Jiyong shivered. It was cold. The light hurt his eyes even though they were closed. He pried them open, slowly adjusting to the light of day. What time was it? It had been a long time since he last thought about the time of day, it didn't really matter anymore. The only thing that mattered was whether it was night or day. But it was so bright. Usually he woke up at the break of dawn because of the cold, the sky colored faintly gray by the first rays of the new day. There was nothing faint about the blue clear sky above him. It had to be at least 9 or 10 o'clock he imagined.

He sat up, stretching to try and get his body to stop shivering. It was getting too cold these days. He didn't know how long he could keep sleeping outside. He had to find some place to stay or he would end up as a popsicle, prepped and ready to be some Infectee's dessert, a mouth watering delight. Did their mouths even water? Could they taste the blood as they ripped their victims apart? Jiyong didn't like to think about it.

Wait, he was alone. He had definitely not been alone last night. The memories came flooding back, it was as if it was somebody else's memories and yet he could still feel Youngbae's touch on his skin. An alternate universe. He wanted to leave this one for that universe, the fantasy land where they could actually be together. Where Youngbae wasn't an abomination, but a mystical creation. Wouldn't that be something. Then he wouldn't have to be alone again, then he wouldn't have to gnaw his teeth worrying whether this was the day he would be turned into one of them.

Jiyong gathered his stuff into his backpack. He was running low on food. He would have to find another food source sooner than later, but the farther he went, the fewer traces of human interference he came across. He used to think Korea was overcrowded with people, but now he found himself wishing that were more true. Apparently there was still wilderness left, empty abandoned wilderness that offered no comfort in the face of death.

He was trying to decide between a can of tuna or a can of sweet pear for breakfast, when he found himself missing Youngbae. The feeling of his touch was fading away and Jiyong yearned for more. He tried to shake it off, telling himself that this was for the best. The zombie had gotten what he was after and left without looking back. He was a zombie, zombies didn't have feelings. They only had primal needs. Apparently the need to rip someone's throat asunder wasn't the only primal need that they needed satisfied. Oh, and he had satisfied that need alright, Jiyong giggled to himself. Why wasn't he more freaked out about what had happened? He was becoming someone he didn't even recognize. A deranged refugee roaming the country, longing for some zombie love.

That term was ridiculous, zombie love. Zombies couldn't love, they didn't feel anything at all. Jiyong was only going off movies he had seen, which might not be the most reliable source. But if they were capable of feeling, how could they then participate in those awful massacres of innocent people? No, zombies with feelings were even worse. That would make their murdering so much more evil, unimaginable monstrosity. No, it was better if they weren't capable of feeling. But then last night was only Youngbae scratching an itch, nothing more. Jiyong didn't really understand why, but it made him slightly sad. He was getting too attached to their weird connection, too used to having him lurking around. But now he was gone. He would probably never see him again. Problem solved.

He finished the canned pears. He had needed something sweet to cheer him up, but as he had suspected, it wasn't enough to fill his empty stomach, let alone his empty heart. His eyes shot a glance at the can of tuna, but he knew he had to save it. His stomach grumbled as he stood up, this was going to be a long day.