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“You know what I find really annoying?” Daehyun says as he trudges beside Yongguk through the twisting alleys.
“What?” Yongguk replies, not really listening to Daehyun anymore because, at this point, Yongguk knows that it’s better to just tune the other out when he starts rambling.
“The fact that we still gotta work even after the world’s gone to shit,” Daehyun says. “We work for stupid ration cards and it’s the stupidest thing. I’m better off scavenging outside the wall with those goddamn abominations.”
“No, you’re not,” Yongguk replies because, really, they lucked out as runners. “At least we have a steady food supply.”
Daehyun huffs. “I’m just a little salty. Let me have this moment.”
Yongguk sighs as they approach a gate. A soldier in full military uniform stands guard by it, assault rifle by his side.
“What’s your business?” he asks, his tone gruff and tired.
“We’re just bringing supplies to Mokpo,” Yongguk replies.
“You guys got ID?” the soldier asks.
Yongguk and Daehyun reach for their cards in their pockets and show them to the soldier. He nods and moves to open the gate.
//
Runners are supposed to work in pairs. It’s the safest method. Each person looks out for the other. If someone dies, there’s still another person to complete the task.
It’s also the sanest method. Human interaction is integral to a person’s sanity. Weeks alone with only one’s mind does unspeakable things to it.
Yongguk meets Daehyun in Haenam in a dingy bar crawling with men who’ve hit rock bottom and were looking for a fight.
Both of their partners had died, so they figure it’d be better for them if they just…worked together. Yongguk found out it was incredibly easy working with Daehyun. They work in surprising unison despite their differences.
Yongguk often wonders what he’d do if Daehyun left. If he were left alone.
Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time.
//
Yongguk and Daehyun reach Mokpo in a week. They walk through streets overgrown with plants and reeking of molding death. Everything is quiet around them except for the sound of their footsteps.
“You know what I hate?” Daehyun asks, stepping on a dead twig.
“What’s that?” Yongguk replies.
“How the government isn’t even transporting their own supplies. They’re using guys like us to do the dirty work while they stay safe in their uninfected hideaways,” Daehyun says.
Yongguk begins to reply with something sharp, but Daehyun actually brings up a good point. “It’s population control. We’re expendable, and they’re just weeding out the weak while getting shit done. It’s not the perfect system, but it’s efficient considering what we’ve got.”
“Well, yeah, but then what’s stopping us from just leaving with the supplies and never coming back?” Daehyun counters. “What’s stopping anyone else?”
“They’re our only steady supply of food. How are we supposed to scavenge for food when everything else has already been taken?” Yongguk replies. Contrary to Daehyun’s opinion, Yongguk already thought of every possible situation. “It’s been a long time since this started, Daehyun. We’d have to travel pretty far to reach any wildlife.”
Daehyun stares at Yongguk with a disgusted look on his face. “I hate when you get all pragmatic. You can never let me be mad at anything, can you?”
“No,” Yongguk says.
Daehyun sighs, his eyes focused on the ground.
Yongguk glances at Daehyun. “But it still does get pretty annoying.”
“We need those ration cards, though,” Daehyun says, trudging forward ahead of Yongguk. “Come on, we’re almost there. I wanna sleep in a regular bed again.”
When they reach the gate closing the city off, a soldier meets them at the entrance.
“You got business in Mokpo?” the soldier asks. His voice is kinder than the one in Yeosu.
“Supplies from Yeosu,” Yongguk simply replies. He and Daehyun take their ID cards out of their pockets before the soldier can ask.
The soldier nods after examining each one and opens the door. “Just walk straight down the street to the hotel.”
“Thanks,” Daehyun mutters as he follows Yongguk inside.
Mokpo is just a little better than Yeosu. A little less trash on the ground. A little less death in the streets. A little more greenery sprouting in between the cracks of concrete.
Yongguk and Daehyun walk through the streets, avoiding looking too long at anyone. They’ve learned that if they ignore the others, they can convince themselves that everything isn’t as shitty as it really is.
Then again, that’s no different from before the world ended.
“Where’s the hotel?” Daehyun asks, his head swiveling from left to right.
“Probably the one swarming with soldiers.” Yongguk points ahead of them at the run down building with soldiers stationed at every boarded door and window on the first floor.
Daehyun whistles, his eyes widening at the sight. “They must be protecting something pretty important for that much security.”
Yongguk hums in agreement.
They stop at the bottom steps of the building because a pair of soldiers stands in front of them. They look muscular and well-fed. Yongguk almost scowls at them.
“State your business,” one of them says, but it comes out more like a growl.
“We’re bringing supplies from Yeosu,” Yongguk replies.
“You got ID?”
Yongguk and Daehyun fish their cards from their pockets and show them to the soldiers.
“Oh, we heard about you two,” the soldier replies. He turns around, signaling for Yongguk and Daehyun to follow him. “I’ll take you to the general. Glad you made it.”
“You’re just glad the supplies came,” Daehyun mutters.
Yongguk elbows Daehyun’s side, who hisses in pain and glares at him.
The soldier glances back at them. “Did you say anything?”
“No,” Yongguk says.
The soldier stops at a door and knocks on it. “Sir, the two runners from Yeosu are here.”
“Bring them in,” a voice replies from the other side.
The soldier opens the door into a room that’s filled wall to wall with papers and books. A man stands behind a desk, poring over a map spread atop it. He looks up, tired and eyes bloodshot. He’s a lot younger than Yongguk had been expecting.
“You’re the runners from Yeosu?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Yongguk replies.
The man behind the desk nods. He looks at the soldier. “Go back to your post. I’ll take care of them now.”
The soldier nods and exits the room.
“I’m Kim Himchan. I’m glad you two were able to make it all the way from Yeosu,” Himchan says. He walks around the desk, navigating around the papers, and shakes Yongguk and Daehyun’s hands. “You’re probably hungry. Let’s go to the kitchen. It’s a lot less cramped in there.”
Yongguk looks at Daehyun, whose eyes are sparkling and pleading. “Okay.”
Daehyun probably would have shouted for joy if Himchan weren’t there.
Himchan smiles and picks up a folder, tucking it under his arm as he makes his way to the door. “If you’ll follow me.”
They walk down the bare halls, their boots shuffling against the dusty concrete. Light pours in from the windows, illuminating the halls, but there doesn’t seem to be any other source of light. Yongguk would hate to walk through here at night.
Daehyun clears his throat. “Hey, Mr. Kim––“
“Just Himchan is fine,” Himchan says as he glances over his shoulder.
“Right, Himchan…,” Daehyun pauses. Yongguk can see the uncertainty in his eyes. “You look a bit young for a general.”
Yongguk fights the urge to elbow Daehyun in the stomach, but he’s tired and he doesn’t think he’d be able to do either.
Himchan laughs, a little breathy and depressed. “Yeah… I was second-in-command before the previous general died.”
“Oh… I’m sorry about that.”
Himchan shrugs and turns a corner. “We can’t help the world we live in.”
The kitchen is a room that’s barely bigger than the office Himchan was in. Three portable stoves sit against the wall. Shelves and cabinets full of canned food and cutlery stand beside the stoves. Vegetables are locked up in a separate shelf.
Daehyun glances at Yongguk and nods at the vegetables, his eyes wide. Yongguk shrugs. He wonders if they have a farm somewhere in the city.
Himchan grabs two bowls from the cabinets and scoops spoonfuls of soup into them from a pot on one of the stoves. He leads Yongguk and Daehyun out through another door and into a larger room. Tables are placed out, lined equidistant from each other. He sits at one of the tables and places the bowls in front of Yongguk and Daehyun.
“Here,” Himchan says. “Kimchi stew made by one of the chefs.”
Yongguk stares in awe as he slides into his seat. He can’t remember the last time he had a homemade meal. Daehyun sits down and starts eating, almost moaning as he slurps the stew.
“Canned beans cannot compare to this shit,” Daehyun says with a wide smile.
Himchan smiles. “Just go back into the kitchen if you want more.”
Yongguk isn’t sure if Himchan should have said that. Knowing Daehyun, he’s bound to eat everything in sight. He dips the spoon into the broth and brings it to his lips, his eyes slipping shut almost immediately.
God, it tastes just like home.
When Yongguk and Daehyun finish eating, Himchan opens up the folder he brought with him. It looks like somebody’s profile. A kid’s picture is clipped to…what looks like medical papers.
“I’d like to discuss some matters with you, if you don’t mind,” Himchan begins.
“What happened to payment for the supplies?” Yongguk interrupts. He doesn’t know where this is going, but he needs to make sure they get the cards they were promised.
Himchan sighs. “I’ll get to that.”
Yongguk waits. Daehyun glances at Yongguk, then Himchan, then the file in front of them.
“You’ll get your ration cards, but I need you two to complete a task for me first,” Himchan says.
“This wasn’t part of the deal,” Daehyun protests. Yongguk holds Daehyun back before be says anything else.
“There’s a reason it wasn’t. This isn’t something that can be shared with the public,” Himchan explains. “You’re the best runners in the country. Your success rate is significantly higher than the others.”
“Only because we haven’t died yet,” Daehyun mutters, crossing his arms above his chest like a petulant child.
“Daehyun,” Yongguk warns, whipping his head to look at Daehyun.
“It’s true,” Daehyun replies.
“Let me just assure you that the both of you will be paid well for your efforts,” Himchan continues like Daehyun didn’t say anything.
Yongguk waits for Himchan to get to the point. He’s beginning to grow impatient. He’s grateful for the food, but now he realizes Himchan was just buttering them up for this.
“I just need you two to take someone to Seoul,” Himchan says slowly.
“Someone?” Yongguk says the same time Daehyun says “Seoul?”
They look at each other, confused because they’ve never had to transport people before.
Guns? Sure.
Food? Hell yeah (although a can or two might be missing by the time it’s delivered).
People? That’s a big if.
And then there’s Seoul, which is also a big if. From Mokpo, Seoul is on the other side of the peninsula. That’s almost 200 miles of zombies, predators, and everything else that can possibly kill them.
“Is there a reason you can’t do it yourself?” Daehyun asks.
“The both of you have incredible luck,” Himchan replies. “I don’t have that. Not even if I brought a troop with me.”
Yongguk sighs. “I’m assuming it has to do with the guy in the profile?”
Himchan nods. He takes the paper and slides it out towards Yongguk and Daehyun. “His name is Junhong.”
Yongguk furrows his eyebrows. The kid doesn’t look any older than sixteen. His eyes shine and he smiles like he’s never seen the world outside the walls. Yongguk snorts, leaning back in his seat.
“What’s so important about him?” Yongguk asks. “Why should we go all the way to Seoul for this kid?”
“He’s immune.”
Yongguk raises an eyebrow. That’s new. “Immune?”
“He was bitten a couple months ago,” Himchan says. He takes five photographs from the folder and places them beside Junhong’s picture. They’re all of his arm, with the bite progressively healing in each one. “We waited for him to turn, but…nothing.”
Daehyun stares at the photos, confusion on his face. “How is he immune?”
“We don’t know for sure, but we think he has some sort of mutated antigen that’s unaffected by the virus. That’s why he needs to go to Seoul. The hospital there still has functioning equipment and they can run proper tests,” Himchan says. He looks down at the papers. “He might be the cure we need.”
Yongguk looks at Daehyun. He searches Yongguk’s eyes for an answer. Yongguk takes a deep breath. “We’ll do it.”
Daehyun nods, gathering the photos into a pile and handing them back to Himchan.
Himchan stuffs the photos back into the folder. “As for payment, you’ll have a place in Seoul and unlimited ration cards.”
Daehyun nudges Yongguk.”Dude, we can finally retire.”
Yongguk hums. If they live.
“Let me introduce you to Junhong,” Himchan says, standing up from the table.
Himchan leads them out into the hallway again, walking with brisk strides. He stops at a door identical to all the others and knocks on it.
“Junhong?” Himchan says.
“Yeah, come in.”
Himchan pushes the door open. Junhong lays upside down on a bed, twisting a Rubik’s cube in his hands. The room is bare, clean except for the two shirts and five books that lay open on the floor.
Junhong puts the Rubik’s cube down and stares at Yongguk and Daehyun, but he doesn’t move to get up. “They the runners from Yeosu?”
“Yeah, how’d you find out?” Himchan replies, moving to close the door.
“Your soldiers aren’t exactly the most quiet people in the world,” Junhong replies, standing up and stretching. He’s tall for his age, the same height as Yongguk and Daehyun. “I’m surprised they haven’t been eaten yet.”
“Junhong,” Himchan says, his tone firm.
Junhong shrugs and walks to Yongguk and Daehyun, his hand out. “I’m Junhong, but I’m pretty sure Mom already told you.”
Yongguk shakes Junhong’s hand (soft, he thinks), and Daehyun does the same.
Junhong turns to Himchan. “So, Mom, when do we leave?”
Himchan looks at Yongguk, his face asking When is okay for you?
“Tomorrow,” Yongguk says.
“Are you sure that’s enough time?” Himchan asks.
“The sooner we get this over with, the better,” Yongguk says. He nods at Junhong. “It was nice meeting you, Junhong. I hope we’ll be able to get along in the coming weeks.”
//
The end of the world began in the middle of the night.
Yongguk was seventeen.
He woke up, his mind still hazy with sleep as he sat up in bed. Police sirens rang out in the distance, but that wasn’t too unusual. His phone vibrated on the nightstand, the screen glowing and lighting up the room.
Yongguk picked up his phone, squinting into the brightness. “Who––“ It was Natasha. He blinked and answered the phone.
“Tasha?” Yongguk croaked into the receiver.
“Oh, thank god, you’re alright,” Natasha seemed to breathe. “Yongguk, go get mom and–– Oh shit!”
The receiver crackled and then the line went dead. The dial tone echoed in Yongguk’s ear.
Yongguk lowered the phone and stared at the screen. “What the fuck?”
A couple seconds later, a government notice popped up on his phone.
Infected patients break out of Incheon Hospital. Citizens must evacuate the city immediately.
“Shit,” Yongguk mutters. He stands up and searches the house for his parents.
//
Yongguk wakes up to warm sunlight and Daehyun moving around in the room. He sits up, blinking away the rest of the sleep.
“About time you woke up,” Daehyun says, zipping up his backpack. “I was going to wake you up.”
Yongguk groans, rubbing his eyes.
“You look like shit. Go take a shower. You look like a slapped pig’s ass,” Daehyun says.
“A what?” Yongguk asks. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard Daehyun use that before, and he’s heard Daehyun say some pretty weird shit. He figures maybe it’s a countryside thing.
“You look like shit,” Daehyun replies and scrunches his face. “You also smell like shit.”
“Thanks,” Yongguk mutters as he gets off the bed and shuffles to the bathroom.
It’s a miracle that Mokpo has running water. It’s close to the sea, like Yeosu, but for some ungodly reason, the water refuses to cooperate properly in Yeosu. He had to collect water in a massive bucket and use a bowl to wash himself.
Yongguk sighs as the water runs down his back. He rubs all the debris off his skin and from his hair. If Mokpo has the warm water, he isn’t sure if he wants to move to Seoul at all.
When Yongguk steps out of the bathroom, he sees Daehyun sitting on the bed, flipping through a newspaper.
“Oh man, remember when the thing we were most worried about was looking for a wife?” Daehyun asks. “Starting a family and continuing the family name?”
Yongguk towels his hair, humming in response. He does remember. He remembers his parents subtly telling him to start thinking about settling down with a “good, respectable woman” as soon as he graduated college. He wasn’t even finished with high school at the time.
“Thank god the zombies came when they did,” Daehyun says, flipping the page. “I don’t know how I was going to tell my parents I’m asexual.”
“Is that supposed to be the optimistic take on the world ending?” Yongguk asks as he gathers his things into his backpack.
Daehyun shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”
Yongguk zips up his backpack and shoulders it. “Let’s go find Himchan.”
They step a couple feet from the door and see Himchan rounding the corner. He waves and smiles at them.
“Good morning,” Himchan greets. “Are you two ready?”
Yongguk and Daehyun nod.
“Good. Let’s get breakfast and I’ll send you off,” Himchan says.
They follow Himchan through the dim halls. Somehow, the walk is a lot longer than the others. Yongguk notices something somber about Himchan, resting just underneath his smile. His steps seem heavier, shuffling against the floor.
When they reach the dining area, Junhong is already there, shoveling food into his mouth. Some soldiers sit at other tables, talking quietly amongst themselves or sipping steaming coffee.
“Go sit by Junhong and I’ll get some food for us,” Himchan says.
Yongguk and Daehyun sit across from Junhong. He nods at them as he chews his food.
“Morning,” Yongguk says. “You ready to leave?”
Junhong shrugs and swallows. “Yeah, I guess I could say I’m a little excited. I’ve never really been outside of the walls before.”
Yongguk and Daehyun exchange a glance. Never been outside before.
“Kid,” Daehyun says. “We gotta go over some rules, okay?”
“Lay ‘em on me,” Junhong says.
“Yongguk,” Daehyun says, staring at Yongguk. “The ground rules.”
Yongguk blinks and looks into Junhong’s expectant eyes. Of course Daehyun would do this. He sighs. He needs food before he can do this, but Himchan doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon. So… “Okay, I don’t know how to put this lightly, but don’t get in our way, alright?”
Junhong’s blank stare turns into something disdainful, his eyebrows furrowing together. “Look, I know how to take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you do, but our job is to protect you until we get to Seoul,” Yongguk explains. Was he like this when he was a teenager? “Just let us do our job, okay?”
Junhong rolls his eyes. “Okay, whatever. I won’t get in your way, then.”
“Thanks,” Yongguk says, but Junhong just snorts.
Himchan comes back, holding a tray with three plates on it, and places them down on the table. Junhong stands up, takes his plate, and heads towards the kitchen.
“I’ll be in my room,” Junhong says over his shoulder. “Come get me when you guys are ready.”
“Is he okay?” Himchan asks.
Daehyun shrugs. “Dunno. He was like that when we got here.”
Himchan frowns, but he doesn’t say anything as he begins to eat.
“How old is he?” Yongguk asks, picking up his roll of bread. It’s hard and it crumbles as he pulls it apart.
“Fifteen,” Himchan replies.
Yongguk chews on his bread (wheat and flavorless, he thinks). “You mean he––“
“Was born around the same time this began,” Himchan finishes.
Silence lapses over them as they continue to eat. Yongguk forces himself to eat because he knows he needs it, but he can’t stop thinking about Junhong.
He really is just a kid. No wonder he doesn’t know the world outside the walls. He doesn’t even know what the world was like before the zombies took over. This is all he’s ever known.
//
“What do you mean you’re not coming with us?” Junhong asks. His hands are clenched into trembling fists. He looks like he’s about to cry.
Yongguk and Daehyun stand by the door, shifting awkwardly on their feet as they try to pretend that Himchan and Junhong aren't arguing in front of them.
“Exactly what it means,” Himchan says. He stands in front of Junhong, arms crossed atop his chest. “I have to run the compound, Junhong. I can’t just leave everybody here alone.”
Junhong opens his mouth to reply, but when he locks eyes with Yongguk, he takes a deep breath. “Fine.”
Himchan uncrosses his arms and lets his shoulders slump. “Thanks for understanding, Junhong.”
“Yeah,” Junhong says, shouldering his backpack and pushing past Yongguk to the door. “Let’s go.”
Junhong throws the door open and walks out into the hall, his steps fading with each second that passes. Himchan turns around and sighs.
“Come on, we’re heading to the garage,” he says.
Yongguk begins to realize the reason for Himchan’s solemnity and Junhong’s outburst. Himchan must have been in charge of caring for Junhong. Himchan is at least a little important to Junhong.
But then that makes Yongguk wonder. What happened to Junhong’s parents?
When they reach the garage, they see Junhong standing by one of the trucks. Soldiers stand by him, telling him that he isn’t allowed in here, but he points to Himchan. The soldiers stand to attention, but Himchan waves them off.
“At ease. He’s going with the runners from Yeosu. Go back to your posts,” Himchan explains. He turns to Yongguk and Daehyun. “There are supplies in there to last you at least a month. There’s also gas, but if you run out, one of you knows how to siphon it, right?”
Daehyun points to Yongguk.
“Okay.” Himchan looks over each of them and nods. He takes a deep breath, gaze lingering on Junhong. “Good luck out there.”
“Thanks,” Yongguk says. He drops his backpack in the seat behind him and Daehyun does the same. He sits behind the steering wheel. He hasn’t driven a car in a while. This is going to be fun.
Daehyun climbs into the passenger seat, and Junhong is about to get in the truck too, but he pauses. Yongguk glances back at him, confused. Junhong suddenly spins around and pulls Himchan into his gangly arms. Surprised, Himchan slowly wraps his arms around Junhong, patting his back almost awkwardly.
“You’ll be fine,” Himchan says. "Be careful, okay?"
Junhong says something into Himchan’s shoulder and his voice can barely be heard over the commotion in the garage, but Yongguk thinks it sounds a bit like “Thanks for everything, Himchan.”
When Junhong finally pulls away, he wipes his eyes and nose. Himchan smiles as Junhong gets in the truck, closing the door behind him.
Yongguk pretends he doesn’t see Junhong quickly wiping his cheeks as tears fall in fat droplets, pretends he doesn’t hear Junhong sniffling in the backseat, as he drives past Mokpo’s gates.
Daehyun begins to ramble on about Seoul.
//
For the most part, they follow the coastline, figuring they might as well enjoy the view while they’re here.
The first time Junhong saw the sea, he wouldn’t stop gaping at it. Yongguk glanced in the rearview mirror and saw how bright Junhong’s eyes shone.
“How have you never seen the sea your entire life?” Daehyun asked. “You lived in Mokpo. The sea was literally right next door.”
“Himchan wouldn’t let me outside of the walls,” Junhong replied as he pressed his nose against the window. “He was very over-protective of me.”
“What is he, your dad or something?” Daehyun asked.
Junhong went silent. When Yongguk glanced in the rearview mirror again, Junhong was looking at the floor of the car. “More like an older brother.”
Yongguk pinched Daehyun’s forearm before he could say anything else.
The rest of the ride was quiet––until Daehyun found something else to talk about.
//
Somewhere after Gunsan, the only bridge within ten miles is too congested with cars to pass. Yongguk brings the truck to a stop, pursing his lips. There was an exit off the freeway into the city a couple miles back. Maybe they can take a detour.
“What do we do now?” Daehyun asks.
Yongguk glances in the rearview mirror and sees Junhong sleeping, curled up against their backpacks like a cat. It’s getting dark soon. They should find somewhere to stay for the night anyway.
“We might be able to find a way around through the city,” Yongguk says, putting the truck in reverse.
“Should we do that?” Daehyun asks. Usually, he isn’t so cautious, but there’s something about being on the freeway and in a car that makes them all feel safer.
Yongguk nods at the car pileup in front of them. “What choice do we have?”
Daehyun sighs. “Yeah, you’re right.”
The city is deathly quiet, littered with crumbling debris and evacuation notices. Trees poke through office windows, bending and contorting around the rusted beams. In the setting sun, everything is bathed in a warm orange glow, but Yongguk knows it’s only a matter of time before they run out of light.
They need to find a way out before it becomes an impossible maze.
“Where are we?” Junhong croaks in the backseat.
“Gunsan, I think,” Daehyun replies. “We’re looking for somewhere to stay the night.”
Junhong hums, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. He suddenly points to something in the distance. “Hey, what’s that?”
It looks like a man, hunched over and limping towards them.
Yongguk pulls the truck to a stop several feet away from the man. There’s something wrong, though. He glances at Daehyun and he nods, coming to the same conclusion as Yongguk.
“Please,” the man splutters out. “I got a family…”
“We should help him,” Junhong says, leaning over to open his door.
“No!” Yongguk and Daehyun exclaim. Yongguk slams the automatic locks and presses on the gas.
“Shit! They know!” the man shouts as he jumps to the side into an alleyway. “Take them down!”
Several other men appear, guns in hand, and start shooting at the truck.
“Oh my god,” Junhong whispers. “Oh my god, they tried ambushing us. I could have died.”
“Yeah, that happens out here!” Yongguk exclaims as he maneuvers through the streets and between cars. “Keep your head down!”
Junhong ducks just as a bullet lodges itself into the window.
“Holy shit, thank you, Himchan, for the bulletproof car,” Daehyun says in between hysterical laughs. He yelps, pointing at a car coming in from the right. “Watch out!”
Yongguk curses under his breath as the car clips the end of the truck bed, spinning them around. They crash into a wall, whipping Yongguk’s head against the window. He groans as his head spins.
“We gotta keep going! Yongguk?!” Daehyun shouts.
The men run towards them, slowly beginning to crowd around the truck.
Yongguk takes a deep breath. He needs to focus. He’ll rest when he’s dead. He grips the steering wheel and slams his foot down on the gas. The tires squeal against asphalt. The men jump back. Daehyun shouts again.
Everything blurs together.
At some point, Daehyun reaches over and grabs the steering wheel.
At another point, they stop.
“Did we lose them?” Junhong’s voice asks.
“I think so,” Daehyun’s voice replies.
Why do they sound a mile away?
“Hey, is Yongguk okay?” Junhong’s voice asks. “He doesn’t look okay…”
“Oh. Shit.” Something hits Yongguk’s cheek. “Yongguk, wake up, you might have a concussion.”
Yongguk groans. He just needs to sleep and he’ll be fine.
‘Yongguk, open your fucking eyes, goddammit,” Daehyun’s voice says. It’s louder this time. Something pulls Yongguk’s eyelids open. He sees Daehyun, his eyebrows pulled together and sweat beading down his temples. Daehyun turns his head. “Junhong, help me put him in the back and then come to the front.”
Yongguk doesn’t know how long, but he phases in and out of consciousness. He can hear snippets of conversations between Daehyun and Junhong, and the occasional “Yongguk, you doing alright back there?”
Yongguk always replies with a low groan.
The truck eventually pulls to a stop.
Yongguk opens his eyes to early morning light. When did it become morning?
“Do you think Himchan packed some painkillers or something?” Daehyun asks as he opens the door.
Junhong follows him out. “Knowing Himchan, he should have.”
Yongguk closes his eyes again.
“Yongguk, hey, Yongguk, no, don’t do this right now,” Daehyun says. Yongguk opens his eyes to see Daehyun holding a water bottle in one of his hands and a pill bottle in the other. “Here, take this.”
Daehyun pushes a pill through Yongguk’s mouth and before he can open the water bottle, Yongguk snatches it out of his hands.
“I know how to drink water,” he says, twisting the cap open and gulping down large mouthfuls.
“Sure didn’t look like it a couple minutes ago,” Daehyun scoffs. He turns to Junhong. “Kid, get back in the truck. We gotta get outta Gunsan before those guys find us again.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Junhong asks as he climbs into the passenger seat. “You’ve been driving––“
“I’m fine, kid,” Daehyun says.
Junhong shrugs and puts his feet up on the dashboard. “Whatever you say, but if we crash––“
“We won’t crash,” Daehyun says as he starts the car again. “We just need to get out of Gunsan.”
//
Yongguk knows better than to count the days that pass by, but when the roads begin to blur together into ephermeral white lines in cracked asphalt, boredom takes over and counting days is the only thing keeping him at least halfway sane. Daehyun and Junhong together make up the other half.
Daehyun and Junhong get along better than Yongguk expected.
Then again, Daehyun is naturally amicable. He’ll talk to anyone he meets, winning them over with a couple dumb jokes and a wide toothy smile.
Yongguk realizes that Junhong needs that. He’s a teenager. He doesn’t need to see the bullshit just yet.
The truck runs out of gas somewhere after the bridge in Dangjin.
The truck rolls to a stop, the last bits of momentum finally dying out.
“So, we’ve finally run out,” Daehyun says. He sighs. “Where’d we put the thing Himchan gave us?”
“There aren’t any cars in the area,” Yongguk says, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘And even if there were, I’m pretty sure all the gas would be gone.”
“That’s optimistic,” Daehyun mutters.
“It’s realistic,” Yongguk says. “We might have to leave the truck from here.”
“Do we have to?”
When Yongguk turns around, Junhong stares at him with uncertain eyes.
“You’ll be fine,” Yongguk reassures. He smiles. “Just let us do our jobs, remember?”
“Yeah, okay,” Junhong says as he rolls his eyes, but he shoulders his backpack. He hands Yongguk and Daehyun their own backpacks as well. “Even though I’m fully capable of handling my own.”
They step out of the truck and into the crisp air of spring. There’s a slight breeze, carrying the scent of death with it. There doesn’t seem to be anything else alive here besides them.
Junhong takes a deep breath as he stretches out his limbs, and his face scrunches up in disgust. “Man, that’s fresh as shit.”
“I think shit is fresher than this,” Daehyun replies, making a smiliar face.
Yongguk begins gathering the rest of their supplies and stuffing them into his backpack. “Come on, you guys, we have to get going. It’s gonna get dark soon, and we still need to find somewhere to stay.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Junhong mutters as he joins Yongguk.
The three of them walk along the side of the road with a city distant in their sights, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. At the rate that they’re going, Yongguk isn’t sure if they’ll make it by sunset.
“Do you think the city’s even real?” Junhong asks, squinting his eyes.
“It better be,” Daehyun says. “Or else I’m gonna have an aneurysm.”
Junhong looks at Daehyun, eyebrow raised, but there's a small smile on his lips. “That’s not how aneurysms work.”
Daehyun snorts and continues walking in silence. “Thanks for the input, Professor Smart Ass.”
If Yongguk squints, he can see a plume of smoke rising just beyond a grove of trees, but it’s hard to tell in the dusk. He nudges Daehyun.
“Hey, that’s smoke there, right?” Yongguk asks, nodding to the plume. “I’m not seeing things, am I?”
Daehyun shields the sun’s light with his hand, coming to a stop. “Huh. Yeah, that’s smoke. Looks close, too. Let’s go check it out.”
When they reach the plume, they find a doused bonfire in a clearing, The grass around it is flattened with footsteps leading away. The sweet smoky scent of cooked meat makes all of their mouths water.
“It looks like they just left,” Daehyun says, kicking a rock. “Damn, we could have had some barbecue. I can’t remember the last time I had meat.”
Yongguk stands by the fire, looking at the flickering embers as they slowly die out. What happened here? Where did these people go?
When Yongguk looks up, he just sees Daehyun looking around the clearing.
But not Junhong.
“Shit, Daehyun, where did Junhong go?” Yongguk asks, feeling fear spike his blood. He knows zombies are no problem for Junhong, it’s other humans Yongguk is worried about.
Daehyun looks at Yongguk, his face equally terrified. “I just saw him right here.”
Yongguk spins around, his eyes combing through the trees and brush. The sun is falling fast behind the horizon, and that fear is making his blood pump faster than before.
“Junhong?” Yongguk calls out carefully.
“Where the hell did he go?” Daehyun asks, walking to the other side the clearing.
“Guys? Hey, guys, check out––“
Yongguk whips around to see Junhong stepping out from behind a bush. Relief and anger course through him, and he grabs Junhong by the collar.
Junhong’s eyes widen. His hands come up to Yongguk’s arms. “Yo, wait, what the fu––“
“What were you thinking when you went off like that?” Yongguk asks, his voice lowering into a growl. “What if something happened to you?”
“But nothing happened,” Junhong insists. “I’m perfectly fine.”
Yongguk sighs. He loosens his grip on Junhong’s shirt. “Do you even realize how important you are? If you die, what would happen to the cure?”
Junhong glares at Yongguk. “Yeah, because that’s all I am, right? The cure you’re supposed to transport, right?”
Yongguk blnks, his anger suddenly dissipating. “No, that’s not what I––“
“Hey, Daehyun,” Junhong says, turning his head to look at Daehyun. “Come check out this cabin I found.”
Junhong begins to walk towards Daehyun, but as Daehyun is about to say something, Yongguk shakes his head. Daehyun glances over Junhong’s shoulder, uncertain, but Yongguk only shakes his head again.
Yongguk knows he was never the best at talking. It was always Yongnam who did most of it for them.
Daehyun follows Junhong out of the clearing, looking at Yongguk one more time before stepping into the brush.
“Wow, this isn’t creepy at all,” Daehyun mutters when the cabin comes into view. “Abandoned cabin in the woods. Wasn’t there an entire movie about why people should not go into a cabin in the woods?”
The cabin stands alone, covered in overgrown plants and crumbling drywall. The windows are boarded up with decaying wood. It’s obvious that nothing’s been living in here for a while.
Yongguk’s on high alert. He’s still wondering what happened to the person––people?––who started the bonfire. Did they come here? It looks pretty untouched, though.
Junhong circles around the back with Daehyun close behind him.
“J-Junhong, wait,” Yongguk hears Daehyun say. Daehyun peeks around the corner, nodding for Yongguk to hurry up. “He found an opening. Come on.”
That doesn’t settle Yongguk’s nerves.
There’s a small hole, just large enough to squeeze through, that was covered by a wide sheet of plywood. Yongguk sees Daehyun crouch into the hole, flashlight in hand. There’s the faint sound of his footsteps and then silence.
“It’s all good,” Daehyun says from inside. “You guys can come in.”
Junhong crawls through first. Yongguk follows, making sure to pull the plywood back over the hole.
When he stands up, he can see just how small the cabin really is. There’s a small living room with a couch in front of a brick fireplace, an even smaller kitchen area, and a bed with a closet beside it on the other side. The floor is covered in a thick layer of dust, and plastic sheets rest on all the furniture.
“This actually looks a little cozy,” Daehyun says, shining his flashlight everywhere.
“Hey, let’s take all these out,” Junhong says, motioning to the plastic sheets. “Maybe we can finally sleep normally for once.”
Daehyun hands Yongguk the flashlight and helps Junhong remove the plastic from the couch and bed. They all cough as the dust flies into the air.
“I’ll take first watch,” Yongguk says after the plastic sheets are all shoved into one corner of the cabin. “You two should get some rest.”
“Are you sure?” Daehyun asks.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” Yongguk replies. He doesn’t feel completely safe yet, and when that happens, he won’t be able to sleep.
//
For Yongguk, the world ended twice.
The first was at midnight when the zombies broke out of the hospital.
The second was in the late afternoon, a couple years after.
Yongguk still remembers the heavy weight of the pistol in his hands, the rough feel of the grip against his right palm, the way his pointer finger curled lightly around the trigger.
Yongguk still remembers the dead hope in Yongnam’s eyes.
Yongguk shook his head, lowering the pistol, but Yongnam gripped his hand, holding the muzzle to his forehead.
“I can’t do it,” Yongguk whispered.
“You have to,” Yongnam said. “Don’t let me turn into one of them.”
Yongguk glanced down at the throbbing bite on Yongnam’s arm and held back a sob.
“Just pull the trigger,” Yongnam whispered. He closed his eyes. A couple tears slipped out. His finger rested above Yongguk's on the trigger. “I won’t feel anything. Just please.”
The gunshot echoed in Yongguk’s ears, ringing and temporarily deafening him. He stared with wide eyes as Yongnam collapsed to the ground, his eyes somehow growing even dimmer than before. Blood pooled around them, oozing from Yongnam’s head.
Yongguk fell to his knees, chest heaving as sobs ripped out of his throat. He never felt truly alone until now.
To this day, Yongguk still isn’t sure if he’s the one who pulled the trigger, or if it was Yongnam.
//
Yongguk wakes with a start. Sweat drips from his temples. His back aches.
Panic swells in his chest.
Where is he?
Where’s Daehyun and Junhong?
“Are you okay?”
Yongguk turns his head to see Junhong sitting on the couch, his silhouette outlined against the dim slits of light coming from the boarded windows. That’s right, the cabin. He must have fallen asleep. He can hear Daehyun faintly snoring on the bed to his right.
Yongguk wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”
Yongguk doesn’t think Junhong is even halfway convinced, but he doesn’t press the matter. Yongguk is grateful for that.
“Hey, I’m, um, sorry about earlier,” Junhong says and even though it’s too dark to really make out any of Junhong’s features, Yongguk can hear the uncertainty in Junhong’s voice. “For acting like a dick.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Yongguk says. Although he appreciates the apology, he’ll acknowledge that he’d been too aggressive earlier. “It’s just…”
“I’m the cure for humanity, right?” Junhong asks, but it holds none of the toxicity it had earlier. There’s something resigned in his tone now.
Yongguk hesitates. “Not only that. It’s just…” He sighs, running his hands through his hair. “Just…”
He doesn’t know how to say it. What is he even trying to say?
“You know,” Junhong says, leaning his head back against the cushions. “My mom used to say this to me when I was a kid, and I never really understood it until I was older.”
“Yeah? What was that?”
“’Life is pretty awesome, Junhongie, just keep at it and I’ll keep going too',” Junhong says. He takes a deep breath, his chest lifting and falling slowly. “And even though life is pretty shitty right now, I’m glad.”
Yongguk almost scoffs. “Why?”
Junhong shrugs. “I met Himchan. I met you and Daehyun. I could help make the cure for this shitty disease. Something like…making the best of it, you know?”
Yongguk doesn’t know if it’s the spindly grip of sleep still holding onto his mind, but he swears he hears a ghost of Yongnam in Junhong. He hears that same reckless optimism in Junhong’s voice.
And it scares Yongguk.
He takes a deep breath. He tells himself to stop. He’s just taking Junhong to Seoul. He can’t afford to lose a brother again. Not after Yongnam.
Yongguk is about to reply, but he sees the pale moonlight flicker in between the boarded slits. He frowns, looking past Junhong’s shoulder. There’s something out there.
“Yongguk?” Junhong asks. “What’s wrong?”
“Shh,” Yongguk whispers. He stands up, putting himself in between Junhong and the window. “We’re not alone anymore, apparently.”
Junhong stays silent.
Yongguk can feel the fear emanating off of Junhong. He tries to stay calm, both for himself and Junhong.
Yongguk’s eyes dart from each window, trying to track the movement. He really wishes it wasn’t so dark. He hates working blind. He swallows his own fear rising in his throat. The light flickers to his left. He brings his knife out, waiting for whatever it is to reveal itself.
What Yongguk doesn’t expect, though, is the sudden explosion of several fireworks. He jumps nearly a foot into the air. Junhong yelps, automatically grabbing onto Yongguk’s shirt.
“W-what the fuck?” Junhong stutters, but Yongguk is already in motion.
He begins shaking Daehyun awake, the fear blossoming into full-blown panic. “Daehyun, get up.”
“I–– What was that thing?” Daehyun asks, alarmed but still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“Someone’s trying to attract zombies to us,” Yongguk replies. He sounds calm, but his hands shake. “They just set off some fireworks. We have to go.”
Daehyun stumbles out of the bed. Junhong already has their backpacks in his arms, handing them off to Yongguk and Daehyun.
“Go, go, go,” Yongguk whispers, ushering them through the hole in the wall. He glances behind him before he crouches down, noticing how the walls had begun to catch fire.
When Yongguk emerges from the hole, he sees Daehyun and Junhong frozen on the spot with their hands up. When his eyes adjust, he notices the men emerging from behind the trees and holding guns. He blinks, not fully registering the situation until he feels the muzzle of a gun against the back of his head.
“Don’t do anything funny unless you want a bullet through your brain,” a voice says, low and gravelly in his ear.
Yongguk holds his hands up, briefly meeting eyes with Junhong. His eyes reflect the growing flame’s light, but Yongguk can still see that hope underneath the fear.
That’s the last thing he sees before he falls to the ground, his vision blacking out too suddenly.
//
When Yongguk wakes up, he groans. His entire right side hurts. His head throbs and spins every time he tries to move. He squints at the light shining down on him. His right arm is completely numb, prickling and heavy.
Yongguk sits up, closing his eyes when his head spins precariously. He shakes his arm, hissing when it locks up as the blood rushes back into it.
In the couple minutes he spends trying to regain his thoughts, he discovers several things:
1) He’s lying on a concrete floor.
2) There are metal bars in front of him.
3) Which means he’s in a cell.
4) Which also means he’s been captured.
5) And Daehyun and Junhong are missing.
6) He’s fucked.
“Are you finally awake?” someone asks above Yongguk.
He opens his eyes to see a young man standing outside of his cell. Looking around, he can see he’s in a larger room. A metal operating table sits in the middle with a cart full of sharp tools atop it standing beside it.
Infirmary is the first thing Yongguk thinks.
“Well, you’re obviously conscious now,” the young man says. He’s holding a tray. It’s full of food. Yongguk’s stomach growls involuntarily. The young man crouches and places the tray on the floor, sliding it beneath a wider gap in the bars. “You’re probably hungry, right?”
Yongguk stares at the steaming meat and meager soup. He glances at the young man, still obviously cautious. Whatever’s going on, he knows he can’t trust this guy.
The young man smiles. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned or anything.”
Yongguk picks up the bowl of soup and sips it (incredibly bitter, he thinks), still eyeing the young man. What the hell is going on? Where are Daehyun and Junhong?
“Don’t worry, you’re safe here,” the young man says, but it sounds empty in Yongguk’s ears.
Yongguk swallows a mouthful of soup. “Then why am I locked up?”
“We didn’t know if you and your group were hostile,” the young man replies with a disarming smile. There’s something gentle about his voice that almost makes Yongguk want to trust him. “I’m Youngjae, by the way. And you are?”
“None of your business,” Yongguk replies with a scowl. He needs to find a way to break out and find Daehyun and Junhong. “How do I know you aren’t hostile?”
Youngjae looks offended. “I gave you food, didn’t I?”
“I’m still locked up, aren’t I?” Yongguk retaliates in the same tone.
Youngjae sighs, his kind facade melting away into annoyance. “Look, I’m trying to help you, but you aren’t exactly helping me.”
Yongguk’s eyebrows pull together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I’m testifying for you guys,” Youngjae says. “I’m trying to convince my group that…you aren’t hostile.”
That pause is suspicious. Yongguk isn’t convinced. He doesn’t know what this Youngjae guy is up to, but he knows it’s definitely suspicious.
Youngjae stands up again. “I’ll leave you alone, but just think it over.” Before he leaves the room, he adds, “You should eat. You’ve been out for a while.”
A while.
Yongguk gulps. Are Daehyun and Junhong alright?
Yongguk picks up the fork beside the plate and lifts the meat up to his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. It’s sweet. Sweeter than anything he’s ever eaten.
//
Youngjae returns to Yongguk’s cell a couple hours later. He’s smiling again. Yongguk stands up and realizes he’s a full head taller than Youngjae.
“Feeling better?” he asks.
“Sure,” Yongguk replies. He notices the keys dangling from Youngjae’s pants. This is his chance. Before he can think, his hand darts out in between the bars to grab onto Youngjae’s. He yanks, slamming Youngjae into the bars. His head hits the metal with a satisfying clank.
“Fuck!” Youngjae exclaims. He tries wrestling his hand out of Yongguk’s, but his grip is too tight. He continues pulling Youngjae’s arm until he’s knocked out.
Yongguk gently lowers Youngjae’s arm and crouches to grab the keys. He frantically tries find the right key to unlock the door. When he finally gets it, the door creaks as he pushes it open.
“I’m really sorry,” Yongguk says as he steps over Youngjae’s legs. He was nice, Yongguk will admit that.
He picks up a scalpel resting on the cart. It’s not much, but it’ll do until he finds something else. When he pushes through the door, he’s met with a cool chill. He shivers at the sudden cold, but he quickly realizes that isn’t his main concern.
Yongguk’s gut lurches. He stares at the bodies hanging by their feet, skinned and beheaded. Blood drips from each body to the floor, pooling and draining into a grating in the middle of the floor. He fights the urge to throw up, and when he remembers the meat he had earlier, that’s when he realizes.
They’ve been captured by fucking cannibals. They were about to be eaten, and Youngjae had been trying to convince them to not eat Yongguk, Daehyun, and Junhong.
Yongguk thinks back to them. They can’t be dead, right? How is he supposed to know? Each body he passes looks the same as the last.
He turns around to get Youngjae. When he walks back into the room (which he also realizes is not an infirmary, but where they prepare the meat), he sees Youngjae beginning to wake up.
“Oh, thank god,” Yongguk whispers. He crouches beside Youngjae, helping him sit up. “Hey, I’m sorry about what I did earlier, but I need help escaping.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do, dumbass,” Youngjae grunts. He rubs his temples and slowly gets to his feet, holding onto Yongguk’s arm. “Fuck, I should have told you from the beginning if I knew this was going to happen.”
“Okay, where’s Daehyun and Junhong?” Yongguk asks. He can feel his heart pounding hard in his chest and rushing in his ears.
“The people in your group?” Youngjae asks.
“Yes,” Yongguk replies. He tries not to sound too exasperated because he kinda just pounded Youngjae’s head into several metal bars, but he’s in a hurry.
“Follow me,” Youngjae says, stumbling slightly before heading to the door. “They’re on the tenth floor.”
Yongguk doesn’t have much time to think about that because they’re going into that room again. He holds his breath when Youngjae holds the door open.
“Sorry about this,” Youngjae mutters. “You weren’t supposed to see it.”
Yongguk can only grunt in response as he stares at the floor, trying to avoid bumping into any bodies.
Youngjae suddenly stops just before he opens the door on the other side of the room, holding up a hand before Yongguk can bump into him. Yongguk stares at Youngjae in confusion, but he only holds a finger to his lips.
Yongguk can hear voices on the other side. They sound slightly panicked.
“Stay here,” Youngjae whispers as he pulls the door open. He closes it behind him (and Yongguk forces himself to stay calm even though he has a skinned ass hanging mere inches from his face). “Hey, guys.”
“Youngjae? Are you okay? We thought we heard you yell,” one of the voices asks Youngjae. “Are you okay?”
“No, yeah, it’s all good. He tried doing something, but it’s under control now,” Youngjae replies.
There’s a pause, a yell, then two muted shots. The door opens again, and Youngjae pops his head in.
“It’s all clear,” Youngjae says. “Come on.”
Yongguk steps out and sees two men collapsed on the ground, blood pooling from their chests. He does his best not to step in it. He can’t completely trust Youngjae just yet, but he doesn’t have much of a choice at the moment.
“Why was I kept in a separate room from Daehyun and Junhong?” Yongguk asks when he starts following Youngjae.
Youngjae hesitates. “You looked like the leader. The boss said to do it. To prevent, um, possible breakouts. Sorry.”
“No, that actually…makes sense,” Yongguk replies. A little.
“I guess,” Youngjae says, turning a corner. “But you broke out on your own anyway, so I don’t really see the whole point.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Again,” Yongguk says. He didn’t anticipate how awkward this actually turned out.
When the walk further inside, Yongguk realizes that they’re actually in a Western-style hotel. The hallway they’re walking in is wide with plush red carpet and doors on both sides. Golden embellishments adorn the wallpaper, curling and shining in the dim light.
“So, your group lives in a hotel,” Yongguk whispers, looking around.
“They’ve been here for a while. Even before I joined,” Youngjae replies, not looking back. He holds the pistol in his hands with a certain confidence, his hands steady as he walks. To Yongguk, Youngjae doesn’t look like he’d know his way around a gun.
Yongguk tilts his head. “When did you join?”
“Recently,” Youngjae says. He presses his back against a wall, and Yongguk does the same.
“Junho hasn’t replied,” a voice says around the corner. There’s the crackle of a radio. “Hey, Junho, what’s going on over there?” Silence. “See?”
“Maybe your radio’s all fucked up,” comes another voice.
“Doubt it.”
Youngjae emerges from behind the wall, gun aimed straight ahead, and pulls the trigger twice, swift and soundless. Yongguk’s a little amazed.
Youngjae nods for Yongguk to follow again. “We should get your things first.”
That’s a good idea, Yongguk thinks.
Youngjae ducks into a room labelled Storage and slips inside. Yongguk follows right behind him. Inside are shelves filled to the brim with supplies and other backpacks. Youngjae looks up and down the shelves of backpacks. When he finds Yongguk, Daehyun, and Junhong’s he throws them into a large duffel bag and hands it to Yongguk. He quickly grabs another backpack and shoulders it.
“What’s that for?” Yongguk asks, nodding at it.
“I’m coming with you guys,” Youngjae replies. Like he’s gone over this with Yongguk before. He goes to open the door, but stops when he sees Yongguk’s confused expression. “What? You thought I was breaking you guys out like I’m some altruistic martyr or some shit? I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t get anything out of it.”
Yongguk is a little stunned, to say the least.
Youngjae sighs, thinking Yongguk still doesn’t get it. “I’ve been trying to get out of here since I was forced to join.”
There are too many questions spinning through Yongguk’s mind, but he doesn’t have the time to ask them because Youngjae’s digging through a crate and handing a pistol, silencer, and two extra magazines to Yongguk.
“I’m assuming you know how to shoot a gun, right?” Youngjae asks.
Yongguk slides the magazines into his pockets. “Yeah.”
Youngjae nods. “Good. Make yourself useful.”
Just who is this guy?
Yongguk screws the silencer into the barrel as Youngjae pushes the door open. They walk through the halls, their steps silent on the carpet. When they reach the end of the hall, Youngjae opens the door into a stairwell.
“Tenth floor,” Youngjae says as the door slides shut. He begins walking up the stairs, and Yongguk is trying really hard to understand how he’s doing all this despite being knocked out less than ten minutes ago. “They’re probably being guarded more heavily, so be prepared.”
“Youngjae,” Yongguk says.
“What?”
“Why don’t you just leave?” Yongguk asks. He doesn’t know how else to put it. “Why do you have to do all this?”
Youngjae climbs a full flight of stairs before replying. “These are people who have resorted to actual cannibalism. They’d rather eat me than let me leave. Opportunism, as one of them called it.”
Yongguk gulps. He doesn’t know what’s more terrifying, the zombies or the humans.
“So, why did you join in the first place?” Yongguk asks. He’s just…curious about Youngjae. How did he come here? Why does he even want to leave?
Youngjae stops at a landing and spins around. Yongguk almost falls back. “Look, you’re asking a lot of questions right now. We need to save the rest of your group, and you’re not helping with the impromptu interrogation.”
Yongguk’s face scrunches up, but he figures he kinda deserves it. He did knock Youngjae out for a couple minutes.
“Alright, I got it,” Yongguk says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. He honestly didn’t mean to pry.
Youngjae sighs. “Okay. Thanks.”
They climb the rest of the stairs in silence. Their steps echo in the small space, and Yongguk worries someone will eventually hear them. When they finally reach the tenth floor, Youngjae presses his ear against the door.
“I can hear several voices coming from the right. At least three or four,” Youngjae whispers after a moment. He looks to the pistol in Yongguk’s hands. “Get ready.”
Yongguk nods.
Youngjae mouths a countdown. When he reaches one, he throws the door open with Yongguk right behind him. There are four men in front of them, caught completely unaware. Yongguk shoots one between the eyes and another in the chest. Youngjae shoots the other two before they can call for backup.
“Not bad,” Youngjae says when he steps over the man with the bleeding hole in his forehead.
“Thanks.”
“Every floor above five is basically a maze,” Youngjae whispers. He pulls a blueprint and pen out of the backpack, pointing at certain sections in the winding floor. “There are men at every other intersection.” He circles a room labelled 1019. “This is where Daehyun and Junhong are.”
A few minutes and a couple missteps later, Yongguk finds himself in the middle of a shootout. He crouches behind a toppled table beside Youngjae. He peeks above the table and ducks behind it again when someone shoots at him.
“Fuck, I didn’t plan for this,” Youngjae mutters. “Fucking everything else except the most obvious one.”
Yongguk glances at Youngjae. He can practically see the gears spinning in his head. Yongguk sighs. He might have something. He picks up a vase and lobs it over the table.
“What the hell are you doing?” Youngjae whispers, his eyes frantic.
“Improvising,” Yongguk replies. “Follow my lead.”
When the vase hits the ground with a soft thunk, the men begin muttering amongst themselves.
Yongguk takes that as his cue to move. He hops over the table and sprints over to the other side, pistol ready to fire. He shoots each man behind the table point blank.
“Watch out!” Youngjae exclaims. He tackles a man to the ground just as he’s about to shoot Yongguk.
“Holy shit,” Yongguk says. He moves to help Youngjae, but the man on top of him jerks, blood spurting out of the wound Youngjae shot. “Holy shit.”
“Thanks,” Youngjae says, pushing the man off of him. He stands up, wiping the blood off his hand. “1019 is just around the corner.”
When they reach 1019, there are several men there to greet them. They look ready to shoot, but they hesitate.
“Youngjae?” one of them asks. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Revenge, bitch,” Youngjae replies. He aims and shoots, all within the span of two seconds. He turns to Yongguk. “Take cover!”
Yongguk hides in a nook, pressing against the wall as the men begin shooting. He looks at Youngjae on the other side of the hall. “While badass, I think that could have gone better!”
“I agree!” Youngjae replies over the shots.
Yongguk peeks around the wall and manages to shoot one of the men down.
Before they know it, they’ve taken down all the men, their bodies laying in a limp pile in the hall.
Youngjae looks at them, his expression unreadable. “I’m sure the rest of the group is gonna have a feast tonight.”
Yongguk doesn’t what to make of the statement.
Younjgae pushes open the door into a dirty hotel room, but a hotel room nonetheless. Daehyun and Junhong sit on the bed, eyes wide and almost scared.
But he can’t help but feel a little envious because why did they get the hotel room while he got the concrete floor next to a fridge full of human bodies?
“Yongguk?!” Daehyun exclaims. He gets up from the bed and Junhong follows. “Holy shit, we thought you were dead!”
Yongguk smiles. “Well, here I am.”
“Okay, can you guys have the reunion later? We need to get out before they catch us,” Youngjae says, looking back and forth between them and the door.
“Who’s he?” Junhong asks.
“He…,” Yongguk pauses when he sees the panicked urgency in Youngjae’s eyes. “I’ll explain later.” He unzips the duffel bag and hands Daehyun and Junhong their backpacks. “But he’s breaking us out.”
//
They reach the parking garage with surprising ease.
Junhong proves he isn’t completely inept with a gun (“I was raised in a military compound by a general during a zombie infestation,” he says with a scoff, “It would be weird if I didn’t know how to shoot a gun.”)
Daehyun almost gets himself killed because he didn’t look around the corner.
Youngjae gets grazed by a bullet as he lunges to save Daehyun.
“This car,” Youngjae says, pointing to a black sedan. He opens it, urging everyone inside. His head turns left and right, keeping a lookout. “Hurry up, hurry up.”
“There they are!” someone shouts, their voice echoing in the large garage.
Youngjae slams the door as he falls into the back seat beside Daehyun. He hands the keys to Yongguk. “Go!”
Yongguk fumbles with the keys before finally inserting them into the ignition. They speed out of the garage, nearly running over the men after them.
Once they reach the outskirts of the city, they begin to relax. The buildings begin to thin out into rolling hills. Yongguk glances at Junhong, who’s beginning to shake. His knees are pulled up to his chest, and he looks incredibly small. Yongguk pats Junhong’s shoulder, and he jumps in response. He looks at Yongguk with wide eyes.
“You alright?” Yongguk asks. “I know that was…probably really stressful.”
Junhong laughs once, humorless. “That’s an understatement. I heard one of them talking before you came.” He pauses, pulling his knees even closer. “They were going to eat us, Yongguk. I…” He trails off into a shaky breath and looks up at Yongguk. “How does that make them any different from a zombie?”
Yongguk taps the steering wheel a couple times. He doesn’t know how to respond to a question like that because he realizes that there isn’t a difference.
“Shit, are you okay?” Yongguk hears Daehyun say in the back. He glances into the rearview mirror and sees Daehyun reaching into his backpack; he also sees Youngjae clutching his arm. “Here, let me see it.”
Youngjae is quiet as Daehyun pulls out a roll of gauze from a first aid kit. He watches as Daehyun rolls up his sleeve to clean the gash.
"Thanks for that back there, by the way," Daehyun says.
Youngjae only grunts in response.
Yongguk focuses on the road again. They’re almost to Seoul.
//
Youngjae somehow wriggles his way into their group. They don’t say anything to each other, but they all just accept him like he’s belonged there since the beginning.
Nobody explains Junhong’s situation to Youngjae, though.
Not yet, they conclude.
Somewhere between Ansan and Gunpo, they all sit around a bonfire on the side of the road, roasting a deer that Youngjae ran over earlier (“It just popped out of nowhere! What was I supposed to do?!” Youngjae had exclaimed defensively). The sun dips behind the trees, making everything around them look golden. They’re laughing––and it feels real for once––as Yongguk rotates the makeshift skewers on the fire.
It makes Yongguk feel a little human again.
//
It’s late in the afternoon when Yongguk pulls the car up to the gates at Seoul. He sighs in relief when he sees the conglomerate metal walls. Somehow, they made it.
A soldier greets them at the gates, raising an eyebrow at their dented car. “What brings you to Seoul?”
“We’re runners,” Yongguk replies. “Did you receive any message about us from General Kim Himchan of Mokpo?”
The soldier’s eyes light up. “You’re the ones who brought the cure? Oh, thank god, we’re saved!” He begins to open the gate. “Come on inside.”
Yongguk nods his thanks and pulls into the compound.
“Shit, he didn’t even ask for ID?” Daehyun asks. He nudges Yongguk. “If Seoul is this lenient, maybe we really can retire here.”
“Hold on, what did he mean by cure?” Youngjae asks.
Yongguk and Daehyun exchange worried glances. Should they tell him?
“I’m immune,” Junhong replies. When Youngjae looks at him, confused, he rolls up his sleeve. “Look.”
“What the fuck?!” Youngjae recoils when he sees the scar of Junhong’s bite. His eyes are wide and he struggles to open the door, but Yongguk turns on the child lock. “Why the fuck?!”
“Just let him explain,” Yongguk says. He pulls the car to a stop.
Youngjae lowers his hand from the door handle, still scared but curiosity slowly begins to take over.
Junhong takes a deep breath. “I was bitten several months ago. Don’t ask me exactly how long ago because I don’t know. But I didn’t turn.” He takes a deep breath. “Something about special antigens in my bloodstream. That’s why we had to come to Seoul. To figure out if my blood could help make a cure.”
Fascination quickly replaces the fear in Youngjae’s eyes the longer Junhong speaks. He takes Junhong’s arm into his hands to bring it closer to his face. “Oh my god. You’re actually immune. Your bite looks nothing like it should. You might actually be the cure for this.”
Yongguk looks into the rearview mirror and sees a bitter smile on Junhong’s face. “Yeah, I’ve been getting that lot lately.”
//
They reach the hospital by the time the sun settles low in the horizon.
Yongguk sends Daehyun and Youngjae inside to tell the doctor’s of their arrival, but he stays outside with Junhong for a moment.
“Junhong,” Yongguk begins. “You’re sure you want to do this?”
Junhong smiles, reassuring. “Of course I do. I could be the cure, didn’t you know?”
And Yongguk feels something constrict in his chest.
Junhong doesn’t sound angry anymore, not resigned, but…hopeful.
And Yongguk thinks he can finally put a name to the constriction in his chest.
Pride, he thinks.
Without another thought, Yongguk pulls Junhong into a hug.
“Gross, what’s with the sentimental shit,” Junhong says, but he doesn’t push Yongguk away. In fact, he brings his arms up around Yongguk's middle.
When Yongguk pulls away, he sees, underneath the playful glimmer in Junhong’s eyes, something incredibly mature. He pats Junhong’s back.
“Let’s go inside. They’re waiting.”
When Yongguk and Junhong enter the hospital, a crew of doctors are already there. They surround Junhong and sweep him up in a whirlwind of excited questions. Junhong stares at each one, not knowing which one to answer first.
“Let’s take him inside,” one of them suggests and a wave of agreement washes over the others.
Junhong follows the doctors towards the double doors. He glances back, giving them a thumbs-up and a wide grin
“See you later, guys,” he says before he disappears behind the doors.
//
Yongguk doesn’t keep track of how long he waits in that room with Daehyun and Youngjae beside him, but it’s dark out by the time a doctor emerges from the doors.
The look on her face doesn’t reassure Yongguk.
She takes a deep breath before talking. “I, um, don’t know how to put this lightly. Junhong… He…“
And Yongguk doesn’t need her to finish to know that Junhong is gone.
“How?” Youngjae asks. “I thought it was his all in his bloodstream? Couldn’t you have just taken a sample?”
She shakes her head. Bites her lip. “It had nothing to do with his blood, like we’d predicted. It had taken hold in his brain. We needed to extract it in order to––“
“That’s enough,” Yongguk says. He turns around. They finally got the cure they needed.
Junhong would have been proud.
If only he were here to know.
It’s a humid summer night when the world ends for the third time.