacant.

A body lies there.

He exhaled heavily, waking the light sleeper Sungjong.

The younger who had slept with his arms folded over his chest yawns, “You’re up already?”

Just his voice alone pissed Sungyeol off. It was Sungjong’s fault Myungsoo was gone.

“Shut the up. Do you have any idea what the you’ve done?” The taller clearly was trying to suppress his voice and anger since Seulyi was still asleep, but all he was starting to see was the color red. Mentally, he wanted to run his golf club through Sungjong’s skull though knowing he didn’t have the guts and brainpower to really do it.

“What the did I do?” Sungjong barked, seemingly offended.

“What do you mean what the did you do?”

“Yeah, what the did I do? I did us all a favor so why the are you getting mad at me!”

Sungyeol clutched onto the club in his hand, “You bastard! Who’s fault is it that Myungsoo is dead? Get a ing clue already! You did no one but yourself a favor!”

Eyes gaped, Sungjong scoffed, “Who the said Myungsoo is dead?”

Sungyeol was speechless so he left it for Seulyi who had just woken up to ask, “Where is he then? Where is Myungsoo?”

The blonde gestured toward a tree across the road from them with a nod of his head, “I saw him go behind that tree. It was dark but I’m sure I saw him climbed it. The zombies wouldn’t be able to get him—”

“You’re positive he’s alright, right?” Sungyeol pushed.

Sungjong nodded, “Sure, why?”

In front of Seulyi, afraid of how she’d react, Sungyeol wanted to hold back but at the same time, he needed reassurance, “Because earlier...I saw one go behind that tree,”

Seulyi’s eyes widened, “What?”

“That can’t be because…,” suddenly unsure Sungjong questioned, “wasn’t Myungsoo hiding there?”

Sungyeol couldn’t take it anymore so he unlocked the door and got out first. “Myungsoo!” He desperately cried out before running toward the road and across the road. Seulyi and Sungjong ran after him. Each of them sweating and exhausted with worries.

When Sungyeol saw Myungsoo sitting on the ground with his back to the tree, his eyes barely opened and blue, the tallest covered his mouth with a hand. “...no,” he breathed.

Seulyi froze up when she saw Myungsoo. He was breathing but hardly. Tears welled up in her eyes as she dropped to her knees beside him and wrapped her arms around him. “It’s not true, you can’t leave me,” she mumbled over and over again.

Shifting his eyes, afraid he would be blamed, drowning in guilt and regret, Sungjong turned his back to his friends.

Slowly but surely, Myungsoo had enough muscle in him to give Seulyi a short-lived pat. “Seul...yi,” his voice was bleak and he shivered a little. “I’m...sorry,”

The lass shook her head, “Don’t be sorry. You’ll be fine. You’re my Myungsoo. You won’t leave me alone,”

A soft cough escaped Myungsoo’s lips, “Seul...yi, I’m sorry,”

Sungyeol looked away when the exposed bite on Myungsoo’s shoulder was unbearable.

Seulyi tightened her grip on Myungsoo’s clothes when she felt him shiver. “You can’t be cold Myungsoo, I won’t let you, I’ll keep you warm,” Seulyi moved closer to Myungsoo before she began puffing out warm breaths to the side of his pale face. Even with tears streaming down her face, she refused to stop.

Gently, Sungyeol pressed a hand on Seulyi’s shoulder as he kneels close to the couple, “That’s enough, Seulyi,”

She didn’t respond and instead continued to blow.

“There are survivors over there!”

Sungyeol and Sungjong’s heads popped up when they heard an unfamiliar voice.

Unbeknownst to them, a group of three men approached them. One in a white coat, a doctor they presumed, and two men in cameo wear. The two soldiers had guns and knives strapped around their waists and chests as they approached Myungsoo’s group.

When Sungyeol stood up and Sungjong greeted them, one of the soldiers said. “I’m glad our trip wasn’t in vain. We’ve finally found you folks and we’re glad you all seem safe,”

“Except not all of them,” the man in the long white coat said as he walked around Sungyeol and squatted next to Myungsoo, opposite of Seulyi. The lass has stopped blowing when she heard them approach. “It’s alright. I am a doctor and I have the cure with me,” Seulyi, who was too stunned to speak, watched as the stranger with squinty eyes placed a kit box on the ground. He opened it up and inside were glass bottles of some blue and white liquid with a few needles. “How long has he been bitten?” the doctor asked.

When the man received no answer from Seulyi, he turned to Sungyeol.

“Last night...after sunset,” he guessed. Sungyeol could only assume Myungsoo got bit when the zombie first got on top of him, then he somehow managed to kill it and escape to and behind the tree for cover.

“I need an estimated time to be certain about the amount of cure I should inject in him,”

“Less than six hours,” Sungjong answered.

The man nodded before he got to work. And while he worked, he explained, “The cure will hinder the bacteria and virus dispersing through his body. It’ll also redeem his blood cells and with lots of rest, food, and water he will recover from this. Also, he will be medicated for a few days at the main base before he can fully return to his healthy state,”

“You mean, you guys have found the cure?” Sungyeol asked. Now that they know Myungsoo would live, Sungyeol could finally relaxed and seek out the answers he has been dying to know.

The doctor pulled the needle out from Myungsoo’s shoulder before he hummed, “After the outbreak, every scientist who made it was gathered at a lab to find the cure. For three nights and four days, they finally created this epitome. It’s not exactly 100% guarantee but with time it proves to be 99.99%,” the male smiled.

Sungyeol nodded, impressed.

“No,” Myungsoo’s voice gained everyone’s attention. “Leave me here,”

The doctor frowned, “We can’t do that. If you’re not monitored and doesn’t have the medicine to help the cure fight off the virus, I’m afraid you won’t live long to see tomorrow,”

Myungsoo tried to keep his heavy lids open, “I...I want to sleep. Forever,”

This time Seulyi grabbed his sleeves, “Myungsoo, don’t say that. Didn’t you hear what he said? He said you can live and become healthy again,” the desperation in her eyes made Myungsoo’s heart ached, but he couldn’t give up.

“Not this world, Seulyi. Maybe in another world, I would live forever with you,” Myungsoo took a deep breath. It was hard for him to talk although he could feel his body getting better. He was no longer shaking from being cold and there was some color in his face. “But not this world,”

Seulyi was hurt. Betrayed even. “...why not?”

A weak smile was drawn on his face, “Sleep, even with you in bed with me. Even when your hand is in mine, under the warm covers you chose because you liked the heart emoticon on it. Sleep just isn’t sleep anymore. I don’t want to gamble even before I go to bed. Whether I will have sweet dreams or nightmares. I don’t want to wake up, sweating bullets, scared that I’ve been abandoned or alone. I don’t want to sleep the kind of sleep where I’ll wake up to face the new day. I want the kind of eternal escape sleep,”

Seulyi shook her head, “You can’t. The kind of sleep you want won’t make anyone happy,”

Myungsoo brought a hand up to Seulyi’s cheek, where he wiped her already-dry trail of tears, “Don’t wander alone at night. Have someone go with you if it’s too dark. When you cook, don’t forget to use the timer so you won’t burn your food. When you sleep, tuck the blanket under you so you won’t end up kicking it off the bed. Also—”

Seulyi slapped his hand away. “Why are you being so cruel? Don’t nag me when you don’t want to live with me. If you wanted to break up, you should have said that. Why would you use the lame excuse that you’d want to sleep forever!”

Silence ate at the moment for a second before one of the soldiers spoke, “We don’t have much time. Soon, our ride will be here to retrieve us. We have enough room for all four of you so—”

“I said to leave me,” Myungsoo stated. He locked gazes with Seulyi still as he adjusted his position, “You’ll only be wasting resources if you take me with you,”

Seulyi tightened her jaw, “Are you being serious?” she asked, her voice was low but upset. “If you won’t go then I won’t either,”

“You’re going to have to,” Myungsoo voiced, “think about our baby,”

Sungyeol and Sungjong’s jaws dropped. “Baby?” they asked in unison before giving one another dirty, mean looks.

“You should too,” when Myungsoo didn’t answer, she pushed on, “was this your idea? How could you—! You’re going to die now after you—” Seulyi exhaled heavily. “Do you have any idea how it felt when I thought you were gone? Then when Sungjong said he saw you behind the tree, I felt a little relief. But with that little relief...you just stomped all over it,”

Myungsoo avoided eye contact before answering, “Every time I buried or watch someone being bury, I always thought about how it would be if either one of us had to bury the other first. Those bad thoughts become nightmares and those nightmares constantly sit in the back of my head and haunt me.” Myungsoo had started to slur his words and spoke at a sluggish pace, “The dead are dead. They don’t dream and they aren’t haunted. So...for a long time I wanted to be like them. Dreamless and thoughtless,”

To Seulyi, Myungsoo was going down the wrong path. She’s convinced he needed a wake-up call so she intended to remain stubborn till the end, “Excuses again. I won’t let you have what you want. You know how hard headed I am, right?”

The male smiled softly, “Of course. It’s one of your charms,”

Before they could continue, they heard a truck approach. It stopped on the road beside them before the driver honked once and rolled down his window. “Sorry we’re rather late, looks like you guys found more survivors huh?”

“Yeah, I’ll open the back,” the same soldier who has been doing the talking so far said.

“Good. Alright then Woohyun!” the driver yelled.

“Soon the cure will start to wear off. We have to get him in the truck now if we want to make it to the base in time,” the doctor explained.

Sungyeol glanced toward Myungsoo and Seulyi before he turned to the doc, “How much time can you guys give us before we have to leave?”

The man pocketed his hands, “Three minutes. If you can convince him to join us, just call us over. There are more soldiers in the back who can help carry him over,”

Once the rest of them leave, Sungyeol heaved a sigh. “I’ll give you two some space,”

Thirty seconds go by without them talking. Finally, Myungsoo breaks the ice. “You know I had to. It was the only tiebreaker I could think of. I wanted to die but I can’t let you die with me. It would be a waste. I know how badly you wanted this child and I know you’d do anything for love but even more for our child,” Myungsoo caressed her cheek once again, “am I wrong?”

Seulyi could no longer hold back her tears of sorrow and frustration as she placed one hand over his on her face. She knew he never spoke a lot because he did more thinking, but now that she knew what was on his mind all along, it pained her more to know she was and wasn’t included in his present and future.

Looking into his cloudy eyes, she tried to calm down so she could properly talk to him. But it was no use. She was running out of time. She was going to lose him and it hurt so much as she cannot do anything for him.

So for the last minute and a half, Myungsoo pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her pain away until his lips were sore and frozen, and hers were pale and hot.

“Be happy, Kang Seulyi,”

A/N: Don't ask me what on earth did I write because I don't have an answer (or excuse) for you, not a good one at least. I'm sorry this took so long! One of my sisters love zombie stuff so I gave this to her to read, but then another sister got interested and she ended up editing my grammar and poor English. So if you noticed a lot of messy tenses then it's because she made some editing but because she took too long, I stopped her from finishing it... I wanted a happy ending for Seulyi and Myungsoo but at the same time, I wanted to depict Myungsoo's depressing character. Forgive me! Let me know how you like (or hate, "loathe entirely") the story Winny! Thank you again for requesting a zombieau fic! I love my zombie stuff too even though I'm super uneducated on the topic and how viruses and that sort of good stuff works. 

Word count: 8025