Changjo didn't take terribly long talking to Ricky but when I saw the boy come back puffy eyed and sniffling my blood started to boil. What the did he say? I practically growl as I tug Ricky away from Changjo's side.

"Are you okay?" I question, petting his head but Chunji sends me a reproachful look and I recoil my temper. 

I hear Chunji mumble to Changjo as he passes his guns back, my lips go into a thin line of disapproval but Changjo doesn't seem to reply, only shakes his head and steps forward.

Nobody speaks for a few more moments, and walking starts naturally, unsure of where we're honestly headed and who's honestly leading. I find myself between Chunji and Ricky and take a deep breath when Chunji reaches down to grip my hand. I felt like I needed the reassurance, that he's here and we still care for each other. 

Ricky kept his face parallel the ground, refusing to meet anybodies eyes while Changjo kept a very expectant, waiting glare on the boy. It made me uneasy and it seems so was Ricky but when that stare shifted from Ricky to me I went stiff because he didn't look away.

His stone gaze was boring into me and it made me want to pull my gun on the bastard but Chunji seemed to notice soon enough and drew my attention to him with a small smile. I knew what Changjo was thinking about, after all, I had just confessed to killing my family. His gaze wasn't exactly judgmental, it was almost pity. Which pissed me off even more. I didn't want this bastard's sympathy. He knows nothing about me or anything I've been through but he stands there looking all-knowing. I see red but the small circles Chunji massages into the back of my hand keep me under control until the taller boy speaks.

"Why'd you do it?" He whispers, his voice far less critical than I expected but I still keep my eyes narrowed when I turn to him and all four of us stop, while Chunji silently pleas for me to let it go.

"Why the not." I growl sarcastically, as if it doesn't effect me but the very thought makes my eyes go glassy with tears.

"You regret it." He observes and I scoff.

"No I regret it. I was supposed to protect them. I was supposed to get them somewhere safe but they didn't last more than 6 weeks." I choke on my words and Chunji reaches out to wrap his arms around me and I've never been so grateful. I still have him. I still have Chunji.

"What do you remember about them?" His voice is disconcerned but his expression is somewhat involved. I shake my head as if to convince myself not to reveal anything about myself but he's silent and patient and I'm inclined to talk.

"I remember they did everything they could to help me live a happy life. I was their world. You never really know how much they care, not till it's too late." I ignore going into detail, having nothing but good things to say about my parents anyway.

"They were bitten?" Changjo offers and I cringe, making Chunji's arms wrap more tightly around my waist.

"Yes. Both of them. It was a horrible accident and I should have ran. I should have gotten the hell out of there not tried to help them but the thought that they were still my parents..." I shudder and let out a loud sigh.

"My parents and I got separated before the outbreak. I remember they tried their best to  make a good future for me and expected me to go far in life." Chunji suddenly volunteers, making me nod in appreciation that the mic was taken from me.

"You will go far in life, Chunji." Changjo suddenly speaks up and I want to laugh at his obvious bias toward Chunji. 

"They hated you L Joe. They might be disappointed in me for trusting you." He laughs quietly to himself, making me cling to him at his confession.

"Why would they hate him?" Ricky whispers, leaving his eyes glued to the floor.

"We weren't exactly close in high school and my feelings for him made my parents want to leave town." His voice is shaky when he talks about our past and Changjo is suddenly smirking haughtily.

"I ing knew it. So lover boy has a lover boyfriend." He grins and Chunji pulls away from me, making my face fall.

"No. I used to like him in high school. It's about survival now. Family." He corrects and I my head in surprise. He hadn't mentioned this. I had assumed his feelings for me were the same as they were.

"Oh, I see. Lover boy got dumped." Changjo tries to lighten his own mood.

"Changjo." Chunji scolds.

"Call me Jonghyun." Changjo winks flippantly, smirking at me. Ricky gasp audibly and we all turn to him as he gawks at Changjo in shock.

"Ricky?" I mumble, confused.

"My real name is Changhyun and my parents are wonderful people that raised me well and kept very open minds. They were friendly and brilliant and I miss them." He finishes his outburst, never taking his eyes off Changjo. Changjo lifts a brow but makes no comment as Ricky keeps his stare in place.

"My family...was ed up." Changjo starts, understanding Ricky's silent request and Chunji's eyes snap to his. "They thought I was a complete idiot with nothing to live for. I was very young when I first realized my parents found everything they wanted in my older sister. She managed to perfect her grades and keep herself sensible and diverse in cultures and languages, while I liked dancing." He shrugs, making me chuckle at his unimportant hobby. "They grew less and less found of me and by the time I was 8 they tried to pass me off to my aunt but she was ill. I'm convinced they wanted me gone because I was left behind at the fair when I was 10. I managed to remember my address and the police brought me home, where my parents insisted it was a 'horrible mistake' and blah blah blah." He rolls his eyes. "I didn't find much interest in anything besides music, dance, or martial arts but then I met my girlfriend." He stops to let a small smile graze his lips. "She was a free spirit and gave me hope. She was my family." He finishes, making Chunji look terribly depressed, while Ricky is blank.

"So...what happened to them?"Ricky mumbles again and Changjo sighs.

"I finally left them when the outbreak started. They're dimwitted enough to be long dead by now." I purse my lips at his dismissive behavior.

"So that's why you think I'm an idiot for wanting a family, because yours was ty?" I scold and he scoffs.

"No. I like Chunji. He wants a family, don't you, Chunji?" He turns his attention to the, too quiet, boy.

"You're so alone." Chunji whispers and suddenly breaks down crying, while I let my eyes go wide. "We'll be your family, okay." He grips the taller boys shoulders with a sad smile. "Call me Chanhee and he's Byunghun." I scoff but begrudgingly remain silent when Changjo offers barely a smile toward Chunji.

"You're very odd." Changjo shakes his head and I find that I can't agree more.

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

Chanhee...He has a very good head on his shoulders and a very big heart beating in his chest. He was somebody that I would bother staying with. The whole confession thing from earlier was irrelevant. Except for L Joe. 

L Joe had lost a lot. L Joe had killed his family. L Joe was searching for love. I played it off as expected and seemed fairly unfazed but those words but...he had to kill his own family. Watch them die in front of him and the fact that he is able to still function, let alone try to protect a 'new family' was admirable at the very least. 

Chunji was too obvious though. The way he looks at L Joe seems to go by unnoticed, but for how long? I feel myself getting too attached to these two. Yes...two. Chunji and L Joe are honest boys, that deserve an honest chance at life.

Ricky, however, is such a complete mess. My proposition is a promise that I'm desperate to fulfill. He's a ticking clock but Chunji is the only one willing to believe me. I couldn't tell him of Ricky's request because he wouldn't understand. 

Ricky had given me hope, that look in his eyes was surprisingly human. He's never looked so broken and vulnerable and it reminded me he's a creation, he's not himself but he's somewhere in there and he's trying to stop the chaos he's causing. 

He won't take the lead as we walk but he's discretely picking our direction, what concerns me most is the fact that he won't pick. We've been wandering in, ing, circles all day and it's getting dark. We're not in the safest area and I'm gonna be pissed if we don't find a decent shelter tonight because of him. 

The distinct smell of death is nearby and wakes me from my thoughts. I'm sure I'm not the only one that can tell because it's getting unbearably close. Usually the undead don't smell quite like this. They're far too decomposed to have such an unpleasant odor but it's very clear what, exactly, it is when the trees clear fractionally and all four of us step forward to see the rotting corps. 

Looks like three. Nothing beside it, no zombies in sight  and they're not moving but it's unpleasant none the less and makes us want to, immediately, retreat; unsure of what exactly killed them and if it's still around.

My eyes lock on the body of a small girl, her chest cavity torn to pieces and her jaw barely in tact as she rises to her feet.

I immediately grip my gun, ready to be finished with them before trouble is started when the girl locks eyes on me and her blank, grey, eyes are void of emotion. 

Disgusting. 

She sprints toward me and just as the other two rise to there feet, one of my bullets lodge into his forehead sending her back to the ground.

The other two race toward us as we back away, L Joe and I sending Chunji and Ricky to retreat further back. A shriek breaks the silence between mine and L Joe's gunshots and the third and final zombie, cries wildly as if in horrible pain as it continues to race in out direction. I finish it off and turn to Chunji and Ricky, glancing quickly to my left to L Joe and I'm relieved we're all safe but Chunji's eyes are wide as he grips Ricky's forearm.

"There will be more coming. We need to get the out of here." I nod toward Chunji and we walk briskly, desperate for some form of, honest to God, shelter. Far enough away from the recent screams and safe enough to honestly relax. 

Chunji pulls his gun, too anxious, and for some reason I can't help but smile at how helpless he still looks. We keep our steps quick and run into little trouble before we find ourselves by the shore and I'll be damned if a lighthouse ever looked so good.

We weren't as far from the noisy corpse as I would like but far enough and when we find our way up the tower, I finally let my racing pulse calm down.

"Did it scream?" Ricky whimpers and I nod in assurance.

"It definitely did. Calling others?" I talk to myself and pray for no company in the near future.

"We'll be okay here for the night, though. It's fine." L Joe hums, calming the shaken Ricky, who behaves like he's never seen one of those monsters before. I've never seen him so frightened.

"You were both so close. They were attacking and-" I turn to Ricky with a cocked eyebrow as I reload my gun in silence. "You could have been killed." Ricky finishes and swallows too loudly making me scoff and turn to L Joe. I my gun to set it back in my lap and turn to the quiet Chunji.

"But we weren't, so what's for dinner?"

                                  

                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                             

                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                      

Yeah...I did it. You're welcome.

             

                                           

...<--IDK