“I saw an electronics shop on the floor below us” Jessica says, drying her eye with her sleeve. “I can charge my phone and see if my mom left any more messages on it.”

“Okay.”

They stroll down the escalators again, passing the pet store and the shoes section. Entering the electronics store, Naeun spots a phone charger hanging on the wall. She rips off the packaging and hands it to Sica. When the phone starts up, Sica notices that there is no reception on her device. “The cell phone towers must have stopped operating now.” She says. There’s new voicemail in her inbox, and she’s excited until she notices the sent date.

“What is it?” Naeun asks.

“I have two new voicemails… but they’re from yesterday morning, before my mom called about Krystal in the hospital.” Jessica says hastily. “How did I not see this?” Sica presses on the icon and plays the message.

The first one is from Sica’s mother. “Jessica, after we heard about the attacks going on in Southern Buyeo, we locked up the house and we’re headed to the Son’s underground cellar for shelter. Your father thinks I’m overreacting but I just want to be safe-”

“They’re in our basement? Smart thinking, it’s stocked with food.” Naeun interjected.

The message continued, “Also, Krystal called me. She said that someone was picking her up from Buyeo soon. So I’m sure your sister will be safe, hon. Don’t worry about her. Keep safe and look after Naeun.” The message on her phone ends.

“Somebody obviously didn’t pick her up from there.” Jessica says brusquely. Jessica plays the second message now.

“Hey unnie!” It’s Krystal, her voice sounds clear and airy. Jessica feels her soul clench. “I was dropped off by Jongin Oppa a few minutes ago in Buyeo. But after I heard about the disease and everything, I called and told him to turn around and get me out of here.”

“No…” Naeun says.

“So he’s coming back for me at this moment.” Krystal continues. “Anyways, just wanted to tell you I’m safe. The news reports are telling everyone to stock up with food in case the situation goes out of hand. I’m sure it’s nothing, but better safe than sorry. Talk to you later.” The message ends.

Sica’s eyes harden and fill with anger.

Naeun and Sica look at each other in disbelief. “K-Kai… left her there!??” Sica says in utter outrage. Thrown off kilter by animosity and a dizzy head, she drops her phone and goes towards the escalator.

“Unnie! Where you going?” Naeun runs after her.

“I’m going to murder him.” Jessica says, focusing straight ahead.

“Please, can we hear his side first before you kill a living person?” Naeun pleads.

“He’s dead to me already.” Jessica says. She goes to the sporting goods section and picks up a metal bat. Swinging it into various glass display cases and breaking them, she walks onto the escalator.

“Unnie! Stop!” Naeun knows Kai is on the third floor. She only has a matter of time to calm her down. But then the two hear a clamorous BOOM as a door swings open on the far side of the first floor. Sica snaps out of her daze.

“Oh my god” Sica gasps. “Those might be the biters.”

“Quick, we need to hide!” Naeun says. They hold hands as they run up to the second floor and crouch under some display shelves. Sica holds her baseball bat ready to strike. However, they hear muddled dialogue. These are living people. It sounds like there is more than one person. Four, maybe even five? The voices get clearer, the people are coming up the escalator. Naeun can distinguish their words now.

“God, the electricity actually works here!” A stringy female voice says. “Ow you , quit stepping on my toes.”

“Junghee,” a smooth male voice says. “Watch your mouth.”

Sica and Naeun can see the shadows the people approach. “Unnie, they’re not biters.” Naeun whispers. “We can get up now.”

“Wait.” Sica says. “We don’t know if these people are dangerous.”

Another voice of the faceless group says, “Wow, look at that fitness room, it probably has showers in it!” It’s another female voice, and it sounds very familiar.

“I think I’ve heard that voice before.” Naeun says in a hushed tone.

As the group walks past Naeun and Sica, one of the guys sees them.

“Noona, there’s people here!” The boy says. Sica and Naeun stand up, holding the baseball bat up. The group holds up guns to their faces. Sica takes a good look at them. There are four people in all, two girls and two guys.

One of the girls takes a good look at Jessica and suddenly lowers her gun. She’s petite and has smooth button nose. “Oh my god, Sica!!” It’s Min from Miss A.

“Min Young?! I can’t believe it!” Jessica’s face lights up like a hundred Christmas trees. They hug each other and jump around. Everyone lowers their weapons.

Naeun surveys the group. She sees a boy that looks thin and tall like uncooked spaghetti. A guy next to him is in his 20’s. He has cherry red hair that only Hallyu stars have…

“You’re Jinyoung from B1A4, aren’t you?” Naeun covers in surprise. She has rarely ever talked to anyone famous like this.

Jinyoung smiles and opens his mouth to speak, but spaghetti boy interrupts. “Wow, Son Naeun. I didn’t recognize you, you’re even hotter in person.” Naeun is slightly taken aback by his tone, and doesn’t know how to react to it. She feigns a smile and avoids eye contact.

Next to spaghetti boy is a girl with a short bob cut. She looks about 25, her eyes are unusually big, with prominent folds on her eyelids. Her nose is just a bit too thin and sharp. Although her face is small, the V line gracing her jaw line looks like it was cut away with a knife. Naeun and Jessica silently agree that this girl had a lot of work done.

Min turns to Naeun. “Hi, Naeun.” She says cheerfully. “I’m Lee Min Young.”

Naeun smiles and greets her back. Min says, “This is Junghee and Yoohan.” She points to bob girl and spaghetti boy. “They’re my in- law cousins. And this is Jinyoung Jung, he’s my close friend.”

She says to her own group, “And you all know who these two are. Jessica Jung and Son Naeun. Sica and I are good buddies.”

Junghee flips her hair and says, “You two might not know that me and Yoohan are related.”

‘Yeah, we thought you were a plastic doll’. Naeun thinks.

“I’m just the better looking one out of the family.” Jessica notices that Junghee is wearing 6 inch killer heels.‘She wear those during a zombie apocalypse?!’ she thinks.

Everybody shakes hands with each other. Min wraps an arm around Sica and says, “Well sister, we got a lot of catching up to do”.