Chapter Text
Kaede and Shion stood in a dark, unsuspecting alleyway that ended in a tall brick wall. The initial panic had settled down after a few days, but moving around was still a challenging affair. Kaede kept her switchblade in her pocket, fiddling with the handle. Shion peeked out of the alley before reeling back at the faraway howl of a car siren. Instantly, the noise was followed by a cacophony of growls and fast footsteps.
Shion ducked into the corner of the alley and covered her ears, waiting for the horde to pass. While she shut her eyes, Kaede watched as dozens of infected filled the streets, the numbers too big for anyone to take. Some of them wore military uniforms as they jumped over tanks and barriers. She had a grip on her switchblade, but was certain they were safe where they were.
As expected, the numbers dwindled minutes after the initial siren, and the pair avoided any confrontation.
Kaede breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the final zombie ran past the alley. She looked over to where the blue car was parked a hundred yards away, clean and untouched. Its owner, a small group of prisoners, stayed in the small restaurant behind the vehicle. After having spotted them yesterday, Kaede locked onto them as her target.
She lowered herself in front of Shion, who still had her ears covered with her eyes shut. She gave her a light tap on the shoulder. Shion blinked and dropped her arms to look around them, leaning her head against the wall after realizing they were safe.
“The infected are distracted. Now’s a good time to make a move.”
Shion narrowed her eyes. The plan was for her to go up to the prisoners and try to join their group. After earning their trust, she would look for the car keys, and, upon finding them, she’d take them and leave before anyone spotted her.
“You use whatever you can to get on their good side,” Kaede reminded her. “That includes using your looks to your advantage.”
“My looks?” Shion parroted.
Kaede leaned closer, studying Shion’s face. “You're cute. Pretty. Paired with your soft voice, they'll let their guard down. Think you aren't a threat.”
Shion blushed in embarrassment. She looked around the empty alleyway hidden away from the sun and retreated further into herself at a nearby snarl.
“Remember: get the car keys. You get out right after.”
“And what if I get hurt?”
Kaede’s eyes landed on Shion’s. Her expression reflected nothing, and, after some seconds of reflection, she turned away.
Soomin ran her fingers across her injured knuckles. The bandages had been uncovered, showing the faint black scarring on her skin. She sat across from Yooyeon and Seoyeon, and to her right was Yubin, her scar exposed for all to see. They were gathered in Yooyeon’s personal research office, which was a small room located at the end of the mess hall’s building. The single door was curtained, ensuring their privacy.
It had been early morning when Yubin, still in her sleepwear, had visited Soomin’s dorm room. With a pat of the teenager’s head, she had then shown her scar, and any exhaustion from Soomin had evaporated in an instant.
“You’re not alone in this.”
A wave of gratitude and misplaced relief had washed over Soomin when she heard Yubin’s words. With a whine, she had instantly wrapped her arms around Yubin, forcing her into a hug. Yubin had chuckled lightly, running her fingers through Soomin’s hair.
They had then decided to meet up with Yooyeon and Seoyeon after breakfast. The couple was initially shocked at Yubin’s reveal, but they were quick to accept and reassure the girl. The scientist grew curious at the development, which led Soomin and Yubin to speak about their respective experiences.
“It’s so weird,” Soomin started. “I get angrier easily. Stronger too, I guess. But I can’t stand loud noises– I can’t even shoot my guns without a silencer and even then it’s loud.”
Yubin narrowed her eyes, thinking seriously. “I don’t have any of those. Everything feels normal to me. I just have the weird scar. But sometimes I feel like it moves and I get grossed out.”
Seoyeon cringed. “Have you tried removing it?”
“Once. But when I put my knife close I suddenly got this chill, like a bucket of fear just fell on me. The closer the knife the more afraid I got. In the end I just couldn’t do it.”
Yooyeon frowned, tapping a finger above her lips. She caught sight of the scalpel on the metal tray and picked it up. “Can I try something out?”
The sharp instrument glinted in the sunlight. Yubin sucked in a breath, dubious. “Just don’t stab me.”
Yooyeon stood from her chair and moved across the table. Lowering a knee to the ground, she hovered the scalpel near Yubin’s scar. She heard the girl’s breath hitch as she inched closer, but kept her focus on the wound. Yubin’s scar was a black that felt sharper to the eye. Soomin’s scars were pale in comparison. Studying it closer, she realized it flitted away from the scalpel.
When the blade was just an inch away from the scar, Yubin suddenly hissed and jerked her leg away.
“Shit– I didn’t mean to do that,” Yubin excused herself.
Yooyeon pressed her lips into a line and turned to Seoyeon. Her partner held the same contemplative crease of her eyebrows. After Yubin placed her leg back in its original position, Yooyeon tried again, spawning the same result as before. Her heart beat slowly in her chest at a realization.
“I think it’s alive,” she breathed out.
Soomin shot up. “Seriously?” Next to her, Yubin’s eyes had widened.
“The black scars are the fungi,” Yooyeon explained. “The heat and moisture are ideal for fungal growth.” She straightened herself up and reached for Yeojeong’s HausTech documents. “So the doctor did create a mutualistic fungal genome,” she muttered, flipping through the pages.
“What species does it belong to?” Seoyeon rested her chin on Yooyeon’s shoulder, eyes scanning through the highlighted information.
“It isn’t specified, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had taken inspiration from that specific Cordyceps genus. I don’t quite remember the name, but it is known to take over insects.”
“Those are the ones from The Last of Us , right?” Soomin’s eyes turned starry. “I love that game. Kinda miss playing it. But it would be really cool if those were the types of zombies we’re dealing with. Actually, wait, no it wouldn’t. They’re super scary.” She pursed her lips. “And don’t they have a hivemind?”
Yooyeon looked up from her papers to stare at Soomin, then placed the documents back on the desk. A heavy frown settled on her face. She had no idea what Soomin was talking about, but the idea of a fungal hivemind interested her.
“All we know at the moment is that Yubin’s scar is a living colony, able to trigger her fear receptors for the sake of self-preservation,” she concluded. “And, with the summer rain, it has the perfect conditions to cultivate.”
Yubin’s eye twitched. “So you’re saying I’m a literal breeding ground for zombie mushrooms.”
“That’s what I want to figure out.”
Yubin wilted into her chair and looked at the ceiling. “How nice.”
The two girls were free to leave after Yooyeon was satisfied with the information they provided. She wrote them as bullet points in the dodger blue notebook, which was nearly filled halfway. Seoyeon stayed by her side, being able to help with her research since there hadn’t been any injuries.
“Their infections are different,” Yooyeon said. “Yubin’s is dormant, so she doesn’t obtain the virus’s properties, but the mold still grows. Soomin, on the other hand, is active. She shows the typical symptoms, but seems immune to whatever mind-control the infection possesses. Not only that, but the fungal coverings are dead.”
“So there are variants,” Seoyeon murmured, subconsciously massaging Yooyeon’s shoulders.
“That is the hypothesis,” agreed Yooyeon, melting at Seoyeon’s touch. She swallowed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the equipment to prove those theories.”
“We’ll add them to the list.”
Yooyeon pondered for a moment. “Actually, I’d like to figure this out as quickly as possible. I don’t know how much time Yubin has.”
“You want to go out on a run? Right now?” Seoyeon asked in surprise. Their usual team of scavengers had already taken the bus for the day.
“We still have the car,” Yooyeon pointed out, concluding her final bullet point and clapping the notebook shut.
Seoyeon scrunched her nose, looking around the room. She stood up, grabbed the nearby duffle bag, and hoisted the strap over her shoulder. “Let’s go, then.”
Yooyeon blinked and turned to her, taken aback. Seoyeon caught her stare.
“I’m not leaving your side,” she stated simply. “Besides, I don’t think anyone else would recognize what you’re looking for.”
Yooyeon hummed. Seoyeon was right. Still, she had to ask. “Are you certain?”
“I can’t just hide forever. And we don’t have to go alone.”
Yooyeon tapped a finger above her lips as her head ran through all their group members. One by one, she eliminated her options. Most of them had their own daily tasks – Xinyu took care of the laundry, Mayu counted the resources, Dahyun was a crucial engineer, – and bringing the kids was out of the question.
Yooyeon lowered her hand. Only a couple people were available. “Let’s ask around,” she said.
“A run?” Shion asked, wide-eyed. Like yesterday, she stayed by Kaede’s side in the cafeteria. Her condition had improved from yesterday, but she stayed curled in on herself, occasionally feeling her hands. Her gunshot wound had yet to heal. She seemed less sickened by Shion’s presence.
“We had planned to have multiple runs in a day,” Yooyeon recalled their first meeting. “Seoyeon and I are going. It would do us good that you join us.”
Shion hesitated. “Well, uh…” Her eyes flickered to Kaede, who listened in on their conversation with a careful eye. Despite her general apathy, Seoyeon couldn’t help but notice the tear of Kaede’s ear had completely mended, the new skin at the ridges a baby pink.
“Isn’t anyone else available?” Shion wondered.
“We already asked,” Yooyeon answered. “Chaeyeon didn’t want to go, and she told us Jiwoo needed some time to rest.” She kept her initial supefaction at Jiwoo’s refusal to herself.
When Shion was still doubtful, Seoyeon placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shion. You’re the person in here I trust the most. I know I can count on you to have my back, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. You don’t have to come with us if you really don’t want to, but we would be seriously grateful for any help.”
Shion grabbed Seoyeon’s hand. “Of course I’ll help you, unnie. I always will. I was just wondering about… Kaede.”
Of course. Seoyeon forced down a grumble. No one else was free. If they took Shion, Kaede would be left alone, and she didn’t trust the woman to wander around unguarded.
“We could take her with us?” Shion offered, uncertain.
Seoyeon snapped her head up in disbelief. “...Seriously?”
Yooyeon brushed her fingers with Seoyeon’s. “Good time as any to put her to the test,” she whispered out of the others’ earshot. “She’s still weakened.”
Seoyeon’s fingers danced on the back of Yooyeon’s hand as she thought deeply. From the corner of her eye, Kaede watched quietly, her form non-threatening. She swallowed. They didn’t have many options.
But, she pondered further, if said options were to either put the others in danger or herself, she’d pick the latter in a heartbeat. After all, it was their choice to bring Kaede back.
With a sigh, Seoyeon yielded. “Fine,” she said, loud enough for all to hear. Then, on the side, she whispered to Yooyeon, “But I don’t like this.”
Yooyeon interlaced their fingers. “I’ll keep an eye out,” she reassured, readjusting Seoyeon’s bangs. The nurse hummed and leaned into the touch, unable to push down her growing smile. It dropped when she noticed Kaede’s knowing eyes.
The sunlight was hidden behind white clouds, easing the heat on the students as they worked diligently on the farm. Chaewon and Sullin watched on the side, whispering a few words to each other about the layout of the plants. Yooyeon, Seoyeon, Shion, and Kaede had gone on a run, and with the last girl gone, the air felt more relaxed.
Chaewon huffed and shook her legs. Standing around left them numb, and she felt slightly bored. Scanning the area again, she caught sight of a person in the far right corner, her light brown hair tied low behind her head. She immediately identified her as Hayeon. The troublemaker was busy planting the seeds, and a watering can was placed next to her.
Chaewon narrowed her eyes. Given her poor educational record, she didn’t quite trust her to follow the task. Subconsciously, her heart beat quicker, excited at the premise of potentially critiquing the girl. With a sly smile, she detached herself from Sullin and walked over.
As she approached, Chaewon reached over to observe Hayeon’s work. Then, almost in an instant, she deflated. The seeds had been distributed evenly in the soil and the spacing was near perfect. Not only that, but Hayeon had also given them just the right amount of water. Hayeon was clearly taking great care in her task.
“You’re doing well,” Chaewon commented, unable to hide her disappointment.
Hayeon turned around and wiped the side of her head with her forearm. Sitting loosely on the bridge of her nose was a pair of inaccurately prescribed glasses, round in shape. She wore turquoise gloves and held a trowel in her hand.
“What’s with that tone?” asked Hayeon, squinting. A bead of sweat she couldn’t catch trailed down her forehead.
Chaewon huffed in frustration, having lost the opportunity to verbally berate Hayeon. So she went for the next thing that came to mind. “Why weren’t you this dedicated in school?”
Behind them, Yeonji and Soomin paused their work and looked over. Hayeon sputtered at the sudden attack but collected herself, pushing her glasses up. “Well, first of all, school’s a bum-ass place.”
Yeonji cheered and gave Hayeon a high-five. Chaewon held in the urge to facepalm.
Hayeon kept going. “Second, my life actually depends on this.”
“And school doesn’t?” Seoah intercepted from the other end.
“We lived in the middle of nowhere. I was going to take over my dad’s car shop anyways.” Hayeon smirked and flashed Chaewon a wink. “And third, I get to impress a pretty girl.”
Soomin, Yeonji, and Seoah bursted into laughter. Chaewon’s face flushed deeper than crimson and she kicked the watering can, emptying its contents onto Hayeon. The troublemaker yelled and stood up, throwing her gloves off to wring her clothes from the excess. Still, she grinned.
Sullin ran up to the girls and threw her arms out. “The farm!” She pointed at the soil. It had turned into mud.
“It’s her fault!” Chaewon shifted the blame onto Hayeon. The troublemaker placed a hand to her chest, feigning hurt.
Sullin drew an ‘x’ with her arms. “I don’t care. The farm.” She picked up the stray seeds. “Fix it,” she ordered in English.
No one moved. Then, Chaewon tapped Hayeon with her shoe.
“Why do I have to do it?” Hayeon protested. “You ruined it.”
“You’re the worker.”
Hayeon scoffed and put her gloves back on. She ducked and patted the wet soil. Chaewon watched with her arms crossed.
“There’s no deeper reason to your delinquency?”
“Nope,” answered Hayeon, popping the ‘p.’
With nothing to work with, Chaewon instead turned to Yeonji. “Do you know?”
The skateboarder shrugged. “Hayeon-unnie already told you everything.”
“So there really isn’t anything special?” Chaewon pouted. “That’s boring.”
“Hey!”
Tuning Hayeon’s protests out, Chaewon found her new target in the form of Yeonji. “Why were you always in trouble?”
“I just skipped school to skateboard. That’s it.” A lie. But Yeonji’s excited tone had dropped, so Chaewon let it go and went for Sullin.
“Unnie, why are you in Korea?”
They looked at Sullin curiously. She pursed her lips and looked to the sky, racking her brain for the right words. Finding nothing, she instead formed a speaker with her hands and spun around.
“Joobin!” she yelled across the base. Like an owl, Joobin snapped her head in her direction. The buildup cleared for the time being, she was helping Jiyeon train with her military rifle. The two girls gave each other a glance before marching towards the teenagers.
Sullin murmured something to Joobin out of Chaewon’s range. Joobin blinked.
“A race.”
“You must be a fast runner, then,” Jiyeon told Sullin. The girl hummed and nodded despite not fully understanding.
Soomin had her focus on Joobin. “You know English?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of school did you go to?”
The girls turned to Joobin, expecting an answer. The young soldier narrowed her eyes. “A military school.”
Soomin waved her hands around. “Yeah, we know that– ooh, you’re giving us an answer so that we don’t complain, but an answer so obvious we don’t actually learn anything more about you.”
“Yes.”
“Wait, I’ve always wondered,” Yeonji spoke up. “How old were you when you joined the military?”
Joobin blinked. She spotted Seoah, whose head was tilted in curiosity. Pursing her lips, she decided to answer. “I was born a soldier.”
Gasps echoed in the farm. Soomin and Yeonji’s words overlapped with each other while Jiyeon covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide in shock. Sullin scratched her cheek and Chaewon gaped, hands placed above her head. Seoah frowned heavily.
Yeonji grabbed Joobin by the arms. “Like– you were literally just born to be a soldier? And your name’s just Joobin? So you don’t even have a last name. Do you even have a last name?”
The conversations quickly heated as the girls joined in one by one, invading Joobin with questions. Hayeon, the only one not caring about the drama, tossed her trowel to the side. “Am I the only person working here?” she complained.
The girls stopped and turned to look at Hayeon. A couple seconds later, they went back to Joobin, resuming their discussion. Attracted by the commotion, Jiwoo, Chaeyeon, Yubin, and Dahyun joined them.
“What’s going on?” asked Chaeyeon.
“Joobin doesn’t have a family name,” Yeonji replied.
“No way,” Jiwoo said.
“And she was born a soldier,” Chaewon added.
“No way!” exclaimed Yubin.
“We should make up a last name for her,” suggested Jiyeon.
Yubin snapped her fingers. “Gong Joobin.”
“That’s just your last name.” Jiwoo rolled her eyes. “Lee Joobin has a nice ring to it,” she then said. Yubin scoffed and shoved Jiwoo to the side.
“Wait,” intercepted Seoah. “Let’s hear what she likes.”
The group waited attentively for the soldier’s decision. Yubin pointed at herself with an enthusiastic nod and Jiwoo pushed her away.
Joobin scrunched her nose and stretched her lips to one side, the most expressive any of them had seen her yet. Then, finally, she shrugged.
The girls sighed in unison, some of them murmuring in discontent.
Yeonji lit up. “No, no, I got this!” She slammed a fist into her palm. “Her name’s Joobin, right? So we can just split it up into two parts. Joo – Bin. Joo and Bin. Joo Bin. Last name Joo. First name Bin, and we just call her Binnie. We’ve been doing that anyway. It’s a good idea, right?”
Dahyun nudged her head towards Joobin. “What do you think?”
Joobin mulled over the proposal. “Sure.”
The team collectively cheered. Chaeyeon began chanting “Binnie” and the other’s joined in slowly. Yeonji bragged about her idea, then gave Soomin a smile. The gunner smiled back gently, some of her fire rekindled.
“Hey!” Mayu called out, walking towards them after leaving the storage room. “Why isn’t anyone working?”
The girls jumped and stopped chanting. Swiftly, they went back to their original tasks.
They droned in on the nearest school they could find on the map. It was a little under a half-hour drive, and the roads had been nothing but thick oaks and pines towering on both sides. Rarely, an infected emerged from the foliage to chase them only to be left in the dust. Seoyeon drove the car while Yooyeon stayed in the passenger seat, map in her hands. Behind them was Shion and Kaede, Shion shifting an occasional glance towards Kaede, who kept her eyes on the forests.
Without complications, they spotted the first buildings of the small village. Pulling a page from their usual scavenging team, Seoyeon parked the car a few minutes’ walk away from the nearest one. She let out a shaky breath at the sight of the barren place, wasting away from the inactivity. She didn’t spot any infected, but her hands still shook, body ready to pump in adrenaline at the first oddity.
Her nervousness wasn’t missed by Yooyeon. She placed a comforting hand on Seoyeon’s shoulder. The nurse leaned into the touch, closed her eyes and let her heartbeat slow. With one final breath, she nodded, giving Yooyeon a look of loving gratitude before opening the door and clutching her mask closer against her face.
The closer they got to the school, the more Shion had to adjust her grip on the pink pistol. Soomin had given it to her after hearing news of their mission; the teenager hadn’t gone out since the day of her violent outburst. Still, she wished them good luck with a smile.
Shion had no idea how to use a gun. It rested awkwardly in the sweaty palms of her hands, afraid to set it off with any movement. Soomin had given her the basics on how to use it, and Joobin had added a comment or two, but if push came to shove, Shion was certain her first bullet would end up either down in the ground or up in the sky. Additionally, the prospect of using such a weapon went against her personal morals.
Not once in her lifetime did Shion ever think she would have to hold the weapon responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. But the only person who knew how to aim and shoot was Kaede, and despite them having given her another chance, they didn’t trust her with a lethal firearm.
They entered the school, shoulders sagging subconsciously. Papers were scattered on the floor and spilled blood had dried against the walls, but there was no sight of corpses. Seoyeon flicked her flashlight on and shone it into the hallway.
Careful about where they stepped, the group walked deeper into the school. As they passed each closed door, Seoyeon flicked the light onto the panel above, briefly reading the room name before moving on. They were looking for the laboratory. Shion knew Yooyeon and Seoyeon wanted more equipment for their research; Yubin had just told everyone about her infection, coaxing Soomin to do the same. Shion had no idea about it until that morning. She didn’t like to admit it, but she was a little fearful.
What if they infect me? Even on accident. Shion shook her head. It must’ve already been difficult for them. She didn’t have to fuel their worries.
They made a left turn and spotted another set of sliding doors. Above it was written ‘laboratory,’ and the door had a message written in white chalk.
Junho
stop toying with them
it’s annoying to hear at night
Seoyeon shone the flashlight left and right, ensuring the hallway was clear. With Yooyeon’s nod of approval, she held a fist up, then swiftly banged it against the door. They waited with still breaths, and, seconds later, they heard a growl as something slammed into the door on the other side.
They waited a few more seconds, keeping their eyes on the end of each hallway. There was nothing.
“What do we do?” Seoyeon whispered, stepping back at another thump. Yooyeon looked to the side and spotted the other door.
“Shion,” she called out, then nudged her head in its direction. Albeit uncertain, Shion nodded and quietly trudged towards it.
Seoyeon rapped against the door every few seconds. As carefully as possible, Shion pushed the sliding door open. She peeked into the room with one eye, watching the female infected knocking itself against the first door. It had yet to spot her, too distracted by Seoyeon’s continuous bumps.
Shion’s hands shook as she reached for her knife, but Kaede pulled her by the shoulder and placed her to the side. Then, she crossed into the room with a knife in her left hand.
Shion furrowed her eyebrows; they hadn’t given Kaede a weapon. She looked down and noticed her knife missing from its holster. She looked back up just in time to see Kaede noisily running up and stabbing the knife into the zombie’s temple. It collapsed, and Shion turned towards the other two to see their stunned expressions.
Calmly, Kaede walked back towards Shion and placed the knife into her hands. They noticed Seoyeon marching over, the light bouncing up and down as she walked. Even with half her face covered, her eyes leaked with anger.
“We had a plan,” she hissed.
“I followed it,” Kaede replied coolly. “I only made things faster.” Seoyeon clenched her fist, but Kaede ignored her and turned to the science room. With a scoff, the nurse followed.
Yooyeon picked up a box of latex gloves and placed them into her backpack. Her eyes roamed around the cabinets, scanning the broken instruments. With an exhale, she turned away and spotted a camcorder lying about on one of the tables. Curious, she picked it up and pressed the power button. Her eyebrows raised when it turned on.
The scientist scrolled through the saved videos and selected one. The camera’s monitor lit up and presented a group of girls wearing beige uniforms and filming themselves, bright smiles on their faces. Behind them was a boisterous classroom filled with life.
Yooyeon played the next video. The same girls – Yooyeon counted five – were on a rooftop, practicing a choreography they created on a cloudy day. She played the next video. The same girls ran down the hallway, laughing with grins of pure, unsullied happiness.
The corner of Yooyeon’s lips twitched. She hadn’t had those experiences. Her mind drifted to the girls in her group who were just as, if not younger. She turned the camcorder off and placed it in her backpack. Yooyeon crossed a leg over a pile of broken beakers and looked over to her teammates.
“Do we have everything?”
Seoyeon perked up from the other end of the room. “I have the microscope,” she answered. “Did you check the storage room?”
Yooyeon spun on her heel to check. The door was closed. She reached and knocked twice against the wood, then waited for a response.
The scientist stepped away when she heard several slams coming from the inside, paired with angry snarls and groans. Yooyeon was quick to move a stray desk against it before backing away.
She stepped to the side again when the door of a lower cabinet knocked and rattled. She pulled her knife out, waiting for something to jump out the cabinet, but whatever was in there stopped moving.
Yooyeon exhaled through her nose and put her knife away. “We should go.”
Despite their initial plans, the group decided to make a detour for the kitchen, hoping to find extra rations.
The only source of lighting came from the large window panels on the sides. Just like the rest of the school, the cafeteria was devoid of any life, only leaving puddles of dried blood and maggot-eaten lumps of flesh to rot.
Seoyeon pointed the flashlight into the kitchen and gulped. Weeks worth of rations were stacked on the shelves. Cans of food, unopened bags of rice, jars of nuts and grains all shone in the light. The girls let out shaky breaths and accelerated their walking pace.
Shion put a hand on the metal grille and effortlessly moved it to the side. In awe at the treasure they stumbled upon, she didn’t question further and hoisted a whole bag of rice into her duffle bag. She tested the weight and was pleased to see she could carry it.
“There’s so much…” Seoyeon whispered behind them.
“Everyone must’ve run away,” Yooyeon theorized.
Something glinted in the light. Shion spun her head towards it and her eyes widened. It was a portion of sweet bread sealed in a plastic packaging. Excitement pounding in her heart, she picked up the pastry, then sighed upon finding it was covered in mold. She inspected it further, and with a shrug, moved to put it in her bag. Before she could, though, Kaede snatched it out of her hands and tossed it far away. The bag crinkled as it hit the floor.
The look Kaede gave her was judgemental. Shion pressed her lips tightly before moving on with a light pout, more heartbroken than she liked to admit. She picked up a can of spam and put it in the duffle bag. Moving back up, she noticed something odd.
“Do schools usually give out pudding?”
“Pudding?” Seoyeon repeated, dumbfounded. She walked over to where Shion was and picked up the massive container of chocolate pudding. “They don’t. Healthcare banned it. Why would–” Her eyes widened and she snapped her head towards Yooyeon. The scientist understood the sudden urgency; the place belonged to someone.
“We need to go, now.”
Hastily shoving a few more cans in the bags, the girls hoisted them against their backs and moved out, a wave of anxiety rising in each of their chests. They rushed through the cafeteria with hurried steps and reentered the empty hallways. There was dried blood everywhere, but no trace of zombies. Seoyeon snapped the flashlight around, freezing as a bullet engraved in the wall reflected against the light.
Seoyeon picked up the pace and they hurried through the hallways, suddenly feeling as if they were stuck in a labyrinth. The stress disoriented them. Their footsteps echoed loudly down the halls, having forgone any sense of discretion. Yooyeon tapped Seoyeon on the shoulder and directed the girls to turn the right corner. They followed without question. Still level-headed, the scientist was able to guide them.
The school entrance was in their line of sight. Kaede’s ear twitched as they walked and she stopped. “Wait!”
The others kept walking, doubting her call, but halted when they heard the roar of an approaching vehicle. The engine then shut off, drowning the group into a deafening silence. Seoyeon spun her head around before pointing at the nearest classroom. “In there, go!”
They rushed inside, knives out, but were thankful to find the classroom empty. The moment Yooyeon slammed the sliding door closed, they heard the front door open, and they dropped to the ground, holding their breaths.
“Junho, I told you to kill the girl,” came an authoritative male voice, old and deep.
“She wasn’t a threat. Nothing would’ve changed.” The other guy, presumably Junho, replied. He was clearly younger.
Someone chuckled. “He wants to appear as the ‘good guy,’ that’s all.”
“Whatever, man.” There was a fourth voice. Also male. It was the most level-headed of them all. “We got what we needed. We spilled less blood. We got back safe.” The closer their footsteps, the harder Seoyeon’s heart beated.
Eventually, the steps receded, leaving them some respite to breathe. Seoyeon loosened her white grip on her knife and closed her eyes.
“Hey,” said the first voice. “Don’t you all remember? Check the classrooms.”
Their hearts stopped. A pair of boots clicked, getting closer to them. Shion looked wildly, looking for a place to hide. Beside her, Yooyeon did the same. Hundreds of thoughts branched out in her mind as she searched for the best solution, but in the end, she was flummoxed.
To their shock, Kaede stood up, her gaze made of steel, and she rolled her shoulders. Seoyeon spotted her clenched fists, and she tensed, ready for a fight to roll out. She, Yooyeon, and Shion followed Kaede’s lead.
But, when the door slid open, Kaede threw her hands up in surrender.
The man staggered in surprise and reached for the shotgun resting behind his back. The three men behind him spun towards them in alarm.
“What’s going on here?” approached one of them. His voice matched the first one the girls had heard, letting them know he was the leader.
“Please, we’re so sorry,” Kaede said in a high-pitched voice, intentionally making herself smaller. “We were just trying to find something to eat.” She moved to show the other girls, who stayed still, stunned into confusion.
Suspicious, the leader still grabbed his revolver and aimed it at Kaede.
“You’re not gonna hurt me, are you?” Kaede asked, her voice pitched an octave higher with her eyebrows slanted, making pitiful eyes at the survivors. Their eyes stayed sharp, but the gasp on their weapons faltered just slightly.
“It’s precaution,” answered the man at the forefront, the barrel of his shotgun leering at Kaede. “What business do you have here?”
“We were just looking for food. We haven’t been eating well.” Kaede slowly reached her hand down to lower her mask. The men grimaced at her dry lips and hollow cheekbones, evident proof of her hunger. She put her arms back up, but her right hand was far lower than her left.
The placement didn’t go unnoticed by the leader. “Raise your arm higher. I don’t want you trying anything.”
“Hold on,” interrupted the youngest-looking man of the group. They recognized him as Junho. “She might be hurt.”
The leader raised a brow and nudged his head towards Kaede, silently questioning her. Kaede’s gaze flickered to her teammates, and something glinted in her eyes.
“I was shot in the shoulder,” she confessed.
Her interrogator lowered his revolver even more. “How?”
Kaede took a shaky breath. “They shot me. My teammates.”
The girls could only stare, mouths agape and eyebrows knitted tightly. Seoyeon gritted her teeth and stepped forward, but the leader raised his gun again in her direction.
“Your own group mates shot you?” asked Junho, walking up. Kaede lowered her head and nodded. He scoffed. “What kind of group hurts their friend?”
“We aren’t friends,” Yooyeon answered coldly. Junho spotted the pink pistol in Shion’s hands and reached for it, taking it for himself.
“They shot me with that same gun,” Kaede lied. “I’d show you the wound, but I’d have to lower my arms.” She put up an innocent facade.
The leader frowned. “And what happened to your ear? Did they do it too?”
Kaede moved to cover the injury with her hair. Then, she shook, hugging herself, and nodded. A sob racked her body.
“I didn’t know what else to do… I don’t know how to survive on my own…” she cried. Seoyeon had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
“Did you ever want to take revenge?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I…” Kaede hugged herself. “Once. It was a fleeting thought. I don’t know if I could really hurt someone.”
Seoyeon pressed her lips under her mask.
Junho snaked an arm over Kaede. “Hey, don’t worry about it. As a matter of fact, why don’t you do it right now?”
“Junho,” warned the fourth guy, still in the back.
Junho ignored the warning and placed the gun in Kaede’s hands. “You should join us, instead. We’d never hurt you like that.”
“Really?” Kaede asked with starry eyes.
“Yeah,” replied Junho, a dumb smile on his lips. “All you have to do is kill them. I’ll show you how to use a gun.” He eyed the leader for approval.
The leader hummed lowly, watching Kaede’s every move. “It’s a good way to introduce her to firearms,” he said, raising his own revolver at Yooyeon. “And to see if she has the guts.”
Junho grinned and guided Kaede, sleazily lifting Kaede’s arm with his hand. Shakily, Kaede raised the pistol and aimed it at Shion, resisting the urge to throw up from the guy’s sickening contact. She let out a trembling exhale, narrowing her eyes at the girl, who looked back with large, fearful ones. Shion’s thoughts were easy to read, worn on her sleeve.
Is this it? Are you really going to kill me? Us? The only pinch of anger in Shion’s expression was her inability to save her friend Seoyeon from the same fate. As always, her unrelenting kindness lightly tugged on Kaede’s heart. She wiped her tears from her eyes and coldened her stare. She stopped shaking and steeled her shoulders.
“Control your breathing, make sure it’s aimed at her forehead,” Junho whispered incessantly in her ear, not having caught on. “When you’re ready, take the–”
Kaede changed her trajectory and pulled the trigger with a loud bang. At once the leader collapsed on the ground, crimson blood spilling out of his head as his eyes hollowed in an instant.
Kaede fired again at the man with the shotgun before he could recover from the sudden upset. The bullet sank into his chest and he fell to the floor, convulsing in pain and coughing out blood. The shotgun dropped in front of Yooyeon as she, Seoyeon, and Shion staggered. Shaking it off, Seoyeon pulled Shion into the classroom and away from the fight. Yooyeon also dashed away, but kept her eyes on the shotgun.
Kaede raised her gun once more, but the recoil from the pistol tingled against her arm and ripped against her wound. It slowed her down just enough for Junho to hook an arm around her neck, locking her in place and cutting her breath short.
“Shit…” he hissed, fumbling for his gun. Kaede gulped with a wince, threw her head forward, then slammed back against Junho’s face. His grip weakened as he screamed and Kaede smashed her elbow against his throat. He choked and staggered, coughing as he held his neck. Blood spurted from his bruised nose.
Kaede flinched and ducked when another gunshot rippled through the air. The fourth man, still far away, had pulled his revolver out. He shot again and the bullet ripped through the side of Kaede’s leg. The thief gasped as searing white pain covered her vision and she fell to the floor. Without break, she rolled away from another gunshot. As she planned to roll again, Junho grabbed her by the arm, pressing forcefully into her shoulder wound. Kaede yelled as he dug his fingers against the injury.
Junho pushed a knee against her back, immobilizing her. He finally managed to pull out his glock and held it against Kaede’s temple. With a wheeze, he tried pulling the trigger, but another gunshot echoed in the classroom and he screamed, clutching at his arm.
Yooyeon held the shotgun awkwardly in her arms. Her first shot had missed terribly and had hit the wall, her only saving grace being the pellets that had flung into Junho’s arm. She cocked it and fired again haphazardly, staggering from the recoil. The pellets slammed into Junho’s skin and his flesh exploded. Luckily enough, some hit him square in the neck and he was flung to the ground, but others hit Kaede’s left arm and she gasped again, the pain tearing into her nerves. Still, the thief was clear-headed enough to push herself up and dash into the corner of the classroom when the fourth man fired again, and the bullet ricocheted on the floor.
Yooyeon breathed harshly, adrenaline slamming through her heart. She mistakenly peeked over the sliding door only to have the final man fire at her, the gunfire ringing against her ears. She narrowly avoided the shot and it instead tore into the door, ripping off chunks of wood. With heavy breaths, she counted how many shots he had fired, remembering something Kotone had once told her.
“Revolvers only have six rounds.”
The scientist counted five rounds. One more in the chamber. Yooyeon looked over at Kaede. The thief had dropped her pistol as she grasped her wounded arm with white knuckles, hissing through her teeth. Yooyeon turned to where Seoyeon and Shion were. They stood in the farthest corner of the room, away from the fight. Seoyeon shielded Shion’s body with hers.
“We don’t have to do this!” Yooyeon yelled. Her call was met with silence. Yooyeon sighed and cocked her shotgun again. “I apologize for the death of your men; it was unexpected, even for us.”
Seoyeon urged Shion to get down. The girl listened and ducked. With light footsteps, the nurse then made her way to the classroom’s second sliding door.
“You are outnumbered,” Yooyeon kept talking. “If you leave now, we won’t have to hurt you.”
“You killed my friends,” her opponent barked. “Like hell I’ll leave without putting a bullet through each of you.”
Yooyeon listened carefully to where the voice was and determined he was still in the same spot, if not a little closer. It was far enough for Seoyeon to open the door safely as a distraction, and the nurse knew that. She put three fingers up and counted down slowly.
When she lowered her final finger, Seoyeon flung the door to the side and Yooyeon turned the corner. The man instinctively shot his final round towards the distraction, and Yooyeon pulled the trigger, flinching at the recoil. He let out a guttural scream as pellets hit his legs and he tried to run away limping. He didn’t go far before he gave into the pain and collapsed in the hallway, wincing and yelling.
Yooyeon lowered her shotgun and combed back her matted hair. She shut her eyes and breathed deeply as her ears were filled with the pained moans of her opponent. Carefully, she left the classroom and stepped towards him. The man raised his revolver at her and pulled the trigger only to hear an empty click of the barrel. He cursed under his breath before tossing the weapon away and pulling out his knife. He tried standing up, but his knees wobbled and he collapsed again.
The rest of the girls stepped out of the classroom, trudging towards the man. He uselessly swung his knife at them, panting heavily with his teeth bared, like an injured animal backed in a corner. He groaned and yelled before narrowing his eyes at Kaede, who limped and held her injured arm. She winced, barely able to hold herself up as blood trickled down her fingers.
Yooyeon didn’t know what to do. He was already incapacitated; they didn’t have to kill him. But then, with a sneer, the man placed the blade against his neck. Yooyeon’s eyes widened and she took a step back. His angry gaze never leaving Kaede’s, the man decisively slashed his own throat. He slumped instantly as blood spilled out of the fresh wound. His eyes hollowed out as his mouth parted and bubbled out blood. He twitched once, twice, then lay motionless.
Losing her strength to stand, Kaede fell down. Shion rushed to help her up. Seoyeon furrowed her eyebrows and turned away from the scene while Yooyeon kept her gaze on the dead man. Her dimming adrenaline let her process the events with a clearer head.
They had just killed four men. Four human beings. Not infected. One of them Yooyeon herself had murdered.
It was them or us, she reasoned. The excuse fell bitter on her tongue. She had killed infected before. They had looked just like people. But killing real people felt…
There was a hole where Yooyeon knew she should’ve felt guiltier, more weighted down by her actions.
But it was done to save Kaede’s life. Yooyeon shook her head before she could spiral. “Let’s go back,” she spoke quietly.
“I don’t think she can go anywhere like this,” Shion said, patting Kaede’s arm. Her fingers were stained with blood and Kaede winced again. More red dripped from the wound in her leg.
Yooyeon sighed, scrutinizing Kaede. “There must be an infirmary. We can see if they have anything.”
Shion nodded and motioned Kaede to get on her back. The thief listened with some embarrassment and moved with the remainder of her strength. Shion stood up, her arms supporting Kaede’s legs. She walked around effortlessly, impressing Yooyeon.
“Infected might swarm here from the noise.” Seoyeon scanned the area with her flashlight. “We shouldn’t stay long.”
“They won’t come.”
The girls whirled their heads towards the new voice. Yooyeon clutched her shotgun tighter and Seoyeon highlighted the source. A young girl with long black hair and wearing a brown uniform peeked out from the corner of the hallway, the same one that led to the laboratory.
“Who are you?” Yooyeon loosened her grip on her weapon.
The girl blinked and shied away. “You’re looking for the infirmary, right?” she asked. The girls shot each other odd glances but nodded.
The young survivor pressed her lips. “Follow me, please.” Then, she disappeared, and the group moved swiftly to catch up.
Kaede hissed as Seoyeon inserted the tweezers into the wounds in her arm, fishing for the shotgun pellets. She lay on the infirmary’s bed, gripping the mattress while trying to ignore the burning pressure. The others sat on chairs and waited without saying a word.
Shion was the first to break the silence, turning to the new girl. “What’s your name?”
The student swallowed before whispering, in a barely audible voice,
“Hyerin.”
Seoyeon and Yooyeon’s heads shot in the girl’s direction. “What?”
“Hyein. Lee Hyein,” the student repeated, louder.
The back of Seoyeon’s neck stung like bees and she kneaded her forearm against it. She must’ve misheard the first time. Her ears were still recovering from the gunfight.
“Where were you hiding, Lee Hyein?” Yooyeon asked.
“In the laboratory,” the girl answered. “I was in a cabinet, hiding from the… zombie.”
Yooyeon recalled the odd rattling, judging it must’ve been her. “Why didn’t you show yourself?”
Hyein shook her head. “I didn’t know who you were. I thought you might’ve been them again.”
“The men?”
A nod. “They’ve been torturing us. Me and my friends.”
“How?”
Hyein shivered. “After we heard the news, most of the students evacuated. We stayed because we had nowhere else to go. The rest got infected. We managed to create a safe path to the kitchen and camped on the roof until the rainy season. They arrived a month after and cleared everything out including most of the town. They found us, but instead of helping out, they decided to trap us. They messed with our heads, mostly. And every week, they took one and turned her. For fun. I’m the only one left.”
Kaede gasped and gripped the mattress harder as Seoyeon dug the tweezers deeper into her skin. The nurse muttered an apology before pulling out another shotgun pellet and depositing it on the metal tray.
“That’s terrible,” Shion wrapped an arm over Hyein into a side-hug. “I’m sorry that happened.” Hyein thanked her quietly and hugged her knees. She sniffled and wiped her humid eyes.
“Was it only them? Yooyeon asked. She received a nod in response.
Seoyeon narrowed her eyes and retreated the final pellet from Kaede’s skin, hearing the girl’s relieved exhale. She dropped in on the tray then reached for the gauze.
“You shouldn’t use that arm for a while,” she told her while circling the bandage around the limb. “Sit up. Let me see the shoulder.”
Keeping her mouth shut, Kaede obeyed. Seoyeon didn’t know what went through her mind, and she herself had nothing to say. How was she supposed to react to the stunt Kaede had pulled? Seoyeon wondered if Kaede had figured the men out long before any of them did, and, although she didn’t like to admit it, Kaede played her cards well.
“How old are you, Hyein?” Seoyeon asked, uncovering Kaede’s shirt. Thankfully, the wound was intact.
“I was born in 2008.”
Seoyeon hummed in acknowledgment. Same year as Yeonji. She pulled Kaede’s shirt back on and moved on to her leg. She inspected the gash, then picked up the string and needle from the tray.
“We have a base,” she said while threading the needle. “There’s fences around it and it’s safe. We have people. 23. All girls. Some of them are around your age.”
Hyein blinked, surprised at the offer. “Uhm, I’ll think about it.”
Yooyeon let out a quiet sigh and scooted her chair closer to Seoyeon. “Are we sure about this? We don’t know her that well yet.”
Seoyeon poked the needle into Kaede’s leg and dragged the string through the dermis. “She’s harmless,” she stated simply. “She should be worried about us more anyway.” Her eyes flickered to the shotgun Yooyeon hugged to her chest.
Yooyeon swallowed and set her weapon down. “Seoyeon-ah. About what happened…”
Seoyeon’s shoulders wilted as she kept working. “I don’t like violence. If there’s a peaceful solution, I’ll take it.” She pulled the string through Kaede’s skin again. “But there was no peaceful solution. You did what you had to do, and we’re alive.”
“I killed someone, Seoyeon. A human person.” Yooyeon didn’t know why she pressed the subject. Maybe she wanted reassurance that murder wasn’t such an easy thing. That things didn’t have to be this way.
“And am I supposed to be angry?” Seoyeon tied the knot on the final stitch. “I can yell at you, if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t want that.”
“Then don’t worry about it.” The nurse snipped the string off with the medical scissors. “I like you just as much.”
Yooyeon’s face flushed at the confession. She leaned her head on Seoyeon’s shoulder and sighed as the memory of Junho collapsing replayed in her mind, feeling a phantom weight on her shoulders. After bandaging Kaede’s stitches, Seoyeon lowered her mask and placed a gentle kiss on Yooyeon’s forehead. Yooyeon’s heart warmed at the gesture and a portion of the weight was lifted. She moved to interlock their hands together and smiled. Kaede coughed and spun her head to the side.
It was night. They were in Seoyeon’s room. It was a few days after they had finally reunited; everyone needed the time to process and recover, and that included Seoyeon.
The electric lamp casted an orange shade in the room. Shion sat on the edge of the bed. Seoyeon stood in front, hovered closely above Shion, scrutinizing her. The nurse reached a hand up and brushed a finger against a faint scar on Shion’s cheek.
“How did you get these?” she asked quietly. Shion hummed and looked over at her arms, where more scars glowed a faint pink.
“I tried to steal some car keys but I got caught,” she explained, rubbing a hand over her forearm. Seoyeon’s eyes glowered in anger.
“She put you up to this? Got you in danger’s way?”
Shion lowered her head. “She saved my life in the first place.”
Seoyeon’s breath hitched. She then sighed and sat down beside her. “She almost killed two girls in our group.”
Shion spun her head towards Seoyeon, shocked. Seoyeon explained further, “Yubin and Dahyun. They used to be with us. She pushed Dahyun off of Jamsil bridge and stabbed Yubin’s leg.”
“She also fell?”
“Threw herself in the water to save Dahyun.”
Silence. Shion wrung her hands, her eyes back on the carpeted floor. Many thoughts rushed through her head as she tried to piece the puzzle together. She blinked. “Her ear. Who shot it?”
Seoyeon pressed a hand over her mouth and breathed in harshly. Slowly, she shook her head, and Shion understood. Her eyebrows raised above her forehead in remorse. “I’m sorry,” she nearly whispered.
More silence. Shion shot Seoyeon a glance, unsure of how her friend felt. It was clear they had their different set of opinions regarding Kaede, but Shion knew there was more to the chasm between them. In two months, they both had struggled more than they ever did, and Shion recognized the change in Seoyeon. She saw the loss of weight, the hollow circles under her eyes, the exhaustion, the depression. Seoyeon hadn’t smiled; she used to smile all the time.
After some time, Seoyeon placed a hand on Shion’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Shion.”
In the end, Hyein had decided to stay at the school.
“My friends are still here. I’d like to take them out and bury them, at least,” she had told them. Although it wasn’t the answer they wished for, the girls had respected her wishes. Still, they had given her the location of their base if she ever did choose to join.
It was already sundown; they had gone back and forth for the food rations. Hyein had agreed to split half and the girl had more than enough to last half a year on her own. They had also let her keep the mens’ car after a thorough driving class. It had also let Kaede take a short nap. The drive back was silent as an old trot song played through the car speakers. Shion had found a disk long ago, and it had stayed in the player ever since.
Seoyeon blinked the car lights twice when the fence came into sight and Joobin swung the gate open. They parked right beside the schoolbus, which had returned long before they had. Most of the girls gathered around in curiosity.
Jiyeon greeted Seoyeon with a hug when she exited the vehicle. The nurse hummed and hugged back.
Murmur spread across the group when Kaede stepped out, supported by Shion. Her bandaged arm was exposed for all to see, and so was her injured leg.
“What happened to her?” Jiyeon asked.
“We ran into another group of survivors,” Seoyeon explained. “A fight broke out. We, uhm, had to kill them,” she finished in a hushed whisper.”
Jiyeon cringed and squeezed Seoyeon’s arm. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Seoyeon nodded, keeping her head low. “I didn’t do it. It was Kaede and… Yooyeon-unnie. Kaede’s actually the one who saved us.”
“Wow,” Jiyeon expressed. “Wouldn’t have expected that from her.” They watched as Yooyeon gifted the camcorder to Yeonji, who took it with a grin and immediately urged her friends to gather in front of the camera. The scientist then spoke with Sohyun, presumably telling her about Kaede’s heroics.
Seoyeon shrugged. “Me neither.”
“You found what you were looking for, though?”
Seoyeon nodded. “And more. I’ll tell you about it at dinner. And speaking about dinner…”
She moved to the back of the Jeep and opened the door, showing off the banquet of food they had gathered. Jiyeon and the girls gasped in awe and excitement, and Seoyeon smiled.
“We’re eating good!”
The camera caught Yeonji watching herself through the camcorder’s monitor. She took a spoonful of rice and beamed.
“I missed this so much. Actual food. Really, I wanna thank Yooyeon-unnie and Seoyeon-unnie and Shion-unnie for the meal. You know what? Even Miss Kaede gets a thank you.”
The video then panned to the other girls sitting at the cafeteria table.
“Everyone! Say hi!”
Seoah made a peace sign and showed off her own bowl of rice and condiments. Hayeon tried to spoon feed Chaewon only to get smacked in the face. Sullin shot a thumbs-up. Behind them, some of the other girls greeted and waved at the camcorder. Chaeyeon made a heart with her hands. Xinyu struck a pose and blew a kiss.
“Soomin-unnie!” Yeonji’s voice spoke off-screen. The video zoomed in on the gunner, who had her earbuds in as she ate quietly. “Hi!”
Soomin perked up and wiped a grain of rice off the corner of her lips. With a scrunch of her nose, she stuck out her tongue.
The video blurred as it quickly shifted perspective back onto Yeonji, getting a full shot of her nose. The skateboarder made a noise and the camera lens zoomed out.
“She’s pouting because she can’t use her guns anymore.” Yeonji’s voice was slightly modified through the camcorder’s microphone. “It’s okay, though. She can find a new weapon because she’s cracked. And we still have Binnie who can use the guns.”
A gasp and the camera blurred again.
“Binnie! Say hi!”
Joo Bin, who sat on the edge of the table, looked up from her dinner. Her rifle was cradled gently in her arms as she dug her spoon into her bowl. The girl blinked and stared into the camera. It was almost uncanny. Then, she gave a slow nod and a wave. Yeonji’s laughter was loud in the microphone.
The sky had darkened long ago. For once, Kaede found herself alone in the cafeteria. She didn’t know whether or not she liked it. She enjoyed the absence of prying, judgemental eyes, but it also reminded her of her time in solitude. She wriggled her fingers just to feel them move.
After what she had done, she noticed the shift in the others’ gazes. Some of them, like Nien, became more trustworthy, scooting a little closer towards her table during dinner, and some others, like Jiwoo or Lynn, still kept their distance, suspicious of everything she did. Kaede wasn’t bothered; she couldn’t change how they thought of her.
She had heard Yeonji thank her at dinner while speaking to her new camcorder. Kaede’s heart tingled pleasantly at the memory.
The chair to her left pulled with a gentle groan. Dahyun took a seat, keeping her eyes on Kaede. Her back was against the night light, leaving her face dark and blue and hard to read. Kaede stared back with an unconscious tilt of her head.
Dahyun inhaled, resting her chin on her fist. “How are you?”
Kaede blinked, taken aback. She didn’t expect that question. It wasn’t one of concern, since Dahyun didn’t sound concerned. Her voice didn’t betray her emotions, Kaede realized.
“Have you ever been shot?” Kaede replied, retreating into her habitual walls.
Dahyun lazily examined the bandages. “Sounds like it hurts.”
Kaede scoffed amusedly. “Sass doesn’t suit you.”
“These bandages don’t, either,” Dahyun retorted. “I heard about what you did. What spurred you on?”
Kaede stared into Dahyun’s eyes. She didn’t reply.
“Was it to get Sohyun-unnie off your back?” Dahyun questioned further, having expected the lack of response. “So that no one’s around to stop your next crime?”
“Glad to see you assume I’ll do the worst with my freedom.” Kaede's lips curled upward. “You don’t think I’ve changed for the better?”
Dahyun pursed her lips. “The Buddha sat under the tree and meditated for forty-nine days before reaching enlightenment. You weren't even a third of the way there before begging to be released.”
Kaede paused for a moment, enamored, then snorted. “So now I’m the Buddha?”
“No, I’m just saying you aren’t even a third of the way to epiphany.” A smile also crossed Dahyun’s face. “People don’t change that easily.”
“And we’re basing my psyche off of ancient religious texts?”
Dahyun shrugged. “Every word has some truth to it.”
Kaede pressed her lips into a thin line. She had a comeback, but it died on her tongue. Instead, she huffed and placed her head on the table.
Dahyun followed her actions and rested her own head on the table, cushioned by her arms. They basked in the quiet for some time, the only light source being the countless stars peeking through the windows. It would take Kaede forever to count those in a single glass pane.
“How many people have you killed?” Dahyun asked suddenly.
Kaede raised an eyebrow. “In total, or since the start?”
A hum. “Actually, I’m curious about both.”
“Six in total, two since the start,” Kaede answered in a heartbeat.
Dahyun scrunched her nose. “That was quick. Do you always have the numbers in the back of your mind?”
“I never forget.”
“Is it like a trophy count for you?”
“It’s a cost.” Kaede frowned. “Having to survive.”
Dahyun’s shoulders relaxed. “You always had a hard time, didn’t you?”
Kaede sat up straight and turned her body to fully face Dahyun. She drummed her fingers on the table then clenched her fist. “Usually, people stay away from the person who tried to kill them. Afraid they’d try it again.”
Dahyun also sat up, her smile gone. Kaede thought she had done enough to chase her away, but, against her expectations, Dahyun only leaned closer, and, with a careful hand, gingerly tucked Kaede’s hair behind her right ear, exposing her scar. Kaede’s eyes widened, then her eyebrows contorted into a deep frown. She stretched her lips to one side, fighting the urge to put her hair back in its place. A phantom pain jolted through the broken cartilage.
“What was that for?” She cursed herself at how shaky her voice came out.
“I just wanted to see it,” Dahyun replied, her voice blue and cool.True to her word, she contemplated the injury, tilting her head to the side. Kaede wanted to squirm under her scrutiny, but felt like she was forced in place, unable to discern what the woman was thinking.
Then, Dahyun stood up and stretched, drowning a yawn. “You should get some sleep. You did a lot today.” She pushed her chair back in and made her way to the door.
“Good night, Kaede.”
And with those final words, she left.