Everyone in the room swerved in Gyeongsu’s direction. His eyebrows furrowed with the stares set on him, “Why?” Gyeongsu tiredly inquired.

A gasp lets out on Suhyeon’s lips, “Blood,” She mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Gyeongsu has detected the crimson coloured liquid running from his nose down to his lips by putting his fingers on his philtrum. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong with me? Something’s wrong.” He stood from his seat, his eyes locked on his hands as veins start to appear on his arms and his pale iris slowly turns to crimson red.

“Oh, shit.” Cheongsan put up with a step forward while the others took a step backwards, astonishment, mixed with fear and melancholic expression is seen in their faces.

On-jo’s hand held on Suhyeon’s wrist, inaudibly asking her to move backwards but, Suhyeon carefully removed On-jo’s grasp on her. And on Suhyeon’s peripheral vision, she saw Nayeon with a scowl on her face before she shoves Joonyeong and tells him to get rid of Gyeongsu.

“I’m not—”

“Gyeongsu, stay where you are. Step back.” On-jo stated. Fear clouded her judgement. Sure he is a friend but still is a threat to everybody, Gyeongsu can turn into a flesh-eating creature in any seconds, of course she’ll be scared.

Suhyeok and Daesu were just on the side, dashed. Struggling to sink the fact that they’ll be losing another friend.

While Hyunjae were teary-eyed. There was a part of himself that yearns that what happened today was a part of one of his nightmares before. That no one had perished. And that zombies continued to exist only in fiction materials, not in real life, and Gyeongsu is not going to turn into one of the zombies.

The man can only dream.

What On-jo said startled Gyeongsu, “I fucking swearing, I’m not!” He cried out as his frustration grew.

“I’m sorry, Gyeongsu. Please, stay back.” On-jo sobbed, as her breathing was shaky.

Suhyeon, standing next to Namra right next to the wooden cabinet, were on the verge of crying. Sure, she wasn’t close to Gyeongsu like how she is with Hyunjae, but still, he is a friend. And witnessing your friend turns into a creature with a cannibalistic tendency is something you do not want to see.

Tears.

It is warm. Salty even. It would make your eyes puffed. It was a way to convey your feelings. Some were already dried out, but the majority were still trickling on someone else’s eyes down to their face. It could be tears of joy. It could be for mourning.

And tonight, it was the latter.

Each of them, shed their precious tears for a friend. A friend who stayed with them through the highs and lows. A friend that stood with them, helped them, at some point had taken care of them, and protected them.

For sure, Gyeongsu’s memories will live on.

Namra, who did not knew Gyeongsu personally, even shed a few tears for the fallen one. At some point, she acknowledged that Gyeongsu has enabled herself and the entire group to be protected from the zombies, ever since she ascended on that window earlier to join their group. She will forever be indebted for everything that Gyeongsu has done for the group and herself.

Suhyeok and Hyunjae were on the floor, crouching beside each other. Ms. Park sat at the table near the window. Cheongsan, after doing what he had to do, did not mumble a word to anyone but just stood up there in the window, staring at the dark grey clouds and the moon outside the school building and hearing the growling and snarling of the zombies on the field. And one of those growling sounds could possibly be from Gyeongsu.

Even in Gyeongsu’s death, Nayeon still is an insensitive selfish bitch.

Daesu was grieving from the loss of his friend but instead of letting him be and just shut her mouth, Nayeon did the opposite and started to talk about how she was right about Gyeongsu being infected.

“Can you just for once, shut your mouth and let us mourn?” Suhyeon pleaded nicely. Her voice was gutteral, she does not have much strength to pick a fight with Nayeon for the second time today.

Suhyeon was thinking about a lot of stuff. Their safety. Their fallen friends. Water. And food. She and everybody in the room are hungry. Obviously, going outside is out of her options. It is too risky. And as if Suhyeok will allow her to leave. He would just team up with Hyunjae to forbid her to go out.

On top of that, Suhyeok would rather die in hunger with Suhyeon than let his sister go with the possibility of getting bit and eventually turning into a flesh-eating creature.

“Hey,” Suhyeon gave attention to Namra talking while she straddled on the seat next to Wujin as she tilted her head on the table. Her eyes were settled on their class president. “Maybe you did it,” Namra emitted, taking steps towards Nayeon while Suhyeon followed her just with her eyes.

Suhyeon withdrew her head from leaning and crosses her arms as she comfortably sat on her chair, stretching her legs underneath the table.

Suhyeon’s eyes were settled on Nayeon and Namra, as did On-jo’s and everybody.

“Did what? I didn’t do anything to Gyeongsu.” Nayeon sounded defensive rather than just simply answering Namra’s question.

They were one meter away from each other after Nayeon stood from her seat after taking one or two steps closer to Namra. Her eyes were challenging Namra’s.

“I didn’t say anything about Gyeongsu.”

Suhyeon’s eyebrows furrowed, “What in the world is happening...” She whispered to herself. What does Namra know that they didn't? And what did Nayeon do?

“Knock it off. What are you talking about?” Wujin raises a question.

Still, Nayeon denied about being involved with what happened to Gyeongsu. “While we were all watching Gyeongsu, you were in the back alone.” Namra looked away and pointed her finger at a stick. Its upper part was covered by the zombie’s blood earlier after Suhyeok stabbed it into its chest.

“No, I didn’t.”

“You wiped that on the scratches on Gyeongsu’s hand.” Namra asserted.

Nayeon refuted Namra’s allegations with a poker face, however, Namra did not back down. Instead, she was urging Nayeon to take her handkerchief out of her pocket to prove her innocence.

“No,”

Nayeon smacks Namra’s hand away from her, “Take it out.”

Still, Nayeon declined. “Should I take it out?” Namra challenged as she seeks to snatch the piece of clothing out of Nayeon’s pocket. But Nayeon repulsed Namra’s arms away.

“Fuck you. Who the hell do you think you are? Class president?” Nayeon yelled.

And the most anticipating event in history that Suhyeon has been wanting to do so herself was done by the woman she looked up to.

Namra landed an awfully painful slap on Nayeon’s left cheek.

And that is how Suhyeon loved Namra even more.

A satisfying grin was plastered on Suhyeon’s face, then she furrowed her brows promptly and put her hands on her mouth while letting out a fake gasp after Wujin nudge her arm.

“You never treated me like a president.”

Ms. Park decided to waltz in, standing in between her students from their dispute. “Namra, that’s enough.” She told, pausing for a second. “Do you realize what you're saying right now? If that is true, it means Nayeon killed Gyeongsu.” Then, she stated further.

“It’s true. Nayeon did it. She killed him.” Namra declared openly.

“Nayeon, if you really want to prove your innocence, show us your handkerchief.” Hyunjae interjected. He was standing beside Suhyeok as he had a clutch on his wrists to stop him from attacking Nayeon.

“What’s stopping you?” Hyunjae only received a daggering look from the girl who is accused of murder.

Nayeon irritably put her hand inside the pocket of her sweater and threw the handkerchief on Namra’s face. “There. Happy?” She snapped, glaring at the man beside Suhyeok who had an appeasing grin on his face.

“This is blood.” Namra stared at the red stain at the cloth she yanked from the floor after it was thrown at her.

“I wiped Gyeongsu’s hand with it.” The girl with bangs remarked.

“This is his blood?”

“You can’t tell?”

The class president offered the handkerchief back to Nayeon and asks her to wipe the bloodied handkerchief on the wound that is located below on her left knee.

“Wipe yourself with it if you’re so confident.” Namra calmly demanded to the girl with the red-tinted hair in front of her.

Nayeon’s lips started to move, she wasn’t looking at Namra’s eyes directly, and her hands were shaking. She still found a way to utter another insult towards Gyeongsu.

The guy is somewhat already gone. He is considered dead and yet on her wicked mind, she still has a lot of insults toward Gyeongsu in her mind.

“Just fucking do it, Nayeon.” Hyunjae interjected. He is so eager to know the truth about his friends’ mysterious death. How did he turn into a zombie when in thirty minutes before Nayeon go into the room he was doing alright. Gyeongsu was still stubborn and wasn’t a flesh-eating creature.

Now, it was Namra who threw the handkerchief onto the floor, “He was just fine until you infected him with your handkerchief.” She stormed out of the blue.

“Nayeon, you—”

“Damn it. It wasn’t me!” She breaks, took the handkerchief from the floor and almost tap it on her would. Almost. Ms. Park was a buzzkill, she stopped Nayeon from doing it but instead, she was pushed off.

“I should just die too then, huh? That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Lee Nayeon glanced at each of her classmates, before letting out an audible sigh. “Why is Gyeongsu better than me? That dirty welfie pushed me.” She uttered with disgust.

“Because Gyeongsu is not a murderer unlike you!” Hyunjae inferred. Judging by Nayeon’s reaction to Namra’s accusations, he will reckon that those accusations were facts.

Suhyeok were holding Hyunjae’s wrist on his left hand and Cheongsan on his right. He quietly begged for Daesu’s help with Hyunjae and the man openly obeyed, now his grasps are on Cheongsan. Keeping him under control, the same with Daesu to Hyunjae.

Suhyeok could put up with the both of them one at a time but not together. Not when Cheongsan and Hyunjae’s entire core is full of wrath and rage. Suhyeok even doubt that he and Daesu could hold the two men up.

Suhyeok could not ask for Joonyeong’s help, he could not afford for the man to break his eyeglasses. Wujin’s out of his options. As he was observing his sister, he could tell that Suhyeon will be needing someone to cry on to in just a matter of time.

Hyunjae didn’t try to get off of Daesu’s hold. He was afraid of himself doing something that he would regret later. He could never hit a girl. Even if that girl deserves to be hit, he will never.

His principles are greater than his anger.

He has worked so hard to be not like his father, he will not do anything outrageous that would jeopardize his improvements. But he cannot guarantee that he will keep his mouth shut. Instead of hurting himself or inflicting pain to other people physically, might as well hurt their ego.

Most importantly, his number reason, Suhyeon.

Hyunjae have made sure to leave his past behind. That his past was in the past, still, he was terrified of how his pals will react. Of course, he is very much aware that he has to tell them but he has never found the perfect timing to do so. He might never have, considering they are trapped in their high school with zombies who was once their friends, schoolmates, and teachers that are ready to attack them.

“Nayeon, you didn’t...” Ms. Park began, alarmed with what Nayeon did.

“So, you did it. How could you just fucking—” Cheongsan said. Anger surged through his veins as his eyes were blazing with hostility wanting to have revenge for his best friend.

“I didn’t kill him, okay?” Nayeon lulls, her eyes were fidgeting a lot, “Gyeongsu fell, but he got up and ran. He’s still alive. He didn’t die, he just turned.” The lame alibi Suhyeon had ever heard in her entire life.

Still the same thing. Or probably the worse. Gyeongsu could not recognize them as his friends anymore after he turned. He only sees them only as his food that he wouldn't hesitate to devour.

Hyunjae lets out a scoff, “Oh yeah? And you will turn too after I push you out of this fucking room. Fucking bitch!” He retorted.

“Are you kidding me right now?” It was now On-jo’s turn to speak, astonished with the words that came out of Nayeon’s mouth.

“Stop ganging up on me. When I said he smelled, you all laughed. You all made fun of him too. Don’t try to act innocent now.” Nayeon cried out, not even showing any remorse for what she did to their dear friend.

Gyeongsu does not deserve to be killed off like that. No one does.

Hyunjae did not move a single muscle, he just stood there, glaring at Nayeon, cursing her in his mind. He could not afford to lose everything, so, he just stood there, with his fists closed.

Close enough to leave a mark on his palm later on.

Seeing Hyunjae in that state was a first for Daesu. He is calmer now than he was earlier. Hence he decided to let go of Hyunjae and help Suhyeok with holding Cheongsan down who wanted to get away from Suhyeok’s grasps to jump on Nayeon.

“How could you kill him?” Cheongsan questioned, pushing Nayeon to the floor and was halted by their English teacher after succeeding to get away from Suhyeok and Daesu's grips.

“You’re a murderer.”

Then, Suhyeon rubbed the tears off her face by the hem of her sleeves as Wujin put his arms around her making an effort to soothe his lady friend by gently patting his palm on her back with tears almost blurring his sight.

Wujin blinked rapidly, not wanting the tears to fall down on his face.

Another individual’s sobbing was heard in the room. “I have no friends at all. I don’t need any of you. Fuck you.” Nayeon sniffled then she got up to open the door and leave.

“Hey!”

Wujin roared at the girl who departed the room before standing from his seat and tried to follow her but was stopped by Ms. Park hindering his way.

“Listen.” Suhyeon’s attention settled on the teacher blocking the door by herself. “No matter what happens, you stay alive. Also, you must never take a life. If you cause someone else to die, life becomes completely meaningless. All right?” A smile tugged at her lips after seeing her students faintly nod their heads.

Weeping were heard again inside the broadcast room after Ms. Park took off to follow Nayeon. Never did they guess that that would be the last time they will ever see her again.

The other students are left without any adults in the room. Now, they must work and stay together for them to be able to stay alive for as long as they can while waiting for someone to rescue them.

•─────⋅☾ 𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔢𝔫𝔶𝔵𝔳𝔦 ☽⋅─────•

thanks for reading (& voting/commenting if u did)!