𝒌𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒂 - 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈
"Is that...Gw—Gwi-Nam?" On-Jo splutters, unsteadily clutching onto your arm with one hand.
"I wish it wasn't."
Gwi-Nam hurdles over the banister easily, locked in on a sole target, disregarding Su-Hyeok battling with multiple belligerent zombies in the corner. In the meantime, Cheong-San shakes himself out of his reverie, coming back from his momentarily lapse after being frozen in place due to Gwi-Nam's unsolicited presence, smacking the latter clear across the face with a folded tripod still gripped stringently in both hands. If it were any other person—any normal human being—that harsh contact of the metal bookplate would have resulted in a broken facial skeleton in the best-case scenario, and death in the worst.
But, Gwi-Nam is no ordinary human being—not anymore.
He calmly twists his cracked neck back into position, bending it with a harsh snap whilst leering psychotically.
On-Jo is a mess next to you, panicking as she breathes out shallowly through her nose. Both down below and above, misfortune is running high.
Decidedly, On-Jo switches places with Dae-Su, Wu-Jin, and Joon-Yeong, doing everything in her power to get through the sealed exit with the full force of her petite body. The three boys instantly aid in grappling with the slowly slipping tarp, weighed down by a constant stream of incoming zombies.
You chew on your lip hard as you see Gwi-Nam hauling Cheong-San by the collar toward him, free hand gradually moving closer toward his head. Cheong-San shouldn't have to be the one dealing with the repercussions alone, particularly since you and him were in it together, having sent Gwi-Nam to his alleged demise. 'No one gets left behind' has been the tacit rule from the start of the outbreak, and Cheong-San was one of the uppermost people you couldn't sacrifice, even less so in this kind of way.
Not being able to take it anymore, you surge down the stairwell, indistinctly cognizant of another set of footsteps padding behind you. Without a care for the consequences, you use all your strength to wrench Gwi-Nam's hand backward.
"Perfect," Gwi-Nam sneers, swiveling his head to the right, lopsided eye socket fixated on you as the good one glances lazily away from Cheong-San. "Just the people I wanted to see."
Despite being skilled enough to fight off any other opponent in combat thanks to your father's training, Gwi-Nam casts you to the floor effortlessly, hand now back to gripping Cheong-San's face, thumb digging into his orbital cavity with ill intent to gouge, smirking all the while. "An eye for an eye will suffice."
Precipitously, Nam-Ra is alongside you, helping you back to your feet before sidestepping over your form, hoisting Gwi-Nam into the air by his neck, her fingers curling and digging into the soft flesh. "Why didn't you die? Why won't you die?"
Gazing up in shock, you notice one of Nam-Ra's eyes has turned red, veins encircling her pupil. Sounds of shattering bones make you turn the other way, seeing Gwi-Nam floundering pathetically.
"What the hell?" With a final expletive from Gwi-Nam, Nam-Ra flings him like a ragdoll down onto the still-stretched blue canvas, his body a projectile to topple all remaining zombies lingering on the steps.
Cheong-San gapes at her like a fish out of water, but Nam-Ra is more incredulous at what she had just done, staring down at her shaking hands, eye now having returned to normal. You cover her hands with yours and they stop juddering instantaneously, just as the characteristic sound of the fire alarm goes off.
"Guys! The door is open!" On-Jo yells over the brash wailing as everyone whips their heads in her direction.
"One, two, three!" Su-Hyeok counts off, Cheong-San combining his efforts with the taller boy to shunt away the few zombies who managed to get their bearings straight and climbed back up in the interim.
Knowing they're now good enough to be left alone, you pull Nam-Ra onto the rooftop in time to see a helicopter taking off. Mixed cries for it to come back, to look down at the survivors still standing strong below goes unheard. If you could put imagery to the definition of hopelessness, it would be this; here, where kids are begging to be saved in the abandonment of adults.
The same time that Cheong-San sinks to the floor in enervation after him and Su-Hyeok slam the steel doors closed, Hyo-Ryung also collapses to the ground in dejection, mourning the elusive chance of salvation.
At Nam-Ra's sudden turning of her body toward the door seconds later, you also follow, her hand remaining clasped in yours, still warm to the touch.
Relentless punches on the other side forces Cheong-San to stand upright, gaze unmoving from the doorknobs; the last in the series finishes with a dent, molded into the outline of a fist. Having now enduringly shut once again, there's no passage any longer through the entrance.
"What the fuck..." Dae-Su slurs, ultimately dropping the metal rod he was wielding.
"Gwi-Nam left," Nam-Ra states, notifying the group. "His scent no longer loiters, and I can't hear his breathing as clearly now."
"What happened?" Cheong-San directs at Su-Hyeok. "Didn't you say he fell from the fourth floor?"
Su-Hyeok shoves his hands in his pants pocket and nods. "He did. I hurled him through a window."
"So, tell me then, how did he survive?"
"Maybe he doesn't die, or he resurrects every time he does?" Su-Hyeok looks at the door and exhales. "I don't know anymore."
"Now he's neither human nor zombie," Cheong-San drones. "Do you two remember that one girl we ran into in the staff lounge?"
"Eun-Ji," you supply.
Su-Hyeok makes a sound of agreement. "Labeling her as abnormal would be an understatement."
Cheong-San stares off into space, analyzing. "Gwi-Nan's like her, isn't he?"
"Perhaps something similar, yeah," Su-Hyeok answers, irresolute.
"What if Nam-Ra is the same?" Cheong-San looks your way, and Nam-Ra tightens her hold on your hand, endeavoring to conceal herself behind you.
"Stop," you say, shaking your head. "She saved you—saved all of us. Please don't act like this." You take a step forward and voice out, much quieter, "We made him into what he is now, whether we intended to or not." Nam-Ra's looking at the floor when you peek over your shoulder at her. "Nam-Ra's fine," you emphasize, "and she'll continue to be."
Cheong-San's eyes shift guiltily. "You can't guarantee what will happen later on."
"There's nothing we can guarantee right now either," you retort. "Cheong-San..." you plead, catching his eye.
"Alright," he concedes, giving in. "Let's make sure we survive, then." He leaves without another word, effectively ending the discussion to make his way toward everyone else rifling through various piles of leftover material strewn around.
Nam-Ra goes off on her own afterward, and you and Su-Hyeok help rummage for arbitrary pieces that could be used to shape the 'SOS' letters following On-Jo's nearly forgotten plan from however long ago.
"This piece is too big!" On-Jo rejects a thin slab of wood Joon-Yeong hands to her.
"How about this one?" he proffers, as Dae-Su lifts a metal base foundation up, proud, before On-Jo resolutely turns down both his and Joon-Yeong's choices.
Wu-Jin's finds prove to be more successful, the gathered bright yellow standees desirably suitable and eye-catching. "Joon-Yeong, can you climb up top and see how this looks?"
After scaling the short rooftop ladder, Joon-Yeong makes a picture frame with his hands at eye-level, miming capturing a shot. "For starters..." he trails off, sucking air through his teeth in dissatisfaction, "the 'O' is a bit narrow."
"You heard him!" Wu-Jin repeats. "Since the 'O' is too tapered, can you hand me that lengthy wood piece, Dae-Su?" Remarkably, his friend points to an unambiguous chunk, asking for confirmation wordlessly as Wu-Jin reaches to accept it. "Yeah, yeah, that one."
"I don't know about you guys," On-Jo declares, tilting her head to one side, assessing, "but I feel as though the letters should appear larger than they do right now." She looks up at Joon-Yeong still on higher ground. "Anything else?"
"Well, since you're asking—" Joon-Yeong pushes his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "—the 'S' is too short. How about we fill that spot too?" Turning this way and that, he remains malcontent. "Overall, the letters are quite squished also. Spreading them out will be better." Everybody heeds the barrage of propositions, taking it in stride, and obediently goes through with revisions.
Dae-Su ascents up next to Joon-Yeong after a while of shifting pieces around on the ground. "Guys, come take a look. We did pretty good work, all things considered." He beckons the group with his hand, and one by one, everyone congregates on the ledge to survey the outcome.
"There's no way you can miss this signal," Joon-Yeong begins, before reverting back to nitpicking mode as he catches sight of something else in need of tweaking. "In my opinion, the word line is still a smidge crooked, and the second 'S' is dwarfed in size compared to the other two letters."
"Ever the perfectionist," you lark out, tapping him on the shoulder. "It's okay, we did our best. As long as the rescuers are literate, they'll swing down here, regardless of aesthetics." Joon-Yeong acquiesces, and everyone takes that as a cue to head back down.
Dae-Su squats and moves a corner piece absentmindedly. While brushing his hands together to clear them of dust, he vents, inquisitive, "What does 'SOS' mean?"
On-Jo is perched on a chair, looking at him expressionlessly. "It's a distress signal."
"I know that...but what does it stand for?"
"Nothing; it doesn't stand for anything. 'SOS' is just 'SOS,' and that's it." You smile to yourself at On-Jo's conviction, wondering how much longer you can watch these two bickering when you know the answer. Pulling up a chair next to her, you sit down with your legs crossed and regard the two conversing, amused. Ji-Min and Hyo-Ryung are in the same boat as you, speechless at the flow of discourse.
"Eyyy," Dae-Su drawls, eyeing On-Jo, unimpressed. "There's no such thing. Everything has a meaning. Plus, why would people use it for something so vital if there's no gist?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
Trying to make sense of it, you can just about see the gears turning in Dae-Su's head as he mumbles to himself, "To be rescued quickly, 'SOS...' Speed of Save?" He looks back at On-Jo, seemingly struck with epiphany, causing you to stifle your hilarity.
On-Jo clucks her tongue at him disappointingly. "Why ask if you didn't aim to believe me in the first place?"
"I thought you'd know!" Dae-Su ripostes, somewhat bothered. "Clearly not."
"I do know! Just look it up and you'll see I'm right!" Crossing her arms, she nearly scowls at his outright questioning of her knowledge given her father's occupation as a first responder.
"Whatever," Dae-Su grumbles, looking the other way. "How can I search for the answer when I don't even have my phone?"
In the midst of the heated debate, Cheong-San saunters over, clueless. "What is it? Why is everyone sulking?"
"I asked On-Jo here what 'SOS' meant, but she said it has no import." After explaining the situation, he glances at On-Jo cursorily, badgering. "If you don't know, you can just say so."
"What I'm saying is true," she accounts doggedly.
"What she's saying is true," Cheong-San defends baselessly, parroting.
"It is?" Dae-Su considers one of his closest friends' words, leaning toward his side for the time being.
"Yeah, On-Jo is correct. Why won't you trust her?"
At the mention of On-Jo's name again, Dae-Su declines to believe he's wrong and twirls his head your way. "Hey, Y/N, you're smart, right?"
"I would like to think so," you say in between giggles at his blunt question.
"Can you tell me what 'SOS' stands for?"
"Why, you little—" On-Jo twitches, but Cheong-San holds her back, not that she'd be able to do much damage to Dae-Su anyhow.
"Forget it. Let him be," Cheong-San settles.
"Back then, ships used the signal in times of distress but with dots and dashes; Morse code basically. 'SOS' is recognized internationally as a call for help, and the acronym can mean either "Save our Ship," or "Save Our Souls." Finished with your information drop, you look around to see On-Jo's expression of betrayal and Dae-Su's winning grin, albeit still a little dubious.
"Hah! On-Jo was wrong!" Dae-Su pumps a fist into the air celebrating for the time being, before rethinking. "Thanks Y/N, but I'm going to ask Nam-Ra for a second opinion since you're ranked third and she's first."
On-Jo slaps you on the shoulder and you laugh at the expression on her face, not even affronted by Dae-Su's refreshingly frank remark, given its truthful nature.
Cheong-San looks between the two of you, puzzled. "So, which one of you girls is correct?"
"Yah! You don't trust me, your best friend?" On-Jo asks, glaring.
"No," Cheong-San deadpans.
"It's cute that you took her side despite being skeptical," you tease, watching Cheong-San fidget, but doesn't alter his stance on the matter.
On-Jo gets up and promptly kicks him to the floor in petty revenge. "We should start a fire," she suggests nonchalantly, disregarding Cheong-San in crippling pain on the floor. "The sun will set soon."
You, Ji-Min, and Hyo-Ryung turn to one another before bursting into a fit of giggles, forgetting about the prior hardships for a split second. In that moment—just for a moment, it's evocative of a normal school day.
You're drawn back to reality though, as before long, the group has their heads together, crouching over a pile of wood chips trying to manually start a fire. Squished between Su-Hyeok and Wu-Jin, you observe as On-Jo strains to twist a stick into the pile as fast as she can, though oddly enough, her strength runs out even quicker. "Next person!" Yielding, she stands up and makes way for Joon-Yeong, passing over the twig after delivering minimal effort.
"Already?!" he asks in disbelief, settling down regardless. Surprisingly, he makes a lot of progress, if the loud sound of the wood pieces scraping together is any indication.
"You'll get tired at the rate you're going!" Dae-Su cautions. "Slow down, buddy!"
From your left, Wu-Jin backhands his shoulder, trying to shut him up. "We won't get any closer to starting a fire if he proceeds slowly!"
"Never mind, Joon-Yeong," Dae-Su changes his words right away. "Do it faster! Come on! More!" The 180-degree turn in his tone is practically comical, his mouth moving speedily to match the exact meaning of his words.
"That doesn't sound right at all," Wu-Jin looks at him, repulsed. "Can't you rephrase that?"
"Ah!" Joon-Yeong suddenly yelps, holding his wrist now cramped up from the external stress factors. Dramatically, he rears away. "I can't do this."
"Aish, step back." Dae-Su shoulders Joon-Yeong lightly out of the way and takes on the task at hand, much to the frustration of the whole group at his ineffective form.
"Should we kill him?" Wu-Jin addresses, sorely disappointed. "Why are your hands clinched and your eyes closed, Dae-Su?"
"What are you praying for?" you joke, playing along. Wu-Jin smiles down at you, delighted that you're adding to his pestering of Dae-Su.
"For all the single people of this bunch—myself included," Dae-Su replies without hesitation.
"Stop praying for things that won't come true, and wish for a fire instead, idiot," Wu-Jin scolds, slapping his friend upside the head.
"I'm trying, but this is a difficult process. It's not working." Dae-Su presses the wooden stick into your hand, and Wu-Jin hits him even harder. "Ladies first, amirite?"
Using all your might, you coil against the kindling with as much pressure as you can apply, Su-Hyeok placing his face nearly to the floor, blowing air into the wood pile consistently. With his help, you can only hope the oxygen inserted will get the sparks going.
"Wait, wait, isn't that smoke?" Wu-Jin points elatedly, close to knocking you over as he huddles in to see.
"Here," Nam-Ra offers, and everyone looks up at her in astonishment as she pulls a lighter from her skirt pocket, jutting it forward. In your haste, you had absolutely forgotten about Nam-Ra owning a flammable object. "You should use this. I smoke," she confesses candidly as multiple pair of eyes gawk at her. "So, you don't want it?" She makes to take it back, but you grab it and she sighs, relieved for the lack of judgment.
You hold the lighter in your dominant hand, thumb on the serrated spark wheel at the top and roll it down quickly into the ignition button, transferring the flame into the kindling.
A fire roars to life instantaneously.
"You know, Nam-Ra," you praise, looking up at her as she lights up at your next words, "you really are number one."
The flames rapidly settle into steady flickers, pulsing, much like a heart, and for every beat, you're reminded that there's still hope slowly, but surely, growing.
»»————-————-««
Even with the blaze burning in the middle to warm everyone seated around it, the night air is frigid, coldness gradually seeping all the way to your bones. You huddle nearer to Su-Hyeok for body heat, and once he notices you shivering, he makes to remove his blazer, but you shake your head.
"Then you'll be cold," you fret, placing your hand over his to halt his actions.
Su-Hyeok swathes you in his jacket anyway, the garment engulfing you completely. "Better me than you."
"Don't be ridiculous, we can share." You scoot a bit closer in order to wrap the blazer over both of your shoulders. Su-Hyeok grins to himself, drawing you ever closer by the waist until there's no semblance of space where you're pressed into his side. His arm slides behind your back to rest featherlight on your hip, concealed from view of the others under the fabric.
He lazily turns to Dae-Su after, wanting to break the silence that fell over the group. "How did your audition go, Dae-Su?"
"I was told to lose weight," Dae-Su murmurs, elbow on thigh and head resting in his fist. He outbreaths, glowering into the fire pit aimlessly.
"That's unfair and uncalled for," you scoff. "The panel had no right to judge anything, aside from your singing."
"Thanks for the support, Y/N." Dae-Su smiles sincerely at you, nodding his head in gratitude. "But they made their decision."
"What a shame," Su-Hyeok agrees. "You're a good singer, though." He nudges Dae-Su seated next to him. "Why don't you sing for us? I'd be honored to hear it."
Despite Su-Hyeok going about it nicely and genuinely, Dae-Su declines. "I don't know if I want to."
Joon-Yeong pulls his legs inward, hugging his knees to his chest, joining in on the conversation. "I really do like that song."
Dae-Su perks up at the acknowledgment, less down than before. "You really mean that?"
"Of course," Joon-Yeong assures. "I wouldn't say so if I didn't."
"So," Su-Hyeok hints, beaming at Dae-Su's now more relaxed composure. "Will you sing for us? We could use some cheering up."
Due to the outpour of positive encouragement, Dae-Su clears his throat and begins to sing, the melody floating through the lyrics detailing reminiscent school days now seemingly so far out of reach with no point of return:
"Let's go once everything's over; let's go anywhere. Once we're done studying twelve hours a day, and once the annoying sounds are over, let's go hand in hand, but let's not run."
Su-Hyeok grabs at your hand, lacing your fingers together, and you lock eyes. The light of the fire flashes strongly in his molten-brown orbs, passionate colors simmering akin to the affection he harbors for you, and you hope the embers of those feelings will never burn out.
Here, Dae-Su looks around the circle at every single classmate, and the group easily joins in, singing the next lines together:
"Let's try walking slowly. Is that drool or sweat pooled on the workbook? No one notices the plop, plop, plop, or the falling raindrops...
What is boiling? Simmer, simmer. Ah, it's mom's doenjang stew, and a bowl of instant noodles in front of the TV which plays nothing but static...
Let's go anywhere together."
When the song ends, you can't help but wistfully think about being able to leave this whole mess behind and run far, far, away, hoping against hope to bring all the people sitting here along with you; only if you could.
"What a nice song," Hyo-Ryung breathes out, content.
Dae-Su gasps, hand placed across his chest, overemotionally astounded. "That's the first nice thing you've said to me, since didn't you formerly reduce it to a subpar composition?"
"I did, but that was before I listened attentively to it. Now, I think it's calming, in a way." Hyo-Ryung plays with her shoes idly, lost in the echoes of the song.
"That was really heartening, Dae-Su," Joon-Yeong compliments. "Thank you for lifting our spirits."
Dae-Su beams widely back at Joon-Yeong, and you smile at the stirring sight between friends, before getting distracted. It's hard not to overhear when Nam-Ra is sitting next to you, with On-Jo on her right, so you tune in to their exchange.
"Nam-Ra, when did you start smoking?" On-Jo is tentative, but inquiring at the same time. Even though she's susurrant, it's quiet save for occasional cracks from the fire, and you're well aware that the group might be listening as well.
"Since the 8th grade," Nam-Ra replies openly. "When you have neither friends nor an outlet to relieve stress, you resort to unhealthy habits, I guess."
On-Jo tightens her white hoodie around herself, prodding gently. "Did you ever think that you were in need of a friend—even if it's just one?"
"I wasn't sure then." Hesitating, Nam-Ra pauses before adding as an afterthought, "And even now, I'm still not sure either." She turns to you and smiles, placing a hand on your forearm. "But that was before Y/N gradually crept her way into my inner circle and introduced me to all of you." You place your free hand over hers, patting in acknowledgment.
On-Jo barrels on, truthful but sensitive all the same. "You always put up a wall all those years, retreating back into your self-created silence with your earphones in to dismiss the world. At first, I thought you couldn't care less for any of us."
"I never disliked you guys." Nam-Ra looks down at her hands before gazing over at On-Jo. "I was meekly reluctant...I didn't know what getting close to people entailed, or how to get close to them. I didn't want to drive anyone away either, so I figured nothing would have to change if I kept to myself; just like smoking, old habits do die hard. I got used to being alone so much that I forgot it's possible to still be an independent individual while simultaneously seeking human dependence."
"To be honest, Prez," Hyo-Ryung gets Nam-Ra's attention before continuing, "this whole time I thought you considered us beneath you, being better off and all. I continuously imagined there was this vast carelessness about you that no one would be able to get through."
Nam-Ra takes no offense to any of that, nodding along in understanding, appearing quite welcoming of the sudden heart-to-heart that would never happen under any other circumstances but this.
"There were times," Joon-Yeong starts, "when I wished you weren't around."
Ji-Min shoots him a look, stunned. "Aren't you two buddy-buddy? I thought it was that way, seeing as how you're ranked as the top two geniuses."
Joon-Yeong bobs his head, but negates the statement at the same time. "Sure, but that's the reason why I despised her in the beginning. No matter how hard I tried, or studied until my eyes felt like they would bleed, I always fell short of first place." He looks at Nam-Ra, and says in all seriousness, "Though, it's okay now. I reason I was able to come in second thanks to Nam-Ra. The competition made me a better student, and being able to divulge this to her face now without bitter feelings anymore is making me into a better person...and friend."
Beside you, Nam-Ra curls her lips upward faintly, rather touched at the sentiment of newfound companions even in the midst of bleakness.
"Come on now, second place is good too," Dae-Su consoles. "I barely escape coming in at 20th." He holds out a clenched hand toward Su-Hyeok proudly. "Right, partner in crime?" The two fist bump and you repress your laughter at the waggish expression that crosses Dae-Su's face.
"Aish. Why would you compare yourself to Joon-Yeong?" Hyo-Ryung purses her lips together in displeasure.
"I'm just saying, is all," Dae-Su huffs out, rolling his eyes before turning to Hyo-Ryung in full-on suspicion mode. "Why do you always jump down my throat when I say something. Do you...perhaps... like me?"
A resounding slap resonates on the rooftop as Hyo-Ryung doesn't dawdle in striking Dae-Su as though she were trying to repel an annoying insect. "Do you have a death wish?!"
Ignoring her protest, Dae-Su plows on. "I'll put it out here in the open so that you don't get your hopes up, or expect more from me than you can receive and wind up hurt." Hyo-Ryung's mouth hangs open, appalled at the groundless accusation. "I like someone else, so please don't save your feelings for me."
Hyo-Ryung sends another punch into Dae-Su's shoulder, and this time he rubs at the spot, visibly in pain. "No problem, because let me put this straight. I'm. Not. Interested," she enunciates, a thwack following after every word.
"Wait," Joon-Yeong questions, prying. "Who do you like, then?"
Wu-Jin grouses seeing a goofy smile stretch across Dae-Su's face, about to split it, metaphorically and literally. "He's a total lunatic, I swear."
You and Su-Hyeok point animatedly at Wu-Jin.
"Ha-Ri Unnie from archery?!" Ji-Min gasps out. "You really are insane, huh?"
"Yes, I admit that I'm crazy—crazy in love." Dae-Su puts both hands over his heart, eyes squeezed shut.
"Yah." Wu-Jin drawls lowly, peeved. "Have you ever thought about what can happen if she rejects you? She'll go crazy with arrows."
"Cupid after my own heart," Dae-Su heaves out fondly, kicking his feet.
Wu-Jin chuckles. "Alright, alright," he compromises. "If we get out of here alive, I'll tell Noona."
Dae-Su's eyes widen, beyond scandalized. "Will you really?!"
"Of course," Wu-Jin smirks, and everyone but Dae-Su understands, struggling to conceal their giggles.
"About my crush?"
"No, to kill you in my stead." Wu-Jin raps Dae-Su on the head. "My Noona is off limits, you fool."
"Brother-in-law," Dae-Su groans despondently, putting Wu-Jin in a headlock. "How could you do that to me?"
"Get off me, you pig!"
Dae-Su tackles Wu-Jin to the ground, the two wrestling around. "Will you seriously tell her?"
"It won't be anything you want to hear though," Wu-Jin retaliates.
"But I love her."
The two stop their antics long enough when the mood becomes somber again.
"My mom and dad prepared everything for my transfer," Ji-Min suddenly says. "They told me to head to Seoul, though I really didn't want to. I wouldn't have any friends upon arrival, and I was afraid of being the laughing stock for entitled, rich city kids. I didn't know what to do." She silences, looking to her left. "On-Jo gave me a great idea: cut school for five days and the principal would never in a million years write me a letter of recommendation, and I followed through with the plan. It's because of her that I'm still present in Hyosan." At those words, On-Jo cutely and smugly raises a peace sign, only to lower it the very next second, smile wiped off her face when she realizes Ji-Min isn't done yet. "I should've gone, though, then maybe I wouldn't have to be in the middle of this apocalypse." No one knows how to reply, so Ji-Min's little spiel is left hanging in the air.
Wu-Ji speaks up shortly after, the silence a conduit for sharing secrets. "Noona was deemed an archery prodigy ever since she was a child, so my family only concerned themselves with whether or not she'd make it onto the national team. They didn't spare me even an ounce of attention."
Now the brusque video message to his mother made a lot more sense, and you feel for him. How hard it must've been growing up always in the shadow of a sibling, especially one that you revere, like he does his sister.
"Aw, don't be like that, brother-in-law," Dae-Su intones affectionately. "You'll always have me! How can you be sad?" Wu-Jin swings a hand out and neck-slices his friend, triggering Dae-Su to flop backward, gravity in on the body gag.
"Thank god, I have Dae-Su." Wu-Jin sniggers as he turns back to see Dae-Su slowly rolling himself back up from the floor, struggling like an overturned cockroach in his attempts.
When Dae-Su is finally back in a sitting position, he shifts the conversation. "Since we're all baring some truths here," he leads. "What about crushes?"
You see Cheong-San grimace, snubbing. "Why?"
"It's much better than talking about our shortcomings, that's for sure. I feel like we all need something a little more positive than woe is me stories. Plus, I told you guys my crush, and now I'm nosy about yours." Dae-Su shrugs, unashamedly authentic.
"I don't know how positive the answers are going to be," Cheong-San mutters, eyes peeking subtly at On-Jo from his peripheral vision.
"Liking someone is a good thing; it's the most selfless form of infatuation," Dae-Su pronounces, undeterred. "Isn't it nice to have someone you always want to look out for and think about, even when they're not around?"
"Yeah, it is," Wu-Jin utters near inaudibly, sliding his eyes over the flames to look at you even though you're none the wiser.
Wiggling his eyebrows, Dae-Su shifts his body to the right and pokes Su-Hyeok in the ribs. "Bare-Su, you're popular, but you've always spurned confessions all these years. You must have someone you like, right?"
"Yeah, I do," Su-Hyeok affirms, fondly. "Always have."
You look down, trying to hide your smile as Dae-Su cups his face in both hands, gleeful. "Tell me more!"
"I've liked her for a long time, even before I knew what the word really meant. At first, I didn't want to ruin our friendship, so I never told her how much I adored her, or that my heart never stood a chance from the very first moment she smiled at me. Just..." Su-Hyeok breaks off, looking at you briefly and covertly. "I cherish her a lot; her intellect, her good heart, and her as a person. Every feeling—every emotion—on the spectrum of affection I have, and will have, is reserved only for her alone."
"And?" Dae-Su prompts, absorbed, as are the others.
"I asked her to be mine."
"What'd she say?" By now, Dae-Su is practically bouncing in one spot.
Smirking, Su-Hyeok merely goes about stretching his legs out toward the fire. "You'll learn about it later."
"Aish," Dae-Su jostles him. "You're no fun."
"I can't give you an ending when the story's only just beginning..." Su-Hyeok trails off as Dae-Su gestures to you.
"Y/N, you've been grinning to yourself the whole time. Were you thinking about the person who caught your eye?"
You look over at Dae-Su sheepishly. Clearly, you weren't as subtle as you thought. "I was," you admit. "But I think about them all the time; every morning when I open my eyes, and every night when I turn out the lights. You know, when we were little, he gave me a dandelion flower to wish on and blew away the puffs of his own into the wind, refusing to tell me what he hoped for. I never told him either, but now that mine came true, I guess I can reveal it: I wished that we'd always be by each other's sides, to whatever extent that may be. Even though it came to fruition, regardless of dreaming on dandelions, I know in my heart that he'll be the one person to always stay, and I'll never not do the same."
"You guys have got to stop leaving me hanging like this!" Dae-Su leans forward, nearly bent in half. "Anyway, what then?"
"I agreed to be his."
"Wait..." Dae-Su looks back and forth, his pupils moving at an alarming speed. "Oh?" He points the index finger of his right hand at Su-Hyeok, before his head turns your way, left pointer finger aligning with your face as he repeats with more emphasis, "Oh." Dae-Su's two hands flap around, fingers crisscrossing between you and Su-Hyeok. "OHHHHHH. "You two are together!"
"No shit, Sherlock!" Hyo-Ryung scolds jokily. "You seriously only figured that out right now?"
"So, all that time everyone thought you guys were the campus couple even when you weren't a couple and it was just...campus?"
"About time," Cheong-San pipes up. "Do you know the amount of torture I went through over the years having to listen to you guys pining over one another in the absence of the other?" He simpers at you cheekily, dimple displayed clearly even in the dark. "I demand compensation."
"Here." You toss a rock at him, but he easily evades it, ducking away before it can hit him.
When you turn back around, Wu-Jin is solemnly staring impassively ahead into the flames, atypically silent even as the others unite in teasing.
Su-Hyeok leans in, trying to land a kiss on your cheek, but you place your hand against his mouth.
"Oh, he's down bad," Dae-Su voices, certain.
"Did you forget we have an audience?" you remind, removing your fingertips away an inch.
"No, I didn't." Su-Hyeok looks at you, putting on the most innocent face he can manage, before he sneaks around your hand and presses a quick peck to your lips. "Doesn't matter to me, though." Su-Hyeok chuckles jubilantly as you cover your face with your hands, shy.
"Now I want to do that with Ha-Ri Noona too." Dae-Su pouts, seriously upset.
"Try it if you want her to sew your lips together with archery bowstrings." Wu-Jin looks at Dae-Su with varying levels of distaste, and you titter at the easy-to-imagine scenario. He catches your eye hearing your laugh at their customary squabbling, and smiles back, though it doesn't entirely reach his eyes.
Cheong-San clears his throat as he adds wood to the fire. "I only want," he begins, but after looking over at On-Jo, ends it pitifully with, "some water."
"That's lame," Dae-Su interjects. "Tell us something we don't know, such as whether you like someone."
"Are we still on this topic?" Wu-Jin asks Dae-Su, exasperated when he's ignored.
"I do." Cheong-San keeps staring ahead until On-Jo turns to him, stupefied.
"Really?!" At her shocked tenor, everyone regards the pair perceptively, the only oblivious one being On-Jo. "Is that why you've been stalling? Is it because of your crush?"
Cheong-San responds speedily and offhandedly. "Pretty much."
"Why the vague answer? Is it yes, or no? Who is she? Do I know her?" On-Jo pressing for answers brings out smirks on everyone's faces, entertained at the scene.
"It would be funny if you didn't know her," Cheong-San articulates, "because she's you, Nam On-Jo."
On-Jo's eyes shake, appearing a little tense as she scorns him playfully. "What's with you suddenly?" She turns to the group in a rush. "He doesn't mean what he says. We've been friends and neighbors ever since kindergarten, that's all." Despite nodding, everyone is unconvinced. It's clear what Cheong-San feels for her, irrespective of how vehemently she tries to deny it. "This is no time to kid around, Cheong-San."
"Why do you always think I'm not serious about what I say, especially when it comes to you?" Cheong-San looks at her sadly, but musters up all his courage to let her know his true feelings. "I've liked you every day for the past twelve years ever since we were six years old...and I'll continue to."
"Daebak," Dae-Su exclaims, providing live commentary and reactions to boot.
Contrary to how everyone thinks On-Jo will react, she does the exact opposite, getting up to leave in a haste, flustered.
Cheong-San turns to look at you, comforted when you mouth, "I'll go talk to her."
Patting Su-Hyeok's knee to let him know you're getting up so that he'll retract his arm from around you, he drapes his jacket over your shoulders with care. You wrap the blazer around you like a cloak, appreciative for the warmth as you slide your arms through the sleeves.
As you walk across the rooftop deck, you hear Dae-Su bothering Wu-Jin next in the background. "Brother-in-law, if I had a sister, I'd be okay with you liking her."
"The problem is, I like someone else."
"Why is that a problem?"
"The person I like also likes someone else."
"On-Jo..." You call out, not wanting to startle her as you approach, overlooking the darkened school ground from your vantage point.
"I know what you're going to tell me," she whispers.
"I don't think you do, but humor me."
"Everyone is suddenly expecting us to magically get together." On-Jo plays with her fingers, tugging on them senselessly.
"I don't anticipate that at all, rather, I only hope that you can give him a chance."
"A chance?" Confused, she scrunches her eyebrows together, waiting for you to say more.
"Both you and Cheong-San are some of the most important people in my life, but that doesn't mean it's my place to meddle. I only want you two to be happy."
"Can we be happy?" On-Jo laments, gazing downward. "With everything going on, how long will that last?"
"We can't wait until things get better before we choose to be happy," you reply with utmost sincerity.
"Aren't you scared?"
"Of this?" you gesture around. "How can I not be?"
"I mean, afraid of what will happen when this is all over." On-Jo grabs your hand.
"Are you?" You squeeze her hand in return.
"How can I not be?" On-Jo replays your words back to you. "I can't bear the thought of going home and opening the door only to find no one there. I don't want to know what it's like to not have Dad just down the hall from me, or ringing the bell next door and not having Cheong-San answer."
"It's normal to be fearful," you assure her. "We're only human after all." You turn On-Jo so that she's facing you, patting her shoulders consolingly when you see tears settling on the rim of her eyes. "But do you know what's even scarier?"
On-Jo shakes her head, and a lone teardrop slides down her cheek.
"Regret," you say as more tears stream down her face. "We don't have the time nor the luxury to think about later, or even tomorrow. Everything we have now may be gone in the morning before we even know it. Find what you'd die for, and then live for it."
"Y/N, I don't want to lose Cheong-San," On-Jo bawls as she flings her arms around you, crying into your shoulder.
"Then, live for him." You rub circles into her back soothingly. "If I told him the same thing, there's not a single doubt in my mind that he'd not hesitate to say it's you he wants to live for."
"I like him a lot," On-Jo admits, voice muffled into your shoulder. "I'm scared because of how much I like him, and how much I don't want to ever say goodbye. I can't risk being happy for a moment, just to wind up hurt for forever."
"Don't you think Cheong-San also took a risk in telling you what he did? For the past twelve years, every single day of his life, he has kept his feelings bottled up and to himself. Why do you suppose he's only saying it now?"
"He wants...to be happy," On-Jo replies, pulling back to look at you. "Even if it's temporary, he'd risk it...for me," she realizes.
"A fraction of forever is worth more than infinite seconds of never."
You hear footsteps behind you and turn around to see Cheong-San, looking incredibly tongue-tied. You squeeze On-Jo's upper arm, nodding to Cheong-San in passing as you step away to grant the two some privacy.
Regardless of moving to a spot further away to disconnect yourself from their conversation as much as possible, the night is still and silent, their dialogue floating to you as you stand, watching.
Something clangs in the far distance, out of place, but you chalk it up to the wind shaking the metal pipelines surrounding the rooftop's foundation.
"On-Jo, I'm sorry." Cheong-San shuffles his feet closer, but still leaves a respectable distance between them. "You don't have to like me back."
"Don't apologize for your feelings, ever," On-Jo stresses, stepping forward.
"I've said everything I've waited a long time to say, and that's enough for me." Cheong-San looks up, surprise evident on his face when he sees On-Jo's teary eyes.
"How is that enough? You jerk." On-Jo throws herself at him, hugging him tightly. "You make it hard for me to not like you, Cheong-San." You beam as Cheong-San gingerly raises his arms to return On-Jo's hug, one arm on her back and the other cradling her head to his chest.
Though the scene is heartwarming, goosebumps quickly begin to rise on the back of your neck, and you spin around only to see Gwi-Nam looming behind you, leaping over the edge of the roof soon after as he pulls himself up by the strength of his hands gripping the ledge alone.
You don't have enough time to get away from where you were leaning, back pressed against the side railing, and Gwi-Nam takes advantage of that fact, clamping a hand forcefully over your mouth, squeezing so stiffly your jaw starts to hurt.
No matter how hard you try to kick him, it's useless with the inhumane strength he possesses. The sounds of struggle, however, draws Cheong-San's attention.
"Y/N!"
Gwi-Nam cackles evilly as he has both you and Cheong-San locked in a trap. Pressing his face closer to yours, you can smell the metallic scent of blood wafting off him.
"You said you'd trade in your life for Cheong-San's, so I'm here to take it."
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[ End Note ]
My heart breaks for Cheong-San every time I think about his confession to On-Jo, so I wanted to expand on her feelings more because the drama made her rejection seem a little heartless not going to lie. After this update, we're down to about 3 or more remaining chapters and I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to this series T_T
Until the next chapter, don't be a silent reader! Comments and votes are always appreciated! ♡
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