Chapter 1

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CH 1
"No...Cheong-san!"

On-jo jolted upwards from her bed while panting heavily. It was the same old nightmare. She dreamt of her father and friends telling her to go after getting bit by zombies, every single day without a miss. 

She brushed the hair that covered her face up after realizing that everything was just in her mind. She lied down on her bed again while staring at the ceiling, letting her mind wander for a bit. Her hand unconsciously took Cheong-san's nametag near her bedside table and placed it near her heart while her eyes still looked up.

The fabric made her heart feel both warmth and pain. It made her recall all the things that happened 5 months ago: her dad, I-sak, and her other friends.

Especially, Cheong-san.

She missed him so bad.

One tear managed to escape her left eye. She closed her eyes to prevent the tears that were building up from flowing out again. Soon after, she felt drowsy. Her heartbeat slowed down as she fell into a deep sleep.

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Morning came.

Sunlight that hit On-jo's eyes woke her up. Her mind was blank, and her body felt sluggish all over. It took about 5 minutes to realize that she wasn't in the facility she was quarantined in.

She was in her old bedroom.

Cream-painted walls were adorned with polaroid pictures of her and I-sak. A birch study table with a vanity mirror was placed on her right side, all her notebooks and pencils disorganized. The laundry was splattered all over the floor. It was her room, indeed, but she wasn't supposed to be there.

'Maybe this was all a dream.'

On-jo pinched and slapped her cheeks to check whether she was dreaming again. In contrast, she felt pain when her hand came in contact with her cheeks. Still not certain, she went to her vanity mirror. Her hair was haywire and her cheeks were swollen from the recent slapping and pinching.

She still can't take in what's happening.

'Did I travel back in time?'

On-jo sat on her bed and laughed at what she thought. She was not in some sort of fantasy film to be able to travel in time. Then, did she dream all along? It can't be. All the memories and feelings she felt were so real that such a thing could simply not happen.

She got lost in her thoughts for a while until a voice echoed outside of her room.

"On-jo, get up! It's time for school!"

She trembled. She was sure of it. It was the voice of his dad. Memories of her dad sacrificing himself to save the group replayed in her mind. Even with her unpresentable appearance, she went out. She spotted her dad who was cooking and ran to engulf him in a hug.

"Dad!" she cried.

Her dad was shocked by the sudden contact. He turned around to lecture her but softened up when he saw her cry her eyes out until a single drop wouldn't be left.

"Why are you crying?" he asked while patting her back.

"You..you..died!" she sniffed, "You locked yourself with zombies and they bit you!"

He wiped her tears away, "You must have had a nightmare. Take a shower and dress up then let's talk about it, okay?"

On-jo nodded and went back to her room.

Her dad was left in the kitchen thinking about what just happened. She never had a nightmare to the point where she'll do that. He laughed when he remembered her talk about zombies. It really was just a nightmare.

She quickly showered and changed into her uniform. When she went out, the dishes were all neatly placed on the table. She sat down with her eyes still red from the crying.

"Let's eat!"

On-jo quietly took a bite off her food and finished eating her meal. Her dad looked at her and was confused by the sudden change of mood.

"Won't you tell the story?"

'You won't believe me if I do,' she answered inside her head.

"Nevermind that," she stopped eating and changed the topic, "Dad, are you feeling well?"

"Yes?"

She placed some side dishes on his rice bowl, "You're getting thin. Eat more please."

"Don't mind me. Focus on your meal," he was still confused by her strange actions but tried to brush it off.

The doorbell rang. She stopped eating for the second time, took her bag, and left for the door.

She knew it was Cheong-san.

And she was dying to meet him.

"Dad! I'll go now!"

Her dad was about to speak but she already left.

Cheong-san was surprised when On-jo suddenly slammed the door shut. He was about to tease her like he always does but he changed his mind when he saw her. She was crying.

"Yah! Why are you crying?" he asked in panic as he approached her.

She wiped her tears away and stared at him while sniffling, "You're alive."

"O-of course I am!" he said while still worrying about why she was crying, "Did something happen?"

Before he could speak, she pulled him for a hug. She had been waiting for this for months.

Cheong-san's cheeks and ears reddened from the sudden contact. He wanted to break free in fear that she might hear the loud beating of his heart but he can't.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he liked it.

And she looked as if she needed it a lot.

On-jo broke free after a few minutes. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him, " I missed you."

It doesn't matter if this was just a dream. She's going to save them.

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