Chapter 3: how many blue skies have there been?

 

Orchids and Irises

 

And then the world explodes, and everything falls to ruin.

 

 

 

 

Except for them.

 

—

 

Acacias

 

“Seulgi,” Irene says over the roaring of the engine as they speed over the landscape, and Seulgi grips the steering wheel tighter, her palms sweaty. It’s a race against the clock, with their destination currently unknown. They couldn’t have gotten far. “Seulgi!”

Seulgi shakes her head as Irene’s voice finally pierces through the veil, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Are you okay, Hyun?” Seulgi asks, her voice choked with emotion. No more, no more, no more—

“We’re going to make it,” Irene says with conviction, and she sounds so strong, so steady, that Seulgi wants to cry. She blinks back hot tears as Irene places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“We don’t know where they are,” the young leader whispers, but Irene shakes her head.

“Have faith, Seul,” she says, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees the older girl squeeze the radio held firmly in her right hand, as if willing for it to speak to her— anything, news about a location, a clue. “We’ll make it.”

And just like magic, the radio crackles to life, and Wendy’s voice rings out over the noise of tired over pavement.

“Seulgi, we haven’t checked the old warehouse,” Wendy says over the device. Her voice is pitched, desperate, and Seulgi gets the feeling that there’s something a bit deeper to Wendy’s distress; something that’s going unsaid, that can’t be identified. Like even Wendy can’t identify it, but it’s there. “We stopped patrolling that area a few weeks ago, after we thought we’d pillaged everything right? I-I think that’s where we need to be. We’re heading there now.”

“Good idea,” Seulgi manages to say back as Irene holds up the radio, when a third line cuts into the conversation.

“We’re already there.” It’s Eunae, whose voice washes over all of them like an angel descended from heaven. “Euijin, Minjae, NewSun, and I are scanning the perimeter in the Jeep, Seul, and there’s a hoard surrounding the warehouse. They smell something. This is the place we’re looking for.”

“Then that’s where we’re heading,” Seulgi grunts, like a weight has suddenly been lifted off her shoulders – only slightly though, since they still got two girls to save – and she shifts gears. Irene immediately grabs the side handles of the car. “Stay safe, Eunae. Don’t do anything dumb. I trust you, but still.”

The tall girl on the other end of the line chuckles. “Believe me, Seul, even if I did and survived, Nahyun wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.”

Irene snorts from her place beside Seulgi. “She better not, Eunae-yah.”

“Take care,” Seulgi says, and Eunae gives a word of finality before Irene hangs up and Seulgi swings the sports car right. “Ready to test this baby’s off-road capabilities, Hyun?”

“Does this thing have air bags?” Irene asks warily, and Seulgi is suddenly overcome with the urge to laugh. Leave it to Irene to make her feel better.

“It does,” she reassures her girlfriend, and then she’s shooting Irene her signature cheeky smile. Yeah, this feels a whole lot better. She revs the engine. “I also had the tires modified, so we should be all good.”

“Should.” Irene raises an incredulous eyebrow.

“Well, yeah.” Everything is lighter. “Y’know, Hyun, this is an example of—”

“Moral hazard,” Irene finishes like they’ve rehearsed it, complete with a swift eye roll. “In which people do stupid things because they’ve got insurance to back them up in case they fail. You and your economics concepts! Seul, people bungee jump because they’ve got health insurance. All we’ve got are airbags and your self-modified tires!”

“Are you doubting me?” Seulgi’s tone is teasing.

“...No. Let’s save some lives.”

 

—

 

Forget-Me-Nots

Wendy rides with Eunji and her team as they speed off to old warehouse, the tires of the Jeep rumbling against the cracked roads. The more ground they cover, the more intersections they pass, the harder her heart pounds. She can’t put her finger on it. It’s like there’s this tugging in her chest— tugging her in this direction, without a final location in sight.

She just prays that she doesn’t need all the medical equipment tucked away securely in her bag today.

Lifting her head, she meets Eunji’s gaze for a brief moment, giving a small nod before turning her attention to the pavement passing under them.

What am I looking for?

And there, in the sun, laying in the roadside dirt, it glints.

“Stop the car!” Wendy shouts, not even faltering when Chorong in the driver’s seat slams on the brakes.

 

—

 

Wisteria

Eunji doesn’t question Wendy as the smaller girl rushes out the back of the Jeep— Naeun pushes open the door without a word, understanding that the doctor must have her reasons.

Namjoo and Bomi poise their guns out the window, Hayoung opening the passenger door slightly, and Naeun remaining by the back door, all ready to protect Wendy in case any unwanted enemies show up without a moment’s notice. It stirs something in Eunji’s heart, seeing how ready her friends are to protect her girlfriend— they really have taken to Wendy in stride.

Eunji can’t pinpoint what’s got Wendy so worked up, but she knows better to question it; Wendy’s intuition has saved their asses on multiple occasions.

(And something tells Eunji that this somehow has to do with a best friend that Wendy had to leave behind back in her hometown.)

Only thirty seconds later, and Wendy’s already jumping back into the Jeep and plopping down into her seat, right next to Namjoo.

“I’m good,” the doctor calls breathlessly to Chorong, who nods and they’re off once more. From where Eunji’s seated across from Namjoo, the two girls share a look. Namjoo wordlessly gets up and they switch seats.
 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Eunji asks her girlfriend worriedly as she sits down next to Wendy. She reaches out, rubbing Wendy’s arms, up and down, feeling something plummet in her stomach as she runs her hands over goosebumps. “Wan…”

 

“I’m fine,” Wendy says, inhaling deeply. “I am, really. It’s just, Eunji… Oh, god, she’s here, Eunji.”

 

And Eunji’s eyes widen as Wendy extends her hand, opening the clenched fist to reveal an emerald embedded ring on a gold chain, much like the blue one Wendy still wore around her neck to this day.

 

(Eunji fleetingly wonders if she should be celebrating or cursing her on-point intuition.)

 

“Joy is here.”

 

—

 

Peonies

 

Irene jumps out of the sports car and prays. She makes a break for the crowd of zombies completely barricading their way to the old warehouse entrance, her trusty axe at her side, Seulgi right behind her.

 

“Cut straight through!” Seulgi yells over the commotion. She grabs Irene’s hand right at the edge of the crowd, pulling her to a halt. There’s a loud BOOM a little to their left, and Irene can hear the undeniable sound of someone lighting a flare— the other girls must’ve arrived. “Don’t look back, Hyun! You’re the fastest one of us, and you’ve got an advantage that the rest of us don’t.”

 

“You can count on me, Seul!”

 

“Just,” Seulgi gives her a heart-wrenching, lonely look, and Irene never wants to see it on Seulgi’s face ever again, “come back to me, okay? I trust you. I-I know that I said that I wanted no more deaths, but that means yours too. You mean the most to me, Hyun. Please, no matter what, come home.”

 

“I will,” Irene whispers. She’s not sure if Seulgi heard her over the noise, but from the resolute nod she receives in return, Irene assumes that it’ll have to do. She’ll make sure this isn’t her last conversation with her lover.

 

And then she’s tearing through the ranks, the blade of her axe shimmering with the pungent blood of the living dead under the heat of the midday sun, and she swings the weapon with a fury.

 

No stopping, only forward. Those two girls… she won’t let them become victims too.

 

For their sake, and hers, and Seulgi’s.

 

—

 

Orchids and Irises

 

It’s like she’s underwater; everything is just muted. There’s a faint knocking, a rumbling.

 

And then—

 

“JOY!”

 

Yeri screams just as Joy pulls the smaller girl to the ground, covering Yeri with her own body to protect her from the falling debris as the explosion rocks the room. The revolver sprawls to the dusty floor, off to some far corner of the room, but Joy couldn’t care less.

 

“What’s going on?!” Yeri cries, her knuckles turning white as she grips onto the older girl as tight as humanly possible. “Joy, what’s going on?!”

 

“We’re being saved,” Joy breathes, but then she’s grinning, and the short-haired girl’s eyes widen. “Shelter was wrong— We were wrong, Yerim. We’re not the only ones out here!”

 

And that’s when Yeri hears it— the shouts of other humans overpowering, drowning out the groans of the dead. Gunshots ring through the air outside, and through it all, they can hear the sound of hollow, soulless bodies hitting the dry terrain.

 

The door on the far wall that they’d spent a half-minute barricading earlier bursts open with a BANG! and Joy shields Yeri once again. However, there’s no surge of zombies into the room, just the sound of careful feet stepping around the wreckage, gingerly using a foot to cautiously move debris out of the way.

 

Joy forces herself to temporarily turn her attention away from Yeri, and finds herself meeting the warm gaze of a beautiful brunette, smiling shyly at the two of them, a hand extended to help them to their feet.

 

“Hello,” the girl greets them bashfully, and Yeri sticks her head out to gaze at the girl in wonder. “It looks like you two could use some help.”

 

She looks like an angel amidst all the chaos (Joy wouldn’t acknowledge the bloody axe in her grasp until much later.)

 

Joy can’t find the words to reply, so Yeri speaks for the both of them.

 

“Are we dead, unnie?” Yeri blurts out, and a wave of nostalgia washes over Joy as she remembers the first time she met the younger girl— are you going to kill me, unnie?

 

The beautiful girl laughs, the sound far too melodious for the obvious slaughter of zombies outside.

 

“No,” the girl giggles, like chiming bells. She helps them up, rising to stand on shaky feet. “Not quite.”

 

Suddenly, the room shakes with the sound of an explosion, and cheers can be heard from outside. Joy can’t help but grin at the racket. Yeri spots her smile and snorts, burying her face into Joy’s chest again, trying to muffle her laughter, though shaking shoulders give her away.

 

Then, a third voice cuts through the chaos.

 

“Irene! Did you find them?”

 

Joy’s eyes widen at the familiar voice.

 

“Wendy?!”

 

“Joy, oh my god!”

 

—

 

Acacias

 

“Light the bodies up, guys!” Seulgi shouts, scrunching her nose at the wretched smell permeating through the air. She carefully steps around a few carcasses, making her way over to where Eunae stands. “Quick! Before the stench clings to us. Other hoards might smell us, and that’ll be even more trouble. Eunae, I saw you get hurt earlier?”

 

“I’m fine, Seul,” Eunae grunts, wringing out her wrists. “It wasn’t inflicted, thank goodness. I just landed on my wrist after I got sent flying. I think it’s sprained… Nahyun’s still not going to be happy about needing to bandage it, but better than being bitten, yeah?”

 

“Definitely,” Seulgi says in relief, patting Eunae’s shoulder. The taller girl and Moonbyul have acted as Seulgi’s seconds-in-command this whole time, and Seulgi can’t imagine a world without two of her best friends in it. “We haven’t lost anyone, have we?”

 

“It doesn’t look like it,” Eunae replies, and it’s not the first time Seulgi’s had to do rescues, but it is the first of this scale. To have not lost anyone is relieving beyond belief. The payoff had been minimal— thank goodness for that. “I asked Minjae to do a check, and the only people unaccounted for are Irene and Wendy, since they went inside the building.”

 

“Have we heard anything from them?”

 

“Irene just radioed in!” Hwasa calls from where she sits with the portable hub radio. “She says—”

 

—

 

Orchids

 

Joy doesn’t let go of Yeri as she turns to face her ex-girlfriend and best friend. She hugs Yeri tight, but beams at Wendy, and the girl who she hadn’t seen for months seems to get it.

 

“You made it!” Wendy cheers, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, and Joy grins. The small girl taps the beautiful girl’s – Irene’s – arm excitedly. “Irene, this is Joy! The girl I told you about! Didn’t I tell you she was a badass? And you brought someone with you?”

 

“This is Yeri,” Joy introduces, pride in her voice as Yeri disentangles herself from their tight embrace to bow slightly and properly show her thanks to their saviors. “She’s my girlfriend.”

 

Yeri’s not one hundred percent sure that she’s not dead yet.

 

Wendy giggles, throwing her head back. “You’ve always had a thing for height differences, haven’t you?”

 

Joy pouts, immediately back hugging her girl, and what the hell is going on? Weren’t they just about to die five minutes ago? It’s odd, how naturally the conversation flows between them, like they hadn’t been separated for months on end. What’s even odder is how perfectly Yeri and Irene seem to fit in with this whole situation. But Joy isn’t really one to complain.

 

“My height difference with Yeri is much cuter, Wanda.”

 

“This is why we broke up,” Wendy says comically to Irene before winking at Yeri. The youngest girl laughs. Okay, so she likes Wendy. “Joy would always insult me.”

 

“Enough about me!” Joy whines in annoyance, “aren’t you going to introduce us to everyone else?”

 

Wendy and Irene share an amused look, and Yeri doesn’t know why, but that singular scene feels like coming home. Like these people are where they belong.

 

“Always so impatient,” Wendy scolds, and Joy rolls her eyes playfully. “But,” She drawls on with a shrug, “I definitely think that Seulgi will want to meet you guys. And I want to introduce you to Eunji, Joy.”

 

“Who’s Seulgi?” Yeri pipes up as Wendy and Irene begin to lead them out of the room.

 

“My girlfriend,” Irene quips with a smirk, and Yeri’s smile widens. Oh yeah, they definitely belong here. “She also happens to be our de facto leader.”

 

“Who’s Eunji?” Joy inquires.

 

“My girlfriend,” Wendy chuckles, although her eyes glint slightly, as though gauging Joy’s reaction.

 

“Is she as badass as me?”

 

“Even more badass.”

 

“Is she as badass as Yeri?”

 

(The short-haired girl snorts.)

 

“That’s up for debate,” Wendy relents, and from a few paces ahead, Irene barks out a laugh, turning back to exchange knowing looks with Yeri.

 

“Then we’ll have absolutely no problems here,” Joy sings, tossing an arm over Yeri’s shoulders, humming to herself for the first time in a long time.

 

—

 

Acacias

 

“So you’re the infamous Joy?” are the first words that leave Seulgi’s lips the second she sees the taller girl standing with Irene and Wendy. She recognizes the long-haired brunette that Wendy had shown her, back when they were roommates in college.

 

The young leader holds out her hand with a smile, and Joy accepts the handshake readily.

 

“You’ve heard of me?” Joy says playfully, and the other new girl giggles. “See, Yeri? My name’s getting around.”

 

“She didn’t say whether she’s heard good or bad things about you, Joy,” the short-haired girl – Yeri – quips, and Seulgi almost chokes over the sudden verbal quip, as well as at the less-than-amused expression that crosses over Joy’s face like a dark cloud. “Oh, Joy, lay off! You know I was joking.”

 

“You’re lucky I love you,” Joy mutters under her breath, and Yeri snorts.

 

Meanwhile, Seulgi can’t help but laugh. Yeah, these two will fit in just fine.

 

Eunji appears at Seulgi’s side a moment later, and Seulgi and Irene watch in apt interest as Wendy interests her current girlfriend to her previous one. Seulgi’s not sure what she was expecting, but she’s pleasantly surprised at the way Joy takes the introduction in stride, shaking hands with Eunji and smiling gratefully at the sniper who had also taken apart in their recovery.

 

“I suppose we should start heading back,” Eunji says a few minutes later, now standing with a loose arm around Wendy’s shoulders. “It’s going to get dark soon, and we don’t want to get caught off-guard at night.”

 

“Good call,” Irene agrees, and Yeri blearily nods in agreement, swaying sleepily on her feet. Joy chuckles and steadies her.

 

“Careful, Yerim.”

 

“Oh, wait a second!” Seulgi perks up, and she shuffles through her bag, pulling out a gun that Joy recognizes as her old revolver. The dark gray metal still shines underneath the fading light of the setting sun. “I had Moonbyul search through that old building we’d found you in, just in case, and she said that you must’ve forgot this in there.”

 

“I didn’t realize that I’d dropped it,” Joy says in thanks, though she makes no move to accept it yet.

 

“There’s only two bullets in here though,” the leader observes, shutting the cartridge close with a snap. She’s moving to give the revolver back to Joy when it hits her, and she freezes. “Oh my god...”

 

It’s like time stands still. No one moves, no one says a word. They all only stare at the revolver blankly.

 

It’s Yeri who breaks the silence.

 

“It was a last resort,” she says quietly. “You don’t have to worry about us anymore. I’m— We’re just glad to be alive. We can’t thank you enough for that.”

 

“Yeri’s right,” Joy says with lowly. “We thought we were goners.”

 

Irene presses into Seulgi’s side, and like a comforting blanket, the young leader finds herself coming out of her temporary daze, finally processing the newcomers’ words.

 

“That’s understandable,” Irene says gently. “Seul?”

 

“Let’s go home,” Seulgi says with a small smile. “What happened in the past is the past. We only move forward from here. Please feel free to stay with us for as long as you wish.”

 

—

 

Forget-Me-Nots

 

“You also left this,” Wendy says swiftly, noticing how Joy lagged the others making their way to the vehicles; like an unseen force is drawing her towards Wendy— just this once more.

 

The doctor presses the green ring on the golden chain into Joy’s hand.

 

“I found it on the side of the road.”

 

“I- thank you, Wannie,” Joy stutters, and Wendy feels a smile blossom at the familiar nickname. This is the best friend that she’d been missing all this time. “I’m sorry, it must’ve come off as we were chasing those men…”

 

“Don’t be sorry,” Wendy quickly says. “It wasn’t your fault; you didn’t mean to drop it. I’m just glad you’re here now.”

 

“Me too,” Joy immediately says. “Me too, Wendy.”

 

—

 

Orchids and Peonies

 

Perhaps it’s three days after their rescuing that Joy finds herself restless in bed. Frowning to herself, she slips out from beneath the blanket, careful not to wake the sleeping Yeri pressed against her side, and tiptoes out of their room.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Joy almost jumps, startled. It’s the first time someone’s caught her off guard, and it’s late at night, in the complex kitchen as she’s looking for something to drink— nothing bad, she just needs something to calm her churning stomach.

 

“Yeah,” Joy says before pausing. Yeri keeps telling her to work more on opening up, especially to their new friends, given how they’ve no intention of leaving any time soon.

 

“My stomach just hurts a little,” she admits after a fleeting moment of thought. “I think I’m getting sick... I was looking for something to drink to soothe it.”

 

“You’re feeling sick?” Irene inquires, worried as she walks up to Joy, silently asking a question with her eyes. Joy lets her, and the older girl raises a hand to feel Joy’s forehead. She frowns at the pulsing heat beneath her palm. “Oh... you’re definitely ill, or at least have the symptoms.”

 

Joy groans, tossing her head back. “But Seulgi said that she’d take me out on patrol with her tomorrow...”

 

Irene quirks a smile. Joy’s an incredibly mature girl for her age, anyone can see that, so it’s the first time Irene’s ever seen the girl act like the young adult she actually is— and she’s whining. Irene can’t help but be a bit amused, though she feels bad; it’s fairly obvious how Joy had been looking forward to finally get to accompany Seulgi on her bi-weekly patrols, which were much more interesting than the smaller daily patrols.

 

“Well, staying up late and not getting rest won’t help you,” Irene says gently, and she giggles at the sheepish expression that overtakes Joy’s features. “You might wake up with a sore throat.”

 

“But my stomach hurts...” Joy pouts, and Irene outright laughs.

 

“Go lie down on the couch,” she instructs, shooing Joy towards the kitchen doorway. “I’ll make you some of the soup my mom used to make whenever I got sick.”

 

That makes Joy stop while halfway through the exit, looking at Irene like a guilty child.

 

“Are you sure?” She asks, biting her lip. “It’s really late, and I don’t want you going through the trouble if you’re tired—”

 

“I’m awake at this hour for a reason, silly,” Irene smiles. “I can’t sleep either. I’ve been restless off the past hour, and I guess now I know why. I didn’t want to bother Seulgi, so I snuck out here to maybe try and cook something. I’m a runner, so I never get to make anything these days.”

 

“Ah, I didn’t want to wake Yeri either, so I understand,” Joy hums. “You and Seulgi really love each other, don’t you?” She comments, backing away from the doorframe and taking a seat at one of the counters. “Have you two known each other for a long time?”

 

“Actually,” Irene her head, pondering to herself. It’s strange to think about, given how it feels like an eternity since she and Seulgi first met, but it surely hadn’t been anything more than maybe two months ago? Maybe a bit more? It’s odd to say so out loud. “We really haven’t, now that I think about it. We met after the outbreak, and that was only three months ago.”

 

“Really?” Joy sounds surprised. “You guys seem like an old married couple, who... I don’t know, who still manage to find reasons to love each other more everyday.”

 

Irene barks out a laugh at that. She fleetingly wonders what would’ve happened, had she gone through with her engagement a year ago. Had she married Bogum, what would her life be like today, in the midst of this apocalypse? Her fiancée had been a well-off man— neglectful, restrictive, and possessive, but well-off nevertheless. Had she married Bogum, Irene would surely have been shipped off to some safer part of the world by now, living life in some extravagant fortress, probably hidden in the mountains or something.

 

The older girl has to restrain the urge to roll her eyes at the pure absurdity of it all. She can hardly even imagine it.

 

Though, she definitely can’t see herself being as overwhelmingly happy with Bogum, probably all locked up in his metal hole in the wall, as she is with Seulgi and her friends, getting by with their wit and luck.

 

“Well,” Irene says with a satisfying chop of some chicken, “I can’t say much, but I can say this: I’d marry Seulgi in a heartbeat.”

 

I just hope that… well, never mind.

 

—

 

Irises

 

Yeri watches in fascination as Wendy expertly dresses the long cut on Jennie's arm, wrapping it with a thin gauze and letting out a satisfied hum of approval. She likes watching the older girl work— Yeri had been planning on entering the field of a physician's assistant back in high school, having put down that occupation on all the surveys. Obviously, that dream seemed even further away after the event of the outbreak, but it appears slightly closer as Wendy takes the time to explain all of her procedures to Yeri as she works.

"You're sure it was just shrapnel that scratched you and not anything more troublesome?" Wendy asks Jennie one last time. "Because if not, you're free to go."

The runner nods with a grin. "One hundred percent. Thank you so much, Wendy! I'm hoping this eases Jisoo's worries."

"She's got her heart in the right place," Wendy laughs, nudging Jennie playfully while being mindful of the newly wrapped injury. "You know she's just looking out for you because she loves you, Jen."

"I know," Jennie says animatedly before jumping off the examination table and slipping on her shoes. "Thanks again, Wendy! And it was nice to finally meet you officially, Yeri! Welcome to the family!"

"Happy to be here!" Yeri chirps, waving goodbye to her new friend, and she sees Wendy smile at the interaction. "Bye-bye!"

It's after the door is shut that Wendy exhales in relief and allows herself to slouch against her chair.

"Whew," she says, wiping some sweat off her brow, and Yeri giggles. "That was tiring. At least it was only minor stuff. Thankfully, we've just entered the slow hours— there typically isn't anyone who needs our help during this time of day. So how did you find my office, Yeri?"

"Amazing!" Yeri gushes immediately, eyes sparkling, and she bounces on the balls of her feet eagerly. "It's so cool to see how you've managed to come up with so many remedies that aren't only efficient but also manage to conserve our limited materials! Thanks for letting me sit in!"

"Well, we've had to adapt," Wendy chuckles. "We don't have an infinite amount of resources, so we've had to get creative with our solutions. And thank you for joining me! It gets lonely here sometimes, not going to lie."

Her wistful tone is so disguised that Yeri almost doesn't hear it. But Yeri's spent the past few months learning the language of Joy, the girl who masks her emotions behind walls so deep that even sound cannot pass through— in comparison to Joy, reading Wendy is easy as pie.

"That's right, Eunji is a runner, isn't she?" Yeri comments, moving to help put away a few rolls of gauze.

Wendy nods, busying herself by filing away a few notes. "Yeah. She's out with Joy and Seulgi right now, I believe."

Yeri pauses, and the room falls into silence.

Then—

"You don't have to answer me, but can I ask about your previous relationship with Joy?" And why you broke up?

Wendy smiles softly. "Are you worried? Because if you are, whatever the reason, you don't have to be. Joy is completely dedicated to you. She loves you so much."

"I know," Yeri says quickly, hastily shaking her head. "I love her so much as well." She'd never have doubts about Joy, especially not after everything they'd been through. Joy is her everything; the person she wouldn't mind spending an eternity with. There's never been any doubts before, and certainly there wouldn't be any now. "I was just wondering because she said that the two of you broke up amicably. I was just... curious as to what happened."

"Ah, I see," Wendy nods in understanding. She reclines in her chair, making herself comfortable. "It wasn't one event in particular, just an accumulation of certain things, really.

"If I'm water," the doctor says thoughtfully, "then Joy is fire. She burns so beautifully, so brightly. She's strong and fierce and protective, and that's what she did— she protected me. But Joy is headstrong, and I tried to contain that blaze; tried to dim it." Wendy shakes her head. "I don't like conflict. I don't like fighting. That's why I chose to be a doctor. I think I was afraid of her in that sense, burning so brightly. And it's that quality that made us incompatible.

"Joy didn't need someone to douse her fire," Wendy concludes, looking at Yeri with purpose. "Joy needed someone to match that blaze with their own. And she found that person in you, Yeri. You're not afraid to fight, and you're not afraid of Joy and her fire. You embrace it, and Joy thrives with you. She sees you as an equal, and she will do anything for you." Her voice is soft. "It's a beautiful thing, and you’re so good for her, Yeri."

Yeri inhales, closing her eyes tight as she processes Wendy's words. It's a strange thing to think about— could Yeri actually match Joy's fire? For so long, Yeri had looked up to Joy, wanted to thrive like Joy. But then again, while surely Joy had owned Yeri's being from the beginning, Joy had also gradually become hers in return. Maybe, just maybe, Yeri did meet Joy's fire after all.

 

—

 

Acacias

 

“You’re pretty good at lockpicking,” Seulgi observes, watching Joy stick her tongue out in concentration as she uses a hairpin to expertly break the lock on the back of the truck full of gasoline tanks.

 

“Thanks,” Joy says with a slight smirk, before making a victorious sound at the sound of a click and the lock coming undone. She pulls it off with gusto and pries the back doors open. “There we go!”

 

“Hey, we’re checking inside the station to see if there’s anything worth salvaging! Hey— do I want to know how you got so good, Joy?” Seulgi asks teasingly as Eunji, Moonbyul, and Eunae leap inside the now open truck to haul some of the tanks into their own pickup truck.

 

Joy shrugs, unbothered. “I just got good, I guess. As a kid, there wasn’t anyone around to watch me— no one who cared enough about me, at least.” She kicks open the door to the minimart of the gas station. “The foster homes I moved around from weren’t much more than a new roof over my head. No one watched me, so I became too good to get caught.”

 

“Wow,” Seulgi marvels, following the younger girl inside and making her way around the aisles. “I mean, I can definitely relate to being alone most of the time, although it definitely wasn’t as bad. My parents and I had a big house, and they gave me all the freedom I wanted. No one looked after me, and I ended up raising myself. I asked our chef to teach me to cook, I asked our driver to teach me to drive… My parents - or, my father at least - was always too busy.”

 

“Your family doesn’t seem too great,” Joy comments, and Seulgi notices the way she keeps her tone light, but there’s something heavier there.

 

Seulgi takes a deep breath, grabbing a bottle of lavender fabric softener off a nearby shelf. “Yeah, it wasn’t the greatest.”

 

So she decides to spill.

 

It’s the fourth time she’s ever had to recount her past— once to Irene, twice to Wendy and Eunji, three times to the rest of the girls under her leadership, and now four times to Joy. She doesn’t know how the former loner will react, but she keeps going nonetheless, resolved to coming clean to their newest friend.

 

And to her surprise, just as she finishing, Joy walks over, patting Seulgi on the back sympathetically.

 

“None of it was your fault,” Joy murmurs, and Seulgi’s just about to cry from relief. “None of it was yours. They’re not your mistakes. They’re not.”

 

“I’ve started to worry,” Seulgi murmurs. “Because what if I end up becoming a monster like my father, who tries to bring back the dead, tries to defy nature where it can’t be defied?”

 

“You won’t,” Joy says steadily. “You won’t become a monster like him.”

 

“You don’t fear me? My parents and I— we share genes.”

 

And Joy shakes her head.

 

“I can’t see it. I see no monster in you.” The younger girl’s eyes shine like they hold the secrets to the universe, and Seulgi wishes that Joy would find it in her to let her in. What Seulgi would do to have that kind of reassurance. “I see absolutely no monster in you, Seulgi, and if I can’t see it, I can’t fear it.”

 

—

 

Peonies

“Irene-unnie!” Yeri chirps as she runs into the older girl just as she’s exiting Wendy’s office. Irene smiles at the greeting, always pleased to see the youngest girl— she’s proudly the only member who Yeri refers to as ‘unnie’ on the regular. “Do you know if Joy, Seulgi and the others are back yet?”

 

“Not yet,” she replies. “I was just in the communications room, and I think Seulgi just said that they’re on their way back now, having retrieved the tanks of gasoline they were looking for.”

 

“Great! Thanks, unnie!” Yeri grins, rocking on her heels. She tilts her head, glancing over Irene. “Why are you visiting Wendy’s office, unnie? Are you hurt?” Concern floods into her tone.

 

Irene chuckles, shaking her head. “No, don’t worry about me, Yeri. I’m just helping out Wendy with her research regarding us finding a cure.” Well, it’s not a lie. A glance at a nearby clock. “You must’ve been here for hours, Yeri! Did you eat anything for lunch?”

 

“...I had an apple,” Yeri mumbles sheepishly.

 

Irene sighs with a small smile. “That’s no lunch. Go on, off to the kitchen with you! I think Jennie and her group came back with some wild turkey earlier. If you sneak in now, Jisoo will probably let you steal some before dinner.”

 

“I will! Thanks, unnie, you’re the best!” Yeri chimes before dashing off to the kitchen.

 

Irene shakes her head with a giggle.

 

“That girl…”

 

“I feel kind of bad,” Wendy says from behind Irene with a frown. The doctor had been listening in on the exchange from her office, only coming out to prop her door open a few moments prior. “We’re still keeping some facts from Yeri and Joy. Including—”

 

“My immunity,” Irene finishes, exhaling deeply. “I know, I feel awful too. I want to let them in, Wendy, I really do. But Seulgi’s not sure how Joy will react if we just drop the bomb like that.”

 

“I know, I know,” Wendy sighs, slouching in her chair. “After all, it was my idea to wait. I know Joy, and she can either take the information really well, or really badly. What’s worse is that she always has the best intentions.”

 

Irene nods. “Her heart is always in the right place.” She takes a seat in the guest shair and rolls up her sleeve. “I suppose we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, then. I’m sure we’ll find a proper time. Now, you said you needed another sample? I’m all ready.”

 

—

 

Peonies and Acacias

 

Hours later, Seulgi finds herself frowning, her form bent over several maps— one of the country, and other small ones of the individual areas. She sighs, picking up her pencil and circling a particular group of buildings, before picking up a ruler and drawing a straight line to their current location.

 

It shouldn’t take more than a few days—

 

“It’s getting late, shouldn’t you be in our room by now?”

 

A teasing voice jolts Seulgi from her thoughts, and the young leader immediately straightens out in her seat.

 

“And here you are,” the warm tone continues, and Seulgi chuckles as two familiar arms encircle her neck, and a body drapes itself over her back, “still toiling away in the communications room. I was waiting for you, you know?”

 

“Sorry, Hyun,” Seulgi apologizes sheepishly. “I didn’t realize the time. I’ll wrap up for today, no big deal.”

 

“What’s all this?” Irene asks, cocking her head at the array of maps. Scanning the images, a few choice labels catch her attention upon first sight, and she frowns at the implications. “Seul, just what are you planning. You’re trying to go to—”

 

“Wendy was talking about how she needs a centrifuge for the separation of some substances…” Seulgi bites her lip, and Irene takes her hand gently. “I don’t know where else we could possibly get one. There… there also might be some materials and resources there that Wendy could use to increase the odds for the succession of the cure. As much as I hate the idea of returning there, it’s our best bet, and it’s not too far to travel to.”

 

“I’m sorry,” the older girl says quietly. “I’m so sorry.”

 

“Oh, Hyun,” Seulgi shakes her head, pulling Irene for a hug and tucking her under her chin. “It’s no fault of yours. It’s… it’s my parents’ fault, really. I still feel guilty, but I’m working on it. I think helping with a cure can help me.”

 

“You can use me,” Irene blurts out, and Seulgi’s eyes widen.

 

“What?”

 

“You can use me as a means to an end.” Irene looks down, almost ashamed. “I’m immune, Seulgi. I’m okay with you using me, so long as you feel less guilty. I… I don’t want you to love me because of my immunity. I’d rather you just use me—”

 

“Hyun, what are you talking about?!” Seulgi looks genuinely shocked, and Irene’s face burns; she wonders if Seulgi can feel her heating up as the younger girl cups her cheek and plants kisses all over her face. “Oh god, Irene, I hadn’t even considered— I loved you before I knew you were immune, Hyun. I fell for you the moment I first saw that girl fighting tooth and nail for her freedom, and that was way before I found out about your immunity. My love for you is real, Irene. Never doubt that.”

 

“I’m sorry,” is all Irene can say again, her words suddenly choked up in , and she can’t help but feel silly for feeling worried. “I’m sor—”

 

“Shhh,” Seulgi hushes her, presses their foreheads together, a small smile playing on her lips. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry for not thinking about that possibly. But Irene? I love you. Really, truly. You must’ve been worried about that for a while now. I’m sorry we never addressed it.”

 

“I love you too,” Irene manages to whisper out. “So much, Seul. I’ll make sure to talk to you more about these things.”

 

“More communication,” Seulgi smiles. “That’ll be the next step, yeah? We’ll work on it together, you and me, since I’m a bit lacking in that area too. We’ll help each other, sound good?”

 

“That sounds good,” Irene sniffs, wiping at her eyes before giving a returning smile of her own. Her chest feels a little weightless. “Let’s go to sleep now? I want to hug you to sleep.”

 

“Only if I get to be big spoon.” The young leader sounds way too eager.

 

Irene snorts, her insecurities fading away into that simple bliss that she only experiences with Seulgi.

 

“You’re lucky I love you.”

 

—

 

Orchids and Irises

 

"So I'm guessing that your day went well," Joy says with a smile as Yeri excitedly recounts through her entire shift as Wendy's assistant. They’re sitting atop the roof of the resort, reclining on pool chairs as they watch the turning of the sky. "Did you know that you talk faster when you're speaking about something you're passionate about, Yerim?"

Yeri blushes as Joy bops her nose with an index finger before proceeding to plant a quick kiss onto it.

"My parents used to scold me for talking too fast," the short-haired girl admits, slight embarrassment in her inflection. "They said that it would get too difficult for them to understand, so I'd try to slow down, but I'd lose my train of thought. I like getting all my ideas out there."

"Cute," is all Joy says in reply, and Yeri turns from a lovely shade of pink to the most attractive shade of red— Joy is positively in love as she encircles her arms around Yeri's waist. "You're adorable, Yerim."

"Yeah, well," Yeri mumbles, "I'm all yours, so you're going to have to deal with it, Sooyoung."

"I'm never sharing," Joy declares, resting her cheek on Yeri's head of hair.

"Not even with our new friends?" Yeri questions, snuggling into Joy's hold. She rests her head on the older girl's chest, listening to the beating of Joy's heart; steady, strong, stable. Like the thumping of a drum, Yeri finds comfort in the constant beat. "I really like Wendy, and Seulgi, and Irene. Not even a little?"

"Okay, maybe a little," Joy finally relents. Much to her surprise, the words come out easily, like she's not afraid of losing Yeri a second time, like there's nothing wrong with letting a few more people sneak in through the crevices of the walls that Joy's spent years building up, like their new little entourage isn't something temporary (and perhaps there's a small part of Joy that wants to believe that they're not just a finite thing). "Just because I like them too."

Yeri hums, pleased with Joy's admission.

"I like this place," Yeri says, eyes upturning to peer up at the night sky, twinkling with a river of sparkling little pigments. "We can see the stars from here. It must be because there aren't any lights nearby."

"Yeah," Joy agrees. "Shelter had those big searchlights stationed around its incredibly large perimeter— too bright for us to see any stars."

"I like it here," Yeri repeats with conviction. And that's when Joy understands.

"You wanna stay here?" She tries to keep the amusement out of her tone.

Yeri shrugs, attempting to be nonchalant, though she's fifty percent sure that Joy can see right through her.

"I wouldn't mind," the younger girl says quietly.

"Then we'll stay," Joy says with a smile, and her heart flutters at the happy, beaming expression dancing on Yeri's lips. "Anything for you, Yerim."

(Both of them know that it's not just for Yeri anymore.)

 

(Joy should’ve known that you can’t have enough of a good thing.)

 

—

 

Forget-Me-Nots

 

Wendy tries to pinpoint exactly when the whole plan started going south.

 

It had started out with the simple premise: let Joy and Yeri know about Irene’s previous... infliction from their mortal enemies. The rest of the complex had been doing a wonderful job of slyly avoiding the topic, everyone having the utmost faith in Irene and her efforts to help find a cure.

 

Three brainstorming sessions later, and the simple premise had grown, to say the least, to: let Yeri know about Irene’s zombie bite first, and then have Yeri be present and understanding during the reveal with Joy.

 

The first half of the plan had gone well— after a joint meeting with Wendy, Seulgi, and Irene, Yeri was more than sympathetic with the eldest girl, and by the end of the confession, Yeri was clinging to the older girl, asking if she was okay. Irene had nodded, wiping Yeri’s tears and promising to show Yeri their progress on the cure later today.

 

No one had expected Joy to barge in so suddenly like that. No one had expected her furious reaction. And certainly, no one expected Joy to shove Irene away, the older girl sprawling to the ground without protest.

 

“Get away from her,” Joy had growled, pushing Yeri behind her, ignoring the smaller girl’s sputtered pleas for Joy to stop. The tallest girl’s right hand goes to the revolver strapped to her waist as her left still grips Yeri’s wrist.“Don’t even come near her.”

 

Wendy had watched with bated breath as Seulgi had sprung to action, leaping out of her seat her hand already pulling out her gun.

 

“Watch where you point that thing, Sooyoung,” Seulgi had warned in a low, dangerous voice. “We don’t want violence here.”

 

So Wendy watches, still trying to absorb anything, as two of the most precious people in her life square off, guns held up and threatening, in a closed top-floor lounge room.

 

“If you didn’t want violence, then why is there an infected person among us?!” Joy hisses, and Seulgi’s eyes narrow in anger.

 

“H-hey!” Wendy finally finds her footing, jumping out of her chair and standing up straight. “She’s not affected, Joy!”

 

The doctor’s words fall on deaf ears, and Joy ignores her.

 

Wendy wants to cry as more accusations are hurled Seulgi and Irene’s way, as Yeri shakes her had wordlessly, a hand covering as tears rolls down her cheeks. Wendy clenches her fists, nails digging into the palms of her hands, ready to dash in—

 

—when two familiar hands run themselves comfortingly down her arms, and Wendy subconsciously relaxes.

 

“Eunji,” Wendy whispers, and she can’t see her girlfriend’s small smile, but she knows that it’s there. And for some reason, that is what finally grabs Joy and Seulgi’s attention, and there’s silence as everyone turns to look at the experienced runner.

 

“That’s my girl,” Eunji murmurs into Wendy’s ear. “We’ll get through this.” She doesn’t wait for a response, stepping out from behind Wendy and calmly walking out into the crossfire. She eyes both Joy and Seulgi in turn before reaching out, and gently pushing down their guns.

 

“Let’s be reasonable,” She says steadily to them both before focusing on Joy. “You’re hurting Yeri.”

 

—

 

Orchids

 

Joy doesn’t realize that she has a vice grip on Yeri until the younger girl touches the hand around around her wrist, rubbing circles into skin.

 

“Joy,” Yeri whispers, and it’s like a button has been pushed, with the way Joy immediately releases her wrist and leaps away, horrified at what she’d done.

 

“I’m sorry,” Joy stutters, trying to create as much distance as she can. “I’m so sorry, Yeri, I— oh god, just get away from me, don’t come close—”

 

"Oh, Joy!" Yeri cries, reaching out for her, cupping her girlfriend's cheek tenderly and positioning herself so that they're looking into each other's eyes. Meanwhile, the rest of the world fades to the background, like white noise where the only coherent thing, the only thing that Joy truly knows, is Yeri. "Joy, listen to me. This isn't right."

 

"I just want to protect you," Joy protests weakly. She grips Yeri's hips, trying to bring her closer, but the younger girl's hold on Joy is firm. "Everything is temporary, Yeri. Everything! I- I just found something that could last. I can't let that be taken away from me! Not again!"

 

"I'm not going anywhere," Yeri hushes her soothingly, smoothing out the worried lines running across Joy's face with her thumbs. "I'm not going anywhere, Sooyoung. And neither are our friends. Seulgi, Wendy, Irene... Joy, I know you love them. Don't even try to deny it." When Joy looks down, ashamed, Yeri sighs in relief, glad to be getting through.

 

"Wendy is your best friend— you would never hurt her." Yeri smiles tenderly. "In Seulgi, you found a kindred spirit. You two understand each other in a way that no one else can. And don't lie me, Joy. I know you found a mother-figure in Irene as well. You love the way she tends to you; how she looks out for you in a way that I know I can't. Please don't jump to conclusions, baby. Let her explain."

 

“Do I even deserve that?” Joy’s tired, and confused, and conflicted. Her head hurts, throbs. She wants the soup Irene had made for her, a lifetime away. Surely that would make her feel better. Irene. Deep down, she knows that Yeri is right. She knows that Irene would never hurt her. So why? Why is she acting like this? She’s always relied on her instincts before— there hasn’t been much reason to think. But Irene...

 

“Oh god... What have I done? I don’t... I don’t—”

 

“That’s for me to decide,” Irene smoothly interjects. Yeri takes her cue and backs up, and suddenly Joy’s staring into a pair of loving, warm eyes, and oh, she doesn’t deserve this.

 

“Your heart is so big, Joy,” the eldest girl whispers. “So very, very big.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s a scar, Sooyoung-ah. I was bitten at the beginning of the outbreak, but I never turned, never succumbed. I’m immune, Joy! And I’m so sorry I waited so long to tell you and Yerim.” Taking her hand gently, Irene starts tracing soothing circles with her thumb. “You won’t lose Yerim. I won’t let you lose her. I’ve stayed healthy for the past few months – I’ve never been better! – but have my word that should something happen, I’m prepared to take the precautions necessary to keep you all safe.”

 

“I don’t want to lose you too.” Joy’s voice is small. The throbbing grows worse. “I don’t want to lose any of you, but I just ed up really bad...” Her voice cracks at the admission, and she hides her face behind a curtain of hair.

 

Irene smiles at that, and Joy wants to tell her that it’s not okay, that she’s messed up in the head, that she doesn’t deserve Irene— how can she deserve Irene’s acceptance when she hardly deserves Yeri’s?

 

“I’m not going anywhere either,” Irene says gently, encircling her arms around Joy and simply holding her, like how a mother would console her child.

 

—

 

Orchids and Acacias

 

"I'm sorry," Joy says quietly, softly, afraid. She shakes her head helplessly, disentangling herself from Irene’s embrace. The older girl lets out a sound of protest, but Joy only smiles wearily. "I always do this, I always mess things up. I'm sorry. I've never... I'd never really had to take care of anyone but myself before, not before Yeri. Wendy had always been on her own two feet… that’s probably why things ended… But somehow, Yeri and I made things work, and I thought, hey, maybe I can do this large-group thing, but it didn't work at Shelter, so—"

 

"This is different," Seulgi abruptly cuts the former-loner off. "We are different, Joy. We're not some vague group living our lives in fear of the unknown outside of some dome. We know what's out there, we know the dangers, and we face them together. That's what makes us stronger. That's what builds our bonds. We're a family, Joy. And that family includes you." Seulgi takes a shaky breath. She's not losing another sister, no matter how bad the fight. "And I know you haven't had many good experiences with families before, so I've made it my personal goal to make this family your absolute best one!" She pauses, thinking through each word. "And maybe even your permanent one."

 

Joy stares at Seulgi, shocked. parts wordlessly, unable to form sentences.

 

A permanent family... Joy has never had one of those before.

 

Beside her, Yeri exchanges looks with Irene and Wendy, who both give her small, resolute nods in return.

 

"I'm not giving up on you," Seulgi says, strength coating each word as silence follows her previous statement. "I'm not letting you even think of leaving us. I'm not giving up on you, Joy!"

 

Joy's bottom lip trembles, her vision clouding over, but she remains silent.

 

Seulgi doesn't realize she's crying until Irene touches her cheek tenderly and it dawns on her that tears now stain the sides of her face.

 

"I'm not giving up on you," she croaks out again, her voice hoarse with emotion. She staggers a step closer towards the tallest girl, reaching out for her, and Joy meets her halfway.

 

Joy finds herself in a warm embrace seconds later, her face pressed into Seulgi's shoulder, her hands clutching the leader's jacket desperately. She sobs into the fabric, crying indecipherable thank you's because she doesn't know what else she could possibly say other than thank you for believing in me. Thank you for not giving up.

 

A moment later, three more pairs of arms find their way around the embracing duo. Joy registers the way that Irene leans her head on Joy's shoulder, and the tallest girl wordlessly grips Irene's hand.

 

She squeezes it, not knowing what else to do. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

 

Irene immediately squeezes her hand back. The smaller girl's hand is so incredibly soft, so warm. I know you are, and it's okay. We can grow— the both of us.

 

Joy buries her face into the crook of Yeri's shoulder, meeting Wendy's welcoming eyes from across the group embrace.

 

Yes. This is what it means to have family.

 

"Get in here, Eunji," Joy commands the onlooking girl with a wet laugh. "I know you've got your own team, but you're with Wendy, and the rest of us are a package deal."

 

—

 

Forget-Me-Nots

 

By the time Wendy leaves the shower that night, feeling the need to run some steaming water down her body in order to wash away the toil of the day’s events, Eunji is already seated on their shared bed, looking out the large glass window, over the resort’s surrounding landscape.

 

Wendy smiles fondly at her girlfriend for a moment before making her way over to a nearby mirror to brush her hair. Eunji has always been so kind, so selfless; Wendy wishes she had introduced herself to Eunji back in university. She sure remembers Eunji, though— the slightly older girl had been the star of the track team, which Seulgi had also been a part of. Back then, Wendy and Seulgi had been roommates, and Wendy often found herself in the stands of various home track meets to cheer her university on. It was there that Wendy had first seen Eunji, though nothing had happened between them— Wendy isn’t even sure if Eunji knew she existed.

 

“You stopped brushing,” a warm, amused voice says from behind her, and Wendy chuckles as she allows Eunji to take the hairbrush away and lead her to the edge of their bed. A second later, Eunji’s soothingly threading her left hand through Wendy’s hair, using her right hand to brush through slight tangles. “Are you okay, Wan?”

 

Wendy hums, pleased with the attention. “Yeah. I’m… actually doing better than before, I think. The whole encounter with Joy and Yeri really lifted a lot of weight off my chest— and I’m sure Irene and Seulgi’s too. Thank you, by the way. You really helped calm everyone down.”

 

Eunji lets out a noise of agreement, placing down the hairbrush and leaning forward to nuzzle the back of Wendy’s neck.

 

“It was the only thing I could do,” Eunji says, humble as always. “It was only right, since I didn’t want anyone getting hurt…though, I guess I know where Joy’s coming from.”

 

That gets Wendy’s attention, and she furrows her brows.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Her protectiveness,” Eunji clarifies, wrapping her arms around Wendy’s waist and pulling her in possessively. “Her desire to protect Yeri. I feel that way about you too, Wan. I just want you to be safe, always. I’d fight the whole world for you. But… I know that you wouldn’t want that.”

 

“I wouldn’t,” Wendy whispers, turning around to peck Eunji on the nose, pressing their foreheads together. “I don’t want you putting yourself in danger either. I just need you with me, Eunji. That’s enough. That’s more than enough. I am so, so lucky to have you.”

 

“You mean so much to me.” Eunji’s voice cracks at the admission, and she gathers Wendy in her arms. Wendy feels her heart break for the second time that day as she feels Eunji shiver around her. “I-I know I try and keep my head on right, but I can’t help but just hate our situation… I saw you there, between Joy and Seulgi, with their guns out, and I was afraid, Wan! And you were so ready to jump between them and put a stop to it, and I know that both Joy and Seulgi are your best friends, but I was so scared – I don’t regret anything that happened, but just – oh god—”

 

“Eunji, breathe,” Wendy whispers into her ear. It’s the first time she’s seen her girlfriend like this, but she shoulders on, undeterred. Eunji has always been strong for her. It’s only right that Wendy is strong as well. “Baby, I’m right here, shhh… I’m not going anywhere, Eunji. I’m staying right with you.”

 

“I want to take my mind off of it,” Eunji mumbles into Wendy’s hair, and the younger of the two nods. “Can you just talk to me, Wan? About anything us?”

 

Wendy smiles. “Of course, babe. What do you want to talk about?”

 

“Do you remember the first time you saw me?”

 

“Of course I do,” Wendy laughs. “I had gone to one of your track meets to cheer on Seulgi, but I remember distinctly standing up on my feet as the crowd roared for the girl in the grade above me, tearing down the track during the 500 meter relay. You were smiling so big as you passed the finish line, like you’d just won the Olympics. Little did I know that this same girl would change my whole world.”

 

Eunji drops her head to place a kiss on Wendy’s shoulder. “I wish I knew you back then. I wish I knew how amazing you were.”

 

“I was going long distance with Joy back then,” Wendy reminds her gently with a chuckle.

 

“I would’ve taken the first opportunity to make you mine,” Eunji states with pride. “I think I fell for you the moment I first saw you.”

 

“Oh?” Wendy raises an eyebrow. It’s the first time they’ve ever really talked about first impressions, not that she thinks about it. “When did you first see me?”

 

“It was during a chorus concert,” Eunji recalls. “You were the freshman who didn’t even major in music, yet you were given a solo part in your first courtyard concert. I was there to cheer on my friend, Hyorin. Then, you opened your mouth, and I felt all giddy for some reason; so proud. And I am still, you know? I’m still so proud of you.”

 

—

 

Irises

 

“Why’d they go out on their own?” Yeri pouts as she perches herself atop a kitchen stool, crossing her arms as she watches Irene mull about the premises, picking out spices and vegetables before carrying them back over to the pot of boiling water. “I wanted to go too!”

 

“Don’t you think it’s time Eunji and Joy had a talk, Kim Yerim?” Irene says the words with a teasing, cheeky smile, beckoning for Yeri to come over. She hands the younger girl a knife and some greens to chop up, and Yeri complies without complaint, simply thankful for something to do. “I think it’s a good opportunity for them.”

 

“I think so too,” Yeri admits begrudgingly, being extra careful to not cut herself with the large kitchen knife. “It’s not like things have been awkward, but there are things unsaid, y’know?”

 

Irene hums and nods, thinking back to how she’d told Seulgi about her past engagement briefly in passing, and how her girlfriend had listened to her open up, about her former frustrations with Bogum. After, it had felt like her back got a little bit lighter.

 

“It’ll definitely help them out.”

 

“So you two are cooking?”

 

The two occupied girls look up to see Seulgi striding into the kitchen with a grin, Eunae, Moonbyul, Jennie, and Wendy nearby.

 

“Joy asked me about some soup I made her a while ago,” Irene explains, planting a kiss on Seulgi’s cheek. “Yeri got curious, so I roped her into helping me since she had nothing to do.”

 

“Mother gave me no choice,” Yeri calls from where she continues to chop vegetables.

 

Irene rolls her eyes pointedly. “She told me that she had nothing to do, so I put her to work! Better cooking than taking inventory.”

 

“Taking inventory isn’t that bad…” Wendy trails off. Flanking her, Eunae, Moonbyul, and Jennie all raise their eyebrows.

 

“Wendy-unnie, it’s the most mundane experience—”

 

“Did we… do the same task? Because I swear I was taking inventory last week and I was bored out of my—”

 

“I would rather be fighting zombies, and we’re living in a zombie apocalypse.”

 

“Okay! It’s boring, and I’m sorry that I suggested otherwise!” Wendy throws her hands up in defense, and Yeri laughs, tossing her vegetables into the boiling pot and stirring slightly before placing the lid back on.

 

“I sure hope Eunji and Joy are having fun,” she comments, mind wandering to the two girls out on border patrol.

 

—

 

Orchids and Wisteria

 

“That was so much fun!” Joy whoops happily, leaning onto her motorcycle and resting her shotgun over her shoulder. “Thanks for watching my back, Eunji.”

 

“No problem,” the older girl smirks, hopping down from the ledge she’d been perched upon, pulling out a handkerchief, and wiping at her sniper rifle. “Nothing like a good zombie extermination. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to let loose like that. You’re very skilled, Joy.”

 

Joy laughs, tipping her head back and looking up at the cloudless, blue sky above her.

 

“After Wendy and I broke up,” she starts, carefully easing them into the inevitable topic they’d yet to broach, “I didn’t have much to do. I took up riflery as a sport, and it was pretty fun. So that’s what I poured all my time into.”

 

“You and Wendy spent a lot of time together, huh…” Eunji settles onto the seat of her own bike, resting an arm against a handlebar pensively.

 

Joy simply nods. “Yeah… she was my first friend, you know? She came back from overseas to no friends, her family still out there, and well, I was family-less, as you’ve probably come to know. We both had no one, so we kind of clung to each other.” A hand comes up to fiddle the green ring, hanging from its chain around her neck. “We were… quite the sight to see, back then.”

 

Eunji chuckles. “I can imagine.”

 

“We were exact opposites,” Joy snorts. “She was short, and I wasn’t. She was a straight-A student, and I wasn’t. She was naturally gifted in socializing, and I wasn’t. She was carefree, and I wasn’t. She was kind, and I… I wasn’t.” A sigh. “But she continued to hang around me regardless— like, some kind of selfless love or something. Back then, we mistook it for something romantic.”

 

“Was it really not what you thought?” Eunji gets the feeling that she’s only digging a bigger hole for herself, but she couldn’t care less.

 

“Maybe in the beginning it was?” Joy shrugs. “Regardless, it didn’t last. We were too different, and not in the opposites attract sort of way. But that was fine. Everything was better when we decided to just stay friends anyway. We’re still friends today, as you can see.”

 

“I was jealous of you,” Eunji blurts out, all her insecurities pouring out in that one phrase. “I-I think I still am. You know her so well, and—”

 

“And soon, you will too,” Joy interjects, gazing up at Eunji steadily. “You know as well as I do, Eunji, that you’re Wendy’s someone. She’s not mine, she never was mine. And in our youth, it took us too long to figure that out. She was attending a great university a ways away, and I had stayed local. I feel bad, honestly, for wasting her time like that.” She shakes her head. “I wish I’d let her free sooner… to think that she was tied back to someone like me— wait, I promised Yeri I’d stop being so self-deprecating.”

 

“Yeri’s really got you whipped,” Eunji laughs at the icy glare Joy shoots her way. If looks could kill.

 

“I’m just open to her requests,” Joy grumbles, frowning at the way Eunji laughs even harder at that, clutching her stomach. “Anyways, she’s my someone, so I don’t want to hear any of it. Just,” she takes a deep breath. “Hear me out, okay?”

 

Eunji nods wordlessly, leaning in curiously.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’m going to give you the shovel talk, yeah? Because you’re dating my best friend, and it’s my responsibility to make sure you know everything there is to know. If I knew you back when this first started, I would’ve given this earlier, but since I didn’t— well, better late than never, right? So even if you know this stuff, just bear with it.”

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

“Right.” A deep breath. “So you’re dating Wendy. Her real name is Son Seungwan, and she was born here, but she moved overseas with her parents because of her father’s job. Back when she was a kid, she really wanted to be a singer, so she grew up singing in a lot of choirs— she’s a soprano. Her favorite number is 77, and her favorite color is blue. She’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of knowing, but she’s also one of the loneliest.

 

“She doesn’t like being a bother to people, even if she’s really not, so she might have some trouble coming to you with her problems, or confronting you when she feels upset. Just give her time, and she’ll come through. Show that you’ll listen to her no matter what, and she’ll come to you. And afterward, she might apologize for some bull about taking too much of your time, so make sure to tell her that she’s not being troublesome, and that she’s more than worth it.”

 

Joy’s voice shakes as she lets it all spill, all this information of the girl she’d grown up with, of the girl who deserved the world that Joy couldn’t give her. “Wendy attended boarding school overseas, so she has this habit of making her friends her family. She likes to act like she’s not affected, but she really is, so just… just treasure her, okay? Because she more than deserves it.”

 

Eunji bites her bottom lip, trying to stop the trembling.

 

“I will. Thank you, Joy.”

 

“Just take care of her, Eunji. That’s thanks enough.”

 

—

 

Irises

 

The months pass smoothly, and before they know it they find themselves setting out to find the last piece of the puzzle— or, at least the means to finding that last missing piece.

 

Nothing could’ve prepared them for this.

 

Yeri shakes her head, tears streaming down her cheeks and a sob aching to be released.

 

How did we get here?

 

She wishes she could tune it all out; tune out the horrible sound of Irene’s shocked cries, of Seulgi’s panicked voice ushering the eldest girl away from the sight in front of them, the awful noise of Wendy screaming desperately for the woman she had fallen so desperately in love with.

 

Yeri registers Joy wrapping her up in her strong arms, tugging, pulling Yeri in closer to her chest, trying to shelter her away from everything bad in the world.

 

But Yeri can’t look away, can’t tear her gaze away. Not this time. Not this time.

 

How could she possibly?

 

How can she possibly look away from the bloodshot of eyes of Eunji staring back at all of them, shame written on her features, a groan ready to leave her lips, one hand firmly on her neck. Blood seeps out from where she’s hidden the wound beneath her quivering palm, but even then, it’s obvious.

 

Bitten. She’s been bitten.

 

The single word echoes through the abyss of Yeri’s mind.

 

Eunji has been bitten.

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued.