“Three zombies? But that’s the most we’ve seen in months.” Heejin nodded dumbly, her focus steering away from the conversation she was having with Jungeun. Her eyes drifted over to the kitchen, where Jiwoo and Hyunjin were animatedly talking. Jungeun followed her gaze and rolled her eyes. “Please forget about it, Heejin. She left us, remember?”

 

Oh, Heejin does clearly remember.

 

The first couple months after Hyunjin left, Heejin barely left the bunker, let alone her own room. Jungeun didn’t show it, but Heejin could tell that she was upset. After all, Hyunjin up and left with no real goodbye, just some cute drawings that were soon shoved away in the nightstand drawers. Heejin could barely look at the sketchpad without wanting to burst into tears. Jiwoo, on the other hand, had went to go visit Hyunjin and the task force in California. She was there to see how Sooyoung and the others were doing.

 

Jiwoo returned with news saying they managed to take down the Big Bad in charge of the rogue hybrid zombie operation, so the campus was finally cleared of corruption. She expected Hyunjin to come back home with her then, but she decided to stay. Jiwoo just thinks she was afraid to come back and face Heejin.

 

“So does this mean you’re back?” Jiwoo’s eyes shined with hope, causing Hyunjin to grimace slightly. She whipped her head around at the sound of a door slamming shut, Jungeun’s room. She sighed and took a seat at the dinner table. 

 

“Not exactly.”

 

Jiwoo tilted her head in confusion. “Care to elaborate?” Another door slammed shut, this time Heejin’s room, diverting Hyunjin’s attention again. She felt a hand land on hers, squeezing it softly. “Don’t mind them.” She turned her attention back on Jiwoo and clenched her jaw. Seeing Heejin brought back too many emotions, emotions she should be keeping in check right now.

 

“I’m here to invite you guys to Sooyoung and Jinsol’s wedding.”

 

 

—————————

 

 

“I’m going to marry her someday.” 

 

Jiwoo glanced up from her textbook, noticing the soft smile on Sooyoung’s face as she watched Jinsol snooze away on her notes. They had met Jinsol earlier in the school year, but Sooyoung was already smitten. If only Jiwoo could get Sooyoung to actually confess her feelings. She was sure Jinsol felt the same, judging by the way she bore daggers into her whenever Sooyoung linked arms with her. 

 

Sooyoung was her best friend, through and through. Things were never more, but Jinsol probably didn’t believe that. 

 

“And will I be your maid of honor?” 

 

“Obviously.” 

 

 

—————————

 

 

“I’m wondering why we even have to go.” Jungeun muttered to Heejin. They were sitting in the back of Hyunjin’s black van, driving through Arizona. They should be arriving at the campus within the day. “We don’t know them like that.” She had a good point, but they were Jiwoo’s friends.

 

“But you wouldn’t let Jiwoo go alone again, would you?” Jungeun crossed her arms and slumped in her seat, pouting, accepting the call out. Heejin slumped back on her own seat while her eyes wandered towards the front, gaze freezing on the driver’s seat.

 

Hyunjin was glowing. Her smile looked brighter. She looked happier.

 

If Heejin had the chance to say a proper goodbye, she wonders if she would have begged Hyunjin to stay instead. Would she have kept Hyunjin back from seeking adventure? From finding this happiness that exuded from her aura?

 

“Do you guys want to listen to some music? We’re within range now.” Heejin snapped out of her thoughts at the sudden question coming from Hyunjin. “The radio should work.” She adjusted the dials on the stereo, white noise blasting through the speakers of the van. Jungeun ignored her, opting to stare out the window. Jiwoo clapped her hands gleefully, waiting for a song to break out from the static.

 

A soft melody played throughout the car. Heejin recognized it instantly.

 

 

i had a dream, i got everything i wanted

 

Heejin sang into the mic. She ran over to the karaoke room right after class and got a room to herself. She shut the lights off and scrolled through the sad songs. It was a tough day for her, and she needed to let it all out. 

 

i tried to scream, but my head was underwater

 

She stood up, swaying along to the soft beat echoing throughout the small room. 

 

but when i wake up, i see you with me

 

She was so lost in the music, she didn’t notice a figure outside her door, watching curiously through the window. 

 

After a few more songs, Heejin slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out. Not even a couple steps out, she knocks into a small figure with blonde hair. 

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Heejin spluttered out, arms reaching out in front of her to catch the girl from falling. “I didn’t see you there.”

 

The girl pulls herself up and brushes her blonde hair out of her face. Heejin recognized her. “Jungeun, right? I’m in the choir class before yours.” She nodded with a shy, tight lipped smile. 

 

A beat passed and Heejin was ready to just walk away when Jungeun spoke up. “You got an amazing voice.” She looked down at her feet, blush creeping up her neck. “Hope you don’t mind, I heard you singing through the door.” 

 

It was Heejin’s turn to blush. Jungeun saw all of that? All of that angst and emo ballad singing? 

 

“We should sing together sometime.” Heejin offered a small smile, hoping to get to know Jungeun outside of school, but the other girl ducked away and brushed past her. After that encounter, Heejin didn’t see her for a while. 

 

 

The song was coming to an end and Jungeun glanced over at Heejin, finding her staring back with a knowing smile. Listening to the song brought them back to the first time they officially met, outside that karaoke room. Looking back now, Jungeun scolded herself for taking so long to open her heart when Heejin was always there, offering to be her friend. It had to take an apocalypse to finally become best friends.

 

The radio crackled out an upbeat song and Jiwoo was shouting along to the music, much to everyone’s amusement. Before they knew it, they were already arriving at the gates. The campus looked different, better, upgraded. What Heejin remembered were a few tall buildings, but the second they reached inside to park the van, she realized the buildings have doubled. There seemed to be more people around too.

 

Other than the obvious, there was one thing Heejin was dreading about being here. Chaewon.

 

They hopped out of the van and Hyunjin led them over to a familiar building Heejin only ever saw from afar. Hyunjin pushed and held open the metal door, gesturing for them to come inside. There were a chorus of squeals and flashes of bright hair engulfing Jiwoo ahead of her and Jungeun, who looked unamused. Heejin was kind of afraid to ask, but she knew Jiwoo and Jungeun were on the rocks ever since the first time Jiwoo came to visit Hyunjin and the others on campus. Jungeun wasn’t as forgiving as Jiwoo about Hyunjin leaving them.

 

Everyone looked a bit different, new haircuts and hair color. The task force was there too, helping plan out the wedding on a chalkboard. She peeked around the open room, spotting Sooyoung with her short hair, and Jinsol with black hair now. The jump from blonde reminded her of when Jungeun first dyed her hair back to dark brown after having blonde hair for so long. She glanced over towards one of the couches and noticed familiar blonde waves sitting next to black hair with their backs to her.

 

Heejin’s left eye twitched. Maybe she can go the whole time avoiding Chaewon. She looked to her left, realizing Jungeun wasn’t by her side anymore. She was all the way across the room, being dragged by one of the girls from the task force.

 

“Hello!” She whipped her head towards the kind voice. “I don’t think we’ve properly met yet, I’m Chaeryoung.” Heejin recalls Jiwoo speaking about a young girl she met who introduced her and Hyunjin to the task force. She took her hand for a polite shake, but Chaeryoung gripped it and pulled her towards the couches, plopping them right next to Hyejoo and Chaewon.

 

Oh great.

 

“Long time no see, Heejin.” That light voice. “It’s nice to see you.” Wait, she wasn’t expecting that. She looked over Chaeryoung’s shoulder, noticing Hyejoo had her arm around Chaewon, who was showing her a bright smile. This had to be a joke, right? Her gaze darted towards Hyejoo, who pointedly stared back, as if she was telling her to accept Chaewon’s words. 

 

“Y-Yeah, long time no see.” She stuttered out in response before facing back towards Chaeryoung. She would have to come back to that later.

 

Hyunjin felt a a soft grip on her wrist. She looked up to see Yeji, staring at her intently. “Something wrong?” She took a step closer, now inches away from Hyunjin, who didn’t take a step back. Her eyes flitted towards the couches, and back to Yeji.

 

“It’s nothing.” She offered a small smile to convince her. And it did. But before Yeji walked away, she placed a quick kiss on Hyunjin’s cheek. She stood there frozen in place, her face feeling hot.

 

Heejin felt a stir in the pit of her stomach at the sight. “What’s with those two?” She nudged Chaeryoung to look across the room at Hyunjin with one of their task force members. Heejin watched her smirk before responding.

 

“Yeji has a crush on her.” She shook her head, as if it was hard to believe. “She usually doesn’t fall for people.” People. Hyunjin was more than that, Heejin thought. She couldn’t help but be nosy. 

 

“Does Hyunjin like her back?” Chaeryoung’s eyebrows furrowed at the question, but her face relaxed with more thought.

 

“You know what, I think she does.”

 

 

Jiwoo squeezed Sooyoung in a tight hug. She pulled back, frowning at the tears in her eyes. “You’re finally doing it, huh?” She looked over her shoulder, smiling at Jinsol who was busy making goofy faces with Chaewon. Jinsol had slowly been sliding back into the way things were when they first met. Friends. “I’m so happy for you two!”

 

Sooyoung patted her shoulder, sniffling and wiping away her loose tears. “How are things?” She subtly nodded her head towards Jungeun. She was currently being bombarded by Lia over by the snack table. Jiwoo sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Every night, Jiwoo and Jungeun would sleep in the same bed, but they felt like they were worlds apart. She couldn’t understand the way Jungeun felt because she never spoke about it, never let out her feelings. Jiwoo was willing to be patient, but it had been months.

 

“Fine for now, I guess.” Sooyoung gave her a sympathetic smile. She knew how it felt, having been in the same boat as her with Jinsol. Jiwoo stepped away to let her friend run over to her fiancé, she was never going to get over that. She looked around and noticed all her old and new friends mingling. Her two worlds, pre outbreak and post outbreak, colliding. She lingered on Jungeun, who met her eyes. Jiwoo took in a shaky breath and tore her eyes away. Her girlfriend was hypnotizing to look at, but now wasn’t the time to lose it, lose her cool. 

 

Once Lia turned her back on her, Jungeun slipped away to the couches. She gripped Heejin’s wrist and tugged her away from Chaeryoung. “I told you she was bad news.” Heejin frowned, thinking deeply about what this really was about. Hyunjin wasn’t hers, she had the right to go on with her life even though Heejin cried weeks on end in the silence and darkness of her room when she thought no one was awake to listen. This was about Jungeun’s feelings. How she felt about a person she’s grown to care for leaving abruptly.

 

Heejin whisked her away, walking into a separate room for more privacy. She narrowed her eyes at Jungeun, who purposely avoided her knowing gaze. “You can talk to me, you know.” The silence engulfed them, Heejin realizing they were in some sort of office. Should they even be in here? Jungeun sighed and finally met her gaze. 

 

“I just feel like we deserve better.” She whispered quietly, a heaviness in her tone that Heejin couldn’t ignore. For all the years that she’s known Jungeun, Heejin has come to the conclusion that her friend feels deeply even if she pretends that she doesn’t. Heejin just felt numb now, completely void of emotions. It was like she cried them all out. All Heejin could do was wrap her up in a hug and reassuringly whisper in her ear that everything will be alright.

 

 

Hyunjin led them through the cafeteria, which had a brand new look to it. The tables were now sleek metal and the floors were marble. They put in orders for their food and seated themselves at an open table, which wasn’t hard to find considering it was past ten o’clock at night. “Wow, this place gets better and better every time I visit!” Jiwoo exclaimed, eyes wide as she looked over the room. 

 

It was the four of them, plus Hyejoo and Chaewon who wanted to tag along for a night snack. Heejin observed the blonde suspiciously as she ruffled through a purse, only to take out a water bottle. “Did you expect alcohol?” There was a light heartedness to her tone that unsettled Heejin in different ways.

 

Before she could react, she felt someone lean closer to her side. “Chaewon is four months sober.” It was Hyunjin, who showcased a proud smile. She watched as they exchanged a high five across the table. When did they get so close? Heejin figures a lot has happened in the past months they’ve been apart. Did she even know the Hyunjin now? Was she still the same under all of this unfamiliarity? 

 

Hyunjin smiled more, with teeth even, her cute little canines sticking out. Her hair was different, which seemed a little experimental for her. And now she knew how to work a sword.

 

 

Heejin stared up at the figure, jaw dropped and speechless. She couldn’t believe Hyunjin was standing in front of her, like some sort of dream Heejin would never want to wake up from. It felt like she was hallucinating because of the heat. Or maybe she was in the afterlife. 

 

She blankly gaped at the hand Hyunjin was offering to pull her up. It has appeared that Heejin has forgotten how to function. “We better hurry before any others come.” She grasped Heejin’s dusty hand and stood her up. She stepped over the zombie’s body, staring down at the impressive precision it took to take all three out at the same time. 

 

It wasn’t until they reached the cabin did Heejin come to her senses. She was suddenly fully aware of her hand and how perfect it felt in the warmness of Hyunjin’s. How angelic Hyunjin looked with the sun glowing behind her. How Heejin was standing in this exact spot while she watched Hyunjin leave her. 

 

She quickly retracted her hand, catching Hyunjin’s attention. She watched Hyunjin open and close , an awkwardness brewing around them. “Why are you here?” Hyunjin’s face fell, and for a moment, she looked recognizable. The unreadable look on her face was what Heejin was used to, coming from her. Not so much the smugness she felt earlier. 

 

Before she can give Heejin an answer, there was a squeal coming from the bunker’s trap door entrance. “Kim Hyunjin!” 

 

 

“Girl, you better snap out of it.” Heejin jumped at Jungeun’s whisper. She hadn’t realized that she was looking at Hyunjin this entire time she was zoning out. Good thing she was too preoccupied talking with the others to notice. Is that where they were now? Not even noticing each other?

 

She tuned into the conversation. “Yerim and the others are doing fine, they’re just watching the bunker for us while we’re here.” Hyunjin brightened up at the mention of Yerim. Jiwoo revealed to her quietly that Yerim begged to tag along, but Jungeun wasn’t too fond of the idea, worrying about her safety. Hyunjin glanced over, finding that Jungeun was facing away from them.

 

She saw herself in Jungeun. Reserved and held back by certain types of emotion, ready to explode at any given time. Hyunjin wonders if all of that was what led them to this point. She knows she would have reacted the same if Jungeun had left instead.

 

 

Yeojin squinted at the scribbles, trying to decipher a part of a note Jiwoo had left for them. From what she could make out of it, they were instructions on how to care for the bunker. “You got to be kidding me.” She mumbled out, skimming over it one more time before she yelled out for Haseul.

 

There was a groan coming from the kitchen before she felt the paper being swiped from her hands. Yeojin watched as Haseul’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Blow on the hay stacks in the cabin, feed the cereals some milk, compliment the punching bag in the living room.” The older girl trailed off. “Jiwoo must have been high while writing this.” She flipped over the paper, noticing some better handwriting. 

 

Sorry guys, Jiwoo is high, ignore all of that. Stay safe and watch each other’s backs. We’ll be back soon. ~ Heejin

 

“Well, that confirms it.” She handed the paper over while Yeojin reached for it, immediately reading the back of the note. She hummed, chuckling at the girls’ silliness.

 

Haseul stepped back over to the computer. She claimed it as hers since no one was using it after Hyunjin “moved” out. Back in high school, she would spend all her time click clacking away on her laptop. She wished she had her Sims. When she first managed to log on after breaking into the password locked account, there was a single file on the desktop. It was late at night and no one was around, but she still checked behind her before clicking on it. It was an unfinished drawing of a bunny and a cat.

 

The file folder was titled “hehe”. She clicked on it and dragged it towards the trash, hovering over it. Should she get rid of it? Or was it none of her business? She dragged the mouse away, letting the file revert back to its place. It wasn’t hers to trash.

 

“Yeojin! Want to watch me play a round of Tetris?”

 

 

Hyunjin pushed open the double doors to the penthouse grand suite, opening her arms to reveal the room. Jiwoo froze with dropped to the ground. Jungeun chuckled, lightly shaking her out of the stunned state. She looked at Hyunjin for the first time that whole day. “Seems like they treat you like royalty here, huh?” She watched as Hyunjin tilted her head at that. Jungeun guesses that sounded a bit targeted. She gripped Heejin’s arm and brushed past her and Jiwoo, who was still glued to the floor.

 

“You guys get the whole place to yourselves. Don’t worry, there’s three separate bedrooms for each of you.” She heard Jungeun cheer from the far right side of the suite, much to Jiwoo’s obvious dismay. Hyunjin bit her tongue, wondering if she had said something wrong. She frowned, stepping closer to Jiwoo, who waved her off.

 

“It’s alright, I’m alright. Head to bed, we have a long day tomorrow.” Hyunjin watched as Jiwoo rushed into an empty room, wiping at her eyes. She slumped her shoulders, sending a glare towards the room Jungeun walked into earlier. At that same moment, Heejin stepped out, locking eyes with her. There was a weird sense of deja vu Heejin couldn’t place her finger on.

 

If she wanted to properly move on, she would have to start by acting like there wasn’t a wall separating them. A wall that was built on her part, but she was willing to bulldoze it down to feel a sense of normalcy between them. Their gazes lingered and it finally hit Heejin. It started to make sense. This would be the second time she attempts to move on from Hyunjin. It was obvious where the first time led her, right back to this exact moment, having the need to get rid of her feelings all together.

 

But Heejin was determined this time. Determined to reach the level of friendship and have it stay there, in a comfortable space.

 

“Goodnight, Hyunjin.” She let out softly before reaching for the doorknob, twisting it as she closed the door. She sighed, placing her forehead against the cold doorframe. She heard a scoff coming from the bed.

 

“We’re doomed.”

 

 

Jiwoo woke up with the sun shining through the window, something she wasn’t used to anymore ever since she started living in the bunker. She felt around on the big bed, coming up empty handed. Jungeun really must have fallen asleep with Heejin. She exhaled and swung herself upright. Today was just going to be another day to get through.

 

She waltzed into Heejin’s room, ready to yodel, when she paused at the sight. Heejin was halfway off the side of the bed while Jungeun was spread like a starfish in the middle. Jiwoo’s heart warmed. She took a moment to capture a picture in her mind before shaking the bed.

The shaking intensified and it jolted Heejin awake first, causing her to tumble off the bed. “What the—?“ She peered over the sheets, noticing Jiwoo’s radiant smile that was brighter than the sun rays coming through the window behind her. “Why.” Her smile got bigger and Heejin groaned. Jungeun was still knocked out on the bed, an idea popping into Jiwoo’s head.

 

“Help me out!” Jiwoo yelled after Heejin, who made a beeline to the bathroom to avoid getting roped in her silly scheme. She waved Jiwoo off and slammed the door shut. Jiwoo pouted, but returned to the task at hand. She kneeled by the side of the bed closest to where Jungeun’s face was.

 

She took one look at the peacefulness on Jungeun’s face and all thoughts left her head. When was the last time she’s seen her so calm? Not stressed out? Jiwoo tucked a strand of hair behind Jungeun’s ear that had fallen forward, leaning in to press a soft kiss to . “Good morning, my sunshine.” She started to stir awake, blinking her eyes open. Her vision cleared up, realizing it was Jiwoo in front of her all ready to go.

 

“Hi.”

 

Jiwoo could almost coo at the softness emanating from Jungeun right now. She brushed her thumb over the space between her eyebrows, causing her to giggle. A giggle, that was something too rare these days, Jiwoo thought. She leaned forward one last time, kissing her cheek before standing back up. “It’s time to get ready!”

 

 

They were all gathered in the Pluto building for a practice rehearsal. There was a long table planted in the middle, an array of dishes lined up on top of it. This was the best part, Hyunjin thought, food testing! She reached for the chair at the end, when she felt Lia bump into her, stealing her spot. “Dude?!” Lia shrugged, a smug grin on her face as she offered up the chair next to hers, who happened to be right next to Heejin.

 

Hyunjin twisted around to see if there were any open chairs, but everyone was already seated and digging in. She reluctantly plopped onto her chair, eyes trailing across and locking with Yeji’s. Great, Yeji was sitting across from them too? She put up a hand, knowing to block Lia’s persistent teasing. Hyunjin just wanted to pig out in peace.

 

She nervously glanced next to her, but Heejin was preoccupied, laughing at the chopsticks hanging out of Chaeryoung’s mouth. Hyunjin frowned, what was so entertaining about that? And Heejin was laughing. She only ever laughed like that when Hyunjin would unintentionally say something that she found funny. She thought that laugh was reserved just for her.

 

“Dude, turn that frown upside down!” She heard Lia in her ear. Hyunjin swatted her away, reaching for the basket of bread in front of her. Instead of touching fluffy bread, she grasped a soft hand. She pulled her hand back quickly, blush covering her face when she realized it was Yeji’s, who was also sporting pink cheeks. Heejin could not have turned around at the perfect time. “After you two love birds are done eating, I need help in the armory.”

 

Hyunjin’s eyes darted towards Heejin’s, who held a curious gaze on Yeji, but Yeji was too busy looking at Hyunjin. Lia stood up from the table, brushing off her hands, smirking at the internal mess she just caused in Hyunjin’s heart.

 

She heard Yeji finally speak up, trying to gain some balance on even ground amidst this tense atmosphere. “What do you think she needs us for?” Hyunjin shrugged, finally stuffing with the bread. She sure missed the taste of bread.

 

“She probably needs help sorting out the new sword inventory.” Hyunjin purposefully commented, sneaking a peak next to her to see if it’s caught Heejin’s attention. And of course it has.

 

“Swords?” Heejin set down her fork, chewing meticulously on a piece of meat. Yeji paused with her spoon midway to . Hyunjin nodded, pretending to be casual.

 

“You can come look if you want?” Heejin felt daggers through the back of her skull. She definitely knew who it was coming from, but the thought of swords enticed her too much to care. She nodded in response, her eyes flying over to Yeji, who was staring down at her soup.

 

Heejin hummed in her head. The bubbling feeling in her stomach felt new and a bit strange. Almost like how she felt competing in her choir’s mini talent show. Similar, but not. She didn’t know Yeji well enough to care about her, but she was still someone in Hyunjin’s new circle of friends, if they even called it that. It wasn’t Heejin’s business to know the details, but there was still a bugging feeling in the back of her mind that she worked hard on shoving down.

 

 

“Brought a visitor?” Lia announced from behind a desk. She was wearing glasses and peering over a stack of papers in her hand. “I hope she’s useful!” Hyunjin rolled her eyes. Yeji slid up next to Lia, grabbing the stack out of her hand.

 

Heejin suddenly felt intimidated by the vibe, like she was intruding on their work. But her eyes widened in awe as she looked around at the weapons on the walls, from handguns to bazookas. “I’ve shot that one!” She felt Hyunjin whisper excitedly next to her. She whipped her head to give her a bewildered look, but Hyunjin was already a few steps away. “This is our new inventory.” Heejin watched as she held open large wooden cabinets, revealing an array of swords hanging up on the wall.

 

“You know, Yeji is our best swordswoman.” She flinched as Lia snuck up behind her, also admiring their fancy new swords. “Practically taught Hyunjin from scratch.” This earned Lia a smack on the shoulder from Hyunjin, who did not look the least bit amused.

 

So, that definitely explains how she managed to take out three zombies in one go with a claymore, Heejin thought to herself. An impressive feat she probably couldn’t do herself. She thinks she could have been a great teacher too, though, if she had gotten the chance.

 

Heejin decided to ignore the interaction, instead reaching out to grab the glorious katana that had caught her eye from the start. “I’d be careful—!” She heard Lia begin to say, but was interrupted by Hyunjin.

 

“Don’t worry, she knows what she’s doing.”

 

Heejin took harsh slices of the air in quick successions, her hand moving so fast they could barely see it. Yeji and Lia watched with their mouths hanging open. Hyunjin’s eyes were sparkling, it had been so long since she’s seen Heejin work a sword like this. Heejin’s smile grew as her hand felt lighter and lighter, like her hand was becoming one with the sword. Cheesy as it may be, the art of wielding a sword is what pulled Heejin out of her post outbreak slump.

She took a step forward and paused her movements. The sword was inches away from Yeji’s neck. It took everything in Heejin not to smirk, but she allowed herself to lift her right eyebrow daringly. Lia whooped joyfully, fanning herself at the tension. “Oh, girl. I think she just challenged you!”

 

Hyunjin stood frozen in place with wide eyes, her stare stuck on one person. She felt her chest burst, gradually reaching a point where her heart sped up, and the feeling was all too familiar.

 

 

Jungeun leaned against the wall, swaying around out of boredom. Jiwoo had been busy running around and helping with things that could be fixed up for the actual wedding. What was she expecting though on this visit, that Jiwoo would pay attention to her and only her this entire time? She could only let out a sigh, frustration boiling up anyway. It was only nearing sunset, but she was ready to head to bed for a deep, long sleep.

 

“Jungeun? We need you here for this part!” She heard Sooyoung call, beckoning for her to come towards them. She lifted herself from the wall and shuffled across the room. She wishes she didn’t have to be a part of this, but it was for Jiwoo. She took a sweep around the room, realizing Heejin and the others hadn’t been back yet. Didn’t they need to be here too?

 

She could feel the stress start to course through her body. Why did she agree to come, why didn’t she just let Jiwoo go alone? Jungeun caught her hopeful gaze, but it only intensified her frustration. The room started to swirl, but she held onto a stray chair, the spinning coming to a stop. “Jiwoo, I might just head back now.” She was by her side, holding her up, concern etched on her face.

 

“We’re almost done, can you wait it out?” Jungeun freed herself from Jiwoo’s embrace, backing up towards the entrance. She shook her head, heart twisting at the frown on Jiwoo’s face. The others could only watch with worry. “Do you want me to come with you?” Jungeun had finally turned around, back facing Jiwoo, but she stopped at her words. She contemplated whether or not she wanted to be selfish, or just let her be.

 

“I’m fine!”

 

The room went silent, the muttering from the others ceasing after Jungeun’s words. Jiwoo’s face blanked, never having heard that tone of Jungeun’s voice in the time that they’ve known each other. It echoed throughout the room, but her words felt empty. Her feet were glued to the ground, stunned as she could only watch Jungeun slip out into the night.

 

Jungeun wiped at the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She really didn’t feel like crying in public, although the campus seemed eerily empty at this time. She picked up her pace, wanting to get to their suite across the grounds. She neared the parking lots, and that’s when she heard it, a bunch of commotion. Her curiosity took over and she quickly backtracked, eyes narrowing to see what was going on.

 

There were three tall men standing in the way of a group of girls, seemingly like they were trying to calm them down. Jungeun’s blood froze, recognizing a voice the moment she heard it.

 

“Sir, you don’t understand. Our home was ransacked. We had to flee from the looters.”

 

Jungeun stepped out from behind the pillar, Jiwoo’s van suddenly coming into view. She rushed over, throwing a protective arm in front of Yerim. “What the hell happened you guys?!” Yeojin burst into tears, Haseul pulling her into a hug to settle her down. The men gave them space, but still lingered around, keeping a watchful eye on the group of girls. Yerim covered her face and crouched onto the pavement. She turned to Vivi, questions bombarding her mind as to what could have possibly happened. Vivi could only give her a solemn look.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Heejin bounded down the steps to her school. She couldn’t wait to get to the karaoke room and free herself from all stress she’s felt this week. It was time for some power ballads. She neared the busy street she crossed everyday to get home, but for some odd reason, it was quiet. A car here and there, but no one in sight walking around. She shrugged it off, maybe there was some event going on in the area. She went down an alleyway and reached the back entrance, letting herself in. She was pretty much their favorite customer, allowing her free access to sing as many songs as she wanted and for however long she wanted. 

 

“You’ll become a great singer one day.” The owner of the place always said, giving Heejin a sweet smile and a pat on the back every time they happened to cross paths. 

 

She walked into the room on the very end, her room at this point, and tossed her backpack onto the couch. She rolled up her sleeves and scrolled through the songs, deciding on one and cranking up the volume. She hopped in anticipation as the intro played. This was it, this was the feeling Heejin wished to feel all the time. Like she was flying, soaring on a fluffy white cloud as she got lost in the music. 

 

She had her eyes closed, but halfway through the song, they flew open at the sound of the door closing shut. “Jungeun? Wh- what are you doing here?” A wave of embarrassment rushed over her, but the frantic look on her face stopped Heejin from smiling. “What’s wrong?” Jungeun took a look out the window and locked the door, closing the blinds before rushing over to Heejin. Her behavior was, quite frankly, freaking her out. And on top of that, she hadn’t seen Jungeun in months after their previous encounter. For someone who goes to the same school, is in the choir class after her, she doesn’t get to see her an awful lot. 

 

“I need you to listen to me carefully.” 

 

Jungeun peered over her shoulder one last time before turning back to face her. She picked up Heejin’s backpack and tossed it over her own shoulder. She could only watch in utter confusion. What was going on? What was with all the dramatics? She was convinced that this was some sort of elaborate prank. 

 

There was a loud thump against the door, like a body was slammed against it. Heejin flinched and let out a yelp in surprise, but Jungeun was quick to cover . “We have to be quiet!” A couple seconds passed, then there was growling followed by a chorus of screams right outside their door. Her eyebrows furrowed, was there some sort of animal on the loose? Wait, what was Jungeun even doing here? 

 

“Heejin.” Jungeun grabbed her attention back. “I don’t want to scare you, but there’s been an outbreak.” They were now backed into the corner of the room, furthest away from the door. There had been news a while ago of a virus outbreak in a different country, but it wasn’t seen as a big deal. The governments around the world brushed it under the rug not even a week after it happened. This made no sense to her, how was it in America?

 

Her look of confusion only intensified. Last time she checked, viral outbreaks weren’t supposed to warrant the look of fear she saw swimming in Jungeun’s eyes. “I’m sure it’ll be fine once we head home?” She offered, although a bit unconfident of her own words. 

 

“I don’t think you’re understanding me, Heejin. There’s been an outbreak.”

 

 

Jiwoo ran her fingers through her hair, pushing away her laptop. She was stuck on a specific paragraph for her final paper. She looked outside the floor to ceiling window of the café she was currently sitting in. The sun was beating down on the cars parked along the busy city street. Across the way, a crowd started gathering. She closed her laptop, deciding to just finish her paper at home. 

 

She stepped out of the café, but was alarmed to hear the shouts and screams coming from the gathered crowd. They immediately dispersed, revealing a sight Jiwoo will never be able to erase from her mind. She quickly stepped back into the coffee shop, looking around to see that others have started to notice the commotion happening outside.

 

She took her phone out of her pocket, quickly dialing her father. Straight to voicemail. Everyone was supposed to be home, since her uncle was in town visiting them. Jiwoo shot a quick “?” to Sooyoung, who read it, but didn’t respond. She checked back outside, now some people were running. Panic started to boil through her veins, but Jiwoo didn’t want to lose it quite yet, not until she figures out what is going on. Or else she’d look really weird in front of all these strangers. 

 

Her phone started to buzz in her hand, the caller ID flashing an alien emoji. “Uncle?” There was some static, the sounds of screeching in the background. She hopes he was watching some horror movie because... “Uncle, are you there?” There was heavy breathing on the other end of the line, then the sound of a door closing. 

 

Suddenly, she could hear him loud and clear. “Jiwoo, it’s starting.” He sounded so ominous. “Get to the bunker.” But before she could bombard him with questions buzzing around in her mind, the line went dead. She stared at her phone, eyebrows furrowing together. She dialed his number again, over and over, all of which were sent straight to voicemail. She gave up and pocketed her phone. What did he mean by all of that? 

 

This entire time, she thought that the bunker was some place her uncle made up. If he was telling the truth, it was underneath his gun shop, which was miles away on the outskirts of town. 

 

A loud boom caught her attention. A car had crashed into a street light that was now teetering on its hinges. The driver stumbled out, but something was terribly wrong. He looked just like the figure Jiwoo had seen not too much earlier. She watched with wide eyes as he grabbed at a random bystander, savagely tearing into him. Boom, another car crashing, but into one of the stores nearby. 

 

Jiwoo could hear the customers in the café start to panic, whispering to each other if they had a clue as to what was going on. There were sounds of ambulances in the distance, but the police sirens sounded closer. They formed a barricade around the block. An officer came out of the cop car parked in front of the coffee shop, approaching the large window. His voice bellowed through the barrier. 

 

“Please, remain calm!” 

 

It almost happened in slow motion to Jiwoo, but everything afterwards went by in a flash. The officer was tackled from the side, visibly struggling to fend off what looked like a rabid man. It reminded Jiwoo of the zombie shows she used to let play in the background while she worked out at the gym. She gasped, an epiphany appearing a bit too late. 

 

Everything went from zero to a million in a span of seconds. It wasn’t until the windows shattered in front of her did she realize she needed to move. She tuned her ears out at the inhuman growling and the piercing shrieks coming from all around her, she needed to get to her car. She looked outside, eyeing her goal. If she could just run over undetected, she can drive out of here. 

 

She was no match the moment she stepped back out. It was total and utter chaos. Jiwoo hugged her backpack, whining as she ran down the sidewalk. She flinched every time she heard a sound. Before she knew it, she was meters away from her car. She cried out in relief, her car was still in one piece amidst all the craziness. 

 

Her mistake was thinking she was all good. Her blood ran dry at the sound of a growl coming from behind her. She flipped around to see a girl her age, but her limbs were distorted and her eyes were rolled back. “Good Lord.” Jiwoo mumbled to herself, backing away slowly. It was inching towards her and she had to think quickly on how to distract it. She looked down, the only thing she had was her backpack, filled with her school supplies and laptop. 

 

She threw it at the girl? zombie? with absolutely no success at all. “Damn it!” She scolded herself, tripping backwards over some street debris. She watched as it hovered over her. As a last resort, Jiwoo brought up her arms to shield herself. Death by zombie, she thought, she’s sure no Buzzfeed quiz could ever predict that. 

 

But the moment never came. 

 

There was a loud smack, and then a thump. Jiwoo sneaked a peek through the space in her arm shield. A girl, a normal one she thinks, was holding her backpack over the now unconscious zombie. Jiwoo scrambled onto her feet, stuttering out a thank you. The girl met her gaze, shrugging off the gratitude as if she didn’t just save Jiwoo’s life. The zombie started growling from the ground, invoking a scream from Jiwoo. “Holy crap!” She pulled the stranger up onto the sidewalk and dragged her towards her car.

 

It was like her car was pulling further and further away, but they finally reached it and Jiwoo slammed her hand down on the door handle. “Get in!” The girl, who had long black hair and soft facial features, looked at her like she was crazy. “Don’t worry, it’s my car!” They hopped in and Jiwoo locked the doors and rolled up her windows. There was a loud thud on the hood of her car, eliciting a scream from the both of them this time. 

 

Every single one seemed to look different, but they were all zombies to Jiwoo. She put in her key and stomped on the gas, the body flying over the car. The next five minutes just felt like a bunch of screaming and swerving. She quickly double checked the gas gauge, thanking the heavens that she spent the rest of her paycheck on filling her tank a couple days prior. 

 

“Where are we going?!” 

 

Jiwoo drove over the traffic island, cutting towards the main highway leading out of town. She glanced over to the passenger seat, staring real hard at the girl who saved her life. 

 

“The safest place on Earth.”

 

 

Chaewon tilted her head, gaze set on Hyejoo as she steered. It was a particularly scorching day so they stole Chaewon’s father’s airboat to take to the Glades. They were headed to a secret spot they found a couple summers back, a small abandoned water cabin. They transformed the interior, hanging up curtains, spreading out a rug on the floor, and spraying insect repellent every single time they stepped foot inside. Chaewon liked to think of it as their little home together. 

 

Just her and Hyejoo, alone, in this big world. 

 

“I can feel you staring, you know?” Chaewon could hear the smirk in Hyejoo’s voice before it appeared on her face. She parked the boat by the makeshift dock they built behind the cabin, holding her hand out to help Chaewon jump up first. She steadied herself on the dock before tightening her grip to pull Hyejoo up. She pushed off the airboat, but it rocked into the side, hitting against the wooden posts holding up the cabin. She fell into Chaewon’s arms and they both toppled over on the deck. 

 

Hyejoo’s infectious laugh rung out in the dry air, making Chaewon giggle along. She scooted back to lean against the cabin, Hyejoo never loosening her grip, plopping her head onto Chaewon’s lap. They stayed in that position for a while, letting the peacefulness engulf them. She ran her fingers through Hyejoo’s dark hair out of habit. 

 

The two were inseparable, came as a package deal, the best of friends. But somewhere along the way, Chaewon wanted more. The basic “fall in love with your best friend” trope, she thought. She would rather never expose herself as some cliché, so she kept quiet, hell bent on taking this secret to the grave with her. Being with Hyejoo, like this, was what she ultimately wanted, regardless of how she felt. 

 

She broke out of her daze when she felt Hyejoo patting down her jacket. “What’s this?” She shoved her hand into her pocket, panic rising through Chaewon’s body. She could only watch as Hyejoo pulled out her hidden mini vodka bottle. A frown settled on her face, opposite to the serene smile she had not even a minute earlier. She lifted herself off her lap, eyes boring into Chaewon’s. She paused to tie her hair up into a bun, but returned with a stern look. “Is something the matter?” 

 

Okay, so, Chaewon guesses she hasn’t been coping well with her unrequited “crush” if she’s drinking every other day. It started with a few sips within a day, then an entire mini bottle in a day. Those were easier to hide from her family and Hyejoo. She let out an exasperated sigh, standing up and heading inside the cabin. Hyejoo followed after like a puppy, pouting as if it would convince Chaewon to talk to her. These days, it seemed like she was distant. Not physically, but mentally. Emotionally. 

 

Chaewon unlatched the trunk that had been there since they discovered the place. Whoever owned the cabin left all their belongings, including valuable weapons. Hyejoo usually just watched while Chaewon practiced her shooting. For a self learner, she had impeccable aim. She brought out the hunting rifle, the weight of it feeling lighter and lighter the more she held it. She glanced over her shoulder, finding Hyejoo buried in her phone.

 

“Hyejoo? Are you going to watch me?” Most times, she liked to show off and impress her. “Earth to Hyejoo!”

 

She turned her phone screen towards Chaewon, who had to squint from across the room. “I can’t tell if this is fake or not. Do you think it is?” It was a looped video of people getting attacked at Disney World by what looked like zombies. 

 

“Definitely fake. Maybe they’re trying to promote the new Zombieland movie?” Hyejoo took one last look and shrugged, clicking her phone off. 

 

“That must be it.” 

 

“Now let me shoot some targets before it gets dark out!” 

 

 

Yeojin bolted up the stairs the second she arrived at Haseul’s apartment complex. She shuffled around for her spare key, frantically jiggling it into the doorknob. The living room was dark, but there was light coming from under the door to Haseul’s bedroom, also some music floating out. She ran towards it, not caring to knock before swinging the door open. 

 

Maybe she should have took the spare second to knock, it would have saved her from the imagery of Vivi and Haseul making out on the bed. Yeojin let out a screech, hands flying up to cover her burning eyes. “Jesus Christ, are you guys completely unaware of what is happening right now?!” 

 

“No, and we don’t care.” Vivi huffed out. Haseul sent her a quick glare. She turned back to Yeojin, her eyes softening. 

 

“What’s going on?” 

 

“A zombie apocalypse!”

 

Yeojin jumped up and down, the panic overwhelming her. Haseul slid off the bed, approaching the younger girl carefully. “I think you’ve been watching too much t.v.” She moved out of Haseul’s reach, whipping out her phone. 

 

“I know what I saw!” She clicked on a video she took an hour earlier at the shopping center, showing the screen to her friends. “It was absolutely insane!” Haseul’s eyes widened as she snatched the phone from her, taking a closer look at the footage. 

 

“How the hell did you get out?” Haseul thought out loud. Vivi appeared behind her, taking the phone to see for herself, letting out a poorly timed laugh. 

 

“I met this girl and her dad rescued us in his truck.” Even saying it out loud it still seemed surreal to Yeojin. If it hadn’t been for Yerim, she would totally be a zombie right now. Speaking of which, her and her dad were waiting for them in the parking lot. “Guys, we got to go! They’re waiting for us outside!” 

 

Vivi lifted up her hands, pausing everyone’s movements. “Wait, wouldn’t it be best to just stay inside?” Yeojin vehemently shook her head, thinking about Yerim’s dad’s words. He told them about a safe place he can take them to, a place that was heavily guarded. 

 

“Just trust me this one time, you guys!”

 

The three skipped down the stairs, backpacks filled haphazardly with the essentials. The sun was finally setting, and the truck came into view. They filed in, climbing over each other in the spacious back seat. This was the biggest truck Haseul’s ever seen. 

 

“Hello! I’m Yerim, nice to meet you guys.” The happy smile on the strange girl vastly contrasted to the situation at hand, but they greeted her and introduced themselves nonetheless. Yeojin was just glad they had back up. Who knows how quickly they’d die if it was just the three of them. 

 

Her dad rolled them out onto the highway, driving for what seemed like hours. “Goodness, I should have popped a motion sickness pill.” Haseul mumbled to herself, touching her feverish forehead with the back of her hand. The wooziness rocked her into a state of slumber, laying her head on Vivi’s stiff shoulder. She moved closer to Yeojin, making sure not to shift Haseul even a mere inch. 

 

“Are you sure we can trust them?” Yeojin itched her ear, Vivi’s whisper so soft it tickled her. She peered up at the front, watching Yerim crack jokes to her father, who laughed boisterously. “They seem a bit strange.”

 

Yeojin shrugged her shoulders, it was too late to turn back now. “And so what if they are? At least they offered to help.” Vivi in her cheeks, seeing her point. She slid her hand into Yeojin’s small one, squeezing it tight to reassure her. They bickered and bantered all the time, but in a crisis like this, Vivi would do anything for Yeojin. She hoped Yeojin knew that. 

 

They reached a gated entrance, Yerim’s father rolled down the window to talk through a speaker. “I’m here to see General Choi.” A buzz sounded through the speaker, the gates opening up, revealing a twisty upward path. It was completely dark out now, but the driveway was illuminated by small lamps that were lined up on both sides. Yerim hopped out of the car before her father even parked the truck. There was a man in a suit waiting by the entryway.

 

Yeojin looked up at the spacious mansion, slack jawed. Vivi and Haseul were sporting an identical look. “Uncle!” Yerim jumped into the man’s open arms. Her father joined in on the hug, roughly patting the man’s back. Yeojin turned away, feeling as if she was intruding on a family moment. 

 

Haseul asked a question that had been weighing on everybody’s mind. “Do you think everything will be okay?” She didn’t expect the man in the suit to hear her, let alone answer her question.

 

“You will be safe here.” 

 

It wasn’t a direct answer, but it sure felt reassuring to hear. The man in the suit, General Choi, Yerim’s uncle, motioned for them to come inside. Yerim swung her arms over their shoulders and led them on a tour of the grand mansion, the men stayed behind to talk. 

 

“Have you been able to contact Jungeun?” Yerim’s father asked in a low whisper, being mindful of his daughter who was naively unaware of the severity of the outbreak. “Her mother?” General Choi let out a deep sigh, distress hidden behind his brave face. 

 

“I got a hold of her mother. She says she hasn’t seen Jungeun since she left for school.” 

 

This could only mean one or two things. His niece, Yerim’s cousin who she adored, was either fending for herself or gone. The girl’s broke out into laughter, caused by none other than Yerim. His heart swelled, watching his daughter smiling away. He would do anything to protect her. 

 

“How about your ex girlfriend and her daughter? Where are they now?” 

 

It had been more than a decade, but he kept in contact, calling a few times in a year to see how she was doing. They both never remarried, but they knew they were better off as friends. “In Texas. Is it true that they sent troops into the big cities?” 

 

There was a grim look on his brother’s face. “They wouldn’t allow troops into New York, let alone here in Arizona.” He paled at his words. He could only hope and pray that Hyunjin and her mother were okay. 

 

“But we will be safe in here?” His brother nodded wordlessly, but there was a look of hesitation growing on his face. The general faced his brother. 

 

“We must protect them, brother, at all costs.” 

 

Yerim’s father read between the lines. It was something he already knew, but it served as a reminder. He took another glance at Yerim and her new group of friends. They seem to have gotten along in the very short period of time they’ve known each other. With the right guidance and practice, he was sure they could teach these girls how to defend themselves when it came down to it. 

 

He was proud, that even in the darkest of times, Yerim shined like a light at the end of a very dim tunnel. 

 

 

“Who is it?” Jinsol peered over her shoulder, but Sooyoung was quicker, clicking her phone screen off. 

 

“No one.” She lied, itching to text back a question mark to Jiwoo’s question mark. It did feel a bit unnerving, like she was on the edge of her seat, anticipating. Jinsol fell back onto the pile of pillows perched by the headboard, letting out an annoyed huff.

 

“I know it’s Jiwoo. Who else would it be from?” 

 

Sooyoung bit her lower lip, contemplating her next words. “It seemed like an emergency?” Jinsol let out a groan, rolling off the bed to switch on her t.v. She surfed through the channels, leaving it on the news. 

 

“Why do you still bother talking to her? She tried to break us apart.” Sooyoung furrowed her eyebrows, she definitely remembers that differently. Jiwoo was harmless, she never understood why Jinsol felt threatened by her. They were all great friends at the start, but it turned sour once Jinsol confessed her feelings. 

 

A part of her felt guilty for distancing herself from her best friend, just to please her girlfriend. Sooyoung had hoped and prayed and prayed and hoped that Jinsol would ease up on the jealousy, but it was obvious that she didn’t trust Jiwoo. 

 

“What is it about her that has you so worried?” 

 

Sooyoung regretted saying it the moment it left . She watched Jinsol tense from behind. The air around them thickened, and Sooyoung could sense an argument brewing. The silence dragged on, only the sounds of the news on the t.v. filling up the room. She stared at Jinsol’s back while her eyes were glued to the screen, not soaking up any of the content being shown. 

 

Sooyoung only broke her gaze when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, the “breaking news” banner flying across the screen. 

 

“Holy ...” She heard Jinsol mutter as she sat up, raising the volume. They showed video footage from a phone camera. It was poorly shot, but the content was clear as day. An aerial shot of downtown appeared on the screen right after, and it was enough to make Sooyoung want to upchuck her lunch. 

 

“Holy .” She heard Jinsol repeat a bit louder. “What the hell are we going to do?!” The news was reporting that everyone should stay at home, and that the authorities have it under control. But by the looks of it, the evidence was damning enough. They sure as hell had nothing, absolutely nothing, in control. 

 

Sooyoung was too lost, too speechless to even speak. Only two words popped into her head: Zombie Apocalypse. 

 

 

Heejin allowed Jungeun to sneak her through the alleyways, pausing every time they rounded a corner. After catching a glimpse of the ghastly sight outside her karaoke room, she finally understood Jungeun’s words. It was that type of outbreak. 

 

Something about the deserted streets and low hum of abandoned cars gave her a creeping feeling, like they were in some sort of horror movie. Heejin guesses they were in a real life horror movie, the ones she would always try to avoid watching. 

 

They were crouched behind a bench, Jungeun eyeing a car across the street. She looked both ways, double checking, triple checking to see if anyone was coming. She tightened her grip on Heejin and made a break for it. They reached the car and hopped in. Jungeun pulled out her phone, tapping at it aggressively. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Heejin asked innocently, as if the world around them wasn’t crumbling at that very moment. 

 

“I can’t reach my mom.” It didn’t even cross her mind to call her parents. Heejin reached into her pocket, realizing that her phone was gone. It must have slipped out when they left the karaoke room. “Or my dad.” She quietly added a bit later. 

 

Jungeun was deep in thought. Her father was states away, probably working to help save people. She thought about her cousin, Yerim. Was she safe? Was her mom safe? She didn’t know it now, but those questions would haunt her for years to come. 

 

“Jungeun.” She broke out of her daze, feeling a gentle grip on her shoulder. “Can I call my family?” She nodded, handing over her phone. She watched as Heejin dialed a number, taking a deep breath before pressing call. 

 

The line rang, and kept ringing until the seventh ring. “Mom?” There was a soft sound of static in the background, then a quiet gasp. There was shuffling sounds, and then finally, a voice. 

 

“Heejin, are you alright?” Her mother’s voice was hushed, almost like she was trying her hardest just to speak. “I want you to listen to me very carefully, I don’t think I have much time.” She pressed the phone harder into her ear, as if it would help hearing her mother’s voice. 

 

“There was a break in. Your father and your sister didn’t make it, sweetheart.” A sob got caught in the back of . “I want you to know how much we love you. Live your life however you please.” There was a long pause on the other side of the line. 

 

“Mom?! Mom, I love you, please don’t leave me.” She yelled into the receiver, feeling absolutely helpless and devastated. Heejin wanted so desperately to be with her family, to leave this earth with them, be together one last time. 

 

“Be happy, Heejin.” The line went dead. 

 

Heejin threw the phone and covered her face, tears rushing down quicker than she could wipe them away. She felt a set of arms wrap around her, squeezing her tight. She looked up, through her blurry eyes, to see Jungeun tearing up too. They sat there, crying in each other’s embrace, until the sun set in the distance. 

 

From this moment forward, they made a vow to always stay by each other’s side. To protect each other from the dangers of whatever comes next. Heejin looked over at Jungeun while she started up the car, a thought crossing her mind. “You’re kind of my guardian angel, huh?” Jungeun sent her a knowing smirk. 

 

Until the very end. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Jungeun closed the door softly, sighing deeply as she leaned against it. She felt footsteps hurry towards her. “Are they alright?!” One of the men had relayed the message over to Jiwoo about the state of her bunker, causing her to drop her duties and run over. Jungeun nodded her head, raising her hands up to stop Jiwoo from entering.

 

“We should let them rest.” She pushed Jiwoo across the suite and into her room, closing the door behind them. A silence came over them, the events from earlier entering their minds. “I’m sorry, Jiwoo. I haven’t been-“

 

“It’s alright, I get it-“

 

“But do you?” Jungeun threw back, her frustration trickling back into her veins. “Do you think you understand me?” She took a step towards her, looking straight into her eyes. Jiwoo didn’t back down, matching her gaze. This was probably the most they’ve talked regarding “feelings” in the past couple months. She wanted Jungeun to let it out, maybe even scream at her, anything to give her a sense of relief. Nothing good ever came out of bottling things in, and Jungeun is the master at that, Hyunjin, too. That’s definitely why they’re feuding in silence.

 

Jiwoo watched as Jungeun grabbed at her hair, pacing back and forth. The stress was emanating from her. She seated herself on the edge of the bed and waited patiently for her to speak. “It’s not just about Hyunjin, you know.” Jungeun started, taking a break from pacing, but her eyes were shut tight. “People always leave me.” 

 

Jiwoo remembers a conversation she had with Heejin, the girl could talk after a few hits.. She mentioned how Jungeun’s parents were divorced long before the outbreak, and that it was just her and her mother in New York. Her father was apart of the military and moved away to live in Arizona, leaving Jungeun behind. He never came to visit and only called on her birthday every year. Heejin only went off about her whole life story because Jiwoo brought up Jungeun’s shooting skills. A part of her was interested, even though her father was never there to teach her. See, she wished that Jungeun would get to tell her everything herself, but sadly, Heejin beat her to it.

 

But she never mentioned knowing anything, in hopes that Jungeun would someday open up. “You think that I would leave you.” Jiwoo stated more than questioned. She collected her thoughts, trying to word her response carefully. “Is that what this is about?”

 

Jungeun looked defeated when she nodded her head. Jiwoo quickly wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her face into Jungeun’s warm neck. “I’m sorry, but you’re stuck with me.” She felt Jungeun shake, then she heard it. The most goofiest, melodious laugh Jiwoo has ever had the privilege to hear. She pulled back, their face only inches apart. “I’m here to stay, Jungeun, no matter what.”

 

“No matter what.” Jungeun quietly thought out loud, humming before she spoke again. “Even if I said I love you?”

 

Jiwoo closed her eyes, her smile growing so big the corners of nearly reached her ears. She imagined that they were in some fancy hotel, on vacation somewhere in Italy, preferably Venice, for an anniversary. But when she opened her eyes, she was brought back to reality. The reality she would choose over anything else, again and again. Their version of a post apocalyptic love story.

 

“Especially, when you say that.” Jiwoo leaned in, relishing in the feeling of Jungeun’s lips against hers. “I love you, i love you, i love you.” She peppered kisses all over Jungeun’s face, her nose, her forehead, her cheeks, which were turning a light pink from blushing. Jungeun smiled, a real and genuine smile, something that felt almost foreign to her, but it was because she was happy. She had finally found the love her mother always talked about, dreamed about for her, even if she didn’t have her own happy ending. Jungeun knows her mother would be smiling down on her right now. 

 

“Wait, Jiwoo. What are we going to do about the bunker?”

 

“We’re taking it back, of course!”

 

 

Hyunjin drummed her fingers against her legs, looking anywhere but at Heejin as they rode down in the elevator together. It was bright and early, and they were heading over to the Pluto building for Heejin and Yeji’s sparring match. The battle for Hyunjin’s heart, Lia teased, out of hearing distance from the other two. She didn’t know who was more nervous, Heejin or herself. The elevator dinged open and they shuffled out. They were halfway across campus when Heejin finally spoke up. 

 

“Have you heard? Yerim and the others are here.” It was obvious that she was trying to make conversation, considering they were both there, together, when Jiwoo got the news. Hyunjin furrowed her eyebrows momentarily, deciding to play into it for Heejin’s sake.

 

“Yeah, have you seen them yet?” Heejin shook her head. Jungeun pretty much stood guard at their door, warding off anyone who wanted to disturb them. All she wanted to do was check up on them, but she wasn’t down to fight Jungeun so early in the morning. Hyunjin pushed open the metal entrance, allowing Heejin to step inside first. They walked further in, Hyunjin noticing a figure on one of the couches. “Lia?”

 

The girl made no movement, deep into her slumber it seemed. Heejin headed straight into the armory while Hyunjin grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She creeped closer to Lia, twisting the bottle cap and tilting it towards her face. But before she could let the water dribble out, a hand snatched the bottle from her. “Are you insane?!” It was Ryujin, with an extreme case of bedhead. Hyunjin’s small smile turned into a wicked grin. “Oh, right. You are insane.”

 

Hyunjin pouted when Ryujin chugged the entire bottle in front of her. “So what’s this I hear about a battle?” She rolled her eyes at Ryujin’s choice of words. Everyone seemed to be making a big deal out of it, when it definitely wasn’t. At least that’s what Hyunjin wanted to believe herself. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?” Ryujin lowered her voice conspiratorially.

 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Hyunjin said a bit defensively, earning an eyebrow raise from her friend. She had confided in Ryujin when Yeji kissed her a month ago, a moment Hyunjin never saw coming. The two never actually spoke of it, but it was apparent that they acted different around each other now. Hyunjin didn’t know what to think, like at all. She never, in a million years, thought Yeji would feel that way about her.

 

Ryujin gave her a pointed look. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t get too out of hand.”

 

“What are we talking about?” Hyunjin flinched at the sudden voice. Lia was standing next to her, as if she hadn’t been asleep this entire time. When did she wake up?!

 

Heejin did a little twirl the second she stepped into the armory, thinking she was alone. “Are you that excited?” She jumped at the presence of Chaeryoung, immediately feeling embarrassed. Word travels fast here, Heejin thought for a split second. To be honest, she was just excited to be dueling someone who shared the same appreciation for swords. Absolutely nothing to do with Yeji being Hyunjin’s new-

 

“Is everyone ready to rumble?!” Heejin’s thoughts were interrupted by Lia’s boisterous voice entering the armory. The space in between her eyebrows creased the second she saw Yeji walking in with them, standing right next to Hyunjin. They locked gazes, stares unwavering up until the point they were facing each other, ready to duel.

 

They were on a makeshift platform made from a stack of gym mats. Ryujin placed her hands on both of their shoulders. “Only one round. Whoever knocks the sword out of the others hand, wins. Got it?” Only Heejin nodded while Yeji’s stare deepened. Ryujin stepped off the platform and counted down. “Go!”

 

Heejin took two quick steps backwards, raising her sword up. The others gave them the same swords to equal out the playing field, much to her dismay. Yeji had the same thought to go on defense too. A minute passed with them just circling the mat, their swords inches away from each other. Heejin refused to break focus, but her gaze diverted towards Hyunjin when she came into her line of sight. Yeji took this split second distraction to make a swipe at Heejin, who barely dodged it. For the next couple minutes, the only sounds in the room were the clanking of the swords.

 

Then silence.

 

Yeji stood over Heejin, sword pointing towards her chest. Heejin’s sword rattled somewhere off the mat, which Lia dropped down to grab to stop the noise. The stillness was unnerving, Hyunjin gulped, waiting for someone to speak first. She looked around, everyone speechless, even Lia.

 

“Yeji wins!” Ryujin stuttered out, finally breaking the trance Yeji was in. She drew back her sword and hopped off the platform, not giving Heejin another glance as her friends swarmed around her. Hyunjin stood still, feeling Yeji’s eyes on her. The fight itself was trivial, but as much as the girls about it, there was still something deeper to it. So she threw an apologetic smile Yeji’s way and rushed over to help Heejin up.

 

“I’m sorry.” Hyunjin offered her hand, Heejin hesitating before she grabbed it. It was a fair match, and Yeji won, fair and square. But Heejin couldn’t help but feel like she had lost more than just the match. She shrugged Hyunjin off, ignoring the way Yeji glared daggers at her. She was about to question the sudden apology when the entry door opened.

 

“Heejin!” Jiwoo bellowed throughout the building, Jungeun standing next to her, facepalming at the dramatics. “Jeon Heejin, we need you on our mission to take back the bunker!” The task force started to giggle at her antics, looking towards an embarrassed Heejin.

 

“You better go.” Hyunjin whispered to her, locking eyes with Jungeun for a fleeting moment. It didn’t feel weird this time though, and Jungeun seemed to smile? at her. She wonders if she was seeing correctly.

 

“You too, Kim Hyunjin!” Jiwoo sing-songed, causing Hyunjin to stop in her tracks. She took one look at Jiwoo and her smirk and knew that it was a set up. This felt very much like the old days where Jiwoo would throw her in a situation with Heejin just so they can interact. The twinkle in Jiwoo’s eyes confirmed Hyunjin’s suspicions, and she didn’t feel a need to protest. Maybe she wanted it to happen, but she’d never admit that. Especially since she ruined any chance with Heejin by leaving her in the first place.

 

 

Jinsol worriedly looked into the van and back towards Jiwoo. “You better get them back here in one piece. They’re my babies.” Hyejoo had offered to come help, which led to Chaewon following along. Sooyoung was hesitant, but Jinsol was even more hesitant, following them out into the parking lot to say her “see you laters”.

 

Jiwoo could see the care and concern written all over Jinsol’s face. She wonders at which point did Jinsol switch back to the friend she once knew and loved. She tried to hate her, hate how she drove Sooyoung away from her, but she didn’t have it in her. It only made her upset for the years to follow, Jiwoo realizing in hindsight that they were nowhere to be seen when the outbreak started. She was sure it was Jinsol who made Sooyoung ghost her on that fateful day.

 

Jinsol looked at her curiously. Jiwoo realized she had been lost in her thoughts for a good amount of time. “Where did you go just now?” She hummed, contemplating if she wanted to unearth all her feelings about their friendship right then and there. She glanced into the van, spotting Jungeun talking to Hyunjin, with a small smile on her face. That was all the push she needed.

 

 

Jiwoo knocked on the door before pushing it in. “Jinsol? Are you here?” There was a rustle of papers and a soft “i’m here” in the back of the college dorm room. She walked in further to find Jinsol buried, literally buried, under a pile of papers. “What are you doing!?” Jiwoo giggled, stepping over to the bed, careful not to stomp on her schoolwork. 

 

“I finally finished my application.” 

 

Jiwoo’s grin slowly dissolved into a frown. Her friends had finally confessed to each other, much to her surprise and joy. But Jinsol had confided in her about a possible job offer that would take her all the way to Europe. It was eating at her, leaving Sooyoung in the dark about something this important. “Does that mean you’ll tell Sooyoung now?”

 

Jinsol made a face at her, a common occurrence it seemed like. Jiwoo didn’t want to believe it, but Jinsol was acting increasingly hostile towards her. She brushed it off, blaming her imagination on this one. “Why do you keep pushing me to tell her? I might not even get the job.” 

 

“But wouldn’t you want to clue her in on a huge decision like this?” 

 

She made a show of tapping her finger on her chin. “No, I don’t think so.” Jiwoo’s heart clenched at that, feeling a surge of protectiveness over Sooyoung. If this was indicative of how Jinsol dealt with communicating life changes, then Jiwoo didn’t see a happy future for them. “And you better not tell her either.”

 

 

It had been a week of walking on eggshells. Jinsol would find out if she got accepted that night. Jiwoo was going crazy, and she wondered how she even got this far, keeping this away from her best friend. She sat on Sooyoung’s bed, watching her work at her desk. She felt guilty, like she was doing a huge disservice to her even thinking about whether or not to tell her. She should have mentioned it from the start! It’s what Sooyoung deserved.

 

“Jinsol got a job offer.” 

 

Sooyoung pulled out one of her earphones. “What did you say?” This was her way out, she could just make something up, but the soft look in Sooyoung’s eyes tugged on her heartstrings. 

 

“Jinsol got a job offer from England.” 

 

“Who’s that?” Jiwoo in air, resisting the urge not to facepalm. This was serious, she needed to spare Sooyoung the hurt if Jinsol wasn’t going to. 

 

“Jinsol got a job offer! In England! Europe!” She raised her voice, weeks worth of frustration spilling out. The gears started to shift in Sooyoung’s head judging by the way she went quiet. 

 

“So? Good for her.” 

 

All this pent up, negative energy Jiwoo harbored and for what? Sooyoung to accept it, just like that? This wasn’t it. It didn’t feel right at all. “Can’t you see the problem? Jinsol didn’t care to mention it to you.” 

 

Sooyoung shrugged, frustrating Jiwoo even further. “I’m sure she had her reasons.” She was about to lose it on Sooyoung’s blindness when there was a sound at the door. Jiwoo froze at the sight of Jinsol coming out from behind the corner. The look on her face was indecipherable. 

 

“I didn’t even get it.” Jinsol let out coolly, staring directly at Jiwoo. There was something so final about the look she was giving her right now, like their friendship had ended. If Jiwoo was being honest, their friendship ended the moment Jinsol got together with Sooyoung. 

 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry.” Sooyoung wrapped her up in a hug, muttering comforting words in Jinsol’s ear as she kept her narrowed eyes set on Jiwoo. 

 

Jiwoo was so, so happy for Sooyoung. Happy that her best friend found someone that made her happy. She just wished she felt the same way about Jinsol, but she showed her true colors, and that was that. She would defend Sooyoung and choose her side if it came down to it, but it was ultimately Sooyoung’s choice to live how she wanted to live. 

 

And Jiwoo doesn’t know if she could stay around to watch. 

 

 

“I never got to apologize for telling Sooyoung about your job offer.” The shock was clear on Jinsol’s face, not expecting to hear Jiwoo bring something up from the past. She had buried it deeply, having not thought about it since it happened really. She wanted to push all the blame on Jinsol, but she had a part in it too. “Even though you should have told her, it wasn’t my business to tell.”

 

Jinsol made a face at her, but it wasn’t the kind Jiwoo was used to. She was holding back a laugh. “Are you kidding, Jiwoo?” She was confused at Jinsol’s reaction, waiting for her to say more to make sense out of it. “It’s so you of you to apologize for something that you shouldn’t be apologizing for.” She tilted her head, not quite getting her statement.

 

“I should apologize to you, Jiwoo. About everything then and everything after. When Hyunjin brought Sooyoung back from that facility, it all became clear to me. I was selfish, I see that now, but it made me realize a lot of other things, about the way I treated you.” Jiwoo stayed quiet, letting the words soak in. “I was unfair, and I’m sorry.”

 

Jiwoo tilted her head up towards the blue sky, blinking back tears. She grabbed Jinsol’s shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. Memories of them laughing in Jinsol’s college dorm flooded her mind. The time they overcooked spam in her microwave, stinking up the entire room. When Jinsol thought that she can jump from her desk to her bed, ending in Jiwoo giving her a piggy back ride all the way to the nurse’s office.

 

The Jinsol in her arms now was the one Jiwoo recognized. The clumsy girl who took her coffee cup, even when it had jiwoo written on the side. The goofy girl who continued to drink it after Jiwoo confronted her. The Jinsol in her arms now was the one Jiwoo had met in that campus coffee shop all those years ago.

 

She patted Jinsol’s back as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “Nice to have you back, Jung Jinsol.” Jiwoo teased, earning a slap on her arm as she was playfully pushed away. 

 

 

Jungeun collected herself and turned in her seat, sending Heejin a knowing look as she glanced over at an unknowing Hyunjin. She caught Hyejoo’s attention and gestured for her and Chaewon to come towards the back of the van, giving Jungeun some privacy to talk to Hyunjin.

 

Hyunjin noticed the mood change and glanced around, her eyes connecting with Jungeun’s, who let out a nervous laugh. They sat in silence for a long while. This was all so new to Jungeun, the whole “speaking about feelings” part. And she was sure Hyunjin felt the exact same way. She just wanted to say her part, she didn’t expect Hyunjin to say anything back and she was alright with that.

 

“You were wrong for not saying goodbye. I liked your drawing though.” Straight out with it, short and sweet. She twisted forward, facing the front again, feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. She shut her eyes, wondering if she closed them tightly enough, she could wish away what she just said.

 

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Jungeun turned back around, Hyunjin’s eyes shining. Those two words sounded so much more meaningful coming from her, Jungeun thought jokingly. She reached up to grab Hyunjin’s hand on her shoulder, hoping to get across that she appreciated the apology through squeezing it. They both broke out into shy grins.

 

Heejin had a soft smile, watching Jungeun and Hyunjin’s exchange from the back seat. She felt relieved knowing that they were on the mend. As her best friend, she noticed the toll it took on Jungeun, and even though they barely talked about it, she was happy Jungeun got it all figured out.

 

“You know, Hyunjin still likes you.”

 

Heejin whipped her head towards Chaewon. Hyejoo was giving her a serious look, which Chaewon dismissed with a flick of her hand and a click of her tongue. “You know I’m right, Hyejoo. It’s painfully obvious.” She wondered why Chaewon would think to say something like that. But then again, it’s Chaewon.

 

“Have you two gotten together yet?” Heejin deflected, knowing she would definitely push some buttons with that one. But all Chaewon did was let out an airy laugh while Hyejoo shyly turned away. 

 

“We’ve been together for three months, actually.” Okay, so that didn’t work out in Heejin’s favor, but now she had some questions that could distract them from the earlier topic.

 

“Oh? And how did that start?”

 

The van rumbled awake, pausing the conversation for a second. Jiwoo was steering them out of the parking lot, Chaewon and Hyejoo taking a moment to wave at Jinsol through the window. Chaewon turned back to Heejin. “Now that one’s a long story.”

 

Heejin gestured around them. The only thing they were going to see for the next however many hours was desert. ”We’ve got time.”

 

 

Jinsol rummaged through the suite, opening all the drawers and feeling through the cracks of the sofas. She sneaked a peek into the bedroom, double checking that Chaewon was still, indeed, passed out drunk. It was like her drinking intensified when Sooyoung came back, and it wasn’t sitting well with Jinsol. It never sat well with her, but she was willing to look past it. But now it was too much, seeing Chaewon stumbling around campus every single day. 

 

Since Hyejoo wasn’t going to confront her, Jinsol was going to. She was going to slap some sense into Chaewon, no, she was going to figure out why she was drinking herself to death. 

 

She managed to dig out four separate mini bottles of vodka. How was she even getting all this alcohol? She slipped into the room, closing the door behind her and locking them inside. It was time for an extreme intervention.

 

Jinsol dragged over a chair and sat across from the bed, waiting until Chaewon woke up, coughing groggily. She lifted her head only and noticed her. “What day is it?”

 

She crossed her arms, staring down at Chaewon. “The day you stop drinking.” This made her sit up abruptly, causing her to feel dizzy. She placed a hand on the side of her head and groaned. 

 

“What the hell do you mean?” 

 

Jinsol took out one of the bottles and twisted it open, Chaewon’s eyes widened in fear. “Tell me what’s going on and I won’t dump this.” She threateningly hovered the vodka, not caring if she was going to get the floor messy. She tried to swipe at the bottle, but Jinsol stood up, holding it further away. “Tell me right now!”

 

Chaewon flopped back onto the bed, letting out a defeated sigh. Jinsol felt bad, but she held her composure. This was for Chaewon’s future and health, she reminded herself. “You’re going to judge me so hard.” She drawled out, throwing her arms over to cover her face. Jinsol uncrossed her arms, softening her gaze. 

 

“I want to help you, Chaewon. I’m not here to judge you, I just want to know what’s been on your mind to make you drink like this?” The room went silent and Jinsol thought Chaewon had knocked back out again until she muttered something. “Sorry, what did you say?”

 

“It’s because of Hyejoo.”

 

“Excuse me, what? She’s an angel. How is she making you drink?!” Chaewon let out a strangled noise of frustration, throwing her arms back out from covering her face. She sat up and gave Jinsol a pointed look, trying to get her to understand through her eyes. “Can you just explain it instead of twitching your eyes?” 

 

“I’m in love with Hyejoo!”

 

Jinsol tilted her head, the wheels spinning in her head. “Oh, OH.” 

 

“Yup.” Chaewon popped the last letter, feeling a bit antsy. It was the first time she’s ever told someone, let alone said it out loud, and it made everything seem a bit more real. Jinsol joined her on the bed, placing a comforting hand on her back. 

 

“Have you tried telling her?” Chaewon shook her head. Jinsol shuffled through her memories, trying to find a moment where it was obvious that Chaewon liked Hyejoo, but all she could find was instances where she thought Hyejoo liked Chaewon. She was sure the crush was mutual. “Maybe you should tell her.” Jinsol egged on, ninety-nine point nine percent sure that it will all work out.

 

“Even if I did, she wouldn’t want to be with an alcoholic like me.” Jinsol rolled her eyes. Hyejoo stuck around this far with Chaewon, did she really not see how whipped she was for her? 

 

“Then sober up, and tell her.”

 

 

A month passed and Jinsol was proud to say that Chaewon was officially three weeks sober. The first week was hard, but she was committed to helping Chaewon, she even roped Hyunjin into helping her. They both took turns on keeping an eye on Chaewon. 

 

Hyunjin kept her hands over Hyejoo’s eyes as she walked her through the campus, secretly leading her to the small man made lake at the edge of the grounds. Chaewon had worked day and night building a small wooden raft that could hold the two of them. She was waiting by the shore with Jinsol, who buzzed with excitement. “Good luck!” She whispered as Hyunjin approached them with Hyejoo. Hyunjin released her hands, allowing Hyejoo to open her eyes, and stepped away with Jinsol. 

 

Hyejoo slowly walked towards Chaewon, a shy smile forming on her face. She watched as Chaewon held up a knit plushie. “I know it probably looks like , but I was in a rush, plus I have no idea how to even knit.” She rambled nervously, her eyes zeroing in on the gray wolf in her hands. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Hyejoo. 

 

She felt soft hands grip her wrists. “Chaewon, what is all this?” She lifted her head, but continued avoiding Hyejoo’s inquisitive stare, instead looking behind her to check if the raft was still on shore. She wordlessly pulled Hyejoo towards it, helping her up before she hopped on herself. “What are we doing?” 

 

Chaewon took a seat, patting the space next to her for Hyejoo to sit. She put the plushie in between them, swaying along peacefully while the raft drifted in the water. “Close your eyes. Doesn’t this take you back to our cabin in the Glades?” She gave Chaewon a funny look, but listened, closing her eyes. 

 

“It does.” 

 

“I imagined this moment at our cabin.” Hyejoo opened her eyes, staring at Chaewon as her eyes were shut tight, face tilted up towards the sky. “I imagined us sitting on the edge of the dock, watching the sunset.” She continued dreamily. 

 

Hyejoo waited patiently for her next words, taking this moment to explore Chaewon’s facial features. Her prominent cheeks, her red lips, the way her eyebrows were so expressive. Chaewon really was extraordinary to Hyejoo.

 

“I don’t know if you have noticed, but I’ve been trying to get sober.” Hyejoo has noticed, of course she has. She nods, but Chaewon still has her eyes closed. A small wave knocked into the raft, throwing the wolf plushie into her lap. Getting a closer look, she noticed it had a mini dog tag. 

 

“Hyejoo, I have to tell you something.”

 

She flipped the tag over, reading it. 

 

To my one and only, forever

 

“I love you.” 

 

Hyejoo looked up, locking eyes with Chaewon, who was facing her. She gulped at how close she was, only a couple inches keeping them apart. “I’m in love with you and I didn’t want to hide from it anymore.” 

 

A beat passed and the image behind Chaewon warped into the Glades. Hyejoo was leaning against the railing, watching Chaewon laugh to her heart’s content. She thinks it was then that she realized. Hyejoo couldn’t imagine a future without Chaewon, a life without her. A parallel world, another lifetime, she would still want to be by her side through it all. 

 

Hyejoo looked down at the wolf plushie, the memory of the Glades fading away. Instead, it was replaced with this moment. “Chaewon, could you really not tell?” She let out a soft giggle at the genuinely confused look on her face. She lifted her hand and gently cupped her face. Chaewon held her breath. Hyejoo felt a blush creep up her neck, suddenly feeling shy. “Are you really going to make me say it?” Chaewon’s eyes widened, her smile turning into a grin, finally catching on. She nodded dumbly, waiting for it. Waiting to hear what she dreamed of for years. 

 

“You’re my one and only, too.”

 

 

Chaewon sighed, leaning her head on Hyejoo’s shoulder. By the time she was finished telling Heejin the whole story, they were nearing the border of New Mexico. Hyunjin moved to sit a seat closer to them, listening intently throughout Chaewon’s storytelling. Whenever she had the chance to tease Hyejoo, she took it, the younger girl glaring at her every time.

 

Hyunjin was sitting back on her seat, sending Heejin a lazy smile from across the van. “Like I said, she still likes you.” Chaewon whispered real quietly into her ear, but Heejin was too busy smiling back at Hyunjin.

 

It was early morning when they finally reached the strip mall in front of their bunker. Jiwoo gasped quietly, examining the damage done to the cabin. The entrance doors were broken and on its hinges and she can tell that the back wall of the cabin was blown out. She thought about how terrified the girls must have been when they were being raided, and how badly she felt for leaving them behind in the first place.

 

“So, what’s the plan? We only have today to do this.” Hyunjin caught everyone’s attention. Heejin noticed the leadership tone she took on and wondered if she picked that up while working with the task force.

 

“I say we blow up the cabin.” Chaewon joked, earning a glare from Hyejoo. “I’m kidding, jeez.” Jiwoo tapped her fingers on the driver’s seat, thinking deeply.

 

“Actually, that sounds like a good idea.” Five set of eyes looked at her like she was crazy. “Hear me out, alright? The cabin is already damaged, so we might as well work with that.” They nodded along, although a bit reluctantly. “Hyunjin can shoot a bazooka through the front to draw them out.”

 

She nodded along to Jiwoo’s plan, adding onto it. “Hyejoo and Chaewon can guard the back, Jungeun and Jiwoo could rush the bunker once all four guys are out.” Yerim had mentioned that she got a good look at the men before running out to the others waiting in Jiwoo’s van. She managed to injure one of the guys in the arm. “Heejin and I will be waiting in the front.”

 

 

Haseul lounged on the couch, flipping mindlessly through a book. “Yerim?” The younger girl hummed from across her, sprawled out on a different couch with a magazine. “How come you’ve never mentioned to Jungeun that her dad took us in during the outbreak?” Yerim paled, she wondered when one of them would put two and two together. She thought it wouldn’t be too obvious, considering Jungeun took on her mother’s maiden name.

 

“They were never close. I didn’t want to bring it up and hurt her all over again.” Haseul met Yerim’s dark gaze. “Besides, he’s gone now. There’s no point in telling her something she already believes.” This was the first time Haseul has ever heard Yerim this glum, but then again, they rarely spoke about about the outbreak. It was an especially rough time on Yerim, and the others never wanted to bring it up for her sake. But Haseul grew increasingly curious, having the free time now to think about their past couple years together.

 

They’ve all been through so much together, but if it wasn’t for Yerim and her father, they really wouldn’t be here, relaxing in a nice suite in a guarded campus. She is the reason that Yeojin, Vivi and herself are alive. “Yerim?” She hummed again, flipping through her magazine. “Thank you for saving us.”

 

She watched as Yerim slid off her couch and jumped on top of her in a bear hug. The door to one of the rooms opened, Yeojin and Vivi emerging from their slumbers. “Oh, dog pile?!”

Haseul felt another weight crash down on her, and then another one. She poked her head out from under Yerim, receiving a wink from Vivi from the top. What would she do without these girls?

 

 

Chaewon aimed her gun, shooting straight through the window as their car zoomed down the road. Their van swerved a bit, but they turned the corner and disappeared. “Good riddance.” The men fled like cowards the second Hyunjin shot the bazooka through the cabin, but not without coming at some of them.

 

Jiwoo rushed Jungeun into her room, laying her on the bed. She was pressing down on her side, blood oozing through the large gash. “Okay, holy crap.” She started to pace around, much to Jungeun’s amusement. “I need a hit!” She let out a laugh, but immediately grimaced, feeling a burning sensation around her torso.

 

“I’ll be fine Jiwoo.” She let out weakly, face turning serious. “Go help Heejin.”

 

“Are you sure? One hundred percent sure?” Jungeun nodded, but it didn’t seem too convincing. Chaewon appeared at the door, out of breath.

 

“They’re gone.”

 

Jiwoo beckoned her over, instructing her to help press down on Jungeun’s bleeding wound before rushing over to the next room. She froze at the door. Heejin was sitting up against the headboard, clenching her teeth as Hyejoo carefully tore apart her shirt, exposing her shoulder. The young girl let out a breath of relief. “It’s just a graze.”

 

“Just a graze?!”

 

Jiwoo flew onto the bed, engulfing Heejin’s legs in a tight hug. Heejin groaned, trying to kick Jiwoo off. “How’s Jungeun?” She saw her fighting one of the men without her gun, and it looked like she had the upper hand until he pulled out a knife. She was so busy watching Jungeun, that she didn’t realize another man pointing a gun at her. If it weren’t for Hyunjin tackling her to the ground, she was sure the shot would have hit through major organs.

 

“She was worried about you!” Heejin waved her off dismissively, swinging her legs over the side of the bed after Hyejoo wrapped a makeshift tourniquet around her arm.

 

“We should get going right now.” Heejin’s face contorted from the pain shooting up her arm. “We need to get to the campus hospital as soon as possible.”

 

Hyejoo looked around, finally taking the time to check the bunker. Everything seemed relatively untouched, as if the men had enough courtesy to stay clean while they stayed here. “I’ll ask Hyunjin to set up some of her old traps, in case some others want to break in.” She bounded up the stairs, only to find Hyunjin already setting things up. “‘Need any help?”

 

Hyunjin spotted Hyejoo below her. “You’ll have to help me stack some hay by the doors, they’re about to break down.” She jumped down from her angle, having set up her classic machine gun trap. They carried stack after stack of hay against the open areas, leaving a little space for them to walk out of.

 

“Who do you think those men were?” Hyejoo questioned Hyunjin quietly, the others filing out of the bunker slowly, carrying the injured ones up. She could only shrug, genuinely having no clue as to what kind of men they were. They had training, but military didn’t seem to fit them. Special ops? They could talk about this later, they had more important things to tend to.

 

 

The radio crackled as they were miles away from campus, Hyunjin turned it up, waiting for a song to play out, but instead there was a warning.

 

Caution when entering.

 

It was really vague, but it perked her ears. Did something happen while they were gone? Hyunjin examined the view in front of her from the passenger seat, there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. She lowered the volume, glancing behind her. Everyone was fast asleep, Heejin and Jungeun taking up a whole row to themselves, as they should.

 

“What do you think that was about?” Jiwoo was too exhausted to even think about anything other than Jungeun. She worried for her friends, worried about the wedding, she didn’t want to add another worry to her seemingly endless list.

 

They rolled up to the garage, opening and letting them in the second they arrived. Hyunjin looked up at the walls, there were double the amount of guards posted. Something was wrong.

 

Jiwoo ignored the hand signals from the traffic guy, driving straight towards the hospital this time. She hopped out first, hollering through the entrance that they needed stretchers. Her loud voice woke everyone up. She held Jungeun’s hand the entire way until Hyunjin pried her off. It was like a dam broke once Jungeun was out of view and the tears rushed out. Hyunjin held Jiwoo, heart clenching at her friend’s sobs. Heejin rolled in after Jungeun, sending a wave towards them as the doors closed on her.

 

Chaewon and Hyejoo had left to inform the others on what happened, meanwhile Jiwoo and Hyunjin sat anxiously in the waiting room. Hours passed by, and Hyunjin noticed something off. The nurses were whispering in hurried tones, rushing around the hospital floor. She dropped her gaze to Jiwoo fast asleep on her lap. Just as she was about to slip away to investigate, the doctor walked out and approached them. She gently shook Jiwoo awake, who immediately sat upright.

 

“Their surgeries went well, but they both need a couple days of recovery. I have put them in the same room, due to some shortages.” Was that what had the nurses so worried? Was Hyunjin just being paranoid? Jiwoo booked it to their hospital room, but Hyunjin stayed behind to question the doctor.

 

“Is there something going on?” She lowered her voice, eyes scanning the floor. She just realized no one had been around this entire time except the nurses. No other patients and their friends and family. Where was everyone?

 

“We are on mandatory lockdown.”

 

“What’s happened?” The doctor opened his mouth, ready to spill the details when a fellow doctor barged in, calling him over for an emergency. He gave her one last look before he departed.

 

Hyunjin walked over to their room, eyes deeply furrowed in confusion. When she got accepted into the task force, they ran over protocols that the campus had for them. Lockdowns only happened in extreme situations, something the task force warned her about, even though they rarely happened. Only twice in their history since they established the wall. Once she checks on Heejin and Jungeun, she was going straight to the Pluto building for some much needed answers.

 

The light was dimmed when she walked in, spotting Jiwoo sitting in between the beds. Heejin and Jungeun were fast asleep, probably not awake from their surgeries yet. “Jiwoo, there’s something weird going on.” She met her gaze, tilting her head. “They said we’re on mandatory lockdown.” Jiwoo rolled her head onto Jungeun’s bed, resting her eyes.

 

“Go talk to Lia and the others, I’ll stay here with them.”

 

Hyunjin stepped closer to Heejin’s bed, reaching her hand out to gently brush her face. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be right back.” Hyunjin said out loud, but Jiwoo didn’t think she was talking to her.

 

The door closed and Heejin opened her eyes, letting out a deep sigh. “You were awake?!” Jiwoo exclaimed, shifting her body towards Heejin’s bed. “Oh, sweetie.” She trailed off, giving her an awkward smile.

 

“We’re not going to talk about it.” Heejin grumbled, squinting over at Jungeun in the dark, fast asleep. She wanted to go back in time and whack the guy who hurt her. Jungeun has protected her all these years, how come she can barely return the favor? Heejin’s eyes fluttered shut, a specific memory clouding her mind.

 

 

Heejin shook her hands, feeling them heat up. Her hands always started to sweat when she got nervous. She heard her name get called and she walked onto the stage. She wiped her hands on her pants and held onto her guitar. The stage lights were shining down on her and she could barely see her choir teacher sitting in the back seat of the theater. She scanned the front row and recognized a familiar face, her nerves doubled. 

 

For the final in choir, they were to perform a song of their choice in front of all the other choir classes. “Whenever you’re ready.” Heejin raised her hand to shield her eyes from the lights. She found a chair nearby and shuffled around awkwardly. She squinted at the front row, locking eyes with Jungeun. 

 

She took a shaky breath and started to strum.

 

how could we know, that there wouldn’t be tomorrow

 

Heejin felt her fingers slipping on the strings, a strum sounding off key, but she kept going. 

 

goodbyes, good times

 

She focused on her guitar out of nerves even though no one was really paying attention to her performance, besides one person. Jungeun leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. She was hypnotized by Heejin’s raw voice accompanying the acoustic song. 

 

we can’t look at the world with tears in our eyes

 

Heejin stopped strumming, pausing for a painful amount of seconds. She cleared her dry throat, deciding to just sing the last few verses without her guitar. 

 

you belong to the stars in the clouds

 

She sat still in her seat, refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the crowd, especially Jungeun, who was watching her carefully. There was some scattered applause and then her teacher’s voice echoing throughout the room. “Alright, next!”

 

Everyone gathered around the wall outside the theater. Their choir teacher just posted the scores of everyone’s performances. Heejin stayed her distance, waiting for the crowd to clear out before she checked on hers. There were cheers and groans and Heejin was curious about how others did. She shuffled her way towards the post while everyone dispersed into their cliques. 

 

Heejin heard very obvious muttering coming from her left. “She’s not even that good.” Another voice. “How does she think she can become a singer with a voice like that?” She accidentally glanced there way, realizing they were glaring right at her. She flinched away, trying to shove down the hurt for just enough time to check her score.

 

A nine out of ten.

 

Heejin couldn’t believe it. She quickly scanned the list, noticing that everyone got eight or below, until she hit one name who had a perfect ten. Jungeun.

 

The whispering behind her seemed to intensify, then it became silent. “Heejin’s a better singer than any of you.” She froze at the sound of her name, too nervous to turn around and face the person behind the voice. 

“And if anyone’s going to become a singer, it’s definitely going to be her.” 

 

Heejin finally turned around, her eyes meeting Jungeun’s. She wondered why she was defending her in front of all their classmates, who thought highly of her. Jungeun was elusive, and it attracted a lot of people. Ever since they met at the karaoke room, Heejin thought about when she would get to talk to her next. There was a pull she felt, the feeling of something deeper. That they were meant to become very good friends, but Jungeun always managed to slip further away with every encounter. 

 

Heejin offered a small smile, hoping Jungeun would understand how grateful she felt. If not friends or acquaintances, then a guardian angel, Heejin pondered to herself. Was that what Jungeun was to her? She watched as Jungeun floated away from the group, disappearing from her once again. Yes, a guardian angel. 

 

 

“How’d they let you guys in?!” Lia scanned behind her, tugging Hyunjin inside the building. “There’s been a breach!” She glanced around the room, her team members were prepping their weapons and gear. Her mind froze while Lia chatted away the situation to her, not catching a word she was saying. But she knew what a breach meant.

 

Her eyes traveled towards Yeji, who was focused on loading her machine gun. Chaeryoung had two guns on her belt, and another strapped to her ankle. “How many?” She managed to mutter to no one in particular. Everything and everyone was moving so quickly. It was like she couldn’t catch a break, another crisis after another. “How many?” She pushed out a little louder.

 

“Six of them.”

 

Six?! How did six zombies slip their way onto the campus?! The heavily guarded campus, with one way in and one way out. Hyunjin refused to believe that these zombies were another freak government experiment, they were past that, over that.

 

“How are we going to handle this?”

 

“Silently. We don’t want to create a panic.” Yeji finally spoke up, but still looking anywhere but at Hyunjin. “We track down all six and send a bullet through them.” She lifted her unloaded handgun, pointing it towards Hyunjin. Ryujin pushed down her gun, rolling her eyes at the dramatics.

 

“Let’s get to it.”

 

Night turned into early morning and they only apprehended and killed three. How hard was it to find zombies on the loose on empty campus grounds? They called a small break, Ryujin and Chaeryoung staying back to keep a look out while the others recharged. Hyunjin went straight to the hospital, not noticing that Yeji was trailing behind her.

 

The first floor was empty, weird, but not totally out of the ordinary. She pressed the button to the elevator, only to find an out of order sign taped to the doors. Hyunjin made her way to the stairs, walking up two flights to reach the third floor. She pushed open the door, only to be greeted by another empty floor. Okay, now it was getting weird.

 

Her hand went to her gun on instinct, rounding the corner to see bodies on the ground. The doctor who treated Heejin and Jungeun just yesterday, and a couple of nurses. They had bites all over them, zombie bites, but they were all already shot dead. “What the hell happened here?” Hyunjin flinched at the presence of another human. Yeji.

 

“Were you following me?!” Yeji shrugged her shoulders, stepping over the bodies to walk down the corridor. Hyunjin followed suit, now very concerned about Heejin and Jungeun. Jiwoo was probably still with them. Door after door, they finally reached the shared room. “Wait, my friends are in here.” She knocked sharply and waited for a response. She was about to knock again when she noticed the top of a head peeking out in the small window. “Kim Jiwoo, I swear to god if you don’t open this door right now—“

 

“Oh, thank goodness. I thought you guys were the zombies!” Yeji looked at her strangely, Hyunjin rolling her eyes as they quickly rushed into the room.

 

“Zombies don’t knock though.” Yeji mumbled to herself, Hyunjin catching her words but ignoring it. Jungeun was sleeping, but Heejin was wide awake, sitting upright on the bed. Hyunjin glanced at Yeji, feeling an awkward air around them.

 

“So, you saw the zombies?”

 

“We only heard them, quite a few actually, until we heard gunshots.” Yeji and Hyunjin exchanged a look. None of the task force members were anywhere near the hospital, or even checking buildings. So who was going around shooting zombies if it wasn’t them?

 

Hyunjin sensed Heejin’s unreadable stare on her. There was no doubt anymore, how Hyunjin wished to take it all back, how she could rewind the clock and stay. Stay with Heejin, choose Heejin.

 

Yeji tapped her arm, gesturing that they had to get back out there. She looked around the room, settling on Jiwoo and brushing over Heejin, who still had her eyes on her. “We’ll be back, I promise.” She spared Heejin a glance, and zoomed out of the room with Yeji in tow.

 

“We got to tell the others what happened.”

 

“What do you think I’m going over to do?” They bickered through the hallways and down the flights of stairs, completely unaware of what awaits them on the first floor. 

 

 

Heejin laid back in her bed, contemplating the day’s events. Zombies have made their way onto campus, Jungeun is blissfully unaware since she’s been asleep all day, and Heejin is just bed ridden. She checked Jungeun’s bed, finding Jiwoo cuddled up next to her, fast asleep. She flipped off the bed sheets and swung her legs over the side, tiptoeing across the room towards the door. “If you’re doing what I think you’re doing...” Her hand froze on the doorknob. “At least take a scalpel with you.” She swiveled around, a sheepish look on her face while Jiwoo reached into her bag. Heejin wasn’t even going to question why Jiwoo had a scalpel in her bag.

 

She grimaced at the bodies in the waiting room, stepping over loose limbs, while she hopped over to the elevators. She read the out of order sign before tearing it down, giving the button a try anyway. The elevator dinged and opened up in front of her, a smirk making its way on her face. She watched the floors go down. Hyunjin and Yeji left not too long ago, they’re probably halfway across campus by now, Heejin thought to herself, waiting for the door to open on the first floor, but there was a long pause.

 

There were sounds of smacking and thumping, familiar groaning sounds coming through the door. Heejin’s eyebrows creased in confusion, but she didn’t get the chance to think before the elevator doors opened. The sight before her called for more than just a scalpel.

 

There were zombies left and right, up and down, she didn’t even know how Hyunjin and Yeji were still fending them off. Heejin’s injured arm twitched, she wasn’t so confident about taking a zombie down, let alone a handful of them. “What are you doing here?!” Hyunjin screeched at her, pinning a zombie against the wall with a pole. Shots rang around her, zombies falling to the ground below her. Heejin whipped her head around, but the shooter was nowhere in sight.

 

“Here!” Yeji handed her a container while she ran by, busy leading a zombie into a wall after she faked a turn. “Open it!” Heejin rushed to twist open the top, shoving her hand in to pull out the item. It looked like the handle of a Star Wars lightsaber.

 

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!” She screamed, ducking behind some chairs, zombie heads flying everywhere. She stared down at it, panic rising within her as her eyes darted at the scene in front of her. Hyunjin and Yeji were managing, but they needed help if they were going to get out of this alive.

 

She smacked the handle against the palm of her hand, didn’t work. She shook it, didn’t work. “Press the button!” There was a button?! She flipped the handle around, spotting the button, quickly pressing it. What she didn’t expect was an actual glowing lightsaber. 

 

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

 

Hyunjin kicked down a zombie, pressing her foot against its neck. The glowing blue light caught her eye and she really couldn’t believe it. Even before she met the task force, Lia had been working on a special project. She was hell bent on making a weapon out of an old lightsaber toy she kept from before the outbreak. It was her life’s goal.

 

Two zombies fell in front of Heejin, the lightsaber slicing right through their bodies. They both stared in awe. The weapon looked completely harmless, but it proved to be highly dangerous. One wrong slice and a limb can be lost. Again, Hyunjin couldn’t believe It.

 

She was so distracted by how impressed she was, she didn’t realize the zombies were closing in on her. Yeji had disappeared down the corridor, a handful of zombies following after her. Hyunjin felt a swipe at her abdomen, finally catching onto the zombies in front of her. She searched the ground for anything to ward them off, but the pole she used earlier was nowhere to be seen. She kicked at the one who was closest to her, sending it backwards and knocking two others down with it.

 

Heejin slid across the floor, slicing through all the zombies in one go. Jesus, this lightsaber was a weapon of destruction. She stumbled onto her feet, spinning around to see if there were any others. Hyunjin slumped against the wall, the lobby finally clear of the zombies, except the ones Yeji led away. She hopes that Ryujin and Chaeryoung found the stragglers, they did not need more zombies multiplying.

 

Heejin winced, gripping at her injured arm, the adrenaline wearing off. Hyunjin pushed herself up, rushing over to check her bandages, which had blood seeping through. “We need to get you back up to your room.” Hyunjin carefully held Heejin’s arm and guided her to the elevator, pressing the button. The door dinged open, but in that split second of them about to walk in, there was a loud boom.

 

 

Ryujin and Chaeryoung’s attention turned to the smoke billowing out of the hospital’s entrance. They rushed into the smoke, but Ryujin smacked right into a tall man. The smoke clouded her vision, but she didn’t recognize him at all. He wore a uniform, but it wasn’t that of the guards of the campus. Before he could notice, she snatched his dog tag. He ran and disappeared into the night like a ghost.

 

The smoke cleared and they carefully peered into the lobby, debris all over the ground, but the ceilings were untouched, which was a good sign. They heard struggling noises near the elevator and then a hand sticking out from under the rubble. Chaeryoung hurried over, screaming for Ryujin to help. Hyunjin was teetering on the edge of consciousness, using the last of her energy by coughing out two words.

 

“Save Heejin.”

 

 

Two weeks and it was finally Sooyoung and Jinsol’s wedding. Except they had to tweak some minor issues. Jiwoo placed the small clip onto Sooyoung’s hair, grinning happily. The two of them were squeezed inside a bathroom, Sooyoung’s dress taking up most of the room.

 

“Thank you so much, for everything Jiwoo. I mean it! I don’t deserve you at all, after everything I’ve put you through.” Sooyoung was hysterical, sobbing off all her mascara. She couldn’t find waterproof mascara anywhere, so she decided to brave it out, but Jiwoo knew Sooyoung would be crying endlessly the entire day.

 

That was then, and this was now, Jiwoo thought to herself. Their friendship was more than holding a petty grudge over things that happened before the world went to . Besides, she thinks that those specific moments had to have happened for her to have met Hyunjin.

 

“Oh, shut up!” If someone were to tell her four years ago that Sooyoung would actually marry Jinsol, Jiwoo probably would have laughed. Only because she didn’t think Sooyoung would ever even confess her feelings. Jiwoo shook Sooyoung out of pure excitement. She was ready to get the show on the road! “Are you ready?!”

 

Sooyoung stepped out of the bathroom, looking as elegant as ever. Everyone started clapping, Chaewon and Hyejoo whooping from the corner. They somehow managed to shove sixteen people inside a hospital room. Jiwoo’s eyes darted towards Hyunjin, who made an effort to clap along with everybody. She was laying on one of the hospital beds, right leg suspending in the air. She quickly glanced over to Heejin, both her arms were in casts.

 

They were lucky Ryujin and Chaeryoung pulled them out in time. The doctors said they were both touch and go on the operating table. A miracle that they both survived with the kind of injuries they had. They also managed to find Yeji, who had set the bomb off in a last minute decision to destroy the hoard of zombies coming after her. Luckily for her, all she had were scratches.

 

The task force figured that these zombies were the leftovers from the government facility, the ones who weren’t quite up to par with the hybrids. They were quick, but not as fast as the ones they took down months ago. Ryujin ruffled through her pockets, pulling out the dog tag she grabbed from the man. The name tag itself gave her no information. It was the picture folded into the back of it that caught her attention.

 

She didn’t recognize who it was at first, but the more she looked at it, it came to her.

 

Ryujin tapped Jungeun’s shoulder, holding the tag up for her to take. “I saw a man that night, after the explosion. I don’t know what this means to you, but I thought you deserved to know.” The space in between Jungeun’s brows creased, wondering what this was all about. She was about to question Ryujin when Lia’s voice echoed throughout the room.

 

“So we are all gathered here today.” Everyone stared while Lia fumbled over her words. “Um, I’m sorry, everything was so last minute I didn’t get the chance to memorize it all!” She whispered towards Sooyoung, who just laughed at her.

 

“You can just skip to the vows.” Jinsol offered lightheartedly.

 

“Oh, okay! The vows.” They looked at her expectantly, wondering if she had more to say. “Well, go on!” Everyone burst into laughter at the chaos of it all.

 

Sooyoung stood upright, staring straight into Jinsol’s eyes, drowning out everyone around them. It was just the two of them now. “When Jiwoo first brought you over to hang out, I could barely fall asleep that night. When I thought about love at first sight, I would always gag. It was just too unrealistic, but you defied the odds, Jinsol.” She in, letting out a shaky breath. “I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life, even through this apocalypse.”

 

Cue the tears. Jiwoo was sniffling, half the room was sniffling, but Sooyoung had silent tears streaming down her face. Chaewon and Hyejoo brought up the rings Lia had molded earlier that week.

 

“You stuck by me even in my worst days, when you could have left me in the middle of nowhere. You were committed even from the start and I have no doubt that we’ll be together until the very end.” They placed the rings on each other’s fingers, fitting perfectly. Lia fist pumped, proud that the rings managed to fit. “Zombie apocalypse or not, I’d still be glued to your side. I love you, Sooyoung.” They rushed into the kiss and Lia was too enamored to realize that she was supposed to cue them.

 

The room erupted in cheers again, following the newlyweds out of the room and down the hall for a celebratory walk. Jungeun stayed behind to finally take a look at what Ryujin gave her. She flipped the tag over, missing the name engraved on the front. Feeling a piece of paper sticking out of the back, she took it out and unfolded it slowly.

 

my precious jungie

 

It was a photo of her from middle school, one her mom took when Jungeun won a trophy for a singing competition. She flipped over the tag, holding her breath at the name.

 

 

A month went by and yes, they were still on the campus. Jiwoo prayed that when they returned, the bunker wouldn’t be in total shambles. Hyunjin and Yeji were finally back on good terms, even joking about their short lived fling. It was clear who she had feelings for, and Yeji even egged her on, always making Hyunjin pout.

 

Heejin had her casts removed and could move her arms around freely, Hyunjin was still on her crutches though. They had stayed behind in the Pluto building, resting inside while everyone else goes on about their days out in the sunny weather. Heejin found a guitar in good condition sticking out of one of the trash bins behind the cafeteria the other week. She can finally start back up on something she loved. She plucked the guitar strings, then strummed.

 

It caught Hyunjin’s attention, making her look up from her sketchpad. “You know, Jiwoo asked Jungeun if she could sing at the wedding.” Another strum, Heejin felt a rush of nerves come over her. “Then Jungeun asked me to do it instead, but that was before you know, everything.” She chuckled as she gestured to their injuries, a smile forming on Hyunjin’s face at that. Heejin decided on her next words carefully, knowing exactly where it could lead.

 

“I kind of had a song picked out and everything.”

 

“Is that so?” Hyunjin teased lightly, slowly moving over to sit next to her on the couch. Heejin’s heart fluttered, taking a moment to think about the song she was about to play. She strummed a chord, then another, a familiar tune creeping into Hyunjin’s ears.

 

Heejin’s voice rang out, quiet and nervous.

 

watching every motion, in my foolish lovers game

on this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame

turning and returning to some secret place inside

 

She paused, her eyes trailing up from the guitar and into Hyunjin’s soft gaze.

 

watching in slow motion

as you turn around and say

take my breath away

 

Every single word struck Hyunjin, but Heejin’s voice struck her more. There was something about the raw emotion in her voice that drew her in and captivated her. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears, it was almost louder than the guitar.

 

watching, i keep waiting

still anticipating love

never hesitating, to become the fated ones

 

Her strumming faded along with her voice, the song coming to an end. Hyunjin was done waiting. She didn’t want to waste any more precious time.

 

if only for today, i am unafraid

my love, take my breath away

 

Yeah, maybe Heejin chose this song while having Hyunjin in mind. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way to fight it. It was helpless. Hyunjin and Heejin. Heejin and Hyunjin. That’s how it was meant to be.

 

When did Hyunjin get so close? Heejin was too busy getting lost in her eyes. An endless whirlpool of dark brown. She felt herself leaning in, Hyunjin meeting her halfway for a kiss so gentle and soft.

 

This was Heejin’s safe place, being in Hyunjin’s arms. Wherever Hyunjin was, the bunker, the campus, out in the real world, Heejin wanted to be right there with her.

 

 

Jungeun paced back and forth so quickly, she was pretty much sliding across the floor of the suite. Yerim sat in the chair in front of her, waiting for Jungeun to tell her what was going on. All she got was a vague “you need to come with me” and now she was here, as if she were about to be scolded by the principal.

 

She felt something being tossed into her lap, a dog tag. She picked it up to examine it, gasping at the name. “But, how?” Jungeun momentarily stopped her pacing, giving Yerim a curious look. “Where did you get this?”

 

“Ryujin gave it to me.” Her reply created more questions than answers in Yerim’s mind. “She said she pulled it off a man who she caught fleeing the hospital after the zombie attack.” There was a daunting feeling brewing in the pit of Yerim’s stomach. Jungeun felt it too, something unnerving her.

 

Then Yerim remembered. She patted down her jacket, opening one of the zipper pockets, taking out a dog tag of her own. Jungeun widened her eyes. “I forgot that I took this from one of the looters.” She put the tags side by side, confirming her suspicions. They both had a matching symbol. Jungeun took a closer look too, everything starting to click together.

 

“Jungeun, why is your dad involved with criminals?”

 

She had no idea, absolutely no clue. She was still reeling from knowing that he was alive and somewhere out there right this second. But he had an obvious connection with the looters who broke into their bunker.

 

Yerim thought hard on the last time she saw her uncle. But it couldn’t be? She knew what she saw, she was sure of it. Everyone who was there was sure of it. The only problem was, they never did find his body in the burnt up mansion, or who blew it up for that matter. She avoided looking into Jungeun’s eyes, not knowing how to explain what had happened that fateful night.

 

“I have no idea, Yerim, do you?” She flinched at her accusatory tone. Jungeun had her arms crossed, a stern look covering her facial features. This was it, time for the truth. It was the least she could offer to her cousin.

 

“It’s a long story.”