세상의 끝: End of the World

The Secret

Rosé looked dazed under Lee Minho's gaze. "W-where do you want me to start?"

"Go from when you entered the area to when you and Jisung hid in the freezer."

Fidgeting with her ponytail, the young girl nodded and recounted how she and her family found themselves trapped in the fog.

They were refugees from the neighboring county trying to make it to Gimpo City. Knowing that the SKZ was nearby, they tried to travel near the base as there would be less zombies in the area. As they crossed through the forest near the abandoned rural town, the heavy fog set in, and they found themselves in a nest of zombies.

Rosé's uncle had made her run and hide while he and some of the other refugees fought. She crouched in the forest, waiting for her uncle to find her. After a long while, no one came-and then she heard the sound of explosions. She investigated and rescued Han Jisung from the road.

"Jisung said he wanted to look for you, so we went back. I fell in a hole with Hong ge and we landed in a cave. There were zombies chasing us so we ran to the end, but there was no way out, so I thought we were gonna die. But then Jisung did something and got us into the secret base." After reaching this point, she bit her lip and mumbled. "And then, um... the zombies came after us, and we had to hide."

No doubt she was hiding something from him. "How did you and Han Jisung get into the base?"

"U-um, Jisung acted like he saw the door that lead to the room, but I didn't see anything. I thought he must have used an ability or maybe someone with the ability let him in, especially after-I mean... but Jisung just dragged me through the door and we ended up inside."

"Han Jisung closed the door behind you. After you went inside the base, what was it like?"

"Yeah, we went to the other room and it was this, like, office lobby. I, I sat down and then we fixed our wounds. And then the zombies got inside..."

"But the door was closed," Lee Minho said, voice smooth and casual. "The zombies couldn't have gotten in. Unless they're someone else in there with you?"

Rosé froze up. He was right. When Lee Minho had arrived, the door to the hidden underground base had been wide open without any signs of force. That meant someone had left it open for the zombies to get in. But Han Jisung wasn't careless enough to escape and not lock the doors behind him. Either the girl Rosé had sabotaged them, or someone else had been in the base, and that person had left them to die. The girl seemed harmless, and Han Jisung wouldn't have stuck with her if not.

Moreover, Han Jisung had purposefully left a signal for Lee Minho at the front door. He knew that something was going to happen. So all that was left was uncovering just who was it that they had met.

"Well? Who was in there with you?"
"I-I... that is, um..."
It was then that Han Jisung stirred in the bed.
Both Rosé and Lee Minho stopped and looked over at him. Han Jisung's eyes were dark and gloomy. His face was paler than ever, the heavy bags under his eyes bluer and darker in stark contrast. His arm was connected to an IV; the doctors had called in a water ability user to set up a warm fluid transfusion. His entire person looked sickly and unwell laying there in bed, making Lee Minho feel distressed. Han Jisung's eyebrows knit together as he looked at Rosé and Lee Minho standing close together.

"Jisungie." Lee Minho hurried to his bedside and held out a hand, but stopped before he could touch Han Jisung's head. He didn't know if his body heat would be harmful while Han Jisung was still recovering. He dropped his hand, not realizing Han Jisung's eyes traced its motion. "How are you feeling?"
Han Jisung nodded dully.

"Good. I was just asking this young lady what happened to you two. You should rest."

Han Jisung shook his head. He glanced at Rosé, then dragged his dark eyes over Lee Minho's shoulder, before finally looking back at Lee Minho.
"You feel good enough to clear things up for me?"