Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Sir, I have training. I can’t be late!”

“Miss Cha, as long as this issue isn’t resolved, no one is getting out of school.”

“But isn’t class over?”

“Go back to your seat.”

Cha Hae-in groaned, slouching her shoulders as she returned to her seat, dropping her gym bag on her desk. She lay her head on her arms and waited. Impatient. The clock above the door stared at her in warning, each tick roused her nerves, giving her an aggravated image of her coach for her tardiness. She knew what happened to the athletes who showed up late for training, and aware of the wrath of the man, Hae-in preferred to be on time or be early. However, a certain someone had chosen a perfect day to cause a scene.

She glanced across the window, seeing a student sitting on the edge of the rooftop, his legs dangling over as if he were having a relaxing moment. . . And by a relaxing moment— it caused the police to drive over and surround the school, convincing him to get down safely and talk.

“He just won’t come down,” she grumbled.

“Alright. To make everybody not bored, open your books and flip to page 250.” Mr. Shin said. “If you’re focused, you can’t even hear a bomb go off next to you. Focus and you won’t be worrying about anything.”

“Aren’t you bored as well?” Hae-in questioned. “You probably want to go home just like the rest of us.”

“If you all were to rush out, would Jin-woo appreciate it? He’s already stressed out and upset. If he were to see you and suddenly decide to jump—”

“He won’t,” said Hae-in. “Jin-woo is smarter than that.”

“If he really is that smart, the police shouldn’t have to negotiate with him. If he comes down, you all can go straight home.”

Hae-in leaned back on her seat, clenching her jaw. She flickered her gaze between the clock and Jin-woo at a distance. Time was ticking, she barely had time left to reach her training. What was Jin-woo thinking? She could only wonder. Despite knowing him for three years, she still couldn't figure out what was going on inside that brain of his. Without further ado, she got up and rushed out of the classroom before her professor could stop her. Jin-woo hardly listened to anyone unless it was his mom, or her. But one thing was certain: he was as passionate about baseball as she was about track and field. He always took pride in it, and she could not forget the time he excitedly showed her the baseball bat his father had bought for him.

“Hey, kid! I promise to make sure you make a full recovery! If not, I’ll make you a cop! Trust me, so come down and—”

“I don’t want to be a cop.”

Hae-in was hearing the exchange from the stairs, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. She found several officers in the doorway and urged them to let her pass as she was a friend and she could help ‘negotiate’. Upon reaching the rooftop, the police officer was pleading with everything he could to convince Jin-woo to get off the edge.

“I will talk from here. I won’t go up to you!” He continued. “Try to relax.”

Sung Jin-woo, on the other hand, was relaxed. People could be freaking out around him, yet he would remain composed. His dark, shaggy hair subtly bounced in the wind, and his eyes stared at the cop over his shoulder with a blunt look. He was about to speak when his eyes caught her arriving figure. Hae-in grabbed a chair from the pile and carried it next to the thick barrier, stepping on it to walk on the surface, ignoring the police officer’s protests.

“Hey! I can’t attend my training because they aren’t letting any students out.” Unfazed by the imminent height, Hae-in bravely walked across and sat down next to him, speaking to him as if they were sitting on a bench, a perfectly normal spot. “Are you upset you can’t play baseball?”

“It’s not that. I came here for some fresh air, and suddenly, police cars and an ambulance rushed in.” Then, Jin-woo scoffed. “What kind of idiot called them?”

“Maybe because they were concerned. If you wanted some fresh air, why the rooftop out of all places?” Hae-in asked. “Is baseball the only thing you can do?”

“It’s all I’ve ever done. And it’s something I’m great at.” Jin-woo replied. “Would you be okay if this happened to you?”

Hae-in hummed. Of course not, she couldn’t imagine herself in any other sport besides running. It was her passion since she was a kid, the overwhelming panic she had felt when she got an injury that led to her being hospitalized, fearing she would never run again. It happened the same to Jin-woo, who unfortunately got into an accident that hindered him from playing his sport due to an injury to his leg.

“The hospital was the last place I’d ever be in,” Hae-in answered. “But it doesn’t mean your life is over. Someone told me I shouldn’t revolve my life around one thing only. Now, I feel like I need a stable income to live independently and do anything I want worry-free. Our future comes with so many options, right?” She grinned. Hae-in stood up and offered him her hand. “It’s fine to take a plunge, Jin-woo. You have nothing to lose.”

Jin-woo stared at her, and after a moment, he took her hand firmly and hauled himself onto his feet. His movement brought their joined hands to his chest. He smirked playfully down at her. Hae-in playfully rolled her eyes and untangled their fingers, she jumped down from the barrier and shoved her hands in her jacket’s pockets, cocking her head to the door.

“Let’s go. I will have to face my coach’s wrath.” She joked.

Jin-woo turned below, where a large jumping sheet rested on the ground, placed by the rescuers who thought he was about to jump. A fun idea popped into his head.

“Jin-woo?”

His gaze flickered to his best friend. “You said to take a plunge, right?” Jin-woo said, grinning. Before Hae-in could register what he said, he winked and spread his arms as he plummeted from the edge.

“Jin-woo!”

Gravity pushed him down, Hae-in’s panicked expression flashed before his eyes as the distance between them grew apart, longer and longer, until his back hit the cushion. Jin-woo was left with a loose smile as he lay, and everyone else scrambled to help him.

Soon after, students were finally dismissed.

But Cha Hae-in was arrested.

Jin-woo waited for her outside as the officer dragged her out. She saw him and managed to free herself from his grasp.

“Hey!” Hae-in ran over and flashed him an icy glare. “Are you seriously trying to get me arrested?!”

“It’s okay to let her go, officer,” said Jin-woo to the officer who tried to persuade him earlier. Yet, he had arrested his best friend, believing she must’ve told him something that brought him to fall. “I was the one who jumped. She didn’t do anything.”

The man looked at him incredulously before he removed the handcuffs from Hae-in’s wrists. The blonde glared at him and drifted her attention to her best friend. “That was stupid, you know?” She grimaced. “Why the heck did you—”

“Cha Hae-in.” Jin-woo cut her off, staring into her dark grey eyes. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

- - ✧ - -

Hae-in huffed as she kept a firm grip on her companion’s waist, dragging him amidst the smoke and explosions in the distance. They squeezed through the armed officers, cocking their guns, and some went through the windows with ropes strapped around their holsters. She kicked the door open, and the trainee swept the table clear in one frantic motion. Hae-in hauled the wounded officer onto it, stripped the gun from his belt, and shouted at the trainee to treat him.

He placed his backpack on the other table and unzipped it, taking out his stethoscope. “Where did he get hurt?”

“He got shot in the chest and he can’t breathe.”

Chi-yul gasped for air. The medic removed his helmet and pressed the diaphragm on the officer’s neck. After listening to his heart rate amidst the critical condition, he checked the gunshot wound.

“He has a pneumothorax,” he said. “Air is leaking from the gunshot wound and putting pressure on the—”

“Don’t give me a diagnosis, treat him quick!” His senior exclaimed.

He rushed for the injection in his supplies. He took off the cap and then paused, flashing her a hesitant look. “Should I really do it?”

“Don’t think and do as you were taught!”

Chi-yul groaned. Finally, he sank the sharp tip into his skin. But his body began to twitch terribly on the table. Hae-in watched intently as panic rose from the intern, pressing his hands on the older man’s chest to stop the hyperventilation.

Then, a hand pushed him off. “You’re going to break my ribs, you punk.”

“S— sir?”

Chi-yul got up and opened his jacket, revealing a different suit underneath, showing a fake gunshot wound. “This is the clavicle, you fool.”

“Recruit Kim Jeon-yu, you just killed a team member,” Hae-in declared, taking off her helmet. She glanced at the trainee. “You lose points in your TMP training.”

Chi-yul grabbed the small blood bag from his body suit and tossed it at the trainee. He and Hae-in left the room and walked across the hallway, passing by several other instructors and their trainees. The future police officers climbed down from the second floor using only ropes; the seniors shouted out the number of seconds each intern had spent, and some had undergone medical training.

“You acted well today, Mr. Song,” she smiled at her senior.

“Was I heavy?” Chi-yul teased.

Hae-in playfully rolled her eyes. “You were fine. And I can actually carry you if you ever get wounded!”

Chi-yul laughed. “Keep up the good work, Hae-in. Though, are you going to deduct his points?”

“He’s slow to make a decision, and he scares easily—just like what you said. And didn’t you also say officers in SOU must be quick and fearless?”

He nodded. “I did. You even set a standard since then. You were a fast learner, and sometimes, the higher-ranked officers had no idea what you were doing.”

Hae-in chuckled. “At least I got the job done, don’t I?”

“Yes, you do,” Chi-yul concurred. His hazel-brown eyes glimmered with pride. “Now, let’s eat, shall we?”

She nodded.

After years of studying hard at the police academy, Cha Hae-in finally got to work with the man who had inspired her. She had known Chi-yul since she was young, piqued with interest upon watching him swing his sword at the dojo. He ran a business while he worked at the specialized police unit. She envisioned herself becoming as great as him, and since she was a track runner, she was certain that her speed would be convenient in operations.

- - ✧ - -

A police vehicle pulled up to the scene, its radio crackling softly with the gentle, reassuring voice of a newscaster reporting a tragic accident. Despite the grim news, Jin-woo found comfort in the soothing broadcast as he headed towards the location. Listening to calming voices on the radio helped him sharpen his focus amid the harsh realities of his job, providing a stark contrast to the tension he felt arriving at the crime scene. Steering his car carefully, he maneuvered it under the shelter of a nearby shed. Outside, a group of police officers surrounded a scattered array of tools, preparing for the investigation.

“Hyung-nim!” Yoo Jin-ho waved his hand, handing him a pair of gloves. “Oh, were you playing baseball?”

“Yeah, but I rushed here immediately after I got a call,” said Jin-woo. “What’s the case?”

“A murder.”

Interest piqued in his eyes, Jin-woo felt the familiar pull that murder cases always triggered within him. The allure of unraveling a complex mystery and the challenge of piecing together clues until he captured the culprit himself. As the group approached the building, a tense atmosphere hung in the air, and frightened neighbors had gathered behind the yellow crime scene tapes, whispering anxiously among themselves. A few were being interviewed by another officer, and his keen ears managed to catch up on their answers;

“I remember a guy was sitting on that counter—”

“I heard some screaming, so I came out!”

“Is there a serial killer living here?!”

“Ma'am, stay calm so we can get your testimony. Do you know the identity of that person?”

Jin-woo followed Jin-ho into a hallway, leading towards the door in front of a police officer. As they entered, Jin-ho immediately wrinkled his nose at the pungent stench of rotting flesh that saturated the air. The floor was stained dark with blood, leading their eyes to the lifeless form lying on the ground. Jin-woo approached the corpse covered in a blanket and carefully flipped the fabric away—pale, fresh ichor oozing out of the marred wounds.

“What do you think happened to his neck?” He asked.

“I’m not sure,” answered Jin-ho. “It looks like he was cut with a dull knife.”

“What about the suspect?”

“There were a lot of complaints that he was noisy, always banging at the door. According to the neighbors, he sometimes stopped, but after a few minutes, he would do it again.”

Another victim was found on the other side of the bed, also covered in a blanket. The pool of dark blood beneath his head glistened starkly against the floor, and his arms were sprawled out lifelessly. Jin-woo cautiously grabbed an open bottle of water from a nearby surface and brought it to his nose, inhaling carefully to detect if any foreign substance or unusual chemical odor was mixed within the liquid.

“They’re looking into the CCTV footage right now, hyung-nim. But they can’t find the suspect leaving.”

“They covered the deceased’s face and ran away, but there’s no footage of him leaving the place?”

Jin-ho sighed. “Sadly, the CDCH would never show us that. It’s against the Personal Information Protection Act.”

Jin-woo groaned. He turned to the door behind him. “Has anyone looked here?”

The bathroom was clean.

Opening the closet, there was nothing. Could the suspect have escaped through the window? Jin-woo clenched his jaw. He took it back, the window was completely locked. He then got down on his knees and looked under the bed, and lo and behold—a human.

“Did you find anything, Jin-woo?”

Instead of responding, he gestured to Jin-ho to check the bed. The younger officer did so and instantly let out a yelp.

“Sweet mother of heavens!” Jin-ho instantly moved away. He rushed out of the room, shouting. “We— we got the culprit!”

Surprisingly, it was not difficult to force the culprit out of the bed. The man complied almost immediately, though there was an indistinct apprehension in his eyes. Slowly, he climbed out and sat on the edge of the bed, ready for interrogation. Jin-ho kept his distance, a knot of fear tightening in his chest at the sight of the murderer—the man had hidden beneath the bed, as if it could shield him from discovery. But now, exposed in the sunlight from the window, he absentmindedly nibbled on the corner of a blanket, staining it with red.

Jin-woo crossed his arms and held a cold gaze. “Did you do this?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Did you put a blanket over him because you were afraid to look at them?” He asked. “Why did you kill those two people?”

No response.

“You don’t remember that either?”

“I. . . I had it in a dream.”

“You killed him in that dream?” Jin-ho raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like you had a personal grudge.”

“You couldn’t run away, seeing how you’re covered in blood,” Jin-woo stated. “Your mind was scattered, but the cops started flooding in. That’s why you probably hid. So, where is the murder weapon?” He propped his hands on his knees. “How did you kill him in your dream?”

The man kept wiping his white cloth on his mouth. Irritated, Jin-woo reached out, gripping the man’s chin firmly to lift his face for a closer look. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man’s teeth.

“Did you bite him?”

- - ✧ - -

“Here.” Chi-yul pushed his slice of ham toward her with a small, quiet smile. He sat across from her at the crowded cafeteria table, surrounded by dozens of police officers chatting and eating around them, the hum of conversation filling the room.

“M— Mr. Song!” Hae-in was taken aback. “I don't—”

He smiled. “Just take it. You must be hungry from the activity.”

“I. . . Thank you.” She gave in, slicing the ham into smaller pieces. Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a new message. Hae-in checked it and read ‘Public Rental Unit Notice for Police at Le Ciel Apartment’. She almost let out a gasp at the headline.

“Something wrong?”

“The police agency would be giving out three units to people in the police force. They score every applicant based on seniority, the size of the family, marital status, and so on. But the number of arrests and evaluations matters the most.” Hae-in explained excitedly.

Chi-yul nodded. “Oh! Didn’t you want a new place to live in?”

“If I get picked for that, I’ll win the unit for sure!” Hae-in smiled. “Hopefully, you’ll get picked too, so we can be neighbors.”

Chi-yul chuckled. “I am fine with the home I have above the dojo. But since you truly wanted it, I would do my best to help you.”

As she was about to take a bite of her meal, her phone stole her attention once again. This time, it was ringing. Hae-in picked it up and saw the caller's name ‘Parkour’.

“Who’s that?”

“Jin-woo.” She placed down her utensils and clicked the green button. “What’s up?”

“Your agency came up during an investigation.”

“Why?”

“You’re training new recruits, right?” said Jin-woo. “The culprit said he bought some drugs from a recruit for SOU.”

Her eyebrows knit in worry. “What’s the name?”

“Kim Jeon-yu.”

The name instantly rang a bell.

“You’ll be getting a notice soon. Anyway, it’s just a heads-up.”

Hae-in smiled. “Thanks. Ah, if I were to uncover the organization behind it, that would be my arrest, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I'll tell you later!” She hung up the call. Hae-in turned to Chi-yul. “Be back right back in a moment, Mr. Song.”

He flashed her a puzzled look. “Where are you going?”

“To Kim Jeon-yu. I have a question to ask him.” Hae-in stood up and exited the cafeteria.

As she reached the door, something unusual caught her eye. She paused, peering more closely and saw a figure leaning over another person’s body, their face pressed against the other’s neck in what looked like an intimate, almost urgent gesture. Hae-in squinted, shifting slightly to get a better view from a different angle. A sudden tap on her shoulder startled her, and she flinched, her heart almost skipping a beat.

“I had a strange feeling when you left. I couldn't help it.” said Chi-yul. He looked inside and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “What the hell are they doing? Aren't they supposed to know they are not allowed to do that in a workplace?”

“Well, it doesn't matter. I have a reason why I came here.” Hae-in pushed the door open. “Hey! Why are you—”

The recruit turned to her. . . With a different expression. Hae-in froze on the spot. Just then, he attacked her. The blonde officer managed to dodge aside and noticed his face was different, but she didn’t have time to scrutinize him as her eyes found the other recruit, lying motionless on the floor. It was then that the recruit lunged at her once more, but this time, she blocked his neck with her arm while she pressed her hand against his forehead, suddenly feeling her back collide with the steel shelf.

Hae-in gritted her teeth, unable to move, and not even her leg to kick him off. How is this possible? According to his personal information, he did not weigh as much, and he was advised to exercise to improve his physique. Looking into his eyes, it was as if he were not a human; his skin pale and reddened, like a severe allergic reaction, and his veins protruded through his skin. His lips coated in thick blood, like a predator feasting on its prey. And she was an intruder in his territory.

“Hae-in!” Chi-yul dragged him off her.

“Get him out of here!” Hae-in exclaimed at her senior, who immediately ran to the wounded officer. The mad recruit squirmed on the ground and backed up again. She stepped in front of Chi-yul, making her the center of the recruit’s attention while the other two would get out to safety. Kim Jeon-yu sprinted. Hae-in swerved aside and grabbed his arm, dragging him until she pinned him against the table.

Her action must’ve driven him madder, screaming at the top of his lungs. She couldn’t think she could restrain him longer. The recruit grabbed a nearby object and threw it at her face, causing Hae-in to stumble back, and he broke free from her grasp. She dodged and bumped into a table. Hae-in caught his hand in her direction, so she twisted his arm and shot a forceful kick at his stomach, leaving him tumbling below while she climbed over the table and ran to the door.

She managed to haul it closed before he caught up to her. To her shock, it was not over. Kim Jeon-yu struck the glass with his head, banging it repeatedly until it began to crack, tainting it with blood. He still possessed a monstrous, hungry look as if there was no telling that he would stop unless he got his hands—his jaws—on her. Hae-in reached for her gun in her holster, lifting the muzzle to the recruit, curling her finger around the trigger. She could fire at any moment. But she didn’t intend to kill him in an instant, hoping to aim at his shoulder.

As the recruit continued to pound against the glass, she noticed his forehead was bleeding from the shards. She pulled the trigger. The bullet hit his shoulder, as she had planned. Cautiously, Hae-in approached the door, peeking through the broken glass, where she saw him lying on the floor. His body twitched in his growing pool of blood, coughing on the corner of the room.

“O— officer—” he croaked out. Pain somehow replaced the fury in his eyes. As if he was back to the person he was.

Hae-in shut the door behind her and left, walking away from the room. Shivers crawled down her spine. Just what in the world happened? One moment, he was attacking her like a bloodthirsty monster. Next, he was begging for help. Could he be aware of what he had done?

She washed her hands at the sink, scrubbing the blood off her skin. She grabbed a tissue from the dispenser and wiped her hands dry, and just then, she heard a voice from her phone.

“Something happened?”

“How dangerous was the suspect, Jin-woo?” She asked. “Did he attack you?”

“Hang on— attack?! What exactly happened there?” His voice grew frantic. “Hae-in.”

She sighed, calming herself. “How could he not feel any pain after getting shot?”

“Who shot whom? Please, answer the question first. More importantly, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But how did you catch him without a weapon?”

“I convinced him. Talked to him.”

“How is that possible?”

“Hae-in, tell me the full story. Did you see Kim Jeon-yu?”

“Yes.”

“Did he try to bite you?”

“He did. Gosh— ” Hae-in ran her fingers through her hair. “What on earth is—”

Suddenly, her eyes caught something on her hand in the mirror. A fresh scar.

“Hello? Hae-in?”

As she stared at it, she pressed the scar. She felt no pain. Hae-in was about to wonder where it came from when she remembered her fight with Kim Jeon-yu. His nail must've scratched her skin while she was trying to block him.

“Cha Hae-in??”

“Yes, yes, I’m still here!” Hae-in snapped back to reality.

Jin-woo sighed in relief. “Geez, I thought you fainted or what!”

“Don’t worry, you dum-dum!” Hae-in chuckled. “I’m still alive. You have nothing to fear.”

“Corporal Cha?”

A man entered the restroom. Hae-in turned and widened her eyes, recognizing one of her colleagues in the police academy. “Jin-chul?”

“The man you shot could have an infectious disease,” Woo Jin-chul cut to the chase. No hello, no 'how are you?'.

A troop of soldiers entered the room without hesitation, ignoring the women's restroom sign on the door. Hae-in sensed a wave of apprehension as she grasped onto the situation, knowing Jin-chul came for more than just an interview.

“What infectious disease?” She asked. Her phone was still on speaker, in which Jin-woo could hear what was happening. But she chose to ignore him for a while and focused on the elephant in the room.

“We’re looking into that,” he replied. He walked toward her and grabbed her phone. “CDCH Crisis Management Center’s Lieutenant Colonel Woo Jin-chul, speaking. You may ask questions later, Ms. Cha must come with us.” He ended the call and slipped the device inside his jacket. “We need your cooperation with the investigation.”

Besides that, Hae-in was ordered to surrender her weapon. Despite an uneasy feeling about her old colleague, she reluctantly complied, handing over her firearm with caution. Jin-chul worked closely with the government more than she did, so he must know things she did not. The soldiers maintained a disciplined presence as she followed them out of the room. Questions swirled through her mind, but she controlled her expression, maintaining her composure.

Everything would probably be fine. The soldiers escorted her to the car, and she was settled between two soldiers. She glanced through the window where Jin-chul stood on the stairs, appearing to be discussing something with Chi-yul. He still had her phone, but he promised to give it back to her as soon as the investigation was over. Hae-in speculated that the situation must be so serious that not a speck of information must be declassified.

After his short conversation with Song Chi-yul, Jin-chul dipped his head in farewell and stepped down the stairs when he felt Hae-in’s phone vibrating in his blazer. He moved the device to his ear. “Colonel Woo.”

“Why do you have Hae-in’s phone?”

“She needed to focus on the investigation. But don’t worry, I will relay the words to her.”

“But first things first— can you please tell me what’s going on? I'm very confused right now.”

“Hae-in will be tested as she had contact with an infected recruit,” Jin-chul explained. 

“Will she be okay? She’s got two doses of the vaccine. What infection are you talking about?”

“We will find out. Now, if you excuse me—”

“It was Kim Jeon-yu, wasn’t it? The infected recruit.” Jin-woo said. “We arrested a murder suspect who was in contact with him.”

Jin-chul paused. “Did you just say murder?”

“He bit a man’s neck. Is that related to the infection?”

“Where are you? I’m heading over to the Seyang Police Station right now.” Jin-woo agreed.

- - ✧ - -

“You mean to say— the infectious disease makes people bite others?” Jin-ho asked. Three of them were in a private room to discuss a new issue, an arising problem, from which Jin-chul claimed no one else must know.

“We believe it’s a variant virus that affects the brain. When bitten, you die of blood loss, or you’re infected.”

“We don’t have to be quarantined, do we?” Jin-woo asked. “We did come in contact with an infected.”

“Were you scratched? Bitten? If no, you’re good.” Jin-chul nodded. “Do you have that pill?”

“No,” Jin-woo shook his head. “We searched the room, but there was none. The murderer wouldn’t admit it either.”

“I'll text you the address if you find the pills. It'll be helpful if the lab has it.”

With that, Jin-chul left the room. Jin-woo clenched his jaw, leaning against his hand, lost in thought. Jin-chul had informed him that he would not be able to contact Hae-in for a while, telling him about the scar she had gotten from the infected recruit. He worried that she might catch the disease, afraid of her turning into someone like Kim Jeon-yu. Though Jin-chul reassured him that she would be fine, as long as she was quarantined and observed with thorough check-ups.

He sighed, thinking if he had gone to the building to tell the news himself, he would’ve been there to help Hae-in.

“They took a hair sample from the man, by the way,” said Jin-ho, cutting him from his reverie. "Let's wait for the result."

“Alright. And I’m heading back to the apartment to find the pills again." Jin-woo nodded, grabbing his jacket from the chair as he headed out.

He tore through the entire room, turning everything upside down in search of the pills. At last, he spotted one beneath the bed—a single teal capsule glinting in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“Jin-ho, I found it.”

“And I just got the results! He’s clean.”

He looked skeptical. “Are you sure?”

“I guess he was infected,” Jin-ho affirmed. “Are you leaving the place? I can go there and help if there is any.”

“It's fine. Thanks, Jin-ho.” Jin-woo smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He drove back to the baseball training center. The sport held a special place in Jin-woo’s heart, and he couldn’t stand being far from the sport he loved—especially since there was no apartment or house available nearby. He never thought he’d need a place of his own, when he spent most of his time outside anyway, so he had no intention of spending money over a rent for a place he’d barely be home to.

“Hey, Tae-wook!”

Choi Tae-wook stopped vacuuming the floor. He placed his hand on his hip in disdain. “Oi! Why didn’t you play today?”

Jin-woo motioned for him to follow, which the brunet reluctantly obliged, grumbling under his breath as they made their way to the small cabin in the establishment. It was rather cramped, yet it was cozy enough for Jin-woo to plop down on his bed and doze off.

“Either call or take your calls. I got told off from both sides!” Tae-wook was reprimanding him. “I know you've got a busy job at the police station, but you also have a schedule in baseball, y’know?”

“Will you let it go? I won’t do it again. Here, take a look at this.” He placed the small plastic bag on the table. “Can you recognize the drug?”

Tae-wook hummed, picking it up. He once studied pharmacology before he took a full-time job in baseball. “I’m not really sure, but this isn’t certainly narcotic. Did you see the serial number? Nobody would invest so much effort into making a narcotic.”

“Great. Now you work on that while I get some sleep.” Jin-woo kicked off his shoes and crawled to his mattress. Tae-wook scoffed. Snickering, he pulled the covers over to his shoulders and slung his arm over his eyes.

“When do you need the information, Jin-woo?”

“First thing tomorrow.”

- - ✧ - -

Hae-in sat on a hospital bed, surrounded by two military nurses as they took her blood as a sample. They checked for changes on her body, prying her eyes and her tongue for infection. She had been in the hospital for hours, and she felt like a subject in a science lab. Her clothes were discarded and she was told to put on a hospital gown. Jin-chul had visited her for a moment to see how she was doing, and even if she was composed, he still reassured her that she would get out as soon as possible.

Only if she managed to stay normal.

Anyone who had been in contact with a disease that made them rip people’s throats out must be away from people. Hae-in feared she might turn out the same as the recruit. Bloodthirsty, would attack anything that breathed.

Sensing her apprehension, the nurse requested her to tell what happened that day. Hae-in did so, describing what the recruit looked like—it was vivid and it was as if Kim Jeon-yu was standing right in front of her in his infected state. Her heart raced and almost envisioned him attacking her again, causing her to flinch. The military nurse, who had introduced herself as Jung Ye-rim, offered her a glass of water and didn't push her into saying more. They had also taken a sample from her wound, which remained unhealed on her skin—the blood had not dried off even though it had been hours.

She was soon settled in a hospital room, with nothing but a bed and a nightstand. The lone lampshade illuminated a soft glow to the ceiling, Hae-in shifted underneath the covers, tapping her fingers on the plain mattress, waiting for a sleep that would never come. A water bottle stood next to the lampshade, yet she did not harbor any thirst. She still hadn't gotten her phone back, Chi-yul must be wondering where she had gone, and most of all, she hadn't informed Jin-woo on her situation.

Sighing, she sat up and then caught something at the lower shelf of the table. A telephone. Hae-in wasn't sure if it worked, or how far the signal would reach. But since she didn't have anything better to do, she picked it up and pressed some numbers.

“Hey, it’s me—Hae-in. I found this telephone in the room and it’s working! Sorry if you must be sleeping right now.” She said. “I just called to say hi. You must be worried since I couldn’t explain everything to you earlier.”

“Hae-in?” His voice was deep, groggy from sleep. He yawned. “I was worried. A lot, actually. Also, Jin-chul briefed me about the situation. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But it’s cold.” Hae-in shivered. She felt like she was in a freezer. The AC in the room unfortunately had its controls completely covered. And the room was locked, so no matter how much she knocked to get someone's attention from the outside, it was futile. Hae-in preferred to compare her situation to being jailed rather than a patient in confinement.

“They want me to stay until the test results come out,” she continued. “I’m not feeling sick, which is a relief.”

“I could say the same,” he chuckled. “Speaking of, our suspect was clean.”

“Really? So it was an infectious disease. . .” 

“In any case, I’ll catch the person behind the drugs, so that you can get peace of mind. So rest, alright?”

Hae-in nodded. “Okay. I’ll be waiting. Thanks a lot, Jin-woo.” 

“No worries. Focus on yourself.”

Hae-in smiled.

The line ended. Hae-in placed the telephone back on the shelf when she noticed something on the wall. A plaster of paint swaying apart from the wall. She made her way over and removed it, seeing a smear of—red paint? Hae-in brushed her fingers on it and brought it to her nose, only to widen her eyes at the smell of copper. Blood. She looked back at the wall, picturing someone banging their head against the wall until they bleed. She could imagine them dragging their body everywhere, bumping on the walls without care or pain. The tight screeches. Completely losing all rationality.

Just how many were admitted?

Is there a cure?

There was something more about this place than it met the eye. Hae-in could only hope for more answers, and more importantly, find out who had started this growing epidemic.

As if it were the first time in her life to have slept without an alarm, but it did not mean her slumber was peaceful. Hae-in shifted left and right on her bed as her mind wouldn’t let her rest. The cold never helped. She woke up earlier than expected, still plagued with thoughts. The only things she held on to were seeing Chi-yul and Jin-woo again. She hadn't called Chi-yul last night, so the man must be deeply worried about her whereabouts.

“Ms. Cha, you can come out.”

She was taken aback by the sight of Jung Ye-rim standing by the door. How long has she been standing there? She wondered. Hae-in threw the covers and pushed herself up, following the nurse out of the room. She asked. “Are my test results out?”

“We may have to run it again.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“I’m afraid it is confidential, Ms. Cha. You may need to speak with Mr. Woo in private for answers.” Ye-rim answered politely.

Hae-in nodded. She followed the nurse out. She noticed the numbers on the doors as they walked past, wondering again if there were more patients. To Hae-in's surprise, the news hadn’t informed the public yet, so she assumed the organization must be keeping it from the journalists’ hands. A disease so dangerous, and easily contagious, would rouse panic among citizens, especially when they had just begun going out after a long time of lockdown. Then, her eyes found a room with an opened door. Inside was a patient in a wheelchair, his head hung low.

“Kim Jeon-yu?” Her tracks stopped. Curious, Hae-in began to walk toward him.

“Ms. Cha, you mustn’t!” Ye-rim grabbed her arm. “He’s dangerous!”

“I just wanted to know if he’s okay. He was a recruit in our agency.” Before the whole chaos, Hae-in noticed his awkward and nervous demeanor, which was far from the person who had attacked her. She knew he was not being himself. Eventually, Ye-rim gave in, letting go of her arm.

Hae-in stepped inside and approached the recruit. “Are you doing fine?”

“I’m a bit cold,” murmured Kim Jeon-yu. “But I’m okay.”

“That’s good.” Hae-in pulled the chair behind her to sit. “Do you remember how I shot you?”

“Yes.”

“And you bit your colleague and ran after me?”

He was silent for a minute. “I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

“I—” Jeon-yu started trembling. “I don’t know.”

She sighed. “Please, you don’t have to be afraid. Although you have committed a crime for selling drugs, choose to recover first. I am simply here to check on you and ask some questions to understand what is going on. Did you create those drugs or did you get them from somewhere?”

“Will. . . Will I be in jail for a long time?”

“You’ll get a heavier sentence since you’re a cop. You know that.” Hae-in held up her hand and showed him her scar. “You see this? You scratched me. People said there’s an infectious disease. So I need to know if this happened because of the drug. What disease do those drugs carry?”

Jeon-yu didn’t respond. As time passed, Hae-in grew suspicious. He kept trembling.

“Jeon—”

He lunged at her, toppling Hae-in off her chair. She tried to push him away from her, but Jeon-yu persisted and opened his mouth wide open behind the transparent mask, desperate to bite her the same way he did to his fellow recruit, resorting to being a bloodthirsty monster. Fortunately, the soldiers came in and dragged Jeon-yu off her, hauling him with catch poles around his neck to keep him pinned against the ground.

Hae-in panted, eyes stretched in terror as she watched the recruit squirm beneath the soldiers' feet until another came and pierced a syringe into his neck. Looking at her scar, she wondered if it had somehow triggered the beastly hunger in him.

She was later escorted to a different room. Jin-chul sat in front of several monitors, watching her enter as if he had expected her visit. Hae-in opened her mouth to ask a question when she saw a couple of plastic water bottles on the table.

“I was observing him to know when he would get thirsty.”

Thirsty?

“Once infected, people lose their sanity and start biting people off,” Jin-chul explained. “They start to feel this insatiable thirst, and water won’t do the job. Even if they return to their normal self, they repeatedly feel thirsty and go crazy again. And I’m trying to figure out when they get thirsty.”

“But. . . When I talked to him, he was trembling. As if he was resisting the urge.” Hae-in muttered. “His heart beats slower, and he feels less pain.”

Jin-chul nodded. “Which is why we need to keep observing him, and also the other patients. Their behavior is unfathomable, but as long as we can control it, it will be very helpful. And I prefer to keep this as confidential, knowing it will scare people, and that it will become a bigger problem.”

“I see,” Hae-in nodded. “Though, can you lower the AC a little? I almost couldn't sleep last night because I feel like I'm in a freezer.”

“Low temperature can delay the rate of spread of the disease,” replied Jin-chul. “Your test came out negative, so consider yourself lucky. But since this is the first time it has occurred, we must take another test for reassurance. You must be stressed, yes?”

Hae-in shrugged. “My entire stay in this place feels strange.”

“How about you take a break? Not just here. Wherever you wish to be.”

“Really?” She raised her eyebrow incredulously.

Jin-chul got up from the table. “But we must draw your blood every two weeks. You don’t yet have symptoms, but it could be that you have antibodies.”

Antibodies?

“Alright,” Hae-in nodded. “But I also have a condition.”

Jin-chul gestured for her to go ahead.

“Give me the highest evaluation for this year’s work. The police force gets three units. They grade us with a point system. You have that much influence, don’t you?”

“I think I can do that. You do have a pretty good record.” Jin-chul accepted her terms. He snuck into his pocket and gave back her phone. “I have some food for you there. Eat and enjoy your breakfast.”

“Thank you, Mr. Woo.” Hae-in grabbed the paper bag and a bottle. She was about to make her way to the door when he asked a question.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

She abruptly halted. “What?”

“Even the best evaluation won’t get you enough points. The apartment is for newlyweds.” Jin-chul chuckled at Hae-in's priceless reaction. Humor flickered in his eyes—a rare glint to witness. “What? So I assume you didn't know?”

Hae-in flushed. “I didn't!” 

“Marital status. They will see if you are in a stable marriage. If not, someone else who has a family to raise will acquire the unit instead.”

"Even if I get the highest amount of arrests?"

"It depends. But your chances of gaining a place is low."

She sighed. “I guess I would not be able to live in that apartment, huh?”

“But aren’t you friends with Jin-woo?” Jin-chul asked. “Surely, he could be up for it.”

“Jin-chul, he and I are not together.”

“Do you want the apartment or not?”

“Fine. I'll think about it.” Hae-in grumbled.

“I’m always here if you have decided. However, if the other higher-ups learn about this, I fear my position will be in danger as well.” Jin-chul explained. “See this as us helping each other. I do you a favor, you do mine—since we can't risk losing our jobs. At this, you get a break from work, too.”

Hae-in nodded. “Alright. I hope you find the cure. I’m afraid if things go wrong, the world we know might change.”

“It won’t,” Jin-chul shook his head. “As long as everyone is cooperating.”

- - ✧ - -

“Hey!” Hae-in ran towards Ye-rim in the hallway. “Do you still have my clothes?”

“We burned them, Ms. Cha. To prevent contamination.” The nurse apologized.

“Oh. . .” Hae-in frowned. “I guess I will be going home in—”

“Hae-in!” It was none other than Jin-woo, running toward her. His eyes instantly met hers in a flash of worry. “Are you all right? Did you sleep well?”

“I’m fine, Jin-woo,” Hae-in smiled. “I can go home now.”

Jin-woo smiled back. They started walking together in the hallway. His presence made her mood better, washing away the concerns and trepidations on her shoulders. At least now she was with someone close to her.

“Sorry for getting you into this,” he sighed. “You sure look hungry, though.”

Hae-in shook her head. “You don't have to apologize, Jin-woo. All I did was run through tests and figure out what will happen to me.” Then, she realized something. “Wait! How did you come here? They only let workers inside. Were you bitten?” Worry flickered in her eyes, immediately checking his wrists.

“Hae-in, I'm fine! Jin-chul gave me permission. So fear not, I came to pick you up.” Jin-woo placed both of his hands on her shoulders, smiling reassuringly. “Ah, stay here for a bit, I need to go in and have a chat with Jin-chul.”

Hae-in watched him jog away, leaving her alone with her thoughts. For some reason, she remembered Jin-chul's words. . . While she had made a deal with him, she wondered who else she should share the apartment with. Be willing to pretend to be married to her. She wrinkled her nose. Hae-in hadn't formed close bonds among her co-workers, excluding Chi-yul, since she started working in SOU. How strange it would be to live with someone whom she barely knew. The higher-ups would catch on to it quickly. Hae-in let out a sigh and settled on the bench, resting her chin on her palm, her finger tapping her cheek in ponder.

But for some reason. . . She couldn't take her mind off Jin-woo.

Perhaps Jin-chul was right.

He was living in a cabin inside a baseball stadium with a friend of his. A secret he had kept from his parents as he reasoned he was at work most of the time. At least now, he had someone to share the rent with. A knowing smile formed across her face. Right. He was next to me all along. He was her best friend since high school. They practically knew everything about each other, so everything else should be easy.

Jin-woo got back. He had a grin on his face as he met her eyes. “Ready to go? How about let's stop somewhere for breakfast?”

“Jin-woo, are you seeing someone?” Hae-in asked.

“Pardon?” Jin-woo's grin fell, morphing into a puzzled look, as if he heard the most outrageous thing ever. He didn't respond at first, but noticing how she was staring at him intently, he let out a sigh. “No, I’m not.”

“Do you snore or grind your teeth?”

He squinted his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Then, shall we get married?” Hae-in smiled.

“. . ." He blinked. “What?”

Chapter Text

When he had asked her out back then, Jin-woo shrugged it off as a joke.

He was kidding.

A way to get her less mad at him for the ridiculous stunt he had pulled in the school building, but not once in the next few years would he imagine her asking him like that. Except this time, it was marriage. 

“I mean it. Jin-chul offered me a place of my own. But in one condition—I must be a married woman.” Hae-in explained. They were eating within the hospital’s premises, with the food Jin-woo had bought from the cafeteria. “And I’m not close with any other people besides you. You know me more, so I thought it would be easier and more comfortable to live under the same roof as you.”

Of course, Hae-in would be out of her mind if she decided to share a place with a stranger.

“Besides, you are good-looking.”

He raised an eyebrow. Jin-woo held back a grin, looking at her funnily. “So you think I am husband material because of my looks, too?”

“Just wanted to boost your confidence,” Hae-in rolled her eyes. “Come on— it’s not like something will change between us, or it’ll come out as weird. Think of it as us being roommates. So, I’m asking you to marry me.”

“Okay, then. I get it.” Jin-woo nodded. “But for the record, I don’t think it’s weird. You want to achieve your dream? Alright, I’ll be your husband.”

The word suddenly brought an odd feeling in his chest. A broad smile broke across her features, softening his heart. Hae-in lived in a small apartment, where the landlord was strict and an alcoholic, smoking tobacco everywhere that she had been complaining about. She was uneasy around him as well, so Jin-woo understood why she wanted the Le Ciel apartment so badly. Not everyone was given the opportunity to live in such an environment. He had the option to stay with his family in Seoul, but he chose to return to Seyang to live independently and work in the police force.

Perhaps living with his best friend under the guise of a married couple was a good idea; both of them would live comfortably.

Nobody was certain when the ominous drug began to spread, but only then did several people lose their minds and go on a rampage, biting as many as they could until reports of deaths arose in the news. Authorities carried bodies in cadaver pouches, hauling them to trucks, instead of the usual ambulances. The bystanders were deeply on edge as they witnessed such occurrences happening in public; they had caught smears of blood on the windows and walls, bloody handprints—a whole case of massacre. Jin-chul entered those places to investigate, allowing the awful stench of blood to wrap around him beneath the peculiar atmosphere, stepping over the toppled objects and wrecked pieces of furniture. He searched for pills just like the one in a bag Jin-woo had given him, hoping for more clues that could lead to the nasty person who had sold them.

What was scarier was that the drug looked similar to ibuprofen, so people could have been fooled into buying it in hopes of curing a certain illness. But in reality, it was the exact opposite.

Cha Hae-in had taken a visit to the SOU, hoping to see Song Chi-yul. Her co-workers saw her arrival, greeting her jubilantly and asking her how she had been. Jin-chul and his team must’ve caused a commotion, rousing questions and discussions among the officers. And what she had gathered from them, most training areas were shut down because of Kim Jeon-yu, and training was suspended. Each of them was inspected for signs of the disease and their bags for drugs.

“Mr. Song!” Hae-in called the middle-aged man once she spotted him in the cafeteria, eating his greens while watching something on his phone that was leaning against his bottle. 

Chi-yul widened his eyes. “Hae-in!”

He immediately stood from his seat and met her halfway, embracing her firmly. His chuckle vibrated on his chest. Usually, Chi-yul was professional in his line of work, which meant he refused gestures such as hugging in the building or work hours. But he had known Hae-in since she was young, a girl full of dreams and determination, and had soon pursued a career in the police field because of him.

“I was so worried about you,” he murmured.

Hae-in chuckled, pulling away. “I’m fine! I got tested, but it turned out negative.”

“That’s great to hear!” Chi-yul smiled. “What else did they say?”

“I’m on paid leave for six months,” answered Hae-in. “And guess where I’m staying now!”

Chi-yul tilted his head in question.

“In the apartment!”

“Wait, is that—”

“Mhm! But keep this between us?” Chi-yul leaned down for Hae-in to whisper in his ear. His eyes quickly widened in shock.

“You and Jin-woo—?!”

“Mr. Song!” Hae-in exclaimed. Then, she cleared her throat. “But yes.”

Chi-yul sighed, shaking his head playfully. “You kids. And since you both know what you are doing, I won’t say anything. But I don’t think I will. What’s important is that you get the vacation you need and you are happy.”

Hae-in smiled.

“Ah, have you seen the news?”

“What news?”

Chi-yul ushered her to his table, showing her the news playing on his phone. Soldiers and medics clad in complete body suits carrying people in stretchers were shown vividly in the scene, and Jin-chul was spotted briefly, tipping his sunglasses on his nose as he observed the wounded.

“How rapid is this disease?” Chi-yul asked. “Is there a cure?”

“I don’t know,” Hae-in bit her cheek. “But they are trying.”

He sighed. “A reporter called me. He offered to pay me if I disclosed what was happening.”

“I got that offer on my way here, too. He must’ve called the whole team.” Hae-in frowned. “But let’s not give what he wants. We signed a secrecy declaration, didn’t we?”

“Right.” Chi-yul agreed. “When are you moving in?”

“Today. I came here to see you first.” Hae-in smiled. Chi-yul was about to reply when he seemed to notice the bandaid on the side of her hand. “Oh, this? Kim Jeon-yu scratched me. It won’t heal.”

“It didn’t fester?”

She shook her head. “But it’s fine. They told me that they will draw a sample from my blood every two weeks.”

Chi-yul understood. Then, her phone started ringing. Hae-in excused herself to Chi-yul and walked away from her seat to answer her best friend’s call.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m heading over to the unit now. Do you want me to unpack your stuff?”

“It’s alright. I’ll just say goodbye to Chi-yul first, and I’ll see you there.”

“Okay. Take your time.”

Hae-in smiled. “Bye.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet, hyung-nim!”

She almost coughed at the sound of Jin-ho’s voice. The call ended while Jin-woo was protesting to his friend. Hae-in kept her phone in her pocket, leaving a smile lingering on her face. She was now moving in with Jin-woo—at last, in a place she could call hers. Theirs. She went back to the cafeteria to say farewell to Chi-yul, only to find the table empty. She looked around and noticed he was nowhere to be found.

After jogging around the building, including the ones that were shut down, Hae-in finally found him. Inside the room Kim Jeon-yu had lost his mind.

“Mr. Song?” She called him. “What are you doing here? I was looking for you.”

“I was thinking. . . About that recruit. The one Kim Jeon-yu bitten.” Song Chi-yul mumbled, sitting on the table as he stared out to the window.

“What about him?”

“He’s not doing well. His family couldn’t visit him. I asked officers who got dispatched to CDCH about him, but once you get in, you can’t come out alive.”

“But I did.”

“You were the only one,” Chi-yul told her. “Only you.”

“Mr. Song. . . Is this something you worry about?” Hae-in frowned.

“Anyone can be infected at this point, Hae-in. There is no telling whether or not the person you are talking to might've gotten the disease. You will never know until you see their behavior change.” He said. “Do you think the ones who are still alive will be okay?”

Hae-in joined him and sat down next to Chi-yul. “I. . . I want to have faith that they will. They've got families. If not, somebody they care deeply about. They gotta think about them while being quarantined.”

Just like she did. While her results came out negative, Hae-in liked to think that Chi-yul and Jin-woo played a part there. They gave her hope that the next day, she would see them again. And she was right.

The car entered the parking lot, carefully slipping between two vehicles. Hae-in turned off the ignition and propped her arms on the steering wheel for a moment. Her mind replayed the conversation she had with Chi-yul. His words were true regardless. Nowadays, one's fate was unpredictable. Sure, she could've gotten lucky because she managed to leave the facility—a privilege most of the patients did not possess—but she was uncertain what would happen next. Hae-in knew better than to remain relaxed. Just because she was given six months of vacation.

She exited her car, stepping into the silent parking lot. The deafening, almost eerie silence weighed on her shoulders. Hae-in took a deep breath and started walking. For some reason, she couldn't shrug off this. . . Strange feeling in her chest. That something, someone—had eyes on her, waiting for her to be in a vulnerable state. Just then, she turned and let out a gasp when a little boy on a scooter bumped into her.

“You startled me,” she let out an airy chuckle. “Sorry for getting in your way, kid. Be careful next time, alright?”

He nodded. “Sorry for bumping into you, ma’am!”

Hae-in smiled and let him pass. She could hear his mother shouting for him to slow down and wait. The blonde looked around, making sure, but she concluded that she was too overwhelmed with the thoughts in her head, which brought her paranoia. She entered the elevator and pressed the button, taking a step back as she waited for the doors to close.

Then, a young woman with long black hair rushed inside, releasing a loud sigh in success, taking off her mask. Hae-in glanced briefly at the posters on the wall as she turned to the double doors behind her.

“SOU?” The woman spoke beside her, astonished at her sweater.

Hae-in stared at her for a moment and nodded. “I work there.”

“So you’re a counterterrorism expert?” Her green eyes glimmered. Hae-in nodded. “Amazing. . . It’s my first time meeting someone who works there in this apartment. Are you new?”

“Yes.”

She smiled. “Welcome to Le Ciel residence! I hope we see each other around and become friendly neighbors.”

Hae-in smiled back. First time meeting a resident, and she was surprisingly cordial. The elevator dinged, arriving at the fifth floor. The blonde dipped her head in farewell, and the woman waved her hand, informing her that she lived around the sixth floor. Hae-in dug her hands into her pockets as she trotted across the hallway, turning to the left where she was now residing. The door was left half-open, prompting her to head inside and see a bunch of boxes and bags all over the place, giving her a warm feeling—she was now home. She spotted Jin-woo holding a large picture frame in the middle of the living room.

“You’re home early,” he began.

“I can’t let you unpack everything alone, can I?” Hae-in shrugged. “Since we moved in today, we should have jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk. What do you think?”

He grinned. “I knew you would say that. I already looked up restaurants.”

She walked over and noticed he was holding a photo of themselves. The eventful moment in high school when she was almost arrested because of Jin-woo.

“How do you have that photo?” She asked.

“Remember the police officer who had taken a photo of us that day?” Jin-woo chuckled. “Before he retired, he gave me a USB containing that sole picture.”

“I can’t believe he managed to keep it.”

He shrugged. “Probably, he got a vision that I would soon work there. I had Jin-ho print it out. Do you not like it? I know you were unhappy at that moment.”

“It’s fine. It turned out special, regardless.” She smiled.

Jin-woo stepped on the couch and hung the photo on the wall. He stood next to Hae-in, admiring the small decoration in their home.

“This can help in case someone from the borough office might visit and see if we are really married,” he stated.

“This photo. . . Should be enough to explain our marriage.”

“It’s a big reason behind our marriage, indeed.”

“Right! It looks like we have a lot of history.”

Jin-woo huffed. “If that isn’t plausible for us to end up together, then love is a hoax.”

He turned around and picked up a box. Hae-in looked at him curiously, asking. “What’s that?”

“Jin-ho’s side business. He recently learned how to make rice cakes and wanted to make a profit out of them. He was the one who printed out our picture, so he asked me for a favor by giving it to our neighbors as a promotion.”

“I can do it, if you’d like. You can stay here and finish unpacking.” Hae-in suggested.

Jin-woo nodded. “Alright. And I’ll order food while you’re at it.”

He gave her the box, and Hae-in left the place, gently kicking the door closed. She made her way across the hall and went to the door in the corner, holding the box with her other arm while she reached out to click the doorbell.

“Who is it?” A sweet, childish voice spoke from the speaker.

“I moved across the hall. Are there any adults in the house?” Hae-in queried. “I have rice cakes.”

She heard the door unlock. A little girl came into view, peeking through with her big, icy blue eyes. Her snowy white hair dangled over her face, then she quickly tucked it behind her ear.

“Hello!” Hae-in smiled. She gave her a box of rice cakes. 

The girl accepted and bowed her head. “Thank you.”

She slowly closed the door, missing the wave of Hae-in’s hand. She shook her head and continued her trip across the hallways. Hae-in took the stairway, finding it easier for her rather than the elevator, which she had to stand and wait. But her feet had grown used to running, and walking, and exercising every day since she was an athlete. She reached the door on the sixth floor and twisted the knob open.

“Unnie!” A voice called her. A familiar one. Turning around, Hae-in realized it was the girl, carrying the rice cake box. “It’s delicious!”

Her lips twitched in amusement. “You followed me all the way here to say that?”

She jubilantly nodded. “It’s the best thing I have tasted this week!”

“Glad to know,” Hae-in nodded. “If you want more, you are free to visit me anytime! I live on the same floor as you. Just around the corner.”

“I'm Sirka!”

She smiled. “I'm Hae-in.”

With that, Sirka waved her hand and went downstairs. Hae-in stood there for a moment, absorbing the warm presence the young girl had radiated. It was the second time she experienced a friendly encounter with a resident, and while annoying neighbors could never be prevented, she was grateful to have crossed paths with those whom she was certain she would get along with.

Hae-in continued her way to the door and went to the first door she saw. Pressing the button to capture the attention of the people inside, she waited in front, her fingertips tapping the box in anticipation. Then, the door was opened—Hae-in couldn't somehow stop her eyes from widening.

“Oh, it's you!” It was the black-haired woman from the elevator. “I didn't expect to see you so soon.”

Hae-in chuckled. She showed her the box. “I'm going around to give away rice cakes for free.”

“You made this?” Her eyes filled with awe, taking a cinnamon-flavored.

“Nope. My husband's friend started a business. He was helping him out.”

“You’re married?”

Hae-in shrugged, yet nodded. For a second, she realized what she had just said. Initially, she planned to refer to Jin-woo as ‘husband’ only when it was the higher-ups, not other people. But she thought it might be a good idea to refer to him as such, just not to raise confusion between the neighbors and the borough office.

The woman chuckled. “Well, I hope to see you and your husband around. Must be fun moving in together, huh?”

“Yes,” Hae-in agreed. “Uh, do you live alone?”

“I'm with my boyfriend,” she smiled. “Ah, right! He would love a rice cake!” She picked another box. A chocolate flavor. “Thank you—uhm. . .”

“Hae-in.”

“Hee-jin!” She said. “Thanks again.”

Hae-in bowed while Hee-jin waved. She headed to the next door and rang the doorbell. This time, a man with red hair answered, holding his tie around his neck as though he was in the middle of putting on his uniform. Hae-in bowed her head in apology and offered him a box. His calculating, yet kind ruby eyes softened and picked one for himself. He flashed her a smile in thanks.

She managed to give away more rice cakes to her neighbors throughout various floors, with some doors left unanswered due to its owners not being around. But there were residents who quite. . . Haughty. Hae-in would have preferred it if they didn't open the door, not answering the doorbell just to wrinkle their noses at her then shut the door in front of her, sometimes slamming it as though to show they were uninterested.

But at least another friendly woman who lived on the same floor as her appreciated Jin-ho's rice cakes, giving Hae-in a warm welcome in the apartment.

Later on that night, Hae-in was picking up the trash from the takeout they had, stashing them in the plastic bag while Jin-woo washed the dishes in the sink. She made her way to the two papers sitting on the counter, ushering him to listen.

“So, according to this contract, we’ll put the house in both our names when we purchase the house in ten years. You understand the 6-4 split, right?” She explained.

Jin-woo bit his cheek. “But, are you sure about this? You own 60% of the investment while mine is 40%? Not that I am complaining. I just thought we should be 50-50. You did a lot to get us both settled.”

“You helped me get here, Jin-woo. I owe it to you, so I must do anything to make us feel at home. . . And I don't want to burden you either.”

“Hae-in,” he gently took her wrist. “You don't have to do all that. I appreciate it, but isn't that why I am here? You can rely on me with anything. Everything.”

Hae-in nodded. “I'm sorry, Jin-woo. I'll try not to shoulder a lot on my own.”

Jin-woo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. “How about we make the curtains light blue? Should we put blinds?” He gestured to the floor. “What carpet do you think fits?”

She chuckled.

They exchanged ideas on what they wished for their home. Hae-in didn't have vivid thoughts, as she was easily content with whatever she had, though she would like for more photos on the walls. She wanted to look at them and smile, especially when she was having a rough day. They only had their picture on the wall for now, but Jin-woo promised to print out more and decorate the house, especially when it’s just the two of them together. There was an empty room, where they had stored the rest of their bags for now, and Hae-in planned to make it their small gym; a treadmill and perhaps some weights.

Their bedroom had separate beds. Both of them agreed not to sleep in one bed, preventing any such discomfort between them. Looking at it, Jin-woo wondered if they should change the setting, noting that the borough office could come in anytime and might question why a newlywed like them would sleep in different beds. Hae-in didn’t think the higher-ups would be checking their bedroom, aware that couples needed privacy, but if it came to it, she would think of something. Right now, the borough was the least of their worries.

She stretched on a soft, cozy mattress, soothing herself after a long day. A comforter covered half of her body, relishing in the cool atmosphere of the room. At last, her room was not as cold as the one when she was in the dormitory. She actually felt warmth for once. Even if she had worn a hospital gown for one night, she missed sleeping in her sweater and pajamas.

“I don't think I'll ever stop thanking you, Jin-woo. Without you, I would still live in that stinky place.” Hae-in began.

He smiled back from the nightstand between their beds, plugging their phones. “Well, without you, I would still live in the cabin inside the training center.”

“Wasn’t that your decision in the first place?”

“Rent is expensive. While I earn both in baseball and at the police station, it might not be enough since I still want to support my family even though I'm away from them. My sister is about to get her degree. And I don't want to leave dad to carry all the expenses, even though he told me not to worry.”

“Did you tell your parents about this?”

“Not yet,” Jin-woo shook his head. “But I will once they called. They would love to see you.”

Letting the smile linger on her lips, Hae-in settled on her pillow, staring at the ceiling as she waited for the time to lull her to sleep. When she was young, her parents moved out a lot, and at high school, they lived in a basement room, quite cramped, so she would sleep pressed together with her parents. However, when they fought, Hae-in would go outside and settle inside her father's truck, plugging her earphones to distract her mind from the words they threw at each other.

It was the reason why she wanted to work so hard. Now, her father had gotten a job offer overseas. He was supposed to bring her and her mother along, but Hae-in refused, choosing to stay in the country as she had a stable job at the SOU. To that moment, her hard work paid off. As she drifted to sleep, she felt a small tug on her blanket, gently pulling until a sensation of warmth embraced her.

In her dreams, Hae-in liked to think she was in a very peaceful place. A field with flowers, lush green grass, and a bright sun in the clear blue sky. But this time, she found herself with a gun. Standing in a hallway that appeared to be in the training area, and her feet were slowly walking toward a door.

As she came closer, the bloodied, monstrous face of Kim Jeon-yu suddenly appeared in the glass.

“You will end up like this, too!” He seethed.

She woke up with a gasp, her covers slipping from her chest, pooling on her lap. She brought her hand to her chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat. Panting, as if she had run miles without breaks.

“Hae-in?”

She turned to Jin-woo, who propped himself up on his elbow, looking at her in concern. Hae-in was about to open her mouth to apologize when she heard sounds from the ceiling. As if somebody had chosen a perfect time to move their furniture.

Jin-woo groaned. “What are they doing at this time of night?”

“Let’s get back to sleep,” Hae-in murmured, pulling back the covers.

“What about you? It seems like you had a rough dream.”

“It's nothing.”

She shifted to the other side, curling into a ball. Hae-in barely cared about the noise; her mind was too overwhelmed with her nightmare. The underlying fear that she might've dodged a bullet, she would not be able to dodge the next one.

- - ✧ - -

Jin-woo awoke to his phone ringing. He groggily reached up to it and answered. At first, he expected to doze off since it was too early to receive a call. But the caller claimed it was urgent, saying he was in the building, which instantly drove his sleepiness away.

He glanced at his screen for a moment to check the time, then pressed it back to his ear. “Right now?”

Jin-woo shoved away his comforter and found Hae-in, still asleep on her bed. Jin-woo slid into his slippers and got up from the bed, picking some clothes from his bag to change in the bathroom.

“Jin-woo?” Hae-in said his name from her bed, rubbing her eye. “Who called?”

“Jin-chul. He called me over for a case.” He informed her. “But keep sleeping. I’ll be back soon.”

Hae-in yawned, yet nodded. Jin-woo flashed her a brief smile before heading out. Her jolting up from a nightmare last night worried him—he reckoned it must be with the disease, having made contact with an infected person twice, and getting scratched herself. It was a miracle she survived. Jin-woo could not imagine what would happen if she indeed became a victim of the infectious disease, and he didn’t think he would take it well either.

He found Jin-chul on a sofa near the building’s exit, patiently waiting for him. Jin-woo sighed and snuck his hands into his pockets, approaching his former colleague. “Jin-chul.”

“Ah, you’re here already. I thought you would take long because you’d be too caught up with your wife.” Jin-chul teased. “How is she?”

“Good. She’s settled and is happy with the apartment.” He sat down across from him. “What’s the case?”

“Did you see the news about the homeless shelter?”

“I did,” he nodded, remembering the news he and Hae-in had watched last night while eating. 

“I have received a report that the people there were given Next. In case there are any side effects, all supplies on the market will be recalled, and those caught selling them will be severely punished. That’s the government’s plan.” Jin-chul explained. “So I’m asking you to help me with this. We sent your office a letter requesting your help.”

Jin-woo agreed. “Anything else?”

Jin-chul slid a phone across the table. “This is Kim Jeon-yu’s phone. We managed to unlock it. Pretend to be him, meet the dealer, and arrest him.”

“It’s not as easy as you’d think, though.” Jin-woo picked it up and flipped it in his hand. “These punks are dead suspicious, but they’re greedy. They won’t agree to meet unless I pay up front. We cops don't have funds. And it’s not that I don’t want to help ei—”

He was cut mid-sentence when Jin-chul placed a heavy bag on the table. “Here are your funds. Bring back receipts if possible, and return the rest.”

“What the hell?!” He stared at the content wide-eyed. If a resident caught them, they might think he was doing an illegal business. “Where did you get this amount?”

“I have connections.”

He huffed. “You sure you didn’t lie about the amount either?”

“What do you take me for, Corporal Sung?” Jin-chul smirked. “You were known as ‘The Sleuth’. You are one of the best at solving cases.”

“Colleagues call me a bulldozer, or that I’m just lucky that I get weird ideas that just happen to fit.”

“Figures why you became a police officer when you’re already successful as a baseball player. I’m quite curious as to what changed your mind.” Jin-woo could only shrug. Jin-chul adjusted his jacket and gestured for him to follow as they exited the apartment. 

- - ✧ - -

Hae-in gently stirred her coffee as she scrolled through her phone. The fridges were still empty, with only water bottles and the remaining rice cakes. She made a mental note to go grocery shopping with Jin-woo on his day off. As she read the article, the pounding from upstairs once again captured her attention. Hae-in couldn’t remember if they had stopped making noise when she went back to sleep, but judging it now, her instincts told her it might be a different reason.

After washing her mug, amidst the sounds, Hae-in threw into her SOU jacket and made her way to the door, opening it only to see Sirka standing in the doorway.

“Good morning, unnie!” She beamed. “I came here to say hi.”

“Sirka,” smiled Hae-in.

“Oh! I have a question. Are you really a police officer?”

“I am,” she nodded, turning around to show her the back of her jacket.

Her light blue eyes lit up, her mouth stretching as if to say ‘wow’. “I want to be just like you when I get healthy!”

“Are you sick?” Hae-in perplexed.

“Just a bit!”

Her smile softened. “I’m sure you’ll defeat your illness, and you will be much stronger than me!” Then, she waved her hand and walked past the girl.

“Where are you going?”

“To see a neighbor.”

Sirka ran after her. Hae-in didn’t stop her, thinking her parents must be out for work. She wondered what Sirka was doing when she hadn’t moved in. The hallways were empty, and she hadn’t seen anyone walking around yet. Like yesterday, she took the stairs and looked across the doors, reading the numbers until she reached the right one.

Hae-in rang the doorbell.

At first, there was no response. She rang it again.

“What do you want?” The man answered, albeit scornfully.

Hae-in recognized him in an instant. He was the man who wrinkled his nose at her when she was offering him a rice cake. She cleared her throat. “I live downstairs, and you have been loud since last night. Are you moving some furniture?”

“None of your business.”

She grabbed the door just as he was about to close it. “Hey! I was asking you a question—”

He removed her hand from the door and shut it with an echoing thud. Hae-in gagged. She rolled her eyes and turned to Sirka.

“Is he always like that?” She asked her.

The little girl nodded. “He’s very rude, and a lot of residents are complaining about him. But the landlord never kicks him out.”

Hae-in frowned. She wondered what the reason could be, especially when he kept causing trouble. According to Sirka, the residents from sixth floor and above had a higher status among the rest. Though, she found it questionable if the landlord only kept him around because he was rich.

“I’m going to the gym,” she sighed, hoping to ease her mind from her terrible neighbor.

“Can I come?”

Hae-in blinked. “Oh, sure. But. . . Aren’t you studying?”

“I take a month off because of my illness,” Sirka replied. “But I still read my books!”

And so, they headed to the gym. Hae-in’s eyes glistened at the sight of the equipment. She could tell how great the quality was, and she was sure Jin-woo would like to try them out, especially when they planned to have a small gym in their spare room. She pushed the glass door open and held it for Sirka to come inside. A man from the small room nearby approached them.

“Hello! I’m the instructor in the gym.” He smiled.

“Good day,” she greeted. “I read that this is the gym I can go to whenever I want?”

“Right! Hold on—” he grabbed the clipboard and handed it to her. “You just need to bring your own pair of indoor shoes and towels.”

Hae-in wrote down her name and the necessary details on the paper. The man smiled at Sirka, who waved her hand. She returned the clipboard, and the instructor gladly took it, but as he read her information, his smile fell.

“Oh. . .” He scratched his head. “Sorry to say this, but tenants from the public rental units cannot enter.”

“Why not?” Hae-in raised an eyebrow. “Is there a maintenance fee?”

“Well, that’s one reason. But mostly it’s because of workout equipment prices. The residents from general sales bought the machines, and the landlord said that letting the people from rental units wouldn’t be fair to them.”

“I see,” she understood. “I’ll work out outsi—”

“Wait! But if you take training sessions from me, I can let you use the facility.” The instructor grinned cheekily.

“No need.” Hae-in brushed him off. She ushered Sirka out of the gym, leaving him with a dumbfounded look. “Did you know about this as well, Sirka?”

“Mhm.”

She frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I thought you could fix it. I notice how it’s not fair for the gym to say it’s available for everyone, but when the rental residents want to exercise, they say no.” Sirka said. “Do you know any laws about it?”

“The upper residents can say it’s their money that was used to buy the equipment, so it will be hard,” said Hae-in. “How about we exercise in the grounds instead? I saw some equipment there.”

The two headed outside. At least there was nobody there to tell them that they could not be there either. And the wind was fresh and the sky was clear. Hae-in had Sirka seated on the lat pulldown machine, helping her tug down the bars, counting with her. She had grown fond of the little girl’s company; she thought she would spend the rest of the day walking around the apartment and its vicinity until sundown. But Sirka made her plans better. Once they reached ten, Hae-in ruffled Sirka’s locks and they moved to the next equipment, stepping onto the air walker.

“What do they teach you in your P.E class?” The blonde asked.

“We run.”

“Oh? Are you a fast runner?”

“I’m not.”

Hae-in grinned. “I was once a track and field athlete.”

“Can you teach me how to run fast?” Sirka beamed in excitement. “You never stop amazing me, unnie!”

She chuckled. Sirka seemed to never run out of energy, but knowing her illness, it was still important for her to exercise once in a while. And while she was required to be strict—even for a little—with the recruits in the SOU, Hae-in was lax with Sirka, teaching her the stretches and how she got into position during a competition. The young girl was a fast learner, repeating the steps in front of Hae-in, who watched her with a proud smile.

An hour later, the elevator reached the fifth floor. Sirka first stepped out and waved both of her hands. Hae-in smiled brightly at her and reminded her to take a long rest after the workout, parting ways with her. She thought about having ramen while watching a movie, then—her phone started ringing. It was Chi-yul. Hae-in’s eyes softened, wondering if her senior had called to check on her.

Little did she know, it was the complete opposite.

“Hae-in?”

“Mr. Song?” An ominous feeling nibbled on her stomach at his tone.

“I— I need your help.”

“What is it?”

“The wound wouldn’t heal. . . I need you to get me there.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Are you infected?!”

“I got scratched.”

It was as if the ground beneath her cracked. “I’m— I’m on my way!”

Hae-in sprinted to her house, grabbing her keys and rushing to the stairs. She had never run such fast for a long time. But for Chi-yul’s sake, she would not let anything stop her from getting to him. He was like a father to her. He was the one who did not let her be discouraged when she almost couldn’t run anymore due to her injury. Suddenly, she remembered the recruit who was writhing under Kim Jeon-yu’s lethal jaws—she was certain he must’ve been the one who had scratched Chi-yul when he was dragging him out.

But. . . Why didn’t he tell her earlier?

Chi-yul was pale when she picked him from the dojo, covered in a turtleneck jacket. Hae-in did not think twice about guiding him to her car, helping him into the passenger’s seat. She quickly pulled out of the driveway, pressing on the accelerator to increase the speed, yet within the limit.

“I’m going to be okay, aren’t I?”

“What’s important is that you weren’t bitten. Get tested today, get the result, and that’s it. And one night of quarantine.” Hae-in replied, steering the wheel to drive past the car in front of them. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. “You're going to be okay.”

“Hae-in, don’t fret too much. Focus on the road.” Chi-yul coaxed her. Despite his state, he still managed to reassure her.

“Mr. Song—” she shook her head. “You aren’t thirsty, are you?”

He didn’t reply for a moment. Gladly enough, Chi-yul said no. A tinge of relief flushed in.

Ye-rim attended to Chi-yul and checked his wound once they reached the facility. He tugged down the collar of his sweater with his handcuffed hands, revealing two deep, dry scars, and a greyish area around the skin—the disease had taken place in his system. Hae-in watched dreadfully as the nurse took a small sample of the wound. Chi-yul couldn’t look her in the eyes. Regret. Trepid. She could not understand why he chose to prolong it instead of telling her earlier.

But she was not mad at him. Chi-yul had his reasons. All she could hope for was for him to be okay.

If she had gotten through it, then he would, too.

Her blood coursed through the pipeline and into the machine. Hae-in lay on the dental chair and stared at the ceiling. Chi-yul was left in his chair in the clinic, clad in a transparent face mask—it ached Hae-in's heart to see him in such a state, scared to become one of them.

“The recruit. The one that Kim Jeon-yu bit." She spoke. A way to get her mind off a little. "I heard he wasn’t going well. Even his family’s requests for visitations were rejected.”

Ye-rim sighed. “When you’re bitten, you get infected no matter what. Your condition worsens, and you’ll spend less time in a lucid state. You never know when they’ll feel thirsty and go after humans, so they can’t have any visitors.”

“What about the treatment?”

“The cure won’t be easily made even with the pill Mr. Sung brought in for observation. When it gets worse, they’re always thirsty. They lose their mind and attack whenever they see humans. The only thing we can do right now is slow down the process before they reach that point.”

“So it’s true that nobody has left here alive. . .” Hae-in mumbled. Even if the process was slowed down, they would still end up losing themselves in the end.

“You’re very lucky, Ms. Cha,” said the military nurse. “If nothing happens, Mr. Song. . . He will end up like that, too.”

Her bottom lip trembled, curling it under her teeth. Hae-in told herself to keep it together. She repeatedly convinced herself that Chi-yul would be fine. If not, she could always ask Jin-chul to check on him for her. Chi-yul's family had no idea what had happened yet, and it was another thing he was anxious about. 

Hae-in decided to accompany Chi-yul to get him settled in his room, wishing to give him hope on his condition. However, what she came into made her feet froze.

She could hear Ye-rim rushing out of the room, shouting for the soldiers.

Chi-yul was missing.

- - ✧ - -

Jin-chul sat in the back seat, waiting with Jin-woo and Jin-ho in the parked car just a few feet from the carwash.. They were ten minutes early in the location, anticipating the dealers’ arrival, and finally—a white vehicle appeared, driving into the establishment. The overhead door lowered behind it, sealing off the outside world. Jin-chul took it as a sign and climbed out of the backseat.

“I’ll go in with Jin-chul. Stay here and be on watch.” Jin-woo told his best friend as he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, bringing the bag filled with cash with him. “Call for back-up.”

Jin-ho nodded. “Alright.”

“The news says this disease is spreading overseas. Is Next available worldwide?” Jin-woo queried.

“Perhaps. They named it Mad Human Disease.” Jin-chul answered. “A disease that makes people go mad and vicious, like rabies.”

They stepped inside the building through the door. From there, three men waited from the front of their car, with one of them as their leader. He took a few steps forward to meet his visitors, keeping a few feet of distance between them; his lips curved into a devilish smirk.

“Did you bring the rest?”

Jin-woo began to walk toward the guy with the bag.

“Where’s Kim Jeon-yu?”

Jin-woo dropped the bag aside and struck a punch at the man’s stomach. He grabbed the side of his head and slammed it against the hood of the car. The other dealer lunged at him, but Jin-woo instinctively dodged and avoided his punches until he grabbed his arm and spun around to strike his elbow at his neck. The first dealer got up again and rushed for retaliation. Jin-woo blocked his fist and grabbed his wrist, slamming the side of his head against the hood.

“There’s only two,” Jin-woo grumbled. He turned to the struggling man beneath him. “Where's the other?”

“He's. . . He's in the trunk!”

He shoved the dealer to the floor, making his way to the trunk. Jin-woo opened it and an infected person jumped at him. He gritted his teeth, pushing the man with every ounce of his strength, taking a step back to not trip as he kept him from sinking his nasty teeth on his skin. The infected man had a collar, and a chain was attached to it as if he were a wild animal kept on a leash.

Just how strong is he? Jin-woo grunted. He noted Hae-in's words that once infected, they would possess an increase of strength, driven by their insatiable hunger as they wanted nothing but blood and flesh.

Just then, a gunshot echoed throughout the air, shattering the tension in the atmosphere. The infected toppled on the ground, allowing Jin-woo to pant in exhaustion. His eyes flickered to the gun in Jin-chul's hand.

“What was that?!” He exclaimed.

“A glock. Haven’t seen one?”

Jin-woo glared. “I mean, why do you even have that?”

“For emergencies.” Jin-chul snuck his weapon into the holster underneath his jacket.

“I can’t believe you shot that person dead. . .”

“I just shot at his hip. He’ll be fine. Moreover, do you still think this is a person? It’s beyond saving. Look how unfed he was, and if the virus was not in his system, he would have been very weak.” Jin-chul scoffed. “Anyways, no need to thank me for saving you.”

“I heard a gunshot!” Jin-ho ran inside. “And I called backup. Anything happened?"

“Everything's good here, Jin-ho.” Jin-woo nodded, leaning against the hood while Jin-chul made his way to the dealer whom he had shoved on the ground.

Neither of the two officers questioned what he was about to do, watching the lieutenant handcuff the man on the steel pole and grab the hose, turning it on to drench the man in the harsh sprinkles of water. He protested, but couldn't coherently form a word as Jin-chul kept going until he stopped, though his eyes seemed to be telling he would do it again if the man would not comply.

“When did he turn?” Jin-chul interrogated.

“I don’t know!” He exclaimed, coughing out the water. “I went in to get paid, and he was like that. He’d bitten his family. He was banging his head on the bloody floor.”

“Did he take Next?”

“Lots of it,” his smirk returned. “He lost his mind and stayed that way.”

Jin-woo pushed himself from the hood of the car and strode to the dealer, his knuckles itched to erase the malicious expression on his face. He gritted his teeth. “And you used him like that?”

The dealer guffawed. “What is he good for? He’s the best guard dog that doesn’t need feeding! Well. . . Maybe some people who doesn't want to give me money~”

Losing it, Jin-woo grabbed him by the scruff.

“You took the pills too, didn’t you?” Jin-chul continued. “Soon, you'll end up like him. But do not expect you and your goons will be treated fairly.”

Then, he got a call. Jin-chul stepped away for a moment to answer. On the other hand, Jin-woo did not let go of the man, glaring daggers at him as if he was picturing different ways he would teach him a lesson for using a disease to his own benefit. But he was a cop. It would be against the rules and Jin-woo might be stripped from his position.

Humans, no matter the circumstances, would do evil.

“Mr. Sung! There is a problem at the dormitory. Ms. Cha is there.”

“What?!” Jin-woo quickly whipped his head, letting go of the dealer. His heartbeat raced, praying the commotion was not as he dreaded. . .

- - ✧ - -

Song Chi-yul made a mistake.

He should not have followed Sang-shik. But upon learning that his co-worker was going to expose the information the military research facility had been protecting from the public—against the secrecy declaration—Chi-yul must try to stop him before it could get worse. Unfortunately, when they were at the truck, with Sang-shik defending himself that he needed the money to feed his family, he saw a soldier in the distance. Chi-yul was about to shout when Sang-shik dragged him instead.

Darkness succumbed to him. But there was a dim blue light in the ceiling, rousing an eerie atmosphere as Chi-yul took into his surroundings, forgetting his initial plan to glare at Sang-shik and drag him out. His co-worker turned on his phone's flashlight and began to take a video of the bodies, radiating a disgusting miasma that made his stomach churn. 

“Sang-shik—” Chi-yul grunted, reaching out to the bedframe as his breathing became labored. His wound. “We— we must—”

Thud.

There, they came face-to-face with a man that was no longer human. Bloodied complexion, eyes bore nothing but hunger, standing in the shadows. Chi-yul grabbed Sang-shik's shoulder. “Let's. . . Go.”

The next thing he knew. . . Unwanted hands grabbed both of the officers.

He could hear footsteps clamoring outside.

But he was too numb. He could barely move an inch. Light cracked through the darkness, enough to land on his face, lifting his eyes weakly to capture the soldiers pushing the doors closed as several infected pried their arms to try to get out. Then, he caught a familiar face beyond the chaotic movements, her bewildered face and her eyes—on the brink of weeping—met his own. And her mouth opened as if to say his name.

Chapter Text

Jin-woo had never driven fast. His finger repeatedly tapped the steering wheel, concentrating on the road ahead as thoughts whirled around his brain, images that made his heart pound fast. Sure enough, Jin-chul told him that nothing bad had actually happened to her, but that she had gotten involved with someone bearing the disease terrified Jin-woo. He knew Hae-in always put others before herself, not resisting the urge to help them when needed—he admired her for it. Still, sometimes, he wished she could stop jumping into life-threatening situations, especially now that there was the Mad Human Disease.

Her life could be at stake.

They finally reached the base, and the vehicle halted for a minute as the guard approached them. Jin-chul asked for the rifle and turned to Jin-woo, asking him if he too needed a firearm. Jin-woo chose the flash grenade. They continued their way inside until they stopped in front of the stairs that led to the entrance. Jin-woo kept the canister inside his jacket while he pulled out his gun, marching up to the dormitory, joining the rest of the soldiers as they rushed into the area. Jin-woo went ahead, running as fast as he could to where his legs could take him. He hadn’t run well ever since he got an injury, but it would not stop him from getting to Hae-in.

“Close it!”

His lips curled into a snarl. He pushed through the soldiers on his way and rushed across the plank, grabbing one soldier to yank him from the door. He was not letting anybody close the door when his best friend was inside. Jin-woo grabbed both handles and pushed them apart, his eyes immediately landing on Hae-in beneath the hands of infected people, as if she was shielding them from someone. He went inside and wrapped his arms around her waist, hauling her out of their clutches. Hae-in didn’t let go of the person she was protecting. He flung them outside, then, as the doors were about to close once more, Jin-woo returned to retrieve one last person next to the door, recognizing him by his dark attire. He was not one of the patients. The black-haired officer tugged the canister open and threw it inside. A bright explosion erupted inside the truck, causing the infected to topple down, making it easier for the soldiers to finally shut the doors.

The military held the two officers down, incapacitating them with their electrified poles. Hae-in witnessed with a quivering breath at her senior. Jin-woo made his way to her and grabbed both of her shoulders, checking for wounds in her body.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Jin-woo. . .” Her eyes met his, crumbling and relieved. “You came.”

Jin-woo’s heart squeezed achingly at the emotion he rarely saw in her. He softened. “I’m glad I wasn’t late.”

He gently pulled her in for an embrace, his throat tightening as he no longer spoke. He thought he lost her. Just as they were about to get settled in a proper house, Jin-woo could not believe they would be separated over the disease. But here she was . . . She was alive. And it mattered to him more than anything else.

They brought away Sang-shik and Chi-yul for isolation, though Hae-in chose to come with them, hoping to see Chi-yul for the last time. Jin-woo stayed in the area, waiting for her so they could go home together. He did not blame her for getting into such a risk; she was trying to save Chi-yul. Someone she deeply cared about. Jin-chul appeared and joined the two officers between the two trucks.

“That's what the disease does to people?” Jin-ho began. “They look. . . They look terrifying.”

Jin-chul agreed. “They are. They'll lose sanity, and all they feel is nothing but the hunger to bite others.”

“Do you always keep them in trucks?”

“If they can no longer handle staying in the dormitory. Some of them could have been long dead, but once the virus takes hold, it can keep them alive.”

Jin-ho grew worried. “Not even death can they rest in peace?”

“A number of the infected tried to escape the facility once. Some soldiers had chosen to shoot them if necessary, reasoning to free them from misery.” The lieutenant answered.

“So what happens next? You lock those who were in severe conditions in these trucks, and then, what? Will they be left there until lord knows how long?” Jin-woo stepped forward and slammed his palm against the truck, awakening the infected inside. The vehicle shook. “They were holding out, too. With all they have got.”

“Seven of the soldiers had been infected because of trying to hold them down, so I am doing what I can to keep them alive, Jin-woo. They have families.” Jin-chul argued. “Of course, I feel remorse. But survival comes first. Some of the infected were beyond saving. We are protecting patients who show mild symptoms. And we’re isolating patients who show severe symptoms.”

Jin-woo sighed. It appeared there was nothing else the organization could do. No ‘safe’ option—but for it to happen, there must be a cure. But who knew when it would be made? Dozens had been infected and died within a span of several days since the Mad Human Disease began to spread. 

“Since one of the SOU officers has disclosed what is going on to the public, I have no choice but to face the journalists and reassure the people that they have nothing to panic about.” Jin-chul pinched his temple.

“Seems like you’ll be loaded with work, huh?” 

He rolled his eyes. “I want to smoke. . .”

Jin-woo let out a chuckle.

“Hey!”

Jin-woo turned and saw Hae-in jogging toward him. His face lit up, softening at the sight of her smile again. Things must have gone well between her and Chi-yul. The trio waved their hands goodbye at Jin-chul, who nodded with a light smile.

Hae-in tossed her car keys at Jin-ho, letting him borrow her car on his way home while she would ride with Jin-woo. The sun was setting on the horizon, the pair sitting in silence as Jin-woo drove across the road, with Hae-in resting the side of her head against the window, watching the sights blur and catching people roam the park, all clad in masks. Lately, the government had only told everyone to be safe and wear masks when outside to prevent airborne diseases, not revealing the real case of Mad Human Disease.

But because of the incident, the entire country would soon know.

At last, they finally drove into the underground parking lot. They remained in the car for a moment, absorbing the silence as they recovered from the events earlier. So much had happened within hours. The noise, Jin-woo going against the dealers, Hae-in taking Chi-yul to the facility, and the truck filled with infected people. Neither of them was hungry, but they were equally exhausted. Glancing at his best friend, Jin-woo could tell she was contemplating Chi-yul—and what she must’ve felt when inside that truck.

He sighed. “Give me your hand.”

Hae-in looked at him in question, yet she obliged. Jin-woo gingerly observed it, finding her scar. “It’s almost healed.” He smiled. He reached for the compartment and brought out some vaseline, applying it to her wound. “This will sting a little.”

“Is it okay that I’m the only one who’s getting better?” Hae-in mumbled.

“Hey, it’s a relief that you are getting better at least,” Jin-woo told her, opening a pack of band aids. “I’m sure they’ll develop medicine and vaccines for this soon. And I’m sure. . . We’ll be able to get through this.”

“Can those people. . . Come back to normal?” Hae-in wondered. “Mr. Song— he was worried for his family. They needed him.”

“I hope so,” Jin-woo murmured. “I really want this to be over.”

They climbed out of his car, making their way to the elevator. Jin-woo accepted the white face mask Hae-in had offered him, securing the strap around his ears while stepping inside the elevator, where a woman and a young girl already stood in the corner. He caught the way the girl’s eyes lit up at the sight of Hae-in.

“Mom! This is the SOU officer who lives across the hall!” She beamed. “She’s Cha Hae-in.”

“Oh, hello, Ms. Cha! My daughter told me how you have kept her company.” The woman smiled. “Thank you for taking care of Sirka.” 

Hae-in dipped her head in gratitude.

Jin-woo smiled at the sight. It was his first time seeing the mother and daughter, the latter most especially, as she had already known Hae-in. They must have been together since morning. Silence soared in the small space. Jin-woo leaned his head against the wall, aching to rest on the couch. Or his bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a moment, he heard hushed conversations nearby.

“Is he your husband?” The little girl was whispering.

He cracked his eyes open, yet he hung his head low to conceal his gaze behind his bangs, eager to hear where the conversation was heading.

Hae-in nodded.

“He’s handsome!” Sirka softly giggled.

Hae-in smiled broadly behind her mask, as shown in her tilted head. Jin-woo clenched his jaw to bite back a grin. Little did they know, he could hear them. He could not wait to tease Hae-in about it later. However, the mood was ruined when a resident stepped into the elevator—and his eyes immediately caught something. Red. Jin-woo had a gut feeling that it was blood staining on the end of the burly man’s sleeve. His instincts were never wrong, not when he had been solving murder cases for a long time.

Unfortunately, they had reached the right floor before Jin-woo could stare any longer. Sirka waved her hand at them before she walked with her mother. Jin-woo kept his suspicions aside as he and Hae-in headed to their house, planning to tell her about it once she had rested enough.

Jin-woo set his laptop down, waiting for his family to answer the call. He turned to the picture behind him and gently pulled the coffee table closer to capture the photo in the camera. He brushed his palms against his pants in nervousness, making sure everything was settled, then he strode to grab a box from one of his possessions. Jin-woo had not opened it for months, so after tearing the tape as he opened it, he took a small jar and smelled the flavor inside. Unsatisfied, he rummaged further and found a trophy from his baseball team’s championship during their high school reunion, though his attention was drawn to another box. It was a gift that each of his teammates was given. Jin-woo broke into a smile.

He set down two cups of tea on the table and spotted the door open. Hae-in walked out in a long, light blue dress, her hair made into a half-ponytail.

“How are you feeling?” Jin-woo noticed her crestfallen expression.

“Quite tired.”

He frowned. “I can tell my mom and dad that you’re feeling sick.”

“No, no. It’s fine, Jin-woo.” Hae-in refused. “Besides, it’s your family. I’m sure I will feel better once I face them.”

He picked up a mug from the table. “Here, I made you chamomile tea to keep you relaxed. No need to be nervous, I'm right by your side.”

“Thank you. So, uhm—” Hae-in bit her cheek. “How do I look?”

Jin-woo’s lips softly curved into a smile. He reached up to brush the tendrils on her forehead; the hairstyle gave her a more calming look. He could not simply choose one word to describe how she looked. It was his first time seeing her in a different style that did not include sweatpants or a sweater. “You look pretty.” A faint rosy blush crept on her cheeks.

“Hae-in!”

“Ms. Park!” Hae-in instantly cracked a smile as she and Jin-woo sat down.

“I didn’t know you and Jin-woo were together. I knew this would happen!”

Jin-woo cleared his throat. “Mom, she and I just decided to live together. You know, sharing all the expenses and stuff to live a bit easier.”

“Oh, I must have misunderstood,” chuckled his mother. Then, she noticed the picture frame behind them. “Isn’t that photo from school?”

Jin-woo shrugged. “A police officer captured it. And I thought it would look great in the house.”

Jin-ah snickered. “If somebody comes in, they might think you are married.”

“Nu-uh.”

Il-hwan grinned proudly. “If only we could visit you two. The protocols had been strict, and we were told not to leave the city until the disease was gone.”

“Stay safe out there, Dad,” nodded Jin-woo.

“Once everything’s safe in the country, I will cook some—” Kyung-hye was cut off when a noise from upstairs disturbed the warm atmosphere. “What was that? Is it your neighbors?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Jin-woo stood up. “I’ll leave you guys alone.”

Once he left the house, Hae-in scooted to the center, nodding at her best friend's mother to continue.

“Anyways, I wanted to thank you for being there for my son, Hae-in. He seems so happy.”

“Really?”

“I can see it in his eyes, dear. You think I didn’t see you two standing there, and him telling you you’re pretty?”

She blushed furiously.

Kyung-hye chuckled. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You two have cared a lot about each other since you were in high school. Jin-woo is a good man, but he sometimes acts accordingly to his emotions when it gets heavy. I thought he would go down the wrong path after not being able to play baseball due to what happened, but I’m glad he decided to pursue something he felt he would like.”

“He enjoys being a detective, Ms. Park. He often tells me about the criminals he captures every time we’re out together.” Hae-in smiled. “He wanted to be as great as his dad.”

Meanwhile, Jin-woo stood in front of the door of the neighbor who had been causing noise. It was the second time he heard it. At this point, he reckoned it must be something else. Pounding? Banging? How similar it was to the trucks at the dormitory. Could there be an infected person inside? He wondered.

Then, the door finally opened.

A burly, muscular man with a stubble beard came into view. His eyes were menacing, a sinister aura surrounded him.

It was him.

“Good evening. I live downstairs, and it’s rather noisy.” Jin-woo said politely. “This is the second time I hear it, so I wanted to know if something is going on inside?”

He shook his head. “Nothing at all. It’s just my girlfriend throwing things out of anger.”

“Really?” Jin-woo raised an eyebrow, albeit finding it incredulous. His eyes still caught the red smear on the tip of his sleeve. “Well, I think you and your girlfriend should settle it down for once. Perhaps you two haven’t been talking properly.”

“My bad. You can get to sleep now, or whatever.”

With that, the man shut the door. Jin-woo didn’t argue further, not shaking away the direful feeling in his chest.

“Annoyed by the noise, too?”

He looked to the right and saw a tall man with wavy brown hair that sat above his shoulders. He was clad in a yellow shirt and white printed pajamas. Jin-woo simply nodded.

“That’s Hwang Dong-suk. A rumored conman. He frequently brings different women into his house.” His lips curled into a disgusted grimace. “He had been making noises lately. Hee-jin and I couldn’t sleep.” He let out a yawn, grumbling. “Stupid Min-sung.”

“The landlord?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I don't think I have seen you around before. I’m Lee Eun-seok.”

“Sung Jin-woo.”

He smiled. “Nice to meet ya! Thanks for confronting the asshole.”

Later that night, Jin-woo and Hae-in finally settled in their respective beds. The noises had stopped, much to his luck. But there was no guarantee it might return sooner or later. If it came down to it, he would call Jin-chul to get to the bottom of it, and might as well arrest Dong-suk for keeping an infected person in the apartment. 

“Your mother was glad that I’m living with you. But I can’t help but feel bad that we had to keep our fake marriage from her, and your dad and sister.” Hae-in sighed. “I never thought it would be this hard.”

“I mean, we are just living together. We are only married in front of the higher-ups. It won’t matter much at all.”

“You're right. But, well, I kinda told this one neighbor that I’m married.”

Jin-woo snorted.

“What? Just in case nobody will be confused!”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Jin-woo chuckled, tucking his blankets closer. “Good night, Hae-in.”

“Good night, Jin-woo.”

The next day, Jin-woo sat in front of his computer, reading information on Hwang Dong-suk. Turned out, he had a record in the station seven years ago for theft. He was not sure how long he had been living in the apartment, but Jin-woo would not be surprised if he had acquired a unit in the apartment through the same illegal process. His eyes were rather heavy from last night, barely sleeping at all, as he stared at the ceiling where Dong-suk lived just right above them; it was the first thing he heard when he woke up. Groaning, instantly ruining his mood. He wanted nothing more than to find out what Dong-suk was hiding behind his radar.

“Hey, hyung-nim! What’s up?” Jin-ho sat down next to him. “Oh, you seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“My neighbor from upstairs. He keeps causing noise, and I’m suspicious about him.” replied Jin-woo. “Another guy said he was a rumored conman. So I looked him up, and indeed, he had a record here.”

“Eh?” Jin-ho glanced at the monitor, surprised. “Are you going to arrest him?”

“I need more evidence. This one, he was convicted of theft. Any criminal can get away with anything through a loophole, or they are blatantly rich. Say they haven’t done such a crime since.” Jin-woo scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

“I see. By the way, we won’t be investigating the car wash anymore. A different team will be on it.”

“Must be Jin-chul,” he shrugged. Given how dire the situation must've become, and the dealers were left alone for some reason, Jin-chul would take over the case to prevent further infection.

Everyone's phones suddenly blared with an alarm. It was a warning to stay vigilant and be aware of the contagious disease spreading across the city. Ah, the media must’ve gotten hold of the video. Jin-woo figured. The others spared glances at one another warily, then a detective brought in a yelling suspect, thrashing against his grip.

“I want to bite everyone. Send me to the hospital!”

“You just said you thought it was COVID-19.”

“It’s a Mad Human Disease!”

He bit his arm.

“Gah!”

Chaos erupted. Jin-woo strode over to pull the suspect off his co-worker’s arm and dodged his punches, then grabbed him to flip him over to the ground. He pressed his knee on the man’s neck and checked his eye.

“You lying shit.” Jin-woo sneered and got off him, making sure to ‘accidentally’ step on his hand as the other detectives came to dispose of him behind bars.

Now people are pretending to have the virus. He scowled as he settled back into his chair. Some world I live in.

He returned to reading Hwang Dong-suk’s file. Jin-woo opened up a social media platform to check his profile and see if there was something malicious in his posts. Nothing much could be seen, except photos of fancy liquors and stuff; however, when he clicked the ‘following’, a list of names belonging to women appeared.

He remembered Eun-seok telling him that Dong-suk frequently brought women to his home. Jin-woo clicked the first name and found that she was a dermatologist in a newly established clinic. He grabbed his phone and clicked several numbers, bringing it to his ear to wait for an answer.

“Hello?”

“Do you happen to know Nam Hyu-sun?”

“Ah, yes. She’s my boss. Do you have an appointment with her?”

“I would like to speak with her, please.”

“I’m afraid she is unavailable, sir. She hadn’t been to work for two days.”

“Oh. . . May I know what happened?”

He could feel her shaking her head. “No, sir. But she was last seen with a man, who came to pick her up from the clinic.”

“I see. . .” Jin-woo clenched his jaw. He was right. Dong-suk was indeed keeping an infected person inside his home. “Thank you, ma’am. This will be helpful for the investigation.”

Before the assistant could ask questions, he hung up. Jin-ho watched him questioningly as he took his jacket from his chair and slipped his arms into its sleeves as he strode out of the office.

- - ✧ - -

“Hae-in! Are you okay?”

“Mom?” Hae-in said, scrubbing her hair with her towel. “Yeah, I am. What is it?”

“Turn on the news. There is a huge fuss!”

Hae-in did so. It was a clip Sang-shik had taken when he infiltrated the truck to expose the reality of the disease. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock, as she saw the headlines beneath the video. Jin-chul was later shown on the screen, surrounded by flashing cameras and shotgun microphones, with journalists asking him various questions. He was explaining the situation, telling everyone to stay calm and isolate themselves in a locked room if they showed symptoms. A hotline emerged in the headlines.

“Are you seeing it right now?”

“Yeah, I—” Hae-in suddenly winced when the alarm went off on her phone. She immediately received a message, a reminder from the government about the disease. “Will you be alright there, mom?”

“I am. Your father and I are completely safe. But we worry about you most, sweetie.”

She smiled. “Thanks, mom. Take care, both of you.”

The line cut off. Hae-in checked the fridges, which were still rather empty besides the bottles of water. Hae-in bit her cheek, figuring that she had nothing else to do—and she didn’t want to sit back and watch TV, so she retrieved her wallet and made her way to the grocery store just within the apartment complex.

To her surprise, she caught several people hurrying around and grabbing a ridiculous amount of food and beverages into their shopping carts. Hae-in couldn’t resist rolling her eyes and pulled out a cart to calmly make her way across the aisles. The alarm basically told everyone to stay calm and be aware. Hae-in was about to grab a pack of noodles when she got pushed aside by a panicked resident, who was grabbing more than three from the shelf. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and reached for the one pack from the deepest part of the shelf.

She grabbed a few loaves of bread, flavored beverages, some beers Jin-woo liked, fruits, and others. Hae-in bit her cheek, bringing the cart aside where nobody would shove her to see if she got everything. Usually, she only used a basket when shopping for groceries, which always took less than fifteen minutes. But she was living with somebody now, and Hae-in found herself having more meals, receiving encouragement from Jin-woo every time they had take-outs.

He promised to cook Doenjang Jjigae on his day off. Speaking of, Hae-in realized she mustn't have chosen the rest of the ingredients. She tugged the cart back to the aisles to retrieve them.

The cashier had broken into a loud sigh, as if relieved that a customer had bought a normal amount of items rather than an unbelievable one. While taking the products from the paper bags in her home, Hae-in heard the banging noise again. She groaned. Even if it had been Jin-woo who had confronted their neighbor, they still hadn’t stopped. She paused picking up the items and left her house, marching up the stairs to approach the door she had grown to despise.

She rang the doorbell.

“Are you sure your girlfriend is okay?” Hae-in asked once Dong-suk appeared. “You know there is a disease, right? Do you know if she’s infected or not?”

Dong-suk scowled. “Why you people always—”

“Listen here. Close that door, you will not like what I’m about to do.” She stepped forward. Another bang echoed from the inside, causing Hae-in to brush past Dong-suk and rush into the unit, heading to the door. “How long has she been like this?”

“Two days.”

“What?! So you kept her inside instead of calling the authori—” There was silence again. “She must be normal now.”

Slowly, she pushed the door open, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman. However, not knowing what kind of person Dong-suk was, Hae-in got pushed inside, and the door was shut behind her. Before she could exclaim, she came face-to-face with the infected woman—smudges of blood smeared the porcelain wall, her white dress was coated with red, and her eyes were white. Hae-in quickly got inside the shower before the woman could lay a hand on her, slamming against the glass. Her gaze was menacing, terrifying.

“M— ma’am? I’m your neighbor from downstairs.” Hae-in tried to reason with her, hoping to capture an ounce of humanity left in her body. “I may know how to help you. Can you still hold on for a bit? I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

As she stood there, Hae-in meticulously opened the glass door and reached for the doorknob. But the woman lunged at her, causing her to fall back inside, and Hae-in swallowed. She reached for her phone and clicked Jin-chul's contact. On the other hand, the door had slightly creaked open, capturing the woman's attention from the outside, beginning to push through the door, leaving a deep red smear on the painted surface. Hae-in figured she could knock her out or pin her down. While waiting behind the shower walls, she took out her phone and contacted someone.

“Come on, it’s an emergency! You—” Dong-suk was talking to somebody on the phone. But when he turned his head, he saw the infected woman he had secretly kept in his bathroom. Horrified, he rushed out of his house, but the woman was fast enough to chase after him.

Hae-in grabbed a pillow from the couch as she followed them, answering her phone. Jin-chul urgently told her to handle the situation while he sent out soldiers to the apartment, promising to be there once he was done with his current work. She sprinted to the stairs, and recognized the bloodied stain on the door that led to the fifth floor. She burst inside and caught Sirka’s expression as she stood across the hall, frozen in shock, while the infected made her way slowly toward the little girl. Step after step.

The blonde held the pillow firmly in her hands and tiptoed behind the woman, then covered her face against the cushion. “Sirka, run! Hurry!” She dragged her away, squirming, then flipped her to the floor, but the infected pushed her away and crawled above her. Hae-in used the pillow to block her from attacking, digging her teeth against the fabric whilst the officer beneath her tried to shove her away with all her might.

A faint vision of Kim Jeon-yu appeared in her mind. Hae-in gritted her teeth, using her feet to try to kick her off. Suddenly, a jacket grabbed the woman around the head and yanked her away. Hae-in got up and caught Jin-woo pinning the woman with his knee on her back, not removing the jacket from her face. He used his other hand to bring both of the woman’s hands behind her, incapacitating her on his knee.

“Are you hurt?” He asked her.

Hae-in shook her head, panting. “I’m not.”

Her eyes glided to Sirka, who was left trembling against the wall. Hae-in immediately rushed toward her and wrapped her arms around the child, whispering that she was okay. Sirka was practically stuttering as she asked what was wrong with the woman. Hae-in glanced behind her shoulder, noticing Jin-woo was clasping handcuffs around the woman’s wrists as she seemed to have calmed down.

“She’s just very angry. But you’re safe now.” She reassured her.

“That man is over there!” Sirka pointed at the other side of the wall.

Hae-in spared a glance at Jin-woo, who seemed to have understood the message. He strode past her to meet the man he had been so suspicious about.

“Son of a bitch.”

Hae-in covered Sirka’s ears.

A thud echoed in the air, followed by a grunt.

“You're lucky that I'm the one who hit you,” Jin-woo glared at his aching figure icily. “If it were Hae-in, you'd be dead.”

A few people finally came in, surrounding the woman on the floor to check on her. Jin-woo left Dong-suk groaning in pain, approaching Hae-in and the young girl in her arms.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. Sirka, right?”

Sirka nodded. “I understand, mister. My mom says some people need to be put in their places.”

Jin-woo smiled.

“I didn’t know you’d be home early,” commented Hae-in.

“I had a bad feeling. And I was afraid something might happen to you when I’m not around.” Jin-woo replied.

She sighed. "Thanks, Jin-woo."

Later on, Jin-woo walked inside Dong-suk’s apartment, sneaking in while he was getting tested for the disease. He inspected the living room and noticed specks of blood on the edge of the table. He moved to the other spots, seeing if there had been pills around. However, he did find a bat just behind the curtain, which was stained with blood. Jin-woo clenched his jaw and made his way to the bathroom, checking the bottles on the sink, uncapping each until he noticed none of them contained pills.

“Did you find any narcotics?” Hae-in asked him while they were eating dinner in the living room.

Jin-woo sighed. “There was none. I’ve looked everywhere. But I did find a baseball bat with blood.”

“Are you saying he must've hit her with it?” Hae-in widened her eyes. “But. . . Aren't bats supposed to cause severe damage, especially to the brain?”

“Yes. And I do speculate that Dong-suk must've hit Nam Hye-sun with a bat as an attempt to hold her down. But I'm waiting for the NFS report.” Jin-woo explained. “I was also about to check the bedroom for the pills and possibly more evidence of crime, but it was locked. Then a couple of people came in to disinfect the entire place, so I left.” 

“You know, I found it strange that the lady chased him,” Hae-in remarked, nibbling on the tofu. “She wasn’t as lethal with me when I was trapped inside the bathroom.”

“What do you mean ‘trapped’?”

Hae-in continued, choosing to answer his question for some other time. “It was like Dong-suk was her target. Perhaps something strange was going on.”

He sighed. “Sometimes, you could have just called me. I'll leave the station in an instant. Imagine if I hadn't made it in time earlier.”

“I'll be fine, regardless. I have dealt with an infected before her anyway.” Hae-in shrugged. Jin-woo opened his mouth, yet closed it, continuing with his meal as he glanced at the movie in front of them.

If Hae-in got infected for the second time, would she become one of them? Jin-woo wondered.

He immediately shook his head, smacking himself for thinking such a thing. No more adding to his fears. He was grateful that he showed up in time, again, and he would do it over and over just to keep her out of harm.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Jin-woo invited her after she was done with the dishes. “We hadn’t gone out together since we moved in.”

Hae-in agreed.

The street lamps cast a warm glow that stretched across the path, enveloping them in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. There were fewer people in the night, which Jin-woo found more to his liking, having to enjoy the tender, silent moment shared between him and his best friend. While she had been used to being under the sun, the evening had a different touch of beauty. Towering buildings stood like silent giants, their window lights twinkling like distant stars, adding to the glow reaching for her attention, but even those scattered lights could not rival the tiny stars sparkling vividly in the vast dark sky above.

“The world is truly turned upside-down, huh?” Hae-in murmured. Her white hoodie engulfed her from the cold breeze, yet she still felt it on her bare hands. “It used to be so peaceful.”

“It might not be too late. Just because the world is changing doesn’t mean it’s no longer peaceful.” Jin-woo replied. “It’s the disease that's been trying to turn it around.”

Hae-in sighed. “Since I'm on vacation for six months, I was thinking of signing up to be an instructor. I want to teach people, specifically for running.”

“That sounds good. You were once a track and field athlete.” Jin-woo smiled. “Though, I wonder—if you hadn't broken your ankle back then, would you continue pursuing a career in sports?”

“Yeah, I would.” Running was practically her whole life. Her dream. “But I guess if some things aren't meant to happen, you forge a different path. And I'm happy with my job at SOU. Maybe there's another life where I am a runner."

“I'd support you, regardless,” Jin-woo smiled softly. “You're unstoppable once you set your mind on something. And since you're planning to try for a different job, just remember that you're on ‘vacation’. Take breaks once in a while.” He jested.

Hae-in playfully rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Jin-woo chuckled. Part of him knew Hae-in would not always take breaks as long as she had a job, as nothing would stop her from doing anything she wished. And the atmosphere was so cozy, he didn't want to shatter it. It was the reward he and Hae-in could at least get after such hectic days.

“Hey, how about we jog together on your day off?” Hae-in suggested. “5 AM. In that way, we can see the sunrise.”

Jin-woo nodded. “That's a good idea.”

Days off spent with Hae-in? Not bad.

If anything, it was great.

Jin-woo hadn’t always seen her. He would be playing baseball or visiting his family, but perhaps he could bring her along now that she was out of work. Or he could teach her how to play baseball. Jog with her every morning. So many things he wanted to do with her.

“What are you smiling about, Jin-woo?”

“Nothing much.” He didn't realize he was smiling like a kid with an ice cream. “I’m just looking forward to it.”

He definitely was.

And he was definitely looking forward to arresting Hwang Dong-suk.

The results came out two hours after he entered the police station. Jin-ho accompanied him on the way back to Le Ciel, preparing for Dong-suk’s arrest, and they had evidence. Jin-woo rang the doorbell, and as soon as his neighbor answered it, he held up his badge and the papers from the NFS. He pushed Dong-suk aside amidst his protests. They stood in the middle of the living room, where Jin-woo was unfazed by Dong-suk’s indignant glare, then his attention fell on the baseball in the corner.

“Seems like you cleaned your bat, huh?” Jin-woo scoffed. “Are you a baseball player, too? Or do you use it to smash people?”

“It was self-defense!” Dong-suk yelled. “She was trying to bite me!”

“If not for the Mad Human Disease, you could have gotten your way. But she should have died the moment you hit her skull, but the infection took hold and kept her alive.” Jin-woo explained. Indeed, Nam Hye-sun soon passed away within her restraints in the dormitory. “And not only that, you managed to discard her body and commit a perfect crime. Shards of the occipital bone and brain tissue were found. First theft, now murder? How are you still running free?”

Dong-suk growled. “If you have met my brother, not even your position will protect you.”

“How funny!” Jin-woo snarked, and Jin-ho grabbed both of his wrists to his back, handcuffing him. “Hwang Dong-suk, you are under arrest for murdering Nam Hye-sun.” 

“Release me!” Dong-suk seethed, writhing, and Jin-woo grabbed a fistful of his collar to prevent him from fighting back. “I didn’t murder her! She turned into a zombie!”

- - ✧ - -

“Do you think everything will be fine, unnie?” Sirka asked, holding onto the bars as she swung her legs on the air walker.

Hae-in nodded. “I'm sure the vaccine will be available soon.”

“A lot of people have become scared. Including my mom, because I have an illness.” She frowned. Then, she furrowed her eyebrows in determination. “But I must not be afraid! I know I’m strong!”

Hae-in chuckled. “I know you are. Just stay healthy and don’t forget your meds.”

“Oh? It’s the man I saw on TV!” She exclaimed, pointing at none other than Jin-chul, who stood in the distance, watching the two of them. “Do you know him, unnie?”

Hae-in told Sirka to stay on the air walker while she walked toward Jin-chul. It was unlikely to see him in the apartment, and judging the expression on his face, she had an inkling that he had come to share some news with her—an egregious one.

“The Mad Human Disease is spreading in your complex. One of the dealers from the carwash revealed that some of the pills are sold here.” He revealed.

“You mean—” her eyes widened in bewilderment. “There are more positive cases?”

Jin-chul nodded gravely. “Much to my disdain. According to the dealer, he sold the pills in the basement gym. He advertised the pills as improving concentration and weight loss. He didn’t mention other names, as he too had succumbed to the virus.” 

There would be many others like Ms. Nam, some might live alone, hiding the fact that they were infected. Then, they would come into the open at once. Cases would increase terribly. Hae-in combed her fingers through her hair, questions spinning around her mind.

“So. . . What would you do now?” Hae-in asked him.

“The government ordered to set this place in quarantine.”