"HEY! STOP IT!"

Ji-Hoon's voice wasn't a shout; it was a raw, guttural snarl that ripped through the tense night air. He didn't think, he just moved. Lunging forward, his hands fisted in the filthy collar of Juyoung's shirt, yanking him away from Charyeong. His knuckles were bone-white, and a vein throbbed in his temple, a visible map of the fury boiling under his skin.

Jay was right beside him, his own voice a booming echo of protective rage. "What the hell is your problem, man?" He got right in the man's face, his posture coiled and ready for a fight.

Haejun moved like a snake, shoving himself between them. He planted both hands on Ji-Hoon's chest and pushed, hard. Ji-Hoon stumbled back a step, caught off guard by the man's strength.

"Back off, kid!" Haejun barked, his voice a low growl.

Jay's arms shot out, catching Ji-Hoon before he could fall. "You okay, dude?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the two men, his concern sharp and immediate.

Ji-Hoon just nodded, a sharp, jerky motion. He brushed off his shirt, a muscle in his jaw twitching. His eyes, when he lifted them, were like chips of ice, fixed on Juyoung with a cold, murderous intent. He started walking forward again, his steps slow, deliberate, and terrifyingly quiet. The metal pipe in his hand wasn't just a tool anymore.

From behind Haejun, Charyeong's voice rang out, strained but defiant. "Hey, let me go, you freak!" She twisted in his grip, her face a mask of revulsion.

The sound of her struggle made Jay's teeth grind together audibly. Ji-Hoon's grip on the pipe tightened until his fingers ached.

He stopped just inches from Juyoung. Haejun crept up behind Ji-Hoon, his tone a mocking whisper. "Don't try anything funny. You're just a bunch of kids playing dress-up superhero."

Jay stepped forward again, his voice dropping into something low and dangerously calm. "We've been fighting for our lives against things that want to eat us," he said, tapping Haejun on the shoulder with a cold finality. "Don't for a second think we can't handle you."

Haejun turned, a nasty grin spreading across his face. "Is that a threat?"

"I don't care what you call it," Jay shot back, his voice steady. "Let her go. Now. And we walk away."

Ji-Hoon ignored them. His entire world had narrowed to the man holding his friend. Without a word, his free hand snapped out, clamping around Juyoung's wrist with a force that made the older man gasp.

"You think you can just take her away?" Juyoung sneered, though the confidence in his voice was starting to crack under Ji-Hoon's silent, terrifying intensity.

Ji-Hoon didn't answer. He just slowly raised the metal pipe high above his head, his eyes never leaving Juyoung's. The threat was absolute, wordless.

Juyoung's bravado shattered. His hand flew open, releasing Charyeong as he scrambled backward a step. "You're insane..." he breathed out, his eyes wide.

Charyeong, rubbing her wrist, turned on him, her voice sharp with contempt. "Insane? You're the one holding girls hostage in the damn apocalypse!"

Juyoung's face twisted, his fear morphing back into anger. "I know girls like you! I know your type! Acting all high and mighty, too good for everyone. Making out with one guy one night, then hopping to the next. Don't think your pretty face and that body can fool me, you—"

He didn't get to finish. Haejun moved like lightning. He shoved Jay aside with one arm and slammed into Ji-Hoon, driving him face-first into the hard-packed dirt. The air rushed out of Ji-Hoon's lungs with a pained gasp. Haejun planted a knee in his back, wrenching his arm up at a brutal angle.

"Argh! Let me go!" Ji-Hoon yelled, his voice muffled by the ground, pain screaming through his shoulder. "What is wrong with you people? Are you part of some sick cult or something?"

Haejun just chuckled, the sound dark and ugly. "Why? Does it matter?"

SMACK.

The sound was horribly loud. Juyoung, enraged, had backhanded Charyeong across the face. Her head snapped to the side, a bright red mark already blooming on her cheek. She slowly turned her head back, tears of pain and fury welling in her eyes, but her gaze was pure, undiluted disgust.

Jay scrambled to his feet, his whole body trembling with a rage so potent he could taste it. He rushed Haejun, trying to pull him off, but the man was immovable. With a grunt of effort, Haejun threw an elbow back, catching Jay in the ribs and sending him stumbling back onto the dirt with a groan.

Jay pushed himself up, grabbing his own metal shaft and leveling it at Haejun. "Don't make me use this," he warned, his voice shaking but his aim steady.

Haejun sneered, giving Ji-Hoon's arm another vicious twist, making him cry out. "You take another step, and I pop your friend's arm right out of its socket. You want that?"

Jay froze, his knuckles white around his weapon, utterly helpless.

"Let her go, at least!" Ji-Hoon gritted out from the ground, his voice strained with agony.

Haejun laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "So, if we let the girl go, you'll stop all this? That's the deal?"

"Yes!" Ji-Hoon spat, the word tearing from his throat. "Just let her go, goddamnit!"

The standoff hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

Jay's hand crept toward his pocket, fingers brushing against the cool plastic of his phone. Maybe he could—

A new hand clamped down on his shoulder, firm and unyielding. Jay spun around, his heart leaping into his throat. Another man stood there, tall and cold-eyed, and he was already holding Jay's weapon, having plucked it from his distracted grip.

"If I were you," the man said, his voice a low, bored monotone that was more frightening than a yell, "I wouldn't do anything that incredibly stupid."

Jay glared, his chest heaving. "What the hell! Who are you?"

A slow, condescending smirk. "Dongho. A friend of Juyoung's."

Jay's frustration boiled over. "Argh! How many of you creeps are there?"

"One more inside," Dongho said smoothly. "So just... stay still. It's easier."

Jay swallowed hard, a cold trickle of sweat tracing a path down his spine. They were outnumbered, outmuscled.

"Fine then," Juyoung cut in, his voice dripping with a renewed, mocking confidence. He yanked Charyeong back against him. "I'll let this hottie go... but only if he crawls over here to me to get her." He pointed a dirty finger at Ji-Hoon.

Haejun finally released his hold, shoving Ji-Hoon away. Ji-Hoon pushed himself up, his movements shaky and uncoordinated. A sharp pain shot through his leg with every step, forcing him into a limping, painful gait. But his eyes never left Juyoung. Cold. Deadly.

He took one shaky step. Then another.

As he got within reach, Juyoung's lip curled. With a sudden, vicious motion, he kicked Ji-Hoon's legs out from under him. Ji-Hoon crashed down onto his front with a grunt, the wind knocked out of him.

In that split second of distraction, Charyeong wrenched her hand free and tried to dart past. But Juyoung was faster. He crouched and snagged her arm, yanking her back so hard she cried out. He planted a dirty boot on the back of Ji-Hoon's head, grinding his face into the dirt, and leaned in close to Charyeong, his lips inches from hers.

"Gosh, enough already!" Charyeong screamed, pure disgust contorting her features. She shoved him back with all her might, and as he stumbled, off-balance, she brought her knee up—hard and precise—right between his legs.

Juyoung's eyes bulged. All the air left his body in a pained, silent wheeze before he crumpled to his knees, clutching himself, his face a grotesque mask of agony and humiliation.

Charyeong didn't even spare him a glance. She dropped to her knees beside Ji-Hoon. "Ji-Hoon! Are you okay?"

Jay let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "If I were you," he said, his voice finding its old swagger, "I wouldn't think this is some cliché drama you can win."

Dongho just shook his head, hefting Jay's shaft. "So the girl fought back. Big deal."

Jay actually scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Man, and I thought the zombies were tough. You guys are something else." He held his hands up, completely surrendering the weapon. "Do whatever you want with it. It's yours."

Dongho's grip tightened, confusion flickering in his cold eyes. "You're making a mistake, kid."

Jay just shrugged and turned his back on him, walking toward his friends. Ji-Hoon was getting to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes. A weird, pained smile touched his lips as he looked at Charyeong. "Couldn't have done that a little sooner?" he teased, his voice hoarse.

Charyeong's eyebrows furrowed. "I was trying! He's just... persistent!"

Behind them, Juyoung pushed himself up, his body trembling with raw, unhinged anger. "Stupid... brats..." he muttered, the words venomous.

Ji-Hoon tilted his head, the picture of cold sarcasm. "Oh my god. Do you ever learn?"

Haejun sighed, sounding almost bored. "What the hell, man. Let's just go back inside." He gestured toward the house.

Juyoung turned on him, shoving him backward. "Shut up! Don't tell me what to do! First that bastard mocked me, and now a girl—tch!" He spat on the ground.

Jay stepped forward, his expression deadly serious. "Hey, man. Seriously. Let it go. All this rage... you're gonna turn into one of those things out there."

Ji-Hoon put a hand on Charyeong's shoulder, a grounding gesture as she helped him stand up. He looked back at Juyoung, his voice level. "Why don't you listen to your friend? Just go inside."

"Hah!" Juyoung barked, a wild, unstable sound. "Because I need her! I need a girl next to me before I die, damn it! Don't you sickos get it?!"

Ji-Hoon just stared, pure disbelief washing over his face. "What? Are you for real? The world is ending, people are being eaten alive, and that's what you're obsessed with?"

"I NEED A HOTTIE BEFORE DYING!" Juyoung screamed, his voice cracking with a desperate, pathetic hysteria. "DON'T YOU GET IT?"

Ji-Hoon pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. "Sheesh. I don't even have words for that."

"Let her go! Let her be with me!" It was a plea now, broken and desperate.

Ji-Hoon's gaze hardened. "No. She's not going anywhere near you."

"WHY?" Juyoung's voice was a raw wound. "SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"

Ji-Hoon's eyes narrowed. "Says who?"

Juyoung faltered, his bravado crumbling. "Sh-she... she has a boyfriend?"

"Of course she does," Ji-Hoon said, his voice cool and absolute. "She deserves someone who would take care of her."

Charyeong glanced at him, her eyes wide, unsure of this new script he was writing.

"Wh-what do you mean? Sh-she can't have a—" Juyoung stammered.

"But she does," Ji-Hoon interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Juyoung's voice dropped to a horrified whisper. "Is he here? Wh-where is he?"

Ji-Hoon took a small step forward, his smirk devoid of any warmth. "He's standing right in front of you."

Juyoung's face went ashen. "Y-you...?"

Ji-Hoon didn't flinch.

"No... that's... it can't be!" Juyoung protested, his voice rising again. "Sh-she doesn't even look at you like she likes you!"

Ji-Hoon shrugged a single shoulder. "I like her. That's all you need to know. Now. Get. Lost."

Juyoung just stood there, stammering, his entire world view seemingly shattered. "N-no... no..."

Ji-Hoon crossed his arms, his final judgment delivered. "Go back inside. You're done here."

As Juyoung stood there, paralyzed, Ji-Hoon watched him. The violent anger was gone, replaced by a trembling, broken mess. The stuttering, the desperation, the sheer irrationality of it all... it clicked into place for Ji-Hoon. This wasn't just about now. This was about before.

"What happened to you?" Ji-Hoon thought, his anger cooling into a strange, cold pity. "What made you like this?"

Juyoung's shaky breath hitched. He took a step forward, his eyes burning with a renewed, more personal hatred. "You're Ji-Hoon, right?" he whispered. "You're going to pay for this."

Ji-Hoon groaned, exasperated. "Can't you just give it up? Are you actually insane?"

"YOU... YOU'RE JUST A FUCKING STUDENT!" Juyoung screamed, the sound tearing from his throat. "DON'T GET COCKY WITH ME!" And before anyone could even process the movement, his hand dove into his pocket and came out clutching a small, black pistol. His hands shook violently as he fumbled with it, raising it and pulling the trigger almost blindly.

BANG.

The gunshot was deafening, exploding the night's silence.

The bullet didn't hit its mark, but it didn't miss entirely. It grazed Ji-Hoon's upper arm, tearing through his sleeve and slicing a hot, searing line of fire across his skin.

"Argh!" Ji-Hoon gasped, his legs buckling as he dropped to his knees, clutching his arm. Blood instantly began to well up, staining his fingers crimson.

"JI-HOON!" Charyeong screamed, throwing herself down beside him. Her hands fluttered over the wound, pressing down, trying to stem the bleeding, her own hands now covered in his blood. "Oh my god, oh my god..."

Juyoung stood frozen, the gun smoking in his hand, staring at what he'd done with a kind of dawning, horrified shock.

"Hey! Are you out of your mind?!" Charyeong yelled, her voice trembling with a fury born of sheer terror. "Why would you shoot him?! WHY?!"

Juyoung's lips moved soundlessly for a second. "I... I hate him..." he breathed, the words hollow.

"What the hell?!" she shrieked. "You shot him because the girl you wanted is with someone else?! You're fucking insane! Get away from us! Get lost!"

Her words seemed to jolt him back to reality, but it was an ugly, defensive reality. His eyes flared. "Don't you tell me that, you stupid girl! I know he's just a one-day thing for you! I know it! Tomorrow, you'll be with someone else, and he'll be crying in some corner! That's why I hate people like him!" His voice cracked, all his pain and insecurity vomited out into the open. "Why can't he see that you're just an absolute bitch?!"

Ji-Hoon, pale and sweating from the pain, lifted his head. His voice was soft, but it cut through Juyoung's tirade like a scalpel. "Did..." he began, wincing, "Did someone do that to you...?"

Juyoung froze. "H-huh...?"

Ji-Hoon took a slow, pained breath. "You have my sympathy. I really mean that. But your trauma... it doesn't give you a free pass to become trash yourself."

"Sh-shut up," Juyoung stammered, his grip on the gun loosening.

"She might have thrown you away," Ji-Hoon continued, his gaze unwavering, piercing through the man's defenses. "Whoever she was... But can't you see? You're doing the exact same thing now. Picking different girls, trying to use them, throwing them away—"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Juyoung roared, but it was a broken sound now, filled with pain instead of power. He took a step back, the gun hanging limply at his side.