Chaewon couldn’t stop shaking, it didn’t help that Hyunjin and Heejin were currently pounding on the door asking her to let them in. Maybe locking herself in the supply room of some random shop they stumbled upon wasn’t the best idea, but she wasn’t about to let either of her girlfriends have to put her out, she knows it would break them apart if they did. So, she decided to do it herself, even if she was left feeling lonely and scared during her last moments, then she’d rather have that. 

“Chae, please.” Hyunjin pleaded and Chaewon could feel the tears starting to build up at her words. It was hurting her to hear the girl sound so pained, but she kept still. “No, I won’t put you guys through that.” She replied after what seemed like forever, her words only causing the two girls to act more frantic as they called her name. 

She reflects back to what lead to this point, and she starts to think that if she was a bit more aware of her surroundings the three of them wouldn’t have been ambushed by a few infected and cornered in some building. “Please, leave.” Chaewon soft voice breaks through to them and the rattling of the door momentarily stops, she can’t hear their voices either and she starts to wonder if they finally listened to her. 

Chaewon’s body collapses against the wall, body sliding until she’s sat on the floor. The silence is deafening and the pain in her forearm is slowly starting to take over her. She figures she should clean it up, especially with the blood starting to stain her clothes, but then she realises that it won’t be long until she’s gone anyways so she leaves it. “Chae…” A voice calls out to her after a few minutes and Chaewon perks up. “Park Chaewon.”

She flinches at the use of her full name; it’s been a long time since she’s heard her full name leave Heejin’s lips. “Do you remember the promise we made?” The girl asks her and Chaewon freezes at her words, of course she hasn’t, they were kids back then but Heejin and Hyunjin had never broken it, yet here she was doing just that. She decides to keep quiet, not trusting herself to speak properly. 

“We said that’d we always look out for each other, right? That we’d always be there for each other.” Heejin continues and Chaewon already knows that the girl is on the verge of tears, and even though she wants to open the door and comfort her, she can’t. At least the thought of Hyunjin holding her gives her some reassurance. “Chae, we know you’re trying to protect us. But we don’t want you to be alone like this.” 

Hyunjin breaks her silence, and that’s what it takes for Chaewon to finally let the tears fall. She doesn’t say anything else after that, deciding to just let it all out instead of keeping it in. She also knows that the both of them are worrying, especially with sound of her crying creeping through the cracks. “Just let it out, we’ll be here when you wake up.” That was the last words Chaewon heard before she passed out from all the crying. 

++

On average, two days is the length it takes before the virus completely takes over and you turn into one of the infected. So, when it reaches day three, Chaewon starts to worry. She was waiting for when the fever would break so that she knew how long she had left, but it never came. Her eyes land on the bite on her forearm and it looks just like how it did the other day, Chaewon can even see that it hasn’t changed colour at all. She can’t tell if she’s imagining that though. 

“Chae, you still there?” Hyunjin asks and Chaewon doesn’t miss the tone of worry. She was staying quiet ever since this morning and she knows that the both of them were feeling scared at her silence. “I’m fine.” She replies almost immediately, but it comes out as more of a question instead. “Is it getting worse?” Heejin’s voice is frantic and she can hear shuffling behind the door, Chaewon already knows the girl is gearing up to try and break the door down.

“I don’t think so?” She replies, uncertainty fills her voice. Neither of the two answer, and Chaewon knows that they’re waiting for her to continue. “I should’ve turned already…but the bite looks the same? As if it was just a normal injury.” Chaewon adds and she runs a hand through her hair, hoping that would let out some of the worry that wasn’t leaving her body. 

It’s silent again after that and Chaewon decides not to say anything else, it sounds like she’s trying to build hope that she’ll live, and she doesn’t want to break that down if what she thinks isn’t true. “Open the door.” Heejin’s determined tone cuts through the silence and Chaewon is already answering her with words of rejection. “If you haven’t turned, then you’re ok!” Heejin adds and she’s starting to pull on the door handle, hoping that it’ll give through and finally let them in. “You don’t know that, Heej.” Chaewon replies and she lays down, she’s starting to feel tired from the topic of conversation. 

“You said you should’ve turned, but you’re still here. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Hyunjin asks and Chaewon starts to think it over, she wants to believe that what they’re saying is right, she really does. But there’s been no case of someone surviving the virus and Chaewon doesn’t think she’ll be the first one to do so. “Even so, you can’t be sure.” She answers, not moving from the spot she’s sat at. 

She already knows that her girlfriends are pacing around, feeling frustrated. “I’m staying here.” She states and she’s hoping that the both of them listen to her. “Two more days. If nothing happens, then I’ll break this door down myself if I have to.” Hyunjin answers and Chaewon can’t help but groan at how stubborn her girlfriends are being. Do they not understand the concept of being infected, even if the process was delayed it doesn’t mean that she’s in the clear. She opens ready to argue but quickly decides that it won’t do anything, so she gives in and agrees. 

++

Another two days pass and nothing, Chaewon doesn’t know if this is a miracle or just a prolonged punishment, but she decides to say to what Hyunjin said the other day. “I’m still me.” Is all Chaewon says, before she’s standing up and making her way over to the door that’s separating them. She’s hesitant. It feels like the day they had their first date, where she rocked up to Heejin’s house with Hyunjin, the both of them feeling giddy and nervous. Except this time, it’s a different kind of nervousness. 

She reaches out and unlocks the door, the moment the click breaks through, the door is being pushed open. Chaewon doesn’t have enough time to react, because Hyunjin and Heejin are grabbing her arms and pulling her into their embrace. They all decide to stay silent, choosing to bask in the warmth of each other instead. 

Chaewon can hear sniffles coming from her right and she starts to move away so she can wipe Heejin’s tears away, but the girl only tightens her hold to make sure she doesn’t move. She smiles at that, making a note to herself to tease the girl later on. 

“We should start going, there were a few infected around but we got them.” Hyunjin is the first to pull away and Chaewon’s heart races at the gentle smile that’s being thrown her way. She starts to wonder how she’s managed these past few days without them, but Chaewon deicides that she won’t put them through this again. “We should, I don’t want to stay here any longer.” 

Heejin latches onto her arm to check the injury and when she sees no signs of discolouration, another wave of relief washes over her. Chaewon’s fine, is the only thought that repeats over in her head and she doesn’t realise that she’s zoned out until she feels a pair of soft lips press against her forehead. “It’s ok, I’m still here.” She looks up to see Chaewon with a reassuring smile on her face and that’s enough to calm her even further. 

“Heej wouldn’t stop panicking when we would go out.” Hyunjin’s voice catches their attention and the both of them don’t miss the teasing in her tone. “As if you weren’t crying when you would keep watch, I heard you.” Heejin retorts and Chaewon is smiling at the sight of her girlfriends bickering. “Ok, ok. Let’s go before you attract something.” Chaewon effectively ends their argument. 

She pulls away from them, lacing their hands together so that she can pull them along before they can say anything. “We found a mall yesterday, there might be some bandages somewhere in there.” Hyunjin states, tightening her hold on Chaewon’s hand so that the girl doesn’t disappear. Chaewon nods at that and sends the girls a smile each. “Let’s go.” The both of them return the smile and the three of them start heading down the empty road.