The skies outside of the school had become dark, indicating it was already night time to the surviving citizens in Hyosan. Back in Hyosan High School in the broadcasting room, one particular student was being scolded by the English teacher after breaking her promise and causing a quarrel with one of the students.
“Did you really say that? You promised me you’d apologise to him.” Ms. Park sternly said, crossing her arms over her chest while the male students calmed down Gyeongsu near the window.
Areum was treating the small wound on her elbow after Hyeryeong spotted a hole on her school cardigan with blood on it when the short-haired girl helped her stand up from the floor.
“I did nothing wrong.” Nayeon defending herself.
Areum silently scoffed as she covered the wound on her elbow with band aid from the first aid kit. After placing the first aid kit back from where Namra had fetched it for her, Areum wore her school cardigan and stood beside her close friend.
Feeling the stare of her childhood friend, Areum turned her gaze toward Suhyeok, only to see he was staring at her with worry. Suhyeok mouthed if she was fine. The young girl held a small smile and assured him with a nod of her head.
“You only think about yourself. You said to close the door before anyone could get in. You said it would be safer for us. You even pushed Areum to the floor when you walked out of the recording room. That’s not right.” Jimin argued as she scowled in disbelief.
“We almost died because Gyeongsu let Coach Kang in. Why aren’t you mad at him? And I pushed Areum because she’s on my way when I walked out of the door.” The light brown haired girl asserted.
“That was not his fault. How is he supposed to know that was gonna happen?” Cheongsan justified it as he defended his best friend.
“That’s enough. Quiet everyone.” Ms. Park ordered, not believing her students once again argued.
“We’d be quiet if she was gone.” Jimin inserted.
“All of you are so annoying.” Nayeon sighed in frustration. “What if I’m right about this? Then will you finally admit that I saved you all?”
“I don’t understand how you can still be like this?” Cheongsan uttered as he frowned toward the defensive girl, who then looked at Gyeongsu
“Look. See if I’m right or wrong.” Nayeon muttered as she gazed toward Gyeongsu. All of them then turned their attention toward the sitting boy.
“What?” Gyeongsu asked as everyone stared at him. Areum watched as blood began coming out of his nose.
The young girl felt shocked and scared of the bleeding boy as she remembered what Namra mentioned to her earlier. Furrowing her eyebrows to the Lee girl, Areum stared in shock as the pink sweater girl was capable of doing something horrible to one of her classmates in order to defend herself.
“See? You still think I’m wrong?” Nayeon claimed. Suhyeok was surprised as he watched Gyeongsu wipe the blood under his nose as black veins started to visibly appear on his hands.
The tall boy was being pulled away by Daesu from Gyeongsu as Suhyeok still not entirely believing this would happen to one of his close friends. Startling to see the black veins on his hand, Gyeongsu suddenly stood from his seat and stared at his hands in fear.
“Hey. What’s wrong with me? Something’s wrong with me.” Gyeongsu shakily mumbled to his friends as his eyes started to become red. Standing beside the class president, Areum watched with sadness as the boy was shaking with fear after seeing his sudden change of appearance. Areum felt bad as she was too late to prevent this from happening to one of her friends.
“Shit.” Cheongsan cursed as the people behind him stepped away from Gyeongsu in fear. “What’s wrong with you? It’s not true.”
“Get rid of him. Get rid of him now!” Nayeon shouted as she pushed Joonyeong forward.
“No, I wasn’t …” Gyeongsu said, walking toward the group. Onjo screamed in surprise as they stepped away from the boy while Cheongsan remained frozen on his spot.
On the other side of the room, Areum, Suhyeok, Namra as well as Daesu watched in sadness as they were unable to help the bleeding while the others were distancing away from him in fear.
“Gyeongsu. Stay where you are.” Onjo begged. “Stay back.”
“I’m fucking swear I’m not!” Gyeongsu shouted after seeing his English teacher and friends put some distance from him in fear.
“I’m sorry, Gyeonsu.” Onjo breathed shakily as she stared at her friend. “Please stay back.”
“I’ve turned, right? Cheongsan-ah, what do I do?” Gyeongsu said in a quivering voice as tears started to fill his eyes.
“No, no. This doesn’t make any sense. Areum doesn’t turn into a zombie after getting scratch from Hyeonju. So, you shouldn’t either. Why would you…” Cheongsan muttered as his mind could not process properly.
‘Nayeon wiped the zombie blood on his scratch’ Areum thoughted.
She desperately wanted to tell him that however Namra could read her close friend like an open book, shook her head, silently pleaded with her not to do it.. Out of nowhere, Onjo tried to grab Cheongsan’s hand and pulled him away from Gyeongsu before he completely turned into a zombie.
“Let go.” Cheongsan urged as he pulled his wrist off Onjo with strong force. “This cannot be true. Why would you suddenly…” Cheongsan cried.
“No, no. Gyeongsu, you weren’t …” Cheongsan tried to comfort his best friend after shaking his head in denial, taking a few steps toward the bleeding boy.
“Stay away! Don’t come any closer!” Gyeongsu yelled as he pushed Cheongsan away. Both Areum and Suhyeok watched the boy begin to growl as his bones made some crunching sound. Suhyeok quickly moved his gaze away as he was unable to watch one of his close friends turn into a zombie while Daesu silently cried behind him. The girls behind them watched with sorrow as Areum held her tears, not wanting her other friends to turn into a zombie after losing one friend.
“What are you guys doing? We need to kick him out” Nayeon claimed after seeing no one doing anything. “ We’re all gonna die!”
“What’s happening…Fuck.” Gyeongsu mumbled to himself as he staggering in the corner of the room while putting both of his hands on his head due to the sudden loudness.
“Get out. I said get out immediately!” Nayeon shouted after taking the tripod stand off the entrance door.
“Shut the fuck up! I’ll leave by myself.” The bleeding boy frantically yelled.
“I’ll leave. I’ll go on my own. Why would I bite you? We’re supposed to be fucking friends. We’re friends.” Gyeongsu sobbed as he looked at everyone. “If I…If I leave, it will be better for everyone.”
Feeling tears come down on her face, Areum moved her gaze from him as she was unable to look at Gyeongsu suffering alone. The English teacher went near the boy and started to comfort him in any way she could come up with. “Gyeongsu-yah…why don’t you just go back into the recording room until we can figure out…”
“If he stays in here, he’s gonna kill us all.” Nayeon interrupted, making the teacher shout in anger.
“Lee Nayeon!”
“I’m just trying to stay alive.” The Lee girl said, making the teacher helpless as she held her tears.
“I’ll leave.” Gyeongsu announced in a shaky voice. He staggered his way to the entrance door, using the large desk as an assistance to walk as he was sobbing. He caught sight of his teacher and classmates moving out of the way.
“I’ll get out of here on my own. Don’t worry.” Gyeongsu added. Once he managed to get to the door, Cheongsan called his name.
“It’s okay. Thank you for everything. Stay alive.” Gyeongsu uttered as he tried to slide open the door. From her perspective view, Areum could see Gyeongsu was breathing heavily on the entrance door. The bleeding boy then turned to look at all of his friends and teacher. Suddenly, both the teacher and the surviving students were shocked when Gyeongsu wailed in fear, slowly sliding his body against the wooden door as he mumbled to himself.
Areum closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths when she heard Gyeongsu start to make croak sounds as his body began to twist on the floor. Once the black-haired girl opened her eyes, Areum saw Gyeongsu standing near the entrance and growling at them. His eyes were completely red.
Seeing one of his friends had completely turned into a zombie, Daesu went to get Gyeongsu out of the recording room before he hurt someone as Suhyeok tried to stop him by putting his hand on the plump boy’s shoulder.
Removing his friend’s hand, Daesu went to protect the group near Gyeongsu when suddenly the newly turned zombie attacked Wujin, making the surviving people near the zombie avoid his attack.
Daesu pushed the zombie on the desk in the middle of the room as he picked the keyboard near the mixer console on the counter. Once it fully stood on its own, the newly turned zombie loudly growled at Daesu.
Before charging its way to Daesu, the zombie heard Cheongsan whistled the tune of Auld Lang Syne near the broken window and changed its target and charged toward the whistling boy.
The whistling boy looked at his best friend with dejectful as he kept whistling on their favorite song. The male zombie then growled as he began to sprint its way to the source of the sound. Once the zombie was near him, Cheongsan jumped out of the window and quickly grasped the fire hose, making the male zombie fall out of the building.
The broadcasting room was silenced after Gyeongsu fell from the window. Suhyeok looked at his close friend in sorrow as Cheongsan stood on the window sill, watching and silently cried in grief.
***********
Sniffle of cry could be heard inside the broadcasting room as the students and teacher grieve over losing one of their close friends. Areum was standing in between Namra and Hyeryeong as she silently glared at the Lee girl, who sat far away from the other.
“Gyeongsu, that punk. He was such a good kid. Why did he have to turn?” Daesu sobbed as he pulled the tissue from its roll and wiped his tears with it.
“I told you all. He was infected.” Nayeon retorted.
“Well, are you happy now?” Daesu remarked once he saw no dejectful expression from her face.
“You were all wrong. Only I was right.” Nayeon stated. ”What would you even do without me?”
No longer being patient with the girl’s horrible attitude, Areum called her, “Hey, you did that.”
“What?” Nayeon asked the class vice president in confusion. Areum walked her way to where the light brown haired seated and stood in front of the Lee girl as she stared down at the pink sweater girl in a cold expression.
“Namra saw everything and she told me what she saw.” Areum coldly informed the sitting girl. Feeling the need to defend herself, Nayeon moved from her seat and stood in front of the black haired girl, glaring at the class vice president.
“What? What did she see?” The Lee girl challenged the class vice president.
“You’re the one who did it.” Areum simply replied, not explaining the details in further.
“Who did what?” Nayeon exclaimed. “I didn’t do anything to Gyeongsu.”
“She didn’t say anything about Gyeongsu.” Namra stated as she stood beside her close friend, gaining the teacher as well other students' attention.
“Knock it off. What are you talking about?” Wujin questioned as he did not follow what his cousin, the class president and the light brown haired girl were talking about.
“I didn’t do anything,” Nayeon insisted.
“While we were all watching Gyeongsu, you were in the back alone. And you wiped that blood with your handkerchief.” Namra mentioned as she pointed to the bloody wooden stick near where Suhyeok was sitting on the floor.
“No, I didn’t.” Nayeon replied as Areum scoffed in doubt after hearing her reply, clearly could see the Lee girl’s panicked expression behind the hard exterior.
“You even wiped that on the scratches on Gyeongsu’s hand.” Namra continued as Nayeon kept denying.
“It’s in your pocket. Your handkerchief.” Areum informed as she stared at the handkerchief that peeked out of her pocket.
“So, what?” The Lee girl challenged.
“Take it out.” Areum coldly ordered.
“No, I don't want to.” Nayeon stated, getting frustrated with the two girls in front of her.
“I said take it out.” Areum sternly repeated as she held her palm out to the girl, an action for Nayeon to take the handkerchief out of the pocket and give it to her.
“I said no.” Nayeon rudely replied as she harshly pushed Areum’s hand away from her. Suhyeok watched the commotion in front of him become intense and he decided to stand, so he could be prepared if a fight happened between the two girls.
“Should I take it out?” Areum challenged her with an icy smile on her face. Not waiting for the Lee girl’s reply, Areum roughly grabbed her skirt pocket and tried to take out Nayeon’s handkerchief.
“Damn it.” Nayeon cursed as she harshly pushed Areum away. “Who the hell do you think you are? The class vice president?”
In a flash, Areum slapped her face with a strong force as she was no longer able to tolerate Nayeon's rude and terrible behavior. Nayeon grunted in pain as Joonyeong stood in surprise at the loud slap. The teacher and the rest of the students were stunned as they never saw Areum acting this way.
“Yeah, I’m the class vice president but you’ve never treated us like the class president and vice president.” Areum whispered as she also mentioned the way Nayeon treated her close friend as well. “You only treated us like the class president and vice president when you needed something like earlier.”
“Areum-ah, that’s enough.” Ms.Park ordered as she tried to settle the situation amongst her students.
“Areum, Namra, do you realise what you’re saying right now? If that is true, it means Nayeon killed Gyeongsu.” Ms.Park informed the two girls, who have not turned their attention from the Lee girl.
“It’s true. Nayeon did it. She killed him.” Namra stated.
“You fucking bitch.” The Lee girl cursed, showing her true color as she threw her handkerchief on Areum’s face. “There you go. Are you satisfied?”
Ignoring the rude girl’s glare, Areum went to pick the handkerchief on the floor and examined it once she straightened her posture. “There’s blood in it.”
“I wiped Gyeongsu’s wound.” Nayeon claimed as she tried to get herself out of suspicion.
“This is Gyeongsu’s blood?” Areum questioned, not believing her words.
“You can’t tell? You’re quite skilled when it comes to wounds.” The light brown haired girl mentioned.
“You’re right. Then, why don’t you put it on your wound.” Areum suggested as she pointed the handkerchief at her wound on her knees, making the light brown haired girl feel nervous.
“Wipe yourself with it if you’re so confident about it.” Namra instructed as she tried to get the girl to tell the truth about the earlier incident.
“Like his blood is so clean? He was a zombie.” Nayeon urged, delaying herself from doing what the two girls had suggested. Feeling irritated with the defensive girl, Areum threw her handkerchief on the floor as she stepped closer toward Nayeon with a cold expression.
Seeing Areum was feeling irritated with the pink sweater girl, Suhyeok just remained on his spot, fully aware that he could not calm her down once she had not finished letting out her frustration toward the girl. If he tried to calm her down before letting go of her anger, she would most definitely let it out on other people. Suhyeok shuddered in fear when he remembered that it had happened to him before.
“He was just fine until you infected him with your handkerchief.” Areum calmly whispered.
“Lee Nayeon, you-” Cheongsan exclaimed as he tried to reach her way, however Suhyeok stopped him from going further.
“Damn it! It wasn’t me!” Nayeon yelled as she kneeled down and grabbed the handkerchief on the floor before hesitating to put the bloody handkerchief on the wound on her knee. All of the students were curiously waiting for her to prove her innocence by applying the blood on her wound. Few seconds later, Ms. Park quickly grabbed Nayeon’s wrist, preventing her from putting the blood on her wound.
“Don’t do it. Stop it. Let it go.” The English teacher sternly instructed her. After the light brown haired girl did not listen to her, Ms.Park tried to take the handkerchief out of her hand. “I said to stop it. Give it to me.”
“Leave me alone! Fuck!” Nayeon angrily shouted as she pulled her hand away from the female teacher. “I should just die too then? That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Why is Gyeongsu better than me? That dirty welfie pushed me.” Nayeon uttered as she held her tears from being suspected by the students and teacher.
“Nayeon-ah, you didn’t…” Ms. Park muttered as she stared at the girl in shock.
“So, you did it.” Cheongsan plainly said as he tried to get out of Suhyeok’s grip, wanted to get closer to the light brown haired girl. Daesu went to help Suhyeok in restraining their friend as the boy was determined to get out of their hold. “How could you just fucking-”
“I didn’t kill him, okay? Gyeongsu fell but he got up and ran. He’s still alive. He didn’t die, he just turned.” Nayeon shouted, still trying to defend herself. Once the whole room heard her statement, every surviving students stared at her with different emotions; anger, disgust, shock, disbelief and hatred.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Onjo asked in disbelief.
“Stop ganging up on me. When I said he smelled, you all laughed. You all made fun of him too. Don’t try to act innocent now.” The pink sweater girl informed, making Cheongsan unable to control his anger any longer as both Suhyeok and Daesu tried to restrain him. Cheongsan managed to get out of their grip as he continued to see red in his mind, he went to push Nayeon with strong force to the ground.
“How could you kill him?” Cheongsan angrily screamed, ignoring his teacher who pleaded to him to stop.
“You’re…” Cheongsan breathed heavily as he stared down at the girl, trying to hold his tears after knowing the truth of his best friend turning into a zombie. “...a murderer.”
From where she was standing, Areum could observe that Nayeon was whimpering as she held her head down. Once the light brown haired girl heard Cheongsan’s statement, Nayeon slowly lifted her head as tears streamed down on her face. The Lee girl was staring at everyone in the classroom, seeing the different emotions displayed on their faces.
“I…I have no friends at all. I don’t need any of you. Fuck this.” Nayeon sobbed. The pink sweater girl then made her final decision as she stood from the floor. She went to slide open the wooden door, completely ignoring Wujin calling her and leaving the broadcasting room. Wujin quickly went to the entrance door, tried to pull the pink sweater girl back inside the room when suddenly Ms. Park blocked the door using her whole body, preventing the young boy from sliding the door opened.
“Listen, kids. No matter what happens, you need to stay alive. And also, don’t let anyone die. If you cause someone else to die, life becomes completely meaningless. Okay?” The female teacher uttered as she held her tears while looking at her students for the final time. Ms. Park smiled toward her students before leaving the broadcasting room through the entrance door.
“Saem(샘)! Ms. Park! Wait.” Daesu yelled as he tried to stop her.
“Daesu, don’t go.” Wujin mentioned once he managed to stop his best friend from going to their English teacher. Daesu cried in devastation after seeing the female teacher leave the broadcasting room.
“She’s gone.” Daesu cried.
Areum was frozen on her spot as she stared at the spot where her English teacher stood before leaving. Areum tried to hold her tears after watching her favorite teacher leave the room while Cheongsan cursed as he repeatedly punched his hand on the metal cabinet door.
The sound of helicopters whirring outside could be heard through the broadcasting room but the students were in a distraught mood after witnessing their teacher leaving the room to fetch one of her students.
***********
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