Suhyeon feels so filthy of herself. Every strand of her hair is frizzy and oily and is in need of a brush. Her face needs to be washed. She badly wants to take a warm shower and change into her comfortable clothes. Her left sleeve had a few tints of blood that she obtained earlier, her uniform has dried out from getting soggy in the cafeteria at lunch.

But what does she needs the most?

Food.

Suhyeon is famished and thirsty as hell. Cheongsan’s mom’s chicken would be nice and a glass full of soda. And just the thought of it made her stomach groan.

Suhyeon doesn’t have a clue when are they going to leave this location but, luckily, her monthly period has already passed. She would not know how to handle herself having her menstrual cycle in the middle of a zombie outbreak.

The group straddled down around the table as Hyunjae and Suhyeon leaned over the production desk jointly with Suhyeok while Wujin sat down in between Suhyeon and Suhyeok.

Cheongsan started talking about him not hearing any screams from the outside of the room after Nayeon left and Ms. Park went after her.

“Maybe they didn’t die, then? They wouldn’t have been quiet if zombies were biting them. They must be alive.” Daesu spoke with hope with the hope of Ms. Park and Nayeon are still alive and are probably hiding around.

Daesu glimpses on the ground as everyone kept their mouth close. “Why won’t you respond? No one answers me. I’m always talking to myself.” He held in a deep breath. Even Suhyeon did not speak a word just to shut down his cloud nine hopes which she usually does.

“I think you’re right,”

“Forget it,” Daesu answered back to On-jo as he sulks his lips, thinking she only spoke to make him feel better.

“I didn’t hear anything, either,” On-jo stated and Hyoryung acknowledged her statement.

“I was scared because I didn’t know how I’d feel if I heard them screaming, but I did not hear anything.” Hyoryung elaborated.

Hyunjae’s hand intertwined with Suhyeon’s tightly, not even dreaming of letting go of her. Everything seems to be unpredictable, and that honestly scared the shit out of him. He is terrified.

What makes Hyunjae feel sick is he cannot do anything about it. His family’s influence is completely worthless right now, ‘cause if it did had its worth he and his friends would be long gone by now.

Joonyeong joined into their conversation with the same sentiments, he did not hear any scream also.

“Then, I’m right. They’re alive, right?” Daesu brings up a question, his hope, high as the tallest building on Earth and it reached the moon after Joonyeong bobbed his head.

“Should she be alive?”

Suhyeon lift her head to peek at Jimin as her eyebrows elevated. “Are you talking about Nayeon?” She implored. Of course, she comprehends that Jimin is talking about Nayeon, she just wanted it to come out of her mouth.

Jimin nods her head as she looks at Joonyeong, “She’s a murderer. She killed Gyeongsu and walked out of here on her own. Is it even right for her to be alive? Aren’t you all being fake?” She interpreted, swivelling her head from left to right whilst looking at the people around her.

“So, now we’re supposed to decide if a person deserves to live or to die? What makes us different from her if we do the very same thing that provokes us to strongly dislike her?” Suhyeon shot back. Sure, Nayeon did an unjustifiable mistake, but that doesn't mean her life is on their hands.

They would be just like her if they did.

“What about Ms. Park? Should she have died too?” Wujin questioned as he backed Suhyeon’s statement.

Jimin was very quick to respond with, “Is that our fault?” She called out.

Hyunjae unleashes a scoff, “I would have assumed that Nayeon were talking and spitting shit if my eyes are closed.” He commented, letting out a deep breath, staring at the girl with a high ponytail.

“Either way, we’re responsible for what happened.”

“Why is that? What did we do wrong?” Wujin just let out a sigh, listening to Jimin. “Nayeon killed someone then played the victim and chose to leave on her own, because we didn’t listen to her. If no one’s on your side, is it okay to kill? Ms. Park acted like we were wrong.” Jimin pauses for a second, “We didn’t tell Nayeon to go out there. We didn't tell Ms. Park to go out there, either. Why should we feel bad?” She proceeded, not even a single emotion in her eyes.

Suhyeon understood what Jimin was trying to say, she really does. “W’'re supposed to feel emotion. We’re humans, Jimin, it’s in our nature. We can be angry at Nayeon and feel bad for her at the same time, the same goes for Ms. Park. And if you don’t feel an ounce of emotion towards anyone or anything. Put your right palm on your left chest, check if you still have a heart.” She darted at Jimin for the last time before vacating and went inside the recording room.

Suhyeon crouched on the floor and rested her back on the wall next to the door. She was reflecting on what she said to Jimin. She despised every matter that constructs Nayeon’s existence after everything she has done to Gyeongsu and that will never go away. Still, she did not want her to die outside, alone. She will never wish for someone to go through with that because if that happens to her, she will crack into a million pieces.

She was questioning herself. Did that make her a hypocrite?

Her thoughts were suspended by the creaking sound of the door opening. As always, like a tail, Hyunjae went after her, ruining her alone time.

Of course, Suhyeon will not say it on his face.

“Be honest, do you ever think that I am a hypocrite?” Suhyeon blurted out a question whilst Hyunjae uses his hand to pull her head into his shoulder.

“I don’t think a person who feels what their brain wants to feel makes them a hypocrite.” Hyunjae provided a safe answer. “She is a horrible person to everyone, especially to Gyeongsu but we should not put her life on our hands to decide whether she lives or dies.” He elaborated, gently putting his arms around her as her head rested on his shoulder.

At the same time, Suhyeok were peeping from the outside, curious about what is Hyunjae and Suhyeon going to do inside the other room.

Hyunjae is staring at the wall. His mind was battling between telling Suhyeon or not about the feelings he have for the girl in his arms. He is not certain if they still have tomorrow to wait. Hopefully, they will be rescued but tonight, that is unlikely to happen.

“Hey, Suhyeon,”

Suhyeon murmurs, “Yeah?”

“I have something to tell you...” He confided.

Suhyeon puckered her eyebrows. What could be so important that she could practically hear his heart beating faster. “Uh, Hyunjae, you can tell me now.”

Hyunjae did not say a word, but he turned his head on her face, “I, uh,”

“You’re kind of freaking me out, please just say it.”

“Um, ah, before I transferred to Hyosan, I got involved in a car accident.”

That was it? The confession he is talking about? Honestly, Suhyeon was expecting more, still she decided to listen to the man beside her.

“I went to a party which was hosted by our team captain after we won one of the biggest games we ever had. I don’t even know why I went, I wasn’t friends with anyone there. Just acquaintances.” Hyunjae lets out a dry laugh while recalling how stupid his younger self was.

The younger version of Hyunjae was always in need of validation for everyone. From his father to the members of the football team he was a member of.

“A former teammate invited me and four more drunk team members, including his girlfriend for a ride around the village. I agreed and insisted on driving his car and luckily there was no dispute and he just let me be.” He hesitated, looking up to the ceiling while years are forming in his eyes.

Hyunjae’s previous school was a private school. Just like in state-owned schools, there was a lot of bullies and assholes there too. Those kinds of tyrants and assholes were on another level, they were greedy, selfish, and stupid too.

They can flex and strut off about their family’s influences and wealth but never what is on their brain because it contains nothing.

Hyunjae was in his last year in middle school and he cannot wait to get out of that hell-hole that some of the learners called their kingdom.

Everyone at their academy was horrible to each other. Girls fight with each other and the same with the boys.

But of course, he will not deny how fun it was whenever their football team won a game. And there was a specific game he will never not think back to.

Forty is the speed limit inside the village. It is a secluded village where their team captain lives as he throws a huge party after winning against an all-boys high school from Seoul.

The game was a big deal for their captain because getting into his dream university depends on how will their performance be in the game.

Luckily, they won and he got in.

Jaewook, one of their defenders and a senior, was wasted as fuck, together with his girlfriend, he asked Hyunjae to join them along with three other team members to a ride. Hyunjae could not say no because his conscience will kill him if something happened to them if he will just let Jaewook drive a car in his current situation.

So, Hyunjae tagged along.

He thanked his mother for teaching him how to drive a car. The thought of his father storming into a police precinct to fetch his only son intimidates the hell out of Hyunjae. Henceforth, he put the thought out of his mind and continued to have fun.

At first, he was full of pleasure, the speakers were blasting out as they all are singing with their lungs out to one of Bruno Mars’s bop songs.

Then, all of a sudden, Jaewook utilized his seniority and ordered Hyunjae to go a little faster. Scared of being called names, he obeyed. He was a kid. A fifteen-year-old. He does not know what to do, besides, he is also the youngest inside the car. He cannot let himself get in trouble.

Forty became fifty. But when he asked to go sixty, Hyunjae did not talk. That is why they switched seats. Then, sixty, and to seventy. Hyunjae almost shat himself while his hands are clenching tightly to the handgrip as the man sitting in the driver’s and back seat were vibing to the music.

Jaewook, being a foolish giant took off his seat belt as the car went faster. Then, the last thing Hyunjae saw was the taillights of the car in front of them as he passed out.

When Hyunjae became conscious in the hospital, the first thing he inquired his nurse was, “Did my father ever visit here?” The nurse’s response did not astound him, of course, he will not show up at the hospital. Hyunjae doesn’t know about the damage he inflicted yet but he already knows it was enormous.

“It is a good thing you were wearing your seat belt or else you could have ended up like Jaewook.” His mom mentioned.

Unfortunately, Jaewook was in a coma. And it has been three days since the incident happened. The other people inside the car he was in were all injured but safe. His mother also informed him that Jaewook’s car bumped into another car with a family of three in it.

The man of the family did not survive, judging by the impact of the car Hyunjae was in as it crashed on the victim’s car. The family of the victim were crying out for justice after realizing that Jaewook does not have his license but rather a fake one and is under the influence of alcohol.

The family of Jaewook is one of the most powerful families in Seoul, that is why they were trying to hide the incident their son is involved in by putting the blame on Hyunjae.

Of course, Hyunjae’s identity and his family name were not mentioned in the media because of the sole reason that he is a minor and a member of a real estate developer chaebol clan.

It did not benefit when the forensics found Hyunjae’s fingerprints on the steering wheel.

It is safe to say that when Hyunjae got intimidated by his seniors was a blessing in disguise for him because even if his fingerprints were found in the wheel, his unconscious body was found in the passenger seat with his safety belt intact.

Hyunjae may not get imprisoned but, his family will be paying tons of money to the victims’ families because he was a part of the accident.

Hyunjae attended the funeral with a cast on his left arm and a big bandage on his forehead. As expected, he earned a lot of criticizing stares but he did not faze. He was not there for them, he was there for the victim and to his immediate family.

However, Hyunjae’s father did not talk to him until he got out of middle school to tell Hyunjae about him being transferred to Hyosan on the first day of summer.

He was also told that he will have to take care of the house chores. The good thing is, he will be given an increased monthly allowance and a decent house where he will stay for his entire high school.

The house was not like their house in Seoul, it much smaller, but it was great, everything he needs is there. Food, kitchen stuff, appliances, his gadgets are all inside his room. It even felt like he was disowned by his parents but with his privileges.

It was the first time Hyunjae felt that he was from his parents
—specially from his father. He was free from his judgements, comparisons, and silly reasons to scold him. And he will not deny that he liked being alone—except doing the chores all by himself. It was very tiresome.

It was difficult for Hyunjae for the first month since he was not used to it. Luckily, his mother urged her husband to send help for their son. Someone to do his laundry and other heavy household chores.

In that same month was when he met Cheongsan and Gyeongsu after eating at their restaurant when he wandered around the village on his first week.

As time goes by, Hyunjae learned cooking for himself and some of the chores. Thanks to whoever invented the internet and technologies.

The first day of school was the day he will never forget. It was a sunny Monday. He used to hate Mondays, but after meeting Suhyeon on a Monday, it changes. It sounds cheesy but it is what Hyunjae felt.

And he got Ms. Park to thank for when she told him to sit on the available seat next to Suhyeon.

•─────⋅☾ 𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔢𝔫𝔶𝔵𝔳𝔦 ☽⋅─────•

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