A hundred ways how to inflict pain on Gwi-nam crosses Hyunjae’s mind when the bully revealed himself.

For one, Hyunjae could beat the shit out of Gwi-nam with the baseball bat in his hand. Or, let the zombies have him as their food again. Shoving Gwi-nam off the windows sounds tempting for him too. Or better yet, maybe push Gwi-nam off the stairs like what he did to the certain someone that Hyunjae strongly cares about.

Even if he accomplishes that action, it is not certain if Hyunjae will survive given how tougher the bully has become.

But luckily for the group, they have Namra. She wielded her supernatural strength to toss Gwi-nam at the other zombies at the bottom of the staircase while the door miraculously unlocks itself.

While Hyunjae, together with Suhyeok and Cheongsan were the only ones left as they kept on fighting off the zombies to prevent them from getting onto the roof to where their companions are.

The triad ascends the stairs as they found an opportunity to do so. But when they attain the rooftop, the noise from the helicopter flying at a small distance was the first thing they caught sight of while they seal the door with their bodies.

At the same duration, the rest of the group were crying out and screaming their voice out just for them to be noticed by the people inside the helicopter.

Hyunjae does not know if the people inside the helicopter were innocently oblivious of their existence hence the helicopter goes on to fly away from them or they were just basically disregarding the group of high school students' existence.

Then, Suhyeok got up from his seat to join the others while Cheongsan and Hyunjae were left there, their back still against the metal door as they take the shot to have a rest and yield their strength back just for a while.

“We’re never going to escape this shit place, are we?”

Cheongsan turns his head over Hyunjae before looking back to the helicopter, gasping for air, “I really hope you are wrong with that.” He sighed. As much as he wanted Hyunjae to be wrong, a part of him is slowly losing hope.

As Hyoryung cries herself out, Suhyeon were just staring at the helicopter up in the clouds as it slowly withers while her brother, Suhyeok, unexpectedly pats her back and then wrapped up his arm around her as she lays her head on his broad shoulder.

Her head quickly flipped to where the entrance to the rooftop is, and there, she saw Hyunjae and Cheongsan are still against the cold metallic door when suddenly, they hear a few loud slams from the other side and that made the two young men arise from their seats and begins walking away from it slowly.

As the slamming halted, Suhyeon felt Suhyeok’s hand patting her back before sauntering close to the door while Cheongsan stepped towards it then he lean his ear forward into it but before it could have contact with the metal door, a slam was heard again.

“That is Gwi-nam, right?”

Suhyeon folded her arms as she lets out a breath, “We're dead.” She swallowed greedily as she indirectly replied to Joonyeong’s question.

“Hey, Lee Suhyeon, don’t say that!” Wujin spat out, as he shuddered when he heard that D word. He just cannot imagine what would happen if it occurs to him. Hopefully, he won’t be able to know about it, at least not yet.

“Who’s gone?” Suhyeok stares over his shoulder to where Namra was standing after listening to what she recently said.

“Gwi-nam.”

“How do you know it was that son of a bitch?” Hyunjae pops a question.

Suhyeon glances over the man and roams her eyes around him.

Just like everybody else on the roof, there were a few dried bloods all over Hyunjae’s clothes and a few on his face. His hair is damp from sweat too, or so Suhyeon assumes.

Hyunjae’s tie is crooked too. Suhyeon only noticed it now but his blazer is still there. While hers is already gone. His used to be gelled hair is now a mess, yet it still suits him.

Once upon a time, Suhyeon never saw him wear his uniform like that. He was always one of the neat students. Cleaned-up hair, newly flat ironed clothes and shiny black leather shoes.

Suhyeon never thought that a day will come like this and she will saw him in his most unhygienic phase.

There is only one concern that keeps on troubling Suhyeon’s mind.

How did Hyunjae get to look so damn attractive even if he is all masked up in the blood of the zombies and hasn’t taken a bath for days?

God definitely has His favourites, and Hyunjae is obviously one of them. Suhyeon feels bad for the ones who weren't on that list.

As Suhyeon gain her consciousness from her sort-of daydreaming, the man who she was thinking of has already departed from where he was standing earlier. Alongside Cheongsan and her brother, Suhyeok.

“You’re literally drooling over Hyunjae,”

"I'm not?” Rather than being a statement, it sounded more like a question. Suhyeon glimpses at her side and there was Wujin, standing with his arms crossed.

Wujin snorted as he did not acknowledge the word that came out of Suhyeon’s mouth, “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” He murmured and strolls near the group as they are intending to create an SOS sign.

While doing so, Suhyeon approaches Namra who is silent and peacefully settling in a chair.

“That was cool. What you did back there.”

Namra lifts her head. While Suhyeon flashes a smile on her face, however, Namra did not show any enthusiasm on her face, not even a pinch of emotion can be seen in her eyes. “Aren’t you afraid that I am becoming like a zombie too? What if I bite any one of you? Or worse, your brother?”

“I doubt that.” Namra’s forehead wrinkled as the glimmer on Suhyeon’s face gradually wears off.

Namra’s attention is deeply on the girl standing beside her, curious about what Suhyeon is about to say next. “I think that the feelings that you have for my brother are more powerful than your urge to bite him.” Suhyeon glances at her brother, the same with Namra, who was also eyeing them. Or mainly just at Namra.

But then, Cheongsan and Hyunjae are looking too. So, Suhyeon doesn’t really know where they are looking at.

“How could you be so sure?”

A smirk emerges on Suhyeon’s face, “We’re friends, right? And I am going to hold on to that.” She asserted then she diverted her gaze back to Namra.

“You should confess to Hyunjae.” Suhyeon breathed heavily from the mention of his name, “We might not die becoming a zombie but there is also a high possibility that we’ll die of starvation.” Namra remarked, her face still as a stone.

Suhyeon stole a glance at Hyunjae. “And if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

“At least you tried. And you will have no regrets or what-ifs.”

Still, Suhyeon is not convinced. She doesn’t know if she will pursue Namra’s advice or not. It will be an embarrassment and a waste of time if she tells him what she feels then he does not feel the same.

Not to mention, their friendship is at stake and will seriously be stained regardless of what will be the aftermath of her attempt to confess.

Thus, instead of performing anything, Suhyeon just lets fate do its job.

On the other side of the rooftop, Suhyeok and Cheongsan were dragging (not literally) Hyunjae to do the similar aspect that Namra wants her friend to do.

Hyunjae would love to, but, just like Suhyeon, he is similarly anxious about tarnishing their friendship. Deep down in his psyche, he knows what to do.

He is hardly impeding it for as long as he can since he is also a coward to rejection.

Right then, the group of students assembled the SOS sign which is also On-jo's idea for them to do in order to be extricated immediately if there will be another helicopter flying above the building.

It took them hours after it was completely built. All the materials they can discover on the roof were utilized in rendering it.

The sign was a bit crooked but even if it was, it would be strenuous for an individual to miss. The sign is massive and only people who preferred to ignore it are the only ones who will tell that they did not see it.

While resting, Daesu and On-jo got into a silly argument about the real meaning of SOS.

Hyunjae lets out a small chuckle when the not convinced Daesu moves toward Namra and Suhyeon for a second opinion while Cheongsan was kicked on his popliteal muscle for an unknown reason.

But knowing the two of them, Suhyeon suspects that Cheongsan is back at it again with his jests towards On-jo.

“The fire won’t start if he does it slowly,” Wujin announced as he denounced Daesu which made him change his mind.

“Do it faster. Come on. Faster. Twist it faster!”

While doing it earnestly, Joonyeong’s hands grew tired and cramped as he was pressured to do what Daesu told to him. He moved aside and was proceeded by Daesu to begin again what both Joonyeong and On-jo started.

There is still no smoke. His eyes are shut down and his motion was slow as a snail.

“Should we kill him?” Wujin noted as he peeps at Joonyeong and then at Suhyeon. Joonyeong did not answer back as Wujin denoted that he is praying while Suhyeon hardly express a reply.

Wujin came in succeeding Daesu. The group lauded him as a smoke aroused and Suhyeok was blowing it in order for it to grow, but what happened was the contrary.

Hyunjae softly tugs his friend aside to have it a go.

“You should move your hands downwards and faster.” Suhyeon broke her stillness as she instructed.

“And you didn’t tell us that earlier?!” Daesu cried out in frustration which was dismissed by everybody including Suhyeon.

Suhyeok, nonetheless, finds it engaging. His younger sister evidently has moves that he wasn’t familiar of that she has.

Hyunjae glimpses at Suhyeon that she is oblivious of because her fixation was solely on his hands. He doesn’t know what is on her mind but to amaze her more, Hyunjae listened to her advice.

The group applauded him when Hyunjae caught a glimpse of a smoke fog coming from the wood but then, the wood slid from the hole and the smoke died down as the wind is also one of their foes.

Yet, Hyunjae was not dismayed by it therefore he did what he did earlier for the second time.

However, it still does not work.

That is when Suhyeok came into the picture, doing what Suhyeon told Hyunjae ahead. Still, it was difficult.

Then suddenly, Namra proposed to permit them to borrow her lighter which she wields to lit her cigarette.

Hyunjae snaps into a smile, “You should have mentioned that you have that a little bit sooner!” He exclaimed before delivering a wink toward Suhyeok.

“Didn’t want Suhyeok to have a hard time, did you?”

“Oh, please. As if you didn’t do the same thing, Suhyeon.” Wujin scowls as he was reminded of what she informed Hyunjae earlier while discreetly nudging Hyunjae’s arm as a gaze of confusion was recognized on Suhyeon’s face.

“You’re making a big deal out of it, Wujin,” Hyunjae conversed.

Wujin rolls his eyes after giving attention to Hyunjae as he spoke, “Because, I cramped my hands doing the best I can to ignite a fire! The same with Namra who was quiet about the fact that there is a lighter inside her pocket.” Joonyeong yells out in frustration while the others—except Namra—were resisting to break down into laughter.

“I cannot believe it though,” Daesu, who was still fascinated, stared up at Namra, “You smoke? I did not expect that, like at all,” He adds up, still dumbfounded.

“Get over it, both of you.” Hyunjae chid while Suhyeok instantly yanks the object from Namra’s hand to utilize it for making lighting up a fire.

“Is this the first time you ever heard a top student smoke?" Suhyeok questions while Daesu and Joonyeong hastily nod their heads, “Yeah. Me too.” He whispered.

Hyunjae softly snickers as he relaxingly sat on the cemented ground, “Hey, Bare-su,” He called out to his best mate’s silly nickname after he snatched a glance over at Suhyeon, “Did you know Suhyeon drank two bottles of vodka last summer?”

“You son—”

Wujin giggles, “Here comes the drama king.” He whispered at On-jo’s ear as she also anticipates what is going to happen next.

“What?!” Suhyeok shrieked then he whirls his head towards Suhyeon who nearly swore in front of him and their friends. “Hey! Are you about to curse?”

“Dude, chill out.” Suhyeon yawned.

“Hey, Suhyeok, we’ve heard Suhyeon curse a few hundred times, there is no need to disallow her to do so.”

Daesu nods his head in agreement with On-jo’s comment, “You don’t even scold her whenever she calls us a dipshit or shithead.” Wujin added, pursing his lips into a pout.

“Because it’s true.”

Namra asserted. Making the others swerve their heads to each other, astounded while Suhyeon was poked by Hyunjae after he heard her giggle.

Fire is blazing hot. Almost like the warmth of the sun. However, the cold breeze hitting on Suhyeon’s pale skin made her even paler and quiver.

The group is huddled around the bonfire that they have created earlier. Talking about life. Acting as if it was normal like before. Imaging that they are in some kind of retreat, of course, neglecting the fact that they have been wearing the same clothes and they haven’t eaten a single food for a few days.

Eliminating the thoughts of the zombies flocking around their high school campus and perhaps it has been unravelling in the entirety of Hyosan.

Suhyeon was seating in between of Wujin on her left and Hyunjae to her right.

Just currently, Suhyeok inquired of Daesu about his audition. He responded that he was denied and was told to lose weight.

“You’re an excellent singer, Daesu, I don’t get how they rejected you. And can someone elaborate what is the correlation between singing and weight?” Suhyeon spoke as she rubs her palms jointly and lay them on both of her arms to warm herself. “I bet they’re regretting their decision now.” She added.

“That, and probably they have turned to zombies now.” Hyunjae chuckled. Noticing how Suhyeon’s freezing, he peeled off his blazer himself and with sufficient motivation he lays it just above Suhyeon’s shoulder.

Suhyeon promptly turns her head to look at Hyunjae who only shot a smile at her before tucking the hair on her face to the back of her ear, bringing shivers down to her spine and her cheeks warming.

In Suhyeon’s sight, the look on Hyunjae’s eyes speaks of astonishment. With that, Hyunjae withdrew his hand from her ear. Her blush slowly fades and transitions into a frown before she looks away clutching Hyunjae’s blazer on her body.

It is a cold cold night.

Suhyeon had overcome her injury and assault from Yoon Gwi-nam.

Keeping up with a freezing night with an empty stomach is only a chunk of cake for her.

•─────⋅☾ 𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔢𝔫𝔶𝔵𝔳𝔦 ☽⋅─────•

sorry to keep you waiting but yeah, here’s chapter sixteen. :)

tell me your thoughts about this and the entirety of the book. what do you want to see next? since this book is slowly coming to its end. i’m halfway of the episode 8, if you’re curious hehe.

i just had the motivation to finish this chapter because of the good news that i found out just yesterday. but prior to that, i have been feeling sad for a lot of reasons that i would not like to share because, i don’t want to pass the burden to you.

but, yeah, i feel good now. i don’t know when is this going to end but for now, i am enjoying myself with that pinch of happiness that i have.

although, i know that it is only for a little while and it is extremely hard to find a reason to be happy, just know that you deserve that happiness.

you have endured so much for the past days, weeks, months, or years. for once, let yourself be happy.

thank you for everything.