𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐂, all of us are dead

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“My parents are shit. We’ve lost a lot of good people and it hurts me, it pains me and I don’t think I’ll be able to move on and forget about it easily. I feel lost, I don’t know what’s going to happen next, and I don’t know where we’ll go. Are we going to live? Will we be alright?” Hyunjae wishes that he had the courage to say it all to Suhyeon.

But there’s a lot of words and he doesn’t want to put more burden and negativity on her shoulder. She doesn’t deserve that.

Hyunjae flashes a forced smile, “I’m tired and hungry. I honestly can’t think of anything else than food and sleep. I want to have a long and good sleep.” He replied as they continued walking with the rest of the group.

Hyunjae didn’t lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. “Hopefully, I’ll get that soon.” He murmured with doubt in his mind.

Hyunjae felt a hand caressing his back, and as expected it was Suhyeon’s. He knew. She knew. They both knew.

He was aware that Suhyeon knows that he wasn’t telling his entire truth and she doesn’t want to be nosy about it. Suhyeon respects his decision a lot and it means the most to Hyunjae.

Then, Hyunjae’s calloused and lean fingers lace with hers as he leans closer til their nose bridge touches making Suhyeon’s cheeks heated up.

“Thank you for asking, Suhyeon, but you don’t have to worry about me. You’ll be the first one to know if I’m unwell.” Hyunjae gently whispered the words in her ears before he lengthens the distance between them and carries on walking along with their friends.

He was thinking of the stunt his parents pulled on him back at the roof. Making him choose between them and his friends. Why can’t they just take all of them? And why did he get to have a parents like them? It was so unfair, Cheongsan would’ve lived if they did.

Hopefully, his parents aren’t dead yet and him and his group will be able to find refuge. Hyunjae can’t wait to interrogate them and it is just one of the things that keeps him to hold on. To ask his parents to make him choose when it is obvious who would he pick.

Suhyeon nods slowly, “Thank you for everything, Jae. For protecting Suhyeok, and the group, and for taking care of me. I know you are not in the best place right now considering how much you have lost yet you continued to fight to keep us alive. Please do not give up yet, not until you get the good sleep that you badly want.” Her eyes sparkled with hope, as her hand quickly caresses his arm before she planted a kiss on the top of his head which completely shocked the young man. He only followed Suhyeon’s back with his gaze as she approaches On-jo and Namra.

Although Suhyeon is very comfortable with skinship, it was the first time for her to do that to him—and her first time to do so but, it’s like Hyunjae needs to know that—since it was usually him that would do such gestures like that.

At first, Kim Hyunjae abhors skinship, but of course, he made an exemption. Because the moment Suhyeon became comfortable with his presence and vice versa, some of their friends would find him initiating a skinship but only with her. To Suhyeon.

And that is how they knew, how deep Hyunjae’s fall was.

Thanks to On-jo’s father who left traces out of the woods, it wasn’t even that long before they finally got out of it.

The town they used to call home is now in ruins. No more vibrant and prying neighbours.

Gone were the people they used to greet as they passed every house either with a glare or a smile.

Their houses. The people they love, and their family. Almost everyone, everything is all gone.

No other sign of living human beings. Only their small group of survivors. The fog. And probably the undead lurking on every corner of Hyosan.