The silence after the gunshot was heavier than the sound itself. Ji-Hoon clutched his bleeding arm, his breath coming in sharp hisses. Charyeong's hands were still pressed against the wound, her own trembling masked by the urgency of stopping the flow of blood.

Juyoung stood frozen, the pistol hanging limply from his fingers, his face a pale mask of shock at what he'd actually done.

Ji-Hoon was the one to break the silence. His voice was low, strained with pain, but there was a strange, unwavering calm in it. "You can't just... deny it forever, mister... Juyoung." He looked up, his eyes locking onto the older man's. They weren't full of anger anymore. They were full of a weary, painful understanding.

Juyoung's jaw worked, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "What... what could you possibly know?" he muttered, the words bitter and defensive. "You're just a kid."

"I don't know," Ji-Hoon admitted softly, his gaze dropping to Juyoung's hands, to the violent tremor that ran through them. It was a tremor that had nothing to do with the weight of the gun. "So tell me."

Juyoung hesitated, his shoulders hunching as if physically recoiling from the idea. "Why should I?" The question was a challenge, but it was brittle, laced with a vulnerability he couldn't hide.

Ji-Hoon tilted his head, a faint, pained sigh escaping him. "Don't you need someone to just... listen?" he asked. "And honestly? I think I deserve an explanation for all... this." He gestured vaguely with his good arm at the scene—the blood, the tension, the sheer insanity of it.

Juyoung's lips parted. He looked away, his eyes searching the cracked pavement as if the answers were written there. "I..." he started, his voice cracking.

Ji-Hoon raised an eyebrow, a flicker of his old sarcasm returning. "Then again, don't feel pressured. If you want to keep all that poison bottled up inside and keep acting like a complete lunatic, that's your business." He shrugged, then winced as the movement jostled his arm.

Something in Juyoung seemed to snap at that. Not into anger, but into a profound, exhausted defeat. The fight drained out of him, leaving his posture slumped. "It was three months back," he said, the words so quiet they were almost carried away by the wind.

Ji-Hoon didn't move. He just held Juyoung's gaze, his own expression neutral but utterly focused. *I'm listening.*

Juyoung exhaled, a long, shaky breath that seemed to carry the weight of the world. And then he began to speak.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Juyoung's Narration**

"I remember calling her. 'Cecile, where are you, sweetheart?'" His voice took on a faraway quality, soft and full of a remembered affection that made the present moment seem even more tragic. "Back then... it was real. I thought it was all real. Cecile and I... we were in love. She'd moved in after we got engaged. It was... it was perfect."

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "The wedding was all planned. Right after her sister's graduation. Just a few months away. I could see it, you know? Our future. She talked about it all the time. She seemed so happy."

He rubbed a hand over his face. "I was working myself to the bone at the company. I wanted to give her everything. A good life. And it was working. I got promoted. It felt like... like everything was falling into place for us. She'd started her own little clothing business. It was taking off. We were on top of the world."

His voice hardened, the memory curdling. "Then it started. She said she had a meeting. An important investor. She might be late. I didn't think anything of it. It was for her dream, right? But nine o'clock came. Then ten. No call. No text. I called her... straight to voicemail."

He looked down at his hands, now clenched into fists. "I got worried. Really worried. I drove to her office. Her colleagues were still there. They told me... they told me she'd gone to a club with the investor. And his friends. To 'expand business relations.'" He spat the words out like they were poison.

"My gut just... twisted. I knew. I don't know how, but I knew. I drove to that club. And I saw her." His voice dropped to a horrified whisper. "There she was. My Cecile. My fiancée. Sitting in a booth, tucked right under this guy's arm. His hand was on her thigh. And then... and then he kissed her. And she... she kissed him back."

Juyoung let out a sound that was half laugh, half sob. "I actually... I rubbed my eyes. Like I was in some stupid cartoon. I thought I was dreaming. But I wasn't. It was real. I just turned around and walked out. I drove home. I don't even remember the drive."

He took another shaky breath. "She came home later. Acted like nothing happened. Gave me a hug. I just stood there. I couldn't even hug her back. I was... disgusted. With her. With myself for still loving her."

"It wasn't a one-time thing," he continued, his voice flat now, empty. "I found out later. That was her strategy. That's how she got investors. By seducing them. Sponsorships, she called it. I was just... another sponsor. Another mark. Everyone at her company knew. It was a joke to them."

He finally looked up, his eyes meeting Ji-Hoon's, full of a raw, ancient pain. "When I finally confronted her... she didn't even deny it. She just shrugged. Said, 'It's business. And they're not bad people.'"

He fell silent for a long moment. "Then the world ended. The virus hit. She... she was one of the first to turn. I watched it happen. And I wasn't even mad. I just felt... guilty. And sad. After everything she did... I still felt bad for her. I hate myself for that. The pain she left me with... it's a worse monster than anything walking around out here."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Charyeong was staring at Juyoung, her earlier anger completely gone, replaced by a deep, aching pity. She bit her lip, her eyes shimmering. "I see..." she whispered, the words barely audible.

Juyoung shuffled his feet, suddenly unable to bear her gaze. He looked at the ground, his shoulders hunching. "Don't... don't look at me like that," he muttered, his voice thick with shame. "Please."

Charyeong flinched but said nothing.

Ji-Hoon stepped forward, his voice firm, cutting through the heavy emotion. "You know what? Forget about it. She didn't feel a shred of remorse. So why should you carry this around?"

"I know," Juyoung whispered. "I tried to..."

"It's your choice," Ji-Hoon interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Your decision to make. But don't think for a single second that this excuses what you tried to do to Charyeong. I'm not forgiving you for that."

Juyoung nodded, a quick, jerky motion. "Yeah. I know. Why would you? I wouldn't even forgive myself."

Ji-Hoon's posture relaxed a fraction. "...Thanks," he said, the word simple but meaningful.

Juyoung looked up, a flicker of something like gratitude in his eyes. "But... uh, Ji-Hoon, was it? Thanks. For stepping in. I would've... I would've regretted it for the rest of my life if I'd actually... you know. With your friend."

Ji-Hoon's jaw tightened again. "It still makes me sick that a grown man would even think that way."

"I know. 'Sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it. And I don't think she wants to hear it from me anyway."

Charyeong spoke then, her voice quiet but clear and strong. "Sir... I am really, truly scared to even look at a man right now because of what you tried to do. Forgiving you is... it's not something I can do." She took a deep breath, glancing at Ji-Hoon and Jay before her gaze returned to Juyoung. "But... you had a story. A reason, even if it's a terrible one. And the world is already ending." She straightened her shoulders. "So I'll let it go for now. But when we get to a military base—a real one—I am filing a complaint. You can count on that."

Juyoung's face flushed a deep, mortified red. He just nodded, unable to speak.

Ji-Hoon shot him a final, sharp look. "Yeah. So you better stay alive until then."

Juyoung nodded again, a wave of relief and shame washing over him. He sighed heavily, a ragged sound, and just as they turned to leave, he called out, hesitant. "Uh... Ji-Hoon?"

Ji-Hoon paused but didn't turn around.

"I... I think you should try Gyeryong first. The rescue operation there... it might not be finished yet."

Ji-Hoon gave a single, curt nod. Jay was the one who spoke, his voice clipped. "Sure. We'll head there."

"Good luck," Juyoung muttered, the words dripping with self-loathing.

Haejun stepped forward then, his face etched with genuine remorse. He bowed deeply, ninety degrees, to Ji-Hoon. "I am sorry. For what I did. For what we all did."

Dongho followed, bowing to Jay. "Me too. I'm sorry. We... we lost our humanity for a minute there."

The fourth man, who had been a silent witness inside, emerged carrying a stack of canned food and water bottles. "It's not much," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "For what my friends did... it's the least we can do." He moved to put the supplies into their bags.

Jay held up a hand. "Whoa, wait. You can't. You don't have enough for yourselves."

But the men were insistent, practically forcing the supplies into their packs. "Please. Take it."

Ji-Hoon frowned. "But what will you guys eat?"

"There are stores around here," the fourth man said. "And... the population of those things... it's a lot thinner here than where you came from. We'll manage."

Ji-Hoon still looked hesitant, but Charyeong bowed deeply. "Right. Thank you. Really."

The men just waved their hands, looking profoundly uncomfortable. "Just go," Juyoung muttered, not meeting their eyes. "Just... get out of here."

They turned and walked away, the weight of the encounter lingering like a bruise. The men didn't move, just stood watching until the three students were swallowed by the gloom of the evening.

The bus came into view as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. Minji and Young were outside, pacing like caged animals. The moment they saw them, they broke into a sprint.

"Oh my god! You're alive!" Minji cried, pulling Charyeong into a bone-crushing hug.

Young was right behind her, grabbing Jay and then Ji-Hoon, his face pale with relief. "We thought... we heard a gunshot! What happened? What took you so long?"

Inside the bus, as Ji-Hoon let Minji fuss over his bandaged arm, Charyeong told them everything. Her voice was steady, but she didn't soften the details—the fear, the threats, Juyoung's story.

Minji's face darkened with each word. When Charyeong finished, she shot to her feet. "Let me at them! I'll go back there right now and I'll—"

Charyeong reached out, placing a calming hand on her arm. "I'm fine, Eunnie. Really. Let it be. Everyone's got a story now. A regret. And we've got enough actual monsters to worry about without making more out of broken men."

Minji's anger deflated, and she sat back down with a heavy sigh, though she still looked ready to commit murder.

Later, when things had quieted down, Jay sidled up to Ji-Hoon, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"So, dude..." Jay began, his voice a low whisper. "What was all that about back there?"

Ji-Hoon blinked, playing dumb. "Wh-what was what about?"

"You know," Jay pressed, grinning. "The whole 'I'm her boyfriend, get lost' performance. That was some next-level drama."

Ji-Hoon's ears turned bright red. He sputtered, "Aha... that... that was just a defense mechanism! A strategy! It didn't mean anything!"

Jay's smirk widened. "Sure, sure. 'Of course she has a boyfriend,'" he mimicked in a deep voice. "Very convincing." He chuckled and wandered off to talk to Young, leaving Ji-Hoon flushed and muttering to himself.

"Hey. Ji-Hoon."

He looked up. Charyeong was standing there, a small, sincere smile on her face. "Thanks. For what you did back there. Really."

Ji-Hoon's flustered state doubled. "Y-yeah. Sure. No problem."

"And," she continued, her smile turning a little teasing, "all that stuff you said—"

"THAT KICK WAS EPIC, CHARYEONG!" Ji-Hoon practically yelled, interrupting her, his face now the color of a tomato. "Really! Wow! So cool!"

Charyeong burst out laughing. "Thanks~! I was just getting tired of his whole... thing. I thought we could be civilized, you know? Talk it out. Blah blah. But he wasn't having it."

Ji-Hoon managed a shaky grin, finally catching on to her change of subject. "Right, sure~ I was about to get my arm ripped off, but yeah, take your time."

"Hey!" she shot back, playfully shoving his good shoulder. "Adrenaline doesn't just happen on command!"

"Excuses, woman. Excuses~"

She smirked, crossing her arms. "Heh. So... we're really going to Gyeryong now?"

"Oh yeah," Ji-Hoon said, leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. "It's going to be a long ride."

The engine rumbled to life. Outside, the world was dark and full of teeth. But inside the bus, for this one moment, there was laughter, and the fragile, unbreakable bond of survivors who had faced down a different kind of monster and walked away.