Day 47.
"Where's Y/N?" Yeonjun barged into their sleeping quarter.
Everyone turned to him, seated on their beds with breakfast stuffing their cheeks. Soobin chewed casually on his bread before reverting his eyes back to the wall, not caring. Seulgi and Irene continued their chit-chats. Hyunjin busied himself spreading butter on the toast while Felix munched on his bun. Kai burped, earning a laughter from Taehyun.
"I'm talking to you." Yeonjun gritted. "Where the fuck is Y/N?"
"Why do you wanna know?" Soobin lazed. "If you're about to roast her again, we might as well keep our mouths shut."
"Her breakfast is running cold you idiot. Dr. Kim asked me to bring it to her."
"Mhm, sure." Kai chuckled, swallowing his food. "She's in the infirmary."
"No, she's not." Felix interrupted. "I saw her go to the rooftop."
"Rooftop it is." Yeonjun 'tch'ed and threw a paper ball at Kai.
He jogged up to the top floor, trodding the steel staircase that led to a rusty door to the roof. The morning was chilly, despite the fact that it was already 8 AM. Yeonjun roamed his fox eyes and saw Y/N sitting on the edge. She seemed to be in a very deep thought. He silently approached her. He didn't really want to talk, knowing that she would just probably ignore him. Ever since the outbreak, his bond with her just deteriorated and he acknowledges his fault for being such a douche.
"Hey." He greeted.
Y/N turned her head and looked up at him. She then brought her gaze back to the view of an abandoned city. Yeonjun sighed. He took a seat next to her, not too close. He then gave her the cold steamed bun Dr. Kim asked him to serve.
"Breakfast."
"I don't want it."
"Why? You haven't eaten anything since last night."
She pursed her lips, not wanting to speak. Yeonjun hung his head low and placed the wrapped bun on the pavement.
"It's Beomgyu, isn't it?" He mumbled. "You don't have to deny it. Everyone knows. It's pretty obvious."
"What if he's in a coma?" She blurted. "You don't understand.. If everything is going too well, he would have been up for so long.."
"Why can't you trust the scientists?" Yeonjun rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Y/N, you're doubting everything that they do to help him. You should be thankful we didn't have to rely on that stupid teacher alone anymore."
"As long as I see Mr. Jung working with them in the lab, they're not gaining my trust."
"Y/N, for fuck's sake."
"You don't understand," she scoffed. "No one else does."
"Just eat your goddamn breakfast."
"I told you, I don't want it. Why are you forcing me?!"
"Well shit, I wouldn't have to if Dr. Kim hadn't told me so!"
"You can just lie to him, you know that! You never listen to any authority anyways, what's the point?!"
Yeonjun heaved a long, exasperated sigh. Scooting closer, he snatched the bun and kept it back in his jacket. Y/N grimaced, tearing up as she looked at her swinging feet. Without a warning, Yeonjun's arm made its way around her shoulder, pulling her in a half embrace.
"Sorry." He quickly muttered. "I just.."
She turned to him. He had his eyes glued to his lap. His lips were parted as if he wanted to say something but he couldn't; or maybe he didn't know how. His hand gently patted her arm, easing her tensed body. He laughed air through his nose in awe.
"I've been an asshole all along."
She nodded.
"I know I shouldn't be acting like that to anyone, especially you but.. I don't know.." He shrugged. "I guess the situation took the last straw.."
"You could've been more nicer. Especially to Beomgyu."
"I know, I.. I should apologize when he wakes up, don't you think?"
He met her gaze and for the first time in so long, she smiled at him. Genuinely. Yeonjun took the sign to hold her closer. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.
"You forgive me right? You're not mad at me anymore?"
"Let me think."
"Oh, come on." He playfully rolled his eyes. "I'll jump off this building if you reject my apology."
"Cool." She raised a brow. "Do a flip."
"Really?" He smirked, leaning close. "You can bear to lose me?"
Y/N shrugged. "I wouldn't mind losing an asshole."
Yeonjun's face dropped as he saw her serious expression. Y/N cackled and lightly hit his arm, amused that he fell for her act. She whipped out a tiny radio from her pocket and turned it on, rotating the antenna to catch signal from any surviving network that's to be found.
"ISS to Houston, do you copy?"
"ISS?" Yeonjun tilted his head. "Isn't that the International Space Station?"
"The one orbiting in space, yes."
"How come your radio picked up their call? They were meant for Houston."
"It's an open network." Y/N raised the radio higher. "Since majority of the channels shut down, devices are now able to pick up any call as long as it's at close distance."
"Y/N," Yeonjun frowned. "The ISS orbits 300 miles above us. How is that a close distance to you?"
"Taehyun told me that 300 miles is the lowest orbit for a satellite. Meaning, their signals can be easily picked up by any networks that's here on Earth."
"This is South Korean Military Commander Jeon, speaking.. If anyone happens to hear us, please.. Seek refuge to a camp close to the North Korean-South Korean boundary.. We will be there waiting for you.. You're not alone.."
"What?" Yeonjun snatched the radio from Y/N. "Hello? Commander Jeon?"
"It's a radio, not a walkie-talkie." She hissed, taking it back.
She readjusted the antenna in hopes to pick up another call. There was a series of static. Y/N stood up to get a better reception. That was when the same voice called again.
"..near the boundaries of North and South Korea.. You don't have to bring anything else but yourself.. Our people can provide everything that you need.. Please, if anyone's out there.."
"Oh my goodness.."
Y/N and Yeonjun wasted no time. They both ran back into the underground hideout, thrilled to inform everyone about the survivors offering another refuge with more security and people to interact with.
"Dr. Kim! Dr. Kim!" She called, bursting to the laboratory.
"Miss L/N? Mr. Choi?" Mr. Jung emerged from his pile of paperwork. "What makes you think you can barge in here unannounced with that loud voice?"
"I need to see Dr. Kim." Y/N said in haste. "Where is he?"
"Calm down, Y/N." The teacher took off his glasses. "Dr. Kim is somewhere else. What's the fuss?"
"There's a military camp near the boundary of North and South Korea and if we can make it there, the soldiers can come take us in to safety.. And.. And the people! We're not all by ourselves, you have to understand.. There are people out there!"
"People?" Taehyun butted in as he just entered. "What people?"
"Taehyun, we're not alone! There's.. There's survivors out there! We can go to them! We can.. We can make out cure and go to them and maybe we can-"
"Woah, woah, we're not going out of this base." Seulgi interrupted.
She, Felix, Kai, and Soobin invited themselves inside the laboratory as well. Yeonjun eyed them one by one as if convincing that Y/N's idea might turn out good. Mr. Jung didn't seem to be buying it though.
"Look, I know it sounds inviting and all but please reconsider what happened when we all made our way here."
"I know!" Y/N agreed. "But there's plenty of us this time! If we can engineer a weapon to totally kill the zombies, it would be a lot easier-"
"That's easy for you to say." Taehyun sternly stated. "They're biological scientists. Not technical engineers."
"Well, this entire futuristic laboratory extravaganza wouldn't have been possible if they knew nothing about technology!" She insisted.
"She has a point."
Everyone turned to Dr. Kim who calmly closed the doors behind him. His usual neat hair was quite a mess at the moment, some strands hanging limp on his forehead. However, his gracious smile and forehead wrinkles sums up his positive aura.
"Miss L/N, that was quite smart of you."
She rubbed her arm. "Um.. Thanks."
"Jin, we're not moving." Mr. Jung pressed. "You know the risks."
"I know. But if you and your students made it here with mere bats and planks, how much more if we're equipped with science?"
"So we're moving?" Yeonjun's face lit up.
"Not yet." Dr. Kim shook his head. "It's a long way to the camp. The cure isn't ready. We aren't ready."
"God." Mr. Jung turned away in disbelief.
"While you chill here with your science, I'll be at the rooftop kicking dummies." Felix proposed.
Soobin stared at him. "What?"
"I'm training for combat, mate. I saw mannequins in the storage. That should be good."
"Count me in." Y/N said.
"Me too." Yeonjun smirked.
"Y/N! Y/N!" Hyunjin screamed, running to them.
"What?"
Panic-stricken, the long-haired panted and collapsed to the floor. Irene came jogging after him. She too looked pale as paper.
"It's Beomgyu."