Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

On-jo's POV

The panic is automatic, because one second ago she was alone in her room, and now she's surrounded by other people, with everyone else yelling and freaking out. And also, not in her room anymore. More like a really big living room, with a large tv in the center and a bunch of couches and chairs, as well as blankets on the floor.

Her father holds her right hand, and I-sak grabs her left. On-jo looks around and recognizes several of her friends and other classmates. A couple teachers, and some other adults as well.

Dad squeezes her hand one last time before standing and joining other adults in trying to calm everyone down. The only adults other than her dad that she recognizes are Ms. Park and Mr. Lee.

"There's a note." A- Oh god, why is there a General here? Or a commander Her peers quiet down upon that realization as he picks it up and reads it.

Dear Everyone,

You are here to watch a show about the future, it will take a minimum of twelve hours. Maybe thirteen. Fourteen is probably a stretch. The bathrooms are behind the couches. Introduce yourselves, and then the show will begin. No time will pass in the outside world while you watch, and when you return it will be as if you never left. You can pause to discuss at any point.

Good luck <3

"This is ridiculous!" a wealthy woman says.

"I'm so confused." Cheong-san says quietly, but just loud enough for their classmates to hear.

"Look, whatever this is, I really don't see why kids need to be involved." Dad says.

"I couldn't agree more," the wealthy woman affirms.

"I need a cigarette," one girl groans without care for who hears her.

"Wait!" a man in black says. "There's writing on the back."

P.S. the show is called All of Us Are Dead.

"I'm unhappy," I-sak pouts.

"We aren't doing this!"

"I don't think we have a choice." The man in black says.

"Fine, we'll do what our kidnapper wants," the woman huffs.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves." Dad says.

"I am Assemblywoman Park Eun-hee," the wealthy woman says proudly. She puts a hand on Nam-ra's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Choi Nam-ra."

On-jo and I-sak share a look. Of course their snobby classmate has a mom like that.

"Commander Jin Seon-mu." The Commander says. The girls scoot closer to one another.

"Nam So-ju." Dad says. "Captain of the Fire Station rescue team one."

"Uh... Kim U-sin. Paramedic on his team."

"Song Jae-ik. I'm a detective at the city police station."

"I- I'm Jeon Ho-chul. I'm also with the police."

"Um..." Ms. Park says, now that no adults in high up positions are left to introduce themselves. "I'm Park Sun-hwa. I teach English for most of the kids here."

She turns her head to look at Mr. Lee in the corner and clears her throat. He blinks and mumbles. "Lee Byeong-chan."

Creepy.

"Kids?" Ms. Park prompts.

"I'm Jang Ha-ri," says a senior with a bow and arrow for some reason (which doesn't reassure On-jo of anything).

"That's Woo-jin's sister." Dae-su tells everyone loudly.

Woo-jin blinks at him in annoyance and then sighs. "I'm Woo-jin."

Su-hyeok clears his throat. "Uh..."

"Seniors first," another girl says irritably. "Park Mi-jin. No one talk to me."

"Um..." Another boy starts. "Yoo Joon-sung."

Another archery kid speaks up. "I'm Jung Min-jae."

"Okay. I'm Lee Su-hyeok."

"I'm Lee Cheong-san."

"Yoon I-sak."

At her best friend speaking, she takes the opportunity. "Nam On-jo."

"Han Gy-"

"Lee Na-yeon," their annoying classmate interrupts.

Their friend rolls his eyes in good nature. "Han Gyeong-su."

"Yang Dae-su."

"Oh Joon-yeong."

"Kim Ji-min."

"Seo Hyo-Ryung."

Finally, they look at the three final members.

"Um..." A meek girl from their classroom, already sitting on her own with her backpack clutched to her front, says. "I'm Park Hee-Su."

"Min Eun-ji." The other girl says quietly, long hair falling over her face.

"Kim Cheol-soo." The boy whispers.

"Now that that's done," Nam-ra's mon says. "Let's get this over with."

They all nod and head towards seats.

On-jo wonders why only her, the class president, and Woo-jin have relatives with them. Their class and a few teachers seem to make up most of the room. But given that there's a general here and no one seems ready to claim him as their dad, maybe it's about something with the military or government. But then there are other kids from their school, older ones, who On-jo has never met, but are probably friends of Woo-jin's sister?

Who is this show even about?

Their class starts to migrate to one side of the room, with On-jo smiling but shaking her head at her father, who nods and stays with the other adults. The older kids stay more towards the middle, but more towards Class 2-5. Nam-ra sits with her mom, face stone cold and still not reacting to anything.

On-jo almost frowns, glancing at Mr. Lee, who sits in the corner with a haunted look in his eyes.

But then the tv turns on, and she just hopes that what they're about to witness won't be too hard to get through.

Chapter Text

Su-hyeok's POV

The show starts off creepy, the reflection of a cross in a puddle. He stiffens when he realizes who's standing above it.

It's hard to watch, first with Myeong-hwan mocking him for his suicide and then Gwi-nam beating the shit out of him. Su-hyeok can't believe he ever called these assholes his friends.

He wishes his real, better friends didn't have to see this though. Most of them have never been in fights before, and most definitely not ones this brutal.

Lee Jin-su doesn't look good, his eyes look red and his skin is sickly shade. And for all Mr. Lee might freak his classmates out, Su-hyeok wishes he didn't have to see this.

He stands, and his bones crack as he does. God.

"Close your eyes." On-jo's dad tells her, and though he suspects that she would be embarrassed any other time, right now she just nods and buries her head in I-sak's shoulder as they both flinch away from the screen.

Nam-ra doesn't seem too affected, though her mother's hand covers her eyes as the other grips her shoulder.

Finally, Jin-su races at a bully and ends up falling off of the roof. Several people gasp.

"Holy shit." Gyeong-su says, not caring about the adults in the room. No one scolds him.

Gwi-nam looks over the edge with wide eyes, and Su-hyeok wonders if this is too much even for him. Myeong-hwan isn't so bothered.

"What? You scared?"

He clearly is, but says otherwise. The realization that you've gone too far is a brutal one. At least Su-hyeok figured it out without anything like this happening.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Lee." Su-hyeok offers, assuming this is how his son disappeared. At least now there are cops and firefighters and a General for some reason who know how it happened.

But it cuts to a hospital, and Mr. Lee is going in. He sneaks past a doctor and goes to his son's bed.

He feels a wave of guilt, seeing them talk and knowing that bullying has hurt this family, even if he himself never crossed the line when it came to Jin-su. He hopes that he never hurt anyone this much.

He can't blame Jin-su for wanting them dead.

Jin-su gets upset when his father promises things will get better.

"Either I die or they die. It won't get better until someone dies."

That's not true. That-

His eyes are red and his body is convulsing, Mr. Lee tries to restrain him as he tries to get up, hellbent on killing his tormentors. Finally, he threatens to kill his own dad as well.

"What's wrong with him?" On-jo asks, clearly not understanding why how his mood can change so drastically. But Jin-su is hurt and angry and not thinking straight.

But then he's trying to bite his father. He sounds almost like an animal, his red eyes show no awareness, and Su-hyeok thinks that maybe there's something else going on with him.

Mr. Lee picks up a bible and- "I'm sorry, Jin-su. I love you."

"Ugh!" The entire room flinches.

"You killed your son?" The detective says harshly.

Mr. Lee says nothing, staring on ahead, and the scene changing to a subway station where he's hauling luggage through. Oh god, luggage. He trips and falls.

"Is that an arm?" Dae-su whispers, sounding sick to his stomach.

Mr. Lee checks the pulse and sighs in relief, which Su-hyeok doesn't know if he should take as a good thing or a bad thing. Then he notices some bruises, which were probably caused from one of the beatings he's suffered through.

Su-hyeok jumps when the arm twists and grabs. Mr. Lee backs away as the suitcase jumps around, the son making animal noises again. If he hadn't seen what he'd just seen, he really would have thought it was a wild animal in that case.

And then it cuts away to the opening title, still 'All of Us Are Dead' and he agrees with I-sak about being unhappy with the name. The title credits turns to... people? It's all gray but they seem to be reaching up at something.

He almost sighs in relief when it cuts to a normal day in school, and some of his classmates actually do, but now he has a deep feeling of dread about what's to come.

"Alright, pause." The General says. "Whatever we just witnessed, I know it broke many, many laws."

"I got it." The detective says, pulling out a pair of handcuffs and walking towards him. Mr. Lee doesn't fight back and easy lets himself be shoved into a corner.

"We're all doomed," is all he says.

"We kinda guessed." Gyeong says breathlessly. Their classmates all shush at him, and Cheong-san hits him over the head.

"Kids, as a rule I think you should stay for away from this man until we can get out of here." Mr. Nam says.

"Agreed." Nam-ra's mom adds.

They resume watching. The day seems normal enough. Ms. Park is saying goodbye to Ms. Song in the teacher's lounge, kids moping the floor, getting the nurse's office ready, boring news over the P.A. system coming from the radio room.

Outside, On-jo and I-sak are giggling and running to get brooms. Su-hyeok passes them, goofing around with Gyeong-su and Cheong-san, the latter chasing the former. Two teachers are smoking next to a no-smoke sign. And in the window above them, Dae-su is breathing in the fresh air, to Woo-jin's confusion and exasperation.

"Why is this show called 'All of Us Are Dead'?" Hyo-ryong asks with wide eyes. No one answers her.

There's the archery team, practicing for that thing they have coming up. Woo-jin audibly sighs in seeming relief. Su-hyeok raises an eyebrow but doesn't ask why. Then it's at the school choir and finally, the science lab. Where Mr. Lee works.

The kids who had been cleaning it up, including Joon-yeong, had finished and are leaving, sparing a glancing mention to waking up Hyeon-ju, a girl who very willingly hangs out the bully gang and was even in that opening scene.

Joon-yeong seems to linger, considering waking her up, but leaves anyways. Good. Su-hyeok does not want his new friends anywhere near his old ones, especially the ones involved in fighting Jin-su.

The sound of the closing doors wakes her up anyways, so it's no harm. She gets up and is about to leave when she hears a noise.

"Oh my god." Dae-su whispers as she goes in the storage room. "No."

"She's not gonna-" Gyeong-su starts.

Joon-yeong face palms. "She is."

"What? What is it?" On-jo asks them.

"Has she never seen a horror movie?" Cheong-san asks. "Who the hell hears scary noises and walks towards it?"

"How many horror movies have you seen?" she asks him.

"I heard a lot of really good things about Train to Busan."

They watch with dread as their classmate hesitantly walks to the source of the sounds, knocking on it and getting startled ("What is she doing? Leave!") then picking up the box hiding it to reveal a tiny mouse in a cage. The science teacher groans.

"You see, now it's a little more acceptable. Now it's just her being silly for having been scared by a small little animal."

Na-yeon groans. "Will you people shut up?"

It's a little cute, watching her gently call to the little creature. Su-hyeok wonders how someone could be so sweet to a helpless animal but still be so callous to another human.

They all watch as Hyeon-ju sticks her hand in the cage, which still wouldn't be a good idea even if their biology teacher wasn't a creep, and get bitten. A few people gasp, surprised at seeing the mouse so riled up, convulsing, reminding him of what Jin-su had been like. It's eyes are red and everything.

That's when Mr. Lee showed up, and Su-hyeok desperately wants to know what he did with his son. Hyeon-ju tries to leave, giving a brief mention of what happened, but the science teacher pulls her back in and closes the door. A loud bang is heard.

"You're going to jail," the detective reiterates.

After that, it cuts to a scene of Su-hyeok's friends being kinda normal. Gyeong-su is being annoying, Cheong-san is being annoyed, On-jo and I-sak are making plans with those two and then running away when Gyeong-su tries to turn it into a date.

Su-hyeok wonders where Nam-ra is. They haven't seen her in this show yet, not even in establishing the school.

On-jo groans in embarrassment when Cheong-san's mother says that she eats a lot.

Su-hyeok smiles. He's never met any of his friends' families, not counting the ones he was kidnapped with. Not even Cheong-san's or Gyeong-su's, though they're the ones he's closest to. And the crowds he used to run in were never the type to invite friends over to eat their mom's special recipes. But Cheong-san's mother seems so sweet.

Cheong-san complains about the name of the restaurant to his mother, and the others don't help.

He almost laughs. "It's a good name."

The rest of the boys agree, happy to make fun of their friend and have a little break of levity after everything with Mr. Lee, if only for a little bit.

Su-hyeok has never been to the restaurant, but Gyeong-su raves about how good it is,moffering to be a delivery boy in exchange for free chicken.

Na-yeon scoffs. "Of course you would."

His friend just beams at her. "Best chicken in Hyosan!"

She rolls her eyes.

Su-hyeok's smile dips when the girls begin gossiping about Mr. Lee. How Na-yeon spread that rumor about him smelling like a corpse, to his son getting bullied, to the recent incident with him leaving class. He had been dozing off when it happened but now he watches in rapt attention as he writes... something on the board and just leaves, leaving them all behind and confused.

"They say he was a genius." "Lots of geniuses go crazy."

Cheong-san takes the opportunity to joke about On-jo's grades, which helps to lighten the mood up again. Their friends do love to take hits at her I.Q.

Afterwards, On-Ji stops Cheong-san as they all run towards the public transport. She takes it back though but he insists.

Soft music plays, and it seems to go into slow motion as On-no lets her hair down, asking if it's better behind her ear or not (even though it seems to the same to Su-hyeok) but wow, the look on Cheong-san's face is priceless.

"Aw." I-sak says, smiling hard. He has to agree.

Cheong-san has it down so bad for On-jo, it's not even funny.

"Oh my god, this is so cute." Ji-min says aloud.

On-jo scoffs. "Shut up."

But of course, he won't tell her that she's beautiful, and earns a kick for his deflection. But if their life is a tv show now, Su-hyeok hopes this will lead to them getting together. Like in a tv show.

Any semblance of a good mood is quickly snuffed out by the sight of their school at night. Coach Kang is checking the classrooms, and looks in on the science lab. Hyeon-ju is tied up and struggling, but he doesn't notice, though he does look at the supply room door.

"So many laws. You've broken so many laws," the less confident of the cops mutters.

The next morning, Mr. Nam talks with On-jo about her grades. Su-hyeok decides to get the others to lay off her about the intelligence thing, since she's clearly getting shit about it from seemingly everyone. But On-jo is insistent that she'll do better grades-wise, which her father clearly doesn't believe.

On-jo takes the opportunity to leave as soon as Cheong-san rings her doorbell, leaving her leftovers.

"Ah, you need to eat more!" Mr. Nam scolds her.

"Dad!" On-jo groans. "Not now!"

His friends play rock, paper, scissors, race each other downstairs through the elevator and the stairs, and he makes her carry his bag. Su-hyeok watches all of this fondly.

Na-yeon fails to get Nam-ra's attention, something that would make him laugh if he didn't know that he probably wouldn't be able to get her attention either. Gyeong-su jumps a gate through the rich neighborhood as a shortcut to school and hits Na-yeon's shoulder as he passes her.

Ji-min is dropped off at school by her parents, who make her take a bag of food with her.

"What is it with kids and skipping breakfast?" Mr. Nam asks.

Unfortunately, or perhaps hilariously, On-jo is among the late kids, missing by a second. Bitter, she drops Cheong-san's backpack and kicks it. He's unphased.

In real life, On-jo groans.

And then there's him. Su-hyeok sees himself noticing his awful old friends, the bullies, and two poor kids they force to do their bidding.

It seems like Cheol-soo knew something about what happened with Jin-su and told someone. But now Myung-hwan is angry at them.

They all watch in utter horror as they begin to take off Min Eun-ji's clothes. In present time, she begins to cry seeing herself stripped down as her only friend is forced to record it. And Gwi-nam and Chang-hoon think its funny.

"That's horrible." Nam-ra's mom says to the two. "You two should go to the principal with this."

They say nothing, just nod solemnly, tears still streaming down her face.

But that's when Su-hyeok steps in, finally telling them to stop. They at least seem less smug, throwing Eun-ji her clothes before addressing him.

There's a stab of shame when Myung-hwan reminds him of their former friendship, as well as regret that anyone who didn't know that before now does. But for a second, he feels hopeful as he sees himself helping Eun-ji up and leading the two of them away. But Gwi-nam ruins it, threatening to send the pictures of Eun-ji to her mother.

"It's not okay. Because if I leave now, it'll be worse tomorrow."

He feels completely useless, seeing them both give in to their abusers. But those bullies only let Su-hyeok leave because they were scared of him. They have nothing holding them back when it comes to Eun-Ji and Cheol-soo.

"We'll go to the principal tomorrow." Ms. Park promises. "We'll... we'll get you transferred out of classes with them. This is before those pictures were taken. We'll figure something out."

Cheol-soo gives her a grateful grin, but Eun-Ji just keeps her head down in shame.

Su-hyeok can tell the others want to say something reassuring but no one knows how.

After that there's a kind of odd scene where On-jo stops him in the halls and asks him up to the roof for some reason. Not fighting, which she makes clear. He wonders what's on the roof...

God, how is he gonna stop Myung-hwan and those guys?

In class, Hee-su is sitting in the back. Su-hyeok glances at the quiet girl, who hasn't said a word since introductions, looking terrified to see herself, clutching her backpack to her body.

There's Nam-ra, studying as always to be the best. And she's already the best.

The rest of the guys, talking and goofing off- "Are you sitting on my desk!?!" "Shh!" -when On-jo returns Cheong-san's backpack, but she doesn't look happy about it.

She sits next to I-sak, sighing loudly, muttering 'What do I do?' over and over again.

Su-hyeok begins to worry. Maybe she wants him on the roof because she's in trouble with something? Of course he'll help her out.

He looks at On-jo. Next to her, I-sak is looking at her with a bemused but knowing expression, a lot different then her confusion onscreen. What changed there?

Su-hyeok joins the other boys in whatever they're talking about, but it's cut short by Na-yeon yelling at Gyeong-su to get off the desk, ranting about him stinking. The others try to calm them down- Or, well, Cheong-san holds him back and Woo-jin asks what her problem is, but then Ms. Park comes in.

They all hand in their phones. Ms. Park asks if anyone knows where Hyeon-ju is, with Joon-yeong being the only one to know anything at all.

They're attention is taken away by another phone going off and Dae-su and I-sak having to hand theirs in.

"Woo-jin." His sister Ha-ri glares at him, as they all hear his little whispers about messing with Dae-su.

Woo-jin groans and rolls his eyes but says, "Sorry."

Ms. Park also notes that On-jo turned in an old phone, to their amusement.

After that, Ms. Park goes to talk to Mr. Lee to ask her about Hyeon-ju. Su-hyeok hopes that she'll be okay, though he doesn't know what Mr. Lee is doing to her.

There's a noise from the back but Mr. Lee says it was just a hamster.

Wait, was that little rodent from earlier a hamster? He could have sworn it was a mouse.

She leaves and Mr. Lee to the supply closet where Hyeon-ju is, and tells his video cam that it was defined a hamster and that he's given her injections to slow down the 'infection'.

By her moaning in the back, she sounds like she's in serious pain.

She's shown writhing in her bonds as he sticks her, before calming down. She begs him not to kill her.

"Don't kill you? Don't bother having any hope."

"Why would you bring that animal to the school!?" Ms. Park asks in horror.

To his surprise, Mr. Lee does give a straight response. "I can't lie. I got sort of reckless after awhile."

"I'm getting you fired!" Nam-ra's mom shouts.

"And arrested," the detective adds.

"And held under maximum security," says the General.

"I should have woken her up." Joon-yeong whispers to the group.

"Not your fault." Su-hyeok whispers back.

In Mr. Lee's class, he's talking about living organisms when Gwi-nam takes off Eun-ji's jacket forcefully. Su-hyeok dreads thinking about what he's gonna do now.

"Ugh. Do-min." Joon-yeong scoffs as a student argues against Mr. Lee's teaching. "Fucking wannabe."

It's hard to concentrate on whatever Mr. Lee is saying when Gwi-nam is writing on Eun-ji's back. The entire class is laughing at her. She's sobbing.

"Those boys should be expelled!" Nam-ra's mom shouts, indignant. "And to think they're going to school with my daughter. With girls my daughter's age."

Eun-ju just keeps sobbing. Cheol-soo does reach out a hand but he retracts it.

"It's because the parasite's will to survive is much stronger than the snail's."

... God, Su-hyeok hates Mr. Lee's class.

Hyeon-ju is yelling, or maybe hissing? It's a guttural, inhuman sound. Blood is smeared all over her face. She pulls on her restrains until she's freed herself, and is left convulsing on the floor.

Back in Ms. Park's class, they're learning about prejudice. Hee-su is looking kind of sick. Sick... no, there's no way she has whatever Hyeon-ju has. She asks to use the bathroom and leaves.

Nam-ra answers the question. Of course she does, she's brilliant. But also Ma. Park sees that Su-hyeok himself isn't paying attention and decides to call him out.

His friends explain the 'Bare-su' nickname, taking the opportunity to tease him about it, and Ms. Park asks to answer Nam-ra's question.

But hey, at least he can make others laugh if nothing else.

But before he can admit that he's wrong... Storylines collide as Hyeon-ju stumbles in, bloodied and disheveled, and collapses on the floor.

"The science teacher grabbed me and locked me up."

Su-hyeok, On-jo, and I-sak help Ms. Park take her to the infirmary.

There, Hee-su is already with the nurse, clearly scared and in distress. Su-hyeok hopes that she's okay, but quickly becomes preoccupied again with Hyeon-ju.

The nurse takes her temperature as she's convulsing, noting that it's low. Ms. Park calls the emergency services.

"A disease shouldn't have that much blood." Joon-yeong whispers.

Meanwhile, Hee-su looks like she's in pain as she walks down the hall slowly. Hyeon-ju tells them about all the freaky stuff that Mr. Lee was doing to her.

Na-yeon, Ji-min, and Hyo-ryung are all talking about it in the classroom after Hee-su takes her stuff and leaves. Na-yeon thinks that it was revenge for Jin-su's bullying.

The boys are also talking about it, with Joon-yeong reminded everyone about the science lab. Dae-su suggests it was porn.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Woo-jin asks.

"What?!" Dae-su says.

"Oh my god." Woo-jin's sister says. "You're the one who keeps calling him your 'brother in law'?"

"He's told you about me?" Dae-su smiles at her.

She looks at him blankly. "Please stop."

I-sak comes in tells everyone the details of how Hyeon-ju was trying to bite them all, and says she smelled like a rotting corpse. She takes a moment to spitefully remark on Nam-ra for still studying, which is just unnecessary.

"Your teacher did say to study." Nam-ra's mother admonishes.

Cheong-san runs to the infirmary when he hears On-jo got a little hurt, but only sees the aftermath. Needles and blood on the floor and bed. Hyeon-su is taken away in ambulance, Ms. Park and the nurse giving information to the paramedic. On-jo is with her dad, and she admits that she was scared when it all happened. Su-hyeok just hopes that she won't get whatever Hyeon-ju has from that injury.

Ms. Park tells them not to tell anyone anything, which they both agree to do. They walk back into the school together.

"God, all this talk about biting makes it seem like a... a vampire flick." Gyeong-su whispers to them. He eyes Mr. Lee. "Do you think he made a vampire disease?"

Cheong-san and Su-hyeok share a look of disbelief before they both scoff. "Shut up."

Su-hyeok asks On-jo why she wanted to meet on the roof, and she hands him something. It's a name tag.

Oh.

Oh!

Oh...

He looks On-jo, who is looking at the screen with horror, and tries to think of something to say to her. Next to him, Cheong-san also looks caught in headlights. And just when things can't get more awkward, Dae-su decides to talk.

He whistles. "Wow, right in front of everyone too. That's so embarrassing."

"Shut up!" several voices call out.

And she had even looked around to check if anyone was listening before giving it to him. Yeah, Bare-su wishes that this had stayed between the two of them.

On-jo rambles about how she's not with Cheong-san when his movie self asks, but before he can hear his own decision, the man himself comes in to look at her injury. This causes her to storm off. Su-hyeok takes the chance to ask him about them and he says yes before taking it back.

"Seriously, even if it was the end of the world, and it was her, me, and a zombie, I'd honestly rather date the zombie."

"Ugh!" On-jo punches his shoulder.

"What? Would you like to go out with me?" Cheong-san challenges, looking a little red, but still using a teasing voice.

"Don't be gross," On-jo scoffs, also sounding like she's teasing.

"Then why are you mad at me?" he laughs.

"Because- because shut up!" They both giggle, but Su-hyeok can't help but find it all a little forced.

Gyeong-su hums. "Zombies... Hey, is this a zombie show?"

"It's not a zombie show, ah." Cheong-san sighs.

"But-"

"No."

Well... On-jo is great. And if Cheong-san really doesn't like her...

But then Su-hyeok remembers the scene with the hair from earlier, and realizes that he's probably lying, and he can't do that to his friend.

He'll just have to let her down easily.

Hyeon-ju is on the way to the hospital in that ambulance just as Mr. Lee walks into the supply closet and sees her missing. As the terror sinks in, Ms. Park and Couch Kang come in and confront him about her.

He gets really upset at her being sent to the hospital, and not in quarantine.

Su-hyeok glances at the teacher. Right now, he seems almost resigned to what's happening, or maybe what's going to happen.

Now, look. Everyone in their school hates their principal. The bullies think he's a joke, the victims get no help from him, and everyone else knows he's useless and only really cares about image over anything else.

It's not a surprise that he would've buried Jin-su's story.

"Tell the police not to come?" Nam-ra's mom says aghast.

That's when the detective guy in black walks in, recognizing Mr. Lee immediately and pulling out handcuffs.

In the infirmary, the nurse bends over, breathing heavily. She checks her wrist and sees a bite mark from Hyeon-ju.

"Oh god, does she have what Hyeon-ju has?" Hyo-ryung asks fearfully.

The nurse tries to treat herself, but only gets more and more dazed. The veins around the bite seem to move and grow. On-jo and I-sak have to look away from the tv.

She drops her utensils and looks in the mirror to see her eyes turning red. She checks her temperature, tries to take pills, but it doesn't stop her nose from bleeding. Hands shaking, she begins to gag and throw up, head convulsing and making those animalistic sounds from earlier. Something seems to just snap and she drops on the floor.

And then classes let out.

At lunch, On-jo is staring at the boys' table.

"Cheong-san can feel that."

"Does everyone think that we're dating?" On-jo asks, annoyed.

"Yes!" all of their friends say in unison.

After some prompting, On-jo tells I-sak what she did. I-sak immediately starts asking for details, wanting to know everything. She seems excited. Maybe him and On-jo wouldn't be so bad together...

Then it's him, trying to talk to Nam-ra. Which is... It's nothing. She's the class president after all and... he's in the class.

Yeah, asking her to visit Hyeon-ju. That's all.

But that leads to Nam-ra telling him about how her mother bought her the position and no respects her, and... Wow, she's talking so much. And she's talking to him. Plus, he really respects her honesty.

"Nam-ra!" her mother scolds. Flashing everyone in the room except Mr. Lee apologetic looks, she whispers something to her daughter. Then she smiles at everyone. "Nothing to worry about."

But Nam-ra even smiles at him when he points out the talking thing. But then she just puts her earbuds back in and walks away.

Yeah... That- That isn't going anywhere.

Myung-hwan and Chang-hoon are walking down the hallway, and it just has him thinking 'What are they gonna do now?'

They're the first ones to notice the nurse, and the former takes out a phone to record, thinking she's drunk or something. The nurse turns around and runs at them but hits the wall. They just keep on recording and laughing until she finally gets up and starts eating Chang-hoon.

The audience groans, and some people look away.

To Myung-hwan's credit, he does pull her off of him, and then goes running and screaming when she goes after him. On the ground, Chang-hoon seizes up and whatever happened to the nurse happens to him. By the time he gets up, the entire hallway is vacant.

He runs into a classroom and begins biting other students as well.

Just upstairs is another room with students who are blissfully unaware of what's going on, and above them-

Oh. Oh god.

Eun-ji stands on top of the edge of the roof in her ruined shirt, glancing at the soccer players and girls laughing with their friends. Everyone is too speechless from the last scene to say anything, all of their scared and confusing looks intensifying as she inches towards the edge.

Cheol-soo goes to her and begs her not to do it, but she just beckons him to join her. They argue over the video of her, with him promising to take care of it. Su-hyeok just feels sick to think he once called himself a friend of the people that drove them to this point.

"You- you-" Nam-ra's mom starts.

"Mom." Nam-ra says quietly, the first words she's spoken since their arrival. She quietly just shakes her head.

Eun-ji realizes that he likes her, with how much he's crying for her.

"Two losers who like each other. That's hilarious."

But that's not enough for her, and she goes to jump off, but before she can, students go flying out the windows.

"What is happening?" Hyo-ryung whimpers.

The infected go running outside. Hee-su is walking off the premises and seems to make it without even noticing anything. But more and more kids are getting crazed.

Nam-ra, always dedicated, tunes out everyone and everything as she walks while looking at her book.

Is she walking towards one of them!?

But good thing he's there, being able to grab her arm and run as a boy goes after them.

In real time, her mother sighs. "Thank you so much," she says to him.

The chaos still hasn't reached the cafeteria. It seems so tedious, to go back to their relationship drama, even including his own relationship drama, after everything they've just witnessed.

I-sak tells Cheong-san that something is up, which leads to him asking On-jo what it's about. After a lot of prompting, she finally tells him and asks for his advice, but he totally blows her off.

"You're not my friend."

The look he gives her as she walks away is enough to tell Su-hyeok that he's not okay with this.

But as On-jo walks away, students begin piling in, falling over one another in a desperate bid to escape the outbreak. Students are pounding on the glass hard enough to break it.

On-jo is so stunned she can't move even as their classmates run her by. She falls on the ground in the chaos. Both On-jo and Cheong-san catch sight of infected classmates, looking less like humans and more like monsters from movies or something.

One of them runs right at her, and he screeches above her, blood falling out of his mouth.

And that's where the episode ends.

All the blood and gore almost seems like-

"Oh my god."

"It's the zombie apocalypse."

"... This show is about zombies!?"

"You created a zombie virus? A zombie virus!?"

"I told you so."

"Okay, okay, everyone needs to actually watch Train to Busan!" Cheong-san says.

"Why?" On-jo asks.

"Studying purposes!"

...

"... But that won't do On-jo any good."

Chapter Text

Mr. Lee's POV

Detective Song Jae-ik paces in front of him. He's muttering under his breath. And Byeong-chan just feels so much resignation. This was never supposed to happen. 

"Zombie apocalypse!?" Detective Song rages. "Zombies?"

"I never approved of that term to describe the state of the infection."

He's being berated, judged, damned, but still his eyes drift towards one of his students, On-jo as her father holds her. 

Of course, he would be scared for her when it ended with an infected on top of her. Byeong-chan would've felt the same terror, had Jin-su been in that position. He would've hated the man who endangered his beloved son like that. But he wouldn't have fully appreciated the independence of not being the hand to deal his child such a horrid fate. 

The little relief that can be found in an innocent slate. 

They don't know... They lived in ignorance and now they were forced to see the cruelty of the world. 

But it was horrible. To see others get infected and being reduced to the same state his family had been in. This was the weak being warped into the strong. And the strong have always been monstrous.

He's thankful, that things can be prevented. No matter how unfair it is that his tragedy was not given the same treatment, he's used to his family being given less. He would be a fool to believe that his son and wife's whereabouts will remain a secret, and the people here will not tolerate any chance of widespread outbreak.

Perhaps it's for the best, that they will do what Byeong-chan is too cowardly to do.

Perhaps it's all for the best.

He will live with the jail time and the judgement, and mourn the loved ones that were lost a very long time ago. In turn, the brutality of the outbreak will simply be a memory of a tragedy that never happened.

For the best.

XXX

Cheong-san's POV

"That was weird... That got really weird."

"Zombies... Zombies!"

"So that was definitely the future?" Dae-su asks. "Just making sure."

"It showed us all. Last I checked, I never signed up to be an actor or anything," Woo-jin says.

"Yeah, but you didn't really do anything that first episode."

"Neither did you, I was still there!" Woo-jin says, sounding surprisingly offended.

They start bickering, and Cheong-san takes the distraction to pull Su-hyeok away from the group. The other boy looks at him questioningly.

"Uh, so... The On-jo thing? What are you- What's your plan with that?"

Su-hyeok gives him an unimpressed look, as though he can see right through him. It makes him feel embarrassed, almost, even though Cheong-san has absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about! He's just asking for his friend. He's known On-jo his entire life, he just wants to look out for her.

"You know, I think I'm gonna say no to her," Su-hyeok tells him.

"No!?" Cheong-san repeats, indignant. He quickly looks at the others to see if anyone is eavesdropping. Then, quieter, he continues. "Why not? What's wrong with her?"

What, does Su-hyeok think he's better than On-jo? Because he's not. 

His face heats up. Protectiveness stirs up in his chest at the thought of her getting her heart broken. 

(He's not at all relieved. Not even a little bit.)

 "Nothing's wrong with her," Su-hyeok says with wide eyes, but the tips of his lips quirk up like he's trying not to smile. Why is he almost smiling? Are On-jo's feelings funny to him? "I just think that... Well, we're all going through it right now with the zombie thing, ah. Bad timing."

"Oh," Cheong-san says, nodding. That makes sense. "So what about when all this is over then? Then what's your answer?"

If the answer is yes, then of course Cheong-san will be happy for them. So long as On-jo is happy... But he breaks her heart, he'll totally kick his ass. Doesn't even matter how good at fighting Su-hyeok is, he'll do it!

"Um..." Su-hyeok winces. "Maybe that's a bridge we should cross if we get there."

What does that mean?

XXX

Hee-su's POV

This is going to be fine. Everything is going to be just... fine.

She made it out of the school, which means she'll give birth somewhere away from the zombies, and hopefully she can get the baby to safety.

She just hopes her classmates won't give her hell when they find out.

"Hey, look!" Detective Jae-ik says, holding the remote. "The next episode has a summary." There's text on the screen.

"Read it?" the commander says.

"The infected multiply in droves."

"Hhhhnnnngggghhhh," Na-yeon interrupts.

Detective Jae-ik stops, looking up at her. After a second of silence, he begins to read again.

"Scrambling for their lives, Nam On-jo and Lee Cheong-san find safety with others inside a classroom- but not for long."

"That's good!" I-sak says, smiling. "That means they make it out okay! At least at first."

On-jo's dad sighs and presses a kiss to her forehead. (Hee-su's father would never, even if there wasn't a pregnancy.)

Hee-su never stands up, but still the commander approaches her. He clears his throat. "I'm sorry for the intrusion but that chair is directly in front of Lee Byeong-chan. I have to ask that you sit further away from him."

She nods and waits for him to back away before moving, clutching the backpack to her stomach,  praying that no one notices. She could go to the armchair on the other side, between the middle couch and the other couch, but it's too crowded by her classmates.

Hee-su sits in the couch in the middle. That seems to be the place for people who aren't adults (she's not an adult, she's not, then why-) and aren't a part of Class 2-5's main friend group (she was jealous in class, observing how close her peers were with another, she hopes that whatever happens, the baby will grow up to have friends). 

It sits the seniors, the archery kids, Eun-ji and her friend, and Na-yeon. But Na-yeon sits close to the corner, close enough to the group that Hee-su wonders why she doesn't just sit there entirely. The couches are long and wide enough to sit at least a dozen people. It's a good thing, since Hee-su can still mostly sit by herself.

As the detective picks up the remote again, she prepares herself, because this episode could be when everyone finds out her secret.

Chapter Text

I-sak's POV

After everyone calms down, which takes a while, a long while, they all settle down and try to brace themselves for the next episode.

Soooo....

I-sak really hopes that 'All of Us' doesn't include her and On-jo, and of course everyone else, or at least most of everyone else if that's realistic, but it would just break her heart if she saw her best friend or herself turn into one of those things.

One of those zombies.

Watching the opening title screen knowing what they know now is really tough. Those are zombies reaching for them. God, zombies reaching for them. What has her life come to?

She tries to calm herself when the episode doesn't immediately start with zombies, and instead on living, breathing humans, who are doing something goofy like filming something on their phones. Maybe it'll stay like this for like five minutes and then it'll cut to everyone escaping zombies.

Oh no.

The zombies come in almost immediately.

All the students groan when they see their principal, denying on the phone that anything wrong.

Everyone hates the principal so much. Hell, if Nam-ra's little speech about buying her way to the top was as self-judgmental as I-sak thought it was, maybe even their class president hates him.

"Your boss is a piece of work," Commander Jin says as he dismisses the teachers' concerns.

"He's a piece of something," the girl who wanted a cigarette earlier mutters, and everyone who hears stifles a snort or laugh.

Ms. Park leaves to make an announcement, but gets distracted. I-sak frowns, sad that the cone leg boy from the beginning didn't escape. She wondered if she'd always feel bad about zombies she saw being humans first. Except now as he eats another teacher, she knows that will be the least of her problems.

But she really hopes Ms. Park gets away.

Back in the cafeteria, it's chaos, just like the teachers said. Just like they left off. Zombies are pushing people over, trying to bite them. A fire even starts. I-sak doesn't know if she should be scared or relieved when she doesn't see On-jo and Cheong-san at first.

Thankfully, when they do show up, he is pulling the zombie from last episode off of her and she seems to have not been bitten. They hide under a table, and take a second, then when the sprinkles go off they try to help another girl, but by the way she's shaking...

It's total chaos.

They're falling over, slipping, trying to push away zombies. It's hard to watch other kids get turned, especially one kid who seems to be attacked by a friend. They finally find a way to go and move, but the camera instead focuses on a boy turning. The process of becoming a zombie looks so painful and scary, especially the part where it seems like the neck is snapping. I-sak never wants to see herself or someone she loves become like that.

Gwi-nam, that horrible bully, is trying to fight them off, and for all she doesn't care about him and for all he might deserve it more than most other classmates, she doesn't want to see anyone get hurt anymore. She never wanted to see anyone get hurt. There was a reason she never watched Train to Busan. And looking at her classmates, maybe there was a reason none of them ever watched Train to Busan.

On-jo and Cheong-san get to a window, and I-sak feels a bit of relief when her best friend goes first. He stays behind a little longer to fight off zombies and help other students by the window, which, wow, guess he's the male lead. He stops for a second to really take in the overwhelming chaos, and how did this happen? They were a normal school, or so they thought. They were going through relationship drama and all that stuff. But no, the science teacher just had to create zombies.

Okay, there is plenty of room under there with Gwi-nam, I-sak doesn't even watch horror movies and she knows survivors run in groups.

On-jo is waiting outside for Cheong-san, calling him out when more zombies start coming from outside. They seem to be trapped, but find a way around a corner. They run through a parking lot, past so many screaming people, but zombies seem to show up everywhere they turn.

And-

"Holy shit, is that a zombie driving a truck!?" Gyeong-su balks.

In real life, I-sak wishes she could hold her hand, or hug her, or assure herself that she's fine, but On-jo is firmly in her father's embrace, and he doesn't seem to be letting go anytime soon. Likewise, Gyeong-su also has his arms wrapped around Cheong-san, clearly scared for his own best friend. Instead, I-sak holds hands with Ji-min, who is also holding hands with Hyo-ryung, and reminding herself about the summary. They should be safe until they get into a classroom.

And even after that, they seem to be the male and female lead of the cast. Which I-sak is totally proud of them for. Those two probably don't die.

At least not in episode two.

(How long do perky best friends last in these kind of shows?)

Thankfully, they climb up the truck, which has crashed into a wall, and they climb onto a ledge and go through a window. But everywhere they try to go, there always zombies coming. Cheong-san even tackles her to get her out of the way from a zombie. He fights it off while On-jo finds a fire extinguisher.

She sprays it everywhere, and that actually does great in getting them away. This is why she's the female lead.

"Good job, sweetie." Mr. Nam mutters, and I-sak looks over to see him press a kiss to her forehead. She probably learned how to do that from him, being a firefighter and all.

I-sak really wishes her parents were here too.

Su-hyeok and Nam-ra are still outside running, and she doesn't think she's ever seen the prez show that much emotion. Then again, who isn't terrified right now?

"Thank you again!" her mom cries, also holding onto her daughter for dear life, something that's actually pretty sweet.

They see the gardener fighting off the monsters from on top of a ladder, using his tools to hurt them, even after he falls off. He still gets bitten, but I-sak can tell that one of them wants to use that ladder.

And then- Joon-yeong is there! Along with other kids in their class, like Na-yeon, and... that's the only other one easy to distinguish... Is I-sak there?

Cheong-san and On-jo make it outside the door, and Gyeong-su and Woo-jin fight over whether they should open the door, with Na-yeon demanding they keep it close. Gyeong-su eventually shoves him back and lets them in. A weight is lifted off of her as she sees herself running up to hug On-jo. She's safe and her best friend is safe.

"Sorry?" Woo-jin winces as his sister audibly sighs in relief.

Cheong-san narrows his eyes and then shrugs. "Who can blame you?"

"We can't just let anyone in!" Na-yeon protests.

Cheong-san glares at her. "I can blame you."

Hyo-ryung and Ji-min are also there, and she feels hopeful that at least her friends that were also taken (and Na-yeon and Nam-ra) can make it out of this show alive despite the title. Maybe the title only refers to background characters.

Cheong-san looks out the window again, at the zombies attacking everyone. They all jump and flinch when there's a rattling sound, but it's just Dae-su.

Gyeong-su huffs when Woo-jin immediately tells him to get in, but I-sak puts a hand on his shoulder and leans over to whisper in his ear. "It's a best friend thing."

"Some crazy jerk sprayed me with a fire extinguisher."

"An awesome, crazy jerk," Dae-su tries to amend to On-jo and her father. "A crazy, awesome jerk."

Cheong-san points out what they all already know, that this is like Train to Busan, and he calls a skeptical Dae-su and Woo-jin over by the window to look at it all when Su-hyeok comes through the window. He has Nam-ra come up just in time, because she makes it just before a zombie knocks the ladder over.

Nam-ra's mom sighs. "I will compensate you greatly."

"There's really no need," Su-hyeok tries to tell her.

"I insist."

"But-"

"I insist."

Su-hyeok is so tired he collapses on the floor, and for second they're all a little scared that he's gonna turn as well. But she thinks it's just exhaustion.

Oh, look, Min-ji is safe too! That's another friend safe from the virus. I-sak wonders why she wasn't taken as well.

Yeah... All the survivors except for Min-ji, who's also a survivor, were taken to see the future.

A zombie bangs on the glass right next to Joon-yeong, and if this were any other instance then they would all be laughing at his expression at that.

At the... Emergency Medical Center (oh god) an ambulance arrives. Mr. Nam helps Hyeon-ju, who at least is restrained. I-sak might be silly to think this, but hopefully she'll just stay like that forever and then no one at the hospital gets bitten, and then the city is evacuated with the high schoolers in tow.

Let her be a little optimistic while she still can.

Detective Jae-ik is interrogating Mr. Lee, which will hopefully lead to him telling everyone that zombies are attacking and they need to send help to the high schoolers.

"You should be a college professor with this resume. Definitely not some lousy high school teacher."

I-sak has to wonder about what life would've been like if Mr. Lee was a college professor, or if he stayed in the U.S. Then Hyeon-ju wouldn't have found the hamster, and none of this would be happening.

Frustratingly, the detective cares more about his motives than listening when he says that she needs quarantine. And when he's ignored he says-

"Fine. Let's do anything. Everyone will die. This world and all those damn imbeciles."

No. That can't be it. The world won't just end. They're just high schoolers they have so much to live for. So much- So much I-sak has to live for.

The detective doesn't care, calls him out for his nihilism, reminds Mr. Lee and the rest of them that he was the one who did all this. Even if society and those bullies did him wrong, Mr. Lee still caused a zombie apocalypse.

He then suspects that Mr. Lee is the one to kill his son, which is so harsh even with everything that he's done. He doesn't- Does he deserve this? (And obviously, the detective didn't pay attention during English class. 'World swallowed him up', that's just good wording.)

There's a video recording of Mr. Lee, confirming that Jin-su actually is dead. Which means that all the zombies, everyone who's turned, are dead.

He then explains something about a mouse and a cat, an analogy he uses a lot in class. There's footage of the actual animals, intercut with footage of Eun-ji and other victims being bullied. He then explains how exactly he made the virus, extracting the hormone that comes from overwhelming fear leading to attacking.

Maybe that's how it happens. If a bitten person is extremely afraid then they turn. After all, On-jo might've gotten bitten by Hyeon-ju (it was kind of unclear though) but she was calm. If this was science class she would raise her hand and ask, but now she doesn't think she could ever even look at Mr. Lee in person ever again.

She has to look away at the close up of a turned Jin-su, and winces when he hears him say that the mother was also bitten. All of this happened in their city? To their teacher? And none of them had any idea?

"You killed your son, didn't you?"

With Hyeon-ju, she wakes up while getting an MRI, leading to them trying to hold her down and then-

"Oh, what the fuck," Dae-su shakes his head as she bends over backwards until the upper half of her body is lying on her legs. And then finally, the nurse gets bitten.

The hallway clears out, much in the same way the one at school did. It's only a matter of time before they're overrun by chaos as well.

Hee-su is on a street, alone. She still looks sick, but she hasn't turned so I-sak doesn't think she's infected. Pee runs down her leg, and Na-yeon gags, but I-sak feels for her. She didn't think she noticed the zombies, but hey, even if the girl escaped, that's still so terrifying.

She's so out of it that she nearly walks in front of a bus, but luckily there's no crash.

On the bus, she sees that Woo-Jin's sister and her friend are on it.

"Wait, you're in Hyosan?" he asks incredulously, looking deeply unhappy with this development. No wonder why.

She shakes her head. "But that would mean- Oh." She frowns.

Whatever she was going to say, it clicks for him as well, and he agrees, also frowning. "Oh."

I-sak wants to ask what's wrong, but it seems personal to them.

Oh, wait, she thinks that coach is gonna tell everyone anyways.

Okay, wow, that is so harsh.

I-sak always imagined that if her life would be a tv show it would be a happy one, full of love drama, and petty arguments. Which, to be fair, kind of is what this show is like, just with zombies and bullies and bad authority figures.

Really, really bad authority figures.

No one's sure what he's gonna do when Woo-jin silently stands and sits on his sister's other side. Her friend is patting her back.

He puts a hand on her shoulder, and says calmly, "I'll kill your coach."

"No, you're not."

"I will! Watch me."

"No, you're saying this in front of policemen and a military commander. There is no possible way we could get away with it-"

"'We'?"

"I'm not letting you murder someone on your own, it's called loyalty," Ha-ri snaps. "But never mind that, because we can't. And it's all because you never learned to whisper, and that's why Mom always catches you when you do something wrong. Because you always say your plans out loud. God, Woo-jin ah."

He breaks into a grin, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that she gladly returns.

I-sak blinks. She- she hadn't been expecting that.

"What the fuck just happened?" Cheong-san asks, eyes wide.

"I don't know..." I-sak answers him. "But I think I'm glad to be an only child." He nods.

That's a lie, of course. She doesn't know what it's like to have an older sister or a younger brother, but she thinks it might be nice to get a hug from one of them right now.

Not Woo-jin specifically, or even Ha-ri specifically, they both seem exhausting to be related to, even if Ha-ri has barely said or done anything in the short time I-sak has known her, but a metaphorical sibling.

That's when the archery bus discovers the zombies. Hopefully, Ha-ri and the friend I-sak should probably learn the name of can get away. They are right by the entrance after all.

Back in the classroom, zombies are clawing at the windows, while Gyeong-su is holding the door shut. They're all looking for something.

I-sak is the one to find it, retrieving a phone from a backpack. They all crowd around her and speculate the passcode. Cheong-san says he sees Yeong-ju, who the phone belongs to, but how? She's not in the room... Oh... She's a zombie. That's... That poor girl. They worked on a school project together not long ago, and now she's a zombie.

Face recognition doesn't work on her in that state though, and On-jo ends up pointing out that they can just use the emergency calls, using the knowledge from her dad, or maybe common sense.

And the emergency services don't even believe them!

On-jo points out that people don't believe in zombies. However, as more and more calls come in, the 112 people are slowly but surely getting the idea that this is a serious matter.

The zombies outside the classroom run off when they hear a noise, something that sounds like screaming, which Gyeong-su opens the door to investigate. Su-hyeok scolds him for that.

"Idiot," Na-yeon scoffs under her breath, but luckily he doesn't hear.

They all speculate as to whether or not the authorities actually will come, and her best friend in all the world comes through, calling the fire apartment asking for her father and lying about a fire.

Almost immediately firefighters, including Mr. Nam are running to go.

"You're coming," On-jo sighs in relief.

"Of course I am," he says in assurance. "I'm glad you called for me."

I-sak smiles. She figures that her parents won't be showing up, and that this room is designated for people and family members who are in the show, though that gives her the room to believe that her family makes it out a'ok.

Back in class, the boys notice something happening at the gate. She sees Woo-jin tense and lean into his sister.

Na-yeon is... being herself, but in crisis mode. I-sak tries not to be annoyed, since this is such a distressing situation.

She marches up to Nam-ra and starts making demands, even when Su-hyeok stands up for her.

"Do something. What have you done as class president?"

Uh oh. Nam-ra's standing up, and jokes aside, she really can be intimidating. She's not even saying anything particularly intimidating, and yet the hair on I-sak's arm is standing up.

In the show, they're all trying to diffuse the situation, but that only serves to rile her up even more. Well... rile her up in that cold, calm, and collected class president way.

Ugh, Na-yeon is so annoying. Honestly.

Hey... Su-hyeok, in real life, is staring at Nam-ra with this concern but also... affection?

I-sak narrows her eyes. She looks from Su-hyeok to Nam-ra to Su-hyeok to Nam-ra.

No way.

Really?

Su-hyeok and-

He likes-

But does she-?

Oh, she does!

Poor On-jo. To crush on someone who doesn't like her back is one thing. To crush on someone who prefers a robot to her is another.

Su-hyeok and Nam-ra could be kind of cute together though, especially with how he was looking after her when the outbreak started. Maybe he can bring her out of her shell a little. Humanize her. Show her that average people aren't so below her. Hey, if Su-hyeok can go from bully to sunshine boy, anything is possible.

Oh! And On-jo and Cheong-san can still be together.

Wow...

She mentally sighs. I-sak needs a boyfriend. She glances at the other boys here.

Joon-yeong? Too much of a know it all for her taste. And she ships him Woo-jin. Woo-jin? Gay. And has a really scary older sister. Even if she hasn't done anything scary yet. And she ships him with Joon-yeong. Dae-s- No. Gyeong-su? ... They are both the funny best friend types. Especially since their friends seem to be the show's leads. And he makes her laugh. And he's so sweet. But he's Gyeong-su. And she should keep her options open.

Um... She doesn't know the other three boy students, which could be a good thing. Cheol-soo has a lot of stuff to work out before getting into a relationship though, so she takes him off the list. The other two? ... She'll keep her eyes out for them.

"Oh no!"

I-sak blinks. She completely zoned out there, but she's not gonna ask for a rewind.

Hey, when did Coach Kang get here?

No, he's bitten!

She's proud of herself, at least, that she's the one to stand up to him and tell him to leave. But if that fear thing is right, then she might be making things a lot worse, but her show self has no way of knowing that.

Commander Jin clears his throat. "So all the teachers in this school, besides you Ms. Park, they're-"

"I'm so tired." Ms. Park puts her head in her hands. "All the time."

Did Coach Kang just call I-sak a cocksucker?

That's when his nose starts to bleed. On-jo tries to hit him over the head when his back is turned, but that didn't do anything. He collapses and turns.

"The windows!" Ha-ri yells, clutching her brother's hand. "Get him out the window!"

Oh, that's a great idea! But it might be too late, as Coach Kang attacks Min-ji and bites her before Dae-su can pull him off of her and throw him down.

"I can't... I don't want to die."

"Oh, Min-ji," I-sak whimpers, her heart just breaking in two for her friend, who was never anything but sweet and kind.

"What a selfish man," Ms. Park shakes her head.

Su-hyeok fights off Coach Kang. (I-sak still isn't sure how Nam-ra scored that.) And then Cheong-san holds him to the wall with a desk. (I-sak knows exactly how On-jo scored that.) Gyeong-su is by his side, helping him. (... No one's scored that yet, but whoever does is very lucky.)

Na-yeon, surprisingly enough, actually does something useful and productive, and runs to the stack of desks (when did they do that?) and begins taking them off.

And I-sak just tries not to look at or think about poor Min-ji, who stands trying to- to get help? But she's kicked away by Nam-ra and begins to turn. It hurts seeing someone they were friends with topple over and twist and change like that.

They decide to just leave, run out of the classroom, and get away from the zombies. She doesn't know if it's because they didn't think about the windows or if no one was strong enough to get them out or if they didn't want to risk it and wanted to try another classroom.

I-sak holds onto Ji-min and Hyo-ryung. Here's hoping they won't lose anybody else.

Now in the hallway, they run, but zombies turn the corner. Su-hyeok- Okay, he fights them all off. Literally all of them, one by one. This is I-sak's first time seeing him fight and it's so impressive.

The rest of the boys begin taking windows off and using them as weapons and shields, forming a barrier of sorts against them.

And then this happens; Dae-su takes one, yells "Hey! Out of the way!", runs towards the barrier in slow motion(?) as action music plays, the girls are all in the back watching this looking both scared and confused, he's still running, and then he- Oh, he took off the entire door, that's why this got special attention. They all use it to push off the zombies. It's effective.

"Good job, Dae-su," I-sak says, impressed. He might need the encouragement since Min-ji called for him specifically when she was bit.

They manage to push the zombies back so much that the girls have the time to run upstairs, and the boys follow. Su-hyeok does stay behind though to kick more zombies. But there are zombies upstairs too!

"Oh my god," Nam-ra's mom buries her face in her daughter's hair as they see Ji-min pull her away from a zombie.

"Woo-jin," Ha-ri groans with worry, seeing him fight off a few of zombies on his own.

I-sak herself knocks into a zombie and runs away. Su-hyeok ends up staying behind. They're heading to the science lab, using the windows to hold them off. Dae-su comes with the door, but I-sak points out that there are some behind him. To make matters worse, the door is locked.

On-jo sees another emergency thing, and makes them push away the horde of zombies so that she can reach it. She uses a hose to beat on the lock.

One zombie even jumps up over other zombies, which Cheong-san breaks his window to knock down. When she is down, she seems to grab someone's leg, but it cuts away and I-sak doesn't think anyone got hurt. And just in time, they finally get inside the science lab. They just break a few windows first.

"Oh thank god," Ji-min sighs in relief. I-sak nods. That was crazy.

"I'm so proud of you," Mr. Nam tells On-jo, holding her close.

"They all made it?" Ha-ri asks.

"Yeah, I think so. It would have focused if any of us got left behind or bit," Joon-yeong says to her. His eyes widen. "Oh, Bare-su."

"It's fine," Su-hyeok assured them all. "If one of us had to be separated, I have the best chance. I'm a good fighter."

"You're a very brave young man," Nam-ra's mom says to him. Despite her racing heart, I-sak had to smirk at that. He's got an in with her mom.

Just as things seem to be calming down, A HAND REACHES OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE AND GRABS DAE-SU'S HEAD!!!!

They all jump and scream and curse, because holy shit.

Joon-yeong takes a fire extinguisher and beats the zombies coming in through the window, though ends up breaking another window along the way. Ji-min also tries throwing stuff at them, crying as she does so. Cheong-San finally orders them all to block the windows with a desk, and maybe he was the one to get them to put up desks and chairs in the first room.

Joon-yeong looks at his shaking hands, and I-sak really hopes that he wasn't bitten when he was at the window. The last time someone turned was enough of a disaster and she's not sure any of them are thinking of the windows anytime soon.

"Are you okay?" Woo-jin asks, also noticing this. He doesn't respond. He probably doesn't know, this being in the show and all.

Na-yeon wants to try calling again but On-jo had dropped the phone. She's so annoying. When Gyeong-su tells her to focus, she gets on his back immediately. Though, fair is fair, in case I-sak missed something else the first time they were stacking desks, this might be the longest she's gone without yelling at him.

"Did you just call me a bitch!?" Na-yeon shouts

They rightly tell them not to fight until after everything is secured.

"This is so fucking annoyyyiiiing."

"You're annoying!" Gyeong-su says like it's obvious, which it is. "I can't do this. I cannot stay twelve hours in the same place as her!"

"You're the one who-"

"SHUT UP!!!" most of the people in the room yell at them.

On-jo realizes that Su-hyeok is missing, and calls attention to it. And Nam-ra, the class president herself, looks out the window to the hallway as if to check that he's not one of the zombies.

She might not have always liked Nam-ra, but...Okay, not the time, at all... but... the ships, I-sak's personal ships, have been made up in her mind. Maybe they can change later, but for now she's pretty secure in who she wants together.

Eun-ji, the bullied girl that I-sak and On-jo are definitely befriending the minute they figure out what to say to her, stands looking over the chaos.

The roof seems like a good place to be in the zombie apocalypse. They'll probably be the first to get rescued. Good for them, even if does mean more trouble for I-sak's group. They deserve some peace after what those bullies put them through.

"We're outcasts again. And this is still hell. I hope everyone dies. Every single one of them."

I-sak winces. That's- She has a right to be angry.

And I-sak would never wish anyone any hurt, but it is kind of annoying that one of their bullies, Gwi-nam is still alive while Min-ji and who knows how many other good people have been turned.

He- Oh, holy- He pushes a crying girl to her death because her sobs were getting the attention of zombies. I-sak turns away and tries to reckon with the idea that maybe it's okay to be okay with another person dying if that person is a really, really bad person.

"Son of a bitch!"

"What an asshole!"

"Freak!"

"I want him as far away from other children as humanly possible!"

The other boy and Gwi-nam look at one another, and everyone can just tell that that other, unnamed student is a goner.

"Ha! A cigarette!" one of the seniors, sighs in relief, looking at herself onscreen almost jealously. "What I wouldn't give for one of them right now."

Everyone looks at her either like she's weird or needs to be reprimanded, but who cares about that now?

The final boy is in another bathroom stall with a friend.

"Ha-lim!" he smiles. "She's okay. Why isn't she here?"

I-sak bites her lip, not wanting to share her theory that only people who live to the end were taken, not when he's so happy to see his friend.

But based on how sick she's getting, it's not hard to guess.

Joon-seong assures her that it's from the shock, but Mi-jin knows what's about to happen and makes him get out and then locks the turning girl in the stall, making it very clear why with a tag analogy.

Ms. Park, who is thankfully alive, goes to an empty room, and looks on the blood on her shaking hands. Despite I-sak's theory, she really, really hopes that Ms. Park hasn't turned.

Back in the bathroom, Mi-jin and Joon-seong deal with the girl, with him being really, really hesitant.

"We ran away together earlier. I saved you." "If you let her out, we all die."

I-sak winces. Best friends just have this special bond, especially in high school. She would cry hard enough to drown everyone in this room if it was her having to deal with a bitten On-jo.

She tries to climb up, though she has no one to jump on like that one zombie from earlier, but Mi-jin knocks her down with a broom and tells him that they have to kill her.

"Kill her?" Joon-seong repeats with wide, scared eyes.

Ha-lim hears her and insists that she'll kill her first, sort of like how Jin-su was mumbling about stuff like that when the show first began. But she admits that she's scared, and then finally turns into a full zombie.

And even though it's wrong, I-sak takes note of how the girl breaks off the end of a mop with her foot, leaving a very pointy end. She commits it to memory how Joon-seong opens the door on his best friend and lets Mi-jin run the spike through her head. And commends Joon-seong for helping, no matter how much he clearly doesn't want to.

But it's still not enough, and the zombie is still alive and trying to get closer to them. She thinks that they'll have to kick her, hold her down, stab her again. But before they have to do anything else, an arrow is shot through her neck.

"Ha-ri!?" Woo-jin says in disbelief.

"Ah!" Mi-jin looks ecstatic. "Thanks so much, bitch... Woah, why are you pointing that at us?!"

The other archer shows up, and they all argue over whether or not the bathroom kids will turn or not.

"What are you doing there!?"

Ha-ri's face shows no emotion, except for a flicker of something in her eyes, but she just bluntly says, "Clearly you're being irrational, and we can talk about this later."

"Irrational!?" Woo-jin repeats, and I-sak has never seen him so worried. He mumbles to himself, "We- we're in a zombie show."

Ms. Park makes an announcement over the loudspeaker, getting the attention of both the kids in the bathroom and in the science lab. Also, another remaining teacher. She decides to repeat it, but-

Well, she seems to break down.

"Hey, everyone... You're okay, right? You're not hurt? I don't know what's going on out there or how this whole thing happened but still. Find a safe place and hide."

It's daunting, seeing her demeanor crumble as the desperation seeps into her voice.

(Ugh, the principal survived? And is he eating a candy bar?)

But in the show, all of their resolves fall as well. Some them begin to cry as they all realize that these are their lives now. And there was nothing they could have done to stop it. I-ask sees herself put her head on On-Jo's shoulder.

At least she has her best friend.

Wait, wait, wait. I-sak sees a look pass between Ha-ri and Mi-jin. An annoyed, dismissive look. But also a look of intrigue, maybe even respect. Admiration.

Attraction?

...

... Ha-ri is gay like her brother.

"You're not coming!?" On-jo cries, I-sak looks at her and sees her staring up at her father, betrayed and scared, as if the thought that her father was coming to rescue her was the only thing keeping her from breaking down.

"On-jo, I can assure you that the second I figure out how bad it is, I will be doing everything in my power to get to you."

"Do you promise?" On-jo asks, and she's never seen her so desperate. She never wants to see her that way again.

"I promise."

Already, in the show, Mr. Nam can tell that something is wrong as he leaves his car, but they all walk inside the building before they can run into a zombie. Yeah... it's only a matter of time before someone saves them.

Back with the classroom, I-sak talks to Cheong-san, and she wonders if her tv show self also jumped ship back to On-jo and Cheong-san at some point. Maybe she's also a Su-hyeok and Nam-ra shipper. Who knows?

Oh God, boys can be so stubborn when they're jealous. And every other time.

Since Cheong-san is refusing to, I-ask tries again. Her bestie isn't all that moved by her efforts, but they hold hands, which has to comfort her somehow. And then I-sak broaches the topic of her and Cheong-san. You know, in a respectful way.

"He's too busy teasing me all the time."

Teasing. Doesn't she know that that's a show of love for some immature people? Immature people like the two of them.

Honestly, it's like they're made for one another.

"Why are you so cold?"

Huh?

It's an innocuous enough question, but for some reason it catches her off guard when she would have loved to be daydreaming about her friends' love lives.

But why is On-jo so concerned?

She glances at her best friend where she's sat next to her father, and both of them are looking at her with growing horror. But why?

She gasps when she sees herself with a bloody nose, as does everyone else.

There's a flashback, to that zombie girl from earlier on the ground, biting a leg. I-sak's leg.

No. No. She- I-sak wasn't- The show is lying. "The show lying! I wasn't- I wasn't!"

Everyone in the show seems to come to the same, very wrong conclusion, staring at her like she's one of those- those freaks, but she's not! She's fine.

Even if her eyes are red.

"Are you okay?"

"Obviously not, dipshit!" Na-yeon shouts at him.

"Shut! Up!" I-sak yells at her in frustration. And she flinches. Like I-sak could ever hurt someone. Ever!

Gyeong-su. Gyeong-su isn't afraid of her, or afraid to approach her. She's just feeling under the weather.

"I-sak!" On-jo cries, flying towards her and wrapping her arms around her in a hug. I-sak doesn't hug back, because there's no reason to. She's fine.

Even if her sight itself is tinted red.

She looks away from the screen, unable to see herself with those eyes, looking like that. The chaos, it- it's catching up on them. Na-yeon is being her annoying self, the actual zombies are trying to climb over the barricade, and I-sak... Her eyes! They're back to normal! She's gonna be fine! Just fine.

She doesn't know why Cheong-san is dragging On-jo away from her. Or why she falls to her knees. Or on her face. Or- or-

I-sak doesn't want to die. She wants to live. She wants to go to a university, and fall in love, and get a job, and have kids and grandkids and a pet or two. She wants to live abroad, and take an art class. She wants so many more years being On-Jo's best friend. She wants to see all her friends fall in love, preferably with one another.

On-jo is sobbing, holding onto her like she never wants to let go. I-sak thinks she might be crying too.

She doesn't look up, but hears the growls that they all know. Hears the sounds of something hitting something else. Hears On-jo's pleas for it to stop. She wants it stop too. She wants it all to be over. She wants to go back home and forget any of this ever happened, and when she goes to school, never, ever worry about zombies ever.

Finally, there's the sound of glass shattering, and that's enough to startle her into looking up.

She's-

On-jo grabs her arm. On-jo. Her best friend will pull her up, and she'll be safe. And this will all have been a big misunderstanding.

Why is Cheong-san trying to get her to let go? Why does he hate her? Why does he want her dead? She wanted him to get the girl. She was happy to think they could be together. Who needs him? Her and On-jo. That's all they need.

Is she gonna bite On-jo? Her mouth looks close to her hand. She can't. She can't bite her. She can't kill her. No.

Everything made so much sense when they were just two girls trying on makeup at the mall.

A tear falls down her cheek.

On-jo needs to let go.

They had so much fun together.

She doesn't let go.

Maybe it's a good thing, that Na-yeon passes a stool for Cheong-san to knock her off. He's just trying to protect her. They both want to protect her.

On-jo doesn't let go, but she watches her fall. Until the camera cuts away, she stays.

All that's left to do is cry. And they cry hard. They aren't the only ones.

"Come block this!"

Right... The chaos is still happening.

Who cares?

At least Su-hyeok is still alive.

Blah blah, ship stuff, awkward since On-no is grieving and Cheong-san knocked I-sak off from her hand. Blah, blah, he's the male lead with a plan to maybe not kill the rest of them even though the show is called 'All of Us Are Dead' and they'll probably be dead in a little bit, so they're really just wasting time until they die as well.

Oh look, they're opening the door to kill more friends. Or get a hose. Same difference.

That's a long hose.

Yeah, they're making room for feet, and zigzagging, and they all care so much about surviving but no matter how much you wanna live or how much you have to live for, it just takes a single bite from being in the wrong place one time, and then you're dead.

How are there still people screaming when they open the window? How have the zombies not gotten every last one of them yet?

Anyways, he decides to sacrifice a best friend for a best friend, or maybe he wanted to stay with On-jo which is... nice, and makes Gyeong-su go down first.

Woo-jin is being way too aggressive getting Gyeong-su to go down.

I-sak doesn't want Gyeong-su to die.

Na-yeon is so fucking annoying.

It's nice, seeing Ms. Park eagerly letting him in. Everyone gets to go see Ms. Park. Na-yeon, Dae-su, Ji-min, Hyo-ryung, Joon-yeong, Woo-jin, Nam-ra...

Wait, Nam-ra's leaving a note for Su-hyeok? That is just the sweetest thing ever. She likes Nam-ra now.

Everyone gets to see Ms. Park except I-sak. If I-sak hadn't just died, she'd get to see Ms. Park, but unfortunately, she was turned into a zombie and then was thrown out a window.

There really is no time to lose. The zombies are coming.

"Well, there are people who like you. Like your dad. You have to stay alive for them."

He has such a way with words.

Why is soft music playing in the background? This isn't romantic or touching.

But it somehow convinces On-jo to go (to be fair, she really loves her dad) so it's fine.

(It was a note for Su-hyeok)

Su-hyeok also leaves through a window, and just kinda climbs across the edge.

The zombies finally get into the science lab, just as On-jo is getting into the broadcast room. But it's too late, because the zombies run at him and he falls off the ledge. I-sak gapes as bodies begin flying down, but she can't see if Cheong-san is one of them.

Everyone in the recording room looks out the window in shock.

On-jo sobs.

She deserves better than to lose two best friends in one episode.

Chapter Text

On-jo's POV

She... doesn't know what to say...

She never thought about losing I-sak. It was never even a possibility in her mind. She doesn't want to think about what life without her would look like. 

Her eyes hurt from how hard she's been crying, red from her rubbing at them with the sleeves of her shirt.

Ji-min and Hyo-ryung are with them. The former kneeling in front of the girls, and the latter attaching herself to I-sak's other side. Ji-min is holding her best friend's hand, trying to comfort her and quiet her sniffles. 

She glances at Cheong-san. He's standing next to Gyeong-su, neither boys saying anything. Gyeong-su looks close to tears, but Cheong-san has a steely expression on his face, like he's trying to be strong. Like he's trying to be brave. 

She hopes he doesn't think she hates him, she could never hate him. Maybe On-jo's a little mad at him, in an irrational way. She's not stupid. For all she loves I-sak and for all she really, really wanted herself to keep holding on, she knows that Cheong-san was right to do what he did, she cannot hold it against him.

It never should have happened in the first place. I-sak should have never been bitten. There should have never been zombies at all. None of this should have ever happened.

On-jo prays to God that he'll be fine after that cliffhanger last episode.

She doesn't know what she'll do if he's not...

She can't handle the idea of losing him, especially so soon after I-sak, and so won't even think about it. 

And if she thinks too hard about I-sak, the grief will come back again, so maybe she should think about other things.

She looks at the other people in the room.

Na-yeon is sitting away from them, her face neutral, maybe she's bored, maybe she's guarded. It annoys On-jo, but she was never under the impression that Na-yeon was the type of friend to be supportive. And I-sak doesn't even like her.

I-sak always had the least tolerance for Na-yeon, even worse than Ji-min, which is really saying something. Ji-min at least liked the gossip she provided. I-sak, on the other hand, preferred to hear it all second hand. She couldn't stand her for how often she got into fights with Gyeong-su, always siding with him. It what the cause of a lot of tension.

On-jo shares a look with her father across the room. 

Maybe it was childish, how she clung to him throughout the episode. As scary as the episode was, no one was acting like that. But it was comforting, having him hold her, assuring her that he was there for her and would be coming to rescue them.

But as for now, she can't bear to leave I-sak's side. So she silently tries to say that with her expression. He seems to understand, giving her a kind smile and a firm nod.

On-jo puts her head in the crook of I-sak's neck and hugs her tighter.

She doesn't want to lose any more friends.

XXX

Commander Jin's POV

He knows why he was taken, he knows why he is here. Once this outbreak's reach becomes too much to deny, the military and government will get involved, and he will have to be put in a position of power over what to do next.

The thought, admittedly, made him nervous, but he would not show it at all.

Seon-mu thought over the moves that were likely to be made in this situation. If this is taken seriously, which it likely will be with undeniable video evidence, despite how ridiculous it sounds, then this can go so far as to have Martial Law being instated for the first time in decades.

Survivors and refugees will need to be quarantined. It might be difficult for the military to get a good grasp on how long it takes to turn. The infections seem to vary in time from seconds to a matter of minutes, though it was somewhat difficult to tell what amount of time there was between I-sak's bite and tranformation.

And that leads him to the students in the room.

It really is a shame that there are children involved in whatever this was. Hopefully, they make it to any survivors camps that were set up, and if possible without anymore casualties.

As much as he wants to believe that the military will rescue the group of high schoolers, there are too many factors and too many things to get done. Not to mention, the school is ground zero for the outbreak. And Seon-mu can think of a number of moves to help the city that would also be a hindrance to them.

Still, the children present are remarkable for their bravery.

The situation is simply too difficult, and the best thing he can do in the present is pay attention, take notes, plan out as many strategies as it takes to prevent things. But he is an man of duty, and he should say a few words to those impacted the most during these trying times.

"What's her full name?" Seon-mu asks the teacher, Ms. Park.

"Yoon I-sak."

He nods, thinking about what he's going to say to her. Then he stands and approaches the huddle of teenage girls. He makes sure to stand a good distance away, and then clears his throat to get their attention.

"Yoon I-sak," Seon-mu begins. The girl looks up at him with tear-stained eyes. He keeps his composure in the face of it. "I'm deeply sorry about what just occurred, and that you had to witness it. I personally promise to do everything in my power to prevent this future."

The child looks wide eyed, nodding. "Thank you."

Seon-mu takes a step closer and holds out his hand. She takes it, and he shakes it firmly before letting go.

Feeling his duty is completed for the time being, he nods at her and retreats, leaving her in the comfort of her friends. As he sits back down, he can only hope that the amount of casualties in this room is kept to a minimum, for he fully intends to do the same to anyone else who has to go through this.

It won't get old.

XXX

Min-jae's POV

Oh great, now they're fighting. No good ever happens when Ha-ri and Woo-jin fight. It's the reason there was a giant hole in their living room floor for two years. It's the reason their grandmother only visits on birthdays. It's the reason they're both banned from the Hyosan Mall. 

And so Min-jae knows not to get in the middle of their disputes. 

"Why didn't you just go home?" Woo-jin demands. 

"Don't be an idiot," Ha-ri scoffs. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Against zombies!?"

"Yes, against zombies."

His mother has been friends with their mother since before they born, so Min-jae has been around long enough to know that they still sound exactly as they did as children when they fight. But he also knows that Ha-ri would probably kill the science teacher if anything happens to Woo-jin in the show, and he wasn't surprised that she went in, or that Min-jae followed her.

He sees Joon-seong and Mi-jin on the couch. Everyone is too preoccupied with their own business to notice, but the boy is quietly looking at his feet, solemn. Since him and Ha-ri found those two in the bathroom, he figures that they'll be spending a lot of time together. So he walks closer to them.

"Who does she think she is? An athlete? Probably has a bunch of followers on Facebook. Typical." 

"Are you okay?" Min-jae asks Joon-seong, sitting down and pushing away his annoyance at the girl next to him. Though honestly, she has no right to talk about the captain like that.

The last year student gives him a shaky and awkward shrug. "Uh... No. Not really. I'm really sad about Ha-lim. And I'm scared for myself and everyone else. I don't even watch zombie episodes of kid shows, I don't like horror movies very much. And I don't know how we're supposed to escape, the zombies are everywhere. I don't wanna die."

"Fuck," Mi-jin curses. "So much for staying positive, shithead. If you're gonna unload like that, at least offer me a cigarette first."

Min-jae glares at her as Joon-seong's shoulders deflate. "Sorry."

"And you're not gonna fucking die, dumbass." Mi-jin continues.

"How do you know?" he asks.

She shrugs. "You're too annoying to die."

Min-jae shakes his head. "Ha-ri and I will help you two."

"Yeah, you really helped us out while you were debating shooting us both," Mi-jin scoffs.

Joon-seong winces. "And didn't your team lose your competition?"

"The other team is really impressive!" Min-jae snaps. 

He really hopes that doesn't come up too often, he knows that Ha-ri isn't okay with it. Ever since they first took archery lessons together, her parents have been pushing her to get on the Nationals Team, and then get a scholarship. This match is supposed to be her big shot, and to find out they failed before they've even left...

Well, it hasn't happened yet, maybe they can do better this time around.

Ha-ri walks straight past Joon-seong and Mi-jin, not paying attention to either, and sits next to him. She looks more annoyed than mad, but she's too good at keeping her composure.

"He's insufferable."

XXX

Joon-yeong's POV

Joon-yeong feels bad. He likes I-sak, even though she made a rather... strange first impression. 

(She had been assigned to do a project in class with him and Woo-jin, but she spent the first twenty minutes or so looking at them with suspicion while occasionally smiling as they did all the work. Until finally, she blurted out, "Gay!", and then started doing her part. Woo-jin and Joon-yeong could only move on and pretend it never happened, because it was so confusing.)

Speaking of Woo-jin-

"Zombies! Zombies have taken over our school, and she goes in. But no, she does it for me, and that makes it okay?" He watches his friend pace as he had watched him argue with his sister minutes before.

Joon-yeong understands it. She's doing it for Woo-jin. Woo-jin, the dumbass, but still. Woo-jin, the guy who'll do anything to make you smile. In the show, she doesn't know where he is or what's happened to him, but she knows that he must be in danger, and that's enough. If Joon-yeong wasn't in danger with him...

Not only that, but he's been wondering about his own family and if they'll be okay in this timeline (though he'll settle for not knowing since he's not in that timeline). Ha-ri really just did what On-jo is counting on her father doing. 

But parents and siblings that are older by less than two years are different. No matter competent his sister is, they're more peers than anything, so of course Woo-jin would see her less as a savior, no matter how much comfort and protection she offers him, and more as an idiot for endangering herself.

It's anger born of worry, if she gets hurt because she went looking for him then he'll think it's his fault, and Joon-yeong knows that Ha-ri would feel the same way if the roles were reversed.

It wouldn't be his fault though.

"So, are you sitting with us next episode?" Joon-yeong asks to take his mind off things, trying to sound as casual and nonchalant as he can.

Woo-jin swallows but nods. "Yeah."

It's stupid, but this all so fucking terrifying, and Joon-yeong might have missed him while he was at the other couch. He gets it, of course. Obviously, he should be with his sister during this seriously stressful tv show. Hell, On-jo spent the entire episode with her father until I-sak...

(He doesn't want to think about if Woo-jin gets bitten. If he has to watch.)

It's only natural that they get comfort from their families. And it's neither of their faults that no one from Joon-yeong's family got taken with them.

But it was nice, seeing Woo-jin comfort his sister in his own way. He knew just how to make her feel better, and it worked better than anyone could have predicted. Dae-su and Joon-yeong never thought of someone like Ha-ri as needing comfort, but...

Family brings out different sides of everyone.

Woo-jin wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads him to the couch, and Joon-yeong doesn't acknowledge the beating of his heart.

XXX

Dae-su's POV

He sighs in relief when his friends come back. 

"Where have you been?" he complains.

"Family stuff," Woo-jin shrugs.

"Emotional support," Joon-yeong says.

"You just stood there and let me rant about my sister."

"Do you feel better?"

Woo-jin gives a half smile. "Yeah."

"Anyways," Dae-su interrupts, because they can go at this forever if he lets them. "Do you think that they'll feed us?"

"What?" Joon-yeong asks, eyebrows knitted. "That's what you're worried about?"

"We're supposed to be here for twelve hours at the least," he says defensively. "We have to eat at some point. Just because our future selves are starving doesn't mean we have to be."

"That isn't our future anymore," Joon-yeong snaps.

"We'll be fine," Woo-jin says dismissively. "We aren't gonna starve in twelve hours."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Dae-su asks them in disbelief.

"Maybe whoever took us here will provide food, maybe not," Joon-yeong offers him. "We have bigger priorities."

"'Bigger priorities'," he shakes his head. 

Yeah, but all their 'bigger priorities' are super depressing.

He's glad that Min-ji wasn't kidnapped with them, and that she didn't have to see herself turn into a zombie, or hear herself plead for Dae-su's help when there was nothing he could do to help her.

Seeing how messed up I-sak is over her death, Min-ji definitely wouldn't have taken it well. She didn't take it well, in the show.

Woo-jin wordlessly pats his back in sympathy, though he didn't say anything about it at all.

But she would've agreed with him about the food thing.

He probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to ask her, she'd probably be with I-sak and the other girls in that circle they have going on, and they'd probably get mad at him if he interrupted things to ask her opinion on it.

Dae-su wonders what Ha-ri would say about the food, but when he glances her way, he's so stunned by her beauty and perfection that the thought of approaching her for her opinion makes his palms sweaty.

"I think it's time we watched the next episode," the military guy says. "I'll read the description."

"When of the group is scratched while fighting a zombie, Lee Na-yeon demands they kick him out. Outside the virus swallows up the city."

They all look at Na-yeon, who clearly wasn't expecting to be called out by name, but she looks as proud as she always is. Her head is held up high.

"Just me?" she asks, all haughty.

"Can the infection spread through scratches?" Ms. Park asks in concern.

"Not unless infected blood enters the system," Mr. Lee answers her from all the way in his prison corner.

"Ugh, it's gonna be me," Gyeong-su groans, already looking like he's over it.

Dae-su shares a look with Woo-jin and Joon-yeong.

Yeah... It's gonna be Gyeong-su.

XXX

Mr. Lee's POV

... He actually created zombies, didn't he?

Chapter Text

Gyeong-su's POV

What the fuck?

Just in general, what the fuck?

"So, you're telling me that this whole mess started with a virus made by a high school science teacher?"

Gyeong-su doesn't see why that's so unbelievable. The detective said himself that Mr. Lee could have been a college professor.

He asks why he would do that, which is fair. Who would actually create zombies?

"Detective, do you have any kids?"

In a public bathroom, but not one like any of them at school, someone seems to be turning into another zombie. Whoever it is clearly had enough time to get tools and wipes and stuff. (Who brings tools to deal with an illness?)

But then a baby cries. It's Hee-su, the classmate they weren't sure was infected or not. And she's looking down at a baby.

Wait a minute...

Someone turns off the tv and they all turn to stare at the shaking girl, who's clutching a backpack to her body. Right over her stomach too.

"Hee-su?" Ms. Park says carefully. "You're- you're-"

She shakes and starts to tear up. "I'm sorry."

"Oh honey," Ms. Park stands and approaches her slowly.

Na-yeon gives a choked laugh. "Oh my god. She's a slut!"

"Shut up," Ji-min warns her.

"Why, don't tell me you all feel bad for her as well? What ever happened to standards?"

"Do you ever get tired!?" Gyeong-su snaps.

"Oh, now you're talking? I thought you'd be grateful that someone in this room is finally on your level."

"My level?" Gyeong-su repeats. "As opposed to your level, where people only tolerate you for gossip?"

She scoffs. "What do you know, you can't tell pity from actual respect?"

"Will you two stop arguing!?" Ji-min demands. "No one asked either of you to talk!"

"He started it."

"I literally didn't."

"Hee-su?" All of the adults, except for Mr. Lee, have crowded around the terrified, and innocent, girl by now. On-Jo's father is the one speaking. "Is that your name? I want you to know that it's alright, you're surrounded by people who want to help you. But also, you have to know that doing that without any doctors around is very dangerous."

"How is your home life? Do your parents know?"

She shakes her head. "No! They- they can't know."

"Okay then, would you describe your home life as unpleasant?" the less cool policeman asks. "Are you abused or neglected?"

"Um- uh-"

"We can discuss this after the episode if you want," the detective cuts in. "No pressure. We just want you and the infant to be safe."

"Okay." She nods, clearly overwhelmed. "What about them?" Hee-su asks with shaky breath, looking at the rest of the room.

"No one will tell anyone!" On-jo says suddenly. She looks at all the other students. "We'll keep your secret." She narrows in on Na-yeon specifically. "Right?"

"Are you joking!?" Na-yeon says incredulous.

Nam-ra crosses her arms and stands behind On-jo. "No. I don't think she is. And neither am I. You won't say anything."

"So now I take orders from you, Class President?" God, all Gyeong-su wants to do is to tell her to shut up, but that's always been more trouble than it's worth.

Nam-ra just stares her down. "Yes." Na-yeon flinches.

I-sak leans over and whispers in his ear, "I like Nam-ra now."

Gyeong-su thinks it over. She seems to hate Na-yeon, who seems to fear her in turn. "Me too."

In the show, Hee-su leaves the baby in the bathroom and goes outside, but she's at a playground full of families.

Na-yeon scoffs under her breath. "Oh my god." Gyeong-su glares at her.

"Could you let your child die? No parent on earth can do that."

The detective just wants a straight answer, and all Mr. Lee is doing is proving that he could be a good English teacher.

But then another police officer comesin, saying it's an emergency, probably the zombies.

For the love of his grandmother, can the authorities realize that there's a zombie apocalypse already? It's kind of dumb that the group has gone through that much without authorities even figuring it out yet.

Real life is dumb.

"It's too late. We're all dead. There's no hope for survival."

Su-hyeok is out on the edge of the window, slowly and carefully trying to move. Maybe this is the part where he catches Cheong-san? Somehow? Who knows?

That's when Cheong-san jumps out his own window with a hoard of zombies following over.

"That looked like a backflip," Gyeong-su whispers excitedly. "I think he can grab the hose."

"It's not impossible," Joon-yeong says.

"Shh!" Na-yeon hushes them harshly.

That's when the freaky intro starts, and if this show didn't have a real life effect on his life, Gyeong-su would actually think it's pretty cool.

He sighs in relief when he sees that Cheong-san did, in fact, grab the hose. He happily pats his friend's back.

Su-hyeok and Cheong-san bicker, and it is kind of funny how they do that even when they're literally just barely hanging on. And it's kind of funny how Su-hyeok seems to think that everyone has the same strength as him. Like, see right there, he had no say in doing a backflip and it's a miracle that Cheong-san managed to grab the hose in time. But when a zombie comes at Su-hyeok, he just jumps a few feet and grabs on himself.

Thankfully, he can kick the zombie off of Cheong-san's foot and still have time for them to tease one another. Bare-su gets in, but before Cheong-san can, Na-yeon starts whining again and demanding they close the window. Even though someone is still out there.

Okay, he doesn't want Na-yeon dead, but why do they have to be in the same group? He can't take being around her.

"I can't stand you, stupid welfie."

Oh, what a bitch.

It's a relief, honestly, to see himself shove her. Honestly, he's wanted to do it for a long time.

"Did you see that?" Na-yeon yells at the authorities. "Do something! Arrest him!

"Don't hit one another," the Commander tells him firmly. "You mustn't turn things violent."

"Can we arrest someone for something they do in the future?" the less cool police officer wonders out loud.

"Even if we could, that really doesn't qualify as a criminal assault. The teacher can handle it for now."

After they explain a welfie is, which leads to a lot of side-eying Na-yeon even from people outside their class, something that has Gyeong-su hopeful that he's not stuck in a room with a bunch of jackasses, Ms. Park tells them both off.

He doesn't care. Na-yeon never cares, so why should he?

The group tries to focus on more important things than her latest temper tantrum, like the cops or first responders, and Hyeon-ju and the hospital. That's when Joon-yeong suggests they use the computers in the broadcasting room.

"You got hurt?" Woo-jin notices, concerned at him walking with a limp to the computer.

While they all crowd around him, no but Cheong-san sees him hanging back by the window. At least he knows he can always count on him.

Nam-ra asks Su-hyeok if he saw her note, which is a kinda weird thing to focus on but okay. He didn't even see it.

"Ugh, he just walked away." I-sak whispers under her breath, annoyed.

"Huh?" Gyeong-su whispers back just as quietly.

I-sak takes a quick glance at On-jo next to her and then leans close to murmur, "Later."

The guys by the computer are trying to look things up on the internet while Gyeong-su notices the hose knocking against the window. Nam-ra seems to think something is fishy too, which is how he knows he's not being dumb.

But back with Hee-su, she's by a road near their school. He hopes she's not going back there. But that's when a goddamn police car swerves off the road and almost runs her over. People form a crowd around them, trying to help her and the officers as one person takes out his phone to record. But obviously this is because of the zombies, which only leads to more people getting bitten.

Hee-su sees all this and runs back to get her baby, proving that she is not a bad person, at least in his eyes, but he is only a fucking welfie, so what does he know?

He's fine. Gyeong-su is fine. It's not about him.

Oh god, that zombie is biting out that guy's guts!

Beside him, I-sak groans and then suddenly hums, her entire demeanor going from freaked to intrigued. Gyeong-su knows why. Because as Joon-yeong is looking up social media sites, Woo-jin is leaning over him and has a hand on his shoulder, and for some reason I-sak decided awhile ago to make him her partner in crime when it came to their friends' love lives. And her fucking list.

To be fair, she's not gonna speculate about this shit with On-jo, given everything with her.

He scoots a little closer to her and as quiet as can be, whispers in her ear, "Is now really the time?"

Gyeong-su leans away as she turns her head and whispers back, "I died, I can do what I want."

He tries not to flinch at the reminder. "It's a hand on a shoulder."

"It's flavoring."

Flavoring. That's what she calls little details that she swoons over as opposed to like, emotional, lovey dovey stuff that are the basis for why she thinks their friends should be together.

"We all do stuff like that. We're a very touchy-feely group."

"That's why it's the flavoring and not the basis."

"What are you two whispering about?" On-jo asks. Cheong-san is also looking at them curiously.

"The economy," I-sak responds.

"How I-sak has less followers than Joon-yeong," Gyeong-su says at the exact same time.

I-sak looks at him in shock. "What? I mean..." She smiles at them both calmly. "Same thing." She leans over to whisper at Gyeong-su again. "Is the follower thing true?"

They're saved (in real life, from their friends' suspicion, not in the show at all) by the hose from earlier suddenly bursting through the window and startling them all into jumping.

Cheong-san, like the heroic idiot he apparently is, gets closer despite Gyeong-su warning him not to. They're about to dismiss it as being the wind when a zombie pops out of nowhere.

"Fuck!"

He tries to use a broom to push off the hose, and Gyeong-su tries to help, but the zombie claws at him. The broom ends up breaking. Bare-su tries to help too, but it isn't until Gyeong-su picks something heavy up and hurtles it at her that she finally falls.

He sighs, "Good."

They all take a moment to catch their breaths and calm down.

And then Na-yeon sees his nose bleeding.

"Hey... You..."

Cheong-san gasps, suddenly looking at him with concern.

Gyeong-su shakes his head and assures him, "It's just a scratch. Remember the summary? We all knew it would be me."

Mrs. Park (Nam-ra's mom, yeah, he remembers her surname, it's normal that he's proud of that) looks up. "That's the City Council building. This must be when I learn what's going on."

Mr. Nam is doing a check up on a zombie. Sure enough, she's there. They're talking about what they know about him and his symptoms. The second Mr. Nam decides to gag him, Gyeong-su knows that it's gonna go badly.

It does. It goes, well, not extremely badly, but some paramedic gets 'a little' bite.

Coincidentally, that's when everyone starts getting contacted about there being a giant as fuck emergency. He assumes that's what a level three is. There are talks about evacuation, but nothing that he can understand from what they're saying says anything about the school.

Next comes one of the most frustrating things ever. Gyeong-su explains away his nosebleed but Na-yeon doesn't care. She gets everyone to act all scared of him, even when he swears it's just a scratch on his hand. Cheong-san, the person always in his corner, checks it and proves him right. He even gets the others and Ms. Park to look at the scratch.

Is Na-yeon done yet?

"Couldn't you have thrown something else instead of the computer?"

He just wants to scream. He can't do anything right, can he?

Dae-su tries to make it up to him by getting Na-yeon to apologize. He appreciates it but why bother? She won't listen. She doesn't listen. She's not sorry and in fact, she sticks with her bullshit about him being infected. Not when On-jo points out that she touched I-sak when she turned. Not when Bare-su points out that he was the hero and this is the thanks he gets.

"Now you're the one who's killing me."

Same, Woo-jin, same.

He doesn't understand how she's not killing Ms. Park with all her bullshit.

Ms. Park cuts in. And though they all love her, he doesn't know why she has to take the middle every single time. Sometimes someone is just plain wrong. And for Na-yeon, it's every time she opens her mouth.

She orders him to stay in the recording booth for ten minutes in case he turns. It's so unfair. Why is his life so unfair?

But you know what, if he has to bend over backwards because Lee Na-yeon is throwing a hissy fit, then he'll go all the way. He'll stay an hour! He will. It's a win in its own way.

Na-yeon says she'll apologize when he doesn't turn, but he doesn't believe her.

"Who'll step up next time? We'll all be too scared."

Cheong-san agrees with himself. "He is the bravest one in our group."

Gyeong-su gives him a half smile in appreciation and pats his back. "Thanks."

It does help, to get some recognition.

"He's not that stubborn, compared to her."

"Dumbass," he scoffs at Na-yeon.

"Stop calling me names!"

"Then stop being all of those names."

"I'm right, you know."

Gyeong-su groans and rolls his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that."

"You think you can-"

"Stop," Ms. Park tells them.

She shakes her head. "You'll see."

"Stop."

Back with Gwi-nam...

I-sak squeaks, and he puts a hand on her arm for comfort. Even though they all kinda got the message earlier that no one saddled with Gwi-nam was gonna make it out alive, it's still hard to see. It's really fucked up, but he realizes that the easiest deaths to sit through are the quick ones with people they don't recognize or don't get to know, even for a second. But like... knowing for definite sure that someone's gonna get screwed over before they're ever even bit? That's brutal. Not as brutal as seeing I-sak, someone they knew and liked before all this, turn, but still fucked.

Though it would kind of be like a fucked up form of justice if the zombified version of someone he threw under the bus was the one to bite him.

But even when it looks hopeless, a kindly lunch lady offers him help, only for him to throw her at the zombies as well. Fuck.

Then he has to fend more off with kitchen supplies, using a knife to defend himself.

Back with the class, Woo-jin, Dae-su, Ji-min (who's always been the girl that fit in the most with the guys) and Joon-yeong discuss what the zombies could be sensitive to. Gyeong-su notices Commander Jin paying extra attention to that.

Hyo-ryung is with Ms. Park, worrying about other students.

"The fact that we're alive makes us lucky."

Cheong-san is checking on him, then looking at the rest of the kids before trying to talk to On-jo.

She's still messed up from what happened with I-sak, and who wouldn't be? It was horrible.

But she doesn't wanna talk about it, and Gyeong-su doesn't want them to either, and so he changes the subject. He assures her that her dad is coming soon.

Speaking of parents, he's relieved to see that the virus hasn't reached the new Cheong-san Chicken place yet. After all this watching, they should all go to his house (since they're moving they can't go to the restaurant) and just chow down on all that juicy, juicy chicken. They deserve nothing less, really. Na-yeon will not be invited.

Cheong-san winces at the sight of his parents, and all the beautiful, beautiful advertising with his face on it. But he doesn't groan or complain about it like he usually would. Probably worried about them. His dad makes a prediction that Mrs. Min (Cheong-san's mom) will be the worst towards her future daughter in law, and Gyeong-su has to remind himself not to think of On-jo, since that's apparently unrequited.

She goes inside just as a news report about the virus gets on the news. She instantly gets concerned.

"Oh no." Cheong-san straightens his back, horror dawning on his face.

She calls the school, but everyone in the receptionist room has already turned. In fact, a lot of phones are going off. Oh god, he hopes his grandma won't be too worried about him before he gets out. But he feels more bad for the parents and grandparents of the kids who've already turned.

Even as the news reporter tells everyone watching to evacuate the city, Cheong-san shakes his head. "She's gonna come to the school."

"I thought you said it was a good thing that parents were coming?" Hyo-ryung says.

"Mr. Nam is a firefighter. My mom has never even burned a meal!" At that point, she's already gotten on a scooter and fallen over.

"I'm sure they're sending law enforcement over there," Mr. Nam tells him. "They won't let her pass." Cheong-san nods, still clearly worried, but calmer now.

On-jo's father is also (finally) learning about the virus, being told that it gets passed on through bites (obviously, that is how zombies work), and he realizes that one of the guys on his squad is screwed.

"Poor Yeong-hwan," the paramedic shakes his head. But then immediately flinches when he sees him throw up blood on him and then fall to his knees. Once turned, he immediately lunges for him before Mr. Nam can restrain him and get him tied up.

"Approximately 200 infected in Hyosan Intersection. Unit 1030, 1040, 1050."

Gyeong-su almost can't believe it. Obviously when the zombies started biting everyone, his first thought was of course 'It's the end of the world!' But to actually see how bad this virus is getting... He just hopes his grandma will be alright.

Police units show up at one street, where a couple has gotten into a car crash. Zombies are running towards all of them. They form a human blockade trying to keep them from spreading even further. And through it all, Cheong-san's mother comes speeding in on her scooter. The cops tell her to get lost.

He expects Cheong-san to ease up or sigh in relief, but he still doesn't seem satisfied. Probably because it still follows her riding off through a back alley. She ends up crashing when Hee-su comes out of nowhere. She apologizes but runs off when she starts asking questions about Cheong-san.

"Mom!" he yells as zombies run at her. Gyeong-su holds his breath as she limps away, until it just changes scenes.

It would be such a sick show if it showed his mom getting eaten by zombies.

Back with the bathroom bunch, Ha-ri and Mi-jin are on the boys' shoulder, looking out the window, trying to see something. Woo-jin breath hitches. From what Gyeong-su can tell, he's currently pissed at his sister for going into the school, and his sister went into the school for basically the same reason that Mrs. Min did.

He swears to god if this show has his grandma coming to school to fight the zombies...

Well, that would be pretty cool in theory, but horrible in real life.

Mi-jin asks both of the archery kids for cigarettes, and then both girls turn on Min-jae for being rude to an upperclassmen. Gyeong-su shakes his head. He better make it to senior year so that he can hold that over underclassmen's heads. And then Ha-ri and Mi-jin argue over the latter's distaste for athletes, which... hey, at least none of these squabbles are half as annoying as when Na-yeon talks about random stuff. Not even complaining, just random stuff.

Joon-seong tells them all not to fight and then backs down when they all look at him incredulously. But you know what? Gyeong-su wants him in the Class 2-5 group so he can say stuff like that to Na-yeon.

Mi-jin wants to leave but Joon-seong doesn't want zombies to see them and makes it clear that he'll stay behind. Ha-ri blows her off and she doesn't even ask the underclassmen, so she just tells Joon-seong to make weapons.

Back in the recording room, Gyeong-su is still doing his hour of prison time, though Cheong-san cheers him up on the other side of the door, whistling 'Auld Lang Syne' at the window like they did all the time in the ninth grade. Then he mouths that he's gonna kill Gyeong-su, who gives him the finger, then Cheong-san presses his mouth and face against the window like an idiot.

But hey, mission accomplished. Gyeong-su is smiling at the screen and in the show.

And then he gestures that it's been thirty minutes and that he can come out now. But of course he can't. He said an hour, and he's gonna do a goddamn hour.

Cheong-san sends Ms. Park in to try and talk to them while the rest look through the big window, talking about how stubborn he is. But Gyeong-su would rather be stubborn than pushed around by people like Na-yeon. If he does just what they wanted then it's something he's forced to do. If he goes big and beyond then at least he's doing it to himself.

Cheong-san wants to go in and talk to him himself but Ji-min wants Na-yeon to do it. He finds himself grateful to her, as she admits to suspecting him but points that she wasn't a bitch to him unlike someone they know. He knows that the two girls have always been frenemies at best. They're gossip buddies but also Ji-min isn't a bully.

At least… Not in the way the bullies in this show are bullies.

Ms. Park stops her and then tells Na-yeon to go apologize, and she agrees but not before looking at everyone in their class staring her down.

She actually does go in. Is she really gonna do it?

... He'll believe it when he sees it.

She puts her hand in her pocket and approaches him.

It's a little weird how invested his friends are in her apologizing to him. They're all staring through the window, like spectators.

She demands to see his cut, even going so far as to grab his hand and pulling it towards her. This makes the commentary get so excited that even Nam-ra has to look. Na-yeon cleans the cut (weird but okay) and explains her position (fine).

Wait, his friends want him and Na-yeon to...? Noooooooo.

"Ugh..." I-sak says unhappily, like she's about to barf, and at least he knows that one of his friends is as weirded out by the thought of her liking him as he is. And it's the one with a list.

Oh... Oh, wow.

Fucking bitch.

They all stare at her in horror as she holds her head up high like a proud princess.

"Oh, fuck you," Ji-min spits at her.

"What is wrong with you!?" Cheong-san says angrily.

"Who does this bitch think she is?" Mi-jin, of all people, scoffs at her.

"Oh, yeah, bully me now like you bully me there! Doesn't change the fact that I'm right!" Na-yeon sneers.

"Shut up!" Dae-su groans.

"No one likes you!" Woo-jin tells her.

"That's enough, everyone quiet down," Ms. Park demands. "Na-yeon, we will have a long discussion about this after the episode. Okay?"

They all groan but stop talking, instead focusing on the episode.

Na-yeon is still doubling down on her dumb as fuck statements, Cheong-san and Ji-min being the ones to argue the most for him, and she still seems to think that he's infected for some reason. Who knows why?

"Look. Guess I was right after all."

The camera pans, they all look towards the back, Woo-jin sits up straight, On-jo and Hyo-ryung stare, and Gyeong-su's nose is bleeding again.

"Oh my god," Na-yeon sounds so fucking pleased.

He's confused, but it focuses on an upset Cheong-san. He wipes his nose and looks at the blood with shaking hands. And Na-yeon still takes the opportunity to say she was right.

"Do- do scratches take longer to infect then bites?" the paramedic suggests.

"No." They all turn to look at Mr. Lee in surprise. "I've been scratched before. I didn't see blood enter his system at any point when the zombie was there. If it had then he shouldn't have taken this long to turn."

He looks just as confused as the rest of them. Even him in his video recording doesn't explain that part. Just that the cells are attacking each other and all of that is what is happening in Gyeong-su at that very moment.

His fucking veins. His fucking vision.

Na-yeon is screaming at him to go, the entire class except Cheong-san is backing away from him, and On-jo is begging him to stay away.

"Oh my god," Cheong-san whispers, throwing an arm over his shoulder and pulling him closer. I-sak takes his hand and squeezes it. It reminds him of just an episode ago when she was the dying one.

Fuck.

Fuck.

They're only kids.

He won't let Cheong-san near him, his neck is doing that snappy-crunchy thing that zombies do, and he sounds so confused and scared. Na-yeon is demanding they kick him out, and-

And she's right. If he stays he'll try to eat his friends. He can't do that.

Gyeong-su agrees to leave, of course, he's not a complete asshat. He'll go to the hallway to protect his friends.

Fuck, even Nam-ra is crying. Fuck, Ms. Park is snapping at Na-yeon. Fuck, he has to support himself with the table and chair just to get going. Fuck, Ms. Park is standing in front of On-jo, Woo-jin, and Ji-min like he's gonna attack them- his friends!

Cheong-san calls to him just as he makes it to the door, looking like he's about to start crying. In real life, tears spring in his eyes and threaten to fall.

"Thank you... for everything... Stay alive."

Thank you for... for being friends with poor kid. For being a really, really good friend. For making high school a fun time while it lasted.

Actual tears roll down his best friend's cheek as he wraps his other arm around him. Gyeong-su hears I-sak crying as well.

And just when he's about to leave, he hears snickering. He turns and everyone has dead, white eyes, and it flickers between that and their real selves, until Gyeong-su turns for good where he collapses onto the door.

He's a zombie. "Oh, fuck no."

He growls and attacks his friends, Dae-su trying to fight him off. Even when pushed, he just gets back up, looking more like a monster than anything else.

A whistle. Auld Lang Syne. They learned that song together once upon a time. Fuck, Cheong-san is crying. His zombie self runs at him and he uses the hose to swing out of the way just in time for him to jump out the window and land outside.

Cheong-san chokes on a sob and holds him tighter. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Gyeong-su shakes his head as someone pauses the show. "It's not... So I guess that whistle is ruined for us forever, huh?"

Tears running down his face, he nods, giving a forced laugh. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"NA-YEON, I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU SAY A WORD RIGHT NOW, I WILL KILL YOU!!!" They both jump at Ji-min's shout but share a look to agree not to look over at them.

Gyeong-su pulls away from his best friend, only for I-sak to pull him into another hug.

"This sucks, doesn't it?" she shakes her head.

"Yeah... It really does."

"I guess we're in the same boat now, huh?" I-sak leans in and whispers in his ear, "Fair warning, in an hour you still won't get the image of yourself like that out of your head." He shudders and hugs her close.

When they pull away, Dae-su comes up to him and pulls him to his feet before giving him an embrace of his own. Joon-yeong and Woo-jin quickly join, turning it into a group hug. When that's done, On-jo and Hyo-ryung hug him as well. Ms. Park comes up to him, reaches out, and squeezes his hand. Su-hyeok claps him on the back. Ji-min takes a quick break from glaring Na-yeon into silence to shoot him a mournful look.

Like he did with I-sak, Commander Jin goes to stand in front of him, tall and soldier-y. "I'm deeply sorry that this happened. I assure you that I will do everything in my power to prevent this in the future. From what I can see, you are a good person and a brave young man. You should be proud of yourself."

He holds up a hand, which Gyeong-su stares at for a second before taking it and shaking. The man nods and releases, walking back to his seat.

Gyeong-su takes a shaky breath. Cheong-san puts a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. He nods. "We should keep watching."

"Are you sure?" Ms. Park asks.

"Yeah... I mean, the worst part is over now!" He smiles, trying to be cheery. But he looks around at all his friends, and realizes, "... Unless, someone else dies."

Gyeong-su flinches and then walks back to the couch, Cheong-san following him like a lost puppy.

In the alleys of Hyosan City, Hee-su is running with her baby, trying to avoid zombies. He really hopes she-

Fuck, he jinxed it. She's bitten.

She runs into a building... Oh, she actually made it into Cheong-san Chicken. She holds the baby to her and sniffles before setting it down on a booth and tying herself to the door when she starts to turn as zombies claw at the windows.

Gyeong-su feels kind of guilty, he had half the room sobbing over him but no one knows her well enough to have that sort of reaction. He's not even sure she would want that sort of reaction, but...

"That was really brave," he offers her.

Hee-su looks terrified, but she nods at him silently.

"Can I..." Ms. Park starts. "Can I hold your hand?" She hesitates, but nods again. Ms. Park stands and sits on the couch at the spot closest to her, taking her hand in hers.

The zombified Hee-su tries to go for the crying baby but the restraints stop her. That's good, that's really good. He just wonders how some survivor could possibly come across the poor baby when the outside is full of zombies.

Back at the council, everyone is stacking chairs and tables over the doors, while the zombies are tied up. Mr. Nam is telling everyone what to do and that a helicopter is coming, but Assemblywoman Park and her assistant are mad that he didn't tell anyone that she was there, as people would probably prioritize her over other people.

Which... God, that's just like a really bad caricature of what they think about Nam-ra, but at least Nam-ra never made it seem like her life matters more than theirs when things got dangerous. (He tries not to think about her crying face when he died.)

Mr. Nam tries to call On-jo but it doesn't work. He then talks through his walkie talkie, asking about the high school.

... Well, at least his daughter is still alive.

Gyeong-su really hopes he never has to see his grandmother finding out...

Back with his friends, everyone looks pretty down. Dae-su is openly sobbing.

"I told you all. He was infected."

"Ah!"

"What is wrong with you!?"

"How insufferable can you be!?"

Na-yeon just scoffs in disbelief.

"You were all wrong. Only I was right. What would you all do without me?"

She smirks at the screen, smug at her own words.

He would never wish anyone dead, but now he's dead and he has to listen to Na-yeon's talking for who knows how much longer.

"Hey. Maybe you did it."

Huh?

Nam-ra walks up to Na-yeon, calm and cool as she always is.

Gyeong-su and Cheong-san share a confused look. Glancing at Nam-ra across the room, she's sitting up a little straighter, eyes glued to the screen. The little emotion on her face is also confused as to what she's talking about.

Her tv self isn't giving much away, simply saying that she 'saw everything' and that Na-yeon 'did it'.

Did... what?

What did she do?

"I didn't do anything to Gyeong-su!" "I didn't say anything about Gyeong-su."

What the...

That's when Nam-ra goes into this whole story and flashback about how Na-yeon wiped the blood from the broom they used to fight the zombie with while everyone was looking at Gyeong-su through the window of the recording booth. Everyone except Nam-ra, who hung back and saw. She wiped it with a green handkerchief, just like the one she used to clean his cut.

That bitch.

That goddamn bitch!

He thought the part where she cleaned his cut was fucking bizarre.

Gyeong-su shares a horrified look with Cheong-san, then turns his head to share one with I-sak.

"What the hell, you killed him!?" Ji-min says outraged.

"She's lying!" Na-yeon defends herself. "She's crazy!"

Na-yeon is denying everything, until Nam-ra tries to take the handkerchief herself, causing her to push her away. Nam-ra slaps her. It sounds hard.

"You never treated me like president."

"She hit me!" Na-yeon turns to Assemblywoman Park, desperate for any sort of support. "Your daughter hit me!"

The woman gives her nothing, looking at her venomously. "Horrible child."

Whether it was the flashback or if she just automatically believes her daughter, he doesn't know, but the assemblywoman seems to already look at Na-yeon like a murderer. And even Gyeong-su can't bring himself to believe it yet.

Ms. Park is inclined to be disbelieving as well, asking if Nam-ra really even understands what she's saying. Nam-ra stands by what she says, and Na-yeon throws the handkerchief at her. She picks it up, noting the blood on it, which Na-yeon says is Gyeong-su's. Nam-ra wants her to test it on a cut on her leg. Which... okay, point to Na-yeon, wouldn't prove anything since Gyeong-su was a zombie.

"He was just fine until you infected him with your handkerchief."

Cheong-san has to be held back by Su-hyeok, and to prove a point, Na-yeon takes the handkerchief and is about to put it on her wound but she freezes. Ms. Park grabs her hand and struggles to get it from her.

She fucking killed him, didn't she?

Didn't she?

Na-yeon yells out her frustration.

"I should just die too then, huh? That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Fuck you," Cheong-san whispers, tears in his traumatized eyes. Louder, he glares at her. "You deserve a lot worse, I hope you know that. I hope you hurt!"

Gyeong-su grabs his arm and hisses, "Dude, stop."

He takes a few deep breaths and tries to calm down. "Oh my god. Oh my god."

"Why's Gyeong-su better than me? That dirty welfie pushed me!"

At this point, it's impossible to deny it. Na-yeon murdered him. He always knew she hated him. That she was a prejudiced bitch and all she needed to know was that he was on welfare for her to hate him. That her head was in her ass. But he never thought she'd ever-

Wow.

Dae-su and Su-hyeok both have to restrain TV Cheong-san as he yells at her. In real life, right next to him, Cheong-san doesn't try to attack her, he just- He just breaks down crying, putting his wrist over his eyes to wipe away the tears.

Na-yeon tries everything to justify what she did. She acts like turning into a zombie isn't killing him somehow. She says that everyone laughed when she would make fun of him, but... No. Gyeong-su has never heard them laugh at her fucked up bullying...

Unless they did it when he wasn't there to see it.

He takes a deep breath and tries not to cry any harder.

Cheong-san finally breaks free and shoves her to the ground, and a sick part of him is glad to see her fall. A life for a shove, and now she got shoved a second time. Fuck.

Na-yeon is finally fucking crying. And she's crying for herself. She could only ever cry for herself, because she only cares about herself. She looks at all their classmates, all of Gyeong-su's friends, and they all look at her with hate and disgust.

"I have no friends at all. I don't need any of you. Fuck you."

She sobs. She gets up. She walks out.

”Am I supposed to feel sorry?” Ji-min mutters bitterly, voice thick.

Woo-jin does try to go after her, for whatever that's worth, but Ms. Park won't let him. Na-yeon just walks down the hallway by herself.

She's gonna die. She's gonna let herself die. And she killed Gyeong-su, and he knows he wanted to live, but he never wanted anyone else to die either.

Ms. Park tells them all to listen.

"No matter what happens, you must stay alive. Also, you must never take a life."

How can Na-yeon be crying that much, be so sorry for herself, and then kill him without an ounce of regret?

The zombies are noticing her. They're gonna get her soon.

... He doesn't want to... to see... her die.

"If you cause someone else to die... Well, life becomes completely meaningless."

Everyone looks at her, not saying anything. She just gives them a weak smile, then turns around and leaves.

His eyes widen as she goes.

No one says anything as Na-yeon comes face to face with a herd of zombies, Ms. Park taking her hand and pulling her away.

Back with the rest, everyone is devastated. Woo-jin is hugging Dae-su, Cheong-san angrily punches a cabinet, and both Nam-ra and On-jo are holding back tears.

"Fuck!

Light from a helicopter shines through the window.

What the fuck?

Chapter Text

Dae-su's POV

"Oh my god. I- I need a nap," Dae-su shakes his head, sounding and feeling exhausted. He runs his hands over his face and stretches in his seat. He needs a nap. He already said that. Fuck.

"Same," several people say in agreement.

For a second, everything is quiet, everyone just basking in the icky feeling that episode left them with. There was a certain anger in the atmosphere that Dae-su doesn't know how to lighten up. Like it's only a matter of time as to when someone just... damn.

"You left us?" Ji-min says to Ms. Park, eyes furious and betrayed. "We're kids! We need an adult, and you decide to leave for this murderer!?"

"Ji-min-"

"No! No. Everyone thinks you're this reasonable authority figure, but you're just like all the other useless adults!" She hakes her head, taking shallow breaths. Hyo-ryung takes her hand.

"Ji-min-"

"Don't!"

Ms. Park reluctantly lets it go, her shoulders deflating as she looks at her lap.

Dae-su feels bad. He adores Ms. Park! He always has. She is easily one of the best teachers he's had, period. And this show has only reinforced that. He doesn't think he can blame her for going after Na-yeon. She'd do the same for any of them, even if they all committed a murder. She just wanted them all to survive.

But also Ji-min scares him even more than Ha-ri sometimes, and she's really pissed off right now, so he decides he'll tell Ms. Park that later.

He lets out a deep sigh. This is all so fucked up.

Looking at Gyeong-su to reassure himself that he's still there, he sees Cheong-san staring at him like he might disappear any second now. Dae-su feels for him, it was brutal how he died. And they were best friends.

He's already seen three friends die, and it hurts so bad. He doesn't want to see anyone else go, but it would kill him if Woo-jin or Joon-yeong turn. Min-ji is all he can take. He hopes they make it out of this show. And it would suck to see himself die, that's also very important.

He doesn't want to see himself die.

Oh! And Hyo-ryung! He wants her to live too. And Ha-ri. And like... why should he keep Cheong-san, Su-hyeok, On-jo, and Ji-min from this list? And now he'll feel bad if he doesn't mention Nam-ra... And the rest of Ha-ri's friends!

This can go on for awhile.

XXX

I-sak's POV

"Your death was way worse than mine," I-sak's head is being held up by her arm as she leans it on the arm of the couch.

Gyeong-su sighs. "That's a fucked up competition."

"It's not a competition because you would win," she says.

He shakes his head. "We don't know for sure that this is as bad as it's gonna get."

"Well, then-"

"No." On-jo interrupts her, gesturing for I-sak to scoot so that she has the corner seat, having just come back from the bathroom.

"What?"

"You, and you-" She points to I-sak then Gyeong-su. "-are not going to a) Make a competition about who gets the worst death and then give a prize to the winner, b) Bet money on who will get the worst death or if there will be a death worse than Gyeong-su's, or c) Make a definitive ranking of the deaths. Got it?"

"Yeah... Mom!" I-sak scoffs. "We weren't going to, anyways! That would be... wrong."

She shares a look with Gyeong-su, and they both get the message; They'll talk more when their friends/parents aren't helicoptering over them.

The cheeky grin on his face starts to fade though, and she follows his line of sight to the middle couch, where Mr. Nam, the cops, the Commander, and Ms. Park are approaching Na-yeon, who had fled to the middle of her couch where no one is near when it was clear no one wanted her around.

"Do you think they'll arrest her?" she asks, the light mood they managed to regain going dark again.

"They should," Cheong-san says, frowning darkly. It's an emo look that just doesn't suit him very well, but she understands it.

Privately, I-sak is glad that Na-yeon is away from the group. That girl doesn't deserve their protection or sanctity after what she did to Gyeong-su. I-sak still feels a wave of guilt for thinking this, but if anyone deserves to die, it's her. Certainly, she deserves to die more than I-sak or Gyeong-su ever did.

Her heart aches whenever she thinks about him like that, the bloody nose, the struggling to walk, the shaking...

I-sak doesn't know what either of them did to deserve that, but... but she'll never take him for granted again. She'll never take any of her friends for granted.

"Look, whatever happens, we're here for you. We'll never let her go near you ever again, and we'll definitely never let her hurt you," Cheong-san tries to assure him. "You better be there for senior year, I swear to god-"

Gyeong-su gives him a tight smile and nods. "Yeah..." He glances down than back at him. "I mean, fuck her, right?"

"Right. Fuck her."

I-sak rests her head on On-Jo's shoulder.

Fuck her.

XXX

Na-yeon's POV

It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!

She goes easily, compliant in away she's never been before as she lets them lead her to the back of the room, on the side across to her freak of a science teacher, but still a long ways away from them. They tell her to sit on the wooden chair and she does, she doesn't fight it. The detective puts handcuffs on her right wrist and on the chair.

"Can we?" What's-his-face cop asks. "Arrest someone for something they do in the future?"

"No," the hot cop says. "There isn't even a crime to pin on her. Even if we don't know how to get evidence against Jin-su's bullies, at least we know what they're going down for."

The Commander frowns. "Well, she has to face consequences for what she's done."

Consequences? Consequences. All this over a fucking welfie. She's getting consequences over a fucking welfie who pushed her and doesn't deserve all this pity he's getting.

"We can get her expelled," On-jo's dumb dad suggests. "For the bullying of another student."

Ms. Park frowns hard, being the only one left to look at her with any pity. Pity. Like Lee Na-yeon was ever anyone to look at with pity.

"What about rehabilitation? She technically hasn't crossed the line yet."

A large scoff takes their attention. Everyone looks back at a particularly bitter-looking Mr. Lee.

"Na-yeon's family is rich," he says. "They'll pay their way out of expulsion or rehabilitation."

"Well, I'll bet that I'm richer!" Assemblywoman Park stands up all haughtily and struts over to them as if she's a million dollars. Maybe she is. What a cunt. Just like her freakshow daughter. "We all saw that altercation between her and my Nam-ra. I can say that there was a fight that she-" She points at Na-yeon, as if she's above saying her fucking name. "-started. I'm sure their classmates will back this claim."

She looks over to those goddamn hypocrites, who are watching all of this like it's their favorite tv show. And they all nod.

All of them. They all nod. No one is on her side.

Mr. Lee just scoffs.

Na-yeon was friends, kind of, with some of the girls. When Gyeong-su wasn't around or making too much noise, they would gossip together and she would feel like she was... a part of something. And she always told herself that if only Gyeong-su wasn't around, then she might've been the most popular girl in their class. And then Gyeong-su died and suddenly she was the most hated girl in the class.

Who gives a shit?

Fine, she'll take all their precious consequences.

They leave her alone, all alone. 

Na-yeon killed someone, didn't she? She would've killed someone...

XXX

Hee-su's POV

She thinks she might be dying.

When the adults are done with Na-yeon, they turn their attention to her, like she's next on a check list.

Commander Jin clears his throat. "I want to preface this by saying that I deeply regret that you had to see yourself like that. I promise that I will do everything in power so that you will not have to go through that."

Hee-su nods. 

Officer Ho-cheol clears his throat.

"Was it consensual?"

Hee-su nods.

"Another teenager?"

"Different school." She didn't tell him about the baby. He was nice, also a bit meek, and he also had bruises under his sleeves. It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing he can do, just like there's really nothing she can do. Not really.

"And your home life?"

Hee-su pauses. Should she tell them? Does she trust them? So far, at least what she's getting from the show is that Nam On-jo's dad seems nice, Choi Nam-ra's mom... doesn't seem nice, Detective Song seems a little mean but only specifically to Mr. Lee, and that's because of everything with Hyeon-ju, and Ms. Park is still... sweet.

Then again, it seems like no one that was really horrible got taken. Maybe she's supposed to trust them.

"Hee-su?"

"Sometimes... they used to hit me." Used to. Since she got pregnant, she's done all she can to avoid firing them up. She was walking around eggshells before but now... Sometimes they'll still yell at her, even though she never does anything anymore, but now she doesn't even try to get a word in. 

"I'm very sorry," Mr. Nam tells her. "I know this all seems sudden, but we want to help you. If you'd like, my apartment has an extra room, but you don't have to make any decisions yet."

"I can help arrange a proper adoption," the Assemblywoman offers. "And... I can make sure this doesn't follow you around for the rest of your life. It can be an open adoption if you'd like."

That actually does sound nice. Hee-su isn't ready for all this, but once the time comes, she is going to love the baby. She just... isn't ready. Even if she had the world's greatest homelife, she probably still wouldn't be ready.

"Thank you." she says softly.

"The summary is here," Dae-su calls to them from across the room.

Mr. Nam nods than turns back to her. "You don't have to make any decisions yet. Just think things over, alright?"

Hee-su gulps than gives a quick nod.

"In need of a cellphone, two students take a risky journey to the teachers' office. Byeong-chan passes on critical information to Detective Song Jae-ik."

"A cell phone?" Hyo-ryung repeats.

"Cheong-san," On-jo says, looking completely unamused. "Cheong-san."

"What?" the boy in question asks defensively.

"What information?" Detective Song demands. 

The Commander raises a hand to calm him. "We'll see soon enough. Let's watch the episode."

Hee-su takes a deep breath and lets her hand drift towards her stomach. She thought the reveal would be the worst of it, and then her death, but now she has to worry about someone finding her baby in the middle of everything.

How are they only at the fourth episode?

Chapter Text

Cheong-san's POV

He never asked for this.

He never asked to be the main character of a zombie show, he just wanted to get through high school with his closest friends. He wasn't ready to lose his best friend, and it kills him to think that he would have because of some dumbass's selfishness. They can stop it now, it's just- Fuck.

It won't happen this time. It won't. And so he just has to brave through the next... nine episodes.

Cheong-san isn't ready but he'll pretend to be.

But he definitely isn't ready for a logo reading 'Zombie Apocalypse In Korea' over upbeat music.

"Is that-!?" Joon-yeong says in disbelief.

"Orangibberish! I love his videos!" Dae-su shouts. "I can't believe he's in the show! Aw, he should've been taken with the rest of us."

I-sak gasps, grabbing Gyeong-su's arm excitedly. "He's like, famous."

"He's an idiot," On-jo says bluntly, not at all sharing the enthusiasm. "He's choosing to go into Zombieland."

"That's really screwed up," Su-hyeok agrees. Cheong-san ignores the flare up in his chest and looks back at the screen. Orangibberish is showing his viewers the traffic.

"Why are so many people going into Hyosan?" On-jo asks.

"They probably have family in the city," Mr. Nam says solemnly.

"Or they're also dumbasses on social media," Detective Song scoffs.

Orangibberish sneaks past the military and instead goes up the mountain. He begins showing off his 'emergency gear' and that's when it really sinks in that this guy is willingly putting himself through the hell that they, the high school students, have been forced to go through.

"What an idiot."

"Is it wrong to hate someone within two minutes of knowing they exist?" Detective Song asks, looking completely done already.

"Please hit like and subscribe, okay?"

It escalates quickly, or at least the editing makes it seem that way, with it immediately cutting to Orangibberish in all his emergency armor, running for his life in the dark. He doesn't even stay quiet, though he's clearly terrified, still talking to his audience. Half of his audience doesn't even seem to believe that it's actually real.

... Yeah, social media was probably having a field day in this timeline.

Back with his, oh god, his mom, she's sneaking around in some back alley. She watches a hoard of zombies chase a helicopter, and when they're gone, she climbs over a fence and falls on the ground. She limps away from the ones being held back by a gate, and but the ones running at the helicopter are still in sight as she makes her way down the road.

"Mom," Cheong-san moans and looks away.

After everything with Gyeong-su, he really can't take his mother turning into a zombie as well.

In the show, Cheong-san is looking out the window that he sent his best friend through, out at the fields where his zombie is now running around with the other zombies. On-jo is braver than he had been when I-sak died, and asks how he is. His hand is bloody from the cabinet that he was punching in frustration.

Mom is coming down the mountain, at the woods behind the school. She stops at a bloodied- or maybe rusty -sign post.

"Gyeong-su? Gyeong-su, it's you, isn't it?"

"No!" Gyeong-su gasps in horror.

"Oh my god," On-jo whispers.

He looks between his two best friends. And back at the screen. They're not- She's not- Wait, what!?

As she limps towards Gyeong-su's zombie, she breathlessly asks for him, she came here for him, and the corpse notices and turns its head at her.

"I'm sorry to say this... But you have to be strong."

How? How is he supposed to be strong, when Gyeong-su is dead, and his mom-

On-jo does know what it's like, at least the best friend part of it all.

Maybe there's a cure. Gyeong-su and I-sak both turned, but maybe they can turn back. Like Na-yeon said, they didn't die, they just turned. Maybe it will be fine.

In real life, On-jo gets up to sit on his right side and takes his hand.

The zombie tackles his mother. He gasps. She pushes him off and crawls away. Maybe she'll be fine. Maybe- It grabs her leg and crawls up her body, biting her. Hot tears spill down his cheeks. Several zombies bite his mother. She's yelling, crying.

"Cheong-san!"

"NO!!!" He sobs and begins hiccuping on his own tears.

Gyeong-su and On-jo both wrap their arms around him as his chest constricts, keeping him from jumping up, and something in him breaks. Some things were already broken, but this is different. This is something else and it feels like he's dying.

"Your dad's a firefighter so I'm sure he's fine. And I'm guessing my mom and dad are at the restaurant. That's the most important thing to my mom. She's probably out there selling chickens to the zombies right now."

What a jackass. That guy doesn't know that his mother is dead. He doesn't know that he'll never hug her again or have her embarrass him in front of his friends or- or-

He had issues. He always hated that his mother never listened to him when he said he hated the name. He thought she cared more about the restaurant than him or what he wanted. And it was all... bullshit. Tedious, day to day bullshit of a teenager who never felt this raw anguish before. It doesn't matter now. Because when things got bad, her first priority was to go after him. And now she's gone.

Cheong-san isn't sure he'll ever stop crying and so the show pauses and they all give him time to calm down. It takes a minute, but the two people he's closest to are holding him, grounding him in the moment.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing he registers. Gyeong-su. "I'm so sorry."

He shakes his head. Despite how much he wants to scream and punch, it's not Gyeong-su's fault and he can't let him think that. "It's not your fault. It's not... It's Na-yeon's fault." He looks at the girl in the corner. "Fuck you." And then he squeezes his friends closer before starting to pull away.

"Cheong-san," Mr. Nam walks towards him with a mournful expression. Cheong-san accepts a hug from him, a hug that's more... strong than On-jo's or Gyeong-su's. After all, for all he loves his friends, they're just kids like him. This hug is almost paternal. It serves in settling the untamed fear and fury and grief within him just a little bit.

"I promise this won't happen this time around," Commander Jin says to him. Cheong-san nods. It won't happen. It's all just... theoretical. His mom will be fine, and Gyeong-su will be fine, and so will I-sak and Min-ji and everyone else.

"Right... Let's get back to the show."

"Alright."

He sits between On-jo and Gyeong-su, and I-sak moves so that she can still be on On-jo's other side.

"Let's eat it... Once it's all over and we get out of here."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Maybe...

Maybe there are leftovers for that version of them.

He wonders if his mother and Gyeong-su are a part of that crowd of zombies in those opening credits, reaching up with grabbing hands. They don't know what they're doing. They're just mindless zombies, nothing left of the people he loves.

Cheong-san notes that it was silent after Na-yeon and Ms. Park left, that there was no screaming. Could they have even heard screaming from down the hallway? This gives Dae-su and the rest hope, or... at least something, that maybe they made it after all.

Ji-min has a different perspective. She thinks they deserve to die. Na-yeon, for what she did, for all the horrible things that she did. And Ms. Park, for choosing to go after her, for having sympathy. And Cheong-san doesn't know what to think anymore. He would never want someone dead, but- (He did, didn't he? When he first found out who's fault it was.) -But he'll never forgive Na-yeon.

It's weird, seeing Ji-min so hardened and bitter. She was always kind of a hot head, but this...

Even when Hyo-ryung tries to put a hand on her shoulder, she pushes it off. The rest of the class is left silent, trying to ponder her words.

Su-hyeok breaks the silence, even as Woo-jin tells him not to, but only to say that he needs to use the bathroom.

Eun-ji and Cheol-soo are on the roof, feeling down. She has no hope whatsoever but he still thinks there will be people to save them. There's a brief flashback to Gwi-nam showing him that picture of her and cackling like a stock villain. But they both agree on wanting the entire school to burn down.

"No... I know you wanna live. You wanna live so badly that you wanna die."

Back in the classroom, Dae-su is leading a conversation about pooping, which, fine. Cheong-san supposes that this is one of the better topics to come from this episode. Poop.

Dae-su makes this whole demonstration on how to use the bathroom out the window, since they can't exactly go to the actual restroom to do it. This is fine. Cheong-san accepts his life.

On-jo has a better plan, based on something her father told her, to create a bathroom in the recording booth.

Back with Mr. Nam, him and the assembly people have an exact date and time as to when they'll be rescued, but that's not good enough for Nam-ra's mom's annoying assistant.

Father and daughter both start giving out orders to their respective groups. Cheong-san is proud of On-jo, taking charge like that. Even if it is for something as gross as this.

They have the exact same methods and everything, Mr. Nam must have gone into detail when he told On-jo what to do in this situation.

After they're done, Hyo-ryung and Woo-jin discuss if the military and police are gonna be any good in saving them.

But the focus immediately goes back to Dae-su, who probably smells horrible. Joon-yeong barely lasts a second in there before getting out and running to the window.

Nam-ra tells everyone that things are looking bad and that no one's coming. Hell, the people who do come will probably end up like his mother. That's it, huh? Nam-ra's mother would have come like his did, but with a SWAT Team or two backing her up.

Cheong-san misses episode one, where everyone was only dreading something horrible happening and not actually being forced to deal with it all. When Mom and Gyeong-su were alive and they could use real bathrooms like normal kids.

As Nam-ra and On-jo debate whether someone will rescue them or not, Su-hyeok just tells them all to wait. And then Joon-yeong covers his mouth and nose and goes back in to the bathroom.

"Okay, new rule; In emergencies, everyone gets to use the bathroom before Dae-su," Woo-jin says unhappily. Dae-su scoffs in frustration.

Back with the parents, Mr. Nam wants to leave to rescue On-jo but Assemblywoman Park won't let him, even after he tells her that his daughter is at school. But at least she practices what she preaches, pointing out different surviving colleagues and their own loved ones, and she herself doesn't try to leave for Nam-ra.

"I'll go even if I die."

"Dad..." On-jo says miserably, and Cheong-san wraps an arm around her shoulders. She doesn't deserve to lose her father the way he lost his mother. She doesn't deserve to see it or to live it.

"We have to save the most people, not the people most precious to us."

Gwi-nam has made it outside, and fuck it if he manages to make it out okay when Gyeong-su and Mom are turned.

Zombies do run after him, but he makes it to a bike and tries to go. The wheels are chained though and he has to abandon it, so at least it's not all smooth sailing for that fucker.

Cheong-san wishes that the show would stop going back to him. Horrible to say, but he truly does not care what happens to that asshole after everything he's done.

He makes it back into the school and into the principal's office, where he uses his knife to stab all of the zombies in there, all the while, the principal cowers under his desk.

Back in the bathroom, Joon-seong has used a real toilet.

"Do you know where the juniors are?"

That's right... Woo-jin's sister basically did the same thing Cheong-san's mother did, and what On-jo's dad wanted to do. But she had a weapon, and so she made it inside. He sees why Woo-jin was upset with her, it's so dangerous. She could've been killed, and where would he be? Probably lost and confused and maybe a little bitter.

Anyways...

Joon-seong doesn't want to go out, to Mi-Jin's annoyance. She orders the archers around, but Ha-ri doesn't take any of it. That's when Mi-jin starts insulting athletes as a whole. A few of them flinch when she mentions getting into college, remembering the scene from episode two.

"Shut up," Woo-jin glares at her.

"You think you can treat me like that, junior?" Mi-jin challenges.

"Don't talk to him," Ha-ri orders her.

"Don't fight now!" Ms. Park says, talking for the first time since the intermission. "We're all stressed enough as it is!"

"I never get any respect," Mi-jin mutters, shaking her head.

In the show, their conflict gets to a head when Ha-ri pushes and slaps Mi-jin and the two girls physically fight. The boys have to hold them back.

And then it cuts back to fucking Orangibberish, who is still live-streaming despite how terrified he clearly is.

"I'm gonna hide and wait for the rescuers. And please hit like and subscribe to my channel, okay? Goddamnit, can't you just like it after I did all this?"

"I have a headache," Detective Song rubs his forehead.

Orangibberish knocks over a trash can but somehow escapes to a local playground.

Why is he still live-streaming?

He gets inside a building and thinks it's clear, but after a second a bunch of zombie preschoolers run at him.

"Oh my god, that's so sad!" I-sak whimpers, clutching On-Jo's arm. "They're so young!"

"Those poor babies."

"This needs to change."

"I can't look."

"They must've been so scared!"

"What a tragedy!"

"They're so tiny!"

Detective Song bursts in on Mr. Lee, who's still in the interrogation room. Mr. Lee... It's his fault. More than anyone else, it's his fault. He's the reason Cheong-san's mom is dead, why Gyeong-su is dead, and I-sak, and all those poor pre-schoolers.

"The strong are now ripping apart the weak. It happens all the time."

Okay, fuck that, and fuck his fancy wording, people are dying.

"Fuck you," he scoffs, glaring at his biology teacher in the corner.

Cheong-san hopes the detective punches him, he really does.

But then Mr. Lee finally begins to talk. There's a flashback, to when he was clean shaven, rushing to the hospital because of Jin-su's suicide attempt.

Fuck Gwi-nam. Fuck Myung-hwan. Fuck Chang-hoon. Fuck the principal. Fuck everyone in that meeting room looking smug.

It's disheartening, that neither the police nor the school took it seriously. If had been Cheong-san or one his friends, it wouldn't have been taken seriously.

Still, Mr. Lee should've destroyed every trace of that virus the second he realized what he'd done, so fuck him too.

But really, really fuck those bullies.

"They will get jail time," Detective Song offers.

Mr. Lee says nothing.

"We're talking about an investigation into a deadly virus and motives. That's enough of an excuse to pull rank on those boys and get them serious consequences," Commander Jin tells him.

Still nothing.

Even though it's too late for that family, it’s something. And at least the principal will be so fucking humiliated, that is if all the higher ups in the room don't hate him enough to get him fired.

Cheong-san has never heard of systemic corruption as a reason to create a zombie virus.

"A complete nobody like me couldn't change the system. So I decided to change my son."

He should've stopped. He should've destroyed all his research and sacrificed everyone and everything already infected and never let anyone know, so that innocent people wouldn't get hurt. So that none of this would ever happen.

All sympathy Cheong-san has for Mr. Lee goes down the drain when he says he doesn't care about the people who died because of their complicity.

His mother didn't know Jin-su, neither did Gyeong-su or any of their friends. It's not their fault the world sucks, they're just trying to live in it.

But then the little spark of sympathy comes back as he recounts all the horrible things that had probably been thrown at him, belittling what happened to his son.

The detective almost punches him. But he doesn't. Cheong-san doesn't know if he should be disappointed or relieved.

But he assures that Mr. Lee is responsible for all of this.

"You wanted to change the world. Not for everyone to die like this."

... Yeah, what he said.

Mr. Lee denies that there's an antidote to be had, which would mean that they're all gone forever.

Some other cops are loading prisoners onto a bus for evacuation when that other, less talkative cop that was taken, notices zombies coming towards the SWAT team. Back inside, Detective is walking with Mr. Lee (who's in handcuffs) when he hears screaming and gunshots.

Zombies had gotten into the building. He tries to fight them off, and that's when Mr. Lee can finally look out at the damage he's done.

"Perhaps it's best to accept them for what they are and simply give up on trying to find a way to treat them."

He doesn't like what he sees. He doesn't like the violence he caused. The mayhem.

He pulls one away from the detective and gets bitten.

Cheong-san gasps. He was bitten. Just like so many others, he's going to turn into a zombie. Maybe it's justice, but-

Oh, fuck.

The detective tries to pull him away but he stops.

"My laptop is in the school science lab."

Even as the detective tries to get him to go, Mr. Lee stays behind and holds off the monsters. And it's-

It's sacrificial.

It's so fucking sacrificial.

Cheong-san guesses that that's what he deserves, after everything that's happened but still...

Detective Song is running and jumping over stuff to get out, and when he does get outside, he comes face to face with a zombie, but it's pulled away since it's tied to other zombies. They were all on the criminal line.

He races through the parking lot, until he jumps on a car and meets the other policeman in the room, who hasn't turned and is somehow caught between the car and a wall. Not sure he got in that position.

Mr. Lee is a zombie now.

Cheong-san hates this episode so much.

But damnit if Mr. Lee wouldn't have made a great English teacher.

So Detective Song and the other cop are hiding, and tries to catch him up to speed, except he seems kinda ditzy, but he must be really scared so.

Back in the classroom, everyone is asleep. Dae-su is being used as a pillow for Joon-yeong and Woo-jin, and the only complaint the latter has as he starts to wake is that his leg is on his and that it's cold.

Cheong-san is the first to really wake up. He immediately goes to the window. He's looking to see if anyone has come for them, but no one has.

The bathroom kids are looking out too. Knowing that no one is coming, the prepare to move. Again, Joon-seong wants to wait until night, which Mi-jin ignores. (Fair.)

But before they go towards any exits, Ha-ri reminds them all that she came for Woo-jin and it's already been established that people will go through crazy, dangerous, stupid lengths to save family.

"Ha-ri," Woo-jin groans in obvious worry.

Cheong-san just hopes it ends better for them.

Class 2-5 is still arguing over whether anyone is gonna come rescue them or not.

On-jo tries to remember the colors of some signal her dad taught her, but when she doesn't sound sure she just suggests writing SOS on the curtains.

Nam-ra is worried about them dehydrated, but doesn't know what they should do about it. As Su-hyeok tries to interpret her words and Ji-min just wants her to stop talking, Cheong-san thinks he understands what she's talking about.

"We need more information to decide whether to wait, run, or get out."

They can't just leave things up to chance. His mother thought she knew what she was doing and she got killed. They need to be careful.

He wants to check how things are on the internet, and the only way they can is with phones. And phones are in the teacher's office.

His train of thought is interrupted by Eun-ji slapping Cheol-soo, crying, devastated.

That's when it's revealed in a flashback that Gwi-nam had scheduled a text of Eun-ji stripped down to the entire school unless Cheol-soo gave him money.

"What!?" Eun-ji shrieks, tears building up in her eyes. She turns to Cheol-soo in betrayal. "No, no, no!"

She strikes him across the face, sobbing.

Ms. Park has to put her arms around Eun-ji's waist to pull her away from him, then they both fall to their knees as the girl sobs.

"It's okay, it's okay, it won't happen. I promise," Ms. Park soothes.

"No one is gonna care in the show!" On-jo tries to reassure her from across the room.

Ms. Park walks Eun-ji to the grown-up's couch and lets her sit next to her.

In the show, Cheol-soo manages to talk her out of jumping again, but it gives her the motivation to go out and get to the phones, even though the school is infested.

Eun-ji tries to get him to go with her, but he doesn't want to die.

"That's so you. You have no courage to live or die. You're such a fucking coward, Cheol-soo."

Cheong-san frowns. He doesn't think it's wrong for him to not want to die, but maybe he can try harder to convince her to stay. He knows that if it was him... He'd go. But it's not him and he's not gonna judge this guy who’s been through hell for staying.

In the show, Cheong-san is leaving through the window. On-jo tries to stop him but they only end up bickering.

Su-hyeok follows after him, and of course that's who On-jo is really worried about. Probably knew he would do that.

Dae-su tries to follow but Joon-yeong and Woo-jin point out that that's not entirely possible.

"Apologize to your friend for calling him 'fatso'," Ha-ri orders her brother.

Woo-jin scoffs, and after a second, he shoots back, "Apologize to... that girl for fighting." He points at Mi-jin, whose name he's apparently forgotten.

Ha-ri's cool, unflinching poker face doesn't change. Even as Mi-jin looks at her expectantly. "No."

Woo-jin sighs. "Sorry, Dae-su." He leans back in his seat, and even as his sister looks away, he can be heard muttering under his breath, "If I ever got into a fight, she'd hang my ass off a pole, but when she does it-"

Cheong-san is so happy he's an only child.

He half expects Mi-jin to be pissed, but she seems to be looking at Ha-ri with admiration.

Okay?

Cheong-san and Su-hyeok are slowly moving across the outer windows. Oh, good, he's asking about On-jo.

"Wh- Is now really the time!?" Gyeong-su says in disbelief, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

"I... I'm with him!" I-sak says, gaping. "And you know how much this relationship drama is keeping me going."

"If you slip, you're gonna die, and you're 'curious' about their relationship," Hyo-ryung says judgmentally, in a tone she normally reserved for Dae-su.

Cheong-san takes all of their criticisms, but most frustratingly, Su-hyeok doesn't even give him a straight answer.

Eun-ji is running, and has made it farther than Cheong-san thought she would, but of course she ends up trampled by zombies. She didn't even have a real plan, so of course it was gonna end badly, but it's such an unceremonious end for her. He shakes his head.

The two of them are climbing up a pipe and can hear her anguished cries as she tries to crawl past the zombies that are biting her, until finally the monsters stop. That must mean she's turning.

They just leave her alone. Even though she's turning, she still pushes on, walking upright (Gyeong-su was stumbling over chairs and tables to get across the room) and going inside a room.

"What the-?" Ji-min asks.

"Must- must be a lot of self will," Cheong-san shrugs hesitantly.

Him and Bare-su are looking through the window at the teacher's office, which is full of zombies.

But still, they go in and crawl to hide themselves. They hear a noise and see Eun-ji smashing a bunch of phones. Her neck is doing the snappy, cracking thing, and Cheong-san feels sad for her, if a little confused as to why the zombies left her alone before she turned.

But she just keeps on going. One of the phones falls to the floor near the boys and he reaches for them. But Eun-ji sees this...

She's gonna eat him.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

Su-hyeok tackles her, but the other zombies take notice of this and start heading towards them. As they go for the window, Cheong-san notices that the phone is a dud and goes for another one.

There are so many zombies in the way that he yells for his friend to leave without him.

"What?!" On-jo admonishes.

"Dude!" Gyeong-su shakes his head.

But Cheong-san would've gone out the window if he could've, it's not on him that he had no choice but to leave through the door while Bare-su climbs out the window.

The zombies in the hallway come running.

But back with Gwi-nam and the principal for some reason, the latter is asking the former a bunch of questions.

Cheong-san wonders if this means the leader, Myung-hwan, is dead since they haven't followed him at all. He probably died in the hallway when the third one first got infected.

The principal is ordering him to go get his car, and though Cheong-san doesn't care about Gwi-nam, he also really hates their coward of a principal. And when Gwi-nam says no, the principal goes for the knife. The bully gets it back, of course, and then they bicker about leaving and staying...

This got so fucked, so fast. It escalated so quickly.

Zombie Eun-ji wakes up on the floor, part of her head bashed in... She looks different than most zombies. Almost like she’s still alive.

Mr. Nam and the assembly people are getting ready to go, they use cabinets as shields against the zombies as the firefighters work. The ladies go first, though Nam-ra's mom does try to argue for her assistant to go first, surprisingly enough.

They block the zombies with a table, and Mr. Nam hoses they down. The assistant runs back down and tells them that the door to the roof is locked, and so U-sin is sent up while Mr. Nam keeps hosing them.

As the rest struggle to break the lock, the hose runs out of water, and he tries to fight the zombies at the front off.

"Dad!" On-jo cries as one gets on him, and she gets up to throw herself into his arms.

They finally get the door open, as one of them bites at Mr. Nam's knee pad. U-sin waits and watches as he dazedly climbs up the stairs, even raising the tool as a weapon, but there's no blood on him or anything.

Everyone in that group had made it out just fine, and then they signal for the helicopter.

But back with the high schoolers, Cheong-san is still running for his life, dodging zombies, even though there are so many of them. He somehow jumps through a ground level window and takes cover in a room.

The principal's office.

Where Gwi-nam has the principal with his hands behind his back on the coffee table.

How did his life come to this?

Gwi-nam wants him to help him, the principal still thinks expulsion is a serious threat, and Cheong-san just takes out the phone and starts recording.

"Just stop acting like human garbage. No respects you just because you act tough."

He doesn't know what Gwi-nam means when he says he's the boss of the school now.

Even he does kill the principal, that doesn't make him the boss of anything. He'll just be a murderer. 

"You're just a fucking loser who will serve bullies for his entire life."

Uh, oh. That strikes a nerve. He can see it on his face.

And when his attention is on Cheong-san, the principal tries to run, only for Gwi-nam to slash his fucking throat.

He gasps in surprise. Despite everything, he wasn't actually expecting Gwi-nam to go through with it.

Gwi-nam and Cheong-san start fighting over the phone, tackling one another, until they both fall over. Cheong-san gets up and grabs it, running out and going down a hallway. Gwi-nam follows him, throwing the knife at his back. There's a slicing sound and everything. And that's just when the episode ends.

Chapter Text

On-jo's POV

She can't believe it. 

She can't believe how stupid Cheong-san can be.

"What was that!?" On-jo demands to know. 

"What!?" Cheong-san asks all defensive, like he's not a giant moron. If he hadn't saved her life a bunch of times, she would say he would be the death of her.

"Were you trying to put yourself in danger?" she asks, pushing herself to stand. "Get up."

"What?"

"Get. Up."

Confused, Cheong-san does as she says, standing up next to her. "Okay, what-" She kicks his leg. "Ow!"

"I told you not to go! How reckless can you be!?" On-jo berates him as Gyeong-su and I-sak sneak past them and leave for another part of the room. Probably smart of them all things considered. "Let's review; You leave despite me telling you not to. You decide to ask Su-hyeok about our love life when you're walking on the windowsills of the outer wall of the school. You tell him to 'go back to the others' without you-"

"I would've gone out the window if I could've!" Cheong-san protests.

She ignores him. "-And then you start provoking the psychopath with a knife, who already had the principal tied up. What were you hoping to accomplish? Seriously!"

"It was Gwi-nam!" Cheong-san says, eyes wide with surprise. "I hate him! He's the worst!"

"I'm not arguing with that!" she says, unable to believe that he needs this spelled out for him. "But you can't just insult someone clearly unstable, who has a knife, and not expect to be murdered. God, Cheong-san, why are you like this!?"

"Why am I like this!? Why are you always on my back!?"

"Why do you never listen to me!?"

"Aish! You're just so-"

"I can't believe you-"

"You can't believe me?"

"You haven't even taken a fire rescue class!'"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Dad interrupts, getting between them. He takes her hand in his, grounding her in the moment and reminding herself that no matter what is going on in that show, he's with her now and always another part of the room away. "On-jo, we don't teach others by yelling and kicking." He turns to Cheong-san, resting his other hand on his shoulder. "Cheong-san, I know that episode was really hard on you-" On-jo flinches at the reminder of what happened to Mrs. Min. She's too much of a sweetheart for the fate she got. "-but you made a lot of... irresponsible decisions there." She smirks at him, hoping it will get through his thick skull.

On-jo can't imagine life without I-sak, but she doubly can't imagine life without Cheong-san. For the past decade, he's always been right there in all his moronic stupidity. She can't take her heart being broken twice over. It's not fair that one of the most important people to her has to be such an idiot. 

XXX

Gyeong-su's POV

I-sak sighs loudly and pointedly, glancing at Gyeong-su. When he doesn't do anything but look at her, she sighs again, just as loudly and pointedly.

He holds back his own sigh and reluctantly says, "What's wrong?"

I-sak pouts. "I'm temporarily taking Ha-ri and Mi-jin off the list."

"They were on the list?" Gyeong-su asks, surprised.

She doesn't acknowledge that he said anything. "I'm not naive, I know that people roughhouse, and I know that strangers can fight, and I know that it's a very stressful situation. It's just that I was looking at them as people who've already developed a relationship. Seeing them get physical like that has made me realize that I need to wait for them to develop a real bond and connect emotionally before they can be on the list."

"I-sak, you don't know that they'll start to like each other. You can't tell the future," he tries to point out.

Again, she ignores him. "I think that I got overconfident. I mean, it was inevitable with how flawless my track record is."

"None of the couples on your list have gotten together, and On-jo is into Su-hyeok."

"Oh, that reminds me. Su-hyeok and Nam-ra are on the list now." I-sak smiles brightly.

"What? Where did that come from?"

She rolls her eyes. "Don't be blind."

"I'm not being blind-" Gyeong-su shakes his head. "Look, are we gonna take bets before the intermission ends or not?"

I-sak groans. "Fine!"

"So worst death?"

"We shouldn't be specific. We don't know for sure who is going to die, it would be weird if we were just like 'Yeah, Dae-su? Brutal death. Brutal.' So, we should keep it to whether or not there will be a death worse than yours," I-sak says. "I still think yours is as bad as it will get, in which case I offer fifteen thousand won."

Gyeong-su thinks for a moment. "Ten."

"Deal."

"I'll take that. But you realize that even if you win, you'll still have to give me a prize for the worst death?"

I-sak shrugs. "I'm planning on making the trophy in art. Mrs. Kim just bought gold colored tinfoil and tinsel. It'll look really good."

"Oh," Gyeong-su says. "That sounds cool, and I can make a little plaque from the pottery section, and it'll say, 'Worst Death'."

"Plaques shouldn't say 'worst' on them. Maybe 'Most Traumatic Death'."

"A little long, might need to brainstorm some more, but I dig it. I actually think I have a spot on my shelf at home where it can go... Now I kinda want to lose our bet so that I get the trophy."

"Good, cause you're losing."

"So, after everything is said and done, we'll rank the deaths?"

"Obviously."

"And we won't be bad people for doing so?" He just has to make sure.

"The show is doing all the hurting here, and we were the first victims. If no one knows that we do it, how can we be bad people?"

"I- I guess."

Cheong-san better not end up on that ranking because he pissed off Yoon Gwi-nam too badly, Gyeong-su will fucking kill him... 

Well, that is if On-jo doesn't get to him first.

XXX

Mr. Lee's POV

He raises an eyebrow as the commander walks towards him. "Hello?"

"Hello," Commander Jin says. "I apologize for your death in the show, and I assure you that I will do my best to prevent it from happening."

Byeong-chan is surprised, to say the least. He looks at the man in front of him, knowing his face is a portrait of curiosity. "Me too?"

"You have a right to that much at least," the commander shrugs. 

He sighs. "Thank you very much." It doesn't matter regardless; his death was deserved. It was better him than Jae-ik, a man who didn't cause such devastation, who still had a son to go home to. It was too late for the city and too late for his family, but perhaps not for the world.

"You would've hurt a lot of people," Commander Jin says bluntly.

Byeong-chan scoffs. "You think I don't know that?"

"I think you're a very complicated man," the commander says. "And you've put me in a position where I might have to hurt a lot of people as well." He runs a rough hand over his face, then nods his head towards the rest of the room, specifically towards the students. "I'm very sorry about what happened to your family. But those children were innocent."

"Not all of them," Byeong-chan can't help but remind him, glancing at the girl on the other side of the room.

"No, but most of them," he snaps, voice hard. "And even Lee Na-yeon shouldn't have been in the position of fighting for her life." The commander huffs. "What happened to you and your family was horrible, and I hope to get you justice for it. But you did an evil thing. Don't forget it."

He turns around, clearly intending to leave, but Byeong-chan calls out, "Wait!" He stops and looks back at him.

One thing that he said repeats in his head. I might have to hurt a lot of people as well.

This was a man of the military, a man of authority, who presents himself as having a moral high ground. And he does, at least in comparison to Byeong-chan, the man who might end the world, but the commander still has power and he will never forget the failures of people in power to help those without it.

So he asks, "Will you help the children?"

Commander Jin looks taken aback, at least momentarily. There is a moment of silence, then with a hard voice he says, "God, I hope so."

XXX

Eun-ji's POV

Anger bristles under her skin.

How dare he? How dare they?

She stays quiet, as she's always been quiet. If she's quiet, maybe no one will bother her. It won't work, it never does, but it's better than trying and bringing attention to herself. So, she stays quiet when the commander apologizes to her for her death.

If she hadn't stayed quiet, she would have scoffed.

Eun-ji doesn't care about her death. She envies herself, being able to die before she has to live through anyone seeing those pictures. Now, Eun-ji is stuck in a room full of people who have seen her body and will stop her if she tries to die now, so she has to wait.

Truthfully, she can't ever imagine growing old.

"Those boys will get their just desserts," Assemblywoman Park promises, like that will solve all her problems, as if she could ever understand.

Eun-ji wants her tormenters to burn, she does, but it won't change who she is at her core. She's a loser and an outcast, and even if they kill Gwi-nam and Myung-hwan it won't change her position. She's the school's punching bag, and even if she leaves the school then the rest of the world will eat her up like she's nothing because she is. She is nothing.

(But she didn't look like nothing when she attacked Cheong-san.)

A laugh breaks her from her thoughts. It probably shouldn't have. The room gets so noisy during the breaks, like it does at the cafeteria, and Eun-ji normally likes to let all the noise drown her out so that she's invisible. After all, if things are so loud than how can anyone think to look at meek little Eun-ji?

Unless it's her that they are laughing about.

The thought makes her head snap up, to across the room. The sister, Ha-ri, and her friend Min-jae are talking with three boys from Class 2-5, Joon-yeong, Woo-jin, and Dae-su. They all seem happy. The boys are laughing. Woo-jin's arm hangs loosely around Joon-yeong's but he holds hands with his sister, like they haven't been fighting since episode two.

"Did one of them apologize?" Eun-ji asks, feeling desperate to know how someone can go from angry to happy with someone like it's nothing.

"They're brother and sister," Ms. Park says simply. "I don't think they need to apologize to one another."

It's that simple? It's that simple to not be alone?

The only friend she ever had, the only one she could ever be equal to, was Cheol-soo. And even that wasn't the kind of friendship other kids have with one another. It was a friendship formed out of necessity, survival, desperation, and loneliness.  They didn't laugh or smile or go over to one another's houses, and half the time they avoided each other because two losers sitting together at lunch is a bigger target than one.

But even he failed her in the end. He let her go to die. She wasn't worth it to him.

She isn't worth anything to anyone. Not even to herself.

She doesn't want to sit with the adults anymore. They won't do anything for her besides give her false promises to save face in front of everyone else. 

Eun-ji stands, ignoring Ms. Park's questioning, and sits on the middle couch by herself. Closer to the left side, in front of where Mr. Lee is, than anyone else, but at least she's alone.

She'd rather be alone than with a bunch of hypocrites.

XXX

Su-hyeok's POV

As the break comes to an end, they all return to their seats- Mr. Nam going back to the adults' couch, Woo-jin's sister and her friend back to the other kids' couch, and them back to the Class 2-5 couch.

... Well, not everyone from Class 2-5 is sitting here, but he doesn't have the nerve to approach Nam-ra with her mother right there, and his friends not far away.

Despite how much he cares about his friends, he doesn't want any of them teasing him about being into a girl so completely out of his league. It would all be in good nature, and he would laugh it off, but he doesn't need the reminder.

On-jo still sits next to Cheong-san despite how mad she is, or was, at him, and even puts her hand on his arm. Gyeong-su sits on his other side, and I-sak next to him.

Across the room, he sees Nam-ra with her mother. Su-hyeok catches her eye. Despite the wide, distance between them, he gives a smile. His heart skips a beat when she smiles back.

She's so beautiful.

A stifled laugh takes him out of the moment. He blinks, looking to his right where Woo-jin and Dae-su are grinning cheekily at him. Next to them, Joon-yeong doesn't seem to notice anything.

His face suddenly feels hot. "What?"

"Nothing," Woo-jin says, not looking like he knows nothing. He wraps an arm around Su-hyeok's shoulders.

Before he can question them further, the General clears his throat to get everyone's attention. "I'll read the summary of this episode." 

"Martial law is imposed on the city. When Cheong-san is separated from the group, On-jo leads a mission to use a drone to locate him."

"Of course, I do," On-jo says impatiently, tapping her foot in frustration. 

"What's martial law?" Hyo-ryung asks.

If Nam-ra were closer, maybe she'd have the answer, but instead Joon-yeong says, "It's a protocol that says the military doesn't have to follow protocol. They can just do whatever's necessary to stop a disaster.

The General nods solemnly. "It hasn't been used in forty years."

"Well... that's good, isn't it?" Hyo-ryung says.

Dae-su nods. "I think it is."

"Yeah, let's hope so," the General says under his breath, and Su-hyeok doesn't think they were supposed to hear that...

Wait, why wouldn't it be a good thing?

XXX

Na-yeon's POV

... She actually murdered someone, didn't she?

Chapter Text

Ji-min's POV

The episode starts with that scary title card that turns into zombies reaching for the sky. So at least that's already out of the way.

The bathroom and archery kids are fighting off zombies with their weapons.

"No way we're going to heaven now." "You're alive, so this is heaven."

Ji-min tries not to scoff, thinking that if God exists, he'll forgive them. They're zombies, not the actual people. And the remaining humans all have to survive.

Ha-ri goes to the 2-5 classroom, and closes the door when she sees it crawling with zombies. She reads the name tags of some of the students, but obviously Woo-jin isn't there.

She doesn't look happy but she's not sad, though she doesn't seem like the type to break down crying, even if the worst does happen to her brother. But at least that's not what's happening here.

Back in the broadcasting room, Nam-ra is telling them some weird facts about countries mourning children or adults more. Joon-yeong clarifies that her point is about losing hope or losing wisdom.

No one answers the morbid question, but Hyo-ryung puts her chin on Ji-min's shoulder.

Nam-ra continues to be bleak, pointing out that the helicopters around the school haven't saved them yet, and that if they did then they wouldn't save their class first, since they're only students.

Which, Jesus, are things not bleak enough? Do they really need Choi Nam-ra of all people telling them that it's completely hopeless?

Back with the adults, they're getting onto a helicopter. Ji-min guesses that even if the kids aren't important enough, their parents are? Like Nam-ra's not always studying to grow up to be just like her mother?

News reports begin talking about that 'martial law' thing being called for in order to help Hyosan. It's supposedly a big deal, being the first time in decades that it's been used. That's good, it means the military is actually doing something about the zombies. She hopes it also means that they're a step closer to being rescued.

There are protesters, refusing to allow refugees from Hyosan. A pastor is preaching that the zombies are demons and that good people will stay humans. A zombie is shown on a subway full of people.

The protesters egg a grandfather and other people fleeing the city. The subway zombie is shown to actually be a prank. All the while, the pastor's hateful sermon is played over it. Rumors that the zombies got to Seoul have lead to people fleeing Korea entirely. That YouTuber from earlier puts out a (sigh) fucking apology video... which is fake.

And it's all so frustrating. Ji-min and her friends are in mortal danger, and she needs to focus on that before she even starts to give a damn about the rest of the world's bullshit.

In some board room, a bunch of men in suits are discussing the media, and not rescuing the survivors that are stuck in Hyosan. The Commander is there. Some other guy does have his priorities straight though, wanting to focus on the uninfected like them, not all the other noise.

Back with their group, Su-hyeok comes back without Cheong-san. On-jo immediately looks out the window, devastated. After I-sak, Ji-min isn't sure On-jo can take another heartbreak.

"I'm sorry, for coming back alone."

Picking up where that cliffhanger left off, the knife Gwi-nam threw doesn't cut through Cheong-san's back, the sharp part doesn't hit him, which should only make a thumping noise and not a slicing one, but for drama's sake, she accepts it.

They race through the school, getting to the library. Cheong-san hops on tables and shelves to a spot next to that boy Joon-yeong argues with sometimes. He pushes Cheong-san off out of fear that he was bit.

"Coward," Joon-yeong glowers, and Ji-min has to agree.

Gwi-nam immediately throws him to the zombies anyways, and Ji-min doesn't understand the flash of regret on Joon-yeong's face when that happens. The two boys are left to dodge zombies as they run around shelves, Gwi-nam still trying to get to Cheong-san.

Cheong-san tries to climb up another shelf but a zombie grabs his leg, he gets up though, except one zombie climbs on the others (she hates that they can do that) and so he hops to the shelf behind it. The zombie jumps after him (she really hates that they can do that) but crashes on a hanging light.

In the present, On-jo is currently clinging to Cheong-san, despite her anger at his, shaking her head as everything that is happening. Hyo-ryung is leaning her head on Ji-min's shoulder and she lets her, no matter how much she wants to tell her to stop being so weak. It's not even her boyfriend. And that there's no way any of them will survive if they don't...

She- She doesn't say anything like that.

The fucker Gwi-nam also gets up and they both move from shelf to shelf. He tries to get Cheong-san to give him the phone, but of course he denies on the account that he murdered the principal. And though no one will miss the principal, why should Cheong-san give in to what the psychopath wants from him?

Cheong-san runs for it, across all the shelves lined up, and Gwi-nam follows, until he knocks him down. He runs from zombies on the ground before he can get back up and fights with Gwi-nam. Cheong-san even hits him over with a light before Gwi-nam manages to hold his head over the group of zombies reaching for them. He gets the phone but Cheong-san slaps it out of his hand and catches it.

"Throw him to the zombies!" Ji-min snaps, not caring for the looks her friends throw her through their anxiety. Like Gwi-nam doesn't deserve it.

Gwi-nam begins choking him, and that's when he stabs him in the eye with the corner of the phone.

They all gasp in horror at the blood flowing from his socket, as he stumbles back in pain.

"How pointy is that phone corner!?" Gyeong-su gawks.

Cheong-san throws him off of him, to the zombies. The climb all over him, biting him, and Gwi-nam is left to cry for help, begging the other boy to save him as if he would ever return the favor in a million years.

Cheong-san does nothing, just looks upset. But what even is there to do, besides be glad that this asshole is gone forever?

And also be really impressed that he managed to do all that.

"I'll kill you. Fuck you. I'll... I'll kill you."

Yeah, good luck with that, psycho.

Cheol-soo looks sad on the roof, while Eun-ji, still riding off of pure self will somehow, is still breaking all of the remaining phones even in her zombified form, but everyone is too busy coming down from the high of the chase scene to dwell on it.

He cries for her.

But at least their tormentor is dead now.

Good.

Yoon Gwi-nam is a bully, who ruined Lee Jin-su's life, tormented Eun-ji and Cheol-soo, he killed the principal, and he would have killed Cheong-san if he hadn't done it first.

He deserves to die more than almost everyone who already has, and Ji-min is happy he died in this show.

Their show selves have a lot worse to deal with than some deranged killer who wants to think he's special. Now he's gotten what he deserves and he's not there to distract them anymore.

But the zombies are going after Cheong-san again, and shaking the bookshelves that he's on, and so jumps from one to the next. The zombies knock them over like dominoes and so he has to move really quickly.

He's thrown off balance though, and ends up falling, caught between two bookcases. He looks around and then runs when one of them finds him. He fights a few more of them off, and then finally makes it out of the library.

He tries to escape through the fucking pipe system of all places, since that's the only safe place he seems to know where to go on short notice. A zombie grabs his foot though, and they all remember how bad Cheong-san is at kicking.

An arrow hits the zombie though, freeing him.

"Thank you so much!" On-jo sighs in relief. Ha-ri actually smiles at her in response.

With that group, Mi-jin tells them that everyone in the library is infected. Another zombie comes running out, with Ha-ri shoots.

"We're gonna die before we ever find your brother."

Ha-ri's expressions are hard to read, as always, but she seems like she's giving up, and her friend just says that they should go, but Ji-min can't tell if it's a 'go home' or 'go rescue the juniors'.

As much as Woo-jin doesn't want any of them thinking this, Ji-min is kind of counting on the archery kids. She's been hearing no plans from the military or any of the adults about saving students, so an overprotective sister with a weapon might be their best option.

In the infirmary, it's bloodied and messed up from everything that's happened, but it's zombie free. Even the shadow is a false alarm. Joon-seong complains more and says more stuff about not rescuing Ha-ri's brother, but at least that's interrupted by the archery friend realizing they can use the computer to contact others.

Cheong-san has climbed up the pipes away from the zombies. That's when Commander Jin starts making a speech about what he's doing to stop the spread of the infection. She starts to tune him out, seeing Cheong-san almost drop the phone and seeing that it only has seven percent left. He calls Emergency Services.

It focuses on the Commander for a little bit, about how they're gonna silence fake news. But then, as Cheong-san's call fails and the achery group fails to log into social media, it's revealed that all communication networks from Hyosan have been thrown in the toilet.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Ji-min says angrily.

"All that was for nothing?!" I-sak cries.

The Commander's face is blank in his decision, even as the archery kids are confused and trying other options in the show. "I know this isn't ideal, but it's to stop people like that man from the previous episode from venturing into the city."

"But what about us?" Ji-min asks, not knowing why he's more concerned about idiots killing themselves than the people who had no choice.

"I know we're working on ways to rescue survivors," he says calmly. So calm that Ji-min wants to scream because this is all useless.

This news is broadcast in Cheong-san Chicken, where the baby lays still as Hee-su's zombie struggles in its restraint. And the Commander is telling everyone stuck in Hyosan to be 'hopeful'.

Hopeful...

Fine.

Well, clearly there are people who escaped the city, so here's hoping her parents made it out okay.

And the mission for the phone wasn't completely pointless, because it got Gwi-nam killed off.

There's still around seven and a half hours left before the show is over, so that's plenty of time to find a way of escape.

Yeah... So hopeful.

Cheong-san, at six percent and not realizing that he's never gonna get a signal, climbs higher in desperation. Finally, he just has to scream out in frustration, and then sob.

Same.

Back with Class 2-5, Ji-min and Hyo-ryung are discussing how to comfort On-jo about her boyfriend, even though Hyo-ryung says they aren't going out.

Bare-su eavesdrops on this. To be fair, they don't know about all that in the show, but even then, Ji-min doesn't think Su-hyeok is sure enough about On-jo to be a real contender in this love triangle they have going on.

He tries to comfort her. On-jo, through her tears, is mad that Cheong-san didn't listen when she said to stay. Bare-su apologizes again for not bringing him back, and On-jo just wonders where he is.

To be fair, between the walls of the school is a pretty good hiding space all things considered.

They look at the helicopters.

"Joon-yeong. Didn't you mention that your science club made a drone?"

Ji-min has to admit, for all they make fun of her for her grades and test scores, On-jo comes up with the best ideas.

Even when Joon-yeong points out that there the zombies are crawling all over the place, she just points to the hose. When Hyo-ryung mentions the zombies in the science lab, she says that there aren't any in the supply room.

And Nam-ra agrees, pointing out all the benefits of having a drone.

After that it's just an argument over who will go. On-jo took a fire rescue class, Bare-su is... Bare-su, Joon-yeong needs to finish the drone before anything else, and Dae-su just really wants to go.

They settle on On-jo and Joon-yeong, but not before Su-hyeok tries to go in her place, grabbing her arm as Nam-ra watches.

I-sak cackles. She does that sometimes. When their friends get romantic. It's concerning. But also, Ji-min doesn't know if she wants On-jo with Su-hyeok or Cheong-san anymore.

"I don't want you... to be put in danger anymore."

That sounded way too much like 'I don't want you, period.'

At some point, Ji-min should just sit those three down and force them to say who likes who and who doesn't like who. Might be more simple that way. Maybe when life is less complicated.

Joon-yeong leaves, climbing up, and On-jo follows after him as Su-hyeok and Ji-min watch.

Hyo-ryung asks her if she thinks it's safe.

"Like you said, there are soldiers and cops, right?"

She tells her best friend that she wants to go to her parents' workplaces, even though she hates leather and sundae.

She hates those things, but she loves her parents.

Ji-min really misses them. Even now, even when she knows that when hell is over, she'll get to go back home to them, she still wishes she was with them right now.

"So you finally grew up? Should have said that earlier, now it's too late."

Yeah, for Other Ji-min. But she's not Other Ji-min.

Back with the cops, they're discussing how to get to the car. The newer cop isn't sure about moving, wanting to play things safe.

If they survive, they tell important people about Mr. Lee's laptop, which will lead to soldiers going to the high school, which could save them.

Then they get exposition about the other cop's life. He went to Seoul University. Ji-min was supposed to transfer to Seoul. Her parents had been so excited, it was annoying.

But knowing what she knows now, she realizes she should have just gone, and the cop should have stayed. That way, she wouldn't be stuck in a zombie infested high school, and he wouldn't be forced to run after that other cop to the car, and then when it doesn't start, through the alleyways.

They run into a building to escape the zombies chasing them. When they get in, the Seoul cop is jump scared by Hee-su.

Holy shit, they made it Cheong-san Chicken. Which means...

The cop is scared again, this time by the baby. Jae-ik immediately goes into Dad-mode though, checking on the child, looking at its gray face, and then ordering the other cop to get milk for the dehydration.

Afterwards, the cop points out how hard it will be to go to HQ while also looking after a baby. Jae-ik puts his thumb in the palm of the baby's hand and smiles. It's a fatherly expression, one Ji-min has told her own dad not to look at her with many times. Embarrassing... but cute when there's an actual baby involved.

Joon-yeong and On-jo get through the window of the science lab's supply room.

As they walk, tiny hamsters are crawling all over the floor, making Ji-min think of the one that bit Hyeon-ju. But that one was in a cage, and she doesn't think that was ever freed. But then again, how were the other hamsters freed?

Maybe the zombie hamster had a really sturdy cage, despite their asshole of a science teacher's carelessness.

As they're getting supplies, one of them stands up against On-jo's shoe.

"Oh no..." I-sak groans.

Su-hyeok and Nam-ra are looking out the window, and she poses the question of if everyone in the world but them turn into zombies. He doesn't want to talk about it, because that's fucking morbid, just like most of the things Nam-ra says.

"I don't want to be a zombie. You don't recognize anyone... And I won't recognize you.

It's so weird, whenever the class president is shown smiling, or showing any emotion at all.

I-sak gives a soft squeak and a bright smile. Ji-min looks at her, annoyed, not sure why she's getting so happy.

Nam-ra starts to ask him a question for in case she gets bitten, but Bare-su refuses to even entertain the possibility. And she just... keeps smiling.

But I-sak is smiling harder.

Yeah... turns out the class president isn't emotionless. She just... asks morbid questions sometimes.

Back with Cheong-san, he's found another door from inside the walls, but it doesn't open from the inside. He tries pushing at it anyways.

The noise attacks zombies from the outside. It looks hopeless, and that's when he thinks back to the dinner from the first episode. His dead mom smiling at I-sak and On-jo. It focuses on On-jo. And then he thinks about the hair thing.

They're so cute together.

Then he thinks about Gyeong-su, laughing, which turns into his zombie writhing on the ground, all because some bitch's selfishness. Fuck her.

This was the last night of normalcy that they would ever have. The afternoon after, I-sak would be dead, and by that night, Gyeong-su and Mrs. Min.

Ji-min wonders what the night before all hell broke loose was like for her. With her parents, probably, maybe Hyo-ryung could have slept over, and they would've prank called their other friends.

They made Dae-su cry once. Ji-min smiles at the memory.

Determination renewed, Cheong-san kicks open the latch, pushes down a zombie that attacks him, jumping on walls to dodge them. He goes through a hallway, before taking cover in a room, the music room. Ji-min knows it well, she was a part of the school choir. He picks up a guitar as a weapon, but by some miracle, it's empty, or at least it looks that way.

Her classmates give a sigh of relief.

On-jo is climbing down with a heavy backpack, with Joon-yeong following after.

He puts a note about their whereabouts on the finished drone. They test it out, and it proves to be really fast.

They're about to fly it outside when Nam-ra interrupts, giving another saying about hopelessness. Since everything she says needs a translation, she clarifies that if everyone in the world is a zombie, they can't despair...

If everyone in the world is a zombie, they're screwed.

On-jo and Nam-ra argue over logic and hope, and Ji-min just wants them to do something productive instead.

They fly the drone and see a bunch of zombies through the windows.

"Oh no... Everyone's a zombie."

Mi-jin is muttering about how she never should have studied, Joon-seong tells her to be serious but Ji-min gets it. All her good grades and merits seem useless now in the real world, but especially in the show where it might truly mean nothing. She briefly wonders how schooling is going to work in the aftermath of all this, but decides she doesn't care.

Make it to the end of the show, reunite with her parents, and everything else is just... detailing.

Mi-jin asks what Ha-ri's gonna do and she wants to the archery for the emergency phone and extra arrows. They make plans, Mi-jin wants to go to the supermarket because that's apparently what survivors do in horror movies, the friend (who's name Ji-min still doesn't remember) wants to jump three stories to land in the dumpsters, and Ha-ri doesn't insist on going after her brother.

Woo-jin doesn't look as happy as Ji-min thought he was gonna be. But he doesn't look upset either. Maybe he really did want to see himself saved by his sister, or at least reunited.

But Ji-min has other worries, because now the only person who actually had a plan to rescue them is giving up.

Okay, the archery friend's name is Min-jae. Good, that was driving her crazy.

Joon-seong just wants to stay, as always, with the hopes that the adults will rescue them.

"If you wanna stay, be my guest. But I don't trust adults." "Ah, shit. She's just so my type."

Doesn't trust adults? She's a senior, she'll be an adult herself soon enough. Ji-min looks at the girl, but she's too preoccupied smirking at Mi-jin.

"Liiiissst," I-sak hisses lowly. What list? She's been mumbling about some list for the past two years but she won't tell Ji-min what it's for.

The four go out, the two archers both hitting zombies before Min-jae jumps out the window and lands on the dumpster. Ha-ri shoots at one through the window.

If these are the archers who did poorly in their competition, what could the winners do for them?

She pushes a nervous Mi-jin, but somehow Joon-seong jumps without prompting, and then Ha-ri goes last, just in time for the drone to appear in the broken infirmary window. Ironically, Woo-jin is the one to note that it's empty when if the drone had arrived a second or two earlier, he would have seen his sister before she left. It's flown out into the hallway, and that's when he notices the arrows shot through the zombies.

"My older sister... She had a competition today."

Looking at his face on the screen, sad and scared, it hits Ji-min. If Ha-ri had been bitten in that hallway, Woo-jin would've had to see his sister as a zombie. That would've just... broken his heart, wouldn't it? She's only met Ha-ri a few times before today, but it's clear the siblings care about each other, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to this many lengths to save him.

And Ji-min remembers Cheong-san's tears when his mother turned. His cries. It was awful. They're too young. Kids shouldn't have to watch their family die.

Joon-yeong checks another classroom, but they can't find Cheong-san. They go out another broken window to see a girl who had hung herself out it. They don't gasp or cry out, as if they've all been desensitized to the tragedy that's happened to their school, to their classmates, to them.

How long until they give up?

But then they find him. They fly the drone to another window, and there he is.

Bare-su and On-jo are both overjoyed, calling for him even though Joon-yeong keeps telling them that he can't hear, and then hugging.

"Oooohhh," I-sak whispers as Nam-ra smiles at them, in her awkward way.

Is she the only one bothered by that?

Now that they know where Cheong-san is, Ji-min suggests looking other places for rescuers and other people.

The fields are full of zombies, and so Nam-ra suggests that they go outside of school grounds. The roads right outside the entrance are also abandoned. They see the archery bus, cars crashed into each other, abandoned cars, zombies roaming the streets.

A truck.

Ji-min gasps loudly. Her classmates look at her, but her eyes are glued to the screen.

In the show, she makes him focus on it. A truck, a white one, that drives her to school every morning and picks her up every afternoon. Her father got it three years ago when he got a promotion at the factory. He got air freshener for it because Ji-min complained about the smell of leather. And now, it's stopped on the side of the road, where a black car has crashed into it.

Tears build up in her eyes as she starts gasping and hiccuping, trying to hold back her sobs.

"That's my dad's car!"

The screen is focused on the classroom again, not on the drone camera, and Ji-min can't see. She has to see, she has to make sure. She can't just trust herself as she says it's his, maybe she's wrong. Ji-min can't see the car and so she can't know.

Joon-yeong gets closer, and there they are. Her parents as zombies. Mindless, dead zombies.

She breaks down crying, losing any and all composure. Someone is hugging her. A few people, but it does nothing to make things better. She wants her parents, she wants them to hug her, to hold her, and promise her that they're not going anywhere.

Why did this have to happen? Why?

Because of Mr. Lee.

Suddenly, rage fills her heart, and it hurts less than the grief, so Ji-min stands, shaking off the arms around her. Tears still pouring down her face, she marches past Na-yeon the murderer to stare that maniac in the eye.

"You! It's your fault! You did this! You!"

Ji-min breaks into a run, ready to hit him, to hurt him in anyway that might make her pain go away. But she's restrained, Su-hyeok and Cheong-san are holding her back. She struggles against them, feeling like a wild animal even through her hazy mind.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Just as quickly as the anger came, it passes. All the energy is sucked from her body, and she just lets go. She would fall to her knees if the boys weren't there to keep her up, to drag her back to the couch at the adults' beckoning-

"Over there."

"Be gentle."

"Make sure she doesn't go near him again."

Oh, fuck them.

All the while, Ji-min just keeps sobbing, even as she's sat down and Hyo-ryung hugs her. Eventually, there's nothing left in her to cry with, and so she's just quiet.

How could this happen? Why her? Why them?

They deserve better.

She's alone now.

All alone.

Ji-min doesn't how much time passes before someone says, "Can we watch the rest?"

But Ji-min knows she answers with a bitter scoff, "Whatever."

Might as well finish this shit show.

The zombies, not including her parents because they're stuck in that shitty truck forever now, knock down the drone, which is on dying battery anyways. The note about where they are flies away, probably never to be found, or found by people who will only die trying to rescue them.

That's why they were there, weren't they? For her. The same reason anyone's family went to the school. How many kids lost their parents like she did? How many families were destroyed because of the selfishness of a science teacher who barely even knew them?

That helicopter, that goddamn helicopter carrying two of her classmates' parents, lands in some base somewhere.

On-jo and Nam-ra's parents live. Their parents are important, and get priority, and get helicopters sent their way. No one is gonna give a shit that a factory worker and a cook are dead. No one except for Ji-min. And doesn't that just make her more alone than she already was?

She misses them. Maybe she can go home to them, but she misses them so much. She wants to see them now.

They walk past a detained group of surviving refugees from Hyosan, who aren't as important as them but at least they're alive. At least they'll be there, if their loved ones escape. At least their loved ones won't be alone.

They go through parts of quarantine. At first it looks like On-jo's dad is looking for her in the crowd of survivors, but then he starts eyeing at the barbed wire.

Of course. On-jo's dad is crazy. Just like Mom and Dad were crazy. Just like Woo-jin's sister, and Cheong-san's mom, and who knows who else. But no matter how crazy you are, you better back it up with the skills it takes to not die yourself. Otherwise you'll just break the heart of the person you wanted to save, and what good is that?

Nam-ra's mother, the one who said something about prioritizing the majority over loved ones and then didn't die, asks a guard where the control room is, but he refuses to tell her, stating that she needs to be examined. She agrees, but still wants to know, and On-Jo's father cuts in. That's when the guard starts yelling at them.

Looks like the privileged aren't so priveleged in quarantine. The waiting room sucks, but it's still special treatment in comparison to normal people, who are on mats on the concrete floor.

If things were different, Ji-min might have comforted herself with the belief that her parents were apart of that group, and then bitterly thought about them getting a worse deal than others just because they don't have fancy jobs.

But that would have been a luxury.

On-Jo's dad requests they send someone to the school to rescue her, and the guard's voice isn't as harsh as he just tells them that they're doing their best.

How is their best not even trying to help the children stuck in hell?

Either Ji-min is rescued, and she'll be alone for the rest of her life, or she'll die young, and the pain will go away, but she'll never be able to make everyone who didn't help them pay.

The two parents look through a window at a room crowded with survivors. Are they looking for On-jo and Nam-ra?

Back in the library, they see a close up of that fucker, Gwi-nam's hand and then his eye. He gasps, going through the zombie transformation.

"Is he just now turning?" Hyo-ryung asks, frowning at the screen, clutching Ji-min's arm like a child.

He looks wrong. Not as pale or mindless as the other zombies. Sort of like Eun-ji when she turned. But there's the bite mark on his stomach.

"Did I die?"

His voice is low and tired, but he's talking. She doesn't remember any zombies talking, except for just as they're turning. Maybe Hyo-ryung is right. He's just now turning.

"Is this a flashback?" Joon-yeong asks.

Zombies run at him and he cowers in fear, but they stop and don't bite him.

"What the hell..." Cheong-san whispers.

"Aren't you gonna eat me you zombie bastards!?"

He'll turn into a real zombie in a second...

Won't he?

Their genocidal science teacher's recordings play again, this time explaining in too many words that zombies won't attack other zombies. That cells will evolve.

So is that bully a zombie or not? Because he seems more in control than anyone turning has ever been.

"If this virus learns human consciousness... A new species of humankind can be born."

The fury she felt from earlier comes back. It's his fault! He's the one who hurt Mr. Lee's son, if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. And he gets to survive while Ji-min's parents are dead?

"Fuck!" she yells. "Fuck!"

Why? Why not her parents? Why the killer? Why the person who declares that he's gonna kill someone when he realizes how lucky he is?

Cheong-san, in the music room, not knowing what he created when he killed Gwi-nam, approaches whatever's under the piano with a chair as a weapon. Something or someone spies on him from the supply closet.

It's such a mess. It's too much.

That monster walks down the hallway, and the zombies don't even acknowledge him. The bastard he is, he looks like the arrogant jackass he is as he puts on his jacket.

"What the fuck. That means... I'm God. Hey, Cheong-san!"

It was for Mr. Lee's son... This was all to help Mr. Lee's son, and now his bully is the one who gets all the supposed good parts?

Shit.

What's even the fucking point?

Fuck him, he's every bit a zombie as the ones that killed her parents. He's even more a monster than he was before, and she would rather die than live knowing that zombie blood is in her veins when that's what led to her family dying. Gwi-nam can go fuck himself.

She just wants to go home.

Chapter Text

Hyo-ryung's POV

To say she was devastated would be the understatement of the century. 

Hyo-ryung and Ji-min were good, all things considered. They never made too much trouble for the group, they went along with everything, and the attention was never on them that much. They were side characters at best, and she was hoping that would mean they'd never have to suffer that much heartbreak. But now look them. Or more accurately look at Ji-min.

Hyo-ryung loves Ji-min's parents. Even when they annoy her best friend, she's always found them too sweet. Her mother always doted on Hyo-ryung like she was a second daughter to her, worrying about her eating habits just as much as she worried over Ji-min's. And Mr. Kim, always cracking jokes and trying to make them laugh. He taught them everything they know about make prank calls.

They made Dae-su cry once. (Don't worry, he burst out laughing right after.) Hyo-ryung smiles at the memory.

Her parents were so kind, so great, and they shouldn't have died. They should have been able to grow old and see Ji-min grow up. And to have seen them like that hurt in a way different than I-sak or Min-ji's deaths.

But it hurt Ji-min more. More than anything else could have hurt her. 

Ji-min isn't crying right now, which Hyo-ryung guesses is a good thing. She's leaning back on the couch cushions, her eyes red and unfocused, but still angry and bitter. It's the last part that scares Hyo-ryung so bad, to the point she wants to cower away from her own best friend.

Ji-min had refused comfort from On-jo and I-sak when they offered it, leaning away from them as them got closer like they were going to burn her, glaring daggers at them until they got the message and stepped away. And Hyo-ryung knows it might be different for her, having been Ji-min's closest friend since the fourth grade. But still.

She's never been very good at comforting. She was always the one who needed to be comforted, even for stupid things. It was something Hyo-ryung could never help. She would sob her eyes out whenever she'd scrape her knee growing up. When the boys convinced the girls to try and watch a horror movie, she ended up burying her head in Woo-jin's shoulder until they turned it off almost immediately and put on a rom-com instead. Even getting a bad grade, she'd need her friends to wrap their arms around her shoulder, to clap her on the back, to promise that things will be okay.

And Hyo-ryung knows, it annoys Ji-min. She's not a child anymore, she shouldn't need her hand held for every little thing. But she can't help it. Sometimes tears just come, and even when they don't, her friends are used to consoling her, and she never has the strength to turn it away.

The thought of her uselessness, mixed in with the memory of seeing Ji-min's parents, and the total hopelessness brings tears to her eyes, so she takes deep breaths and do everything in her power to stop them from spilling over, but they're so close to falling that the only thing she can do is let them and then quickly wipe them away.

The commander walks in front of them. They look at him. He clears his throat. "I deeply regret that you had to witness that. I personally want to reassure you that this will not occur in the new series of events.

"Do you promise?" Ji-min asks quietly.

"I-" He straightens his shoulders. "I promise."

"Thank you so much."

Then, to her surprise, Ji-min stands up and hugs him. He looks momentarily surprised, but otherwise keeps his expression completely neutral until she pulls away and sits down, a small but desperate smile on her face. He says nothing as he walks away.

"He's gonna save my parents," Ji-min gives as an explanation. "My parents are gonna live."

Hyo-ryung nods and takes her hand. After a moment, Ji-min smiles at her and squeezes it.

XXX

Woo-jin's POV

Ji-min seems to be doing better, which is good. She doesn't deserve what they just saw, and neither had Cheong-san. He worries about how either of them is supposed to go home to their parents and look them in the eye again after seeing them as zombies.

Woo-jin stands side by side with Dae-su with Joon-yeong directly in front of the latter. 

"You don't think any of our families are gonna end up like that?" Dae-su asks, worried. "Do you? I mean, that's two episodes in a row where's someone's parents have died, and we didn't even meet Ji-min's parents before it happened."

"There was a quick scene of them dropping her off in the first episode," Joon-yeong corrects. "It wasn't much, but it was set up. The fact that it made sure to add it in actually makes me think that the show wouldn't do the same thing with one of our family members without a similar scene."

Great.

At least, his parents might be fine.

Woo-jin looks down at the floor, distancing himself from his friends by a few inches, nothing noticeable, just to pull his shit together.

They were all blindsided by what had happened to Ji-min's family. None of them had been expecting it, and it was so heartbreaking. And of course Woo-jin knew when they began flying that drone out into the city, they wouldn't like what they were seeing. That they might even see something horrible, scarring.

He'd be lying if he said his mind didn't go to dark places (he's a fucking art kid, of course his imagination is screwed up) about the drone catching Ha-ri in a bad spot. Ha-ri, who had more than a moment of introduction.

Ha-ri will be fine. She's fucking perfect, has been ever since they were kids, she's not gonna die. She's an archery prodigy. She'll be fine.

"Shit, sorry Woo-jin," Joon-yeong quickly amends, stepping past Dae-su to stand in front of him. "I know it's different with your sister, but I'm sure Ha-ri will be-" He cuts himself off. His dumb, genius, cute face blanching. 

"She's a badass!" Dae-su finishes.

"Thanks," Woo-jin says. Him and Joon-yeong make eye contact, the weight of it all passing between them.

He was probably going to say 'fine' too. But then he decided not to. 

That's one of the best things about Joon-yeong; He doesn't lie or sugarcoat because it will make others feel better for a little bit. He says it's because it will make it worse if the worst does happen.

But screw it, as much as Woo-jin loves him (platonically of course, his non-platonic feelings for his friend are a crush at most, it- it'd be pretty sad to be in love with someone he's not dating) he's not him, so he chooses to believe Joon-yeong cut himself off because he was choking, but then he stopped choking.

Woo-jin loves his family. He loves his sister and his parents, and if he has to watch any of them die then it might break him completely. (But he never understood how his friends seemed like they could talk to their families about anything.)

"That Gwi-nam dude seems like he's gonna cause a lot of trouble for us," Woo-jin says, partially to change the subject, but also because he is genuinely worried for their friend. "Can you believe that our lives got to a point where someone was swearing revenge on one of us?"

"I mean, he did fuck him up," Dae-su points out. Then he adds, "Do you think any of us can end up like that? Bitten but not really a zombie?"

"Well, the existence of hybrids has already caused us trouble," Joon-yeong crosses his arms. "And it seems rare, so we shouldn't count on it. But if one of us does end up like that, it could help us a lot."

"He was walking down that hallway like it was nothing," Dae-su complains. "It's not fair. Why does he get to be the hambie?"

"Hambie?" Woo-jin repeats, unimpressed. "Do I want to know?"

"Half-human, half-zombie," he shrugs. "Hambie."

Woo-jin and Joon-yeong share an unamused look. He's such an idiot.

XXX

Gyeong-su's POV

"I wanna invite Nam-ra to sit with us next episode."

Gyeong-su gives a long sigh, then says, "Okay."

"I just- I thought that by the halfway point, she'd be integrated into the group."

"Why? Why would you think that?" he asks. "You have met Nam-ra, haven't you?"

"I think it might be too early, I don't want it to seem like I only want her in the group because of her relationship with Bare-su."

"But you do," Gyeong-su points out. "You do only like her because of Bare-su."

"Well, that's... No, I don't." I-sak pouts adorably.

"Really? Tell me what you like about her outside of everything with Su-hyeok."

"She slapped Na-yeon and has really pretty hair," I-sak says simply.

"... Fair enough," Gyeong-su concedes. "Look, maybe..." This is gonna end badly. "-you should approach her and..." Why is he doing this? "-try and get to know her better." This isn't good.

"That's a great idea!" I-sak breaks into a bright smile and wraps her arms around his shoulders. He guesses that her joy is enough to justify whatever the hell he just unleashed onto the world, but he won't be happy about it.

She pulls away from the hug and then happily skips off towards the adult's couch.

What have I done?

Gyeong-su trails after her, not because he wants to, he really doesn't want to, but for moral reasons. But first, he quickly decides to backtrack and go to where Cheong-san and On-jo are sitting. He desperately hisses at them, "Save yourselves." And then he runs to the other side of the room.

Assemblywoman Park is preoccupied with the other adults, talking about the... whatever Gwi-nam is, so Nam-ra is on her own when I-sak reaches her.

"Hello, there!"

"Hello," Nam-ra says emotionlessly as Gyeong-su catches up to them.

"With how awesome you are in the series, I realized that I really don't know you that well," I-sak starts, sitting down next to her. He sits down next to I-sak, already regretting all of this.

"You just realized that?" Prez says bluntly.

I-sak beams. "Yes! Sooooo, tell me! What's your deepest, darkest secret?"

"She means, what's your favorite color?" Gyeong-su corrects for her.

"I smoke. And white."

"White?" That's such a light color.

"Great," I-sak grins at her. "If you could get away with killing one person, who would it be?"

"What's your favorite movie?" Gyeong-su feels like he's crawling out of his skin in his seat.

"Na-yeon. And Train to Busan."

"Okay, dumb question," I-sak admits.

Gyeong-su's eyes widen. "You've actually seen Train to Busan?"

"Top or bottom?"

"I-SAK!" he shrieks, causing a lot of people to turn their heads towards them. He tries to give them all reassuring smiles, then at a normal tone he adds, "Bunnies are cute, aren't they?"

"It depends," Nam-ra says. "And bunnies are quite preferable. They're my fourteenth favorite animal, which I acknowledge seems like it's low on the ranking, but there are so many animals in the world."

"'Depends'?" I-sak repeats, scrunching her forehead in confusion.

"I really wanna see that ranking," Gyeong-su says under his breath. This is one of the most bizarre conversations of his life, and he's had a lot of conversations with I-sak before this.

"Will you sit with the rest of the class for episode six?" I-sak asks her.

"Any pets?" he asks before he's processed that she's given a not weird question. 

"I'm sorry. I don't think my mother will let me." She looked down gingerly, her voice soft and tinted with regret. "And no pets."

"Really?" I-sak frowns, disappointed. "Are you sure? Do you really need to do everything your mom says?"

"I-sak," Gyeong-su interrupts, something in Nam-ra's expression making him want to let her be. At least for now. "She said no." He flashes her a look telling her to drop it.

I-sak's shoulders slump, and she's pouting again. "Fine... So, Nam-ra, do you think it would be morally reprehensible for two of the first victims of the show to rank every death?"

XXX

Cheong-san's POV

"Should we be concerned about that?" he asks, pointing at their friends across the room with the class president.

On-jo stares at them, contemplative. Then she says, "... No."

Cheong-san glances at her, then at the three of them, then back at her. If she says so.

"I told you not to go," On-jo reminds him.

"I know," Cheong-san says in mock annoyance. "You keep saying that."

"Because I was right," she puts her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't have provoked him, now he wants to kill you."

"We saw the same episode, On-jo," Cheong-san banters back. "I know what happened.

On-jo punches his shoulder. "I actually wanna get out of this without my heart being completely shattered, and then you go and do stuff like that."

At those words, his shoulders deflate, finally letting up. Something is burning in his chest, and he wants to comfort her for the obvious fear and anxiety that shines through the sentence, even past her casual tone. But he finds it easier to keep teasing her. "I thought you only liked I-sak."

She smirks. "I do only like I-sak. But you like me, so I guess it's only right that I care about your wellbeing. Even though you make it so stressful."

Cheong-san put a hand over his heart. "That's the nicest thing you ever said to me."

"Ya, don't get used to it," On-jo shakes her head. But after a second's pause, her expression softens. "I never had the chance to ask you; Are you alright?"

The question catches him off-guard, but he tries to play it off, scoffing, "You mean you were too busy berating me to ask?"

"Yes," On-jo doesn't even try to deny it. "Are you?"

Cheong-san bites the inside of his cheek. "I don't know."

Learning what happened to Ji-min's parents and watching her reaction to it hit too close to home. It was too soon after what happened to his mother. Tears had falling freely, even as he went to stop Ji-min from going near Mr. Lee. And it made him realize, that even though he envied his other self for not knowing and for not having to see it, that him is far from lucky.

Because what happens if Cheong-san's show self finds out about his mother?

And though he doesn't feel lucky, there's really nothing Cheong-san can do besides be glad he's not the version of him from the show who's; Lost his mother, his best friend, several other friends, and the entirety of the life he knew. And also a knife-wielding serial killer after him. And still might lose the rest of his friends, his father, and his- And On-jo, his lifelong best friend. And who might die himself. Not even Cheong-san Chicken managed to make it out unscathed.

And On-jo is still into Su-hyeok!

... But he's happy for them.

On-jo doesn't need any more answer other than that, just leaning over so that her head rests on her shoulder, and it makes him feel better than he's willing to admit. His hand itches to grab hers, but he can't do that, because what if he's too obvious and she knows?

Fuck, he likes his best friend, as in romantic like, not the like she was talking about earlier, and there's nothing he can do about that either, because she likes another boy.

On-jo and Cheong-san stay like that until it's time to resume, and so they scoot away from one another to make room for Gyeong-su and I-sak when they come back from whatever the hell they were doing with Nam-ra.

"The group clears a path to Cheong-san using sound to draw away the zombies, but a new type of threat surfaces. Nam So-ju breaks out of the quarantine camp."

Sound? They're gonna use sound? Well, that's gonna go horribly. Even without the 'new type of threat', which is probably gonna be Gwi-nam making trouble for them.

"Break out of the quarantine camp?" the Commander repeats harshly.

"I regret that this will put us on opposing sides, but I will do what needs to be done for my daughter," Mr. Nam says firmly.

On their end, On-jo looks down at her lap. Cheong-san looks at her in concern. She doesn't deserve to worry for her father's survival, and he'd do anything to spare her the pain of watching herself lose her father.

Commander Jin gives a rough sigh and runs a hand over his face. "Fine. We'll see what you actually do first, and then we'll discuss it over the next break."

Mr. Nam seems satisfied with that, so they move on and start the episode.

Chapter Text

Dae-su's POV

So, right off the bat, it starts with Mr. Lee. He doesn't think any of them ever wanted to know what their science teacher got up to in his free time, but now they all know just how freaky his hobbies are. He says he named his zombie virus the 'Jonas Virus' after some philosopher. And since he probably did a lot of science to make it, it's only fair that he gets to name it.

"It's also my responsibility to create an anecdote. I refuse to fail."

Yeah, well, all his talk back in episode four begs to differ...

Cheol-soo is using spare pieces of wood and pipe to create an S.O.S. sign for the helicopters. What does S.O.S. even stand for, anyways? But that seems like a good plan, probably better than attaching a note to a drone or writing it on a flag out the window.

Eun-ji- Oh, shit, Eun-ji! She's uh- She's definitely a hambie too, isn't she? One of her dislocated fingers begins popping back into place, because apparently hambies can recover from bone injuries, but probably not losing an eye.

She's going through... a bunch of motions that probably come when you realize you're immune to the zombies. She's tying her hair back, and Dae-su has to flinch at the writing on her shirt that Gwi-nam did to her... Hey! Maybe she can beat him up! Hambie v. Hambie. She's also washing her hands, which is probably religious symbolism. And she's also doing her makeup! Gotta- gotta look good for... the end of the world.

Speaking of looking good, Ha-ri and her friends are outside, on the way to the archery center and killing zombies along the way. Ha-ri is flawless as she shoots her arrows, perfect in every way.

But also, back in the hallways, Gwi-nam is picking up that knife from earlier, and he isn't good looking at all.

Back in the classroom, everyone is somber, no wonder why. Bare-su puts a hand on Nam-ra's shoulder (even though she probably doesn't need comfort, though Dae-su does get that he has a crush on her, so). Woo-jin's hands are over his eyes (he thinks he hears him sniffling, he must be terrified about Ha-ri, though he probably turned him and Joon-yeong away when they tried to comfort him). And the one he's most scared for, Ji-min is sitting with On-jo, she looks like she's been crying, but she's not currently crying (maybe she ran out of tears like she did in real life).

The only thing Dae-su can do is put a hand on his brother-in-law's back when he pulls away to wipe his face with his shirt. There's nothing else he can say or do to possibly make anyone feel better after everything with Ji-min's parents.

It cuts to Cheong-san, about to smash a zombie with a chair, but he sees that she's trapped under a piano. Her hand accidentally turns on a camera, and he lowers it because the camera is cooler, and he wants to get it.

The person stalking him from the closet is finally revealed; It's Na-yeon.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Ji-min says in outrage. "That murderer is still alive!?" She glares at her like everything that happened is actually her fault.

"Ji-min-" Ms. Park tries, and Dae-su wonders where she is in all this. But with a heavy heart, he has to acknowledge that if Na-yeon is alone then she probably sacrificed herself.

"Oh, don't you start," Ji-min snaps. And again, Dae-su would love to stick up for her, but Ji-min is scary, and also really going through it, so he stays quiet.

Or he plans on staying quiet, because then he's gasping. The room Na-yeon is hiding in is full of food and drinks. The fact that their show selves have gone from basically episode two without eating sounds torturous. An entire day must have passed without eating. Dae-su feels so bad for the other them. In present time, he hasn't eaten since they were taken, and it's been awful.

No! He doesn't want to look at the creepy intro, he just wants to look at all the food!

Back with, uh oh, Ji-min, she's brushing off On-Jo's hand and standing up. She's walking towards the window, which makes sense. After a tragedy, lots of people cope by staring out the window. Nam-ra was doing it earlier-

Oh shit, she's trying to jump! They all cry out in surprise as the other them rush to stop her and restrain her as she struggles against them.

"I wanna die! Leave me alone!"

Poor Hyo-ryung is crouching in fear next to the shelf, looking terrified. No one should have to see their best friend like that.

Dae-su looks at the girls in real life. Hyo-ryung is scooching away from Ji-min, who's looking at her own suicide attempt with a cold expression, even though tears are streaming down her face.

The show pauses.

"No!" Ji-min insists. "Keep going."

The adults look at each other. The Commander says, "We should really talk about this."

"I don't care, keep watching, it's the only way any of us are ever going home again."

Ms. Park clears her throat. "We should do what she says."

The detective sighs but resumes the show.

They get her away from the window, but she's still yelling and crying and struggling until she falls on the ground, repeating at them that she wants to die and that they need to let go.

"My mom and dad died... What am I supposed to do alone?"

Fuck, man.

Sometime later, Dae-su is looking in through flap in the covered window of the recording booth as Ji-min talks with On-jo.

Ji-min monologues about why she wants to die now that she doesn't have parents. He admits that it sounds really bad and terrible. Dae-su adores his family, and he would hate to find out anything happened to them.

She insists that since On-jo doesn't know what it's like to lose everything she shouldn't tell her what do. On-jo responds by reminding her that she does really poorly on exams.

What the-?

"What kind of response is that?" Dae-su wonders out loud, causing the other shush at him. He puts his hands up in surrender, but still. Who responds to their friend going through something awful like this with 'tests suck'?

Okay, she tries to make it about her dad and how he feels about her getting bad grades. How he tells her that it's more important to know how to be safe than know all that stuff they put in tests. Which is sort of true, given how useful On-jo has been in the show. Especially when you compare it to how useless she can be when it comes to normal people problems.

Ji-min doesn't care about her dad, though. On-jo still continues. She goes on to say that he said he'd be the first one there for her, but clearly, he's not there, and she says that she thinks he might be dead too.

"At least you can hope. My hope is dead." "Is there hope?"

Oh, hey, maybe that answers the prez's question from earlier! They're more sad about hope.

On-jo still wants to believe that her dad will come for her and asks Ji-min not to die after what happened to I-sak and Gyeong-su.

... And to Min-ji! She was also their friend, ah. She was also killed.

Ji-min says that she's going crazy in there, and so On-jo wants them to leave. The booth or the room? Because one of those things is pretty impossible given everything else. She bumps a mic with her arm, which sets it off in the next room.

Nam-ra goes in and presses the button on it. The rest of it comes in and Dae-su says that it smells really bad in there... Oh crap, they were smelling shit throughout that entire conversation?

The class president has a whole plan to distract the zombies with the speakers, while they run around to get Cheong-san and then go to the roof (and hopefully get the food from the supply closet along the way).

Nam-ra knows all about how to work the speakers since her mom made her join the broadcasting club ("And thank god I did!") and she has an answer to every question they throw her way, including where to get the music.

That ancient artifact is gonna be their savior?

It's worth a shot, they start setting everything up. Nam-ra presses some buttons, and makes the speaker go all high pitched, which distracts the zombies and really hurts Gwi-nam and Eun-ji. He guesses that's a hambie weakness.

With the mic good to go, they briefly bicker who gets to go, even though they already have Cheong-san's attention, and they settle on Dae-su, who does a mic test before asking for him. But for some reason, Bare-su is annoyed with him and takes over.

He tells him to stay put and not go anywhere, while Na-yeon (in that beautiful room of food) and Gwi-nam (yikes) listen in.

Dae-su wants to leave because of how awful the smell is, but Woo-jin acts all pissed as if he's the only one who took a shit in there... Wait, he really was the only one who took a shit? No one else had to poop?

For some reason, Cheong-san has no faith in them now that he's gone and tries to leave.

"Sit your ass down!" Gyeong-su demands.

Thankfully, On-jo talks to him through the loudspeaker and tells him not to do anything stupid. Seriously, all he has to do is sit still and look pretty, and he wants to leave?

Nam-ra does her thing, and at first it looks like it's not working, but then it starts and it's a fucking meditation disc.

Gwi-nam resolves to go to the broadcasting room and breaks into a run, meaning they only have so much time before they have to deal with that psycho.

But they don't know that yet. Joon-yeong and Woo-jin check through the door and window to see it working out okay. The zombies are clamoring at the pole outside. The zombies in the classroom are running out, and Gwi-nam has to push past them as he walks in the opposite direction- towards them.

Dae-su looks out at the zombies running past them, and they're about to go out when Bare-su stops him because that one zombie who had his leg stuck in a traffic cone is being real slow. He even takes a moment to roar at the door before he keeps going.

He tries again, this time with Woo-jin by his side. They do a check first and find one of them repeatedly walking into a wall. That really freaks them out as they quickly get back in.

"That's Tae-il," Ms. Park says sadly. "He's a deaf student."

Deaf. They have to deal with a deaf zombie and also Woo-jin being rude as hell.

They try and wait a little bit, and there's a montage of a bunch zombies clawing at the speakers. Bare-su decides that that's enough waiting and that they should just risk it. So On-jo takes Ji-min's hand, and they all get in a line, Dae-su and Hyo-ryung going first, and slowly creep past it.

Joon-yeong mutters, "This isn't gonna go well."

Of course, it doesn't go well. This is them that they're talking about! Ironically though, it's Joon-yeong bumping into Woo-jin and dropping his bottle on the floor that makes everyone tense up. Woo-jin quickly bends over to stop it, but they're already frozen.

"Good job, guys."

"Shut up!" They both glare at him, actually making him jump... They get scary when they gang up on him.

The damage is done. The zombie turns its head and the only thing they can do is run for it while Bare-su beats the zombie up. Dae-su has to hold Hyo-ryung's hand as they round the corner, which is good. She can freeze up easily, and he doesn't want her to trip or stumble.

Bare-su runs and Ji-min trips, looking at a dismembered arm as On-jo pulls her up. Gwi-nam makes it to the broadcasting room, and good thing they're already long gone. The bad news is that they left they're visual demonstration there for him to know where to they're going,

Bare-su and the zombie are fighting on the staircase, and it looks bad for him, with the zombie on top of him. Dae-su is worried but he knows that Bare-su is a bada- Oh, no, Gwi-nam stabs the zombie with his knife.

But Bare-su totally could have taken him by himself.

Bare-su thanks him and Gwi-nam doesn't even try to hide that he wants to kill Cheong-san. Like, how does he think he's gonna react to that?

Obviously, he isn't happy about this. Gwi-nam turns on him for it and slashes at him. They fight, with Bare-su getting the knife away from him.

"You're nothing special."

They're kicking, punching, and all the stuff that friends don't do to one another. Dae-su wonders how he ended up running with bullies in the first place. He gets Gwi-nam in a choke hold, but then the asshole flips him. (Do hambies have super strength?) He kicks Bare-su while he's on the ground. Then he asks if he's scared.

He starts choking him. It's brutal. But then another pair of arms tries to pull him off. It's Nam-ra!

Huh. Dae-su was already pretty sure the prez liked him back, or was at least starting to, but this pretty much confirms it. Good for them.

"Nam-ra!?" her mother demands, right before Gwi-nam bites her arm. She gasps, as do the rest of them. "No!"

"What do hybrid bites do!?" Bare-su asks with scared eyes as Dae-su quickly corrects that it's 'hambie bites' and gets shushed for his troubles. "She's not gonna turn, right? Right?"

Gwi-nam pushes her away, and then grabs her by the hair. Naturally, that pisses off Bare-su, who tackles him out the window. He lands on the ground and spits out blood.

He's- he's probably dead for real now.

"She'll be fine, won't she?" the Assemblywoman asks desperately as the tv pauses. She looks to Mr. Lee.

"Well, the disease is highly contagious," he answers her solemnly. "There are three options; Either she turns into a zombie, she doesn't turn at all, or she reaches the same state as the hybrids."

"I will sue you so hard," she glares at him, then at Nam-ra, arms crossed. "And you. That was a reckless and stupid thing to do. And I raised a smart young woman."

"I'm sorry," Nam-ra says numbly.

"Honestly! I know boys seem so great at first, and at your age, but I really thought you'd be smarter."

"Mother, I'm sorry," she says more pointedly, probably as embarrassed as anyone would be if their parent started talking about their crush before they even had a chance to confess or anything.

Wait, what if they confessed during the intermissions? Why didn't Bare-su tell them?

"We're going to keep watching, but if anything happens to you, then you are grounded young lady."

Sigh. "Yes, mother."

Bare-su looks at her bite, then they gaze into each other's eyes but in a scared way, and then get up and go.

With Ha-ri and her crew, they're still running and dodging zombies. She looks ethereal as she shoots her arrows.

They make it to the door they were looking for, and Mi-jin tries the lock but has to be told the code like five times while the others fight off zombies. Of course, Ha-ri is the best, being the first to push hers off of her and then helping Min-jae with his. Joon-seong, who has stabbed a zombie going for Mi-jin, is kinda screwed when his weapon breaks in half and the zombie gets on top of him. Min-jae pulls it away and they all run for the inside.

Ha-ri's hair looks amazing all messy and undone as she closes the door and then the curtains on the zombies.

Min-jae helps Joon-seong to a chair, the latter crying uncontrollably. Mi-jin makes fun of him for it, but then she becomes surprisingly worried, kneeling next to him and asking what happened, rolling up his shirt to see.

"You were stabbed?"

"Stabbed?" Joon-seong repeats, looking scared. Next to him, Mi-jin looks at him with wide eyes.

She begins putting pressure on the wound, demanding they get the first aid kit.

She really seems scared for him. Dae-su feels awful, not wanting him to die (or to see what Mi-jin will do if he does).

The class gets to the music room, reuniting with Cheong-san. It puts a smile on his face to see himself hugging him in relief. At least they're all together again.

Kinda rude that he has to throw Dae-su to the ground just to meet up with On-jo, but at least she kicks and scolds him. Not for not appreciating him, but for leaving and not listening to her, but still.

They're about to leave when they realize that Bare-su isn't with them, (and it's awkward as hell whenever they're reminded that On-jo has a crush on him). They run out and Na-yeon peaks out the door.

... She could've at least said something. Like... 'Hey! I know you all rightfully hate me, but... you wanna not starve to death?'

They go to the hallway, where Nam-ra and Bare-su are running from a lot of zombies, meaning their fast plan to go to the roof before the meditation music ends is bullshit now. They take cover in the music room, closing all the curtains. Cheong-san keeps Nam-ra from going near the zombie under the piano. (But will it bite her? Who knows?)

They all take a moment to catch their breaths and mourn the loss of their killer plan now that the zombies have them trapped.

That's when Hyo-ryung notices Nam-ra's bite mark. They all stand, backing away from her.

Dae-su and Joon-yeong are on one side, and Hyo-ryung and Woo-jin are on the other. Cheong-san is in the middle, so if the prez does go all zombie, he'll probably be sacrificial, again. So, Woo-jin can hopefully run her over to the door, only to remember that they can't leave because zombies, and that'll be when they find the storage room of food.

That'd really suck for Bare-su, though.

At the survivors' camps, the refugees are fighting over who gets to use the porta-potties, complaining about the pork, and other stuff. Ungrateful bastards. At least they aren't trapped in school with a bunch of undead keeping them from food or bathroom.

Captain Nam is with Assemblywoman Park and the others. They also don't have cell service, so Dae-su is guessing that the camp is somewhere close to Hyosan.

"So, you're telling me a politician can't talk her way out of here."

She goes on a whole tangent about how she's never been treated poorly, how she's done everything right. Just like how the prez does everything right, except for saving her boyfriend from a murderer.

That just seems suffocating as hell though. To do everything right, always.

Maybe Captain Nam can get her to do something rebellious too, as he asks for her help getting him to leave. She says she'll do it in a rule abiding way, but he thinks it'll take too long because of the quarantine. Which it probably will, it's been like two days so far, how is their group expected to last a few weeks?

The guards come in, specially delivering food to the important people. He tries to talk to them, using his rank, to get them to ask about quarantine. They don't know but they're thinking about a minimum four weeks.

Captain Nam isn't happy with that, though of course the soldier doesn't budge. And then... Then he just starts beating up them up.

Whoever said violence doesn't solve your problems? They clearly hadn't met On-jo's dad.

"Honestly..." Assemblywoman Park says in distaste.

"Do you know how much trouble you'll be in?" Commander Jin says.

"I acknowledge that, but I stand by my actions."

"Um..." the detective cuts in. "You know what? He didn't kill anyone. I think it's forgivable."

She huffs. "Fine, then."

"Those protocols kept me from saving too many lives."

So, On-jo's dad asks her to help him, appealing to her, um, maternal instincts.

U-sin knocks another guard out with a chair, and Captain Nam wants him to stay behind, but like... bad idea, he'll get in trouble.

So, they both put on soldier uniforms and go out. They're walking, no one suspects them, they're walking, they can't go where the watchtower will see them, they're walking, they see that none of the survivors have school uniforms on.

Wait, none of them? Not even in different high schools? What about the middle schools or primary schools?

... That's just fucked up.

Cheong-san is ready to beat Nam-ra up with a music stand, but of course Bare-su gets in the way. Knowing him, he'll probably be fighting for her until she actually does turn. If she actually turns.

What will they do if she's a hambie?

Bare-su tells her to tell them that it wasn't a zombie, but she's weirdly quiet. Maybe she's suspicious that Gwi-nam wasn't completely human. How she could possibly know that, Dae-su isn't sure, but she is top of the class for a reason.

Bare-su tells Cheong-san that it was Gwi-nam, but obviously he saw that fucker get bit, he was the one to throw him to the zombies after all.

They argue hard over the logistics of bitten, zombie, he saw, he heard. Finally, Nam-ra talks, and she fucking agrees with Cheong-san that she'll turn into a zombie, thanking her boyfriend, and then trying to leave.

"Nam-ra, sit down!" her mother demands furiously.

"I wonder why you never call me by name."

What kind of code is that? Is that flirting? ... To each their own, but Nam-ra seems kinda bad at it.

He stops her from going, proclaiming to the class that she's not gonna turn, but again, what Bare-su saw and what Cheong-san saw are two very different things.

Dae-su and the rest of the class stay quiet. They probably don't know what to think. Two of their three leaders are saying things that don't add up, so one of them is lying, but neither of them would ever lie about something like this.

Bare-su drags Prez over to the window, opening it and holding up their intertwined hands. He says he'll throw her out if she turns. On one hand, Dae-su believes that he'd do what it takes to keep the rest of them safe. On the other, he's really whipped for her, so...

Nam-ra even tries to convince him not to, but of course he won't. On-jo looks sad, she might be realizing that her crush is taken. And Cheong-san still wants to beat Prez up with a music stand.

He doesn't want to lose any more friends after Gyeong-su.

It's kinda sad that Nam-ra doesn't count as a friend after all this.

So those two start arguing and tussling around until On-jo yells at them to stop. Nam-ra says that if she turns, she'll end it quickly. Cheong-san does apologize that this had to happen.

"No need to be sorry. I'm actually not sorry. Not at all."

Why would she need to be sorry? Even if she was bit by an actual zombie, it wouldn't be like she wanted to be, and she agreed with him on her leaving or dying. Maybe it's because she chose to rescue Bare-su, which led to the bite. But that was heroic. So, Dae-su agrees with her about not being sorry.

She sits on the ledge of the window, and Bare-su runs to steady her, gripping on tightly to her wrist.

Back with the other couple in this show (if Ha-ri were with them, Dae-su and her would be the third one), On-jo is trying to appeal to him, since she hadn't turned in all that time. He doesn't budge, insisting that Gwi-nam was bitten. On-jo sides with Bare-su (awkward as hell). Cheong-san even throws her feelings for Bare-su in her face.

I-sak is smiling way too hard for what's going in the show.

On-jo looks over at the duo by the window sadly. Does she know about them or not? Can this be over with, because Dae-su knows he did not get kidnapped and starved to watch a love... square.

There are a bunch of bloody napkins and shit, with someone moaning in the background. It's Joon-seong, after they've fixed up the wound for the time being. He's really messed up, since they can't get to a hospital, and the phones still aren't working.

"How annoying can you be?! You won't die!"

So rude.

"This is gonna end badly," Joon-seong groans.

"No, it's not," Mi-jin rolls her eyes. "It's just a hole. You'll be fine."

"Just a hole?!"

"Yes, just a-!"

Ha-ri shushes them harshly.

Uh oh, Prez's hand is doing the- uh, the bendy thing. She focuses in on Bare-su, her vision getting wonky, and her thoughts are all about how hungry she is for him... Which sounds sexual, and it kinda is, but the plain truth is that she's really tempted to bite him.

"Fuck," Dae-su says simply.

"Nam-ra."

She's about to bite him, but then Cheong-san charges at them, and Bare-su jumps in front of her, the music stand smashing against his back as- Oh, fuck, no. Gwi-nam gasps awake on the concrete ground, also doing the bendy thing as he gets up. His bones are literally snapping into place, it's freaky.

"Oh, come on!"

He stumbles as he gets up, but he definitely gets up. Meanwhile, those two dumbasses are really throwing punches at each other while they're scrambling to keep the doors closed from the noise.

On-jo has to yell at them to stop and realize that Nam-ra couldn't have been bitten him without getting blood on her mouth or Bare-su getting a wound.

She gets them both to settle down and give up, but Cheong-san still won't let go of his makeshift weapon.

On-jo checks her bite, but Nam-ra just wants to know why she cares since she's always hated her. On-jo doesn't even try to deny it. But also, it almost looks like they're bonding?

Girls are weird.

Woo-jin and Joon-yeong agree that she's not a zombie, but Nam-ra admits that she wanted to eat Bare-su, so...

"Pause! What happened to her?" Nam-ra's mom demands of Mr. Lee. "What did you do to my daughter!?"

Mr. Lee sighs. "Well, either the hybrid bites exclusively breed more hybrids, occasionally breed more hybrids, which would mean that they can fully infect others or not infect them at all from time to time, or, least likely scenario, Ms. Choi just happens to be special like the other hybrids and it's a coincidence."

There's a moment of silence as they all digest this information, but something doesn't right with Dae-su.

"Just say 'zombie' and 'hambie'! What, are you scared?"

"Dae-su!"

"Shhh!"

"Shut up!"

"What is wrong with you?!"

Whatever, he's right and they know it.

In the show, as they all process Nam-ra's words, she volunteers to leave, but On-jo stops her, finally putting all the puzzle clues together to realize something close to what's going on.

Ji-min is the most against Nam-ra, refusing to go with her. Nam-ra suggests she leaves again but On-jo and Bare-su stop her, with On-jo getting desperate.

... Does On-jo still hate the prez or not? Because morals are great and all, but this is not how you act around someone you hate.

At the same time, Dae-su also really wants a hambie on the team. Those guys have super strength, Gwi-nam fell out of a window and was fine, they need a superhero helping them out.

On-jo points out that her hands are warm, begging for this all to stop. Ji-min keeps on arguing, not trusting zombies at all after her parents. And she has a point. Prez did almost bite Bare-su, so she can bite anyone. Hyo-ryung, Woo-jin, Joon-yeong. Who knows what will happen?

"Bullshit," Ji-min mutters. "This is all bullshit."

Bare-su takes off a torn off bit of curtain, taking Nam-ra's hands and tying her to his, despite her protests.

"That's stupid," Nam-ra says from the other side of the room, the first words she's spoken since all this hambie business started with her.

Bare-su just shrugs. "I'm stupid."

She smiles.

For the record, Dae-su and Ha-ri would not be this weird.

They don't exactly look like they're on board with his plan to sacrifice himself, but no one argues. How can they? He's too stubborn and protective, this is him being reasonable.

With the detective in Cheong-san Chicken, he's getting ready to go. Dae-su loves that that scooter has Cheong-san's face on it.

The other guy is still scared, and surprised when the detective says he wants to take the baby with them. Dae-su thought that was a given though, what, were they gonna leave it?

"Thank you so much," Hee-su says quietly.

He hands him a weapon to kill zombies in the back, but the dude doesn't even wanna go at all, even when he's threatened with being reported, which he claims will be dismissed as extenuating circumstances. That's when the detective just threatens to bust in all the windows, so he'll go.

They get on the scooter without zombies noticing, but as he starts it up, they hear crying. A sobbing little girl runs at them, and the detective gets off to grab her and safely carry her inside while the other dude hits zombies with his weapon and follows them.

Aw, that little girl is so cute.

The other dude yells at him for not going, which is like, wow, he really is a coward. That girl is so cute, he wanted to just leave her?

He makes him hold the baby while he comforts the little girl. She's calling for her mommy, pointing at a- Oh no, a zombie in the window. That poor girl.

"Ohh," Hyo-ryung moans, sounding like her heart just broke. Tears are in her eyes again, and he wishes that this show would stop give them reasons to cry when they weren't even offered bottled water to rehydrate. They have to use the sinks in the bathrooms. They all have such headaches.

The detective just takes her in his arms and holds her close, trying not to cry. Dae-su thinks that they all wanna give her a hug right now.

"What is wrong with this world?"

It's sad but... at least that other cop seems to be getting a hang of carrying that baby.

The majority of the class sits far away from Bare-su and Nam-ra. On-jo just tells Cheong-san that things will be okay while Dae-su laments how unfair it is that she can probably survive actual zombie bites now. And it is unfair.

Ji-min still doesn't like that she's there, with zombie blood in her veins. That's when Dae-su points out that she's not full, and coins the phrase...

Halfbie?!

"Halfbie? Hambie! The term is hambie. Come on, Future Dae-su, you're better than that."

"Do you ever shut up?" Hyo-ryung snaps at him.

"Seriously," Woo-jin agrees.

"The term is still hambie," Dae-su says, just to make sure that they're clear.

Hambie is just better. It's more unique. More creative. Anyone can come up with 'halfbie'. Hambie has the word 'ham' in it.

Their conversation doesn't turn to ham, but chicken. And water. Even Hyo-ryung agrees that she's hungry. It would be so annoying if he's also the only one who needs to eat after two days, just like how he was apparently the only one to poop.

Woo-jin decides to torture him, talking about soda that they drank on the way to school. It sounds so good. He's getting thirsty just hearing about it.

Na-yeon looks at the sodas in the storage room. Yes! Please, if there's any semblance of goodness left in her, open the door and give it to them.

Ji-min, somehow, doesn't understand why they're so concerned about starving, bringing the conversation back to Prez.

"Stop it. Nam-ra isn't a zombie." "Halfbie." "Hambie!" "Close enough."

On-jo wants them to stop fighting, since they're stuck with one another now.

Hyo-ryung points out that even a zombie or a hambie is better than...

... than Na-yeon.

Oh. 

God. 

No.

"Don't even say her name. She's subhuman."

She was about to open the door! Her hand was extended towards the handle.

This is awkward as hell. But Dae-su gets it after everything she did to Gyeong-su. And hey, despite Ji-min getting ruder by the minute, she still has a moral code at least.

Except, of course, that scares Na-yeon from opening it.

For real, they speak the truth about Na-yeon, and only then does Cheong-san remember that there's supposed to be food in the closet!?

TV Dae-su even starts trying to open the door as Na-yeon hides in a corner.

"Come on, for once in your life, have a soul."

"You think this is when she'll suddenly do a turnaround?" Ji-min asks in disbelief. "Of course, she'd be happy to let us starve." Oh, so now she cares about not starving!?

On-jo's dad and his friend decide to go over a wall even though they'll be seen. They'll just have to be really fast though. They do a leg up and-

They teach firefighters how to defy gravity!?

When he's on the wall he decides to leave his friend there. So unloyal. On the other side, he's confronted by a soldier. He tries to bullshit his way out of there, but then beats him up. He goes running as sirens are sounded and they start shooting at him.

Class 2-5 isn't any good at lock picking, so Dae-su starts trying to kick and shove down the door. It's making dents, but the zombies are attracted to the sound. He tries to ignore Joon-yeong's worries, but Hyo-ryung also tells him to stop, so the only thing he can do is collapse on the door in defeat.

All Na-yeon has to do is open the door. Just like how all she had to do was not infect Gyeong-su with zombie blood. Is basic decency so hard to ask for?

Ji-min, who had grabbed the camera from earlier while they were wasting their energy on food, is playing a recording from the school choir. The choir that rejected him even though he hit the high note. Dae-su is really not in the mood after the food scene, and thank god for Hyo-ryung, because she doesn't want to hear it either.

Instead, Ji-min starts recording herself. She tells the story of what happened to her parents, then asks whoever's watching to get revenge on the authorities, because they never came to rescue them.

"I'll make you pay."

And then she changes, instead talking to her parents like they could ever find her message, maybe pretending that she could... could have hope, like she was talking about with On-jo earlier. She promises them that she'll get revenge for them. That she'll kill all the zombies.

Fuck, he better not start crying again. He's so dehydrated.

With the camera on the table, Hyo-ryung is free to take it, talking to her own parents. It's so... cad? Sute? Saute- Sad and cute. He's awesome at fusion words. She looks like she's about to cry, which is not cool, but she still smiles, introducing the rest of the class. Dae-su, Joon-yeong, and Woo-jin give bows.

After that, all she can do is say is that she misses them and that she's sorry. He doesn't know for what but...

Fuck it, Hyo-ryung deserves the world.

Woo-Jin asks for the camera, and if he starts crying too-

"Hey, mom. I want a raise in allowance."

Okay, well that's not gonna make anyone cry.

"That's all you have to say to her?" Ha-ri asks, voice low but disbelieving.

Woo-jin just shrugs, giving her an arrogant smile. "There's no point in asking for a pet. The answer will still be no even after all this."

"Nam-ra doesn't have pets either," Gyeong-su randomly tells him.

Ha-ri just looks at Woo-jin annoyed and doesn't smile back. He pays her no mind, turning his head back towards the screen. If Dae-su wasn't right next to him, he wouldn't notice that his hand is clutching onto Joon-yeong's tight, but their nerdy friend isn't gonna complain. Cause that's just the power of friendship. Dae-su definitely would complain though.

Dae-su uses his turn to start singing. Joon-yeong is the one to give him a beat. He's so good and talented. He hopes everyone present knows that.

Cheong-san talks to his parents, and that just brings things back down to the somber tone they had going on before. He immediately asks for his mother, as well as his father, not knowing what happened, and then simply saying that he's good before handing it off.

And On-jo's...

"You always say... 'Being healthy is better than getting good grades.'"

Her dad is running from the gunfire, by some miracle not getting hit as he races for the water. On-jo says that despite what he said to her, it's okay if he doesn't come. He dives into the water. She admits that she still wishes that he would come though.

"I really thought you would be here by now..."

He swims though the water, bullets still missing him, until finally one of them doesn't. One of them hits, and there's blood in the water.

On-jo sobs.

"... But I'm okay."

Shit. Screw it, she's crying, he's allowed to, too.

He's crying.

"Usually, I save this for my allowance, but I'll say it for free here. Dad, I... I love you. I love you. I really love you."

He's still swimming, still doing everything he can to survive. To get to On-jo.

Ah, he's such a good dad, and now Dae-su is crying.

What a tough episode... Not that the other episodes were particularly easy... If anything, this is the first episode since episode one to not have someone or someone that someone else cares about explicitly die...

Anyways, time for another intermission.

But instead of staying black, another message is put on the television screen.

"Lunch can be found behind the door on the far left of the television."

His heart starts pounding. Could it-? Could it be?

"Isn't it locked? We checked it earlier."

The detective stands and walks over to it, opening the door to reveal a table of food and beverages.

Dae-su's jaw drops. He gets on his knees and lifts his hands to the ceiling.

"There is a god!"

Chapter Text

Woo-jin's POV

Woo-jin and Joon-yeong both stare down at him incredulously as Dae-su is on his literal fucking knees, arms raised high as if in worship. And- are tears streaming down his face!? Then they share a look. Woo-jin can only shrug in response.

"Hungry?"

"I can eat."

And with that, they walk away, leaving the idiot to his own devices. The lunch room is smaller than the one they were using to watch in. It's more like a board room than anything else. There are two tables of food pressed against the wall, and three empty tables forming a U-shape except straight in the middle of the room. Woo-jin and Joon-yeong are about to go for the food.

"Wait!" Commander Jin holds up a hand, stopping everyone in their tracks. "We don't know who brought us here or if they truly have good intentions. We should be wary before taking their food."

"WHAT!?!?!" They jump when Dae-su bellows this out

"Um," Ho-cheol starts. "I'm pretty sure that if whoever brought us here wanted to kill us, we'd be dead."

"Excuse me?" Assemblywoman Park barks, digging her fingers into Nam-ra's arm. And though Prez doesn't respond, Woo-jin has to imagine that it hurts.

Detective Jae-ik smacks him on the head, then looks at the Commander. "Look, methods aside, our kidnappers are technically doing us a favor here." He walks towards the food. "If it helps you sleep at night, I'll take the first bite."

So, they stand awkwardly and watch him take a serving of bulgogi.

Next to him, Dae-su taps his foot impatiently as the detective eats the food. "How long is this gonna take?!"

Ho-cheol answers. "Well, most poison takes seven to twelve hours to-"

"This is stupid," Woo-jin mutters. If their kidnappers wanted to kill them then they wouldn't have kidnapped them in the first place. He claps Dae-su on the back. "Go crazy."

Dae-su rushes to the table, Woo-jin and Joon-yeong trailing after him, and soon everyone gets in two lines going through both sides.

"Wait. I said wait." Commander Jin tries to order them. No one pays him any mind, and Woo-jin instead focuses on estimating how much rice he'll need for his food. "I SAID WAIT!"

The sudden shout is enough to make him jump, the rice on his plate falling over onto his pants and the floor. He gasps out a small, "Fuck," that only Joon-yeong seems to hear by how he glances at him.

Captain Nam and the detective walk up to him, starting a conversation, probably telling him not to be so paranoid. They're too far away to hear and so Woo-jin focuses on cleaning up the mess he made with napkins from the table. Joon-yeong helps him, and so by the time they can get all the food they want, most of their friends have already claimed a spot for themselves.

Why did the Commander get so angry?

They walk toward them. But he stops in his tracks as the two boys pass Hee-su, no longer hiding behind her backpack, but her clothes are baggy enough that if it weren't for the show, Woo-jin wouldn't have suspected anything. She's already gotten her food.

"Hey, sit with us."

"What?" Her eyes widen. "I don't want to talk about my... condition."

Woo-jin nods. That makes sense. "I'll tell them not to mention it." She still hesitates, but then nods. He smiles at her and then gestures for her to follow as he turns, only barely catching the way Joon-yeong beams at him. It puts butterflies in his stomach, which might make Woo-jin a fool, but he still prefers butterflies to being hungry.

The others all grin at Hee-su when she approaches with them. I-sak immediately offers the chair next to her. No one brings up her pregnancy yet, which is good.

They see that Dae-su has had no qualms or hesitation, already wolfing his food down. Woo-jin and Joon-yeong share another look. He shrugs and picks up his chopsticks.

Even though he was never gonna make an idiot of himself like Dae-su, he is pretty hungry. So, the taste of mandoo comes with overwhelming relief, and not just because it's really delicious. But don't get him wrong, it is really delicious, the point that he's almost sure that it's not poisoned... even though that's probably not how poison works.

"Nam-ra!" I-sak raises a hand. "Sit with us! Right next to Su-hyeok." She smiles innocently and points at him.

Woo-jin hides a smirk at that. I-sak is a lot of things, but subtle is not one of them. She’s not one for common sense either, but he doesn't think she's being delusional this time.

Nam-ra seems to consider for a moment, her mother looking at her sternly. She steps back, whispering something in her ear. The mother and daughter seem to argue for a good thirty seconds before Nam-ra strides towards them, sitting in the chair that was chosen for her. Su-hyeok's eyes shine when he looks at her. So obvious.

"I'm sorry I took so long. My mother is very upset over last episode. Understandably so." He nods. Who wouldn't be freaked by their loved one becoming a hambie? "But... it's just for intermissions?"

"Sure," I-sak says without blinking, in a way that makes Woo-jin think she has no intentions of just letting it be for intermissions.

And he knows that girl can be fucking insane when she thinks two people should be together. At least it's mutual between Nam-ra and Su-hyeok. But she's delusional for thinking he has a shot with Joon-yeong.

XXX

Ji-min's POV

They sit together near the corner of the table. Or, more accurately, Ji-min stalks off to the corner of the table, far away from everyone else. A few minutes later, Hyo-ryung slides a bowl of stew with a side of rice in front of her and then leaves, before coming back soon after with a plate of her own. Ji-min isn't sure if she knew what she was doing when she got herself sundae but she doesn't bring it up.

Ji-min picks at her food. She doesn't want lunch. She doesn't want anymore intermissions. She just wants all of this to be over and done with so that she can get her life back already, and that she can finally go back to her mom and dad.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Hyo-ryung asks quietly.

"No." She keeps her answer short and to the point. Ji-min has always been scolded for her bluntness. By her friends, her teachers, her parents. But she always considered herself to simply be honest.

She never hid when she thought her friends were being annoying as fuck. Even when Ji-min was friends with that killer, she'd get into many fights because she had no patience for how much of a bitch she was. Or even with Choi Nam-ra, who she never liked, when On-jo or I-sak would complain about her studying during school, Ji-min would call them out for being ridiculous.

So, Hyo-ryung asks her a question, a very simple question, she gets a simple answer.

Plus, Ji-min doesn't feel like talking.

"Look," Hyo-ryung continues. "I told the adults that it would be better if I talked to you."

"The adults?" Ji-min repeats. "Which adults? Ms. Park, who abandoned us for the sake of a murderer? Or how about the Commander, who cut off our internet and is saying nothing about rescuing us? Those adults?"

Or maybe On-Jo's dad, who risked it all to save his daughter and might end up putting her through the same pain Ji-min is feeling.

Hyo-ryung doesn't answer, looking down at her plate again, and that's all the answer she needs.

After a minute of silence, she talks again. "I'm just worried about you."

Ji-min swallows down her food. "Hyo-ryung?"

"Yeah?"

"You're being annoying as fuck."

"I'm sorry."

Ji-min thinks that she should probably tell her, 'Don't be.' Or something like that. Something to protect Hyo-ryung's bruised ego.

Protect, comfort, soothe, it seems that Hyo-ryung requires a kiss and a hug over everything ranging from death to spilt milk. Why should Ji-min have to make her feel better when she's dying on the inside?

Fuck, she probably shouldn't phrase it like that after what her show self did.

She thinks of her suicide attempt as being more impulsive than anything. The two people who were always supposed to be there for her were gone, and she's never getting the happy life she lived before back again. So why should she keep on living?

Ji-min doesn't want to die at the end of the day. If the others hadn't stopped her, she would've gone on to regret it for herself. But she wouldn't have let her classmates go through their whole spiel. Pause the show, hug and cry and cry and cry. She's already done that, when her parents died. She wouldn't even put up with it for her friend's sake. If it made them sad then it wouldn't have mattered, because she's sadder.

Fuck, she sounds cruel.

She shouldn't be so... her. Ji-min shouldn't be so impulsive, because what if she makes a bad choice and no one stops her? What then? And she shouldn't be cruel, because all Hyo-ryung is doing is caring about her. And Ji-min doesn't want to die, not even in the show. She wants to have space to grieve, and to...

I'll make you pay.

Besides, her parents would have wanted her to stay alive, live out the rest of her life, get back to an okay place again.

She just wants this suffering to end. For everything to be over with and for her to be allowed to rebuild from all this hurt.

But she should probably start with Hyo-ryung.

"I promise I don't actually want to die."

Hyo-ryung exhales.

XXX

On-jo's POV

She sits with her father, having run over to him as soon as the message was read. She had thrown her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder.

"I was still mobile. I should be able to swim back to shore. I have the skills to treat the wound until I get to safety. I am going to be perfectly fine." He kisses her forehead. "Nothing is going to stop me from coming for you."

On-jo nods, choosing to believe him. After all, he knows what he's doing, and not believing him would mean thinking about losing her dad.

People were shooting at her father. There was blood in that water. He was shot.

So, they sit together throughout the lunch break. Even though that means having to listen to him criticize her eating habits, she takes it. Because he's there, he's in front of her, and he's not going anywhere.

"I mean, really, you never really appreciate food until you can't access it anymore."

"I get it, Dad."

Shaking her head, she grins at him.

But that's when On-jo lets her gaze drift towards where her friends are sat together. Nam-ra is with them, in the chair On-jo might have preoccupied if her father had ended the episode safe. I-sak stands behind that chair, and in her hands, she's holding the president's hair back in a ponytail, facing her towards Su-hyeok and talking as if asking what he thinks. His face is utterly enamored in a way she once hoped that he would look On-jo with. He gives a small smile and nods.

As she picks at her kimchi with her chopsticks, she tries not sulk.

It's stupid. It's so stupid.

God, On-jo, you're not a child. And you have bigger things to worry about than your crush not liking you back.

A rejection is just a rejection, even if he never actually said no to her outright.

Of course, whoever said that 'the worst that can happen is that they'll say no' has never been kidnapped and forced to watch, alongside her friends, classmates, father, and complete strangers, herself ask out the boy of her dreams only for an apocalypse to hit and then for it to be revealed that he's in love with a girl she always-

Always hated.

Sometimes still does.

Not like I-sak, who seems happy to jump on the class president train, and apparently the Su-hyeok/Nam-ra train, even though she knows that On-jo likes him. That small bout of betrayal does sting but whatever.

They're fighting for their lives out there. No silly unrequited crush is worth more than that. None of this teenage drama.

Choi Nam-ra is still frustrating. Still aloof. Still acts like she's better than them. Still seems like she can just float above them, never having to lower herself to 'their' standards, until an apocalypse hits and she has no other choice. On-jo still kind of struggles to see what Su-hyeok sees in her but acknowledges that something in their class president softens when she's with him.

There is more to her. No one can deny that Nam-ra cares about Su-hyeok, otherwise she wouldn't have tried to fight off Gwi-nam when they were fighting. Maybe she doesn't care as loudly as he cared for her when he was defending her against Cheong-san, but to be fair they don't know what she would've done if her position with Su-hyeok was reversed.

And Nam-ra isn't a monster. I-sak really seems to appreciate that she exposed Na-yeon. But to On-jo, that's just human decency. No matter what other differences tear them apart, wrong is wrong and right is right. None of them deserve to die, and it's the value of life that separates the Nam-ra's of the world from the Na-yeon's.

And there are little moments. Moments that make her think there might be hope for the other girl. Most of her humanizing moments are with Su-hyeok, little smiles here and there. But On-jo still remembers that moment in episode three when they shared an exasperated look at Su-hyeok and Cheong-san's antics. Like for all the animosity between them, or maybe the animosity On-jo has for Nam-ra, they can both agree that those two were being idiots.

What if the rope had broken in that moment? What then?

They don't need to be best friends.

Speaking of which, she's taken from her thought when a crumpled-up napkin hits her over the head. On-jo snaps her head up in the direction of it. Cheong-san is looking at her with a cocky look, before he bears his teeth at her, full of food.

She gags. Gross. But then she giggles into her bowl despite herself.

What an absolute idiot.

And maybe it's not fair that Nam-ra gets the perfect boy while On-jo is stuck with that moron, or that her mother stays where it's safe while On-jo's father gets shot at, but at least she's making an attempt to bond. It's all On-jo can do to let her get close to the others.

Fathers, crushes, best friends. So long as On-jo stays healthy, and her father survives like he promised her he would, and Cheong-san doesn't do anything else stupid and sacrificial (though that last part seems the least likely) then she'll be okay.

XXX

Cheol-soo's POV

He's sitting with Min Eun-ji during lunch time.

That's enough for him.

Every once in awhile, Eun-ji glares at him like he's a monster. Maybe he is. Like she said, he basically killed her because he was forced to.

But they're sitting together. They never did at school. Too many bullies would have been interested. What is it she told him? Two losers sitting together at lunch are a bigger target than one.

At least here, no one who was taken seems like the type to bully them for being seen together, besides Na-yeon, who's not even in the lunch room.

Him and Eun-ji don't talk or laugh or smile. Not like the other kids, who seem so easy around one another. The confident boys in Class 2-5 clearly don't know what it's like to walk on eggshells around the beautiful girls they call friends. Because they don't know what it's like to desperately hold onto the only person they have. Even though what they have is... well...

And Cheol-soo kind of hates them for that.

Cheol-soo will probably die a side character's death, while they keep on surviving by being the main characters and getting beautiful girlfriends.

What Eun-ji turned into... a hambie, or a halfbie, it scares him. They seem too strong, too inhuman, and maybe it's because so much of the screen time spent on them was used on Gwi-nam. It feels too much like the bullies that would've hurt Cheol-soo and Eun-ji for him to fully trust any hambie.

But he's glad. Because it means Eun-ji didn't have to die, and she won't be killed by zombies any time soon. And because if anyone deserves to be so special, it's Eun-ji. More than the daughter of some rich woman, and certainly more than Gwi-nam.

And if Cheol-soo can't protect her (he never could) than maybe this will.

Now he just hopes she'll forgive him someday. Or at least keep letting him sit close to her.

They're the closest to the adults, so they can hear when Ms. Park says to that cop, "I wanna bring food to the ones still in the other room."

"Okay?" the cop asks, evidently confused as to why she's telling him.

"I'm not gonna hand feed them," Ms. Park says.

"Seriously?"

"They haven't made much noise since they were handcuffed. What's the worst that can happen?"

The cop sighs. "Fine." They both stand up and Cheol-soo diverts his attention.

In that room, among these people, Mr. Lee and Na-yeon are the outcasts. Maybe Eun-ji and Cheol-soo don't fit in either, but they aren't at the bottom of the food chain. And still, the criminals are treated with the basic levels of respect when they aren't given that much on a daily basis.

He supposes he should be grateful. They're not the punching bags of this room. They're just not the heroes either. He doesn't know why he's dreaming about any better when being ignored is more than enough after years of torment.

He wonders what life will look like when they go back. If the adults meant it when they said they'd get their bullies a justice that Cheol-soo and Eun-ji could never get for themselves.

But even if they do, then what? Eun-ji won't be a hambie and Cheol-soo will still be who he is. If they get rid of the worst offenders, what about everyone else? What about the boys who'd trip him in the hallways? The girls who whisper 'slut' whenever Eun-ji walks by? The ones who laugh at them but would still probably gawk at the thought of doing the things Myung-hwan and Gwi-nam do without flinching?

Or maybe someone else would just take their bullies' places. Maybe the absence of the school's dictators would only lead to other people taking their spots. And taking their victims. Maybe nothing changes, and him and Eun-ji will just be as they were before all this happens.

Lunch doesn't last forever, and as the dishes of those around them become bear after seconds and even thirds, Cheol-soo and Eun-ji finally finish their first servings. Neither of them are very heavy eaters, and both of them spent most of the time given to them picking at their food.

He washes up in the bathroom afterwards, leaving just as Dae-su runs in. When he sees Eun-ji already sitting at the couch for leftovers, he takes a chance and sits close to her again, just a foot from her. He tries not be be too disheartened when she scoots further away from him.

Cheol-soo observes those around him. The cop putting the handcuffs back on the two prisoners, but not being harsh as he does so. The boys in the class jump over each other, giving them affectionate noogies and laughing with one another. The girl who died in episode two waves goodbye cheerfully as the class president and the pregnant girl walk back to respective couches, both looking brighter than they've been in the episodes before.

And all of it only serves to make him feel impossibly alone.

The cop clears his throat, starting to read the next summary.

"To make it out of the music room and onto the roof, the students put into action their most perilous plan yet. Elsewhere, Jae-ik comes across a setback."

"Damn it, college boy!" the cop immediately turns to the guy he's with, hands on his hips and nostrils flared, looking at him with accusation.

"How do you know it's me!?"

"What else can it be!?"

"Is that really the important part?" the politician interrupts. "The children are going through their 'most perilous plan'."

If Cheol-soo had someone to share a look with, he'd give them an exasperated look. Class 2-5 will be fine. At least the most important members. They'll probably make it to the roof, where Cheol-soo is and...

And he'll probably end up a lackey for them before he dies. He'll die as he lived, just with kinder bosses. That's the only way he sees this ending for him.

That makes him sad.

But if things were different, if Cheol-soo was different, it might make him angry.

Chapter Text

Eun-ji's POV

"Jae-jun, are you still at the base?"

It's fucking sad, seeing this soldier lie to his mother. Blatantly lie to his mother. Then again, Eun-ji's told her share of lies to her own mother, hasn't she? Lies about how happy she is and how many friends she has.

I-sak sighs sadly. "The mall too? We had so many good memories there." On-jo nods. It annoys Eun-ji, because all this city has brought her is bad memories.

Unexpectedly, Min-jae pipes in. "My favorite memory is Ha-ri and Woo-jin getting banned for life."

"Don't tell them that!" Woo-jin says, scandalized.

"You got banned from the mall?" Dae-su asks, looking absolutely delighted.

"Yeah, because of the fountain thing," Min-jae supplies.

"Don't bring up the fountain," Ha-ri groans, hiding her face in her hands.

"What did you to the fountain?" Dae-su asks excitedly.

"Is that why you asked me not to have my birthday at that restaurant in the mall?" Joon-yeong realizes. "You could've just said something."

"No! The mood! Think about the vibe!" Woo-jin runs his hand over his face. "This is a serious scene, let's act like it."

"We should rewind it," Ms. Park nods. Everyone else murmurs their own reluctant agreements. Jae-ik picks up the remote.

The soldier's mother reminds her of her own mother, which only serves to irritate her more. Young as he might be, he's a grown up, he has the option to not do anything that will upset her. And still, he decides to endanger himself and for what? The good of Hyosan?

She doesn't even want him playing soccer, that's how protective she is, and he's going to shoot at zombies. Eun-ji's mother never let her play any games either, never let her run or spin or kick or anything that could've led to a scraped knee. She wanted to protect her from the world.

Maybe that's why she was never strong enough.

It's poetic, how his conversation with his mother is intercut with the gunfire as he goes through the mall. According to someone over a radio, there were no survivors found. And that makes her...

Almost hopeful.

They do find survivors, who are overjoyed at being saved. Eun-ji assumes that this is what Class 2-5 is hoping for. The soldiers get them out, but they hear a crash. Him and another soldier inspect the food court. For a second, nothing happens before they shoot at a few zombies from a safe distance.

Is he gonna die or not?

He is, a zombie catching him off guard and trampling over him.

"Just please don't go anywhere that's too dangerous, okay? For me? I love you, son."

He should have listened to her.

He must regret not listening to her, in his last moments of consciousness as the other guards drag him out, his nose bleeding, and one of them pressing a napkin to his neck. He knows his mother is waiting for him to call. And then he turns, the other soldiers shoving him into a bag like he's something inhuman and locking him in the back of a prison car like he's some sort of animal.

Maybe he is.

If he is an animal, what does that make her?

Surely, not like one of those zombies in the opening, reaching up at the viewer, but being completely mindless as they do so. Eun-ji knows exactly what it is she's reaching for.

And she finally has the strength to do so.

One of Mr. Lee's videos shows him being hopeful that he can undo what he's done. Eun-ji is grateful, don't get her wrong, she owes this all to him. But he wants to cure this disease so bad, and he looks so happy when he thinks that he can.

He must be happy to know that the apocalypse is being prevented, despite all that the world has done to him and his family.

It almost makes her want to...

Anyways, his breakthrough has something to do with temperatures.

Somehow, Mr. Nam swims to shore. He's still shot, though. This makes the other girl gasp, hugging her father. "Oh, thank god!"

He crawls behind long grass to avoid being detected, crouching down as he gets away.

In the music room, On-jo hands the couple by the window the video camera, even though they both say they have nothing to say. Well, Su-hyeok just says it, the girl just sits there quietly.

"We trust you... You can untie it now."

Su-hyeok sets the camera down only for her to pick it up. Thanks to the blood splattered on the screen of it, it makes her look like her eye is bleeding. But after a second of trying to say something, she just puts it back down again. She has nothing to say, or at least not the words to say it. Unsuitable for someone so smart.

She just asks why her boyfriend is doing this, asking why he isn't afraid of her when everyone else is.

Because he's Su-hyeok, he's... one of the good ones. Maybe one of the only good ones, and he's the only person who ever felt it right to apologize to Eun-ji. Genuinely apologize, not just the pity she's considered lucky to get, as if Eun-ji is worth something and is entitled to respect. And he fell for Nam-ra, so of course he'll go that far.

Nam-ra decides to tell him what she was thinking and feeling when she tried to bite him, talking about the 'beautiful scent' he was giving off.

Dae-su whistles, his friends smacking him in the stomach for interrupting.

This does feel kind of intrusive...

Nam-ra continues, saying that only snapped out of it when Su-hyeok said her name, something she complained about earlier. That's what made her weak or gave her control, depending on how Eun-ji decides to look at it.

"I was afraid you'd know... if I said your name."

It was only a matter of time. Su-hyeok isn't the type to back away from things, and the last episode was when Nam-ra was bitten. This isn't unexpected.

"Awwww!" I-sak says.

He monologues about all the ways he didn't feel good enough for her. The brave, heroic Lee Su-hyeok who everyone loves and no one would ever bully. And he's insecure about grades, about fitting in with the strong.

To him, Nam-ra is perfect, or a perfect student, for her grades. And for her beauty. He says she's 'so pretty.'

"Oh my god, oh my god." For some reason, I-sak has Gyeong-su's wrist in her hand and she's shaking it excitedly.

Nam-ra takes the camera out again, and she addresses it to Su-hyeok, telling him she likes him back. Because it would be terrifying, to tell a golden boy that you like him, even after he's laid out all the reasons he admires you.

Eun-ji will never know what that's like.

She kisses him.

Eun-ji will never have a kiss straight out of a high schooler's dream. She will never be the love interest. She will never, ever be so happy.

She didn't want it when she had her own first kiss. They forced her.

Nam-ra really kissed him.

How brave.

I-sak begins to squeal, a bright smile appearing on her face. She takes a second to look apologetically at her best friend. "Sorry, On-jo, but eeeeeeeeeee!" She squeezes Gyeong-su's arm excitedly.

"Nam-ra?" Ji-min says, sharing a disbelieving look with Hyo-ryung. "Really? Her?"

"Huh," Joon-yeong adds, perplexed.

"Shut up! SHUT THE FUCK UP! Don't ruin this for me, ruiners! ... And for them! Don't ruin it for them! They're so cute together!" I-sak fake sobs. "For real, I'm so sorry, On-jo, and I really wanna be there for you, and I promise I'll try not to ship them in front of you, but as modern young women, I think we should be able to let you express your emotions in any way you need to while still acknowledging that they're really cute together, and that's not a personal attack against you. And if you need space, you take all the space you need."

On-jo looks at her with wide eyes. "Yeah... I kinda figured it out last episode. It's fine... At least I know not to waste my name tag."

She shares an awkward smile with Su-hyeok, and then with Nam-ra, who's standing up. The rich girl walks towards her classmates, slowly at first, but then she goes faster. Su-hyeok goes to meet her. When they meet, they do so directly in front of Eun-ji.

And so, she watches as they take a second to just stare at one another. Then Nam-ra wraps her arms around him, Su-hyeok returns the hug happily, beaming in wonder as he holds her. Nam-ra tilts her head up and kisses him on the cheek. She seems to think briefly before resolve appears in her eyes. She pecks a kiss on his lips. His smile melts. He's so happy.

Eun-ji finds it infuriating.

"Wait..." Cheong-san interrupts with very confused eyes. "What about On-jo?"

"What about me?"

"You asked him out," he says simply.

"Yeah... It's not gonna happen."

He blinks, face completely blank. "Oh."

I-sak smirks at her own little boyfriend. "Mark my words, Han Gyeong-su, by the end of the day, everything will be as I-sak says it should be." What the-

"Even-" He cranes his neck towards his left, where only Dae-su, Joon-yeong, and Woo-jin are sitting, and further down than them, Ji-min and Hyo-ryung.

"As I-sak says it should be!" She emphasizes every word.

"They really aren't getting any attention-" Nam-ra and Su-hyeok share a confused look.

"As I-sak says it should be!"

"You're so weird!" On-jo complains. "What are you even talking about!?"

"The economy!"

"Joon-yeong's followers!"

"How many do you have!?" I-sak demands, whipping her head to her far side where the boy is.

He looks wide eyed, clearly not expecting to be called out on. "Uh- a couple thousand?"

She falls to her knees. "Teach me your ways!"

"What is happening!?" Dae-su shouts. He looks at Woo-jin. "What did you do to that fountain!? Is that why you always gave an excuse when we invited you to the mall!? I thought you were just scared of the escalators! I was too for a while, so I didn't wanna push!"

At this point, the voices begin mixing over one another and become hard to understand. But one thing that stands out is that Joon-seong suddenly bursts out laughing in his seat. It beckons Mi-jin to do the same, so that they're both roaring hard with laughter next to each other.

Eun-ji needs them to shut up. She can't deal with this. Them and all their chaos and their happiness... They're so happy to be friends with one another. Despite all the bloodshed and horror they've seen and been through, they still have each other.

And. It. Isn't. Fair.

"Settle down! Settle down! Kids, you need to settle down!" The adults try to get them to stop.

They do, at least they try, though a few of them are still laughing.

"This is not what I expected would happen when I confessed," Su-hyeok admits, and yet he holds hands with Nam-ra. She smiles at him. She's so happy.

No one liked her. And then she became a halfbie. And now she's smiling at her loving boyfriend as the chaos caused by people who are almost her friends rages around her. They'll be her friends soon enough, if they don't die first.

"I just know that something really fucked is gonna happen next and it'll just be tonal whiplash. We'll all feel like jerks," Woo-jin sighs, outright cuddling with Joon-yeong on their couch. It does nothing to make Eun-ji feel less alone.

Joon-yeong shrugs, not acknowledging the position they're in at all. "It was already a romantic scene. It's better to go from romantic to comedic than horrified to comedic. It will just go from comedic back to romantic when the show resumes, so any unfortunate shifts in mood are the show's fault, not ours."

"Um... so..." Su-hyeok looks bashfully at Assemblywoman Park, so different from the fearless hero he is in the show.

"Say no more," she interrupts. "You've done nothing but protect my daughter throughout this show. This isn't quite what I planned for my daughter's first relationship, but sometimes things work out differently than your expectations. You're definitely a good match for her. And it seems like you'll try to keep her from doing anything too dangerous. You may sit with us from now on."

Wait, this is interesting. Nam-ra seems less happy.

Her mother turns, but Nam-ra stays still, then after a second she says, "Wait." Her mother turns around. "He'll want to sit with his friends."

She doesn't seem to understand. "He doesn't have to sit with us if that's so."

Nam-ra doesn't say anything, or maybe she's thinking of what she can say, when I-sak suddenly bursts out, "Sit with us, Nam-ra!"

The woman blinks at the girl, then looks at her daughter. "Really?" She nods. "I'm not sure that's... a good idea."

"Why not?" I-sak asks loudly, still a good distance away from them.

Assemblywoman Park blinks. "Alright then." She slowly turns back around and walks to her couch while the couple look at one another and then walk to the rest of their class.

Nam-ra gives a small gasp and stiffens when I-sak stands up and greets her with a hug. A fucking hug. Eun-ji can't see her face, but she imagines she's confused as she hesitantly lifts her arms to loosely return it.

Eun-ji hates everything.

"I'm glad... to know before I die."

"Goddamnit!" Woo-jin curses.

"Shh, just let it play out," Joon-yeong tells him.

Su-hyeok takes her hand in his. The tension swells as meaningful music plays.

He's right, the romantic atmosphere does kind of come back.

And then...

Eun-ji smiles, relentlessly in awe of herself, her hair tied back, shirt bloodied, as she walks past the pathetic and mindless zombies in the hallway.

She used to love wearing ponytails. She wore that style everyday growing up. She'd wake up, her mother would do her hair, and she'd go to school. Back when everything was happy. No, not happy, innocent.

"Keep your hair over your face," Myung-hwan sneered at her. "You're too ugly. No one wants to see you."

The clock ticking, a kettle running, a fish swimming, it all reaches Eun-ji's ear. It appears she has superhearing on top of everything else.

Superhearing... She'd never be blindsided by someone's cruel plans ever again. She'd always be able to avoid the bullies. She'd know their secrets, their weaknesses, how to make them pay.

It all builds up, as she cracks her neck and goes for the night duty room, ripping off the handle when it's locked.

She approaches the fish tank first; but notices something else. She pulls back the curtain to reveal...

Oh, this is gonna be good.

He thinks he's safe. He thinks it's okay that he doesn't even know her goddamn name. She went to him, she trusted him, she confided in him, and he didn't think it was worth it to remember her.

He really didn't care at all, did he?

He deserves whatever she's gonna do to him.

"I'm starving... and it's driving me crazy."

Crazy... Maybe it's time to be crazy.

Crazy like taking a fish from its tank and eating it whole.

She ignores the gasps and the cries of shock and just... lets herself be crazy.

In the show, Eun-ji admits that she was bitten. She bitten, but she didn't turn. She was so angry, so determined. She was willing to kill Gwi-nam and Cheol-soo and Cheong-san if it meant no one ever saw those photos. And that wasn't zombie rage, it was human. A human need to kill, and that's what she was feeling when she got her bite, so how could she have turned all the way?

He tries to knock her out. He thinks he can hurt her. But she will never, ever let anyone hurt her again. Not when she's the strong one.

No one ever protected her when she was weak, and the ones who tried didn't try hard enough. So why should she hold back now?

She throws the words he's probably forgotten back in his face. The words that scarred into her skin along with everything else done to her without care.

Even when she should have gotten used to it, the school kept finding new ways to hurt her.

He's scrambling for any form of defense.

"'You're an outcast because you're so dense.' Do I still seem dense?"

He's afraid of her.

She makes sure he knows why he dies, what he did to deserve it, and though she won't fool herself into thinking he'll believe himself as the monster, at least he'll know that dense, little Eun-ji is the one to kill him.

It sounds like it hurts, her biting out his guts.

She ignores the people gawking at her, inching away from her, because even if she's alone, she'd rather it be because of her own decisions and not because they don't think she's worth anything.

It's like for so long, there's been a weight in her chest made up of all her pain, her rejection, her heartbreak. And with each passing day it only got heavier and heavier. Seeing herself get revenge on a man that thought she was less and thought she'd always be less...

It doesn't get rid of the weight. But it adds something to her. Something that makes it easier to bear. Something that helps her hold it all up so that it doesn't crush her. Something not completely horrible, and she has only felt the horribleness for so long, so she embraces it with open arms.

She just wishes that once all this is over and done with, she won't have to go to a world where it never happened.

She's not gonna do anything this time around. Not really. She'd be lying if she said that she hasn't put thought into seeking out that hamster herself. But no... Eun-ji isn't actually a monster.

It's just that seeing herself like that... It's the first time in a long time that she's been able to see herself as powerful. And for the first time in her entire life... she was strong. Powerful. Not a victim, not a weakling, not a joke. Not something that can either be stepped on or be protected.

It brought her so much joy, to see the school that brought her so much pain go to hell. To see the horrible fates of the classmates that hurt her so much. They never cared about her, so why the fuck should she care about them?

A part of her is sad that time travel says they have to change this, but even if only in a tv show, Eun-ji will enjoy seeing herself as the strong one while she can.

Nam-ra, who's noticed what was going on with her own superhearing, tells them all that she's hearing puking.

Whatever, so long as he suffered.

Nam-ra then shifts her focus to her classmate Hyo-ryung's breathing and heartbeat.

How funny would it be if she just ate them all in episode seven?

Eun-ji sits in the office, blood covering her mouth.

"I hate this fucking school."

So burn it down. Burn it all down.

Nam-ra turns her attention to other noises in the room. The breathing, the creaks in the piano, Ji-min's mouth as she swallows, fingers snapping, Joon-yeong playing with the pull of a zipper on a bag, Woo-jin farting.

"Gross!"

"... That's not my fault. There's no way I could've possibly known she had superhearing. Don't act like you don't all fart quietly, because you do."

"... Fair enough."

"He's got a point."

She also hears Dae-su's stomach growling and Na-yeon moving around in the closet, but she can't tell who it is, so she just suggests that they leave. They can't, though they don't know that Nam-ra still can.

That's when On-jo comes up with another brilliant plan, grabbing the camera.

Before she can say what it is, it changes to Gwi-nam, drinking from some pipes. It makes her blood boil.

It's not right. He had his chance to be powerful, and now that it's Eun-Ji's turn, why does he get to be a halfbie as well?

He also hears something- Myung-hwan.

Wonderful, the attack dog found his master, and now think about the damage they can do.

She's seen this dance a million times. Myung-hwan hasn't changed, not even for the worse. He still hits, insults, and orders him around.

And Eun-ji is so tired of him.

"Shut up! You run if I say you run, you little shit."

Myung-hwan slaps him around as Gwi-nam refuses his plan. Of all the times Eun-ji has seen them do this, Gwi-nam had never fought back. But Yoon Gwi-nam is not the kind of person you felt sorry for. Not then and not now.

This is bullshit. She should be the one to kill him. She should be the one to break his wrist and make him whimper. It's only fair. Even if Gwi-nam was forced to do Myung-hwan's bidding, he wasn't forced to send out those pictures of her. Or wrote on her back. He wasn't forced to be so happy as he did so. She's the one who deserves this.

But even knowing that, Eun-ji won't let that stop her from enjoying the sight of the untouchable Myung-hwan begging for his life.

"Save me. Please, please save me. Please!"

She just needs to block out the ugly sight of Gwi-nam and imagine herself in his position, and she can relish in the sound of his arm breaking before zombies go at him, biting him.

It sounds like it hurts. He's really, really scared. So many zombies go at him as he screams in agony.

It's almost everything she ever asked for, and if she just blocks out a detail or to, it is everything she ever asked for.

So Eun-ji keeps her line of sight to the side and away from the boy looking at himself in a rear view mirror, desperate to see as much of it as she can. She ignores the threat as best she can.

"Cheong-san... I'll gouge your eye out."

She doesn't care. She really doesn't. And maybe, if Cheong-san kills him, she'll be satisfied, but for now she just enjoys Myung-hwan's misery and tries not to think of what a pity it will be if she doesn't get kill either of them.

It cuts away too soon, back to On-jo explaining her plan to create a large barricade and use music to draw as many zombies as they can into the room...

Wow, that sounds like such a risky plan. But it's the only plan any of them have.

"She sucks at school, but she's pretty smart."

The rest of the class agrees to it, getting to work.

On-jo goes up to Su-hyeok and Nam-ra, wanting to untie their bonds. He refuses at first, in his own protective way, but On-jo insists, because if they're tied together than she won't be able to get closer to the others.

Because Choi Nam-ra must end this show with friends and a boyfriend and probably a mother who's proud of her.

It's fine. Eun-ji doesn't need any of that. If anything, she might be better than all of those things. But if Nam-ra wants to lower herself for the approval of people who never treated her right, then she can do whatever she pleases. But not Eun-ji.

On-jo unties them.

"You should have been the class president."

On-jo smiles at her. She looks kind.

They begin helping the others with the barricade.

Captain Nam is in some building somewhere, safe, as he treats his wounds. He sees zombies outside the glass and tries to leave, using a crowbar to break down a door, and when the room it leads to is a dead end, he uses it to break a lock on a shelf and take out a shotgun, killing the zombies that attack him then leaving through a window, getting to an empty street.

Yeah... Eun-ji sees why On-jo wanted her father to come rescue her so badly.

The class is setting up the barricade, trying to be quiet as they do what they can to build a strong foundation.

Maybe this is a balance of sorts. Eun-ji was never going to be a part of a group that came up with clever, if risky, plans to keep everyone safe, but she was given an abundance of strength instead.

With the other group of Hyosan high survivors, they're trying to make Joon-seong as comfortable as possible in his state. He still complains though Mi-jin offers him no sympathy. Though if it was Eun-ji in the same position as him, she would've been given hell, so maybe she's right to tell him to suck it up.

Ha-ri decides that the best course of action is to hike up the mountain.

"Drop him and shoot!?" Joon-seong repeats, terrified.

"Shh," Ha-ri says annoyed. "I clearly meant drop you, shoot at the zombies, and pick you back up again."

"Define 'clearly'!"

"Will you shut up?" Mi-jin asks. "You'd think you were dying with all your yapping."

"I am dying!"

"Shh!" some other people hush them.

They leave, but things immediately fall apart. A swarm of zombies come running at them from a distance and the thing they were using to carry Joon-seong in breaks, so the only thing they can do is go back inside.

Joon-seong actually surprises Eun-ji when he tells them to go without him. Mi-jin protests, snarking about Facebook or whatever. But then he tells her to stop pretending that she cares, throwing her killing Ha-lim in her face.

"You don't care about anyone."

Well, she doesn't, does she? She's not a monster like some people but she's far from someone who cares for others. And so she's compliant in others' hurting.

The archers get up to look for stronger supplies, leaving the two of them alone.

"This is the second time someone has compared like, serious human suffering to failing tests," Dae-su points out.

"Tests really suck," Mi-jin shrugs.

The show version of her just tells him to shut up and be quiet, because she can't handle his problems on top of her own. It really pisses Eun-ji off. How many people would've told her the exact same thing? How many would've done even worse? Fuck her, Mi-jin's just as bad as everyone else. (But at least she's not worse.)

The cops are putting cardboard over their limbs when Ho-cheol suggests they leave the kids in there to send the army after them later.

He reminds her of Cheol-soo. Cowardly, concerned with his own well-being over anything else, even if he really isn't a monster. He's just not cut out for a cruel world, and so he cowers to survive.

Detective Jae-ik gets his name wrong addressing him (maybe Eun-ji shouldn't have memorized all their names, if being above someone means getting them wrong), telling the coward that they're the ones who run into danger to save the people running to safety. He still doesn't understand. Then Jae-ik puts tape over his mouth.

"If you're feeling scared, you can just stay here."

That little girl is so cute and innocent. If only Eun-ji didn't know what the world does to cute and innocent little girls.

She still thinks her mommy can be saved, and though the detective tries to preserve her innocence, he just lies to her. What good will lying do? It won't bring her mother back.

He tries to divert her attention, mentioning that he has a son her age.

That's nice of him... Lonely little girls need friends.

"I already have a boyfriend though."

She's so cute. And funny too. She'll be fine. Probably grow up to be an On-jo or an I-sak or even a Ji-min. Anything will be better than growing up to be an Eun-ji.

They actually make it onto the scooter this time, with Ho-cheol beating at zombies, and Se-bin keeps her eyes shut as instructed, as they race through the streets.

It's a little comical, how much he's screaming his head off. It will only attract more zombies but Jae-ik yells back at him. They turn a corner to what seems like a dead end but find a narrow path anyways. Before going, Jae-ik honks the horn to attract zombies, causing them to jam and topple over one another.

By some miracle, they've managed to escape and find somewhere without any zombies. At least that means the children should be okay.

That's when they hear someone calling for help.

"Oh. My. God." Jae-ik nearly growls in horror.

"Orangibberish!" Dae-su supplies for them.

That idiot hasn't died yet?

She can't even call Ho-cheol a coward for wanting to leave him to die. Eun-ji certainly wouldn't save him.

"That's not even another kid," Ho-cheol complains.

"Yes, it is," Jae-ik says, annoyed.

So he gives hands him the baby and gets off, but with zombies in the distance, Ho-cheol takes off and leaves them.

"You coward! You bastard!" Jae-ik shouts.

And Eun-ji is conflicted. Because this means that the kids will likely survive but Jae-ik and that fucking YouTuber will die. And Ho-cheol probably doesn't even remember all the details about the laptop and the high school, so maybe the cure will never be found. But on the other hand, it reminds her a little too much about Cheol-soo letting her go by herself even if he knew it would lead to her dying.

This city is just full of cowards. They should just let them all burn already.

Though, and she doesn't give them this lightly, she can't say that anyone in Class 2-5 is really a coward. Even Na-yeon's murdering and bullying had to take guts when she knew the class already liked Gyeong-su more than her. And that's the only praise Eun-ji will ever give to a girl just as bad as her own bullies.

They deem the barrier ready to go, and so everyone gets behind it except for Cheong-san, the hero of the story, who decides to open the door and then run for the open gap. Su-hyeok, of course, decides to come with him.

He tells his friend that Gwi-nam wants to kill him, and Cheong-san tells him everything that happened with the principal.

Oh shit, she should've been the one to kill the principal too.

Su-hyeok unintentionally gives Cheong-san a false sense of security by telling him that Gwi-nam is dead, so he'll probably be surprised later on, but also mentions that he's in love with Nam-ra.

"In love!?!?" I-sak says, utterly delighted.

"When did you even have the time?" Joon-yeong asks.

"It's the hormones." Dae-su tells them all.

"You be good to On-jo, okay. Don't treat her like she's a guy, moron."

"Okay, just because it doesn't work out with Su-hyeok does not mean that Cheong-san and I are gonna be together!" On-jo declares.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," I-sak beams. "I swear, when this is all over, the world is gonna be a utopia, because it fits my ideal. Not the world in the show, that place is screwed, I'm dead in that world, but the new world. I-sak's world."

On-jo shakes her head. "I-sak, no one ever knows what you're talking about. Don't bring up the economy."

"Joon-ye-"

"No."

Eun-ji wonders what it would be like to have a friend she was that close to... They're kinda weird though. Eun-ji thinks she'll stick to killing teachers and eating live fish.

Also, apparently the decision to help Cheong-san by the door was to take the role of opener for himself. Su-hyeok literally just wanted to be the self sacrificial one instead of the other boy.

He lets the zombies in and runs for the gap, then closes it. They put up more protection for the barrier as Joon-yeong turns on the music. They struggle to keep the barrier up while the zombies keep coming, but there are still more in the hallway.

On-jo asks for Dae-su to scream, and he does, attracting more zombies. He also hits a wonderful high note. His voice doesn't crack whatsoever.

"Damn, you're really good and talented," Hyo-ryung says, surprised.

He is. If only the world were fair, he'd probably find some success with that talent. He must've practiced that a lot.

They start pounding on gongs and drums but there are still more coming. The zombies break down the door and come at the barrier with grabbing hands.

She wonders if another one of them will get bitten as the zombies start to climb over. They try and get them back by hitting them with instruments. Boyfriends protect their girlfriends. But it won't be long before they're overwhelmed.

Even still, the zombies won't stop coming. Woo-jin, who's on lookout, seems to realize they're screwed around the same time that Cheong-san and On-jo do, looking at each other miserably.

Eun-ji doesn't believe for a second that they're all gonna die, but maybe one or two of the less important ones.

It looks really bad, with zombies still coming down the stairs after them.

It cuts away before they can see the outcome. Back to the damned military, looking at Jae-jun, from the beginning of the episode. They want to experiment on him but Commander Jin won't allow him to leave quarantine.

Jae-jun is strapped down, surrounded by monitors and other science shit, and they're talking about needing more equipment. It makes her wonder what they'd do to her if they ever found out about what she is.

Commander Jin, ever the respectable and moralistic man, insists on getting parental consent before running tests before they run any tests or anything, even though that Martial Law thing means they don't have to. Bullshit, it looks like this is the only zombie they have, so if they say no then what? They'll do what they need to do anyways, he just wants to ease his conscience.

They go outside, only for him to be told that Assemblywoman Park Eun-hee is still being difficult despite getting one of the best deals in all of this chaos.

He tells her that she's not getting anymore special treatment. She accepts that but asks for a favor. She asks for them to send a chopper to the high school. They don't respond, and keep walking, which has Eun-ji hopeful that they'll just let it burn to the ground.

"Even wars can't get rid of schools! Even if you win, if the schools are gone, we've lost!"

However, the Commander does ask how many students have been rescued, the answer being zero. Meaning that everything really has gone to hell. Every bully, every person who looked the other way, every teacher who let them off easy, is dead.

"What a shame," the politician reiterates.

Of course, he decides to send some troop out to go look for student survivors. But still.

But then the subordinate asks about Gangha-dong, where the Commander's mother is. But he just says that it will wait until it's named a rescue zone... Maybe he really is just a stickler for procedures. Or maybe he's just a bad son.

Who cares, to hell with his mother too.

Finally back with the students, Woo-jin sees that the hallways are clear and calls for them to leave. They all crowd by the door, but Cheong-san, Dae-su, and Su-hyeok keep the barrier steady. Su-hyeok leaves first and they begin to go, and for a second it looks like Dae-su might be the sacrifice of this episode, but no. Cheong-san takes him by the shirt and drags him along with the others.

The zombies topple over the barricade as they all get out. Cheong-san runs to the front of the group with Woo-jin then stays back until after everyone else (besides Su-hyeok) goes up the stairs. These fucking hero types. So annoying.

Gwi-nam pushes his way past the zombies, looking absolutely desperate. But as for Eun-ji, she doesn't bother with any of that shit, though she must hear with her superhearing.

Instead she goes outside, to the zombies on the field. She wonders how many of the people who tortured her for shits and giggles have already died. Maybe all of them, except for Gwi-nam. She hopes it was painful.

'Proper education breeds good character!'

There's not a good bone in this school. Not even in Class 2-5, no matter what they'd have you believe. They're all complicit. They all deserve to die.

The chopper doesn't even bother with the middle school so it makes its way to Hyosan High. So if Eun-ji wants them all to suffer, she'll have to act quickly. The students are running for the roof, Su-hyeok briefly stumbling only for Nam-a to help him up. She can see the whole room is on the edge of their seats, desperate to see if they'll make it in time to get rescued.

"Come on... Come on..."

The zombies in the music room are getting past the barricade, crawling over one another and all the shit they used to keep them back. It looks like they might stay jammed, but then some start standing, and they begin running out of there.

But with Cheol-soo, with his tragic S.O.S. sign, is ecstatic to see the fucking helicopter when he hears the class from the other side of the roof door, who are trying to break down the locked roof door. He just looks at the door, frightened.

"What are you doing?! Let them through!" Ha-ri demands of him like he should be taking orders from her.

They try everything, from getting the lock code right, to calling for anyone on the other side, to body slamming the door.

He begins to walk closer. He's gonna let them through. Of course he is. He always does whatever anyone tells him to, unless it's Eun-ji making the demands. If it had been one of their bullies, no doubt he would have gone to get those phones.

Nam-ra takes Su-hyeok's hand, hearing something, but she's not facing the door so it must be the zombies and not Cheol-soo.

His hand is on the knob. He's gonna let them live.

But then he stops and thinks.

"We're outcasts again. And this is still hell. I really hope everyone dies. All of them."

All of them.

Is he gonna-?

She didn't know he had it in him.

He must have heard the lack of zombies from the other side of the door. The helicopter is coming down. He must know that there is no danger in letting them through. But he's gonna let them burn.

For her.

He's still a coward, but he might be learning.

"Asshole!"

"What the hell!?"

"Come on!"

Cheong-san's message to his dead mother is shown on the intact video camera left behind in the music room. He seems to have rerecorded it. In real life, the boy in question gasps at the sight of his zombified mother, and for a second she thinks he might start sobbing again. His message is only a reiteration that he dislikes the name of her restaurant.

With the class, they can tell that the zombies are coming and prepare for what's probably their deaths. She sees no way for them to survive this, they're trapped. Only Nam-ra will be able to make it, and maybe if they're lucky an important character will turn into a halfbie as well. Eun-ji just prays that that will be enough for the next five episodes.

It's gonna be bloodbath.

Somehow, Cheol-soo managed to impress her.

"Open the door!"

Cheong-san and Su-hyeok, of course, fight off the first zombies in the hoard coming at them. But they must know they're done for. The only thing they rest can do is try fruitlessly to break down the door.

Cheol-soo lets go of the handle.

"Please!"

They try and throw a tarp over the crowd to buy them more time, it will all be useless. It's just padding. And, oh, hopefully someone will survive long enough to finish Gwi-nam for good, because he walks up those stairs looking confident and every bit the asshole he's always been.

But if not, then Eun-ji will be happy to do it for them.

The black ops approach Cheol-so and take his temperature.

"Where are the others? Isn't there anyone else?"

"Please! I'm begging you!" the oh-so happy I-sak seems close to tears.

Eun-ji turns her head and looks him in the eyes, scoots a little closer, and she smiles at him, trying to tell him that while not all is forgiven, if he can just stick to his guns, she'll see him in a whole new light.

Just so long as he lets them die.

He smiles back.

"Fuck you!" the calm, cool, and collected Ha-ri shouts at them. Mi-jin is spitting curse words, apparently choosing the wrong fucking time to care about other people.

"You're just gonna leave us to die?" the funny Dae-su asks in distress.

Eun-ji never wants to go back. She wants them all to rot and burn, and she will never let herself be the victim again. She won't go back.

And...

And maybe, just maybe, she won't have to be alone at the top.

But the episode ends on a sour note for her, with Su-hyeok and Cheong-san staring on afraid as they see Gwi-nam walking up the stairs, holding up a zombie as a weapon, smirking like a devil as he gets closer to them.

"That's some satanic shit," someone simply says.

It's a work in progress.

Chapter Text

Su-hyeok's POV

When the TV clicks off, his friends keep shouting at the duo. But it's like they're living in a world of their own, not giving a shit about the people around them. Su-hyeok doesn't yell. Instead, he holds Nam-ra's hand tight and tries not to wonder how thinks could've gone so wrong with Eun-ji and Cheol-soo.

Somehow, above all the noise, I-sak stands out, cause she lets out a guttural scream in frustration so loud that it makes them all jump and turn to her with wide eyes. She stomps towards where Su-hyeok and Nam-ra are, taking the hands that aren't intertwined in her own and then begin to walk again. So they let go of each other and follow her.

I-sak marches them across the room, to the room where they had had lunch in. She only lets go of Nam-ra to open the door, and then she pushes them both in, shutting the door with her still in the main room.

Him and Nam-ra are alone now.

She smiles at him. And it's so beautiful when she smiles. She's so beautiful. He's so glad that she's doing it more.

Su-hyeok is so happy.

But does he deserve to be happy?

Does he deserve her?

It is partly his fault that Eun-ji and Cheol-soo did those things. Su-hyeok couldn't help them, and the year before he outright added to their bullying. Never as bad as Myung-hwan or Gwi-nam. But he still did wrong by then, and nothing he could do could ever make it up to them.

So, how can he deserve someone so amazing?

"I'm grateful," Nam-ra said quietly, pulling him from his spiraling. "I'm glad all this happened. That we can prevent that future, but also..." She sighs. "That I can become friends with all of them. And that I can know how we really feel about each other."

Warmth spreads throughout his chest, and it's so much so that it overshadows all his doubts. He murmurs, "I'm really happy too, Prez."

"You don't have to avoid saying my name anymore," she shook her head, smiling fondly at him.

His heart skips a beat. Because Su-hyeok doesn't have to pretend he's not mesmerized by this girl anymore. He can hug her and kiss her and get to know her better than he ever thought he'd be able to. So he teases, "Yeah, but you know you like it."

"I do," Nam-ra admits. "But I like hearing you say my name."

"Okay," is all he can muster as he threatens to be annihilated by his pounding heart. Su-hyeok takes her hand in his. And softly, he begins, "Nam-ra, I've made a lot of mistakes. And I can be pretty stupid. But I promise that I'll do my best to protect you. And I'll ty and make you happy."

"Happy?" Nam-ra repeats, still grinning at him. She leans in, so that their faces are close enough that he can feel the ghost of her lips under his. "You've done that already." He stifles a gasp as she kisses him.

He kissed girls before, but none of them have made him feel this way before. How could they? When Nam-ra is the only one for him. Her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands are on her hips.

His mouth burns for more of hers, to move against hers, but Su-hyeok doesn't know if she's done this before and he doesn't want to push. It's only when she raises a hand to tread through his hair and push his head further into the kiss that her lips part.

Carefully, he peeks his tongue into her mouth, bringing his hands up to wrap around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. They move together, never wanting to part. And he almost can't believe that this is real, but it is.

Su-hyeok lets himself happy, he has no choice, how can he not be when he has Nam-ra in his arms?

XXX

Assemblywoman Park's POV

"Really! This is incredibly improper!"

The girl in front of her crosses her arms, refusing to move from her position in front of the door she forced Eun-hee's daughter and Su-hyeok through.

I-sak turns her nose up at her. "They deserve privacy right now."

Eun-hee scoffs. "'Privacy'." They are children!

There's a loud thump on the door. She raises an eyebrow at it, before reasoning that one of them might have stumbled into it.

If it was anyone other than Nam-ra, Eun-hee would truly worry about her being alone in a room with a boy. Then again, that girl has proven to be uncharacteristically reckless when it comes to her boyfriend. 

And Eun-hee was so hoping that her girl would avoid all the foolishness that comes with first love. When self-preservation and common sense takes a backseat, and young woman are convinced that their boyfriends matter more than their futures.

Still, Eun-hee trusts Su-hyeok. He looks after her daughter, even when Nam-ra won't look after herself for whatever reason. And he clearly makes her little girl happy. Sure, she doesn't know him well enough to make a full assessment, and she doubts it will be a relationship that lasts through reality, but she feels almost sure that he'll his best not to hurt Eun-hee's daughter.

Which she would tell him if he was in front of her now, but they-

Another thump against the door. Odd, considering neither of them were this clumsy in the show.

It's frustrating that she still hasn't had the time to scold her for that because Nam-ra keeps being pulled away by her classmates.

Her daughter's classmates are sweet and brave, and it's a crime that no adult is offering them sufficient aid in their time of crisis. But those children are also immature where Nam-ra is smarter. More disciplined. And yet, more and more Eun-hee finds her daughter dabbling in their kinds of behaviors when she should know better.

And for what? To become friends with girls who refused to listen to her sensible advice about their odds of survivals? Girls who claimed to have hated her?

"Who even are you?" Eun-hee questions I-sak, who seemed to have been just as jealous as the other girls before quickly changing her tune. "Why do you care so much about my daughter's relationship?"

To her surprise, the child lets out a long sigh. "Look. I'm not a neurotypical person. I do not get invested in things at normal amounts. Alright?"

"What?" Eun-hee asks, perplexed by the statement.

She shook her head. "Just- Give them the intermission, okay?"

"You really have no place inserting yourself into other people's business like this, you know."

"Yeah, I've been told." I-sak shrugged.

"Hey," Detective Song approached her, red in the face from his unsavory berating of that child who left him with that influencer. "We're gonna go yell at those two." He cocks his head towards the boy who senselessly refused the other kids rescue and the girl who had killed her teacher out of spite. "Wanna come?"

"Of course I do," Eun-hee says. As frustrating as it was to let this girl, who beams at her for good measure as she turns, have her way, her duties as as a woman in a leadership must come first. Besides, she has quite a few words to say to the duo for their selfishness.

Another thump from the other room. What is going on in there? Is the girl at least going to check up on the two of them?

In Eun-hee's peripheral vision, she sees Gyeong-su walk up next to his girlfriend. And why can't the girl focus on her relationship instead of others?

Then she hears the faintest whisper;

"I-sak’s world."

XXX

Cheol-soo's POV

Min Eun-ji is smiling at him.

That makes it worth it.

“Most selfish, cowardice thing I have ever seen-“ the cop shouts.

Cowardice. There’s that word again.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?!” the politician asks him pointedly.

He takes a deep breath, glancing at Eun-ji. “The school can burn.”

The adults all look at them like lost causes. That’s okay. They’ve always been lost causes, just in the sense that there was no turning two losers into more, or so they thought.

And when boys like Myung-hwan and Gwi-nam weren’t being heralded as promising young men who were also boys being boys, they were also seen as lost causes. No point in telling them that they’re wrong or trying at all.

It scares Cheol-soo how much he likes being on the other side of things.

But Eun-ju is smiling at him and so it’s worth it.

Their words burn a hole in his gut, much like how it feels when he’s rebuked for things his bullies made him take the fall for. But he supposes it’s better when it’s actually something he’s done.

“Should we arrest them?” someone asks.

The cop growls. “I’m out of handcuffs.” He sighs, turning away. “College boy!”

The other cop didn’t have any on him, and so they’re allowed to stay free, and eventually the adults leave them alone.

She turns to him.

Eun-ji scares the shit out of him. But there is something stunning in the crazy killer. Just like there was something stunning about the tormented victim. Cheol-soo is just the only one to see it.

“I don’t forgive you for not going with me when I left the roof,” Eun-ji tells him point blank, but she still grins at him like she’s telling him great news. “But I am so impressed that you left those kids to die because of what I said.”

Cheol-soo smiles back.

Except was that really all there was to him leaving them?

He didn’t know those kids. Didn’t know if they were friendly or if they were like their bullies. His salvation was so close, and what if they had thrown him to the zombies at the last minute?

He is a coward.

But he’s also too much of a coward to tell her that.

“Thank you. I’m so sorry I didn’t go with you. I’m learning to be braver.”

He doesn’t blink.

“We’ve always been so pathetic.” Eun-ji says in awe. “Now look at us.”

“Eun-ji?” Cheol-soo whispers, almost scared to know. “What happens when we go back?”

“I’m never going back.” She shakes her head. “Never.” Then she leans in close. “I’m gonna make all of them pay for what they’ve done to us. Will you help me?”

He doesn’t blink. “Yes.”

XXX

Ha-ri's POV

Oftentimes, Ha-ri finds herself wondering how she ended up in a certain situation. 

Now, more than usual. 

But she’s gotten to a point where she’s learning to say, ‘Fine. I accept this.’

So, somehow she ends up sitting on the floor in a circle of four playing Go-Stop with her kind-of friends.

Joon-seong had a hwatu deck on him when he was taken.

And somehow, Mi-jin wins!

“No fair,” Joon-seong whines. “Did you cheat?”

“God, you’re just as annoying as you were in primary school,” Mi-jin rolls her eyes.

“You went to elementary school together?” Ha-ri asks.

Joon-seong nods. “And middle school. But we weren’t really friends.”

Mi-jin let out a huff. “Yeah, I had better things to do than play dolls with you and Lee Ha-lim.”

“Like what?” Joon-seong says irritated.

“Like smoke,” Mi-jin says. Her shoulders slump, the feistiness leaving her. “How is it fair that those two got to bring their weapons but I don’t get a pack of cigarettes? I have the lighter, I just need something to light. And what do they even need to shoot? All the zombies are in the show, but all the stress is out here.”

“We get it,” Joon-seong groans.

“Min-jae and I were practicing when we showed up here,” Ha-ri explains, frowning at how bizarre the beginning moments had been for them. “I guess that’s why.”

“Fuck. I need to keep something on me at all times. Never know when I might be magically kidnapped with a bunch of jackasses.”

“Don’t call us jackasses,” Joon-seong snaps.

“You are though,” Mi-jin says. “But I was talking about them.” She nods towards where Cheol-soo and Eun-ji are sitting, and Ha-ri’s blood boils thinking about how he endangered her baby brother’s life when all he had to do was open the door.

“Let’s not talk about them,” Min-jae frowns.

“Fine,” Mi-jin sighs. “Besides, it could be worse. I could have to beat up Song Ji-hoo again.” She nudges Joon-seong on the shoulder. “Remember that asshole. He kept pushing you over when he’d pass you in the halls. Ha-lim too.” 

“Yeah,” Joon-seong says thoughtfully. “Why did you fight with him?”

Mi-jin shrugs. “He started it.”

Ha-ri raises an eyebrow. She can’t help but wonder if Mi-jin cares a little more than she lets on.

Ha-ri’s known about Mi-jin. They weren’t even in the same class and certainly weren’t friends, but she has a reputation, unlike Joon-seong. The rude girl who smoked in the bathrooms and was constantly picking fights. But Ha-ri never thought much of her.

But now, she supposes that they are friends of sorts. 

Really, Ha-ri is lucky all things considered. So far, no one in her group has died, though it does not look good for Joon-seong, and her brother is still alive. Though he ended last episode in a bad position, his presence with the main characters spells out that they’ll find some way to survive. Whether that asshole Cheol-soo changes his mind and realizes he needs to let them out, or they get the door open some other way, Ha-ri doesn’t care so long as Woo-jin ends up safe.

She knows, in a sense, that all of this is preventable. That she should remove her feelings from the show, because none of it will happen now. If Joon-seong dies in the show than he’ll still be alive in real life. Same with Cheong-san and that girl’s parents. Same with the friends of Woo-jin’s who have died. And that’s where Ha-ri’s priorities should lay since she’s not in the show.

That doesn’t change the fact that she’ll never be able to unsee it if Woo-jin ends up killed. She knows she’ll never be able to unsee it. And Ha-ri refuses to accept any world where her brother dies.

She spots him on the other side of his room with his friends. His eyes always seem to light up around them in a way they don’t at home. 

Woo-jin shouldn’t have to be dealing with zombies, or murderers, or politics. He’s innocent. He should be concerned with his friends, or those silly paintings he likes so much, or girls.

Though, Ha-ri thinks as she shifts her gaze back at Mi-jin as she annoys the shit out of Joon-seong, some girls are kind of like a zombie apocalypse in their own right.

… Did she just compare a hot girl to a-

XXX

Cheong-san's POV

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

"It was just a stupid crush." On-jo shrugs, acting nonchalant. "They're good together, don't you think? Probably better than Su-hyeok and I would've been."

"I guess," Cheong-san agrees.

In hindsight, he probably sounded like an idiot, being as confused as he was about their feelings for one another. Looking back it was kind of obvious. He was so caught up in On-Jo's confession that he didn't think much about Su-hyeok's interactions with Nam-ra beyond, 'Huh, I didn't realize the class prez and Su-hyeok were friends.'

He guesses that since On-jo doesn't seem to have any hard feelings, Cheong-san can let it go that Su-hyeok was a little less than respectful in rejecting her. In that he didn't even say anything, and does On-jo not deserve that much at least?

There better be something like that next episode.

As for Cheong-san, well, one thing's for sure; Any love confessions he's giving out are not going to be taken the way Nam-ra took Su-hyeok.

If, and that's a big if, he confesses to On-jo, she'll probably kick him. But that's why he likes her so much.

And...

And what if she does like him? Or did at some point? Just a little bit?

What if he does have a shot with her? Because she's not so heartbroken over Su-hyeok, that must mean she didn't have strong feelings for him after all. So, maybe there are also feelings for Cheong-san.

And maybe if he stopped treating her like a boy then...

Yeah, that 'big if' is getting smaller by the second.

Oh well, whether his feelings are returned or not, he should probably focus on the psycho with superpowers trying to murder him. And the staircase full of zombies that they're all trapped in. And the fucker who left them all to die.

But mostly Gwi-nam. He seems really dedicated to killing Cheong-san, and that shit with Myung-hwan showed that he was getting even more viscous.

Ugh. He thinks he's so cool. What a loser.

"Next episode!" Commander Jin announces.

They all go back to their seats, with Gyeong-su and I-sak sitting between him and On-jo. He reasons that since they both died they get first pick on who sits next to who, but...

(But being close to On-jo has a way of feeling like home.)

Su-hyeok and Nam-ra leave the lunch room. Both of their clothes are neat and tidy in a way they would all expect to come from the class prez. Cheong-san guesses that means they really were just talking about their relationship in that room.

Or Nam-ra's really good at cover-ups.

Either way, Su-hyeok is grinning like an idiot as they walk over to their couch with the rest of the class.

"Jae-ik and crew run into a student from the school."

"'Crew'?" Detective Song scoffs, bitterly glaring at Ho-cheol. "You mean me and someone named Oysterubbish!"

"Orangibberish!" Dae-su corrects.

"I don't care!"

"Na-yeon works up the courage to face her peers."

What.

Cheong-san turns his head to glare at her. So, they're meeting up again? She cowers under their looks, trembling like the victim she's always believed she was.

Anger bristles under his skin, simmering stronger than the guilt. He doesn't what that will mean or what he'll do, but he does know that there is no forgiving her for what she's done.

"The group shares confessions around the fire."

... 

Okay, well that sounds nice enough.

At least it doesn't say anything about anyone getting their eye ripped out by Gwi-nam.

Chapter Text

Na-yeon's POV

Eun-ji watches the helicopter reach the roof. She walks past zombie after zombie, recognizing them as people who had hurt her in the past.

Don't think about how far you would've gone if Gyeong-su didn't have his friends. How open you would have been about it. How open about it you actually were.

Na-yeon feels a wave of guilt, though she never actually did anything to Eun-ji. At least not in a solid way. They weren't in the same class, and she always thought of boys like Gwi-nam as too animalistic to run in similar circles with, so she never got the chance to hurt her. But she always looked down on her. On the girl she considered to be the trash's slut.

Na-yeon would spread rumors about her, but never rumors that she started. It was all second hand. Hyo-ryung would always frown whenever she would talk down about slutty girls, and Ji-min would scold her for being so rude. She would always think they were boring for only really being interested in vanilla stories about who likes who, or if they kissed or not.

Eun-ji clearly sees them being zombies as a form of justice. Them getting their just desserts. And Na-yeon figures that she should just give her that, but she can't. Because if becoming a zombie is enough justice for all of that, then what about the people who never did anything wrong?

What about-

Don't go there.

It all builds up, until Eun-ji is running back to the school, searching through drawers, then pouring some sort of liquid on a bunch of paper.

"Now I really wish this school would burn down."

"Wait, are you actually gonna-?" Gyeong-su starts.

"Why are you surprised?" Cheong-san groans. For reasons that might have been clearer had she been able to see their facial expressions, they seem to judge both Eun-ji and Cheol-soo for what he did last episode.

The fire starts and quickly grows, Eun-ji looking overjoyed at the sight.

With her class, they're doing their best to fight off the zombies, but most of them are getting through. Cheol-soo lies about there being no one else, with a lot of people sending glares his way. And Cheong-san tries to fight off Gwi-nam. It all seems hopeless, they're struggling just to keep that tarp up, and Cheol-soo doesn't even give the military guy the room to believe that someone else from their school might have survived.

(And wouldn't she have done the same? She would've hated him had she still been a part of their group, but if it was her all alone on that roof?)

Stop.

He gets in the helicopter and watches the roof door as it flies away.

Cheong-san and Gwi-nam are fighting when Nam-ra interrupts, her left eye and half her face red and bloodshot. She grabs him by the neck, being the only one who can match his strength.

Is this what she meant when she asked Na-yeon if she wanted her to leave? Was she asking if Na-yeon wanted her to throw fully grown zombies down a flight of stairs?

Really, Na-yeon just wanted someone else to save her. But she knows she would have screamed at them to throw the class president out, regardless of super strength or hearing abilities. Because all those things are zombie things, and those are threats to Na-yeon.

Eun-ji watches the receptionist room burn, with a zombie even catching on fire, looking absolutely delighted. What she doesn't know is that an alarm goes off, which automatically unlocks the roof door.

"Oh, thank god!" Ms. Park says in relief.

"Aw!" Eun-ji says, disappointed.

"Go, go, go!" I-sak urges.

They run onto the roof, trying to get the attention of the chopper as it's in the air, but only Cheol-soo notices them trying to wave it back.

Maybe he deserves to be bullied. He's such a freak.

No. Stop.

And the sprinklers set off, so the fire really only served to help the survivors, meaning Eun-ji's whole thing about that doesn't even do anything for her either way.

God, Hyo-ryung is such a crybaby. Everyone on that roof missed the help, they aren't all annoying about it.

The rest of them are standing around uselessly as the roof door starts to bang. Cheong-san stands and tries to inspect it as everyone takes notice of what's going on. Gwi-nam is punching the door, but he only makes a large dent. And if the person with super strength can't knock it down, then her classmates really did have no chance of getting to the other side without that fire.

Gwi-nam leaves, his fist an ugly mess, as Nam-ra tells them it's safe using her senses. Cheong-san is still pretty uneasy, and if it was her then she definitely wouldn't be as calm as him so long as that shithead is alive.

But she swears to God that if she never sees that creepy cold opening ever again then it will be too soon.

Eun-ji walks past the archery bus to pick up a bike and ride away from the school, which means she's probably the one who'll meet up with the hot cop, and that only makes Na-yeon think about the episode summary and the dread that comes when she thinks about herself reuniting with her classmates.

She can already hear them complaining about her, judging her, hating her. It's all they give whenever the attention is back on her after all.

Na-yeon knows she deserves it.

Su-hyeok and Cheong-san finally piece together all the bullshit about hambies, or halfbies, or whatever they call it, with Eun-ji, Gwi-nam, and Nam-ra. Of course, Su-hyeok is completely blind to how his precious girlfriend may be a problem, though he isn't wrong when he points out that Cheong-san would definitely do the same for On-jo.

The archery kids are talking about the helicopter and whether more will come. Ironically, Ha-ri is against going to the place where her brother is and wants to leave through the mountain, since the pudgy kid is dragging them down.

He tells them to leave him, but the bitchy girl calls his bluff. Though... If Na-yeon was in her place, she would've just left him. Wouldn't have even waited for him to suggest it himself, so... maybe the bitch really does care about him.

Anyways, she suggests making a sign or going to the roof of the archery gym, but when the other archer tells her the ladder is outside, surrounded by zombies, she takes a stick and chases him, causing the pudgy boy to be knocked over, and for Ha-ri to sigh, tired.

The class is trying to create another S.O.S. sign from the materials on the roof, with Joon-yeong climbing up on a ledge to direct them. They all agree that the finished product looks nice when Mr. Lee's recordings cut in to tell the audience that hope is the cruelest torture that prevents you from giving up on life entirely.

Even after he dies, he makes science class sound like an English class.

On-jo's dad takes shelter and begins marking places off on a map while the recording plays, talking about how futile hope is even though he won't give up.

So it's probably futile to hope that any of her classmates will ever forgive her.

Mr. Lee says some nerd stuff about transformation and blood cells. Then the hot cop is trying to fix up Orangibberish's leg, and then, after insisting on not needing any formalities, smacks him on the head for being so stupid as to want his followers to love him more than he wants to live.

Or... something like that.

It is kind of funny, how much he sticks out compared to all the other survivors. Still concerned with 'getting to the truth' and all that bullshit.

"What an idiot," the hot cop says.

Orangibberish offers to cancel the lame cop for him, but the hot cop has this whole spiel about heroism and assholes. Then he starts making a plan to draw away the zombies' attention so they can leave.

"Why is everyone I meet like this?"

"Not everyone," Gyeong-su quips, and out of habit she lets annoyance rise in her chest. "The baby and the little girl were pretty brave."

The hot cop actually gives a small chuckle. "You got that right." Everyone just... fucking loves him, don't they?

He throws paint cans at the street, only for more zombies to show up. His genius plan is to try some more, but then a bus crashes through as upbeat music plays.

"Oh my god," Cheong-san says, impressed.

"Aha! And you thought I was a traitor!" the lame cop cheers.

"I still do," he bites.

He jumps on top of the bus at the lame cop's insistence, but Orangibberish is too hurt and whiny to follow after him. As they bicker, the lame cop decides to start driving but the hot cop gets him to stop and urges Orangibberish to jump. Finally, he does, but almost slips off the side of the roof and into the hands of grabby zombies before the hot cop pulls him up. Once safely on the roof of the bus, the lame cop can finally drive away.

And like... Na-yeon doesn't laugh easily. Normally, she would've judged her classmates for their chuckling, but for now at least she can appreciate that this is a lighter scene than is normal for this show.

Dae-su asks On-jo what S.O.S. stands for, which according to her is for nothing, but he has a hard time believing that. Tellingly, Cheong-san defends her in the show only to turn around and ask if she's right the second Dae-su leaves to get the class president's knowledge on the matter. Na-yeon doesn't know why this is what they're worried about during all of this, but whatever.

"It actually stands for 'Save our ship'," On-jo's father tells them.

"Thank you!" Dae-su says pleasantly.

On-jo buries her head in a throw pillow and screams out in frustration. Cheong-san reaches over Gyeong-su and I-sak to pat her on the back.

They try to start a fire, but none of them are really trying, they give up so easily, and plus they suck at it... but... Na-yeon wouldn't be any better at it. She can admit that.

"Should we kill him?" "Are you praying?" "Stop praying!"

They're such dumbasses.

At the smallest hint of smoke, Su-hyeok tries blowing on it but it goes out, and so he takes a turn. That's when the class president interrupts, showing them a lighter, and revealing that she smokes.

... Oh, that's such good gossip. The kind of dirt no one would believe because who would believe that the emotionless nepotism baby of their class does something so unlike her?

"You... WHAT!?!?" Nam-ra's mother screams aghast. Ooh, she's in so much trouble. "Well- I- I NEVER!!! Pause the show!" The woman stands and marches over to her daughter. "You are in big trouble young lady! Do you know what cigarettes do to your lungs? They can kill you, you know. I thought you were smart enough to know that. What if someone saw you? What would they think? Have I been giving you too much freedom? I have half a mind to drag you back next to me, but hopefully your new friends can talk some sense into you. We are having a long talk once we get some privacy-"

"Do you have a cigarette on you now?" Mi-jin interrupts.

Nam-ra reaches into her pocket and tosses a pack at her before her mother can say anything else.

Mi-jin gasps, eyes lighting up in delight as she holds up the pack like it's gold or something. Her face then draws blank, and then she silently stands, passes the pearl-clutching politician, kneels by Nam-ra, takes her face in her hands, kisses her, and then stands up, looks at Su-hyeok and says, “That wasn't a threat.” And then she turns around and goes back to her seat.

Ugh... Of course she's a lesbian...

...

... Wait, are good people okay with that too?

Because all her classmates look amused, and Su-hyeok doesn't even seem that bothered. And normally Na-yeon would chart it down to her having higher standards than them, but it's been made painfully clear that she doesn't always do the right thing herself, so...

But also, they're smokers. Degenerates. How are they the good guys when Na-yeon is the-

The murderer. She's a murderer.

Or...

Maybe because someone does something bad that doesn't mean they're necessarily less than her?

(Who is she kidding? She's less than everyone in this room. And maybe one of the things that makes her less than is that she still thinks about who's worth more and who's worth less.)

Finally, Mrs. Park stalks back to her seat, still seeming angry, though probably still about the cigarette thing and not Mi-jin, and the show keeps going.

On the bus, the hot cop is being cute and dad-like towards the baby and scolds the lame cop for leaving him. And maybe Na-yeon should rethink what she calls the lame cop, because she has to agree with him. What was he supposed to do? Wait to get eaten by zombies? Not to mention, he managed to find an entire bus. No zombie is going to stand a chance against a bus.

Just as the hot cop is scolding him for driving a bus without a license, he runs into Eun-ji.

Gyeong-su fucking laughs. "I'm sorry! I just wasn't expecting that." Na-yeon tries not to roll her eyes.

The hot cop checks on her, since obviously zombies don't ride bikes, Na-yeon's gonna keep calling him the lame cop. As he invites her onto the bus, which is a seriously bad idea given everything they know about her, soldiers show up out of nowhere and start shooting at them all.

Though it is admittedly cute that Orangibberish clutches the children to him.

The hot cop quickly tells them not to shoot and struggles to take out his badge.

Ha-ri is giving Mi-jin pointers on shooting archery, which the latter takes as an opportunity to call herself 'sexy'. The two girls bicker over her taking things seriously, about how easy or how hard archery is, and of course Mi-jin's favorite topic, how hard school is. How many times is she going to bring that up?

But Ha-ri has her own tragic backstory about getting into university. Na-yeon remembers she found it funny when they learned about that, because everyone in school said Jang Ha-ri was so talented that her getting on the National Team and receiving a scholarship was all but guaranteed, and that afterwards she would probably become a professional. And Woo-jin was so proud to be her brother. When she failed, Na-yeon waited for him to become embarrassed or ashamed but he never did.

Mi-jin tries to make her feel better about having all her prospects taken away from her. Ha-ri responds by telling her how much she loves archery. How it's more important to her than college but college was the only way she would get to keep doing it.

"I'm only nineteen... but I feel like there's no hope."

Na-yeon half-expects Woo-jin to go back to sitting next to her, like he did before, but when she looks his way she finds him staring at his sister curiously. From where she's seated, she can't see their couch very well, but the only thing that seems noticeable is that Ha-ri has scooted closer to Mi-jin.

The need, no, demand, to know what's going on comes back but she pushes it down.

Mi-jin points out that if all the other archers in the country become zombies then she'll be the best, which she classifies as hope.

It's a very fucked up form of hope but she's not wrong. It is hope.

Na-yeon finds a lot of Mi-jin's words and actions fucked up, but she's still better than Na-yeon, because even a fucked up form of hope is better than no hope at all, and even if she shows that she cares in fucked up way, at least she cares.

But if Na-yeon is to really reunite with her classmates in this episode, then maybe there is hope. A fucked up hope. She knows that she doesn't deserve them, and she knows no one will ever forgive her but...

She really needs to stop aiming for some perfect ideal version of how she wants her life to be anyways.

Throughout her thought process, Mi-jin has been relating to how bad her grades are, and how she'll probably never get into college.

She gets up, intent to try out archery again.

"Because even if I totally suck it's better than you shooting alone."

She picks up a bow and mimics the movements, bringing a smile to Ha-ri's face.

It's sweet.

"Pause! Pause!" Woo-jin calls out.

What happens next is very annoying, in a very confusing way.

From the corner of her eye, Na-yeon catches sight of Woo-jin perking up, a smirk on his lips. She follows his line of sight to see the back of the male archer's head tilted towards him. The archer shrugs. Woo-jin shrugs. The archer shrugs in a different way. Woo-jin shrugs in a different way. Ha-ri's head moves to look at her friend, then to her brother, then back again. Suddenly, I-sak gasps loudly, turning her body so that she's sitting with her side to the cushion, meaning that Na-yeon can only see her back. She leans back. Woo-jin's eyes light up. I-sak gives jazz hands. He nods enthusiastically. She gives him a thumbs up. He gives her a thumbs up back, then gives the boy archer one as well. The archer nods. Ha-ri puts her head in her hands. Gyeong-su loudly face palms. I-sak wraps both her arms around his shoulders and says, "I could never replace you."

(Na-yeon holds back a gasp at the last thing, the confusion and annoyance quickly being replaced with a horrible dread.)

"Resume," Woo-jin says, ignoring the confused looks both of his closest friends are giving him.

"O-okay," the hot cop obliges.

"I hate my life, I understood every word of that," Gyeong-su groans, even as I-sak keeps hugging him.

She can hear whispering from his direction, probably the others asking what that was about, but she has a feeling that they aren't spilling any time soon.

The old Na-yeon would've probably demanded that they explain all of that to her, now, and then insulted them all for being so stupid, and she would've found whatever that was stupid. The old Na-yeon would scoffed or rolled her eyes at that last part with Gyeong-su and I-sak, and she'd have called it pity. It had to be pity. The old Na-yeon wouldn't have felt a single pang in her chest at the thought of Gyeong-su having to be replaced. She would've wanted him replaced with someone richer, less annoying, less likely to fight back.

But she's not the old Na-yeon. Maybe the new Na-yeon isn't that much better, but at least she can keep to herself.

And hey, at least it wasn't like when Su-hyeok and Nam-ra got together?

(She wanted them all to shut up so bad. So bad and yet...

Why does it ache to know that she'll never be a part of that nonsense? She's always known that, and besides, she's above all that. She's always been told that she's above all that. She's always told herself that.)

They sit around the fire, meaning this is probably the beginning of the confessions, the last part of the summary, and Na-yeon still hasn't even shown up in the episode yet. They must be halfway through at this point.

Dae-su tells the rest that he was told to lose weight at an audition he had. (What did he expect? There's a certain criterion for-

Stop.)

Still, he's a good singer, and at the encouragement of his friends, who say it will make them feel better, he sings for them. Most of them join in, including Ji-min, who she would have pegged as being too bitter at this point. Only Nam-ra, Cheong-san, and On-jo don't join in. The rest do sound nice together though.

It does make her feel better, if only just a little bit.

But all too quickly, the dread comes back again in full force. It shows Gwi-nam's recovery, the bones of his hand snapping back into place.

"Gotta get to the roof... Damnit..."

Fucking shithead.

But then, it shows the music room again, the zombie trapped by the piano causing it to make creepy sounds. Na-yeon steps out.

And it's starting.

It's safe to do so since all the zombies left in the room are stuck. Gwi-nam leaves the bathroom and hears all the racket, but thankfully she's able to stop it by using the thingy for standing up cameras to block the zombies' feet from hitting the keys.

She picks up the discarded video camera, and in real life Na-yeon lets out a gasp when a couple zombies run in, but she's able to retreat back into the supply closet.

She watches the messages her classmates left for their families. Just like before, Ji-min and Hyo-ryung's parts are painful but it becomes so silly when it gets to the boys, but Na-yeon can't remember why silly is such a bad thing.

"How can you sing at a time like this? Doesn't it feel like everyone should leave a final message?" "Who says it's final?"

"This is coming from the boy whose big message to his mother is that he wants a raise in allowance?"

"Mom can take a joke, Ha-ri," Woo-jin says.

"She can?" she asks, like she’s confused.

"It's all we ever do when we talk..." He takes a moment of pause. "Now shh, I wanna hear Joon-yeong's message."

As this is happening, Na-yeon starts packing up food. This is when she goes to meet her classmates again. This is how she builds up courage. Not from herself, but from them. From their inside jokes and annoying bantering and all the things she was so quick to dismiss before.

"Oh..." Woo-jin says, sounding slightly disappointed in Joon-yeong's message. "That's lame... You really think you're gonna get a girlfriend?"

"Aish! Shut up!"

"I'm joking! Sorry!" He chuckles. "Poor girl."

Normally, Na-yeon would tune them out but... If she can find courage in all their nonsense in the show, then maybe she can do the same in real life.

It won't be easy. It shouldn't be easy. She doesn't deserve easy. But she can try.

"Mom, listen, don't freak out, okay? You're the only person I can tell... Gyeong-su's dead, mom."

Oh...

Uh...

Fuck. Fuck. What the hell?

Cheong-san, instead of telling her what really happened, claims that it's his fault and makes it sound like Gyeong-su was bitten by a zombie after he called him over.

But why would he lie? Why? Why would he protect her like that?

"That's not true!" Gyeong-su says immediately, so ready to comfort him. "That's not true. Never think that, okay? God, when did you become so self-sacrificial?"

"Look, dude-" And that’s when Na-yeon realizes he's not doing it for her at all. He honestly believes that it's his fault first, everything else second.

And isn't that what Na-yeon wanted? For someone else to take the blame off her shoulders?

But this isn't the way. This is horrible.

"I don't want to hear it. You just had to be the main character, didn't you? Unbelievable." Gyeong-su pulls him into a hug. I-sak visibly wants to join, but On-jo holds her back.

And it's strange, because Na-yeon never thought much of Lee Cheong-san. He had the same boring crush on the same boring girl for years on end and he was pathetic because he degraded himself as a bodyguard of sorts for the poor kid. But in actuality he's the bravest person here... One of the bravest...

Gyeong-su had acted pretty brave when he was alive, hadn't he?

And this friendship, this love, it's- it's something that Na-yeon would have taken away from them. She would have done so without hesitation and without care about the lives she was ruining or the person she was killing.

She's a murderer.

"Please tell his grandma on my behalf. Put it gently so she doesn't get... too upset."

Oh my god.

What did she do?

His grandma...

His grandmother would have been on welfare too, so before all of this happened she would have... She would have seen her as less as well. But how? How can she think of an elderly lady who clearly just loves her grandson in such a way?

She guesses that she just never thought of Gyeong-su as human enough for his family to be... normal.

She's a monster.

Cheong-san ends the message sobbing as he regrets not letting him work at their restaurant, because he'd likely use it to get free chicken.

And some fucking part of Na-yeon still thinks that's pathetic, but there's also a part of her that hopes he does get free chicken this time around. And it's not just her head telling herself to be good, or nice, or to want whatever her classmates would probably want, but she genuinely wants him to have that happiness. And that-

That's still not enough to give her hope for herself.

"Does this mean you'll get me the job?" Gyeong-su asks, holding his friend tight.

He sniffles, and voice thick with tears, he says, "Fine. I guess."

"Finally."

Na-yeon forces a small smile, even though tears fall on her cheeks, as he pulls away only for I-sak to hug him again.

What did she do? What did she do? What did she do?

There's a flashback to what happened in the recording room, everything that she did. Nam-ra revealing it all, Ms. Park's attempts to deny it, Cheong-san getting angry and shoving her to the ground.

"You're... a murderer."

They all hated her. They all hate her, now and forever. They all look at her with disgust. Like she's something beneath them, something not even human at all, and who is she kidding? She is beneath them and she's not human. Not after what she did.

Tears run down her cheeks, and though she knows that people are looking at her, she doesn't deserve any of their sympathy and so she lets them fall even though she knows that they'll judge her for it.

Na-yeon hallucinates Gyeong-su reminding her of what she did, over and over even though she begs him to go, until finally she throws the bag of food and drinks at him.

She's such a coward.

It's almost a relief when the scene shifts back to the roof, to Hyo-ryung complimenting Dae-su for his music even though she thought it wasn't very good before. (People can change. Change their minds. Change their attitudes. They just need to actually hear things for what they are.)

On-jo asks Nam-ra about her smoking habit-

"Thank you, On-jo!" Mrs. Park says.

"Since the eighth grade. I had no friends and a lot of stress back then."

The eighth grade... Na-yeon remembers back then, before she met Ji-min and Hyo-ryung, and when she would gossip with some other girls whose names she doesn't remember, but she saw as just as expendable as she would her high school friends.

They would sneer and make spiteful jokes about Choi Nam-ra, the girl who thinks she's too good for them with her important mother that can get her everything she doesn't deserve.

They thought they knew everything there was to know about her.

They were wrong.

"Did you ever need a friend though?" "Not sure. Can't really tell."

On-jo laments that Nam-ra was never friendly towards her classmates, asking if it was because she hated them.

But no... It was never that. Not at all. She just didn't have any friends.

Hyo-ryung admits that she never liked her because she thought what they all thought. That Nam-ra saw herself as better than them. It feels like Hyo-ryung is trying to admit she was wrong, or... at least trying to talk things out with her. And that's more than Na-yeon would have been able to do.

Joon-yeong straight up admits that he hated her and wanted her to disappear, which Na-yeon finds unexpected. When questioned, he says it's because he was the second-best student compared to her despite his work ethic. But he backtracks, says it's fine because she encouraged him to work harder.

How do they do that so easily? How do they so easily admit that they're wrong?

Dae-su comforts him, telling him that second is great, especially since he comes in so low, to which he and Su-hyeok fist bump. Hyo-ryung admonishes that he shouldn't compare himself to Joon-yeong, and Dae-su asks if she has feelings for him, which she quickly denies.

... Well, if he makes Hyo-ryung happy.

Hyo-ryung was one of her only friends, even if only at surface level and even if Na-yeon didn't appreciate her, so she wants her to be happy.

No, she wants them all to be happy, fuck.

Dae-su tries to 'let her down easy' by explaining that he has a crush on someone else. And Hyo-ryung is protesting way too much. Na-yeon would have just told him to get fucked in her position.

They go on to reveal Dae-su's crush on Ha-ri from archery.

... Na-yeon is pretty sure that Ha-ri from archery might be a little gay for the bitchy girl though.

Wait, is that what that nonverbal conversation was about?

He's so weird about it but it's so silly. In a good way. Especially when Woo-jin promises to tell her to kill him, and they begin bickering about it as Dae-su tries to pull him closer for a hug even though Su-hyeok is sitting between them.

"Ha-ri," Dae-su stands. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you, but-"

"Shut up and sit down before I actually do kill you." She gestures to the floor, where Na-yeon assumes her bow and arrow is.

"I don't think you understand-"

"Shut. Up."

"I really wasn't joking."

"Do you wanna die?"

"Not the time, I get that." Dae-su nods and sits down. "We'll talk later."

"No, we won't!"

But even the levity that all that brings them is sucked away as she sees herself again, with her knees brought up to her chest. And she starts to think about what happened after Ms. Park took her hand and ran for it.

They ran down a hallway being chased by a zombie. She sees it, she remembers it, as Gyeong-su, though he wouldn't be inside. It's just her fucking head.

She's so stupid and weak that she lets herself trip and fall. Ms. Park tackles the zombie to save her and gets bitten.

She's dead. Ms. Park is dead all because of her. Just like him.

What did she do?

Ms. Park kicks him off and takes her away from there. The zombie follows her, stepping over the discarded handkerchief. That fucking handkerchief. She takes her to the music room and closes the door on herself.

Zombies appear around her, and they all look like Gyeong-su. Blood pours from her bite.

Why did she do this? For Na-yeon? Who would die for the girl who murdered her classmate? The girl who wouldn't have died for her or for anyone else?

"You were scared. So were the others. That's all. So, make sure you go back to them later. Go to them and tell them... and tell Gyeong-su that you're sorry."

Scared? Was she scared? Is that why she did it?

Na-yeon felt trapped. She knew her classmates didn't like her as much as they liked him. She put so much of her pride into being right about him being infected. They'd never let her live it down if she was wrong. And she valued her pride more than she valued his life.

For the most part that was it, but also if her classmates valued her less than they valued Gyeong-su or each other, then they wouldn't try hard enough to save her if she was in danger.

She needed to be useful even though she wasn't brave like Gyeong-su, or a natural leader like Cheong-san, or a good fighter like Su-hyeok, or smart like Nam-ra and Joon-yeong, and her parents never taught her about emergencies like On-jo's did. She's not protective like Woo-jin, or willing to try like Ji-min. She's not compliant like Hyo-ryung. She's not even funny like Dae-su.

All she could bring was stubbornness, and if she was the only one with a strong enough will to insist they kick out the kid that could be infected then so be it. And Gyeong-su was the most expendable in her eyes. The one that deserved her ire the most. That deserved nothing and could die for all she cared. Who could die and the world would not be at a loss. It would serve him right for daring to stand up to her.

Her.

A spoiled princess who mistreated him.

And now she's alive while Gyeong-su and Ms. Park are dead. It isn't right. It's not.

She is so sorry.

"And you're gonna help them this time. Okay?"

Na-yeon has to help them. Not- not for herself, but for the people she's hurt. Nothing will ever make up for it, but she has to help in any way that she can.

She has to. For Gyeong-su. For Ms. Park.

She's so sorry.

Na-yeon whimpers as Ms. Park starts to turn. It's so wrong. It should be her dying in that moment.

Dae-su is crying, and so are a few others. How much more pain will she cause before it's all over?

"It wasn't your fault. It was my fault."

Na-yeon wishes her hands were free so that she could wipe the tears with her sleeves, she's crying as the last thing Ms. Park tells her is to stay alive before stumbling away.

And now, a day after everything happened, she puts the food back in the bag and begins packing more supplies.

She has to do this. She has to.

It will be a dangerous trek to the roof, but she'll do what she has to do.

But first, it shows Ji-min talking by the fire, about how she was set to transfer to Seoul but sabotaged herself with On-jo's advice, because she would have missed her friends at Hyosan too much. Which is especially sad since if she had gone then her parents wouldn't have gone to the school at all.

"No offense?" Ji-min offers in low voice, seeing On-jo's awkward reaction.

But Na-yeon gets what it's like to regret the choices that would eventually lead to all of this.

Woo-jin goes next, talking about his sister and how she was so talented at archery that he fell into the background as far as their parents were concerned.

"What?" Ha-ri says. "That's not true." Woo-jin turns his head away from her. "That's not." He doesn't respond. "Woo-jin-"

"Wait," the boy archer interrupts. She looks at him for a long couple of seconds, and then turns back to the screen, agreeing not pursuing it any further.

Na-yeon thinks of how supportive Woo-jin was of her archery, how he took her failure in that competition, and how he comforted her. Did it never once cross his mind that her loss could've been his gain? That that was his shot at getting the attention he craves? Everyone in their class knew he was probably getting into an art school. Everyone thinks he's talented enough. He'll do what she couldn't live up to, but... he doesn't care. Because he thinks about his sister's wellbeing first even though he has reason to resent her. How does he do that? Na-yeon could never do that.

At least Dae-su makes him feel better in his own way. That's better than she could have done. "Thank God I have Dae-su."

What would Na-yeon say if she was at that fire? Would she refuse to participate? Would she use all their words against them? Judge Ji-min for being scared to transfer? Mock Woo-jin for feeling overshadowed by his sister?

Ji-min wanted to stay because she loved her friends too much to go. And Woo-jin was overshadowed but never held a grudge towards his sister. It's so obvious. Neither of them deserves to be hurt more than they already have been, and it's a show of how bad Na-yeon has gotten that she knows that she would have tried.

Nam-ra goes next, or at least she tries but she doesn't know what to say, so she just says-

"-but I feel like I made friends."

"You did!" I-sak says, beaming and wrapping an arm around On-jo. In the show, Nam-ra and On-jo smile at one another.

Good. She deserves friends. More than Na-yeon ever did. Because Choi Nam-ra, for all her coldness, never did anything to deserve the ire she got.

Cheong-san starts his own confession, beginning with bringing up him and On-jo. But before he can say anything profound or raw, it cuts away.

Na-yeon is looking out the hallway to get a sense of the zombies she'll have to get past in order to make it to the roof. She goes back inside to grab a weapon.

She gasps, shocked when it shows that Gwi-nam has found her.

Oh.

She's not gonna make it to the roof. Everything in her wants to scream or beg or cry, but she forces it all down until the only thing she can do is accept it. She's going to die. She should have died in episode three. She was living on borrowed time anyways. This is what she deserves. Whatever comes next is her own fault.

It still hurts to watch herself cower in fear as Gwi-nam plays around with her. The dread is almost too much, and she wishes they could just be over with it already, and then move on. Normally, she would close her eyes and wait for it to pass, but no... She watches it all. She doesn't deserve to be spared having to see.

He narrows in on the food, demanding to know if she's hungry. She gives a small nod. "Me too." He grabs her and bites her neck. Her feet shake above ground as blood splatter on her shoes and floor. The trapped zombies growl at the noise. She whimpers in pain and fear. The zombie's foot gets loose and begins to hit the piano keys again. A puddle forms beneath her as her legs go limp.

"Oh, Na-yeon," Ms. Park says softly, having come up to her at some point. She brushes the hair out of her face, then wraps her arms around her.

She wishes her hands were free to hug her back, because it's Ms. Park that deserves this comfort, not her. And yet, she's still so fucking selfish as to bury her head in her shoulder and just let herself be held. She should be alone, but the first chance she has to not be she takes.

What the fuck is wrong with her?

"I'm sorry," Na-yeon whispers. And like a lightbulb going off, she realizes she never actually apologized for what she did. She never had to apologize for a single thing in the past, so she didn't know how.

That's bullshit. Of course, she knew how. It's two simple words.

She was just afraid and ashamed and prideful.

"It's my fault," Ms. Park reiterates.

Na-yeon shakes her head, starting to pull away. Eyes wide, she turns her head to her classmates' couch. Gyeong-su's hands are being gripped tightly by Cheong-san and I-sak. They make eye contact, him looking scared and mournful and all the things he shouldn't have to feel for his murderer.

"I'm sorry," she says to him, hoping it brings him any sort of peace. "I'm so sorry. I was wrong and you were right. And you deserved so much better."

Gyeong-su stares at her, looking like he's about to cry, but he doesn't say anything.

She won't force him to respond, so she turns back to Ms. Park. "Thank you, for everything you've done." She looks at the hot cop. "You can keep going."

Ms. Park doesn't leave her, instead she remains standing and holds her arm. She doesn't protest it, because she zeroes in on the firm grip to help keep her together.

God, let there be hope.

Cheong-san's confession begins, with him baring to them that he's thirsty and not anything overtly emotional. Dae-su says that's not good enough.

Which it isn’t.

"Be honest; Do you like someone?"

She glances over at her classmates, wondering if On-jo is as annoyed as she always is whenever they’re brought up. But instead, her face is overwrought with horror, and it’s like she’s not really paying attention.

All of the other classmates share looks with one another, with small smiles on each of their faces. On-jo doesn't look particularly happy about it though.

"Wait…” I-sak whispers, her eyes widening.

Na-yeon is happy for them. They deserve each other, really, they do. They're two of the most heroic kids in this story. They might even be perfect for one another.

On-jo plays it cool as she questions him about his crush, but it's not impossible to tell that it's a little forced.

Their classmates are just so ready for him to tell her, though Cheong-san denies her again. This time, On-jo gets more comfortable, safely falling back into their usual dynamic.

Na-yeon is pretty sure he'll keep stalling or ask her to another part of the roof away from-

"You. It's you, On-jo. I like you."

I-sak squints. Quietly, she asks, “Why would you do that in front of everyone?"

Cheong-san doesn’t answer, his blank expression never so much as twitching, though he does glance at his soon to be girlfriend.

Na-yeon finds herself wishing that this scene had happened before her death, because then they would’ve been in a happier mood. Even in her own mind, her thoughts flash back to it, wondering how it must have felt to be eaten alive.

On-jo thinks it's a joke. Of course, she does. She explains that they're just friends, but no one buys it. Why would they? Until finally, he has to tell her that he's not joking.

"Ever since I was six years old, I've always liked you On-jo. And I always will."

On-jo tilts her head to the side. It's seeming like she’s finally processing the confession.

The only thing she can do is stand up and walk away, looking over the edge of the roof. Su-hyeok says his name and gestures for him to go after her with his head.

"Do you need to be told everything?" I-sak mutters bitterly. "You're not a child."

He approaches her and awkwardly tries to apologize, saying it's okay if she doesn't like him. She's still hurt though.

"I-sak's gone and now you're gone too. What is it that you want from me?"

He isn't gone. He'll still be there for her, at this point Na-yeon would actually be surprised if death really could stop him, it's just not exactly how On-jo expected him to be.

Oh fuck. Gwi-nam climbs out the window (the music room window where she-) with his mouth covered in blood. As he moves, he keeps slurping on Na-yeon's blood, and she wants to look away or ask for another hug but she doesn't deserve either of those reprieves.

He gets to a pipe and starts to go u- He can do that?

Cheong-san asks a damning question: Did On-jo ever like him? She's too quiet for someone who acted that upset earlier. Most girls would have been quick to say no, but not in the defensive way that Hyo-ryung's rejection of Dae-su was like. Rejection is a balance between hesitance and desperation.

But he takes her silence for rejection, until finally On-jo just asks him to leave her alone.

"You don't have to like me back."

He turns away as tears fall from her eyes, and she gets on her knees. But she looks at him from across the roof, her face showing her uncertainty. And even though she needs time to herself, she doesn't get it, because that's when Gwi-nam gets to the top.

They stare at one another for a moment, before he grabs her. Cheong-san runs at them and so he discards her. Gwi-nam pins him to the grounds.

"Give me your eye, asshole."

With his thumb, he begins to poke out his eye as Cheong-san cries out. Thunder strikes.

Na-yeon hopes he'll be okay.

“Oh my god,” On-jo whispers, afraid. But then she blinks, sitting up straight, and whips her head at Cheong-san. “Wait, did you say you LIKED ME!?!?!”

Her too.

Chapter Text

So-ju's POV

Hey.

So, you might be wondering, how does Nam So-ju feel about his daughter's love life being a major factor in the television drama about their apocalyptic futures?

Well...

He doesn't love it.

It's definitely annoying.

But… you know...

At least she’s not smoking.

They definitely have bigger priorities, such as all these kids' odds of survival, how long it will take for So-ju to get to them, and if his little girl will be able to stay safe until he can rescue her.

And she has done a great job so far. He's extremely proud of her.

But, you know, her wanting to get a boyfriend isn't ideal.

Then again, what about this is?

Lee Su-hyeok seemed nice enough, and he is, if a little disinterested. But he is a teenager after all and any relationship he had would be new and immature, so it's acceptable so long as he remains respectful to her and genuine feelings do develop. In that case then So-ju would happily accept him as his daughter's first boyfriend.

Then it became incredibly obvious that he harbors feelings for another girl, which at that point is just, okay.

At least On-jo seems like she's completely dropped her crush on him, so it doesn't seem to matter that much.

Then there's Cheong-san.

He loves Cheong-san, of course he does. So-ju has known him since he was a boy and he's always been such a great friend to On-jo.

It seems like not long ago, Lee Him-chan warned them all of this. For as little as Cheong-san's father has been seen in the series (though So-ju won't share with anyone his theory that the man had perished by the time Hee-su made it to the restaurant, Cheong-san has been through enough heartbreak) he warned them of this. Said it was obvious that the two kids would get together at some point. He and Yu-jun balked at the suggestion, not ready to admit that the kids would ever grow up but... well...

They are growing up at the end of the day. Maybe faster than they should have to, but still.

And So-ju still dreads thinking about how he's going to explain to Him-chan and Yu-jun any changes in their son. And there will be changes. He's seen this before-

Okay, not this. He's not sure anyone has been through this before, but trauma. So-ju isn't sure how that vibrant teenage boy will react to seeing his mother again after what happened to her. And besides all that, he suspects that every kid will come out of this more somber, quietly haunted.

It's not fair that most of their parents will have no idea why or have any way of understanding. He hates to think about On-jo suddenly exhibiting symptoms of ptsd when he has no idea why.

A lot of things will be changing after they get home, most will be blindsided.

Once again, So-ju finds himself wishing their kidnappers had only showed the adults this show.

But back to the dating aspect of it all-

Cheong-san will treat On-jo the way she deserves to be treated. He'd never hurt her or let anyone else. He would never do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. And even before all this, he's already proven several times over, on playgrounds and in living rooms, that he'll protect On-jo.

And if she ultimately rejects him, he won't hold it against her, no matter how sad it makes him. If they ever break up, So-ju would guess that it would be on good terms and that they'd try to stay friends with each other.

Plus... she is happy when she's around him. She always has been.

Yeah, So-ju will be relieved if Lee Cheong-san ends up becoming On-jo's first boyfriend.

"No, no, you cannot like me!" On-jo yells at him. "Why were you saying such stupid things!?"

He watches from afar, deciding not to get involved unless she starts kicking him again, which So-ju really should talk to her about. He watches as I-sak and Gyeong-su sneak off away from them. As Cheong-san keeps his composure as he responds, only frustrating her more. As On-jo shakes her head.

He did say 'if'.

XXX

I-sak's POV

"He said he wanted a girlfriend in college."

I-sak sighs loudly, messaging her forehead, unable to believe he doesn't see it. "A) You call yourself an ally and yet you don't even consider compulsory heterosexuality, or that he's closeted? B) Joon-yeong is a bicon, we've been over this, Gyeong-su!"

"I will pay you money I don't have for you to never call Joon-yeong a bicon ever again."

"Not for a million followers," she squares her shoulders.

"Oh, why don't you just go to Woo-jin and make faces at each other over Ha-ri and Mi-jin," Gyeong-su says moodily.

"Hey, hey, no," I-sak frowns, feeling weirdly hurt by the words. "Don't be like that."

"I'm not being like anything." He refuses to look at her.

"I'm sorry. It's just- It was just nice to be on the same page with someone for once! That's all. It doesn't mean anything."

"That doesn't sound like it doesn't mean anything," he points out. "Not that I care, I don't, but that's just how it sounds. I'm just pointing out a fact."

I-sak looks down, wanting to make this right. "I wouldn't change what we have for the world. You know that right? It's just... every once in awhile I don't think it would hurt for you to share a bit of enthusiasm."

"Enthusiasm..." Gyeong-su repeats. "Well... Okay, then tell me that. Don't just start having nonverbal conversations with one of our best friends right in front of me. Also, I still hate that I understood every word of that."

"I love that you understood every word of that. But I'm sorry, okay?" I-sak concedes. She never wanted to make him jealous or anything. Not even a little bit.

"... No, I'm sorry," Gyeong-su says as well. And to her surprise, he adds, "And look, based on Woo-Jin's reaction when Joon-yeong said he wanted a girlfriend, maybe you're right. At least about him."

I-sak smiles at him, feeling happy at the words. "Of course, I am. Why would you ever doubt me? And hey, I'm three for four so far, aren't I?"

"Still technically one for four," Gyeong-su reminds her. "On-jo didn't reciprocate yet."

"She will. I still can't believe Cheong-san didn't ask her to go to another part of the roof first," I-sak shakes her head. Thinking about it now, she kind of wants to scream or laugh at him, because seriously. Has he no sense of mood? Or romance? She looks at Gyeong-su. "And hey, just so you know, I could never be official partners in love with Woo-jin. How would I ever be able to talk about him and Joon-yeong?"

"Well..." Gyeong-su looks down. "What are you gonna do when you start shipping me with someone?"

I-sak blinks. "What?" Did she hear him wrong?

"Well, it has to happen sooner or later," he says. "I'm too attractive. All the rage. The ladies love me."

Uh- um- What!?

I-sak shoves his arm instead of thinking about him getting a girlfriend. "Shut up."

"I'm serious, what are you gonna-" The question dies on his lips as the door is pushed open and Ji-min walks in.

"What the- Why are you in the girl's bathroom!?"

"We're hiding from our real problems," I-sak says simply.

What? Did you think they really cared? Did you think they honestly care about all this after everything that happened last episode? Who would actually care about her getting excited about a ship with someone else? Who?

"And you couldn't do that in the boy's bathroom?" Ji-min asks.

Gyeong-su shrugs. "It smells weird in there. Blame Dae-su."

"Oh..." She looks briefly disgusted. "... Get out of the girl's bathroom!"

He sighs, standing up, then reaches down and holds out his hand to help I-sak up.

"Wanna see if Mi-jin will let us stay in the lunch room while she's smoking?" she asks as they walk away.

"No," Gyeong-su says, causing her to stop in her tracks and look at him.

"What?" I-sak frowns, feeling dread build up in her stomach.

He squares his shoulders and turns to look at her. "I am gonna go face our real problems." He walks away.

I-sak groans and follows after him, already hating everything about this.

XXX

Gyeong-su's POV

Well... no one's ever called him a coward, that's for sure.

He takes comfort in knowing I-sak is walking behind him as he approaches Lee Na-yeon.

She's with the Commander. Him giving her the same old speech. "I'm deeply sorry that you had to witness that, and I assure you that this will prevented within the best of my ability."

"Th-thank you," Na-yeon nods, her eyes widening when she sees him.

"Um," Gyeong-su looks at the Commander and Ms. Park. "Give us a sec?" The thought of airing out all his baggage with her in front of two adults makes him kind of nauseous, in a 'he doesn't want to' sort of way.

They nod and back off.

"Um..." I-sak starts. "Do you want me to go too?"

"No," Gyeong-su says immediately. "Stay." He wants her to stay. He feels better knowing she's there as he turns back to the other girl.

"Hi," Na-yeon says simply. There's fear in her eyes as well as dread and anxiety. Usually, she would be complaining about anything that makes her slightly uncomfortable, but not now.

"I don't forgive you," Gyeong-su tells her straight up.

He waits for her to become angry. To demand that he does accept her apology. To take her 'sorry' back now that she knows she won't be let off the hook.

But instead, she looks almost like she gets it. "You don't need to forgive me, I don't deserve it."

She's surprising him so much.

"I don't forgive you for anything," Gyeong-su continues. "You hated me, actually hated me, not the petty bullshit people felt for Nam-ra, you wanted me dead, and you didn't even know me. I would walk too close to you, you'd shout that I was 'getting my stench' on you. I would laugh and you would call me a 'shithead'. I eat food during lunch, there you are with a snide comment about handouts. And you know, it fucking hurts that me existing and not having money was enough for you to want to kill me."

That last part hurts to admit. Because it does hurt that someone out there wants him dead when he hasn't done anything to deserve that. But he doesn't like admitting that, like it gives her some sort of win over him. But he says it anyways because if she's so sorry than she won't act like it's a win.

So, what does she have to say for herself?

"I'm sorry," Na-yeon says lamely. "That's all I know what to say. And you still don't have to forgive me. I can't... I don't think I can make it up to. But is there something you want? Something I can give you?"

He wants to scoff, say of course she goes to buying her way out of this, judge her.

Except-

There is something Gyeong-su wants that she can maybe give him.

"Just tell me why? Explain it to me? For real this time. Please."

"I- Um," she swallows, and he thinks that he might've asked for the one thing she can't give him. Besides like, having his memory wiped of the past nine hours.

But then she says. "I guess it's hard, because I'm still struggling to learn all the things I did wrong. But I know I shouldn't have done that to you. Any of that, not just the stuff at the end. I was spoiled. No one ever told me 'no' growing up. I felt like I owned the world, and the world was shiny and clean and it bent to be whatever I wanted it to be. And then there was you. You were poor and loud and messy, and you always fought back when I pointed out that you didn't belong in my clean world.

"And I wasn't useful like the rest of you. And everyone took your side during fights. None of you cared about my status so I was scared that I was useless. But if I was wrong about your scratch, I'd be a liability. And that doesn't make it right. None of what I did was right and I wish I was different. All I can say is that I'm so sorry.

He waits for her expression to change, the cruelty to come back, her to tell him once again that he's worthless trash. But she doesn't do that.

"Does that... help?" Na-yeon asks hesitantly.

Gyeong-su turns away, taking I-sak's hand and getting out there. When he stops, he hears I-sak sniffling behind him. He realizes tears have also built up in his own eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he pulls her into a hug.

XXX

Mi-jin's POV

Jesus, she's missed this. She's needed this.

How the fuck do the rest of them not need a good cigarette after all the crap they've been through?

She's hiding in the room where they'd all had lunch as per the grown ups' request. Normally, she reserves smoking for private areas anyways, because for all she does not care, there are kids with asthma and shit. She's not a complete psycho.

She looks up as the door to the lunch room opens. She raises an eyebrow as Joon-seong walks in. She takes the cigarette from her lips, huffs out smoke, and says, "Hey?"

"Hi," he walks to the table she's at, and she's about to ask if the smell of smoke doesn't bother him, when he says, "You should ask her out."

"What!?" Mi-jin starts coughing.

"Ha-ri," Joon-seong says simply, like that's the part she needs to be clarified. "You want to, don't you?"

"Wh-" Mi-jin says once she's calmed down. "Well, I mean, she's hot as shit, and clearly thinks she's hot shit, but... ask her out?" Is he crazy??

"But you do like her?"

"And that doesn't bother you?" Mi-jin challenges, kinda just wanting him to leave before realizing this isn't the way. Like, obviously it doesn't.

She could not give two shits about who knows she sometimes sleeps with girls, but it's just fucking surprising that he doesn't seem to give a damn either. He always struck her as a good Christian dumbass.

"Why would it?" Joon-seong asks, and then after a second tells her, "My dad is gay."

"What?" Mi-jin says, startled.

"Don't tell anyone," he says. "The only person at school who knows is Ha-lim. But yeah... He's been dating this guy for a long time... and I also call him 'dad'."

"You have two dads?" Mi-jin says bluntly.

"... Yes, and a mom."

"Well, that's just fucking delightful. Good for your dad."

Joon-seong looks at her in awe. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"'Good for your dad?'" Mi-jin says but then thinks it over. "Huh. I guess it is."

Joon-seong nods. "... So, Ha-ri?"

"Fuck. Ha-ri," Mi-jin groans.

Shit. She's decided to fuck Ha-ri, but that's it. That's the extent of whatever this is with her.

"You know what? Fine. If it will make you happy, I will sleep with her."

"I don't know why you phrased it like that but okay," Joon-seong says, confused. "But it will make you happy?"

"Ugh, yeah, sure..." Mi-jin crosses her arms, unable to look at him any longer.

Like, of course it will. She's so attractive and badass. Who wouldn't wanna sleep with her?

"Okay, what do you want to say to her?" Joon-seong prompts.

"What?" Mi-jin shakes her head. "Uh... Quickie in the bathroom?"

"What?" Joon-seong says in horror. "You're not gonna do... it during an intermission, are you?"

When else are they gonna do it? Like any of them are talking to one another the second all this shit is over and they go back home. But she doesn't say that. Instead, she just shrugs.

"No. Give her a real pick up line," Joon-seong says, scooting his seat closer. "Here, pretend I'm Ha-ri and you're trying to ask me out."

"Ew," she cringes.

"Now," he whines.

"Fine!" Mi-jin runs a rough hand over her face, unable to believe she's agreeing to do this. "Um... Hey, Ha-ri, you dropped something."

"What?" Joon-seong asks politely.

"Hopefully, your standards. What's up, I'm Mi-jin."

"I'm pretty sure she already knows your name," he points out.

"Oh fuck, you're right."

"Try again," he tells her.

Mi-jin lets out a sigh. "Okay... Ha-ri. It's like, really traumatizing out there. This all really sucks. But I don't hate you. And... I'm used to being alone. So, you know what? Having sex in the girl's bathroom is not gonna fix our problems. Depending on who walks in and how soundproof those walls are, having sex in the bathroom is gonna give us more problems and probably traumatize a few people more than they already have been. But what do you say? Will you have sex in the bathroom with me?"

Joon-seong gapes wide at her, and she just manages to keep her face calm until he shouts out, "Will you take this seriously!?"

Mi-jin laughs.

And as funny as messing with him is...

Fuck. She's caring. Mi-jin hates caring. And she hasn't cared in years, so why should she care now?

And why is she caring? Because the hot archery captain isn't the biggest bitch in the world? Because that loser from primary school stabbed himself? Because she insisted on killing that other loser from primary school?

Joon-seong has done nothing but bitch at her since all this started and... she didn't know he had it in him. She's known him years without ever getting close and he's always seemed like a giant crybaby to her, which he definitely is, but that doesn't stop him from talking back to her. She expected him to just cower and be afraid of her, but he's not. At least... not as much as she thought he was.

He needs to not die, she'll be pissed at him if he does.

XXX

Ha-ri's POV

Jang Ha-ri does not back away from anything.

Her coach hates her? She'll prove him wrong. She thought she would... Her little brother is trapped in a zombie-infested school? She goes in. That same little brother tells his friends that their parents don't pay attention to him? She walks up to him, ignoring the pointed look Min-jae shoots her.

He's talking with one of his friends when she taps on his shoulder.

"Talk?" Ha-ri offers in simple terms.

Woo-jin sighs, already whining. "Do we have to?"

"What? Yes!"

"But what if we never talk about it?" Woo-jin suggests like it's this exciting new idea. "What about that?"

"I... No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But what are you sure about?" Woo-jin raises an eyebrow.

"..." Ha-ri thinks for a second. "... Talking."

He groans. "Fiiine." He looks at his friend. "Give us a minute?"

"Of course," Joon-yeong smiles tightly at Woo-jin and then walks back a bit.

When he's gone, Ha-ri looks at her brother, knowing he's not gonna start but not knowing how to do so either.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why did you tell all your friends that Mom and Dad ignore you?"

And wasn't that a slap in the face to hear?

He always seemed so happy. Never stressed. Never busy. Never afraid of disappointing their parents. Nothing was keeping from going to a friend's house if he felt like it, or spending the day painting whatever in his room, or going to the ma- Well, something does keep him from the mall.

And of course, their parents pay attention to him. He just admitted to joking around them done, something they never do with Ha-ri. They practically baby him. It's always 'Look after Woo-jin, Ha-ri', 'Make sure your brother stays out of trouble', 'Think about him, he needs you to succeed'.

They just aren't hinging everything on a future that might not happen for him.

And he's jealous of that?

"Honestly, everyone was being angsty," Woo-jin crosses his arms. "I'm the fucking art kid of the group, I had to say something."

Her first instinct is to call him crazy, but instead she just says an unsure, "That's it?"

"Yes."

No... he wouldn't do that. "I don't believe you."

He shakes his head and after a second, he smiles. "You're perfect, aren't you?"

Ha-ri stares. What is up with him?

But no. No, she's not. Otherwise, she wouldn't have failed her competition, she would've found a way to her brother by now, and he would make sense to her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just..." She waits for him to finish but Woo-jin doesn't seem to know how to, though he clearly has something he wants to say.

"Woo-jin, do you feel neglected?" Ha-ri asks, feeling like an idiot.

And he just seems so... distressed, though all he says is, "The sun shines because you picked up a bow and arrow. Everything else is second to that."

"I'm sorry," Ha-ri breathes, wishing she hadn't pushed the topic.

"Hey, don't feel guilty," Woo-jin frowns, looking so concerned for her. And the tension breaks. "You're the only one who ever chooses me over you.

"That's not true," Ha-ri murmurs, glancing at that one friend he was talking to, still lingering nearby, pretending he's not eavesdropping or that he's not concerned. "You got a lotta friends."

He gives a small smile. "I do." He reaches over a takes her hand, quietly adding, "So do you."

Ha-ri glances over at Min-jae watching them with cautious optimism from afar, and then to Mi-jin and Joon-seong leaving the room where they'd all had lunch in.

Her entire life Min-jae has been her only friend, and they met as children. Her entire life she's had her friend and her brother and her parents and her archery and that was enough for her. Woo-jin was the one with time for a social life.

As if reading her mind, Woo-jin leans in close and whispers, "It was about time you got a girlfriend."

Ha-ri scoffs in surprise. She narrows her eyes at him. "How did you even know I like girls?"

"You like girls more than I like girls," Woo-jin says bluntly.

She punches him on the shoulder. "Idiot."

Ha-ri backs away, and as soon as she does, his friend comes back to his side. She's happy that he has people so loyal to him. Joon-yeong will probably be better at making him feel better than she ever could. She sees their hands intertwine before she turns her back on the two.

"What did you mean when you said she likes girls more than you like girls?" she hears Joon-yeong ask as she walks away.

"Um... don't worry about it." There's an insightful hint in his voice, as if her brother knows something they don't. Though, she obviously does know.

Ha-ri does appreciate his vagueness. Though, since Woo-jin trusts him, seemingly a lot, she doubts Joon-yeong would cause any trouble for her.

She's never gone through the whole 'coming out' process. As far as she's concerned, it would only give cruel teachers and coaches ammunition to use against her, and it would just be one more thing that could risk her parents' disappointment. But even then, somehow her boys just know.

Fucking punks.

She takes her seat next to Min-jae, and eyes Woo-jin and Joon-yeong laughing from across the room. He looks happier than he ever does when they're at home.

The thought creates a pit in her stomach.

Fuck.

But no matter what, Ha-ri can't wait until he actually does like a girl so that she can embarrass him about it like he did with her.

As for Mi-jin... she's different, that's for sure. She's not like the girls Ha-ri would normally consider dating. She's louder, obnoxious, but... spirited. Fiery. Rebellious

Introducing her to her parents wouldn't make them any easier about her dating a girl.

But maybe they don't have to this perfect thing for her parent's sake. Maybe they just have to survive. Maybe they just have to be.

XXX

On-jo's POV

What a piece of shit.

What did he think he was doing?

He likes her.

He's her best friend. He's always been there.

"I don't regret it," Cheong-san says, annoyingly calm about the whole thing.

"That isn't fair," On-jo's winces at the quiver in her voice. "Stay away from me."

She walks away from him, and from his confession, and from all this bullshit, because staying sort of makes her feel something is crawling out of her skin. Or not crawl but burst.

And On-jo kind of feels like crying, because he's always been there for her and he can't like her. He's not allowed to. An if he likes her then what will become of them? Will she lose him?

She sits on the far end of the couch and brings her knees to her chest.

"Well, this is a sad look."

"I-sak?"

"Someone looks like they need to talk," her best friend teases. "Boy trouble?"

"What about Gyeong-su?" On-jo asks. "He's going through a lot more than me."

"He's in good hands." I-sak nods towards him and Cheong-san further down the couch. "So, what's on your mind? Any confession-related thoughts you wanna share?"

On-jo huffs and nods. "Can you believe Cheong-san?"

"I know, right?! Why wouldn't he just ask you to another side of the roof?" I-sak shakes her head. "Completely moronic. Like, does he have no sense of drama? Mood? Romance?"

"Okay, you're missing the point," On-jo says. Actually, she had trouble processing the whole thing, what with them all seeing their classmate get eaten alive a minute before. But the 'mood' is not her problem. "The point is that he drums all this... stuff up now, at the end of the world, he tells me he likes me."

I-sak gives her a confused look. "Why wouldn't he do that at the end of the world?"

"What? I-sak-"

"I mean, end of world, no regrets, just..." I-sak sighs, though not as dreamily as On-jo would've thought. There's a soft frown on her face. "If you're gonna die, why not be with the person you want to be with?"

"Okay, I don't to be with someone just in case we die, and I don't want to be with Cheong-san at all."

I-sak groans. "C'mon, it's Cheong-san!"

"Exactly! It's Cheong-san!" On-jo argues. "I could never date him. I've known him my entire life."

"Yeah, and he'll think of you and your safety and what makes you happy before anything else."

On-jo shakes her head. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Yes."

On-jo wraps an arm around her and leans her head on hers. She just doesn't want to lose the friends she has. And you can break up with boyfriends, but she thought that friends like Cheong-san would last forever. He's always been there for her and now... If she dates him and they break up, will he still be there or will something be completely ruined? If she rejects him, will he still be there or will he hurt too much? And it's not fair. Does he even like her for real or is it just... the end of the world?

Does On-jo even like him?

She sits farther away from him than she normally would. Gyeong-su and I-sak are between them like they normally are, but there's more space between her and them. They're closer to Cheong-san, and hopefully being around his best friend will make him feel better after everything with Na-yeon.

From the corner of her eye, she sees Nam-ra and Su-hyeok, having survived her being chewed out by Nam-ra's mom, again. But her arms are wrapped around his neck, and the gaze into each other's eyes lovingly. The sight doesn't make On-jo as jealous as she would've thought. It's the happiest she's has ever seen their class president.

Good, she deserves to be happy.

On-jo sighs. How many times has she moped that Nam-ra got the awesome boyfriend while she was stuck making silly faces with Cheong-san? And now he wants to be with her?

God. She doesn't want to keep going. She's never wanted to keep going, because of the threat of losing her friends. But now, she's scared about losing him in another way. She doesn't want to see the aftermath of Cheong-san's confession from a third-party view. She's already gonna have to live it in real life.

'A disturbance at the camp shifts the military's understanding of the virus. A thunderstorm provides cover as the group agrees to keep moving.'

"Moving?" Assemblywoman Park says in concern. "But I'm sure the roof is safe for you kids!"

"And with the officers in custody, I should be sending soldiers to the school to retrieve Byeong-chan's laptop," Commander Jin adds with a deep frown.

Joon-yeong pulls a face. "I guess we decide there's no point waiting before anyone comes?"

"Why would we do that?" Ji-min asks, looking deeply upset. No wonder why. The thought that they could be saved but don't because of the wrong choices is so annoying.

"Maybe we won't have the choice," Cheong-san suggests. "With Gwi-nam on the roof..."

"Fuck," Su-hyeok leans back in his seat.

On-jo hugs herself, remembering how last episode ended and thinking of all the ways next episode can be a complete disaster.

Chapter Text

Woo-jin's POV

The fight picks up where it left off, with Gwi-nam trying to take out Cheong-san's eye. On-jo tries to help, but he shoves her away, and far, like she weighs nothing.

"Hey!" Captain Nam shouts in anger. Cheong-san is also red in the face, but he keeps quiet.

Su-hyeok manages to kick him off and they begin fist fighting while Dae-su and Woo-jin help Cheong-san up, Ji-min and Hyo-ryung are with On-jo. Gwi-nam fucking kicks Bare-su across the roof into a bunch of chairs, and Joon-yeong goes to check on him. So sweet... That moron better not draw attention to himself-

Oh shit, Prez is not happy... or human.

Gwi-nam looks at all of them. Dae-su asks who he is, and he's surprised that they don't already know. But their group never paid a lot of attention to bullies, besides scoffing at how pathetic they were, and Woo-jin at least didn't know his name before all this shit went down, but you know what? Fuck it. Sorry, their first thoughts after seeing a psycho hambie try to gouge their friend's eye out weren't about how badass the lackey got.

But you know... At least Woo-jin isn't dumb enough to say that to his face.

"Goddammit, Cheong-san!" On-jo yells in frustration, though maybe she has to yell now that they're sitting so far apart. "Stop provoking him! You're not cool, you're just an idiot."

He's going so hard on the insults, holy fuck...

So, Gwi-nam wants to absolutely tear him to shreds, which is the only response that could have been predicted. But then, unexpectedly, he offers to let the rest of them go while he kills Cheong-san...

...

... Yeah, they aren't doing that. Because no matter how much of a dumbass he can be, they aren't leaving him.

Also, there are still zombies in school, so leaving the roof without a plan isn't great, and it's not even raining yet.

So, yeah, Dae-su and Woo-jin take a few steps forward in front of Cheong-san, fists clenched, making their stance very clear. They'll fight for their friend, which is more than the bullies can say for one another.

"You're all dead."

We know.

Cheong-san goes after him, with Woo-jin, Dae-su, and Ji-min trying to pull Gwi-nam off, but even their combined strength doesn't work. Joon-yeong (his heart races at him getting involved) hits him over with some wood-

-and then that absolute piece of shit kicks Joon-yeong and sends him flying and his glasses break, and FUCK.

Oh, he swears to God the next time Woo-jin sees that fucker, he's killing him.

In this timeline, not in the show. Fuck, definitely not in the show. Gwi-nam throws them all off, Ji-min falling to the ground, and then hurls Woo-jin at Dae-su, and that looks like it hurts.

Joon-yeong's breath hitches, and he intertwines their fingers together, reminding them both that at least in this world it's safe for them. Sort of.

How the hell are they gonna get out of this one? Cheong-san throws a punch, it doesn't do anything and then Gwi-nam's kicks send him tumbling towards the girls. Nam-ra stands away from them though, her body straight and stiff, like something from a horror movie... he assumes. As he stalks closer, Su-hyeok hits him in the same way Joon-yeong did earlier.

Gwi-nam quickly takes him by the throat, but Su-hyeok does a kick far too impressive for a teenager to do. It looks like it should break his back, though the science of if that's true is beyond Woo-jin's knowledge, but Gwi-nam stays on his legs and quickly snaps back into place.

Nam-ra watches all of this happening, the punch that sends Na-yeon's blood off his face, the kick that gets caught, Gwi-nam pushing her boyfriend into a metal object. All the while she's changing, maybe becoming rightly angry at seeing this, maybe gathering strength.

"Nam-ra, stay out of this!" her mother barks the order at her.

Enough strength to pick up a piece of wood from the fire pit and hit his back. Once again, it doesn't do much (How dare that asshole touch Joon-yeong, honestly-)

Gwi-nam doesn't think much of her, taking her by the throat and hitting her so that she falls onto the ground, but she's not knocked out. As he approaches the other girls, ready to do God knows what else, when she stabs him in the leg with a stray piece of wood.

He takes it from his leg and tries stab her, but she grabs his wrist and won't let go even as he punches and kicks her with his super strength. She won't let go, even as he tries to throw her off. It's only when he steps on her hand that he manages to escape her grip.

He takes her by her hair, but instead of attacking her further, he begins to talk about her scent...

... Is Bare-su gonna stand for that?

Looking at their friend, he's red in the face, his arm wrapped around Nam-ra's waist protectively. In the show, she pushes Gwi-nam away and bitch slaps him before he stops her.

"You and me are on the same side."

It doesn't matter to her, of course it doesn't. She's one of them now. So, she tells him to fuck off. Su-hyeok starts hitting him once more. Until finally, Gwi-nam tries to attack Su-hyeok and through the power of love and super strength, Nam-ra is able to throw him over the side of the roof.

Finally.

The lovebirds look at one another, Su-hyeok not at all looking at Nam-ra differently than he would've before all this. Which is goals, really. He just lifts a hand to wipe the blood from her lip and tells her that it's okay.

Woo-jin's attention is quickly taken away by himself and Dae-su as they try and recover from their parts in the fight. Dae-su has always been vocal, whereas Woo-jin is decidedly... not, but since he was thrown into him, it might have hurt Dae-su more. Woo-jin at least had someone break his landing.

Cheong-san and On-jo are close, but neither have the words to say to one another.

When the show takes a wide shot, he sees that Joon-yeong is fine, at least enough to have gone over to Woo-jin and Dae-su, with both their attention on their hurt friend. Hopefully, Dae-su will be fine.

On-jo can only look into the hot flames of their campfire as Cheong-san looks at her with uncertainty. And that's why you have to make very sure that your crush likes you back before confessing, otherwise you both get burned.

Anyways...

(He thinks he'd actually have died in his position, actual death via embarrassment, so props to Cheong-san for remaining so calm.)

Woo-jin has to admit that despite the trauma they're enduring, the intro is really cool and creative, with the title of the series fading away into zombies reaching for- Oh, come on!

"Ah!"

"Just fucking die already!" Dae-su fake sobs... or maybe they're real. Woo-jin doesn't know, shut up.

"We were on the same side."

Gwi-nam and Nam-ra? Just because they're both hambies doesn't mean that. By that logic, their friend group would be on the same side as the bullies before they turned because they're all humans.

At least Gwi-nam seems to be in a lot of pain, by the way his voice gasps out in breathlessness, and he relies on one arm and one leg to crawl, but his movements make him look almost spider-like in spite of that. It should take a while for him to recover.

The survivors camp, surrounded by all the normal, everyday people they aspire to be like because at least those people are safe, Cheol-soo, still in uniform, is in line for food. It's not fair.

Woo-jin still doesn't forgive him, and neither do any of his friends. They had never done a thing to him, and he left them to die when he didn't have to. If not, then they would all be safe. So, in a way, if any of them die from that point on then their blood is on his hands.

Woo-jin doesn't want to think about that anymore.

The zombified soldier (it's so brutal to see them up close, red and crazed, nothing of the human they were before) from before is tied down as a scientist takes off part of his skin. Looks like his mother gave permission to let him be tested on. That must've been so sad for her, that poor woman.

Commander Jin gets told some science stuff that Woo-jin has no hope of understanding, even after it gets further explained. It sounds like they're just now learning that it's a new virus, which like, is that really such a surprise? The other guy says it's because the virus keeps evolving.

Someone else runs in to tell them about the cops and their storyline, with them explaining it to their interrogators and then the soldier explaining it to the Commander, stating that he believes them.

Wait, do they not already know that Hyosan High was ground zero? Weren't they sending soldiers to block the place off?

"Keep questioning the detective. Send Special Mission to the school. Retrieve the laptop."

Joon-yeong gasps. Woo-jin looks at him, questioning.

"That'll bring a helicopter to the school," he whispers. "Soon."

His first instinct is for his heart to do a somersault at the thought of finally getting rescued, but instead Woo-jin whispers back, "What about the summary?"

Joon-yeong sighs and gives a small shrug. "I guess we really do leave before it comes."

"Oh, that's so annoying."

"I know."

Cheol-soo reunites with Eun-ji at the camp, marveling at her not being dead. She's bitter, as she always is, though she has a right to be, that he let her go. He's apologetic, but really concerned about her and the unhinged look in her eyes when she tells him she set fire to the school.

When asked why she's acting so different, she responds that she's hungry. The word instantly brings Woo-jin back to the previous episode, when Gwi-nam brutally murdered Na-yeon, and his worry for the other kid builds up.

"I wanna eat you."

"Sorry?" Eun-ji offers.

"Oh... I don't want to die," Cheol-soo says sadly.

Eun-ji looks down. "Yeah... I'm really sorry."

"Okay." He nods.

"What the fuck?" Dae-su says under his breath.

Woo-jin can only shrug, not knowing what else to do. Then again, what do you do when one of your friends kills you? None of them will ever know, so how can they judge? (Well... based on the look Joon-yeong throws them, maybe he can judge, but he's really smart and cute so it's okay.)

Joon-yeong's glasses are completely beyond repair after that bastard threw him. He's also got a cut on his nose. Which... actually compliments the symmetry of his face in an abstract way, but it probably hurts so it doesn't matter. Everyone is pretty beat up after their fight, with arms and shoulders being out of place, cuts on their skin, the whole nine.

Joon-yeong asks Cheong-san about Gwi-nam, leading to Su-hyeok saying that he thinks he's immortal, and Woo-jin wondering if he'll climb back up.

Jesus, the first fight was painful enough... Or second because of the staircase fight... Or third if you count the other staircase fight with just Su-hyeok and Nam-ra... Oh! And the library, of course.  But the first with the entire class fighting against him.

Ji-min argues that they should be scared of Nam-ra too, especially with how she was fighting against Gwi-nam.

"Hambies!" Dae-su groans when his show self brings that thing up again. Woo-jin rolls his eyes.

And Woo-jin is optimistic. Nam-ra never intentionally put the group in harm's way and she's done her best to help them most of the time. And she's always used her hambie powers to fight Gwi-nam. It's the part where she lost control and tried to bite Su-hyeok that worries him, but that was when she first got her powers so hopefully that's controllable.

With Ji-min confronting her, Nam-ra finally opens up to them. Something that none of them ever thought she would do, least of all her. Her voice is soft and her expression is vulnerable. She tells them that she was a coward for not doing anything but study. That she was too scared to make friends, because she cared too much what her mother thought, and her mother cared too much about material things.

"Nam-ra," her mother says from across the room, horror painting her face. But Captain Nam rests a hand on her arm and gives her a look that says to wait. "I- I- After. Okay? After."

("Wait," Min-jae says pointedly, putting a hand on her arm. Ha-ri frowns at him, their friend telling her with her eyes that now is not the time. She turns back to the screen and doesn't look at Woo-jin.)

He shakes his head. The memories, the guilt, the invisibility, the things they don't know (no one knows), all threaten to drown him. All encapsulated by the pure hope Choi Nam-ra has when she's with them.

She takes a piece of wood and pokes the fire, and with a small smile she admits that it's nice to just sit at a fire with her classmates. And that she hopes to do it again if they ever get out of there.

"I hope we can do that."

"We'll find the time before winter hits," On-jo smiles at her, as her tv-self pitches in with her own plans.

Fuck, why did Woo-jin never reach out to her, or try at all? She always seemed so fine being alone, and he never understood why that made the others so bitter, (why Joon-yeong was so-) but he also never understood why Su-hyeok was always trying to talk to her. At least until it became abundantly clear that their boy had a crush.

He always figured she didn't smile because she didn't want to smile, and that wasn't his business, but it turns out that she just didn't have many reasons to smile.

At least Ji-min apologizes, before Hyo-ryung and Dae-su do their weird thing together. But he's grateful for the distraction. They're so annoying though, and Woo-jin points out that they should date only for them to vehemently deny it.

Better Hyo-ryung than his sister, not that Dae-su ever had a chance with his sister. Like at all. Like even if he wasn't Dae-su, he wouldn't have had a chance.

Nam-ra interrupts things again, having heard something else. The others can't hear anything yet, but Cheong-san stares cautiously at the ledge where Gwi-nam climbed up and then was thrown back down.

Has Gwi-nam already recovered? It's been like ten minutes and they're gonna have to go for round two?

"Hold on. I hear a helicopter."

Woo-jin and Joon-yeong share a look, cautious but hopeful.

They take wood from the flames and wave it in the air to attract the helicopter down, and when it does their excitement is so infectious that even in real life, he has to smile at it.

They're all ecstatic, with Hyo-ryung and Dae su hugging as well as- as him and Joon-yeong, so fucking glad that help is there. The sight of them embracing makes his hands itch to pull him to his chest in real life, but...

Oh, screw it, he's always been the affectionate type, he just needs to know his boundaries. Woo-jin wraps an arm around Joon-yeong's shoulders, smiling widely as if to bask in the enthusiasm. Joon-yeong smiles back sweetly. His heart gives a million flutters at once, and he doesn't ignore it.

(It's not the time to ignore it. They're happy. Can't they just be happy?)

Their faces are so close together. Something that always makes him so... invigorated. And he could kiss him right now, but no. He won't. It would- It would ruin the moment. It would ruin everything! And it would out him. And they're supposed to be celebrating! They're saved!

The soldiers that come down point their guns at them. The helicopter flies away. They yell at them to get on the ground.

From the command center or whatever it's called, Commander Jin watches all this. That makes this the first time he's had any interaction with their group.

They begin taking temperatures to check if they're zombies, clearing everyone until they get to Nam-ra, who covers her zombie eye with her hair.

... Fuck.

Okay, they just think she has hypothermia, it's fine.

"Rescue them after the mission is over."

Dae-su releases a breath. Woo-jin figures he can do the same.

"Oh, thank god, they're saved!" Assemblywoman Park cheers.

"Thank you," Ha-ri says to the commander earnestly, and her belief really pushes Woo-jin to believe it might actually happen for them.

"We're really gonna be okay," Su-hyeok says happily.

Woo-jin smiles.

No one brings up the summary, and Woo-jin doesn't want to think about the summary.

They just let themselves be happy.

Besides, there are plenty of explanations, like... they won't be able to leave through the helicopter and the soldiers get them out through the building?

Ugh, that also sounds horrible, but at least they won't be a bunch of teenagers on their own.

"I think that the summary wasn't actually about us," Joon-yeong says quietly, bringing up the summary. Jerk. "It didn't say which group was gonna use the storm."

"It was implied," Dae-su says.

"Wait, do you think it meant Ha-ri's group?" Woo-jin realizes, breaking into a smile.

"It's possible," Joon-yeong smiles back at him. The affection he has for him is about to burst out of his chest.

At this point, Woo-jin finally starts letting himself genuinely believe that things are looking up. If him and his friends have a way out, and his sister and her friends find their own way out, then maybe they'll both make it out okay. Maybe no one else has to die...

And Woo-jin knows, this is a drama. A drama called 'All of Us Are Dead'. Someone at least has to go in the finale. That's how it works. But maybe until then they can make it. And maybe Ha-ri, Joon-yeong, Woo-jin, and Dae-su can all survive the entire series.

Look. One episode. He just wants one episode to end in a good place that makes him think, 'You know what? Maybe the next episode will be good actually.'

Well, here's to nothing horrible happening in episode ten!

Yeah, he knows he's fooling himself, but you know what... let him?

Ha-ri's friend see the helicopter and decide to leave. Maybe they'll use the storm that hasn't hit yet to get to the roof in time for them to get saved with Woo-jin's friends.

Yeah. That'll work out.

Min-jae asks about Joon-seong, and Woo-jin knows his sister is kind enough to go with the only correct option they have in this situation. Right? "We bring him." Good girl.

The soldiers get to the science lab by breaking in through the window, shooting all the zombies that were in there from episode two, the noise attracting zombies all the way from the staircase.

Actually, the noise attracts so many zombies that it reminds him of the music room escape. Woo-jin figures they'll waiting on the roof for a while, enough time for his sister and her friends to get up there.

Gwi-nam, back in school, hears the gunshots and hops to a classroom for cover. But if someone does shoot him, even in this fucked up state, would that actually kill him?

Ha-ri's group is getting ready to go, strapping Joon-seong down to get him ready for transport. Woo-jin taps his foot impatiently, hoping that they get moving soon, before the military runs out of zombies to distract them. Hell, the archery center is in a completely different part of the school, so they'll have to move quickly. But at least all the zombies on the staircase have left, so it'll be open.

Come on... Come on...

Oh fuck, what if the soldiers die and the summary was about Woo-jin's group.

Joon-yeong puts a hand on his knee, a caring look on his face, freezing all his nerves in place and allowing to just breathe.

On the roof, Nam-ra's ears aren't doing too well with the chopper flying near, but Su-hyeok hasn't left her side, and she's the most comfortable with him so he should bring her some comfort.

Joon-yeong steps closer to the soldier still on the roof. Dae-su goes up to him and they speculate about why the soldiers are at the school in the first place, other than to rescue them.

The soldiers find the laptop in the supply closet, checking it as more gunshot comes from the main lab. They're in a hurry to go as more zombies come in, so when the file is downloaded, they act quick, killing a few more zombies on their way out.

"Rescue the students and return to base."

Okay, so Ha-ri and her friends need to find another way out of the school. It's fine... Well, it's not fine, but she's an archery prodigy. And- And- The summary said! She'll make it, she has to.

The subordinate runs in, saying there's been an incident. The monitors show what looks to be a Hyosan student laying on the ground.

Oh fuck, Cheol-soo. Cheol-soo and Eun-ji. He was killed by his only (sorta) friend. Woo-jin still resents him for leaving them, but how tragic is that?

But the students, they're gonna be pulled up into the chopper one by one, but they're all definitely gonna get taken. On-jo and Woo-jin want Ji-min to go first. After the hell she's been through with her parents, she deserves it.

Commander Jin watches as Eun-ji bites Cheol-soo, and then fights off soldiers before she's finally restrained. They speculate about her condition.

"Again... sorry," Eun-ji says simply. Cheol-soo looks at her with wide, frightened eyes but he nods along. He doesn't yell or look like he hates her, and he probably should. He'd have a right to, she just killed him! But he doesn't. He just doesn't.

And Eun-ji is probably gonna get experimented on against her will, and because of that martial law thing, it won't be illegal.

Oh god, what if when they get there, Nam-ra gets experimented on? She doesn't deserve that, and who knows what Bare-su will do?

They watch Ji-min get strapped in, throw them one last sad look to represent the tragedy of it all, even though it should be over now, and then begins to go up.

Something's wrong. Why are these scenes intercut? Why-

"Don't rescue anyone."

"What?" I-sak asks.

"No! No!" Assemblywoman Park shouts at him. "You can't do that! They're kids!"

"Please don't do this," Captain Nam pleads.

"If they resist, shoot them." "They're just children."

"WHAT!?" too many people yell out. Woo-jin flinches.

"Shoot them!?" Ms. Park shouts, aghast.

"He's a kid!" Ha-ri points at him angrily.

"Fuck you! Fuck you! You piece of shit!" Mi-jin is yelling. "Fuck! You!"

"Why-" Hyo-ryung looks confused. "No, no, no."

They send Ji-min back down. They take off Hyo-ryung's harness.

Ji-min is screaming hysterically. She doesn't want to go back. She doesn't want to go back. None of them want to go back. Woo-jin catches her when they push her away and grabs her arm when she stands up and faces them. The soldier points his gun at her. At Hyo-ryung, Dae-su, Joon-yeong.

"Go ahead. Shoot."

"Fucking die!" Ha-ri shouts, unhinged in a way he's not used to seeing from his older sister. She's usually calm in the best of situations. This- this is-

What the fuck?

The soldier wants to leave, with the Commander getting fucking angry at him for not killing them.

"Shoot them, you bastard!"

The soldier shoots.

The girls are screaming. Joon-yeong latches onto his arm, and Woo-jin quickly pulls him into a hug.

"Fuck, fuck," he says under his breath, unable to believe what just happened.

"You fucking bastard!" Assemblywoman Park shouts, cursing for what might be the first time in her life. "You killed them! You killed the children! Innocent children!"

The show is paused on Ha-ri as she leaves the archery center. (Thank God she wasn't on that roof.)

On-jo jumps up and runs to her dad's arms, who meets her halfway across the room, nearly crying.

"How could he do this?" Captain Nam can be heard muttering.

Ha-ri is standing up, running over to where Woo-jin is. He quickly, and with a heavy heart, dislodges from Joon-yeong's side and gets to his feet.

She stops in front of him, and for a second just stands there, and he knows she's having trouble coming up with the words.

"Noona," he sighs and simply wraps his arms around her. She returns his embrace.

"You're the devil! You're Satan! You're everything wrong with the world! I will do everything in my power to make you lose your position!"

"Mother," Nam-ra rises, Su-hyeok immediately coming up to stand beside her. Assemblywoman Park looks at her, the anger draining from her face.

And just like that, she's sprinting across the room to pull her daughter into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I ever pressured you, and I'm sorry I made you feel alienated from your peers. I'm sorry for all the times I chose work over you. You are my darling daughter and I love you dearly. I never even want to think about losing you."

He can hear that Nam-ra murmurs a response, but he can't make out what it is.

(He's happy they can start to work things out. They both deserve that.)

From over Ha-ri's head, Woo-jin looks at the rest of the room.

On-jo and her dad. Su-hyeok, Nam-ra, and her mom. The rest of the girls crying and comforting one another. Joon-yeong, Dae-su, Cheong-san, and Gyeong-su looking stunned and miserable.

Na-yeon bows her head (at least she's trying to be better.) Hee-su has dropped her backpack again and is now running a shaking hand over her womb. Mi-jin has pulled out a cigarette, despite the rule against it, and is smoking freely, making the room smell, anger radiating from her skin and a fierce expression on her face. Eun-ji and Cheol-soo look at one another surprised, the smallest of smiles on her face as she whispers in his ear. Joon-seong is whimpering, shaking his head. Min-jae has a hand on his back in support, looking depressed.

Mr. Lee looks at the Commander resigned, not like he has a leg to stand on, but like this was to be expected of him. U-sin sitting with his head bowed in his hands. Ho-cheol watches on fearfully as Jae-ik and Ms. Park are both ranting at the man. But Commander Jin is silent, an emotionless but strong look on his face as he doesn't respond to any of it.

What a fucked-up portrait. Never on Woo-jin's worst day could he have come up with something so grotesque.

"It was a warning shot!" Joon-yeong blurts out. They all turn to look at him. Woo-jin and Ha-ri are right in front of him, so they have to look down, pulling from the hug but keeping hands on each other's shoulders. "I didn't see anyone get hit. The soldier clearly didn't want to hurt us. And- and this is a tv show, they aren't gonna kill off all of the central characters in one go."

"They'll kill off some of us," Ji-min says, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "I don't wanna die, do you?" The question sends a sharp spike through Woo-jin's heart.

"Of course not, but I don't think we died just then," Joon-yeong argues.

"He's the second in the class," Woo-jin speaks up for him. "I believe him." After all, he doesn't lie or sugarcoat to make people feel better for a little bit. But he's not cynic either. If there's a chance, he'd know.

Ha-ri pulls away from him entirely, straightening her posture and bringing her expression back to a cold anger. She takes a few steps towards the Commander and glares him.

She points back at Woo-jin. "He dies, and I will shoot you, I don't care if I get thrown in jail for the rest of my life afterwards, I'll do it."

"Ha-ri," Woo-jin starts. She looks at him, challenging him with a look to object. He just shakes his head and pulls her in for another hug.

"I did what I had to do for the good of mankind." It's the only words Commander Jin uses to defend himself, said in a confident, authoritative voice.

"You're a monster," Assemblywoman Park snarls, turning away from Nam-ra. "You wanted innocent children to die! You wanted to kill them!"

He is completely and utterly devoid of emotion. No remorse, no sadness, not even anger or cruelty, something that would've made him human. Made him anything other than this robotic force before them.

"I regret that I had to take those actions, but they were necessary."

"You tried to massacre students!" Ms. Park argues.

Something in his expression softens, before walls of steel are thrown back up again. "I apologize."

"'Apologize'," Captain Nam scoffs.

"We should resume watching," he says simply.

"To see if your handiwork went through?" Detective Jae-ik glares at him.

He just repeats, "We should resume."

"Um..." Ha-ri starts, looking at the couch behind him questioningly. He knows what she's asking.

(Don't force your sister's attention away. She has more important things to worry about. Don't bother her too much. Just don't.)

"We're still alive, you can go back to your friends," he says softly.

"Oh. Are you sure?" Ha-ri asks numbly. Woo-jin tries to hold himself together.

"Go be with your girlfriend," he whispers in her ear. She punches him hard on the shoulder. "Ow."

She looks at him incredulously, but he cocks his head towards Mi-jin. Ha-ri glares at him furiously, before pulling him into a quick side hug and then standing and stealthily going back to her couch.

And though it's not the time, Woo-jin feels that oh-so familiar pang of jealousy as he thinks of Ha-ri's, very obviously, reciprocated crush. He imagines them getting together in the show, or maybe Dae-su and Hyo-ryung, and the relief he'd had at not being the one to confess is painted over with frustration. He wonders why he was so stupid to keep having feelings for someone who'll never like him back. Feelings no one can ever know about.

... Except for I-sak...

... And Gyeong-su...

... And Min-jae...

... And Cheong-san at least knows he's not straight, but that's a completely different story.

Nam-ra looks like she expects her mother to march her back to the couch, but instead Assemblywoman Park just brushes a lock of hair out of her face, smiles at Su-hyeok, and turns around. Captain Nam doesn't go back to the adult's couch, and On-jo doesn't go back to Class 2-5's, instead they meet in the middle and sit in the middle.

The rest of the adults sit a good distance away from Commander Jin, who's on the far end of the couch, and it makes Woo-jin think that they'd rather sit closer to Mr. Lee than him, though he doesn't know if that's right or wrong, and he doesn't want to think too hard about it.

"Can you put that out?" Hee-su asks loudly, louder than she's been in the entire time Woo-jin has shared a class with her. She's looking at Mi-jin, despite the distance between them and the people sitting between them. Hee-su is covering her face with a throw pillow. "It's bad for the baby."

"Shit, sorry." Mi-jin stands and rushes to the other side of room from the girl, near Class 2-5, to put it out. After that, she goes back to her seat.

He thinks about inviting her to sit with the rest of them next chapter, as that coach seems to have become divided between Ha-ri's friends and Eun-ji and Cheol-soo, with Hee-su as the outlier. She deserves friends, but he doesn't want to overwhelm her.

"We're all ready?" Ms. Park asks, just to make sure. Woo-jin nods and others give murmurs of agreement. "Alright then."

Detective Jae-ik raises the remote to unpause.

Ha-ri leaves through a door at the archery center. Min-jae and Mi-jin are pulling Joon-seong along, who's clearly in pain and making noises despite her telling her not to.

His sister sees the helicopter, the light shining on the roof is an image a picture of artistry, but one that makes Woo-jin kinda want to throw up. He doesn't though, and instead holds Joon-yeong's hand.

(Don't go there. If the soldiers do shoot us, don't go there. Don't see the aftermath. If I am dead, I don't want you to have to see... at least not in one of the timelines.)

They decide to go to the roof of the archery building, since there isn't time to get up on the school's roof.

The scene repeats itself. Cheong-san begs them take just a few of them. He holds hands with On-jo. They try to take a step forward and he fires a warning shot. No one in Class 2-5 gets hurt, Joon-yeong was right as always.

"Rescue us."

He apologizes, then hooks himself up and lets the helicopter fly them away.

The pilot looks at them as he flies away. The S.O.S. they worked so hard to put together. Their weak fire. The chopper is still so close that their hair is still being blown back. Woo-jin is helping Hyo-ryung stand. Su-hyeok is holding Nam-ra close to him. They all watch as they go away.

Hyo-ryung is sobbing in real life, and he wants to help her but she's better off in the hands of Ji-min to comfort her.

They really just left them there?

"How could you?" I-sak is whispering, but he doubts the Commander will hear her from across the room. "How could you?"

A soldier throws his helmet.

Fuck off, you're not the victim here.

And Woo-jin was never naive. He's always known that the world isn't fair, and corruption is a big problem, and that there are sick fucks and people who will hurt innocents, and that life is gonna be ten times harder for people like him and his sister. But he never imagined that him and his friends could matter so little to people who say they're there to help the helpless.

God.

They're helpless.

He wraps an arm around Joon-yeong's waist, because it's the only comfort he'll allow himself while everyone else is breaking down around him, and he locks elbows with Dae-su for good measure, and he hopes that they find some kind of relief from the touch. Perks of being the affectionate type.

Ha-ri and her crew see the helicopter and try to wave it over. They get caught in the light of the helicopter, but of course it flies right past.

Fuck. Tears sting in his eyes, and he pushes them back. He won't cry in front of his friends and sister, he fucking won't.

Ha-ri wouldn't cry. She's not crying. So why should he? Instead, Ha-ri is angry, glaring at the Commander like she wants to take out her bow and end him. Because how dare they leave all of them there to die?

Woo-jin can be angry. Commander Jin is the reason they don't stop for his sister. This man pretended like he cared, and then wouldn't save him, or Joon-yeong, or Dae-su, and then he wouldn't even save Ha-ri. Ha-ri, who was only still at the school to save Woo-jin.

But if she dies, it wouldn't be Woo-jin's fault, or her own. It would be Commander Jin's, because he didn't care about them.

(He doesn't ignore much, but he ignores the voice of reason reminding him that he did it for the majority of survivors. That if they were hambies, which one of them was, then that could put the military at risk and everyone at that camp for all he knew. And it was helicopter. How dangerous would chaos on a helicopter be?

But Woo-jin ignores that. Because if it wasn't an unnecessary injustice then it's just a hopeless tragedy, and a tragedy would make him want to sob, and he won't do that. And he ignores the compulsion to give the man the benefit of the doubt. He gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, and look where that's gotten him? None of this is fair, and Commander Jin can survive judgement but they won't survive being left behind.)

If Joon-yeong dies, it's that man's fault. And Dae-su, or Hyo-ryung, it will be on him.

He hates him, and he's never hated anyone before watching this show.

The class can't believe that they've been left behind like that. Hyo-ryung takes it worst of all, sobbing at the realization that they're not going to be saved. No one goes to comfort her, not even Woo-jin, but what would he even do or say?

Woo-jin still tries to give them the goddamn benefit of the doubt, and suggests they thought they were all fucking zombies, but Joon-yeong knows that doesn't make any sense. They didn't kill them.

The one thing the military did do for them; Leave them alive.

In frustration, Cheong-san kicks the fire. On-jo tries to make him stop, and he doesn't calm down. Not even for her.

"It's pointless. No one is coming. No one else is coming."

He starts kicking at the S.O.S. they had made, and Woo-jin isn't sorry to think of it being destroyed. Cheong-san screams out.

He'd say he was relieved by the scene change, but they're back with the fucking military, where Nam-ra's mother and her assistant are being taken into questioning with U-sin over On-jo's dad.

She requests that the camera used for recording the conversation be pointed at her, and she confesses to not being an accomplice but the main perpetrator. U-sin turns to her, startled, his face painted with shock.

The assistant gawks at her choice to do this, but leaves her be, telling her to do what she wants. She explains to the camera about how Nam So-ju saved them instead of his daughter, despite how badly he wanted to, so she encouraged him to leave when the Martial Law Units wouldn't let him.

"Regardless of the punishment imposed on me, I will always stand with the powerless citizens."

This is a little weird, but he'd vote for her in an election. She's not perfect, Nam-ra's issues with her make that very clear, but she seems like she's trying. She would've saved them, if it was her call. And she didn't push Nam-ra after her monologue, she just said they would talk about it. Like Ha-ri. She's not irredeemable, and besides...

Family is way too fucking complicated.

On that note, Captain Nam is traveling through the streets of Hyosan. When thunder strikes, he hallucinates On-jo in a store's glass window. She wasn't wrong when she said On-jo was everything to him.

Someone comes up to him, but he's not a zombie, it's a man. Captain Nam doesn't lower his gun though.

"My wife and baby-"

Oh no. The man looks so close to tears. Captain Nam checks their car, which had crashed. The pregnant wife was hurt in it. She looks terrible. Fuck. Well, at least they came across someone who will help them, not like the military.

He says that it will take a lot of work and manpower to help her. Oh... It sucks that it will take him even longer to get to the school, but he needs to help those people.

"I'm sorry. I need to go find my daughter now. I'm really sorry."

What?

"Dad?" On-jo asks, looking confused and a little hurt.

The man is on his knees, crying, begging him to help his pregnant wife and unborn child. Not for himself, but for the people he loves. He tells them to wait for rescuers-

Rescuers that will never come. Rescuers who don't exist. The military does not care about innocent people, and they certainly won't help them. He's asking them to wait and die.

The man points out that the zombies will get to them first, and there's hissing in the distance. Captain Nam kneels down by his side, and Woo-jin thinks he's come to his senses because there's no way his friend's savior dad is like them. But he just gives the trembling man medicine, a bottle of water, and his gun.

What the fuck is that supposed to do to help?

(But it's more than the military left them with.)

It's surprising, when the man cocks his gun and points it at him, demanding he helps.

"There's no hope left."

Woo-jin hopes he does help them.

"Can we still believe people are beautiful after seeing them become the worst possible creatures?"

Captain Nam points out that the sound of a gunshot will draw the zombies to them. The man says he doesn't care, since they might either way, but On-jo's dad is adamant about leaving.

"Don't do this for me," On-jo says in horror. "Don't! Help them!" He says nothing, just looks at her sadly. "Dad!"

The man breaks down crying, begging him, pleading for him not to go.

How could he do that? He always seemed so nice.

In another story, that couple was just like them. Going through hell, making makeshift weapons, coming up with plan after plan, wondering if they and their friends and family will make it alive, but thinking that they'd settle for the ones they love most, and hating themselves for it because 'Why should anyone have to die?' and hoping that someone will come along to rescue them. And he left them there.

But seeing the stricken look on Captain Nam's face, and the tears fill On-jo's eyes, Woo-jin wonders what it means to value a life over another.

On-jo runs from the place her and her father were sat at, back at them, back to Class 2-5, maybe the only people they can trust besides Ha-ri's crew, into Cheong-san's arms. She buries her face in his shoulder, little sobs coming from her. Captain Nam stares at her, heartbroken before dejectedly walking back to the adults, U-sin loyally gesturing for him to sit with him.

It must weigh on them, at least in that timeline, if not in this one. He hopes that Commander Jin feels guilt for the rest of his life. That's the least he deserves. Woo-jin could never live with that, and he hopes he never has to.

Mr. Lee breaks down crying in his video, after he tells the camera about how he went to a Shaman, who gave him a piece of paper to make his problems go away. Eun-ji screams for help, yelling about how she's still human.

They're both in so much pain, and they both hurt him and his friends and his sister. Does Woo-jin hate them too? Is he glad that they're suffering? If he is, what does that make him?

The military people talk about her hambie status, about how she's different from other infected.

"It's like the human and the monster are fighting inside the patient."

The Commander, holy shit, asks if it's possible there are other hambies, meaning he wasn't even sure it was possible that they were infected when he ordered them to get shot to death like their lives don't matter at all.

Woo-jin shudders to keep from screaming.

"It's best to presume they're infected even if they show no symptoms."

Great, they're gonna turn away more innocent people. Even if that man and his wife do make it, they'll just get turned away and left to die, again, at the end of the day.

(It makes sense. Stop the zombies from taking over the entire fucking planet by any means necessary. Don't leave room for something to go wrong...

It's not Woo-jin's job to worry about that. He'll be pissed about getting left behind if he wants to be.)

Commander Jin gives out his orders, to treat everyone like they could be hambies, and separate new arrivals, but at least there will be new arrivals, right?

The assemblywoman and her crew are celebrating her 'fuck you' of sorts to the Commander, though that's probably not the reason that they're celebrating. U-sin is the only one not happy, but the assistant says it was making the best out of the situation.

U-sin doesn't care, saying she only did it for the votes and her campaign, even though she didn't actually save anyone or do a huge thing.

No... She did it to get him out of trouble. She was basically doing what Captain Nam told her to do. It's not a crime to get something good out of something like that.

There has to be some adult that's worth trusting.

Right?

The assistant tries to appeal to him, talking about how they'll paint his captain out to be a hero, even if he doesn't manage to save On-jo.

That's the thing about paintings. You only see what the artist wants you to see, but the interpretations will always vary no matter what. Still, most people will take it at face value. You paint an apple, most people will see an apple, when in truth it's a portrait of Hell leaking into the mortal realm.

Everyone will think he's a hero, and no one will ever know about the man and his wife.

The soldiers come in, ready to take them away and to a new quarantine, wanting to handcuff them and everything, all in the name of Commander Jin's orders.

All of the assemblywoman's friends form a (Christ) human shield to protect her, with the assistant declaring that he'll die for her, and the only one hesitant about it is U-sin.

Okay.

She ends up in handcuffs anyways, and with everyone who was a part of the shield being badly beaten up. U-sin looks fine though (in more ways than one...).

"I mean, props to them for going through with it," Dae-su murmurs. Woo-jin nods in agreement.

The cops are being taken to special quarantine as well, with Jae-ik holding the baby through handcuffs and asking about the laptop as he's being led away.

Se-bin, the sweet little girl from earlier, is with some soldiers, tears falling down her tiny face. Woo-jin's heart aches for her as she gets frightened by the thunder. But no one comforts her. Why not? Why are they so heartless?

Nam-ra is in pain, her ears hurting badly, so Su-hyeok rips off a part of his shirt to use as earplugs. Hopefully, it works, she seems really hurt.

That's when Dae-su gets hit by the first drops of rain. They all stand up, getting excited. Not as excited as they were earlier, but at least this won't be tainted by a crushing disappointment.

It's just rain.

The rain is beautiful, and they look at it all pour down like it's the first saving grace they've gotten. Like the first drink of water after days in a desert. The rain won't betray their trust.

Rain will get you sick, and it will make your clothes heavy from the wet, and you can slip and fall and get hurt, but damn is it beautiful.

... He wishes he could paint this scene.

Woo-jin likes painting. He likes capturing scenery and working out all the little details and how everything fits together and pouring out whatever's in him. And-

And he's good at it. Like, Ha-ri is good at archery, and though Mom and Dad (and Ha-ri) never paid much mind to his silly hobby, Joon-yeong always said he was talented and so did his art teachers, and his friends have always been impressed, and that's enough.

He swears that that's enough.

Woo-jin and Dae-su lay in opposite positions, their heads rested on each other's arms, laughing hysterically. They're so happy. It makes him happy. He loves his best friend.

The girls have their faces turned up at the rain, trying to take as much in as possible. And then, just as quickly as the hope began shine through again, because they'll never learn, the devastation that never went away breaks loose.

On-jo begins to cry. Then Hyo-ryung. Ji-min.

Joon-yeong.

How the fuck could they do that to them? What did they do wrong? Why don't they matter? What the fuck?

Woo-jin crying. So is Dae-su. It's okay. Everything is okay in the rain. It's the first bit of water they've gotten in days. He can cry if he wants to cry. They're gonna die anyways, so it doesn't matter. He'll never paint a portrait of rain, he'll never live up to his older sister, or see the pride their parents have for her directed at him. He can accept that. And so, who cares if he starts to cry?

It's raining.

So, when the tears leak down onto his cheeks, he welcomes them.

And as the sequence ends, and they're brought back to reality, Cheong-san looks down and sees Nam-ra with Su-hyeok, still in distress.

As he wipes the tears away, Woo-jin thinks that he knows that look. He's gotten detentions over that look. That's Cheong-san's idea look.

Gwi-nam, without a super supportive boyfriend, is freaking the fuck out during the storm. He rips off a curtain to wrap around his head and bangs it against the wall. Woo-jin doesn't feel sorry for him.

Cheong-san goes to Joon-yeong.

His hair wet, that cut across his nose is still there, and Woo-jin focuses in on the concentrated look of his face when he's paying attention. The shape of his jawline, his eyes, his lips- He's so handsome. He wants to kiss him so badly. He wants to do a lot of things he'll never get to do, even when it's all so close.

"Wouldn't you rather die trying to get out then die here?"

Right. Fuck. Not the time.

Cheong-san's plan is to take a long path to get to the mountain by the school. By the look in his eyes, Joon-yeong clearly thinks the idea is worth considering.

On-jo says there's a trail to Yangdong. Even still, it's suicide. They're gonna go through the entire zombie-infested school, to the outside where they won't have any classrooms to hide in if things go wrong. Plus, Hyo-ryung is too scared.

"We're the only ones that can save ourselves."

Joon-yeong nods along, so Woo-jin has to admit that he has a point.

Cheong-san says that he'll sacrifice himself for them if they need the distraction, which Bare-su immediately protests, saying they'll all make it.

"Seriously, dude?" Gyeong-su glares at him.

He just shrugs. "It's my plan."

"This is bullshit."

Nam-ra pitches in that her senses are all mixed up because of the rain, and so the zombies should be too. Dae-su is quick to believe her, because of her halfbie status.

"It's-"

"We get it!" Woo-jin snaps.

Nam-ra says that her super strength isn't reliable at the moment but doesn't know why not. This prompts Ji-min to worry about some of them keeping pace, so Cheong-san suggests they use the buddy system.

Dae-su jumps on that, immediately reaching out his hand to Hyo-ryung, who stares at it and at him before taking Ji-min's hand and walking away. Woo-jin snorts at his face as he watches them go.

He turns to Nam-ra, whose is quickly helped up by Su-hyeok. Not sure what Dae-su was expecting there.

Dae-su looks to his other side, where Joon-yeong is. "Woo-jin, let's go.""Okay." A wide smile spreads across his face and warmth grows in his chest as he watches them take each other's hands.

The only one left is On-jo, who is quickly swooped away by Cheong-san, telling her to stay close and that they'll stay alive, so that they can talk about their feelings for one another later.

Dae-su has no one, he's alone, as God intended him to be, so he just grabs his own hand and follows after the rest of them.

What an idiot.

The staircase is empty, so they walk slowly and carefully, making as little noise as possible. Woo-jin and Joon-yeong are the second to go, after Cheong-san and On-jo. Dae-su goes last. Good.

(Oh fuck, if that motherfucker dies, he's gonna feel so bad for teasing him- No! No, do not think like that, his best friend will be fine.)

They get startled when they see half of a zombie corpse, and then Dae-su closes the doorway too loudly, and all this has him wondering how the fuck they're supposed to pull his plan off.

It's a suspense driven walk down every flight of stairs. He's almost sure that if just one more thing goes wrong, it will be it for them.

"What's wrong?" Joon-yeong asks it when Cheong-san stops, seeing zombies on the next floor down. The thunderclaps send them wild though, and they run off.

There are zombies near, so they will have to be extra-

Woo-jin slips down the stairs (he might have psyched himself out) but Joon-yeong's grip on him keeps him from falling. In the moment, his hand tightens in Woo-jin's. It's so tight that it almost hurts but he can't bring himself to care.

His sister's girlfriend thinks that the way the zombies freak out is funny, which it kind of is, but given the company she's in, no one else cares. She also figures that they can use it to their advantage, to get up the mountain. Maybe their groups can merge.

Woo-jin hopes that they do. That way he can keep his sister safe. And all things considered, no one with his friends has died since episode three, so they must be doing something right.

Amazingly, their class has made it outside, and they hide behind some bushes, but not before Woo-jin slips again and Joon-yeong pulls him to safety. (He's failing, he's psyching himself out, and fuck, what if it happens at the wrong time? With Joon-yeong with him too...)

(At least Ha-ri only screwed up in her competition. She's shot perfectly in the show.)

(The way Woo-jin looks when he's pulled up to Joon-yeong's side almost reminds him of how the zombies move.)

At the first sign of problems, Cheong-san is ready to go die for the rest of them, but On-jo won't let him, coming up with her own plan to go across the wall and avoid the zombies. When he's still not convinced, she takes his hand, and so he agrees because he's gone for her, but then again Woo-jin would do the same for Joon-yeong.

So, they travel along the wall, behind all the shrubbery, and it seems to work. Woo-jin hopes that they do get together, because apart they come up with the best plans, and together On-jo can keep Cheong-san from sacrificing himself and Cheong-san can... do all the schoolwork related plans.

They make it all the way to the truck from episode two, the one being driven by a zombie, but the zombie is gone now, and so they all hide underneath it. Fair is fair, Dae-su gets to go first, and Joon-yeong and Woo-jin follow soon after.

Cheong-san helps them, but quickly gets distracted.

Woo-jin gasps. He turns and looks at Joon-yeong fearfully, only to be met with a horrible resignation on the other boy's face.

Cheong-san's mother.

"Not you, Mom."

Shit, Woo-jin is gonna fucking hate episode ten, isn't he?

Chapter Text

Cheol-soo's POV

"Look, I really wish I hadn't done that," Eun-ji says softly. "But how could I have known what you did on the roof? And besides, some good came out of it, didn't it?" There's the smallest tint of desperation, like she's trying to convince herself as much as him.

He holds onto that tint.

Because Cheol-soo is at a crossroads.

He can't get the sight of him, as unfocused as the confirmation of his death was, out of his head. They didn't even see him turn. He just crawled backwards and died.

But at the same time, isn't that the kind of death he was expecting? A death that goes by so fast, with no one caring that he was there in the first place?

And normally, he would just accept that. He'd push down any anger or bitterness because those things were for people who could do things about it.

But Eun-ji tells him that it's okay to be bitter. That something can be done about it.

He just can't be bitter at his actual killer.

Because everything hurts when you're Kim Cheol-soo, and he was always going to die a death that no one cares about. And he was always meant to be alone.

But what if he doesn't have to be alone?

He's a coward.

But once, he was a coward who would do anything to stay alive.

Now, he'll do anything to feel alive.

He'll do anything to have what was just handed to everyone else.

A pretty girlfriend. For his life to matter to someone. To leave this place with the hope that his life will be okay in some way.

A friend.

A friend would be enough.

And no one else will ever want him.

And he's not sure he'll ever want anyone other than Eun-ji.

Plus, he sees something in her. Something so sad. It's grief. It's something just as lonely as him. He doesn't want to be lonely anymore and he doesn't want her to be lonely either. She's so... strong in the show. Stronger than either of them thought they'd ever have hope to be.

Cheol-soo doesn't want to die. He wants to live. But for a long time, that was never his problem. For all the scars he's been left with, he was never suicidal. He's always kept his head down, waiting for high school to be over. Waiting for life to pass him by. Waiting for Eun-ji to pass him by.

Is it so wrong that he starts to ask for more?

Because Eun-ji's adoration is all he's had in him to hope for in the last few years of unending sadness. And he hasn't really hoped for her at all. It was just a thought. Just a pipedream. Just an imaginary musing about life getting better.

And it's always been her because-

Because she's the only one who will ever see all the dark parts of him, all his anger, his bitterness, all the parts of him that want to be like their tormenters, and... understand it.

Not just understand it, but love it too.

Like how he learns to love all those parts of her.

"I forgive you," Cheol-soo says, though she didn't apologize. But if beggars can be choosers, then he offers her that. They can keep going on the path they were on before his death, the path that might give him more hope than he's had in so long, if he can acknowledge that he was wronged by her.

Eun-ji smiles again, so beautiful...

-and then she hugs him.

No one has hugged him, genuinely hugged him, in such a long time.

He brings his hands up to return the hug, and she whispers in his ear. "Thank you."

No. Thank you.

XXX

Commander Jin's POV

He wishes nothing but the best for those children.

But he did what had to be done.

Seon-mu wasn't brought here to make friends. He was brought here to prevent a massacre.

He understands their anger. Their hatred. He doesn't hold it against them. They're just children after all. Just parents. They have every right to their emotions.

(It's how he would feel, if were a civilian, if it were his children. His daughter, Ha-eun is the same age as them...)

But Jin Seon-mu is a military commander. A martial law commander. There were too many factors to rescue them. A helicopter is an unstable environment, and they're carrying Lee Byeong-chan's computer. They found out about asymptomatics, they know nothing about them, they don't know how long it will take to find results on how to handle them.

It's not pretty, but it's truth. And someone has to recognize that and act accordingly, because if no one does, if everyone acts on emotions, then there's no way they can minimize the damage of this outbreak.

Maybe that makes him a monster, but it will save the majority.

He takes all his logical reasoning, as strong as concrete, and he uses it to build a wall around his heart, keeping away all his guilt, his shame, his compassion. There will be time for his reckoning after everything is said and done.

He's not here to make friends or play around. This is his job, and the hatred of others cannot deter him from serving best he can.

He almost can't believe that this was supposed to be his day off. But God knows when he goes back, he won't be relaxing. And Min-ri was so looking forward to a day with just them and the kids...

(He's so sorry.)

But Seon-mu has a job to do.

So, he stands, ignoring the glares sent his way, and he walks to where Kim Cheol-soo and Min Eun-ji sit. They look up at him, incredulous. Even a bit amused. It matters not. He swore that he'd give every victim of this show his reassurance as a military commander.

But even then, he's confused at his forgiveness of her as anyone else, but it's not his job to judge or question. He just has to do what needs to be done.

"You have my deep apologies for your death. I assure you that this will be prevented."

The girl snorts. Cheol-soo glances at her and then follows her lead so that they're both laughing at him. A part of him considers demanding their respect from his position. But he decides against it. So, Seon-mu turns and walks back to his spot on the couch, keeping his expression and emotions blank despite anything he might be feeling otherwise. And he ignores the heated looks sent his way as well.

Choi Nam-ra was asymptomatic. She's already been shown to be dangerous. He was right to be overly cautious. He was. He made the right choice.

He'll continue to act on his position. They don't have to like his decisions. They don't have to like him. But that's why he's the one making the decisions and not them.

XXX

Assemblywoman Park's POV

Eun-hee Park has never done anything improper for her entire life.

But she's about ready to kill this man, who ordered for her daughter and eight other children to be shot and killed.

How dare he?

And-

And-

And things like that don't happen to families like hers. They're model citizens. Leaders in their communities.

But did Nam-ra want to be a leader? Did she want to be used as an example? Did she want all the privileges that come with perfection?

Eun-hee doesn't know. She doesn't know her own daughter.

So, Eun-hee doesn't kill anyone. Instead, she sits with her daughter and her boyfriend and tries to change.

She supposes that a part of her has always feared that Nam-ra would repeat history. Marry for love and then he just... stops loving her. He just leaves her with a child to raise and with nothing but a check once a month to show any interest in how well their little girl is growing up.

But Eun-hee thinks this might be different.

With Nam-ra's father, everything was perfect. Completely as it should be. Proper dates at refined restaurants. A fairytale wedding. The sweetest baby girl in the world. A nuclear family. Isn't that the dream? Isn't that what everyone wishes for?

But there were no real hardships. At least at first. So, when the baby cried as babies do, when the hours at work began to pile up, when the infatuation passed, and it was time to grow up, he refused to do so. He left her. And he left Nam-ra.

But with Su-hyeok, all they've been through is hardships. Their lives being at stake, her daughter's transformation, and now, abandonment by the military. And through it all, he's stuck by Nam-ra.

How does a teenage boy show more dedication towards a girl he's just started to date than some men show after five years of marriage?

Eun-hee feels an odd... excitement? Or curiosity? She just wants to see where this relationship will go.

And they do deserve to see it through, whether it lasts or not. They deserve to experience it.

Everyone here deserves all the highs and lows that growing up will bring them. But they will have to grow up.

What if no children survive?

None of her daughter's classmates. None of the seniors. Not even those horrible two children who have done nothing but make things harder for the other kids. Not even her-

Eun-hee cannot afford to think like this.

What do they fight for if there's no children? What future do they have without them? What hope is there?

"Hope," she tells Nam-ra.

"What?" her daughter asks softly.

"I believe we should value hope over wisdom," Eun-hee explains. "You brought that up earlier. But honestly, what is wisdom without hope?"

Wisdom is only as good as hope. It's the belief in a better future that makes all the knowledge in the world worth anything.

Nam-ra considers this. "I'd say the choice to leave us behind was based on wisdom. Or at least logic." She looks down. "I am what he fears after all."

Before Eun-hee can tell her not to say such words, Su-hyeok wraps an arm around her shoulders. She swallows down what she wanted to say, instead letting this interaction play out accordingly.

"Hey, that's not true," he says softy. "You aren't dangerous at all. I don't see how anyone could ever be afraid of you."

Eun-hee sees the way he makes her daughter happy, and wonders why she hasn't missed her smile in recent years.

XXX

On-jo's POV

She doesn't want to keep going.

Why would she want to keep going? She's been wanting this all to end for hours now. She never wanted any of this in the first place, but now-

This isn't fair.

Cheong-san doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve any of this. And he loves his mother so much.

That's the thing about Cheong-san, he loves with his whole heart. When he considers you a friend, or family, or otherwise his, then he's dedicated to you. He'll do anything to protect you. But like everyone, there are people he's closer to than others. She saw his devastation when he dealt with Gyeong-su turning. His solemnness after I-sak turned.

But his mother? His mother?

That's too much for him to handle.

On-jo needs to sort out her feelings for him.

Because does she like him? No, really, does she?

"On-jo?" She's brought out of her thoughts by her father, standing in front of her, nervous in a way that she's never seen him before. "Can we take a moment to talk? Please?"

He raised her all on his own. He taught her everything she has to offer about surviving. He's doted on her for her entire life. He tucked her in every night.

And he left that couple all alone in the city, using her as his reason.

She nods, squeezing I-sak's arm and shooting Cheong-san a reassuring look, hoping that I-sak and Gyeong-su are enough to keep him comforted.

On-jo lets him lead her away, to a corner just for them. She thinks she prefers it to the lunchroom, or the bathroom, or any other one of I-sak's ideas for generating privacy. At least for this. Whatever he has to say can be heard by whoever wants to listen in.

"Why did you do that?" On-jo asks, pleading for him to make her understand.

The husband's begging for help still haunts her, and Dad just left them to die.

"I'm so sorry," he says, earnestly. "I really wish that there was something I could've done for them-"

"You could've tried," she scoffs.

But she feels kind of dumb. On-jo doesn't know all the ins and outs of survival and first aid. Not like him. She has to remember that, even though seeing herself make plans brings her a sense of... pride. She's always been the dumb girl with horrible test scores, and yet she was the one who knew how to use a fire extinguisher, and came up with the plan to use the drone, and the bathroom... the stupid bathroom. But she's not anything. Not really.

"I'm sorry," he repeats.

"I hate that you said you couldn't help them because of me." It makes her angrier than anything else. Even more angry than being left behind. Even more angry than Cheong-san risking their friendship. (Though, is she still angry? Or is she just scared?)

"I get that." He nods, solemn. "But I didn't have the resources to help them."

On-jo says nothing to that.

"It will haunt me as well," Dad gulps. "But I have to put your wellbeing first. I... understand if you don't look at me the same way after witnessing that."

On-jo looks at him, at the shame on his face, and her heart breaks, because this is her dad.

And didn't she ask for this? Didn't she want him to come for her by any means necessary? Didn't she say that so long as he doesn't hurt himself, she wants him to do anything to rescue her?

She didn't mean that.

But she'll forgive him. She knows that she will. Maybe not now, but she will. She can't imagine never forgiving him. She loves him too much.

So, On-jo hugs him and hopes that all her pain, her doubt, and her fear, will even out in the end into something good.

XXX

Dae-su's POV

... Well, they're all traumatized.

And you know, he's tried taking naps during intermissions. It's not working. He's still traumatized. He's still tired.

He's not actually napping, he's just laying there.

"Are you actually asleep?" Woo-jin asks, dutifully.

"No!" Dae-su whines. This is so annoying!

"Were you sleeping?" Joon-yeong asks instead.

"No." He shakes his head, sulking.

Woo-jin and Joon-yeong look at each other, grinning like this is some kind of joke!

(But you know, at least they're more amused then traumatized right now.)

What would he do without those two?

"I'll read the description," the detective steps up, throwing the commander another dirty look.

"The auditorium quickly becomes a trap for the two newly united teams of survivors."

Woo-jin immediately perks up at that, his eyes lighting with excitement. No wonder why. Dae-su also gets worked up with joy at the thought of him seeing Ha-ri again.

"Byeong-chan's video logs reveal a drastic solution to the crisis."

No one says anything in response to that.

What else? How much more drastic can things get? Did they not just get abandoned on a rooftop? What else is there?

... Besides Cheong-san's mom, holy fuck, that's gonna be horrible to watch.

Hyo-ryung's gonna go through more heartbreak... Isn't she? 

But you know, this is all super depressing. So, he focuses on the good parts.

"I'm gonna do it," Dae-su nods to himself. "This is it."

"What are you talking about?" Joon-yeong asks.

"I'm gonna ask Ha-ri out," Dae-su tells them. "Right this time."

Surely, that's why she was so mad when she heard his confession on the rooftop. He did it all wrong.

Immediately, both Woo-jin and Joon-yeong groan out, like they're fucking annoyed with him.

They don't understand. They've never been in love before.

Though...

There was this one party, and the host offered karaoke which naturally meant Woo-jin and Ji-min went turn after turn the entire night. Didn't even stop to use the bathroom or get drinks or anything.

But that's nothing out of the ordinary. They've done that every time karaoke has come up for as long as they've known each other. It's actually why Ji-min and Hyo-ryung are friends with them in the first place. Actually, maybe they should set up another session to cheer them up at least, and the rest of them too. Watching them is so much fun.

But what made him stop back at that party was that Joon-yeong was watching them with these absolute heart eyes. He looked so smitten that Dae-su was sure he had to have a thing for Ji-min. But he's never looked at her that way again, so like... What was that about?

He eyes Joon-yeong now, though his attention is on Woo-jin. He actually does look kinda like he did that night, if you squint...

Wait, were those friendship heart eyes?

Um...

But back on topic, Dae-su and Ha-ri for the wi- Hyo-ryung smiles at them as she passes them on her way to her seat next to a still sulking Ji-min. He grins back at her.

...

... Dae-su and Ha-ri for the win! Episode ten, here they go.

But also, he's gonna fucking hate the opening with Cheong-san's mom.

Chapter Text

Joon-yeong's POV

Woo-jin looks at him, unhappy but searching for validation. "Here we go?"

Joon-yeong grabs his hand. "Here we go."

On to the cruelest family reunion ever.

It doesn't immediately start where it left off, with the intro to the series of zombies reaching up at the sky. Unrealistic given zombies are attracted to sounds and movement, usually coming from the humans, who are on the ground, but right now it makes him nervous. When an intro comes before the episode begins, it usually means the first act is too fast paced that stopping would feel completely out of place and having it afterwards would just feel too late.

Cheong-san's mother writhes around, completely a zombie. Cheong-san tries to get to her, but On-jo pulls him down. He can only fall on his ass, shock clear on his face.

Joon-yeong hears him shuddering from his seat, where On-jo is hugging him tightly.

Dae-su, crawling out from under the truck, sees the zombie and panics.

"No!" he gasps in horror, before his counterpart even does anything.

"Oh my god," Woo-jin whispers.

He kicks the mother down, calling for help as Cheong-san shakily stands to see him beating her with a pipe. Joon-yeong soon joins him, of course he does, that's one of his best friends. But they're beating up Cheong-san's mom. What the fuck?

Oh my god.

Cheong-san is yelling at them to stop, rushing over to push them both down and then land punch after punch on Dae-su. Both of them are scared and confused, not understanding what the other is doing, Dae-su having no idea who she is to him.

Woo-jin puts a hand over his own mouth at the beating he's enduring. Hyo-ryung chokes and cries out, "Stop it."

His yelling attracts more zombies as it's shown that Joon-yeong has gotten up and Woo-jin has joined him in beating down his mother, which gets Cheong-san to finally leave Dae-su alone and stumble towards them.

Joon-yeong mentally begs him to leave Woo-jin alone at least. None of them know what they're really doing. Su-hyeok runs over and holds him back before he can, and so they continue hitting her, On-jo quickly following suit.

"MOM!"

That's enough to make Woo-jin and Joon-yeong stop, her zombie at their feet. They didn't know. They didn't. But that doesn't take away Cheong-san's pain and it doesn't stop Joon-yeong from feeling guilty, because they're beating up their grieving friend's mom in front of him.

After that, Cheong-san falls to his knees in agony. His mother seems to crawl towards him as well. Woo-jin and Joon-yeong stand behind her, frozen and unable to do anything more.

Nobody knows what to do, but they can't even allow Cheong-san more time with her because more zombies are coming. So, Nam-ra takes Ji-min's arm and starts to pull her away, Su-hyeok orders them all to run, and Woo-jin takes Joon-yeong by the shoulders and leads him away (at least they'll be safe, they're together, they-).

Everyone else leaves, with only Nam-ra staying behind to wait for Su-hyeok, who along with On-jo is trying to get Cheong-san to move. But they have to be quick, the zombies are coming, it's only a matter of time before his mother regains her strength, and the rest of their group stop in their tracks when they realize they aren't just behind them.

They get him up and walking, joining Nam-ra, but the thunder hurts her and so Su-hyeok lets go of him to help her instead. Cheong-san and On-jo hold hands, but he quickly turns his head back towards his now standing mother, who's surrounded by other hordes of zombies. He calls after her desperately as On-jo tries to pull him away.

There's a flashback, to happier times, at the restaurant. She sees him asleep on a table and sits next to him, copying his position with complete and utter love and devotion on her face. It's so sweet. So normal. It's something Cheong-san is never getting back again.

Joon-yeong shakes his head. This is so wrong.

Cheong-san is heaving out sobs, but they don't pause the episode. They can't, not until the survivors make it to their next hiding place and they know that it will be a while before the next heartbreak.

The zombies are running faster, but the group is all together again, and so the run for it. Woo-jin slips again. Joon-yeong gasps out a small, "Fuck," as he watches himself scramble to help him up.

There's no time. Somebody could get hurt. As they all get away, the zombies come running. It's so close, it seems imminent that one of them could die here.

With the bathroom kids, Joon-seong is shivering loudly, apologizing over and over again, clearly in complete agony. Mi-jin offers him no sympathy, telling him to shut up and complaining about how heavy he is. She offers him a second of not being terrible to him, only to immediately say 'Screw you' when he rejects her bizarre confession.

And though it really doesn't look good for him, Joon-yeong hopes he does make it until their groups merge, so that someone can comfort him as he dies.

Ha-ri stops by the wall, seeing Class 2-5 from a distance, but they mistake them for zombies. Woo-jin tenses up next to him, and so Joon-yeong runs his thumb over his knuckles. They'll all make it to the auditorium, and Woo-jin will get to reunite with his sister. It's only right he's allowed that much happiness.

As their class is running up the mountain, Hyo-ryung slips and falls. Dae-su gives a small gasp as she does. Ji-min, her designated partner, goes to help her up but a zombie appears and rushes towards them, causing her to back up.

"Ji-min... help me..."

She backs away, her shoes dragging through the mud.

"What are doing?" I-sak asks, and he can almost hear the frown in her voice.

Ji-min finally abandons her entirely, running down a hill towards the side.

Why... why is she going that way? They already had a safe enough route to another building planned out. Where is she going?

"Hey!" Dae-su shouts.

"What the hell!?" Woo-jin barks.

"Ji-min!" On-jo gasps out, disappointment laced in her tone. It seems all On-jo has gotten recently is disappointment, and it isn't fair.

"I'm sorry," Ji-min whimpers, and it doesn't take much to hear the regret and fear. "I'm sorry..."

Hyo-ryung sobs and runs away from her best friend. She stops in front of the three boys, tears streaming down her face, bearing the same look disbelief from the show.

"Fuck," Dae-su curses, eyes as wide as saucers, clearly at a loss for what to do.

Woo-jin quickly lets go of Joon-yeong's hand, scooting away from him by an inch, and holds out his arms for Hyo-ryung to fall into. His skin screams at the loss of contact, but as she buries her head in Woo-jin's shoulder Joon-yeong pushes it away, knowing she needs the comfort more than he ever will.

"I'm sorry," Ji-min can be heard repeating in a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

She's sorry? Sorry... How could she do that? She's known Hyo-ryung longer than he's known Woo-jin, and she just left her there. No matter how scared Joon-yeong gets, he'd sooner die himself than leave Woo-jin, or any of the people he calls friends. And she just left her.

As the zombie draws nearer, and it looks like Hyo-ryung is completely helpless against it until a shadow appears behind her.

"Hyo-ryung!"

Joon-yeong gapes in terror as Woo-jin tackles the zombie and what is he doing back there? His face flashes with pain as he rolls over. But he's fast in moving to help her. The zombie quickly gets up and charges at them, but before it can get too close, an arrow is shot through its head.

"Oh," Woo-jin whispers, a soft smile on his face as he realizes he'll be with his sister again, but Joon-yeong can't find comfort from his sweetness as he usually would.

He can't, because their position on the ground, at the feet of where the zombie used to be, with Woo-jin curling over Hyo-ryung's body protectively, shielding her from it, looks too much like he's giving himself up to save her.

Joon-yeong knows he was just trying to pull her away, and he probably would've kicked the zombie away or fought it off or something, but it just looks that way.

In the show, Ha-ri shoots at another zombie coming for them, and then Woo-jin finally gets Hyo-ryung to stand up. He's completely shocked to see his sister and her friends running towards them.

"Sister..."

She walks up next to him, arrow pointed at any other zombies that might come their way. Ji-min fearfully tries to run from zombies in the woods, falling into a pond and whimpering as she desperately tries to flee from them.

(Why didn't she just go up the mountain like she was doing originally?)

A flood of emotions threaten to drown Oh Joon-yeong. Pride, that Woo-jin would save Hyo-ryung. Relief, that he got to reunite with his sister. Envy, fucking envy, as irrational as it is and as much as he wants to ignore it, because Woo-jin is always the first to help Hyo-ryung, and what if he likes her? Fondness, because Woo-jin is always the first to help someone he cares about. Betrayal, because Ji-min abandoned one of them. Heartbroken, because she's so fucking scared. Dread, because Woo-jin and the rest aren't safe yet, not yet, and with Ha-ri finally getting the reunion she set out for, wouldn't it be just like the show to ruin it immediately after? Fear, because Woo-jin could've died if Ha-ri hadn't shown up. And-

And horror, because he has to imagine Woo-jin realizing the girls weren't behind them, telling Joon-yeong to go ahead, and leaving him there with no explanation. And so, he'd have to catch up on his own, the others realizing who's gone, Dae-su begging to know where Woo-jin and Hyo-ryung are. Tears building up in his eyes. And if it weren't for the other group, that would be it. He'd never see Woo-jin again.

Tears fall freely down his face, and he lets them.

He almost jerks away when he feels Woo-jin's familiarly warm hand take his own. He looks up to his friend, still hugging Hyo-ryung with his other arm, with her now sitting between him and Dae-su, her head on Woo-jin's shoulder. But he can see that she's holding Dae-su's hand. Woo-jin is giving him a concerned look. Joon-yeong tries his best to give him a reassuring smile, but he doesn't seem convinced.

Finally, they all make it inside. Well... not all of them. But at least the rest of them are safe, and Ji-min- Ji-min- she...

Why is Nam-ra making that face?

He notices it in the show too. Her answer is simple but effective.

"Run. Let's go."

Lightning flashes, illuminating the room, to show it full of zombified athletes.

They run away as the zombies notice them, with only Mi-jin and Joon-seong falling behind. She struggles to pull him along on her own. He yells at her to leave.

"Just go! You'll die! Leave me!" "Whatever!"

Wiping his eyes, Joon-yeong is slightly surprised by her dedication, he half-expected her to just leave him for all she's been shown not to care, but his attention is quickly taken away by Ha-ri finding a door and everyone rushing to get inside.

Su-hyeok tackles a zombie that gets near, but Min-jae is too far away, and has to leave out the door. Woo-jin gasps next to him and squeezes harder. In the show, he's helping his sister get everyone inside. Fuck, that moron won't get to safety with the rest of them so long as his sister is still out there.

Mi-jin and Joon-seong are still struggling, with him calling her crazy for still helping when he's slowing her down so much.

Finally, he throws himself from the cart and to the zombies. Joon-yeong gapes at the bravery. Mi-jin tries to go after him but Ha-ri and Woo-jin hold her back. She's crying, thrashing, desperate to get to him. But Ha-ri won't go back without her and Woo-jin won't go back without Ha-ri, so she needs to let go. Joon-seong even holds back one zombie not focusing on him.

Mi-jin shrieks, loudly, sounding kind of like a wounded animal. She throws her arms around Joon-seong, as water pours out onto her face, holding him close like she's scared to ever let him go.

Joon-yeong looks at the scene, not knowing what to think. He... definitely misjudged her.

For Joon-seong's sake, he looks completely shocked to be in this position- Whether it's Mi-jin's unexpected reaction, the fact that he just saw himself die, or a mixture of the two, he can't tell.

Min-jae goes outside, fights off another zombie, and leaves. Woo-jin's eyes are wide, with tears building up in them. Joon-yeong knows it's because Ha-ri's best friend has known the siblings their entire lives, and at having to witness another death of someone their age.

Mi-jin sobs in Ha-ri's arms, completely devastated by the turn of events. Joon-yeong thought she didn't like him, but he clearly meant more to her than she was willing to admit.

Woo-jin is tired, no wonder why, after playing Cheong-san for five minutes. (How does On-jo live like this? Joon-yeong feels completely drained.) He stumbles to sit down next to his sister.

The trauma of everything that just happened, and maybe from the entire night, is evident on his face. The cut on his left cheek looks worse than it did before, and he's soaking wet, and... He's still so beautiful. Ha-ri takes his hand.

Finally, the groups, or just group now, are given a moment to breath. Nam-ra helps Hyo-ryung as she copes with having been left by the friend that should have cared for her the most. Joon-yeong can only stare ahead as he processes all that's happened.

Dae-su apologizes to Cheong-san for... beating up his mother (oh god). The latter can only fall to his knees, On-jo slowly going down after him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he cries.

Joon-yeong should have known this would turn out terribly. It was a miracle they made it from the music room to the roof at all without losing anyone. It was a miracle they made it from the broadcasting room to the music room with only Nam-ra becoming a hambie to show for it. And even before that, though it was sandwiched between two tragedies, it was a miracle that everyone present made it from the science lab to the broadcasting room.

They didn't feel lucky, not by a long shot, but they should have been counting their blessings that they lasted as long as they did. Because now they're screwed.

"Maybe it's time we pause the show," Ms. Park suggests softly into the silence, with only tender music and Mi-jin's quietening sobs to compete with.

Joon-yeong nods. They have a lot to cope with, and things are finally getting slower again- OH NO! Ji-min!

She's sobbing, screaming, in a field full of zombies. All alone, with nowhere to go, tears and snot and rain running down her face, she desperately tries to dodge them. She falls into the ground.

In the auditorium, the zombies keep feasting on Joon-seong as lighting ping flashes, setting Mi-jin off again, her wailing starting anew.

Ji-min gets up, crying her eyes out. "Mommy..."

And despite everything she's just done, his heart breaks into tiny little pieces for her, because none of this ever should have happened to bring her to this. She doesn't try to run again or anything else to save her. And soon, a zombie runs up to her from behind with its teeth bared towards her neck.

Joon-yeong flinches away but the scene cuts.

Hyo-ryung moans.

Min-jae, on his own, walks along the outer walls of the school, but it doesn't look any zombies are coming to kill off a third student.

Ji-min, lying on the grass of the field, turns into a zombie as Mr. Lee's voiceover starts, talking about evolution. She gets up and shrieks. Joon-yeong feels like crying at the sight of her. The show pauses on an outer shot of the military base.

The room is almost completely silent, save for Mi-jin's loud sobs. Soon, Hyo-ryung's breathing turns loud, to the point of hyperventilation. Woo-jin's arm around her tightens but Dae-su quickly pulls her into a hug. Proving just how upside down everything, she lets him, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. Woo-jin quietly removes his arm and scoots away from them. And Joon-yeong wishes he would take his hand, or wrap his arm around his shoulders, or pull him into a hug, but he has enough pride not to ask.

"I'm sorry," Ji-min's devastated voice grabs his attention, closing her eyes as more tears spill out. "I'm so sorry." She shakes her head, gasping out.

And Joon-yeong is overwrought with grief because this is their friend. She was their friend. She's the girl who came up to him and Woo-jin at a party asking if either of them would be her karaoke partner because Hyo-ryung was too scared to sing with her like she said she would. She's the girl who's been their friend for two years. She's the girl who lost her parents and was forced back down onto the roof. She's mean and rude and strong-willed and moralistic, or at least they thought she was, and she's theirs.

But no one stands to hug her. No one stands to mourn her no matter how much they want to.

Ms. Park has already stood up and started walking, finally making it to Class 2-5 in time for her to raise her arms. Ji-min cries out and stands, falling into their teacher's arms. Ms. Park holds her tight, stroking down her hair as she sobs out.

"It's okay. It's okay."

"I just wanna go home..." Ji-min whines miserably.

Joon-yeong is taken back to the episode before, when she begged and screamed for the soldiers not to force her back as they lowered her to the ground. Fuck.

He sees the way Woo-jin's gaze softens when he looks at her, and tears gathering behind the gaze, and knows he's thinking the same or at least something similar. He's too compassionate for his own good, even after all of this. At least they still have that going for them.

Woo-jin looks from Ji-min to Hyo-ryung, his shoulders slumping in resignation. Joon-yeong watches him, entranced and desperate to know what's going through his head. He sees the loyalty in his eyes turn into a resolve to do whatever Hyo-ryung wants, despite his sympathy and grief for the other girl.

Then he looks to his side, past Joon-yeong, his mouth settling into a deep frown. Joon-yeong follows his gaze to the other side of the couch. Cheong-san is being attended to by On-jo and Gyeong-su. On-jo has her head on his shoulder, a tear streaming down her cheek. She stares at Ji-min like she wants to ask her why she did it, but her eyes flicker to Cheong-san's face and Joon-yeong can feel her reluctance to leave. He can understand that.

Because his own- his- his own best friend bows his head downwards.

"Woo-jin?" Joon-yeong asks softly, his name on his tongue being all the question he needs.

His friend turns towards him, they stare into each other's eyes, and though he doesn't cry, the sheer depth of him shakes Joon-yeong to his core. He looks tired. He looks old.

Finally, Woo-jin sighs, seemingly agreeing to give his reason. Faintly, he says, "I don't know why I got to see my family again when Cheong-san got... that."

Fuck... Joon-yeong loves family reunions, and he's so happy to see Woo-jin with his sister again, but Cheong-san just saw something no son should ever have to see.

"Oh," he says, thinking over what he can possibly do to make him feel better. Tell him it's just luck? What good will that do for him? No. When Joon-yeong settles on what to say, he wraps a loose arm around his shoulders and says, "Don't compare it. That won't do any good. It's completely separate. Okay?"

Woo-jin swallows but nods. That's enough for Joon-yeong, and without thinking he rests his head on his shoulder. He only realizes when he glances at the side of his face and thinks about kissing him on the cheek. And what's even stopping him? Woo-jin never shied away from affection. In these dire times, would it be so wrong to-

"GET THE FUCK BACK!!!" He jumps, head shooting up at Mi-jin's shout. They all look at her where she's on the couch, with the rest of the kids of the bathroom. She's glaring with an all new fury at Commander Jin where he stands. It's easy to figure out that he tried approaching them. Mi-jin then takes off her shoe, tears starting anew, and throws it at him. She does the same with the other. "YOU KILLED MY FRIEND!!!"

"I respect that you are angry at the moment, but please acknowledge that he wasn't even on the rooftop," he says evenly.

"YOU KILLED HIM BY PROXY!" She looks around at the other bathroom kids. "Give me your shoes." Ha-ri and Joon-seong both look caught off guard, but Min-jae immediately hands her his, having already taken his off when she did. She throws that at him as well.

"Are we?" Joon-seong asks. "Friends?"

She scoffs. "Don't be stupid. Of course we are."

He beams at her, and then starts kicking off his shoes as well.

"I just want to assure you that this will not occur in this timeline."

"Shut up," she groans, taking her friend's shoe and throwing it at him as well. Mi-jin takes the other shoe, twists around in her seat and tries throwing it at Mr. Lee, but because he isn't as close to them, she misses. "Shit." She turns to Ha-ri. "You're a good shot aren't you?"

"Um, wait-" Captain Nam interrupts.

Ha-ri sighs, bending her knee and bringing her foot on the couch, untying her shoelaces. "Are you gonna pick them up after at least?"

Mi-jin shrugs. "I guess."

Ha-ri doesn't look happy about it, but she throws her shoe at Mr. Lee, who doesn't even try to dodge it, merely accepting it with a shrug as if to say 'fair enough'.

Commander Jin blinks, then turns towards Ji-min, still leaning against Ms. Park. Their English teacher shakes her head. He continues. "I promise that this will not occur in the new series of events." He then turns around, his head held high, and walks back to the couch.

Joon-yeong blinks. That was bizarre.

"Um... Do you think we're ready to unpause the show now?" Ho-cheol asks the entire room.

The bathroom kids look at one another then nod.

Hyo-ryung, having scooted away from Dae-su by now, gives forced smile, and says, "Sure."

Cheong-san shudders out a breath but nods. "Let's go."

"Um..." Ji-min looks back at the class, but no one is willing to look her in the eye, besides Woo-jin, who gives her a look expressing all the hopelessness he must be feeling. She takes a deep breath before turning around, but not before Ms. Park whispers something at her. She hesitates but shakes her head, squeezes her hand, lets go, then slowly finds a spot on the middle couch by herself. Ms. Park walks back to the rest of the adults.

With that being enough, they resume.

"It's impossible to create a vaccine. There's only one solution: Slaughter."

It makes his blood boil, seeing Commander Jin and his subordinates watch the video they went to the school to get when it led to them leaving them there.

And he hates what Mr. Lee is saying; No vaccine, no chances, just death and destruction. They've suffered enough but...

They discuss Mr. Lee and the expansion of Martial Law. When Commander Jin asks about Hyosan, the only answer given is to sacrifice and abandon.

An entire city... They really don't matter to them, do they?

Woo-jin's fingers dig into his own knees, his shoulders shaking, and Joon-yeong knows he's not just thinking about them but every survivor stuck in the city not knowing that the military doesn't care, including that couple from last episode. The need to soothe takes him over so Joon-yeong grabs the hand closest to him and brings it to his side, snapping Woo-jin out of it. His other hand goes slack.

Assemblywoman Park is handed a form that says letter of resignation. Her party leader is vague about why, but he makes it sound like something really bad is gonna happen. So bad that she'll want her name scrubbed from anything involving it.

The hell... Oh, they're screwed. They really are all dead.

He gives her time and instructions, then leaves, passing the cops' cell and then the assistant, ignoring his questions. As the assistant turns his questions towards her, she stares at the paper.

Captain Nam breaks into a shop and begins stocking up on measuring tape and ribbon. Okay, that can be useful. But how is he even supposed to get to them when the room they're stuck in is surrounded by zombies?

With the class, On-jo is sleeping on Cheong-san's shoulder, Nam-ra and Hyo-ryung sleep close to one another with Su-hyeok not far behind. Joon-yeong and Dae-su sleep in each other's arms, which is slightly embarrassing. Woo-jin isn't even with them this time to make it kind of endearing.

Woo-jin is sleeping with his head on his sister's lap. That's so cute. He's adorable-

Um...

What Joon-yeong means to say is-

Cheong-san and On-jo soon wake up, with him asking her what he's supposed to do now. She just tells him to think about it later, after days or weeks.

Joon-yeong doesn't know how that's possible. Again, they're completely trapped, the military is abandoning the city, and even Captain Nam has no way of knowing where in the school they are but if he does, then what is he gonna do to get them out of the auditorium on his own?

"I wonder if my dad's alive," Cheong-san says, voice completely drained. "I hope I can call him. Just... tell him that I love him."

On-jo also promises that they'll talk about other stuff as well. Like them. Finally, they're getting together.

"Whatever happens, please don't give up, okay?"

How? How are they just supposed to keep going when they've finally found themselves completely trapped? No loudspeakers, no windows large enough, not even the sound of thunder.

Captain Nam hikes up the mountain, but trips and ends up falling, crashing into a tree. The collision is enough to make the audience either groan or flinch. He gets up, not noticing that he's left behind his flashlight. So, that's one less tool at his disposal.

Nam-ra looks at the light shining through the small window. Suddenly, all those jokes the girls would tell about her being a vampire that Woo-jin never cared for (but Joon-yeong always secretly found amusing) seem both needlessly mean and unfunny.

The class, except for Woo-jin and the seniors, sit around her as she tells them that the smell is stronger. Dae-su, the idiot, smells his underarms. Woo-jin is sitting in the background behind him.

Joon-yeong tries to tell them it doesn't matter, it really doesn't. There's no use beating around it. They're trapped and no one with the right capabilities is coming after them. There's nothing else to do. Even if that upsets Hyo-ryung and Dae-su, that's just how it is.

Woo-jin asks about Ha-ri's preliminaries, with Mi-jin lying to him about making the National Team. Joon-yeong wishes she would stay out of it, Woo-jin clearly took it well when they watched episode two, she doesn't need to worry. And they certainly don't have to lie to him.

Oh, but he gets so excited when he thinks she's succeeded, seemingly forgetting the nightmare they're trapped in as asks if their parents know. He's adorable.

... And Joon-yeong did it again.

Whatever, for now he's just content in watching the siblings be as he asks who Mi-jin is.

Next to him on the couch, Woo-jin smirks, looking... looking...

It worries him though. If they're talking about tropes in television, well... Woo-jin hasn't exactly stolen the show. At least objectively speaking. Personally, Joon-yeong's attention is usually diverted whenever he's onscreen, but still. And traditionally, in television, when a previously underdeveloped character begins receiving special attention, that usually means they might be dying that same episode.

And he can't accept that.

(Not Woo-jin... Please not him. If the rest of the world crumbles down... not him.)

Dae-su startles him, looking fucking freaky standing over the three as they sit.

He then begins to... Seriously, Dae-su? Seriously? He confesses his love for Ha-ri in the dumbest way possible. Why would he think she would reciprocate?

It is kind of funny how Woo-jin gasps out a shocked 'What?' and then covers her ears though. He's so...

"I wanna be a man and not just a fan."

Everyone is in awe of Dae-su's confession, staring on in shock. Joon-yeong even jokingly puts his hand on Hyo-ryung's knee, pretending this is a touching moment, but she puts it back... Guess he's dying alone.

Fine. It's safer then... Then...

Then wondering why Woo-jin looks so damn handsome when he winks, okay?

But props to Dae-su for being brave as fuck, but there's a reason Ha-ri is so intimidating. She feigns interest in a way that anyone with functioning brain cells should be able to tell is false.

"Then you're okay with dying?"

"There it is," Woo-jin whispers.

Joon-yeong gapes as she starts beating him up. Everyone gapes as she starts beating him up. Except for Woo-jin. He's beaming.

Woo-jin does try to help as Dae-su crawls away, but Mi-jin, smiling widely, gestures for him to stop. He ends up hiding behind those cage baskets trying to get away from her.

Ha-ri is really pissed off. He calls for Woo-jin's help as she begins throwing balls at him, but Woo-jin just cheers her on.

At this point, Joon-yeong starts laughing.

"Thanks for the support, guys!" Dae-su says in a panic.

Suddenly, he's hit on the head by a white sneaker. Ha-ri looks downright murderous. Min-jae offers her his second shoe but she holds up a hand. "No. Save it in case something else happens. Between the four of us, that's our last one."

"Oh, you can take mine," Hee-su exclaims, pointing out her feet in front of her, leading to several students murmuring their own volunteers and some even going so far as to kick their shoes off. Even Eun-ji and Cheol-soo chip in with offers.

Dae-su gulps.

"Do I have to pick those up too, ah?" Mi-jin asks.

"Are you complaining?" Ha-ri asks with a smoldering grin.

Mi-jin's face turns a faint red as her smile widens. "Nope."

"Oh my god," Dae-su quivers as he distracts her long enough to get a helmet.

The commotion causes sports balls to fall at Su-hyeok's side, and he picks one of them up, looking at it with a quiet look on his face.

That's his idea look. Fuck. Okay, they're doing this.

But not before Gwi-nam climbs back up onto the roof and is disappointed to see them no longer there. No thanks to the military.

"Where did those shitheads run off to now?"

Su-hyeok shakes the bars of the baskets, kicking it as well. When Joon-yeong asks what he's doing, he asks if they can move it.

... That not a horrible idea.

That can actually really work. It's dangerous, but if they stabilize it enough, it might serve to get them out the door.

"So, in a way, it's good that I asked Ha-ri out?"

"In a way, it's good that my sister beat you up," Woo-jin deadpans. Joon-yeong smirks at him.

After they've already started assembling the shield together, Mi-jin starts complaining. Her and Woo-jin argue over it and it annoys Joon-yeong so much. Not only is she wrong but she has no right to talk to Woo-jin that way.

As his alternative self explains, it's too short. They'll be immobile.

She doesn't like being talked back to, but he really isn't gonna back down or put up with her when their lives are on the line. Mi-jin basically throws a tantrum, hitting him over the head.

Fucking- His annoyance at her is almost overshadowed when Woo-jin checks up on him, putting an arm over his shoulders, and telling her off. His stomach does somersaults when that happens, but Mi-jin ruins it by still talking.

She's so annoying. They're doing something important and she needs to stay out of their way.

She's such a shithead. Fucking trying to hit him and then kicking him. That dumbass is trying to get them all killed.

Some of the tension eases from his shoulders when Woo-jin puts his arm over his shoulders, like he did in the show. Joon-yeong catches him frowning at him in concern. Whatever, he's justified in his anger.

Su-hyeok gets between them, trying to act as mediator. And though Joon-yeong would never leave anyone behind, making escape plans were much easier when she was only pissing off her own group and not getting in the way of their survival.

"I'm not fighting to die. I'm fighting because I want to live."

Mi-jin doesn't let up and so he finally just suggests splitting up before he walks away. She keeps trying to fight, but Su-hyeok holds her back. In the background, he sees Woo-jin put his arm around his shoulders again, and subconsciously leans into the touch provided to him in the present.

Nam-ra startles everyone by pushing a crate into some other crates, making a loud noise that gets their attention. At this point, both of Woo-jin's hands are on his arms. Nam-ra tells them to vote on it. When Mi-jin asks who she is, she spends with 'Class prez', which Joon-yeong actually respects.

So, they all sit together, facing her, as they take their votes. Everyone wants to stay together, because splitting up would be a death sentence for at least some if not all of them. No one there deserves to die. It's just Mi-jin is really annoying.

Dae-su argues that there are too many stupid people to just go with the majority vote on something so important, and Joon-yeong sees where he's coming from, which is why they should all listen to the second in the class and not the girl stressing about getting into university all throughout the zombie apocalypse.

As Hyo-ryung bickers with Dae-su like they're an old married couple, and they consider voting about voting, Mi-jin has the nerve to wonder how they managed to survive as if she didn't get into a fist fight on the first night in that bathroom.

Nam-ra interrupts, starting the voting process with Joon-yeong's better idea. On-jo has to raise Cheong-san's hand for him, but his friends all know that-

Woo-jin, raise your hand.

Woo-jin, raise your hand.

Woo-jin... raise your hand.

You were arguing for it earlier!

Oh, so that's how it's gonna be!?

Woo-jin, clearly brainwashed by his sister and her mean friend, votes against him. Wow. Wow!

In the present, he awkwardly drops his arm from around his shoulders, watching Joon-yeong's face nervously.

He says he just 'changed his mind'. Yeah, right. He would've never done that if the seniors weren't there!

But you know, Joon-yeong respects that he has different opinions from him, and he never wants to be the bo- the friend who gets mad at other friends about that, and the box method isn't completely stupid, it would provide extra stability, but it would really stunt their movement. With the walls, they can go to extra measures to secure it, so it's both safe and practical.

Did- did Joon-yeong not explain that well enough? Did he take him for granted? Did he cause Woo-jin to have doubts? He- Joon-yeong can change. He'll be better... at explaining things.

Thank you, Nam-ra.

...

... Joon-yeong should really apologize for hating her for all that time.

It wasn't even a 'hate' hate, he was just so jealous and everyone else would always throw bitter remarks that served to fuel it into something stronger than it would have been.

But don't they see? The smartest kids in school want to make the walls high.

With the class getting back to work on making their shield, Mi-jin still whines, though not as angrily as before. She still thinks his method is gonna kill them all, which it's not, but you know what? Fine. It's Joon-yeong's responsibility if it fails, so it's on him.

"Don't worry, I'll take the front and any blame. You hold back."

Mi-jin complains to Ha-ri about him, but even the only kinda friend she has left is tired of her, retorting that she has no room to complain about rudeness given everything about her. Very true.

Joon-yeong wants to be sympathetic given how much she was grieving over Joon-seong, but she's just too much for him to deal with without getting a headache.

As soon as the next scene starts, he knows it will do nothing to help with the irritation brewing in his chest. So as the people from the military discuss Mr. Lee's virus, he scoots closer to Woo-jin and rests his head on his shoulder. The other boy's breath hitches at the contact.

Joon-yeong holds back a scoff and murmurs in his ear. "Calm down, it was one vote, and we still went with my idea anyways." Woo-jin relaxes.

It's just a little annoying, because like, do you think a politician's friends vote against them? Or their... loved ones. No, because their loved ones trust that they make the best decisions.

His attention is taken by something the scientist says. The virus stops the heart, with only the disease living on to move the body. Moving corpses. Ji-min, Joon-seong... So, if one of them gets bitten on their way out of that gym, they're dead. There's no going back. No cure possible.

If Woo-jin-

That's not gonna happen.

The scientists compare the zombie soldier to Eun-ji in that the zombie is medically dead while she's difficult to place but was found alive. Another soldier comes in, explaining that zombies are breaking into Yangdong. Fuck, that's awful. And how are Joon-yeong's friends supposed to survive if the outside world doesn't fare much better than their school?

Back in the supply closet, they're still working on their contraption when Cheong-san finds an expired chocolate bar. At that, Dae-su perks up like they haven't already eaten lunch. In the show, they've been starved for days on end, so they have an excuse for their excitement.

Going that long without eating does sound awful.

They gather around in a circle. Thankfully, Woo-jin gets the first bite so he won't have to deal with eating something expired and the germs left from the rest of them. Joon-yeong is pretty sure he's at the end of the line though. Ew.

Dae-su gets increasingly nervous as it's passed around, with only a few of them rejecting it. Finally, it gets to him, and Joon-yeong waits for him to shed a tear and give to him but, oh no, he's just eating it all entirely. Fuck.

"Dude!" Woo-jin scolds as his show self berates him.

"I'm sorry!"

Just- Whatever. It only could have been the last thing he'd ever get to eat. It is what is.

At least Woo-jin rubs his arm to make him feel better.

Joon-yeong's not mad.

So, they put on armor, shoulder pads and helmets. Mi-jin even helps Woo-jin with his, probably only because he's Ha-ri's brother, but Joon-yeong guesses that it shows that she's not so bad when she's not being rude.

On-jo and Cheong-san help each other put on their armor, the tension quickly building between them as she just has to ask if he hates her.

"I've never hated you at all. That amazes me too."

"Because you're so annoying," Cheong-san finishes for himself.

A beat. And then the sound of skin being smacked.

But then it's time. They're gonna have to put their plan in motion. Joon-yeong assures Dae-su that it will work, but rather than be annoyed by the doubt, he finds himself just as nervous about the possibility of success. Because what happens if it does fail?

It won't. It's a good plan. It's going to work out for them.

Ha-ri and Woo-jin bicker, but the crux of it is the same; Stay close to one another and don't die. By now, Joon-yeong knows them both well enough to know that neither would hesitate to die for one another. That might be the scariest part. If it does fail, then Woo-jin's priority will be to help his sister, not self-preservation. That's why it can't fail, and why a plan with too many holes, like Mi-jin's, just wouldn't do.

Hyo-ryung grabs Nam-ra's arm, admitting that she's scared, and so the class president holds her hand. Joon-yeong is glad that she's bonding more with the rest of the group. She deserves that friendship. And Hyo-ryung deserves to be comforted, especially after Ji-min.

Su-hyeok hands Cheong-san a bat, both of them agreeing to cover the front and back. Joon-yeong still has to be at the front though, with it being his plan.

"You better be right about this."

He is.

Here they go.

They open the door, running out and pulling their shield out. Su-hyeok and Ha-ri fight off the zombies first. They quickly move to close it, but not before Bare-su kicks a zombie away from the opening.

So, step one complete then. They manage to close it in a circle, them on the inside, and all the zombies on the outside. Now they just have to get it to the door.

It starts off as well as any of them could have hoped, with them getting good motion despite the zombies pushing back at them. Of course, it attracts more zombies but they can work through it.

The zombies begin climbing, and so they start fighting them off, which will take away from their pushing but it's still manageable. Cheong-san and Su-hyeok use their bats, Ha-ri her arrows, and Woo-jin- a sports block thingy to push away the monsters grabbing at him.

It's okay, no one is bit yet, they still have a chance.

It all becomes too much too fast, as their attention is on holding off the zombies first and on moving second. There are so many of them overwhelming their group.

One of them grabs Hyo-ryung by the shoulders and pulls her at them. That makes her shriek and hug Dae-su out of fear for her life, Joon-yeong's heart races at the thought of her dying here, by his plan, especially since she actually voted against him, and especially after everything that she went through just the night before.

On-jo and Nam-ra work to save her, thankfully they do, but then a zombie grabs On-jo's foot from behind bars and knocks her to the ground, with Nam-ra having to pull it off as well. All that distracts them from pushing, and there's no time to be distracted because it's all falling apart by the second.

It's all falling apart.

Fucking Gwi-nam enters a classroom, seeming like he senses something. And so, he opens a window and jumps out. Joon-yeong dreads to know how long it will take for him to find them, and what he will do if he does and they're still in a fucked up position.

The shield looks especially flimsy and it's only a matter of time before someone fails to notice a zombie getting over. Fuck. Shit. Should they have gone with Mi-jin's plan? For the extra stability? Would they be this overwhelmed if they had? Would they already be at the door?

Mi-jin pushes one away and quickly falls into the hands of another one. Fuckfuckfuck- No! She can't die!

He quickly tries to get it away from her, shoving his hand in its face to push it away. In the heat of the moment, he's so desperate to help her that he doesn't think about how reckless that is until it turns its face into Joon-yeong's hand and bites it.

Someone lets out a loud gasp.

Oh.

Oh.

"Um..." He starts, glancing over his best friends. Hyo-ryung starts crying again, shivering in Dae-su's embrace. Tears quickly well up in his friend's horror-struck face as he shakes his head quietly and tightens his hold on her. But Woo-jin-

Woo-jin just blinks at the screen then at him, face full of confusion, like he doesn't understand what's going on.

Isn't obvious?

Joon-yeong is dying.

He falls to the floor upon release, staring at his bloody hand, Mi-jin desperately asking if he's okay.

"Oh my god..." I-sak moans, sounding muffled, so he glances over to see she's burying her head in Gyeong-su's shirt.

He wishes he could do the same with Woo-jin.

He doesn't want to die.

He wants to stay with his friends.

He wants to be with him.

He's not gonna get what he wants.

Fuck, snap out of it. His friends are breaking around him, but Joon-yeong is the only one with a bite. Even if they make it to the door, they're screwed if he turns in there with them.

His plan turned out to be a disaster.

Woo-jin is relentless in his hits against zombies with that sports block thingy, but how long before one of them gets over?

Mi-jin's hand on his shoulder.

This is no time for denial. No time for goodbyes. All the plans he made for his future, all his goals, his hopes, and his dangerous desires, they all wash away. None of it is going to happen anymore. Logically speaking, there's really only one thing he can do. One thing left that he wants to do. One thing that will protect his friends from the zombies on the outside, and from him.

From what he's about to become.

"Shit. I said I'd take responsibility."

So, he gets up. The spot he uses to get over is near to Woo-jin, he doesn't stop to say goodbye or even look at him... or kiss him... because there's no time and he doesn't know how long that would take. There are so many things he wants to say to him after all, things he thought he'd keep buried forever, things that he would now take to his death. Things that would take too long to say. And-

And Joon-yeong can't bear to look at him right now. How can he be expected to move when he's looking at someone who takes his breath away?

He tries not to hear his cries for him to stop over everyone else's.

If he looks at Woo-jin in the show, he might be compelled to stay, even knowing what he'll become. Because as long as he's still a little bit human, he'll be gone for Jang Woo-jin, and he'll do what it takes to make him even just a little happy. But even a bit of his happiness isn't worth his life, or the lives of their friends.

And if he looks at Woo-jin in real life, he'll feel guilty for ever leaving him, and it will be hell knowing there's nothing he can do to change the show.

His friends cry out for him as he pushes zombies away to get back to the shield. It's finally enough to break Dae-su, whose sobs boom out. Joon-yeong doesn't look over but soon his friend is next to him, pulling into a bear hug. He doesn't have it in him to complain. Hyo-ryung quietly sits at his other side and takes his arm in her hand, gripping it tightly. Joon-yeong can still see the screen from this position.

It works though. Him pushing away zombies and pulling the barricade farther along. No matter how much it looks like it hurts, the pain on his face, the blood leaking down his nose, it's worth it. Because he's getting his friends closer to the door and closer to some salvation.

They might make it all the way home, even if he has to take another zombie biting at him to get them there.

"Let's go! Let's go home!"

"No, no, no," Mi-jin cries, sobbing into Ha-ri's shoulder, Joon-seong patting her back in support.

The shield is moving faster now. That's worth all of this. So, he pushes off the zombies attacking him and keeps going, no matter how much he's hurting or how- how scared he is.

The zombies flock to the open target, pulling him away from his friends. Mi-jin cries as she watches him fall. He's still not dead yet, so he gets up and pulls away a zombie focused on them and just keeps on pulling them. Just keep going.

Just keep going.

They'll get home.

Mi-jin grabs his hand from the other side of the railing, crying for him. And that touches something deep inside him that she would care so much. Joon-yeong is proud to have saved her. She holds his hand as long as she can, but he's starting to look more dead than alive with zombies biting into him and blood pouring from his nose.

She tries to hold on, but he's ripped away from her. The zombies too strong and maybe him too weak. They pull him to his death, him crying in agony as they all fall to the ground, and it's more than a sinking feeling-

Joon-yeong knows that the next time he gets up and goes running for his friends, it won't be to help them.

That's when tears finally fall from his eyes. He's dying. His friends are crying. They're trying to comfort one another. Dae-su and Hyo-ryung are hugging the living daylights out of him. And still, he doesn't dare look over to see how Woo-jin is.

It shows Hyo-ryung crying, Ha-ri, Su-hyeok ordering them all to push. But it doesn't show Woo-jin's reaction and he's grateful for that.

Some of the zombies get off the floor from where they were attacking him and run at the barricade. Which must mean he's losing appeal to them. He's becoming a monster. His friends keep pushing onwards.

Mi-jin looks over at him on the ground. He gasps at the sight at himself. Zombies eating from his stomach before getting up, no longer satiated by him. His body taut but he shakes as if having a seizure. Eyes red and unseeing, bones crunching as he bends over and then goes straight, arms flying back behind him.

Several of his classmate cry out at the sight of it, and Joon-yeong shakes his head in disbelief.

What would it be like to lose all senses, all knowing, all recognition? To not see anything but things to kill out of his friends, his classmates, and the girl he saved? Out of him? To no longer hope or plan? To lose all of Oh Joon-yeong and become something that only hopes to kill?

Mi-jin stumbles back, seeing him like that. His head convulses from side to side before he finally gets on his hands and feet like an animal and growls out, the transformation complete.

He- it- the zombie runs at the shield, right in front of Cheong-san, flailing its arms, the same arms he's using to hug his friends back now, at him. There's no awareness that he's doing this to one of his friends, nothing left of Joon-yeong, nothing human in those crazed, red eyes.

But still, Cheong-san just steps back and stares at him with devastation as the zombie bears its teeth at him and growls, swiping his hand forward trying to get at him.

And then they're back with the military. This time, Joon-yeong is more relieved by the break than anything else.

Dae-su's body shakes. "Fuck, man- fuck. Just- just promise you won't do that shit this timeline." And then, his voice cracking, he adds a broken, "Okay?"

Joon-yeong swallows and nods.

The rest of the class flock towards them, sitting around him. Cheong-san goes up to him and hugs him. Su-hyeok reaches over and pats him on the back, his other arm holding Nam-ra to his side protectively. I-sak and Gyeong-su watch on from nearby, her head resting on his shoulder, eyes red from crying. Gyeong-su does his best to comfort her, wrapping a tight arm around her. It's crowded. And Joon-yeong is happy to have his friends around him, almost like he's in the eye of hurricane. Still chaotic, still dangerous and messy, but he can find a certain calmness for just a moment.

Joon-yeong isn't as surprised as he would have been when Mi-jin comes up to him, tears still streaming down her face.

"Fuck." Her hands shake. "I'm so fucking sorry. You- you were saving me."

Joon-yeong sighs. "You're worth saving. Don't be sorry." He holds his hand up at her. "Friends?"

Mi-jin takes his hand and immediately pulls him to his feet and into a hug, which is a little awkward given how closely everyone is sitting next to him. They all tumble over. But that's nothing compared to how his bones crack under her tight grip.

When she lets go, she punches him on the shoulder, grinning sadly. Almost like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. That's when he truly appreciates that for all she can be really fucking frustrating, she cares a lot about the people around her. He's lucky to call her a friend.

Joon-yeong sits back down feeling almost lighter at making peace with Mi-jin.

But then, from the corner of his eye, he sees Ha-ri passing them by. It finally gives him the strength to look over at Woo-jin as she approaches him.

He sits far off from the crowd gathered, and Joon-yeong doesn't know how he got so far away. His expression is blank but something horrified flickers in his eyes and his breathing picks up before it's seemingly stamped back down into a controlled numbness. Like he's actively keeping a tower from tipping over and breaking into little pieces.

He doesn't acknowledge her until Ha-ri says softly, "Woo-jin?" He looks up at his sister.

Woo-jin doesn't move or say anything as she sits down next to him. Joon-yeong watches on entranced. But after she draws him into a hug, something does break. He collapses into the embrace. Almost like if she wasn't there to hold him up, he'd fall over even though he's sitting on the couch. The creeping horror is now prevalent on his beautiful face but it looks like he's still too stunned to cry.

And as much as Joon-yeong wishes he were closer, he's not sure that's what Woo-jin needs right now. Besides, his reaction is almost too much for Joon-yeong's heart to handle.

But he misses him.

"Joon-yeong?" His attention is snapped away by On-jo, who kneels in front of him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, and he returns her hug.

Between the friends beckoning for his attention, and the short but telling distance between them and the siblings, he can't catch the words murmured between Woo-jin and Ha-ri.

He hears something that stands out though. Ha-ri's whispered words to Woo-jin manage to catch his ears. She says, "Do whatever you need to do to get by."

Get by?

He has no time to ponder over that, because then Ji-min walks over, arms hanging uselessly to her sides, eyes teary and face full of devastation. She stands in front of them.

"I'm sorry," she says again. Then, looking straight at Hyo-ryung, she repeats. "I'm so sorry." Ji-min makes eye contact with Joon-yeong, and then breathes out, "You don't deserve to die."

"Neither do you," Joon-yeong says on instinct, honestly believing it. Even after what she did, she shouldn't have died. He'd hug her if he wasn't being held down by his friends.

Hyo-ryung stands up, leaving his side open for Cheong-san to slide in next to him. The two girls stand in front of each other, no words passing between them.

Then with a shaky breath, Hyo-ryung wraps her arms around Ji-min's shoulders and pulls her close. Ji-min accepts the hug gratefully. But it's not a happy moment, for Hyo-ryung's face is rife with doubt and conflict.

She pulls back, keeping her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "Intermission. We'll talk later." Ji-min nods. Hyo-ryung looks over and points at an empty spot on the couch, to the side, but on the opposite end from where Woo-jin is. "Sit there. Okay?"

Ji-min nods and does what she says.

Not long after that, he sees Commander Jin standing up. He tenses. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize another speech and promise is coming next.

Joon-yeong thinks he might just let him. After all of that and everything else, he's really fucking tired. He's not sure he has it in him to fight or to hate, and thinks it might be easier to accept his words and move on with his friends by his side.

When Commander Jin stops in front of him, Joon-yeong sits up straighter. He holds his head up high and prideful. "I want to preface this by saying you did a remarkably brave thing. You should be proud of-"

A voice from the far side interrupts him. "Oh, go fuck yourself," Woo-jin scoffs, talking for the first time since his death.

Everyone turns to him in surprise at the uncharacteristic moment. Joon-yeong suddenly doesn't feel as worn out, his heart picking up speed. What is he doing?

Commander Jin turns his head towards Woo-jin and clears his throat. "I understand that you are upset right now-"

"Upset? I'm upset?" Woo-jin stands up, arms crossed, glaring at him with a quiet but furious spite that looks so unnatural but so real. Ha-ri stands with him, waving someone over from behind him. "You left us to die on that roof. You don't get to act innocent when one of us does die." Min-jae runs towards the sibling, passing over his shoe to her and then running back to his seat. "I hope you die before the show is over." Joon-yeong's eyes widen at the words. "I hate you. No one wants you here, go away."

In his peripheral vision, he sees his friends trade confused looks, but he can't bear to catch anyone's eyes himself.

The Commander sighs then turns back to Joon-yeong. "I promise you won't have to go through this this time." Min-jae's shoe hits him on the shoulder. And with that, he turns away.

Joon-yeong looks into Woo-jin's eyes from across their distance. His jaw trembles and for just a second, the fury in his eyes lets up to reveal the smallest bit of agony, but then he's quickly turning away, stalking off to a spot on the far end of the couch even further away from them, arms crossed over his chest.

Ha-ri trails after him, sitting next to him. She locks her arm through his, putting her head on his shoulder. It does nothing to help relax his stiff posture, but he does lean his head on the top of her head.

Joon-yeong looks down at his lap, not sure what to make of all that. In all the years he's known Woo-jin, he's never seen him so angry before. The need to soothe and comfort and take him into a loving embrace is overwhelming. He wants to talk things out with him and learn exactly what is going through his mind. But he can't, because the way Woo-jin was looking at him gave him the impression that he's not ready, and Joon-yeong can't force him to be ready.

So, he speaks up. "I wanna finish the episode."

"Are you sure?" Ms. Park asks gently from the other side of the room.

Joon-yeong nods. "I'm sure."

With that, his friends return to their seats, Dae-su scooting away by an inch. Cheong-san, On-jo, I-sak, and Gyeong-su going back to their spot. Hyo-ryung scoots closer to him again. Su-hyeok leads Nam-ra away with his arm over her shoulders. Woo-jin remains at the far end of the couch and Ha-ri does not go back to her friends. Joon-yeong takes a deep breath and accepts that this is the way that things are for the time being.

With the military, someone is giving a presentation about the movement on zombies based on cell phone movement. He says that the reason the zombies are expanding their territory is because there's no one left in the city. (But there is! They know there is!)

According to him, it's only a week's time before the virus spreads to other neighboring cities, and eventually, to Seoul. And when Commander Jin questions if that could be a stretch, the presenter tells him that he was talking about if only one zombie got out of Hyosan.

One zombie. So... if Joon-yeong, now that he's infected, were to get out of the city, that would be the damage he causes. Okay, fuck.

Later, the Commander looks at Eun-ji going berserk from where she's tied down. Her heart beat is at an abnormal level when she peels off her restraints. Then she goes to the window and breathes on it before writing down that she's hungry. In her crazed state, she bangs on the glass and screams.

Joon-yeong is so focused on how much being bitten can change a person, no matter what they turn into, that he almost overlooks the next line.

"Tell Tactics to come up with a strategy to bomb Hyosan."

"WHAT!?!"

"Are you joking!?" Assemblywoman Park says in disbelief.

"You know that the kids are still there!" Captain Nam reiterates.

"Shoe. Shoe!" Ha-ri says hurriedly. "Woo-jin, take off your shoe."

Bomb Hyosan!? When Joon-yeong's friends are still there? When who knows how many innocent people are still there?

"Hyosan may fall, but Korea will remain. Act like a damn soldier."

And when asked about the civilians who haven't been rescued yet, Commander Jin just keeps his face straight as he says that killing them all is justified because of all the people that will be saved.

But what about the people they know they could've saved but chose not to?

A black shoe flies across the room and hits him square on the chest, the sheer distance being enough to make him grunt.

Captain Nam finally makes it to school property. He goes through the building under construction, but has to fight off zombified workers and ends up falling down a flight of stairs. But if Joon-yeong's math is correct, that building should be close to the auditorium.

His friends are finally getting towards the door, untying the end of the shield and pushing the zombies away. But as they try to open it, another flaw in the plan reveals itself.

How... the fuck... did he not account for the door being locked?

Joon-yeong groans, unable to believe that after all that, they're still stuck.

Su-hyeok tries to break down the knobs with his bat, but there's not much to be done when there's a chain and lock on the outside. Fuck, how are they gonna get out of that?

Captain Nam limps his way through the construction sight as his friends fight the zombies.

Joon-yeong tries not to worry when he hears Woo-jin calling his sister's name and sees him fight off a zombie close to her. He tries not to think about Woo-jin's arms being near the zombies, or him ending up like Joon-yeong, but that doesn't stop the relief when he sees Cheong-san bat one away from him.

Mi-jin is wild and angry, screaming and beating at them as if to let it all out. Ha-ri has to pull her back.

"They killed my friends..."

One zombie gets really close to Dae-su, but thankfully he can get it back before he gets bit. They end up losing a piece of the barricade, being used to push zombies away before they close the space again. It's a disaster, and Joon-yeong does think they'll be able to try for another door.

Captain Nam runs out of the construction site. Joon-yeong hasn't spent enough time at that part of the school to tell if he can make it to where they are in time.

A part of the shield breaks, and Nam-ra pulls it back together. That's when she seems to notice that the zombies don't seem to want to eat her, something that in hindsight, they probably could've used to their advantage. And then who knows what could have been prevented?

Gwi-nam is running, trying to find them. It feels like it's only a matter of time before he does. And if he does, then he'll open the door, and they'll have more problems. He might not give them time to get everyone out or to close the door behind them. And then they'll be fighting each other outside, not in an isolated space away from the zombies. But an out is still an out.

On-jo and Su-hyeok are desperately trying to open the door, but when he sees Nam-ra surrounded by zombies he goes to defend her, leaving only On-jo to try breaking down the door. Everyone else is so busy with the zombies and with keeping it together, but On-jo is the smallest one there. How can she be the one to break it down?

The noise also starts attracting zombies from the outside. As it seems everything is falling apart, Joon-yeong tries not to focus too much on Woo-jin pushing the barricade back along with everyone else as On-jo tries and fails to get the door open.

As Gwi-nam seems closer to be getting closer in finding them, Joon-yeong braces himself for another terrible cliffhanger. The next episode will probably start with another fight and with their location being out in the open and only two episodes to go, it looks bad. He doesn't think they'll all make it through the next encounter with the bully.

She takes a big step back and starts to charge for the door, but it opens before she can make contact. It's not Gwi-nam behind the door.

The look on her face says it all.

After ten episodes apart, father and daughter embrace, together at last.

Joon-yeong breathes a sigh of relief. He loves family reunions.

Chapter Text

Woo-jin's POV

As soon as the episode ends, he runs to the bathroom. Before he knows what's happening, he's throwing up his lunch into one of the toilets. It burns coming up his throat but he doesn't care. He doesn't care about anything.

Afterwards, Woo-jin feels like he's in a daze as he flushes the bile away and stumbles towards the sink. As he brings the tap water to his mouth, he stares at his reflection in the mirror.

And he hates the boy staring back at him.

Fuck.

"Woo-jin," Ha-ri bursts through the door, but then immediately gags in revulsion, cupping her nose and mouth. "Ugh! What is that smell!?"

"Dae-su," he says simply, not really effected by it anymore.

Ha-ri shakes her head, her eyes watering. "Okay, come here."

He walks to her. She immediately drags him out of there and to the neighboring girl's bathroom. He admits that it is a breath of fresh air in comparison.

"Let it out."

"What?"

"You're holding back. It's just you and me. You don't want to cry in front of the others? Fine. You don't want to cry in front of me? I'll leave. But you need to let something out."

"I just threw up?" he offers.

"Woo-jin!" Ha-ri puts her hands on her hips. Her face holds no room for bullshit. Her tone is even. "You're not okay."

He closes his eyes and doesn't think about Joon-yeong. He doesn't think about his dumb, genius, cute face as Joon-yeong looked at his hand or as he was dragged away or as he was a zombie. He doesn't think about when they met on a playground as innocent, stupid children who didn't know how cruel the world could be or that their friendship would end in something worse than heartbreak.

Woo-jin doesn't think about how badly he wants to hold him and never let go, and to finally kiss him.

But that'll never happen.

"Ha-ri, it hurts."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

He cries, falling into his sister's arms. He cries into her shoulder. He cries and cries and cries. He cries as Ha-ri soothes. He cries even as the door opens and Ha-ri screams, "GET! OUT!" He cries until he can't cry anymore.

But even as he's dried out of tears, the pain doesn't go away.

"Woo-jin ah," Ha-ri says as he calms down.

"Yeah?" he chokes out.

"You like boys more than I like boys. Don't you?"

Woo-jin pokes his head up, startled. He wipes his eyes and stares on in disbelief. "Ha-ri, everyone likes boys more than you. You make the most unsubtle face whenever Mom suggests you get a boyfriend. The zombies probably like boys more than you do. At least they wanna eat boys. That statement means nothing."

Ha-ri snorts. "What a pair are we?"

"Yeah," he agrees. He takes a deep breath. "Someday, someone is gonna say we got it from each other. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Ha-ri nods, biting her cheek. "But we'll always have each other, won't we?"

"Of course." She stands, offering a hand to help him up. He takes it.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that." Woo-jin flinches as memories of it flash all at once. "I really wish you didn't have to go through this. You shouldn't have to deal with zombies, or murderers, or politics." She sees Woo-jin squinting at her. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just... one of those things is not like the others."

"..." Ha-ri thinks over her statement. "... I mean, I guess murderers are a lot easier to kill. But then there are zombie murderers."

"Um..." Woo-jin turns away.

He walks out of the bathroom, not bothering to look at the mirror and knowing his eyes are red and puffy. He freezes when he sees Joon-yeong sitting where Woo-jin last left him. Their eyes meet almost immediately and Joon-yeong whispers something to Dae-su, who leaves as Woo-jin makes his way over to him.

"How are you holding up?" he asks quietly.

"I'm coping," Joon-yeong says. He gestures to the seat next to him. Woo-jin compliantly sits.

He swallows. "I am... really sorry that happened to you."

I'm really sorry I couldn't save you.

"Woo-jin?"

He turns to his friend, his heart skipping a beat when they look into one another's eyes. "Yeah?"

"I- um- I just- You're a really good friend," Joon-yeong gives a brave grin, but even though Woo-jin's heart skips a beat at the sight, he has to disagree. A good friend would've put all his shit to the side and comforted the person who actually had to see himself die.

His breath hitches. Die.

But that is what happened.

But Woo-jin acted selfishly instead, dwelling on his own hurt at losing a boy that'll never be his and not being the kind of person deserving of him, even though his feelings will never be returned.

"You've always been a good friend," Joon-yeong continues. His hands shake and Woo-jin itches to hold them steady. "And... I care about you so much. So-"

"I care about you too!" Woo-jin says back as quickly as he can. Impulsively, he pulls him into a hug before he can think about what he's doing or realize that he cut him off. But it just feels so right to have him in his arms and he knows he's selfish. He knows- "I'm so sorry if I ever made you doubt that."

Joon-yeong's voice is so small, in a way it should never be. "You didn't. I- You didn't." He shakes and Woo-jin holds him tighter, hoping to bring him some comfort. "I promise you didn't. I like... how loyal you are. And..." He cuts off, melting into the embrace. Joon-yeong turns his head into Woo-jin's neck. His lips are pressed against skin but it's not a kiss. It's just a consequence of the hug but it almost sets him on fire.

He needs to stop. It's not right that he's comforting Joon-yeong and thinking about kissing him. And look where his feelings have gotten him? And once, he thought a crush was just a crush. He'd be the only one getting hurt, and he could live with that. But he let his broken heart get in the way of being a good friend and that's unacceptable.

Woo-jin is just Joon-yeong's friend and that...

That's all he wants to be.

So,  Woo-jin prompts, "And what?"

"Um... later. We have the time."

"Okay."

They have the time.

XXX

Mi-jin's POV

Well. She did say she'd pick up shoes.

She starts with her own, hopping on one leg each to put them on. Mi-jin figures if she's gonna be walking around, she should probably start with herself. 

Plus, they are in relatively same places.

Min-jae's aren't that far apart either, and his left shoe is really close to hers as they were all thrown at the same shithead. So was his right, but in a different position, so it was far off by a few feet.

All her friends sit together, babbling on about whatever to each other. They pause to acknowledge her.

"Having fun?" Ha-ri smirks to make fun of her, finding all this fucking hilarious. She's lucky she's so good-looking, otherwise Mi-jin would be itching for another fight. But unfortunately the athlete is good-looking, so she allows it.

Instead, she huffs. "Ha ha." She tosses Min-jae his stupid sneakers, which he catches with an 'oof.'

Mi-jin turns away, head held high in pride, when she hears him call after her, "Thanks!"

She freezes, turning back to him. He's grinning at her. She nods at him and calls back, "Don't mention it." Then keeps going along her merry fucking way.

It really fucking sucks that Min-jae got separated from everyone. But the show would've showed it if he died. And he's not like Joon-seong, he's like Ha-ri. A fucking baddass. Just not as hot. 

And true, she doesn't know him as much as she knows Joon-seong or Ha-ri, and he's not as bitchy as either of them or Joon-yeong but...

She gets Ha-ri's next, picking up Joon-seong's along the way to keep herself from making two trips, flipping off Mr. Lee as she does so. She discards his shoe for the time being once she gets to the interior of the couches, and goes for Ha-ri's other one. It rolled a bit away upon landing, so Dae-su and Hyo-ryung, who went to sitting at that specific spot, aren't interrupted by her but she can still eavesdrop.

"I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Just remember, what she did was fucked. And so disloyal. I can go with you."

Hyo-ryung scoffs but smiles. "Thanks but no thanks."

Mi-jin's blood boils at the reminder of what that bitch did to her supposed friend. And she knows that that kid is gonna end up forgiving her. It's not fucking fair. She left her friend to die, and Mi-jin-

Mi-jin tried so hard to save him and it wasn't enough.

Which leads her to Joon-seong's shoes. 

Ugh, they smell terrible.

Of course they do. Joon-seong's always been such a loser. He wouldn't have made it past the bathroom if not for her. He would've let Ha-lim kill him. Figures he got himself stabbed and killed, but...

He is a fighter. He fought to the very end, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Thank you," he says when she drops his shoes off. She responds with a punch to his shoulder.

Jang Woo-jin is the last off the hitlist. And you know, props to Ha-ri. She threw his shoe all the way across the room and hit General Jerkface right on the mark. Is Mi-jin actually into athletes or just the baddass ones? Fuck, that goes against everything she stands for. But, welp, every rule has an exception and...

She doesn't mind it as much as she thought it would. To be kissing the ground an athlete walks on for how good they are at throwing shit around. Especially when they're throwing said shit at douchebags. Throwing stuff at douchebags is fun.

Speaking of which, Mi-jin has to go in front of the asshole in question. 

Woo-jin only lost one shoe in The Great Throwening of Episode Ten, so it's only one trip. Mi-jin makes a point of glaring at the General as she picks it up, who doesn't even react to it. She considers hitting him with the shoe but decides against it. Believe it or not, she doesn't actually want to get in trouble for beating up someone of whatever high position he uses to get out of parking tickets. But it's just really tempting.

All the idiot had to do was save the fucking kids. That's all he had to do. But since he didn't, Joon-yeong ended up dead (And not because of Mi-jin at all. Fuck.) and Joon-seong probably wouldn't have either. No, he definitely wouldn't have. Without all the toddlers that must've popped out of seemingly no where for them to look after, it would've just been the four of them. They would've concentrated and gotten everyone to the closet. It would've been fine.

Woo-jin is sitting with Joon-yeong again and she's glad they worked stuff out. They seem really close. And gay. Which only serves to make her more confident about being friends with these people. The straights ones are kinda boring. She hands Woo-jin his shoe.

"You're actually doing it?" Joon-yeong asks.

"Of course," Woo-jin answers for her. And before she can tell him off, he adds. "My sister told her too."

Mi-jin scoffs. She thinks he might do the same if his little boyfriend asked that of him, but she doesn't say it. She's not completely dense about this stuff.

"See you around."

"See ya," Joon-yeong grins at her as she goes.

Mi-jin all but throws herself onto their spot on the couch next to her friends. She lets out a long groan to make sure she really gets the attention she wants.

"You good?" Joon-seong asks.

"No," Mi-jin bitches. "I'm fucking exhausted. All of your feet smell atrocious. All of you need to see doctors. I swear to God-"

XXX

Ji-min's POV

Things fall apart, things get put back together.

That was something her mother used to say. She told Ji-min and Hyo-ryung that because she wanted them to know.

Bad things happen. Nothing lasts forever. Not even the things you think will stay constant throughout your entire life. But with every heartbreak, every time something ends, every little thing you'll never get back again, you'll get something new. Something good. It's just the next chapter of a book, and though you'll never get the previous chapters back, it's okay. It's sad but it's okay. It'll be okay. Because every chapter comes with bad parts, but it will always be matched with something good. Something exciting. Filled with people you love and things that make you happy and when that's over you'll have a treasure trove of good memories to look back on.

Every loss will lead to a gain, even if it doesn't seem like that at first.

That's what Mom told them.

That's what Mom believed.

Mom was wrong.

Sometimes you lose things and you lose and you lose and you lose and then it just ends. It's over.

She told Ji-min and Hyo-ryung that because they had been friends for their entire lives and they were sure that nothing could ever between them.

At some point, Ji-min became scared of growing up. 

Growing up means saying goodbye to everything she's ever known. It means losing friends. It means leaving the comfy life with doting parents and doing everything as this independent adult.

Her friends have always seen her as so strong. She's not strong. She's just a scared little girl. And she left her best friend to die.

(And then watched herself die.)

"I'm so sorry."

They've been granted the lunch room to themselves, seeking refuge away from prying eyes and ears. It's just Ji-min and Hyo-ryung just like it's been since they were nine years old except it's not like that at all. Now it's the funhouse version of them. Contorted and wrong when it's always been so right.

"Can you just... promise you won't ever do anything like that again?"

Ji-min nods shakily. "I promise."

"I don't believe you," Hyo-ryung snaps. "You left me. You knew I'd probably die and you left me."

She shudders, tears streaming down her face with no holdback. "I'm sorry. I was just scared."

"You keep saying sorry," she says softly.

"Everything was falling apart," Ji-min whimpers. "Hopeless. It was just easier to give up."

"It was easier to abandon me?"

"..." It was, wasn't it? It was easier to leave the girl she's known all her life than keep going on the path they were on. "... I was easier to give up."

Hyo-ryung's eyes widen. "Was it another suicide attempt?"

"No," she says immediately, unwilling to lie to her. Hyo-ryung deserves the unbridled truth and nothing less. She doesn't actually want to die. "I wanted to live. I wanted to live so badly I let myself become just like everyone I hate."

She frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't thinking straight." Ji-min shakes her head. "The zombies were coming. You slipped. I thought you were gonna die like my parents. It was too late to save them so it was too late to save you. The zombies were coming. If I didn't go, I'd die too. It wasn't right, but I was so scared. And I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"I don't know if that's possible." At this point, Hyo-ryung is crying as well. "I don't want to lose you. You've always been my best friend. You've always been there for me, and it's one mistake, isn't it? But I look at all our friends, and Cheong-san would never have done that to Gyeong-su, On-jo would never have done that to I-sak, Woo-jin wouldn't have done that to- to Dae-su, and I would've never done this to you." Her voice breaks. "I would've never. I've thought a lot about it, and I know that I'm a coward but I would've tried my best. I wouldn't have just left you like that."

"I know," Ji-min cries. "You're too good for that." She swallows. "So, what do you want to do?" she asks as carefully as possible.

Hyo-ryung stares hard at her then tentatively reaches over to take her hand. "Keep sitting with our class. But don't sit with me. I don't think I can ever trust you again. But this can't just be it."

Ji-min nods. "Okay. Okay. I understand."

Abruptly, Hyo-ryung stands. Ji-min does the same as she walks to the other side of the table and throws her arms around her shoulders, pulling her in.

"I really hated seeing you die," she sobs in her ear.

Ji-min gulps and hugs back while Hyo-ryung will still let her.

Her death felt so cosmic, so deserved after the things she did. Not like Joon-yeong, who did the best he could and died anyways, and still had it in him to say that no. Neither of their deaths were deserved.

She wishes that none of this had ever happened.

She wants to go home.

But will home really be the same after all of this?

XXX

Gyeong-su's POV

"Poor boys."

"I know."

They've sought refuge in the corner of the room, away from the others. But they're not standing or doing anything normal. Instead, they lay side by side, staring at the ceiling and trying to cope.

After I-sak died and Gyeong-su followed the episode after, they began going into every episode with the expectation that one of their close friends would die. Then, at some point, they settled into a very sad resignation that something fucking horrible is gonna happen with each coming episode. Kind of the definition of the bar being in hell and still being disappointed.

But now the scar's been cut open. They watched two more friends die, and they watched the horrible, unpredictable build up. The decisions. The surprise. The moment they all knew they were goners.

He turns his head to look at her. Her red-rimmed eyes stare hardened. Miserable.

He knows she's thinking of her own death. He knows all the grief is coming back to her. The hopelessness. The reminder that everything they know can just end at the drop of the hat.

Gyeong-su has to make her feel better. Somehow. Well... okay, he knows how.

"But, you know, it probably won't be too long before they get together."

She looks at him, frowning. He almost expects her to say, 'What?' or at least be surprised, but she just nods. "Yeah. About time."

"About time," Gyeong-su repeats.

He settles back down, exhaling.

Yeah, if he wasn't sure about Woo-jin's feelings before, he is now. But instead of being stunned or confused that I-sak could be so right about so many (what cosmic entity said that was okay?), or happy for his friends (or even just ready to be there for Woo-jin in case of rejection) he just feels sorry.

None of them ever asked for this. Why do they have to be thinking about their own deaths and their parents' deaths and their friends? Why is it that the way things turn out ae so bad that they can't just be fucking kids?

They're never gonna unsee the things they've seen today. I-sak will never unsee her death.

It's all so cruel.

She sits up. "Hey. Go on a date with me."

What did she just say?

Gyeong-su stares up at her like she's crazy. Uh- she must be joking. "Ha ha. Very funny."

"I'm serious," I-sak says. Her voice is calm. Like she doesn't think it's a big deal, but she thinks everything is a big deal. "My name tag's back home, I'll give it to you later."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you know how On-jo is my best friend, and Cheong-san is your best friend, but they're also each other's. Well... you're my best friend. Also." She makes it all sound so simple, but it's not simple. It's not, right?

He shakes his head. "I-sak, I know you love parallels, but that's not a good enough reason to date."

"I know that!" She rolls her eyes. "But like... Okay, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm really into love stories. And, well, I'm also really fucking weird. And before I met On-jo, I thought I was too weird for other people. And then there's you and you're so special. You're so brave and kind. I really like spending time with you. You call me out on my bullshit, but you never make me feel bad about myself."

She smiles and is Gyeong-su mistaken or are tears building up in her eyes, and he kind of wants to kill everyone who ever did make her feel bad about herself.

"And you always go along with whatever weird thing I want to do. And you laugh when I'm excited. When I'm too much for everyone else, I'm not too much for you. You always try to look out for me."

I-sak takes a deep breath and looks into his eyes. He sees her genuineness.

"I know that 'In case we die' isn't a good enough reason to go out but life's too short to pine. I think I'd rather just either cut my losses and take a rejection or go on a date. So, what do you say?"

Gyeong-su stares at her and thinks.

Because I-sak is kind and smart and silly and when she smiles even a zombie apocalypse doesn't seem so deadly. Even though they literally died.

Then he realizes, he wants to say yes.

But...

Does she even know what she's getting into?

"You're gonna end up paying for everything, you know that right?" Gyeong-su crosses his arms.

"Okay." I-sak shrugs.

"And nine times out of ten, I'm going to want to have our dates at Cheong-san Chicken."

I-sak smiles, shaking her head, so fond. "Best chicken in Hyosan."

"Got that right." Gyeong-su runs a hand throw his hair. "Fuck. Okay. A date."

"A date." I-sak says happily. But her smile falters just a little bit. "And... you know I'm different right? Like, in my brain. I don't do or think things like most people do. I'm not gonna wake up one day and be like everyone else. And yeah, there's always room for character development. But mostly, this is it. This is what you get."

"I know," Gyeong-su says quietly, suddenly feeling like he's just been humbled. For all she seems calm, it was that calmness that's most telling. She's as scared as him. If she wasn't she'd be excited or jumpy. And they've been told that they're broken, for different reasons. But they're not. It's everyone else that's the problem. "I'm not going a date with everyone else. I wouldn't have said yes if I wanted you to be someone you're not. And... you shouldn't go out with someone who wants that. Got it?"

I-sak smiles at him. He really likes it when she smiles.

"Got it."

XXX

Dae-su's POV

"So, basically I said that we could still be friends but that I need space."

"... That's it?" he asks in disbelief. She smacks him on the shoulder.

"No. Of course that's not it," Hyo-ryung sighs. "But she has been my best friend all our lives. I can't just turn my back on her."

"She turned her back on you," Dae-su points out. "Like... literally."

"I know that! Just..." She thinks for a minute. "What would you do?" 

"Huh?"

"If... if..." She winces, like she doesn't want to keep talking.

"What are you saying?" he asks.

Hyo-ryung sighs. "If Woo-jin saw his sister through that drone in a way that no one should have to see their family like, if he got his heart broken again and again and again, and he was scared, and he did that to you, what would you do?" 

"He wouldn't do that!" Dae-su says immediately, feeling defensive on behalf on his best friend.

"I know that," Hyo-ryung assures him. "I told Ji-min that none of us would have ever done that. Not Woo-jin or Joon-yeong or you or me. But say that he did. Say that you were going through what I'm going through. What would you do?"

"Fuck," Dae-su says, leaning his head back. "I'd forgive him. I know I would." 

God knows what Ha-ri dying would do to him. Hell, they all saw what Joon-yeong dying did do to him and it wasn't pretty. He would not be in the headspace to make good decisions and Dae-su could never turn his- turn his back on him. Especially, if immediately after they had to see him... But it would fucking hurt.

"I don't trust her," Hyo-ryung says.

"I don't either." Because even with all her hurt, how could she do that? How could she just leave Seo Hyo-ryung to die? Especially when she knows even more than Dae-su how nice and funny she can be? 

"But I love her," she continues. "And she was hurt and scared, and I just saw her die and I couldn't immediately hug her. So, no. This isn't it. It can't be it."

They both turn their head towards Ji-min. She's standing alone in a corner, hugging herself and studying the floor with a haunted look on her face. As if she has a sixth sense about people staring at her, she lifts her head to look at them. Instead of snapping at them for ogling like she usually would, she just seems more ashamed.

Yeah... he's still really fucking pissed off at her.

"Next episode!"

Dae-su moans. It never ends.

They say nothing as Ji-min sits at the far end of the couch, where Woo-jin and Ha-ri were at the end of things, all by herself. Hyo-ryung and Dae-su slide next to his two best friends. Immediately, he pulls Joon-yeong into a bear hug. He immediately cries out in protest.

"Ah! Stop!" He tries to push away.

Woo-jin watches all this, laughing. Like they haven't been cuddling since- well, primary school, but also since the show has begun. What hypocrites.

... Is he becoming a third whe- Okay, that's a rabbit hole he no interest in going down/

They don't talk about Woo-jin's reaction to Joon-yeong's death. 

"Wait!" Woo-jin says as Hee-su passes them. "Come sit with our class."

"What?" Her eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yeah, there's plenty of room," Dae-su nods.

Hee-su seems to think about it for a second before nodding eagerly, giving them a shy smile and sitting off to the side, still on her own but happier now. 

The detective steps up to the middle of the room, clearing his throat. "Time for the summary."

"Though a surprise protector provides the group with safe passage to their next stop, Yoon Gwi-nam is not far behind. The military makes a grave decision."

"Ugh!" Dae-su groans, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Be. Happy. Already."

Yoon Gwi-nam and the military. Two things that bring them the opposite of happiness. Besides the zombies obviously.

Hyo-ryung rolls her eyes, but she smiles sadly at him. Leaning in, she says softly, "I don't think that's gonna work." Then, after a moment, she adds, "Wish it would though."

"Same." 

But fuck. Fuck. It's the last two episodes. He's probably gonna get his heart broken again. And again. And who knows how many more times? Dae-su managed to keep it together for Min-ji but she wasn't with them. He didn't have to see her right next to him, watch her face trying to stay brave but slowly failing until she's crying.

God, he's getting choked up just thinking back to it.

Who's next? Woo-jin? Hyo-ryung? When will it end? Is he gonna end up crying over all his closest friends? 

"The surprise protector is definitely my dad," On-jo says, looking reassured. "Of course he knows how to protect us. He can keep us safe."

"How is that a surprise?" Dae-su asks, feeling confused. "We saw him last episode."

"That's not really the point," On-jo frowns. "Look, that must mean the rest of us all make it to the next place without any casualties."

Dae-su nods. He's not gonna rain on her parade. Besides, the relationship between On-jo and her dad is so touching. He's so glad that there's finally an adult who'll like... beat up all the zombies in order to get them to safety. And this totally means that On-jo's dad is making it with them to their next hiding place! He bets that the dude has the best plans. Maybe he can even hold off the next round of friend deaths and grief for a whole-ass episode until the finale?

Chapter Text

On-jo's POV

Like the episode before, it starts off with the opening sequence. On-jo has always found it creepy, and for awhile there she would flinch every time she saw it. But by now she's grown numb to the sight of the title card descending into a hoard of zombies.

The actual episode begins with what Dad was doing before he found them, entering through the tennis court. Then they finally see each other again. Their reunion has all the tenderness of a father and daughter who couldn't be with one another through the hard times, and were slowly losing hope. But they get to be together again, and with him protecting them then maybe things will finally look up, even if Gwi-nam is still a problem.

The rest of her friends pile out, closing the door on the zombies just as the monster in question opens a curtain on his way into the archery center, where Min-jae is.

"Oh my god," Ha-ri gasps. She wraps an arm around her friend's shoulders looking mournful. A moan coming from On-jo's side has her glancing over, to where Woo-jin is running a hand over his face. Just being in the same place as Gwi-nam is like a death sentence.

And now he's hinting about Cheong-san. On-jo figures they finally get rid of him for good in the final episode, but hopefully that can be done before he hurts Cheong-san more than he already has been. Min-jae runs to close the door and take all the precautions of a normal human, asking about how things are outside.

"It's okay everywhere, I love it. The school is heaven."

As Gwi-nam goes back towards the door, Min-jae orders him to stop, because he thinks he'll die if he goes out, not knowing he's trying to protect a monster. He really doesn't deserve Gwi-nam's subtle threats, asking if Min-jae is hungry.

Luckily enough, at least for the moment, Gwi-nam says that he's full (from when he ate Na-yeon alive in the darkness of the music room) and so he gets to live.

Just as Ha-ri breaths an audible sigh of relief, he changes his tune. He says he smells the group on him. Specifically Cheong-san. But since Min-jae never got to spend any time with them, he doesn't know who that is. That's when Gwi-nam bites him.

"Don't pause," Min-jae says as he and Ha-ri hug. "We just started the episode. Keep going." He's right. They just started the episode and already, someone has died a brutal death. How many more in the final two episodes?

"I'm so sorry," Cheong-san tells him. Typical, he's taking on more responsibility than he needs to. It's gonna get him k-

No. No, it's not. She shouldn't think like that.

"Not your fault." The boy nods at him, and though he seems to keep an air of composure around them, his eyes are wide and his fingers grip onto his friend tightly.

Back with the class, they seem to be safe outside, at least in the area they're at. Woo-jin seems to be the one comforting Dae-su, a pretty big departure from his other reaction to what happened to Joon-yeong. But On-jo thinks she understands it. He was probably bottling things up even more, or at least more successfully, thanks to the adrenaline from actually experiencing last episode firsthand.

Dad checks over On-jo to make sure she's alright and not hurt. But how can she be alright after everything they've all been through and everyone that they've lost?

"What took you so long? I kept waiting for you."

And On-jo knows, she's seen the lengths her father went through to get to her. Some lengths that a part of her wishes he didn't take. But it feels unreal to think she was calling for him to rescue her and her classmates in the second episode and he only got to her in the second to last episode.

Dad checks on the other kids, all looking pretty sad. Warmth runs through her heart as he embraces Cheong-san, something that must bring some comfort the latter after everything he's been through.

Then, Dad plans out their next means of escaping. It's so strange how Woo-jin actually seems like one of the most put together, being the one of the first respond when Dad asks if they're able to run, his hand on Dae-su's arm. But again, On-jo gets it, this is not the time to be breaking down.

The plan is to go back through the tennis courts, past the construction, to the mountain, to Yangdong. And On-jo almost marvels at finally having an adult with them who knows what they're doing. She's proud to say that this is her father who will be protecting all of them.

But all too soon, zombies start coming their way. Just one at first. Her heart races as her father pins it down and breaks his leg. As more come, they begin running up the hill. Dad takes her hand as they go.

They get to the tennis court. Ha-ri stays behind to shoot at the zombies. Woo-jin gives a strangled cry as one of them tackles her to the ground, and On-jo can see that Min-jae holds her hand even tighter. Everyone from that family deserves better after all that's happened to them. Luckily, Dad gets it off of her and helps her up.

But even when they're all inside the tennis court, they're surrounded. The zombies quickly break in, running for them but getting tangled in the nets. Su-hyeok and Cheong-san try to fight them off. Dad takes out a firecracker, throwing it as a distraction.

It works, and her classmates quickly pile out through a side door. Dad lingers behind, because he's the adult here, but On-jo isn't leaving without him. Not when they're finally together again.

"Cheong-san, take On-jo with you."

What? He's not gonna- No. No!

"Dad," On-jo says, keeping the tremors out of her voice. She keeps it steady and strong to show that she should be taken seriously when she says he can't. "Dad!" He just looks at her sadly from across the room. Sad, but resigned.

No, no, this isn't happening. It's not happening!

Cheong-san holds her back while Dad runs to the other side of the court, blowing his whistle. He takes another firecracker and throws it. It attracts the zombies away. But their side is so open, there must be room for him to run to the door with them.

As Su-hyeok and Cheong-san pull her away, Dad runs behind them. Two zombies go after him, her heart clenches and tears build up in her eyes. She's so relieved when the boys run to his aid, and so grateful for them.

But when all three get to the door, he sends the boys through and closes the door with him still in the court. W-why? When she asks, On-jo can only sob as she sees the bite on his hand, cupping her hand over her mouth.

Cheong-san wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close as she shakes. I-sak changes seats to be next to her, putting her head on her shoulder. The touches ground her even though she feels unreal watching more zombies come running.

He ties himself to the door, screaming at them to leave. "GO, ON-JO! RUN!" More zombies com to bite him. The only thing they can do is run, leaving him to be eaten alive.

They run. They leave. He's left to die.

"Stop!" she shrieks. Someone scrambles to pause the show.

Her hands shake and her heart beats out of the chest, and she does not know what to do as she copes with the loss of her father.

But she does know that before, when a zombie shrieked over top of her, when soldiers shot at her father, when a man demanded that they all be killed on a rooftop, she had stood up. And then she ran into the arms of the one person she though would always be there to protect her.

And though this feels more crushing than those instances ever had any hope of being, On-jo stands anyways. She runs but she runs on autopilot. It's only when she lands in strong arms that she feels everything the way she should again.

And it hurts so bad that it threatens to kill her.

"I love you so much," he whispers into her hair

"Why did you leave me!?" On-jo cries out desperately.

Like when she asked why it took so long for him to get to her, he doesn't answer her. He just cradles her head like she's a baby again and shushes her.

On-jo buries her head in the crook of her father's neck and pretends that nothing else exists. She remembers being a little kid, after a long day at the park with Cheong-san, when she would either be too tired or just wanting her father to carry her. She'd close her eyes and not care about anything else. Because her father was holding her and he'd never drop her, so the noise of the world didn't matter. They were the only two people in the world who mattered.

And she was safe. With him, she would always be safe.

But that was just a kid's fantasy. Everything is so much simpler when you're a child.

When you're a child, you believe the world will bend over to help you. Fathers will never leave you. The boy next door isn't self-sacrificing. The cute, athletic boy loves you. The rich girl doesn't spare you the time of day because she's mean. And your high school experience isn't gonna have a body count.

Except On-jo isn't a child.

She's just so stupid.

But she'll take it over being an adult.

When she blinks up, through blurry eyes she sees that both Jang siblings, as well as the other two bathroom kids, and Joon-yeong as he's seemingly glued to Woo-jin's side, are flocking around Min-jae in their own circle of grief. On-jo doesn't want to say anything, but she's pretty sure that Woo-jin might have romantic feelings for Joon-yeong. It only makes everything all the more sad.

And On-jo wonders, 'Who next?' Who else do they have to see lose their lives before it's all over?

She just lost her dad...

She saw her best friend get knocked out a window by her other best friend. One of the nicest boys she's ever known be murdered by a classmate. Said classmate get eaten alive. A girl she wanted to help give into all her fears. Another friend give his all in getting the rest of them to a safe place. And now her dad.

She lost her dad.

Why couldn't he just have run to the door with the rest of them? Would that have been so hard? Did they really need the extra distraction? Couldn't he have just come with them?

A war rages in her heart.

There's a strong impulse to run from him, spit out vile words, and make him feel just as hurt as she's feeling. Run back to her friends, shun him, refuse to even look at him, because how dare he leave her?

And then there's the desperate need to disappear into his embrace, so that she could never have to be apart from him again. Stay with him until the whole show is over and until she's sure that he's not going anywhere.

He left her... But she loves him.

On-jo considers what she'll do. It's so tempting to just give in and stay. But as much as she is soothed by her father's comfort, it always had a way of making her feel like a little kid. At first that only caused an ignorable embarrassment since her friends and classmates were so close. But now...

Little kids have to rely on adults to get by, and look where that's gotten her. Where it's gotten all of them.

But this is her dad. And she just saw him die. She can't bring herself to wrench from his grasp when she didn't have a choice but to be without him in the other timeline.

So, after she nods and swears that she's calmed down, On-jo only moves an inch away from him, still close enough to rest her head on his shoulder while they watch.

Their group makes it to the construction site, but soon enough Nam-ra is doing her thing and alerting them of more zombies coming their way. (Always more. Always more zombies. It never ends. And many more will die before it does end?)

To escape, they run up the stairs, but of course they're being followed. With no other way of escape, they can only go out the window and onto a construction railing at Nam-ra's suggestion.

Oh look, they're trapped, again, in an area with no clear way of getting to safety, again. As Hyo-ryung moves away from the edge to sit with Dae-su, Nam-ra shushes them to keep the zombies from finding them.

It will never end.

But On-jo can't focus on that. All she can think about is her father pressed against the door, yelling at her to go as they bite at him.

She picks up a steel rod. Maybe it's to go out and kill every last zombie, or maybe just to sink the skin of her palm into so hard until it bleeds. Maybe that won't be all she makes bleed.

On-jo can't know for sure what runs through her own head because almost immediately, Cheong-san forces it from her grip and throws it. So all she can do is fall to her knees. Ha-ri puts her hand over her mouth to stifle her cries as the zombies growl from the inside.

On-jo does feel a little better, seeing the other her, the her who will never see her father again, get comforted by the older girl. At first, she shakes her head when Cheong-san taps On-Jo's shoulder. But after a moment, when her muffled sobs can be held in without being covered, Ha-ri scoots away and lets him wrap his arms around her.

She thinks she might like a hug from Cheong-san right now. She wishes she could feel him holding her close. It would bring a different sort comfort than being with her father, and probably not as much, but On-jo just thinks she'd feel better with him close.

Before she can look across the room and catch his eye, any reassurance she had gotten is ripped from her. Because then it shows her father twisting around on the ground as Mr. Lee's voiceover plays over it.

When he gets up, limping without purpose or awareness, he begins to walk towards Cheong-san's mother.

"The person I loved becomes a monster. You can forget someone who dies... but it's hard to forget someone who's changed."

Despite how much she hates him, she can't deny that he's right. On-jo will never forget seeing for father this way. How he bumps into Mrs. Min without recognition for the woman he lived next door to for over a decade.

Mr. Lee sobs, and he deserves to feel sad. Knowing the pain he put On-jo through, put all of Hyosan through, all of her friends through, it only seems fair that he gets to hurt as well.

Doesn't make it any easier to see his horrified face as he looks back at his zombified family.

"To think that's the very last image of the people... I love the most."

Dad shrieks up at the sky.

And it still doesn't end. They still don't get a moment to breath, because the next scene shows what happens to Gwi-nam and Min-jae.

Min-jae is on the ground, crawling away slowly. He denies knowing about Cheong-san, but does tell him about the assembly hall as he begins to turn.

Ha-ri gasps, her arms around her friend's shoulders. Woo-jin rests his cheek on the top of Joon-yeong's head, and even from a distance On-jo can see the exhaustion in his eyes.

On-jo has to imagine Cheong-san in that position, thoroughly screwed and bitten, but still at the mercy at of a maniac, and she realizes that there's still enough of her heart left to be broken.

Please, please, don't let it come to that.

As Gwi-nam notes that they must still be there, Min-jae uses a bout of strength to stab an arrow into his neck. It doesn't do anything, of course, but On-jo appreciates that he tried. Even Gwi-nam notes that he's brave, which he is. He deserves better than to die young and the people who love him deserve better than to lose him. Than to see it happen.

Gwi-nam tells him to run, and Min-jae takes the cue to go for his bow. He shoots and misses, before finally he's too far along in turning into a zombie to keep fighting.

"I told you to run. Why didn't you listen?"

Ha-ri shudders loud enough that they all can hear.

"Should we pause again?" Ms. Park asks gently.

"I don't need it," Min-jae says strongly, but On-jo doesn't doubt that he's hiding his own fears over dying. Once, when this all began, On-jo thought that the worst thing in the world would be to see herself dead. That was before I-sak, and Dad, and all the rest. She's learned that the only thing worse than seeing yourself dead is seeing the people you love dead.

"On-jo?" Dad's soft voice interrupts what's going on in her head.

She shakes her head. Her voice coming out strangled. "Keep going."

With the kids, they sit along the side of the outer wall, Cheong-san's arm around her shoulders. Mi-jin mutters about how bad things are going. It used to annoy her when people would point stuff like that out, because bad things are always obvious. On-jo thought that staying positive would keep them from giving up and so they would find a lifeline eventually.

On-jo was never very smart.

Dae-su does find Mi-jin's talking annoying, but only because he blames her for Joon-yeong's death.

"Dae-su!" Woo-jin scolds as his show self does the same.

"That's out of line," Joon-yeong snaps at him. Softer, he looks at Mi-jin. "It's not your fault, I swear."

In the show, Woo-jin just tells them both to shut up, because responsibility doesn't matter anymore.

"If we make it out, will we really be living?"

Will they?

When their friends are dead because no one protected them, and their parents are gone because they tried to protect them, what else is there?

And when this is the first time Woo-jin has allowed his voice to so much as tremble since Joon-yeong's death.

What's the point of anything anymore?

"Woo-jin..." Joon-yeong says, looking worried for him. On-jo still doesn't know if it's reciprocated or not but she knows how much they care for each other. That'll never change. She was dumb for thinking an unreciprocated crush could end everything.

Mi-jin tries to make him feel better, in her own special way, by pointing out that all of this is somehow better than being a senior. The absurdity of that statement actually does brighten things up a bit.

Ha-ri taps On-jo's hand, telling her how brave her father was. How he saved them all. How she'll never forget what he did.

"If many people remember someone, that person is sure to go to heaven."

On-jo sniffles and holds on tight to her father's hand.

Of course he was brave. It's Dad's job to be brave. He's been putting himself on the line since before On-jo was even born. But she never worried about him before this show began. He knew what he was doing and On-jo didn't even know the answers on her test sheets. Why should she worry about him?

Ha-ri tells Mi-jin to go search for places where they can escape, but not before the other girl makes one last dig at being a senior, and then calls Ha-ri cool. Which she is.

Su-hyeok volunteers to go but that only serves to piss her off even more. They walk along the walls, Mi-jin ducking when she passes a window.

On-jo imagines how devastated Ha-ri would be if a zombie catches Mi-jin.

She thinks Woo-jin would feel even more empty if Ha-ri gets bitten.

She knows Nam-ra's heart would be broken if Su-hyeok had gone like he wanted to and died in the process.

"I hope no one steps up anymore."

Her breath hitches when she hears herself talk for the first time since losing her father.

She understands her own words. Because there was no way for her to help her father, not even when they were finally together again. He sacrificed himself for her, and so if she dies then he would have died for nothing. But living is so hard.

Cheong-san just says back the words she said to him in the supply closet. That they should wait until after they've eaten, bathed, calmed down before they talk about all their pain. It'll be better, if they pull themselves together first. Otherwise, talking about it would threaten to swallow them whole.

And as he talks, all the emotions inside her that were so sharp that every little hit felt like another stab, they start to turn soft.

Thank god On-jo still has Cheong-san.

Then he points to the left side of her face. That dumb question she asked at the beginning of the season comes back again. The one she had actually resolved to ask him the day before all of this tv show stuff happened, because I-sak would've known she liked a boy if she asked her. And because she wondered if a dumbass like Cheong-san would ever think she was pretty.

She had forgotten about that.

But she sees it now. She sees it reflected in her eyes. She sees what their friends all saw. What had to be spelled out to her.

That's really how he looks at her? Like she's beautiful.

Well, he's pretty beautiful too.

On-jo doesn't even remember the interaction.

"I'll tell you tomorrow."

Her heart flutters at that.

On-jo remembers why it's worth it to live, and she thinks that if her and Cheong-san both make it out alive then she'll eventually be okay again.

It will take awhile, maybe even forever, but with him there she can start to heal. He's always looked out for her. Always been there for her.

She's always happier when Cheong-san is around. And more stressed out, but still.

She likes him back. She really, really likes him. More than she ever liked Su-hyeok or any other of the silly crushes she had growing up. There's something very real in her heart for Cheong-san, and On-jo can't believe it took her this long to see it.

She'll tell him, in the show and in real life. And though neither of them will be okay, especially not in the show, they'll have each other.

It doesn't need to be perfect, that's way too far away and besides, when have the two of been perfect? She wouldn't have it any other-

Gwi-nam finds the closet they were hiding in at the Assembly Hall.

-way.

The monster continues to look for Cheong-san, in order to kill him, just like how her father was killed. And On-jo doesn't know what she'll do if he dies. A large, heartbroken gasp sounds out when Gwi-nam comes across a familiar face.

"He's not a moron!" Dae-su exclaims when he calls Joon-yeong one.

He kicks Joon-yeong over, drawing angry cries from those watching, including On-jo.

She tries to will Joon-yeong to get up, push Gwi-nam back, even in his zombified state. Even if he doesn't know what he's doing, or if he just does it as a reaction. He just stays on the ground though.

"Fuck you," Woo-jin says venomously. "I'll kill you-"

"Woo-jin-" Joon-yeong tries to grab his hands. "Woo-jin!"

"I will!" He turns his glare at the other boy, and if the cold expression looked wrong on Woo-jin before it definitely looks wrong when he aims it at Joon-yeong. "Watch me!"

"Stop!" Joon-yeong says desperately.

"I hate him," Woo-jin's voice finally cracks.

Joon-yeong gets on his knees so that he can hold Woo-jin's head to the bottom of his chin as he hugs him. "I know. I hate him too. But you need to calm down."

Woo-jin shakes in his grasp but he nods. They begin saying things to one another in a quieter tone, so On-jo doesn't know what else they say to one another.

But she does know that her heart aches for the two of them.

The pain Woo-jin must be in...

Love is great in dramas, or in high school when there are no zombies or homicidal maniacs to be worried about.

But as Gwi-nam leaves through the door Dad found them at, On-jo wonders if loving is worth losing when the losses hurt this much.

Even without the romance, to see Cheong-san go would kill her. Especially after losing Dad and I-sak. Especially with her father's sacrifice being so fresh.

It would kill her so much that she can't bring herself to even consider it for a second longer. Cheong-san will be fine.

It's like I-sak said, right? The main character doesn't die, not even in horrible shows like this.

Not even as the villain goes up the route they went. The one that led to her father's death.

And not even as the military tests stuff out on Eun-ji and the soldier from before to see how they react to certain things like sound.

God. If the rest of their group do make it out alive, the only place they'll be able to go is to military led factions. And if they aren't turned away again, then what will happen to Nam-ra? Will their group be able to hide that she's a hambie? Or...

The military plans to use sound to lure zombies to 'target zones'. One of the targets being Hyosan High...

"You're not actually planning on doing this?" Assemblywoman Park demands as the numbers are read out. Of 170,000 civilians, there are only 110 saved. "Those numbers are ludicrous! You aren't even going to send out another troop to try and rescue any remaining survivors before. And you know there are children back at that school! How can you sleep at night?"

On-jo appreciates it, having never thought that Choi Nam-ra's mother would be so protective of people who weren't rich or whatever.

The way Commander Jin responds, no regret or sorrow in his voice, not even the numbness On-jo would have once mistook for indifference, it gets under skin. You would think he was simply answering a question about regulations or something stupid. "Hyosan High was ground zero for the virus. Not to mention the size of the campus."

So many people will die.

And the only thing he has to say is the order to play evacuation warnings nonstop until detonation. But what good will that do when most survivors are probably stuck somewhere to avoid the zombies?

Nam-ra's hands crack. She looks like she's in actual pain, clutching her chest as half her face turns a bruising shade of purple.

Her thoughts tell her to eat Su-hyeok, and for a second it looks like she will. On-jo prays she doesn't though, because she still does care about him and because it will probably kill Nam-ra if she does hurt him.

Thankfully, she pulls away and instead bites at her own arm. Su-hyeok notices this, putting a hand on her shoulder, his widening when she pulls her hand away to reveal a bite mark- The exact kind of mark that would turn a normal person.

Of course, Su-hyeok soothes her. On-jo would expect nothing less. But then he offers to let her bite him, which-

Wha- Why are all these boys so willing to sacrifice themselves!?

She turns her head to give an exasperated look at Su-hyeok across the room, only to see him whispering back and forth with Nam-ra. She seems like she's scolding him, but the affection is clear in her eyes. In fact, the fondness between the two of them is strong. They really are perfect for one another.

Mi-jin and Ha-ri come back and tell them there are no jumping off points. The only way Ha-ri can think of is for them to go out a back door. They can't get there with zombies outside.

That's when Cheong-san looks up and comes up with another sacrificial plan to have someone attract zombies from the roof.

"Please stop sacrificing yourselves."

On-jo is so sick and tired of losing people. They need to stop and think of a way for them all to survive. Hyo-ryung and Dae-su are the first to agree with her, with Woo-jin doing the same after a moment of pause.

Mi-jin agrees too, believing that maybe it'll rain again. Not... the most sound plan but at least they're thinking of other options before they just put one of them on the line again.

But Nam-ra hears the announcement from the helicopters, telling them to evacuate. Their group is shocked to hear that they'll be bombed, wondering what they can possibly do.

When On-jo hears Dae-su ask when and it quickly cuts away to the military 'initiating an operation', her first thought is, 'Now!?' but it's just them sending out drones with high pitched noises.

The drones fly throughout the city, attracting countless zombies. Some even jump out of windows to follow them. At Cheong-san Chicken, Hee-su stumbles out the door, snarling as she runs. On-jo glances at the girl in real life, looking down at her stomach sadly.

Their group is trying to figure out what to do, where to go, what the military will do. And just when it seems like things can't get worse-

"CHEONG-SAN!!!"

On-jo gasps, realizing Gwi-nam has finally found them again.

There's a few seconds of anticipation where nothing happens before he appears at the window.

Cheong-san swipes at him but Gwi-nam quickly gets him on the ground, stepping on his chest. He's at his mercy, and the thought of him getting killed makes her blood run cold.

Dad squeezes her hand tight.

Su-hyeok tries to fight Gwi-nam, but he's quickly punched hard enough that he falls and is dangling off the side.

It's all going so wrong.

The drones lead the zombies onto the school grounds. On-jo sobs when she sees her father, with Mrs. Min not far behind, and realizes the obvious. That they'll be included in the bombing. Dad kisses the top of her head.

She sees Cheong-san shudder, his eyes so sad as he sees his mother fall over but get back up in a desperate bid to keep following the drones.

When Ji-min is shown, her friend claps a hand over her mouth to muffle the cry that comes from her. On-jo wishes she could have helped her more.

Gyeong-su runs among other zombies. I-sak gasps when they see him like that again, wrapping her arm around his torso.

Joon-yeong twists in Woo-jin's grip when he's shown stumbling along.

Na-yeon flinches away from the screen at the sight of herself.

And then finally a shot of an entire crowd, though On-jo can't tell if anyone they know is there, all of them reaching up at the sky.

She holds in a gasp as she realizes the significance of the opening title sequence, what they were warned of from the very beginning, before they even knew about zombies in the first place. All along they had been given a glimpse at what would take out so many of their friends and parents.

As Mi-jin tries to pull up Su-hyeok, Gwi-nam grabs Cheong-san by the collar. He holds him off the side of the ledge. Just as Su-hyeok finally gets to safety, Cheong-san tries to fight, landing a punch.

But when he tries to do it again, Gwi-nam grabs his arm, twisting it, and then sinking his teeth into the skin as Cheong-san cries out in agony.

Everyone lets out a noise, ranging from soft or sharp gasps to devastated cries.

"Cheong-san," On-jo whimpers. No, he's not- he can't-

FUCK.

Just as he pulls his head back and is about to go for the eye again, the high pitched noises reach the hambies, hurting both Nam-ra and Gwi-nam. Cheong-san is able to kick him off the side.

With Commander Jin, he's told that the zombies are all at their targets.

"Fire now!"

No. No... They're all still there. They have to treat Cheong-san's wound before they go. That looked like it hurt. But it'll be fine.

"Cheong-san..."

He looks at his bite, sadness crashing on his face. And she knows what he's thinking. How could she not?

On-jo spares her father a look before taking off to the other side of the room. Gyeong-su has an arm around both him and I-sak. Cheong-san meets her eyes and looks at her sadly.

Without thinking twice, she kneels in front of him and cups his face in her hands. "Hey. Hey, you'll be fine. Won't you?"

"On-jo-" he says so softly she wants to either scream or melt.

"You'll be like Nam-ra. Main characters always have superpowers, don't they?"

"On-jo," he repeats, pulling her to him. She accepts his embrace, returns it. It feels like home. So, they must be going home.

"No one's dying. Not here. Not today."

But people already have.

She repeats their phrase, their promise to do everything tomorrow, because they aren't in the right headspace to talk about it today.

Their friends are sniffling. Why? He'll be fine.

Cheong-san rips off his name tag. She gives him hers. On-jo had almost hoped that they would be able to do that in a better place, and that it would mark things becoming happier again.

Why does she keep hoping for anything? All it does is bring her misery. Again, and again, and again, and again.

They share their first kiss. On-jo's first kiss ever. Did her toes curl? Did her heart skip a beat? Was she left breathless? Was it everything she ever imagined it would be?

No, of course not. She never imagined that after the boy pulls back he would smile (smile at her) and turn away from her.

But she's glad it was with Cheong-san.

He stops and hugs her one last time. On-jo hopes against hope that it will last forever. That it will never end and they'll be able to keeping holding one another until the rest of their- Until the world e- Well, those might come sooner rather than later. They're both crying.

"Please don't go," she whispers.

It looks like it physically pains him to push her away. So why does he do it anyways? He gives Su-hyeok, who's putting on a brave face, an order, the boy holding On-jo as Cheong-San goes back inside, yelling for the zombies to follow after him.

"TODAY I AM THE HAPPIEST GUY IN SCHOOL!!!!"

The happiest guy in school...

This is the boy she's known for her entire life. They boy she played with. The boy who sat with her on the pavement when she scraped a knee. The boy who raced her to school in the morning.

And he's fucking brave.

On-jo loves him so much.

She can't lose him.

The zombies follow after him, and so the rest of them start to leave. Su-hyeok helps a dazed Nam-ra move, and though On-jo really thought she had grown out of her jealousy towards their class president, she finds herself wishing that it could've been her and Cheong-san. Or at least that they could've had time together before it was stolen from them.

Cheong-san gets higher, all the while he's chased by zombies, while the rest of the class get lower, not running into any but hearing his screams the entire time. The noise wakes Gwi-nam up, for what On-jo hopes is the last time, and though he's badly injured, and also impaled, he crawls forward.

On-jo hopes he fucking kills that bastard for everything he put him through.

Cheong-san dodges around zombies, managing to avoid them and jumping over what must've been where the elevator was supposed to go. It sends all the zombies chasing him down it.

"Come at me now. All of YOOOUUU!!!"

The rest of the class makes it outside, without him. Gwi-nam makes it inside without them noticing. They start hiking up the mountain and On-jo can't believe that they're leaving him. She can't believe that she'll never see him again. The thought is so unfathomable, it shocks her to her core and it's all she do to lean into Cheong-san's touch while he's with her.

Cheong-san falls on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his nose and onto his bite. Nam-ra's nose didn't bleed, neither did Eun-ji's. But... maybe it was hit at some point. Or the virus evolved again like Mr. Lee kept saying it did. Or maybe it's just the heat.

Or maybe a monster bit him and wants to finish the job.

But she is proud that Cheong-san made killing him so much work that even a psycho like Gwi-nam doesn't find it fun anymore.

"I'll kill you even if it isn't fun."

Typical Cheong-san. He keeps insulting the unhinged murderer with high school jabs about how uncool he is.

Then he grabs a rod in one hand and a fist of sand or dirt or whatever's in a construction zone in the other, and rises to his feet.

"I have nothing to fear. I'm not scared of you, either."

He throws the sand in his face and they begin fighting it out. Stabbing, kicking, punching. When Gwi-nam shoves him into a pile of bricks, he picks up a brick and throws it at him.

It's not enough for him to get away. Gwi-nam tackles him and punches him across the face, then kicks him.

"Stop it," On-jo cries pathetically as he wraps his hand around his neck.

Cheong-san gently tries to turn her head into his shoulder but she refuses to look away from the boy on screen for even a second. Not when this is the boy the other her is losing.

It's hard though. "I'll gouge out your eye." The sight of Gwi-nam digging his finger into Cheong-san's eye, the blood gushing from it, the excruciating screams, the maniacal laughter, the way his kick against the floor. And when it's done he turns over, writhing, as Gwi-nam happily licks the blood off his fingers.

He tries to crawl away, but that monster keeps kicking at him, beckoning him to run away.

And just when she thinks she's numb to any horror this show has left to offer, they're back with the military, and On-jo has to gasp at the bomb being dropped at the sports complex. The dark cloud consuming all the zombies. The size of the explosion. Then the intersection. Future College.

And-

And-

Mrs. Min.

Gyeong-su.

Na-yeon.

Ji-min.

Dad.

Joon-yeong.

Min-jae.

The bomb drops.

The zombies reach up. They're all already gone. On-jo knows that they're already gone. But-

It hits.

On-jo sobs.

The kids in the mountains are caught off guard by the impact.

The music room. The hallways. The windows. The classroom.

The construction site.

Cheong-san grabs Gwi-nam by the waist and pulls. They scream. They fall down the elevator shaft. They're engulfed in flames.

He's gone.

The explosion hits the mountains.

Dae-su tackles Hyo-ryung to the ground.

They all scream and cover up.

Woo-jin throws himself at Ha-ri to keep her from getting impaled.

They shriek as they're shrouded in clouds.

On-jo can't stop shaking, wondering if they've died, knowing that if they didn't then Cheong-san still wouldn't be there with them. 

"Stop," Commander Jin's voice snaps her out of the numbness she's found herself in, enough to realize the hot tears pouring down her face. His even voice fills her with rage, because why couldn't he have just saved them? And why doesn't he feel remorse? He just killed millions of people and what? He doesn't care?

"What?" Jae-ik demands.

"The episodes almost over. It can wait until intermissions."

Jae-ik scoffs. "You're a real piece of shit, you know that?"

Everyone is crying. They don't stop. They don't have it in them to stop.

Cheong-san holds her as they watch on, all the words between them left unspoken. They'll talk about during the intermission. Or maybe tomorrow. Or the next day. Or even in a week. They'll have the time. They will.

They have to have time.

After everything, the Commander gives out more orders about what to do in the morning. And then he puts an officer in charge.

On-jo is briefly curious about whether he means for the night or forever given the hell that happened when he had the final say.

But then On-jo realizes that she doesn't care.

It's all just meaningless adult drama.

Adults. What do adults do? They lie about not being bitten and force kids from their hiding place, and that cost On-jo her best friend. They choose murderers over majorities, and leave the rest to fend for themselves. They leave kids to die on rooftops, and if they hadn't then Cheong-san would have been fine. They sacrifice themselves.

On-jo is alone. The people she loves most are gone. And it could have been prevented.

She was a fool for ever thinking the world would care about her or her friends. They're just insignificant students at the end of the day.

"I need to sleep. I've been up for too long."

Sleep? Sleep? Cheong-san is dead, this man dropped a bomb on the city, and now he's going to sleep.

On-jo must have nightmares after this, that is if she survives the trip to Yangdong, and with one episode left she still might not. Nightmares about I-sak, Dad, Cheong-san. She imagines herself laying up at night as the hours tick by, thinking about everyone she loves who she'll never see again.

"I hope you rot in hell," On-jo whispers, then louder since she knows he wouldn't have heard her, she repeats, "I hope you rot in hell!" Cheong-san runs his hands up and down her wrists.

He goes to talk to Assemblywoman Park. She keeps an air of coolness until he tells her what he did. Forty percent, he says.

"You're a murderer. You should be ashamed of yourself."

He is. It's true. On-jo is glad someone said it to his face, because those soldiers weren't going to. Those soldiers endorsed it.

The Commander doesn't deny it. In fact, he asks her to use her influence to send a message.

"Please tell the people of Hyosan that I'm truly sorry."

She doesn't believe him. After all, isn't every last one of them just a filthy liar at the end of the day?

If he's sorry then why did he do it?

He leaves her, passing a solemn Jae-ik, Ho-cheol, and Hee-su's baby along the way.

Commander Jin salutes someone. Then he goes to an empty office, looks around, and closes the blinds. Suddenly, On-jo is struck with the feeling that something else is about to happen. Something quieter, but still nothing good. Nothing worse then what she's already seen, but something different. A quiet build up instead of a sudden bang.

In his full uniform, he speaks to a camera. She can't look away as he explains that he watched the last of Mr. Lee's videos. Her eyes are glued to the screen as they see Mr. Lee try to approach them with fire, but ultimately he couldn't do it. Instead, he cries out for his wife and son to stop it.

"Lee Byeong-chan was a husband and a father. I'm sure he couldn't kill anyone."

Kill, kill, kill. So much death, and only broken hearts follow them. It's Mr. Lee's virus. How does someone cause an apocalypse without meaning to cause an apocalypse?

Commander Jin tells the camera about the bombing, that it was his choice, and that it's his responsibility.

As tears fall, On-jo knows she hates him.

He puts his hat on the desk, and takes out his phone. She sees that his lockscreen is a picture of two people doing peace signs. He calls his wife.

As she listens to his one sided conversation, On-jo is in disbelief that someone who could do that has a family waiting at home. That someone with kids could leave her and her friends to die on that rooftop and bomb the school the next day. That someone could bomb a city and then call his wife acting like everything is normal. Everything is casual.

"It's not a big deal if they miss school a couple times. Better to stay healthy, right?"

Fuck him...

Her jaw trembles.

How dare he?

How dare he get his happy family after what they've all lost?

"I love you."

But after he hangs up, he sets the phone on the desk and opens a drawer to reveal a gun.

The entire room is silent, not even a sniffle interrupting, they all watch transfixed. He stares at it, cocks it, pressing it to the bottom of his head. He stares forward, at stoic as been through all of this. A single tear runs down his face.

It cuts to the floor beneath him before the shot rings out. The bullet falls, then the gun, then his hand goes limp. Only after he's dead does his wife text him.

'I'm sorry I yelled at you. I love you too. When can you come home?'

So many broken hearts...

The puddle of blood starts to pool around the ground. They're left with the image of Commander Jin slumped over in his chair, blood splattered on the wall behind him.

In the end, they don't get to see if the rest of the class survived through what hit them. Instead, they're given a shot of their school on fire. The school they went to everyday. Everything, destroyed. The field, a flaming pit. The elevator shaft, the bottom full to the brim with charred bodies. The bodies are unidentifiable.

But she knows. She knows when the camera passes over an ashen hand, and next to it-

Nam On-jo

-her name tag lying in the rubble, the name tag she gave to the wrong boy when the right one has always been in front of her. Tears stream down On-jo's face and wonders why no one helped them.

It cuts to black.

Silence rings out.

On-jo turns her head, looking into Cheong-san's eyes. They're both crying, and yet ever so gently he brushes the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. Even after all of that, he still looks after her.

She kisses him. Just a peck on the lips. Something so small, that only lasts a second, and yet it has her jolting back, both their eyes widening in shock. Then his lips break into a beautiful smile, and she realizes she really likes kissing him.

She wants to do it again.

She better get to do it again.

"That's acceptable," I-sak says through her tears, face red from her crying. Gyeong-su's arm is wrapped around her waist even though he keeps his other hand on Cheong-san's back.

They really need to work on not doing all their firsts in front of their friends.

Cheong-san hugs her. She hugs him back.

She's home.

But she still shakes her head.

That was so hard to get through.

Chapter Text

Cheong-san's POV

On-jo's shaking, crying. That takes priority over any fear, any grief, any joy he might be feeling.

(Doesn't change the fact that he just kissed On-jo! Or she kissed him- There was kissing that happened!)

She buries her face in his neck and he tries to soothe her grief away.

That absolute fucker Gwi-nam, ruining everything. Killing him. Fuck him. Honestly.

He wasn't as shocked as he could have been. Cheong-san did know how dangerous it was out there and that if it came down to him and his friends- If him dying meant any one of his friends could end this drama alive, let alone all of his remaining friends, then he'd take that deal.

Cheong-san kisses the top of her head. This causes her to look up at him and he looks down into her teary eyes. But so much tenderness passes between them in that look that he has to pause. Their entire lives, they've always been a duo, but now their emotions are so raw. There's nothing holding him back from showing his feelings to her, now that he knows, and it seems that there's a resolution in her, like she knows what it is she feels for him, only compounded by her sadness.

After a few minutes, she pulls back, cupping his face in her hands. She presses her forehead against his and he savors the touch as he'd savor anything she gives him.

Finally, she really does withdraw from him, just in time for Gyeong-su to drape his arm over his shoulders. He's crying. Cheong-san can't help but think back to episode three, when it was Gyeong-su who had died. He'd been so devastated, so hurt, feeling like he could kill Na-yeon for what she did. Their heads knock together lightly. He cries and Cheong-san understands, knowing how hard it is to see your best friend go.

He doesn't expect it when I-sak throws her arms around his shoulders. He gasps comically, raising a hand to pat her back as she cries loudly. Cheong-san looks at Gyeong-su for back, but he just looks at the girl affectionately, the image of him smiling while his eyes are still wet encapsulating how bittersweet it is to grieve someone who's still there. When the people who make you happy are not gone but you had to see them go anyway.

Su-hyeok has a stunned look on his face as approaches, like he's trying to be brave but is too shocked to do so. Their embrace is tight, like he doesn't want to let go. He's patting Cheong-san's back. "Christ."

"Christ," he agrees.

Mr. Nam is next, pulling him up to a hug. There's something fatherly in it. It's very firm and strong and yet Cheong-san can feel the smallest of shivers in his hugs. He knows it's not as bad as if something had happened to On-jo, something Cheong-san would never let happen to her, but he can tell that the man is hurting. He hugs back, letting out his own grief at having to see a man he'd seen as a second father die like that.

It's crowded when Dae-su, Joon-yeong, Hyo-ryung, and Woo-jin draw him into a group hug but Cheong-san doesn't mind. If anything, he likes being close with so many friends at once. Dae-su is still heaving out weighty sobs, though he's seemed to calm down by now.

He was never that close to Ji-min. She was always more frosty, stuck more towards the girls and occasionally Woo-jin. Really got him with the prank calls a few times though. But now, as she walks up to him on shaky legs timid, vulnerable in a way he's never seen her before- not even after they saw her parents, he feels fond of her, despite her mistakes.

Cheong-san can't help but pull her into a hug, something they'd never done before. It's quick. They pull away quicker than he did with anyone else. But there's gratitude on her face. A relief. She smiles at Hyo-ryung hopefully, lighting up when she receives an uneasy smile back.

Any relief in tension is lost when Commander Jin steps up towards them.

"What are you doing?" On-jo says, voice so full of hurt.

Cheong-san drapes an arm on her shoulder. He can feel the straining in her muscles relax. He shoots her a look, trying to tell her to just hear him out after everything that had happened, even though he sees her ready to do something similar to what Woo-jin did after Joon-yeong died.

"You've displayed a remarkable amount of bravery on this day on a multitude of events but especially in those final moments," Commander Jin says, as cold as always. Like they don't know, like they didn't see, how human he really is. Cheong-san wonders what will happen when he lets himself feel again, if he'll do that this time around. "I commend you for that. Let me assure you that your death will be prevented."

"Okay," he says. It's all he has to say. He does want to ask if he'll be giving himself the same speech, but he doesn't have the nerve to.

Cheong-san sees On-jo's face as he walks away. It's striking- the anger, the blame, the hate. But behind it all is the unmistakable pain.

He takes in her rage-filled glare, accepts it, and knows.

He's in love with her.

It's too early to say. He'll scare her off if he does. But it's true. It's okay that he has to wait to say so though. Because he can show her now. He can devote himself to her. They can have as many tomorrows and as many days or weeks that they need. That's all he can ask for.

Cheong-san holds her hand. She squeezes it before discreetly kissing him on the cheek for good measure.

What a gopher.

XXX

Joon-yeong's POV

He's always been the type to go through with things once he's settled on something. He doesn't think that's ever been clearer given everything that happened in episode ten. He makes a plan, he follows through with it to the bitter end. He'd get his friends to safety, he'd make the grade, he'd... he'd ask out the boy.

Yeah... deciding to ask him out might have been a long time coming, but now that he has... Oh God...

Last intermission, he told himself he'd tell him how he felt next intermission. But that was before he knew what would happen to Cheong-san. Now, he's almost too tired to take a broken heart.

And...

He's never asked anyone out before. How do you do it? Just put it out there? But once it's out there, it can never not be taken back. What was unknown becomes known and there's only pretending it's not known afterwards.

Woo-jin's not homophobic, he's too good for that. And he cares about him, of that Joon-yeong's sure. But-

But what if he changes things for the worse and it's irreversible? What if he ruins things? What if the closest he'll ever get to Woo-jin is being really good friends and he won't even have that anymore?

At the same time... what if he feels the same way? It has to be possible, right? He's always been so devoted, so sweet to him, and his reaction to Joon-yeong's death. What if-

If there's a chance he has to take it.

Life's too short not to.

Just... ask out Woo-jin! Simple. So simple.

So, as the scoot away back from Cheong-san and the rest, Joon-yeong takes his hand as he's done so many times in the past.

He doesn't expect Woo-jin to look down at their joint hands and pulls away.

Joon-yeong clears his throat. "Woo-jin-" He pauses, gathering his thoughts.

'In light of recent events-'

Nope.

'Let's go o-'

Lead into it first.

'You're beautiful, Woo-jin. I like you so much. And if I'm jeopardizing our friendship, stop me, right now. Because you're so brave and kind and- and-'

Okay, coming off way too strong.

"Yes?" Woo-jin asks, bringing him back down to earth.

"Um... how bad do you think the finale will be?" he asks instead.

"Fucking devastating."

Joon-yeong nods in agreement. How can it not be?

And it's not like Woo-jin doesn't have other options.

It's not like Joon-yeong's the only kid in their school who's noticed how handsome he is. He's heard other people, girls, talk about him. It always made him so jealous. And so sad. Because if either of them were girls it would be easier. And it's not fair that it's not because they're both boys.

Woo-jin can probably do better. Even if he does like boys. Joon-yeong will probably mess it up. Like, he'll take him for granted and not explain his plans well enough... oh god, or he won't listen when Woo-jin wants to go with a plan that might work better.

It's almost absurd to think of getting something he wants so badly and messing it up.

"Hey, if you eat then throw up, is it normal to get hungry again afterwards?"

"I don't think so." Joon-yeong frowns at the odd question.

"Okay, then I wanna get a snack for a completely different reason." He stands.

"You threw up?" he says in shock. How did he not notice? This is what he's talking about. What if- What if Joon-yeong ends up taking him from someone who'll properly cherish him? But none of that matters as he gets up and presses his hand to Woo-jin's forehead. "Are you sick? Sit back down."

"What? No. I'm not- I'm not sick." He doesn't seem sure though. Fuck, they weren't given antibiotics! "I'm just getting food."

He turns away without another word. Something doesn't sit right as Joon-yeong follows after him and Woo-jin turns and looks at him questioningly.

"Where are you going?"

He tilts his head, confused. "With you?"

"Are you hungry?" Woo-jin asks, frowning.

"Well, no-"

"Then why would you come with me for snacks?" Joon-yeong stares at him. What he's saying is logically sound. But he just-

He just wanted to spend a little more time with him between episodes.

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be!" Woo-jin says, looking outright panicked. But all too quickly the fear in his eyes just... goes away. Like a wall is slammed up separating the two boys and Joon-yeong hates it. Even when he smiles, it seems to be plastered on. "I'm just... getting food. See you later."

Joon-yeong can almost convince himself he sees a flash of anguish as he turns away. He watches his back as his leaves, the slight, almost unnoticeably shivering of his shoulders. But he doesn't go after him or force him to tell him what he's thinking. If he does it would mean addressing the tension between them. Spelling out things that have been left unsaid for so long.

Which is what Joon-yeong wants to do, yes, but...

The thing about his plans is that he's always been sure of them. Sure of his drone, sure of how to escape the auditorium, sure of his own intelligence. And Joon-yeong knows how he feels. It's just that feelings are so much messier than factual arguments.

He'll tell him how he feels when they get home.

XXX

Woo-jin's POV

He raises an eye when On-jo walks in, still chewing on his rice ball. "Hey."

"Hey."

"What are you doing in here?" He would've thought she'd stay with Cheong-san.

"Everyone's dehydrated," On-jo says, walking towards the array of remaining water bottles. "And I needed a moment to myself."

"I get that," he nods. He really gets that. "I'll go."

"No, sit down." On-jo waves him off. "It's not that big a deal. Why are you in here?"

"Personally, I think it's cause I kinda barfed out all my lunch," he admits. "But not sure that's how that works, but I'm hungry anyways. So, I'm getting a snack before the final episode."

"Joon-yeong didn't go with you?" On-jo asked.

Woo-jin froze. "He's not hungry."

She shrugs. "Just seems like you're attached to the hip."

He rolls his eyes. "God, On-jo."

In truth, Woo-jin is... creating boundaries. Normal friends aren't 'attached to the hip' like she said. He wouldn't have Dae-su tag along for this if he wasn't hungry (impossible as that scenario is) so why should Joon-yeong? And it's harder when the show is playing when there are so many reminders-

(He's still gonna fucking kill Gwi-nam. Like, he'll go to jail, he doesn't care.)

But during intermissions and when they get home, Woo-jin is so over Oh Joon-yeong.

Because sometimes crushes get out of hand and... it's time to let go. Holding on isn't doing anyone any good, he needs to let go.

But he's happy for On-jo and Cheong-san for getting together.

"You like him?"

"Cheong-san?" Woo-jin asks incredulously. Holding back a laugh, he teases, "Well, there was an incident-"

"That's not what I meant," On-jo scoffs. "Joon-yeong."

All at once his joking demeanor falters. "Joon-yeong?" He diverts his gaze away from her, forcing himself chuckle. "Fair enough, I have been friends with Dae-su for just as long and I can't stand him-"

"I meant 'like' like him."

Woo-jin exhales. "Dammit, I-sak."

"You told I-sak?" On-jo says in horror.

"Shh," Woo-jin hushes, whispering. "No. She just did a project with us for school one time and knew."

"She didn't tell me."

"Well, she told Gyeong-su."

"Gyeong-su?" On-jo says. "Dammit, I-sak."

"I'm pretty sure one of them confessed."

"Confe-" She squeaks, struggling to keep her voice down. "Really? ... I see it." She shudders, clearly holding back the urge to scream. "How do you know? Did he tell you?"

Woo-jin shrugs. "Something about their demeanors."

On-jo pulls her own hair. "... So, you and Joon-yeong."

He rolls his eyes, but his voice sounds broken even to his own ears when he whispers, "I'm getting over it."

"Your crush?" On-jo looks confused. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Woo-jin asks in disbelief.

"Well, like... did you ever think about telling him how you feel?" she suggests. "You might be surprised. Maybe it's that he's not gonna consider it until he's told to consider it."

Woo-jin stares. Um... she doesn't get it. He rolls his eyes. "On-jo, please, I'm- we're just not like you." He picks at the last rice ball remaining. "I have a lot more to lose."

"I know," she says gingerly, sitting in the seat opposite of him. "But Joon-yeong wouldn't judge you for anything."

"Of course not," he says, though if he honestly believes it is another matter. "But- but-" Fuck it. "A lot of people wouldn't want to be friends with boys who like boys, let alone one who likes them." He pulls himself together. "But I know he's not like that. It's just... emotional."

"Some friendships are strong enough to survive past anything. Even emotions. Even unrequited feelings. Even if it doesn't feel like it," On-jo says wisely. "And sometimes feelings aren't actually unrequited."

Woo-jin nods, making sense of the words. "I- I like him so much," he whispers, having never said it out loud before and reveling in actually getting to say so.

"This really hurts, doesn't it?" On-jo says. Woo-jin takes in the paleness of her face, the tears stained onto her cheeks. "Do you think it will ever stop?"

"For us, I think it will," he answers earnestly. "For us, they're still here. You and Cheong-san are together now and Joon-yeong will always be my friend so..." He shakes his head. The memories are so hard. Because there was no saving Joon-yeong after that bomb dropped, and no saving Min-jae or Ji-min or anyone else he cares about. "One day this will all be in the past, but they'll still be around."

"Yeah..." On-jo says. "I just really hate to think about what could have been. I guess everything that doesn't happen could have happened, but... it feels worse knowing how real it could have been. And seeing it..."

"Yeah... Thank you," Woo-jin says. "I've never actually talked to anyone about this."

Mostly about his crush, Ha-ri just found out, Dae-su didn't know, he refused to talk to Min-jae about it, and with I-sak it was more of a 'I know you know, and you know I know you know' situation.

She shrugs. "Maybe you should talk to Joon-yeong then."

"Maybe," he admits.

"And I'll talk to Cheong-san." She nods. "We technically still haven't had the relationship talk yet."

He looks at her, thinking over the past two episodes. "On-jo, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"You told the military man to go to hell before he..." He scratches the back of his head.

"I told him to 'burn' in hell," On-jo corrects. "Yes."

"Do you..." Woo-jin pauses, thinking back to Commander Jin's last moments. "Feel bad about it?"

"No," she says bluntly. "I don't. It's his fault that Cheong-san is dead. And Joon-yeong, and Ji-min. And I realize he probably felt bad about it in the end, but I can't be asked to feel bad for him or for what I said. So, no."

Woo-jin has nothing to say to that.

"You don't have to feel bad either. But it's fine if you do." On-jo looks down at her feet. "I think Joon-yeong would like you either way."

Woo-jin stands, turning towards the door, unable to think about any of this anymore. "We should go back." He eats his last rice ball and grabs a cookie, not looking at her as he walks past.

"Hey, what did you mean when you said there was an 'incident' with Cheong-san?" she calls after him.

His eyes widen. "Nothing!"

"Hey, wait-"

XXX

Min-jae's POV

Ha-ri is looking at him like he might disappear. Her hand grips his wrist hard enough to bruise. He doesn't complain. He knows she needs to be grounded. He knows how badly she's holding in her emotions.

Min-jae smiles at Woo-jin as he sits with them for just a moment, taking his other hand. He doesn't hold on as tightly, which he appreciates. Ha-ri's eyes look over her brother worriedly. She's been concerned for him since they were taken it hasn't stopped. It won't stop, until they're all back home.

Min-jae has known her for their entire lives and he knows her enough to know that she's overprotective on the best of days. And she's never been overly social or good at making connections, so the people she does care about have her entire heart.

He knows she's devastated by his death, but she'll go on. She feels she has to. She's afraid if she doesn't, if she lets go and leaves herself vulnerable, she'll leave Woo-jin vulnerable as well.

Fuck it, at least Woo-jin didn't die. Not only because he's younger than both Ha-ri and Min-jae, making him the baby, but also because he's the person Ha-ri loves most, having never let anyone else close to her. She's... learning. Bonding. He thinks she might grow close to Joon-seong and especially Mi-jin, but they have only known each other for a day.

To be honest, there was a point where Min-jae feared his captain would make a heroic sacrifice in order to save her brother. That happens, doesn't it? The hero makes the ultimate choice in order to save someone younger than them.

But now, with only an episode to go, he feels almost safe knowing that the boy and girl he's known for so long are probably going to make it out alive, and no one here has to know how bad either of their reactions would've been had the other died.

Well, they kinda saw when Woo-jin's boyfriend died, but still.

As for Min-jae, well...

His death was bad... In a desperate demand given in hopes of saving who he thought was another survivor... he ended up pissing off the worst person he could have possibly pissed off in that situation. He didn't know. Had no way of knowing. He couldn't have known how dangerous Gwi-nam was, or how he would kill over being ordered around. He just wanted to help someone.

And fuck, being caught up in that explosion, even as a zombie, fucking hurt. Maybe they were all holding onto a little hope that there actually would be a cure and things would secretly turn out fine-ish but no. 'Total annihilation' was better than hoping for something else.

It just sucks for the people in Hyosan who are still alive, because there actually was hope for them. There still is.

"Oh my god," Mi-jin gasps, eyes as wide as can be, like she's come to shocking realization.

"What is it?" Ha-ri asks.

"Athletes are really hot!"

"What!?" Min-jae says incredulously.

"What is wrong with you?" Joon-seong asks.

"I don't want to hear about this," Woo-jin shakes his head.

"Athleticism is a noble skill," Ha-ri says in a matter-of-fact tone, turning her whole body towards the other girl, fixing her with a glare. "It should not be degraded to 'hotness', Mi-jin ah."

"You're only proving my point."

"I'm leaving!" Woo-jin stands up.

As if on cue, the detective steps up. "Okay, I feel like that's been enough time. This is the final episode. So. Let's get this shit over with."

"Ugh, finally," Mi-jin says. "I've been ready to leave since before episode one."

"I never even wanted to come here in the first place," Joon-seong adds, crossing his arms.

"Wh- Neither did I!" Mi-jin says defensively. "I never even wanted to go to high school," she says as if one-upping him. "And now I'm a fucking senior. How much stress do I need right now? God."

His annoyance towards her is overshadowed by a loud sigh. Woo-jin looks over at his friends, at Joon-yeong, nervously, frozen. Min-jae scoffs and pushes him forward. He glares at him but moves forward. Min-jae smirks, and a quick glance at the other three shows that they're doing the same. Well, Mi-jin's doing the same. Ha-ri looks more encouraging while Joon-seong just seems to be happy for them.

To his joy, he realizes that Ha-ri finally caught up with what was going on with her brother, as in, the obvious stuff, and that somehow Joon-seong and Mi-jin caught on as well. That was so quick too. They just met him! This is great.

And hey, it's nice to be on the same page with others.

Because, well, while Min-jae wasn't as cold as Ha-ri, and he did make friends with a few of his other teammates from archery, he's never gotten especially close with others like Woo-jin did seamlessly with his classmates. But he can see himself growing close with the two newbies. He already likes Joon-seong a lot, for all they're different. And for all he's annoyed by Mi-jin, he likes her too. She's loyal, they both are, despite appearances.

"You gonna be okay?" Ha-ri asks quietly.

"Yeah," Min-jae whispers back, even though he'll never forgot how it felt to watch himself die. He'll never forget any of this. But you know, at least the Jang siblings will end up okay.

XXX

I-sak's POV

It's almost hard to believe that after such a long day, such a difficult eleven episodes, they're finally here, at the finale. It's almost all over.

And I-sak is still unhappy.

Well, mostly. She's finally started dating, made some new friends, gotten even closer to the friends she already had, and after all they've been through, I-sak thinks they might be bonded together for life. And so long as all their life spans last a very, very long time, that's a good thing.

But at the same time, there had to be better ways of bonding than this. Maybe like a party or something. Something not so emotionally devastating. She's kinda wishing she can go back to before zombies were a freakishly real personality.

The two people she cares about most are especially hurt by what happened to Cheong-san, being closest to him and all. 

She's holding hands with Nam-ra as Su-hyeok and Gyeong-su are with Cheong-san, coping with his death. I-sak smiles at their class president. She never could've expected she'd find a friend in the girl they all wrote off as cold, but here they are. I-sak sees it when Nam-ra looks at On-jo or Hyo-ryung or her. The hope at finally having friends. I-sak just doesn't want to disappoint her.

Cheong-san's expression brightens when On-jo comes back, carrying the bottles as she said she would. Wow... they're so adorable. If they got a little better at expressing their romantic moments and not doing big deal milestones super casually. And okay, call her a hypocrite, but Cheongjo passed 'Hey, I like you, wanna go out?' years ago. And like, she's not knocking Namyeok, I-sak just finds it a little funny that for all they weren't childhood, they understood the assignment. They were the assignment. And-

On-jo places the water bottles on the floor at their feet and then grabs I-sak's hand, pulling her away from the group. She goes willingly, happy to indulge in whatever she's doing. She smiles happily at Gyeong-su as it happens, knowing that he's in good hands with his own bestie. Until they finally come to a stop at the corner of the room.

"You're going out with Gyeong-su?" On-jo asks, a small but excited on her face.

"Did Woo-jin tell you?" I-sak put her hands on her hips. Dammit, Woo-jin. What an asshole. "I wanted to tell you myself."

"Wait, you did tell Woo-jin?" On-jo asks incredulously.

"No," she says simply.

"... Jesus," On-jo says. "But, um, so we both have boyfriends!"

"We do!" I-sak says excited, grabbing her hands. Even though, technically, I-sak hasn't had that talk with Gyeong-su and On-jo hasn't had the privacy with Cheong-san yet (not that that usually stops them) but come on. Come on.

They both giggle. Of course, they've talked about the day when they'd both be in relationships. It just didn't happen the way they thought it would (Who could blame them? Who could have possibly expected them to predict all of this?) or with the boys they thought they'd end up with (Though honestly, how did On-jo not see it?).

On-jo hugs her. "I love you."

"I love you too." I-sak really did. "Ooh! Remember the four of us going to Cheong-san Chicken together in the first episode? It was like one of the better moments from the series? And Gyeong-su joked about it being a double date? Now it can actually be a double date!"

On-jo laughs. "Why not!?" 

They squeeze each other's hands one last time before going to sit with their respective boyfriends. They don't sit together since after everything with Cheong-san, both Gyeong-su and On-jo wanna be as close to him as possible.

"The students make it to the quarantine camp, each of them weighed down by tragic loss. Months later, they hang onto hope for a survivor."

On-jo perks up at that. She looks so hopeful. I-sak thinks that Cheong-san might have a chance. They didn't see a body after all. I-sak has seen enough shows that that usually means the character is fine.

Though technically, she's not sure if that applies to the horror genre...

But hey! They- they make it to the quarantine. So, like, Nam-ra, On-jo, Su-hyeok, Woo-jin; They're all good now. Or they will be. When they make it to camp.

Probably.

Honestly though... Episode eleven was probably the climax, so... everything should just be wrapping up loose ends! It's basic story structure. Rising action, climax, falling action.

Except for plot twists.

She's so fucking nervous. It's the last episode, who knows what they'll pull?

But honestly, On-jo and Cheong-san are together, Nam-ra and Su-hyeok have been together, Woo-jin and Joon-yeong are gonna be together, and don't even get her started on the lesbians. Her list is just a bunch of checkmarks at this point.

Yeah... Everything's coming up I-sak!

Really. It is.

How much more hurt could this show possibly spring on them that it already hasn't ten times over? 

They just need to get through one last episode, and they're done. They're in the clear. They can resume their normal lives. That's it. They'll be fine.

Dear God, help them.

Chapter Text

Nam-ra's POV

This is all so very strange. 

She's glad that it's almost over but appreciates all she's gained since their arrival to this strange and horrible place. Still, a part of her can't help but believe that it will all go away once this is over. She tries to ignore such thoughts and instead focus on what life will be like when they won't be fearing for their lives and instead will be allowed to live out their lives freely- and as friends.

But as it all draws to a close, the doubts creep in. If things go back to how they were, she'll survive, and which as much stoicism as she's always had. It won't even hurt that bad, even if is a disappointment coming after the first bout of hope she's had in such a long time. It would simply be that she thought one thing would happen and then it turned out to not be the case.

Only time will tell. For now, Nam-ra rests her head on Su-hyeok's shoulder as he takes deep breaths in hopes of comforting him as he copes with this new loss- And of one of his best friends to make matters worse.

The bodies at the bottom of the elevator shaft are unidentifiable, burnt to a crisp, but she loathes to think about it being Cheong-san's ashes mixed in with others in the air.

Ashes scour throughout the city, reaching even the survivor's base, where an innocent little girl cries, all alone.

"Se-bin," I-sak says tenderly, intertwining her fingers with her boyfriend's.

Dal-ho puts it in simple terms. "Oh, shit."

Mom numbly looks over her resignation form and quietly rips it up. Nam-ra feels a spark of pride at the small but telling action.

Jae-ik and Ho-cheol look at the chaos from the window of their cell. The latter asks about the others house while the former asks about his school.

"To save the majority, just how heartless do you think you need to be? Did they teach you things like that at school?"

Of course not.

All the schooling in the world couldn't have prepared them for how cruel it could be.

"We don't learn that kind of stuff in my major. Not sure which major has that."

A fire burns in the woods of the mountain, but the remaining students stand alive. Ha-ri puts a hand on Woo-jin's shoulder, Mi-jin and Hyo-ryung share a look of disbelief, and Dae-su's leg is bleeding.

"Fuck," Woo-jin curses, looking at his friend with worry.

They all just stare at the fire, speechless. What even is there to say?

And then, for the last time, the opening credits show. There's a certain melancholy added to it now, knowing what those zombies are actually reaching up towards, unaware that it's their own destruction. And knowing how many friends were in that crowd.

"Not gonna miss that," Su-hyeok murmurs softly.

"No," Nam-ra agrees.

When the sun burns bright in the sky, they sit on the ground. Woo-jin tries to help with Dae-su's wound as he's in an abundance of pain. On-jo stands, looking out at the horizon. Su-hyeok walks up next to her, the struggle clear on his face.

"Let's go."

On-jo isn't ready yet. How could she be after all that she's lost?

So, she tells them she'll catch up and then leaves. Nam-ra and Su-hyeok agree to go with her. Dae-su tries but he's too hurt to do so. The three of them walk up the stairs of the construction building together, and when they reach the top, she takes in all the carnage. Her shoes walk over the blood-stained dirt.

It's all On-jo can do to call out for Cheong-san.

But there's no one there.

Tears well up in Nam-ra's eyes as the other girl loses her composure.

"Cheong-san, you're such a jerk!"

The only thing Nam-ra can do for her is to tell her to go, because she can't smell him. He's gone. The only thing they can do is say goodbye, and then leave.

"No," On-jo whines, hiding her face in Cheong-san's neck.

Nam-ra pulls her into an embrace, her arms around her shoulders. On-jo hugs her back.

It's not fair that she has to go through this much loss. Her best friend, her father, and now her boyfriend- or, the boy who should have been her boyfriend. (Nam-ra was so surprised to learn that he wasn't already her boyfriend at the beginning of the show.)

Later on, they all walk up the mountain, made especially difficult by Dae-su's busted leg. Su-hyeok and Woo-jin have to support him. Meanwhile, the soldiers goes through this the city, killing any zombies that remain and naming the places they sweep through as safe zones, including Cheong-san Chicken. Nam-ra just hopes that the picture of him on the windows of the restaurant won't be the last they'll see of him.

How could the military just leave them there and then bomb it the next day?

"Maybe they actually want us to die."

On-jo tells her she doesn't believe that. Nam-ra thinks it's because they still have to go to Yangdong if they want to survive, and so she has to keep a little bit of hope left.

But as Nam-ra hears her own reasoning for why they would do such a thing, she finds herself getting more and more wary over her hambie status. After all, if the soldiers left them in fear that they were all something in between, then how would they respond to her actually being one?

Maybe her friends are better off without her.

But On-jo disagrees, citing her as both friend and class president. It comforts Nam-ra, who has spent so long feeling isolated. Like her classmates' lives were happening around her as she stood still, doing the things she always did; Studying, learning, being the perfect girl she was raised to be. But never being respected. To hear a girl, a friend now, who never respected her at all say that their group needed her gives Nam-ra more hope than she could ever imagine.

She tries to believe she's right. Nam-ra isn't a monster and she never will be.

And if not, then it will open the door for more in the future. More nights like the one they had on the roof. Just sitting around the fire with friends, being honest with another, teasing, singing. On-jo promises they'll do it again, making plans to do so that very same night. It's sad that Joon-yeong, Ji-min, and Cheong-san won't be there for that time, or that Gyeong-su and I-sak didn't get to be there at all, but at least she can look forward to spending time with the friends she has.

Mi-jin realizes that they're lost, as they've lost the trail, something very bad because they don't want to end up back at Hyosan. That's when Woo-jin calls for Ha-ri, pointing out a yellow ribbon tied to a tree branch.

"Good job," Joon-yeong murmurs to his boyfriend. Woo-jin beams.

After Mi-jin jokes about a ginseng digger leaving it for them, Ha-ri sees another one. The group follows the path provided for them, and that's when On-jo finds her father's flashlight, the one he dropped when he fell, as he was the one who left the ribbons for them. The sight of his name on it makes her break down again. Nam-ra wishes there would be some reprieve for her, something to take away the overwhelming grief she must be feeling. But the only thing Nam-ra and Hyo-ryung can do is watch her let it out.

She stifles a gasp when the scene changes to Jin-su and Mr. Lee's wife. They look worse than most zombies, a testimony to how long they've been like this. Their skins are bruised in a dark shade, their bodies almost skeleton like. They're described as being comparable to people dying of starvation. And the military is going to transport them, likely to run tests on two zombies infected with an earlier variation of the virus.

As Nam-ra and her friends walk down an abandoned street, they pass by dead birds. The boys wonder why they were told to go to Yangdong when it's empty, likely being evacuated because of how close it is to Hyosan.

Something's wrong here...

Why are there so many dead animals? Ha-ri reasons that the buildings are too clean for there to have been a zombie attack near, but then Nam-ra stops, getting that look on her face that she does when something very bad is about to happen.

At first, it's not clear what she's sensing, the tension building up as they wait for the worst, but the noises are in comprehensible. Then she hears the zombies running.

"It never ends," Dae-su moans.

On-jo and Su-hyeok both urge her to tell them what's going on, and when they ask where the zombies are coming from, the answer is...

"Everywhere."

And so, she counts how many she can hear coming for them. Su-hyeok grips his weapon. Finally, she can only tell them to run. They race through the back alleys. Nam-ra discards the bandage around her eye. But Su-hyeok, Dae-su, and Woo-jin drag behind, struggling to keep up with how hurt his leg is.

They end up falling over it, the girls racing to help them. Ha-ri gets to her brother first while Su-hyeok stands up quickly and grabs a shovel, telling the rest of them to go ahead with Dae-su.

Nam-ra leans her head on her boyfriend's shoulder at his exclamation. She knows that she'll stay with him, that her enhanced abilities will help, and that she's not going to risk his life. He could end up bitten.

But Dae-su refuses to go, everyone following his lead to take some weapon of some sort, including On-jo, who grips the tool in her hand.

"You're gonna fight those monsters?" Mom voices her displeasure. "No. You can still go! At least keep trying to outrun them. Really-"

But Nam-ra can feel the resolve shared among her friends. They won't leave another person behind. It's always run, hide, run, hide. It's time to fight.

"I have a feeling this might be the end."

No. They're stronger than that.

Realistically, they may lose another friend, but that could happen either way.

Their group has fought so many zombies. They should know how to kill them. This way might actually be smarter than being caught off guard while putting their strength into other tasks, such as running, and their focus into thinking of places to hide.

"Stay behind me." "Don't be like that. Stay back."

Woo-jin doesn't listen, walking to the front to stand closer to Su-hyeok and Mi-jin as they all anticipate the battle to come.

For the zombies running out of the fog towards them.

They fight valiantly. Su-hyeok gets the first hit, then flips over a few zombies that come at him. Dae-su fights one of them but then Hyo-ryung gasps loudly as her crush is pinned to the ground by another. Su-hyeok, Ha-ri, and Mi-jin are successful enough in fighting with their shovels.

Joon-yeong radiates with worry as they watch one ram into Woo-jin, his boyfriend pushing it over and beating it with a hammer. But it gets up and shoves him into a freezer, holding him down as On-jo tries to hit it in order to get the zombie off.

Nam-ra fights without a weapon, not needing it with how naturally (though she's not sure that's the right word at all) strong she is.

Ha-ri pulls a zombie off of Mi-jin, hitting it over the head and giving her girlfriend the opportunity to stab it through the brain.

Nam-ra snaps a zombies neck like it's nothing. It probably is nothing to her, at least strength-wise...

The zombie that was attacking Woo-jin turns on On-jo, and so he pulls it back and holds it down, hitting its head as another turns its sights on the girl. She runs back and uses a set of bars to keep it away from her as Hyo-ryung of all people attacks it, finally facing her fear. When On-jo kicks the zombie back, it's too stuck to get up.

Dae-su overpowers his zombie enough to kick it off, only for another to take its place.

Su-hyeok is still on his feet, but it's not long before a zombie knocks him over. A sign is thrown at it. Nam-ra is relieved to see herself running to his aid. On the couch, Su-hyeok presses a kiss to her head. But as she kills a zombie with a swift shovel to the neck, she finds the horror in her chest growing more and more, seeing what she's become.

It's fine... They're all killing zombies. They need to in order to survive. Dae-su also gets a particularly gory kill, bashing its head in and sending blood flying. A boy like him would've never done something like that in regular circumstances.

Ha-ri lays on the ground, kicking a zombie away from her, Mi-jin killing it as she gets up. But then Woo-jin's eyes widen, "Ha-ri!", and he runs in between his sister and a zombie, all three falling to the ground.

"Woo-jin!" Joon-yeong shrieks, jolting to sit upright as the zombie sinks his teeth into his boyfriend's jugular.

Nam-ra cups a hand over mouth at the pain in his scream as he hangs above his sister, a barrier blocking her from the zombie. The neck is such a sensitive spot. She thinks that even if it wasn't for the virus, Woo-jin wouldn't be able to survive the attack.

Ha-ri lets out a terrible, chilling scream. She wastes no time bolting from her seat to her brother, wrapping her arms around him and all but falling into the returned embrace. Still, Joon-yeong attaches himself to his boyfriend's side and refuses to let go, even as a sobbing Dae-su does so to make room for the girl. It's as if he's trying to burrow into Woo-jin's body. Tears flow down his face as he shakes his head. He seems to try to take a deep breath but just turns into a wail.

Su-hyeok's arm around her waist tightens, holding her to him as Mi-jin and Dae-su run to help them, but it's too late. Ha-ri mumbles for it to get off of him, then- "FUCK!!!"

Her cries and sobs become increasingly desperate, as the agony never leaves Woo-jin's expression. Blood drips onto her face, in her mouth, but not on her cuts, never on her cuts-

"Make it stop," Joon-yeong weeps, Nam-ra's heart breaking for him. "Make it STOP!"

"Joon-yeong-" Woo-jin starts.

Mi-jin and Dae-su get the zombie off, killing it, the siblings collapsing on the ground. Woo-jin clutches the bite. Everyone gathers around him, his sister and best friend rushing to his side.

"No, no, no-" Ha-ri whimpers. "You're fine. You'll be fine." She pulls away and cups his face in her hands, tears building up in her eyes. She closes them but they spill over. "Please don't do this."

And in his final moments, Woo-jin asks his sister about the Nationals Team of all things. He reveals he saw through her lie, even without seeing the scene in the beginning. He scolds her again, though technically for the first time, for coming to the school instead of fleeing.

They watch in somber silence, save for a few quiet sobs that never stop coming, as he asks her not to stop doing archery.

"Don't give up. Okay?"

Okay...

It's clear in his voice and on his face that he's struggling to hold on.

His head snaps back, his body straining with a loud crack. Hyo-ryung gasps.

Mi-jin raises her makeshift spear but Ha-ri leans over him protectively, shaking her head.

"No. No. Not Woo-jin, please."

His eyes roll into the back of his head. Dae-su cries out in grief.

Mi-jin can't deny her when she's so clearly devastated, and she doesn't kill him. But wait, what will happen when he turns? Who will protect them from him if no one's willing to?

As pointless as it may be, Nam-ra once again tries to will someone into being like her. Into sparing those he loves the heartbreak and allowing him to keep on living his life, even if irreparably changed.

Woo-jin's body convulses. Su-hyeok shakes his head, eyes rife with emotion. He rolls to his side. On-jo shudders as she silently cries into a mournful Cheong-san's shoulder. He gets on his hands and knees, crawling back, and slowly getting to his feet, bent over.

The horror of this scene and the threatening music is almost completely overshadowed by Joon-yeong's hysterical sobs, not stopping even as Ha-ri turns to a stunned sadness, tears still falling from her eyes.

The zombie version of Woo-jin slowly turns to look at his sister. She doesn't get up, or even look afraid, she's just sad.

"I'm sorry."

He growls and lunges for her.

"Stop it," Ha-ri desperately begs.

But before he can kill her, he's yanked back, and before Nam-ra can process what's happening, she's snapping his neck, letting him fall to the ground.

Nam-ra blinks. She- she killed him.

This breaks Joon-yeong, with him letting out a wounded scream. Woo-jin has to turn from his sister and grab the back of his head, pulling him even closer somehow and soothing him almost like how you would soothe a child. Ha-ri still doesn't let him go though, stifling his movements as he tries to rock his boyfriend in his arms.

When Su-hyeok catches up with the rest of them, they're all standing in quiet devastation at another loss. His eyes widen as he sees his friend dead, and Nam-ra remembers that he considered all the kids in their group to be friends even before all this, and thinks about how hurt he must be after losing so many. Dae-su cries on his shoulder, devastated by his best friend's death.

They're forced to see another shot of his body as it lays on the ground, his eyes open and unseeing. Nam-ra did that... at least she finished it. And she did it to save the rest but that doesn't take away from the tragedy of what she had to do. Jang Woo-jin heaves out one last time and that's it.

Nam-ra warns of more coming their way. Her voice is normal as she says it, though she's always kept her tone at a certain level no matter the situation. Though Su-hyeok's voice is deep and sad as he seems to force himself to agree with her.

She doesn't cry like she did with Gyeong-su or Cheong-san. Why isn't she crying? Nam-ra is crying in real life, but not in the show. Why not?

Ha-ri picks up a shovel, walking towards where the zombies are. Mi-jin tries to stop her but she doesn't stop.

"Ha-ri-" Woo-jin tries.

"No!"

Nam-ra has to stop her, grabbing her arm and taking the shovel to throw away. Ha-ri pushes her. And Nam-ra sees the blame when she looks at her. Like she's a monster.

No. You fear monsters, especially when they don't know what they're doing, when it's only nature for them to hurt. It's humans that should know better. Humans that have to choose to hurt.

So, if they all hate her, it will be a human sort of hate.

And suddenly, Nam-ra remembers why she spent her life avoiding other people.

"Don't die for no reason."

Looking at Ha-ri's face as she desperately tries to keep composure, Nam-ra thinks of something On-jo said last episode. When someone sacrifices themselves for you, you lose the resolve to live but you have to live, for them, because then their death is meaningless.

But that's not what she thinks about in the show.

She hones in on the scratch on her forehead, Woo-jin's blood next to her mouth.

"Nam-ra..." Woo-jin says warily, making eye contact with her from over top of Joon-yeong's head as it's buried in the crook of his neck. His eyes are wide with fear, probably from his death scene, but he looks like he's pleading with her not to-

Not to kill his sister.

Such an act would be so vile and hedonistic it's almost ridiculous that he would think that of her. Of course, she wouldn't hurt someone like that.

And yet her show self, her hambie self, has to turn away to stop her hunger, repeating that they need to leave. That's when Mi-jin cuts in.

"I know I've killed a lot of zombies myself, but a human being would apologize for killing her brother right in front of her."

She is sorry. She is. She's really, really sorry. It's just that the Nam-ra in the show couldn't focus on that, because she was so preoccupied with her hunger. Her hunger for flesh. Her hunger for her friends.

Mi-jin grabs her girlfriend and pulls her away. Nam-ra has to admit that it's for the best. A still-crying Dae-su follows them. Su-hyeok grabs her hand to get her to follow and she does, sparing one last look to the boy she killed, the boy who was always nice to her, the boy who accepted her easily, as she trails behind the rest.

The shot lingers on the empty street after they've left, now ravaged with bodies. It's wrong that they have to leave him there. It's wrong that this is how it ends for this boy. It's wrong that this is the last they'll see of him in this show.

When the scene changes, the show pauses.

Everyone stares at the group huddled together on the couch. Neither Ha-ri or Joon-yeong look like they're willing to let him go any time soon, and so Dae-su simply sits as closely as possible. Nam-ra sees that he's holding hands with Hyo-ryung.

Something flashes in Ha-ri's eyes. Something angry.

All too quickly, she rips away from her brother. Woo-jin's eyes widen at the sudden loss, head turning from Joon-yeong to Ha-ri and back as he seems to question what to do. But there's no hesitation in his sister's movement as she grabs her bow from its place on the floor by her old seat and then turns to go behind the couches.

"Hey!" Commander Jin shouts as they all realize what she's doing.

Su-hyeok rests his hand on Nam-ra's shoulder as he and Cheong-san both stand up, but they both share a look as if unsure how to continue.

"Fuck," Woo-jin groans, forcing his boyfriend's limbs to dislodge from him. He looks physically pained as Joon-yeong desperately shakes his head, trying to his best to hold on but Woo-jin is stronger. "I'm sorry."

Ha-ri strides over to Mr. Lee and punches him in the face. Nam-ra winces at the loud sound of her fist hitting his jaw.

"Young lady!"

"Why does she get to hit him?" Ji-min asks.

"I'm sorry." Woo-jin sends Joon-yeong one last mournful look before running after his sister.

In the absence of his boyfriend, Joon-yeong is left to curl into himself, face half turned into the cushions. He closes his eyes and sobs into it.

And they've been dating for a very long time, so Nam-ra can only imagine the weight of grief that must be shared between them. Though she's liked Su-hyeok for awhile, she's only been dating him a few hours, and she can't imagine the pain of having to see him like that. The pain they're in must be so strong, so crushing.

Ha-ri takes a few steps back, pulling her bow into position and taking out an arrow.

"Ha-ri!" Woo-jin scolds, coming up behind her.

"I'll kill you! This is your fault!" Ha-ri shouts pointing her arrow at Mr. Lee. Then quieter, losing some resolve, she repeats in a soft voice, "I'll kill you." She seems to calm down a bit, lowering her weapon.

She falls to her knees, letting go of her bow as she does. Woo-jin kneels down beside her and wraps his arms around her as she cries.

And they just stay like that.

Cheong-san takes a tentative step forward. Woo-jin sees and shakes his head. The cue is clear to leave the siblings to their grief.

Su-hyeok sits back down next to her, tenderly wiping a tear off her cheek. He leans in and whispers, "It wasn't your fault."

How does he know? How does he always know?

"I killed your friend," she reminds him.

He doesn't flinch or falter, though his eyes fill with sadness. Voice unwavering, he says, "A zombie did that to him. You just stopped him from hurting anyone." Nam-ra keeps her head bowed, he puts a firm hand on her shoulder. "He wouldn't have wanted to do that."

The logic is sound and so she nods. He smiles at her, brighter than the sun and it's for her. Brighter than Nam-ra ever imagined she would have.

Eventually, Woo-jin stands, helping his sister up. He walks with her, his arm wrapped around her.

As they pass Nam-ra and Su-hyeok, his eyes meet hers again for just a second. His speed slows but he doesn't stop, and quickly looks away. But for that second, all his hopelessness was front and center. No anger or blame for what that was worth, just hopelessness.

Commander Jin stands up, clearing his throat. Woo-jin rolls his eyes and doesn't stop walking, calling out in an irritated voice, "We get it! It's gotten old!" The man considers this for a second then sits back down.

He gestures for his sister to sit between Dae-su and Joon-yeong, the spot he's held throughout all twelve episodes, barring the time he stayed with Ha-ri.

After she does, Dae-su stands, pulling Woo-jin into a bear hug, his face still wet with tears. It's so tight it looks bone crushing, and based on the flash of pain on his face, it probably is. And though Nam-ra's never had a best friend before, she imagines it would hurt a great deal to lose someone whose love for you is neither familial or romantic and yet they're one of the closest people in your lives.

Hyo-ryung holds his hand as it hangs uselessly in Dae-su's grasp, though his other hand does come up to pat his friend on the back in sympathy. After a moment, she stands and joins on Woo-jin's other side, turning it into a group hug.

All the while, Min-jae is sobbing with all his heart and soul, being consoled by both Joon-seong and Mi-jin, the latter of which stares at her girlfriend as if she desperately wants to comfort her but either decides she's better off with her brother or doesn't know how to do it.

Nam-ra watches all this, her head resting on Su-hyeok's shoulder, as she thinks over what she had done and if she understands the gravity of what had happened.

It seems like a silly question. If Nam-ra undersands it in this moment, then she should know it in the show. But...

But she's not sure she knows who that version of her is anymore.

"Please let that be it," she hears On-jo whisper, though it doesn't seem to directed at anyone. "Please let that be the last of it. Please."

When the group hug breaks, and Dae-su and Hyo-ryung go back to their seats. Woo-jin goes to sit between Ha-ri and Joon-yeong. After a second, he wraps his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder.

Joon-yeong stays completely still, not responding to the touch, even as Woo-jin pulls him closer. Nam-ra is momentarily afraid of a repeat of what happened when Joon-yeong died. She's read enough literature to know that grief is a powerful force but it was so sad to see such a strong couple be pulled apart, even if only for a little bit.

But then Joon-yeong leans in and rests his head on Woo-jin's chest, closing his eyes. Nam-ra smiles at the sight. They'll be fine.

"Don't leave me again?" she hears him murmur.

"No." The word is soft. Woo-jin looks down his boyfriend lovingly before loudly addressing the rest of the room. "Hey. Ready to keep going?"

Nods come from all around the room, Su-hyeok included. But Nam-ra stays still because...

She's not sure she is ready.

They run down the road as quickly as they can, but they're all out of breath, except for Nam-ra, though she's behind them all.

'Eat them.'

Oh no. Not this again.

Her thoughts persist as she starts to give in, running up behind Dae-su, Su-hyeok, and On-jo as she asks herself if it would be so wrong to kill them when she's starving.

A kiss on her cheek. "It's not you."

But she stops herself. Thankfully, she stops herself.

'I'm hungry.'

Finally, she turns around and cries against a wall. But she's in so much distress that she bashes her head against the stone, Su-hyeok gasping at every hit, and bites her arm again.

"It's okay," he whispers in her ear, looking at her with so much sweet concern.

Tears prickle in her eyes as she takes in the other expressions of those around her. Some, like On-jo and I-sak are worried for her, and she appreciates that. But Mom stares at her with such devastation that Nam-ra can't bear it. Others, like Woo-jin, are fearful, of course he is, after what happened. But then there's Ha-ri, side-eying her with no remorse, angry, bitter.

But no one is so afraid that one would think she's a true monster.

Is she... a... a monster? Does she care about what she did to Woo-jin? Will she care if she hurts anyone else?

Her hand drops, revealing the self-inflicted bite mark. To have given that to a classmate would have been to kill them, turn them, and though she wouldn't have wanted to, it would just be a matter of giving into nature.

And that would make her a human and a monster.

She slides down the wall. Su-hyeok eventually notices that she's gone and goes back to find her. Of course it's him. On-jo follows his lead, and Dae-su tries to limp after them. The former two roam through the corpse-ridden streets trying to find her. And when they do, she's feeding on a dead body.

She gulps at sound of squishing flesh as others shout out their shock.

Nam-ra drops the body when On-jo calls to her, questioning, ignoring her warnings

Her entire life, people have looked at her coldly. Like she was one thing and they were another. She did not belong. She was not a part of anything. And then, suddenly they looked at her with warmth. They developed a kinship with her. They were allies. They even started to like her. But of course it wouldn't last. Of course she'd become a monster just as things started to change.

But then suddenly none of that matters and she doesn't care how they look at her because then Nam-ra screams, runs, and tackles On-jo to the ground.

"No!" Nam-ra exclaims, fear gripping her heart at the thought of hurting her. Of hurting someone who made some of the most strides in befriending her.

"On-jo!" her father cries. Cheong-san holds on tight to her.

They struggle, On-jo holding her back from biting her, but Nam-ra is animalistic in her pursuit to feed. Su-hyeok can't pull her off, and can't get through to her no matter how hard he begs, so he picks up the shovel. But he can't do it. He can't hurt her even though he should.

"Do it," she pleads, desperate to be stopped, desperate for this all to end already.

He's crying, she hates that he's crying because of her.

Nam-ra doesn't do it. She puts her face to her neck she stops, yelling out in frustration. And as she heaves with blood all over her face, she thinks that she truly is a monster.

"You can bite me. It's okay."

"What!? No!" Captain Nam shouts at her, but for the most part the audience is dead silent, watching events unfold.

How... How did she end up with people in her life who are so caring? And how did it all manage to go so wrong? How did she end up hurting a boy who never hated her? And then one of the first and best friends she's ever had?

Her cries... Nam-ra's never heard herself make such noises. Not once in all the years she spent desperate to scream out all her loneliness, her stress, her sadness until she was completely hallow did she ever sound like that.

She leaves On-jo, letting her go and walking away. That's when she can breathe a sigh of relief. Su-hyeok goes to check up on her, she's shaken but there's no blood or any other wounds. When they're attention returns to her, she's already leaving through the fog. It doesn't escape Nam-ra that she doesn't look back at them or at Woo-jin's corpse or at any of the carnage as she goes.

It's better this way. She shouldn't be around them. She's too dangerous.

Still, they follow her. But as she stumbles through alleys to get away from them, they don't know where to look. So, she loses them, crying all the way.

"Nam-ra-" Su-hyeok whispers at her, so hurt by the loss of her.

She shakes her head. "I... I couldn't stay. You saw me."

"Don't say that," On-jo says immediately. Sounding so sure of herself, she adds "We would've found a way. We would've." Why does she always have to contradict her?

Nam-ra takes a shaky breath and turns back to the screen.

Finally, finally, finally, they make it to safety, coming across the military as they walk down a set of train tracks.

Just like in Train To Busan.

But it's not joy or euphoria they're feeling. Because all they can think about is those that couldn't make it.

Mi-jin thinks of Joon-seong as he sacrificed himself. The flashback makes the girl in question gasp and turn her head, screwing her eyes shut.

Hyo-ryung and Dae-su think of Joon-yeong in his final moments. The two in question share a sad look as Woo-jin holds his boyfriend tighter.

On-jo thinks of the loss of her father. The man in question gives his daughter a mournful look.

Ha-ri thinks of her brother, of the death they just witnessed about ten minutes ago, and it's likely because of that rawness that Joon-yeong cries out and Ha-ri starts to sob again.

And Su-hyeok thinks of Cheong-san. Of his closest friend and the heroic way he ended his life. The two boys nod at one another, Cheong-san sending him a small smile and kissing On-jo's forehead.

It's over. They're safe. But it's anything but joyous.

The survivors walk through the hallway carrying bins of necessities. On-jo passes U-sin's cell and they stop to talk, but it's not a happy reunion for the conversation quickly turns to Captain Nam.

"I already knew the sorrow of being a survivor. But I didn't know just how heavy that sorrow would be."

The survivors are questioned about Mr. Lee. Ha-ri doesn't know anything, Mi-jin simply wishes to go to college, Hyo-ryung cries and says nothing (and Nam-ra thinks of the past few episodes where she would comfort the other girl in a crisis), Dae-su offers information about Hyeon-ju, and Su-hyeok-

"They would have survived," Su-hyeok shakes his head. Nam-ra squeezes his hand. "Ji-min, Joon-yeong, Cheong-san, Woo-jin." The named people all flinch, Ji-min looking downcast in shame, the boys gripping each other tighter, and On-jo resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "They would've been fine if he had just let them save us on that rooftop. They're dead because we were abandoned."

He turns to look Nam-ra in the eye, and she thinks she might fall in love with him. Maybe, if they're given the chance. She wonders how someone so kind and adoring could be so beaten down. She'll love him happy or sad, but he's always been so strong and finally the mass of their trauma is weighing down on him.

On-jo says it best.

"No. I won't ask adults for anything... ever again in my life. So please, don't ask for my cooperation."

Ribbons cover a fence top to bottom with sorrowful and loving words. A woman strokes a little girl's hair before wiping away tears.

'I'll let you go now.'

The scientists clean up Eun-ji's now empty cell, and Nam-ra spares a thought to wonder where she went, but all too soon it shifts into a meeting area, indicating the time jump.

Strange, how sometimes time feels as though each moment never ends and other times it just... passes by.

As politics are being settled, the important thing is that Martial Law is being lifted.

Ha-ri and Mi-jin are the first to leave their cells with their things, as quarantine has not been ended but likely eased. It is nice to see them in different clothes. They're followed by On-jo, then Dae-su and Hyo-ryung (given the time jump, they've probably started dating, this group is remarkably good at admitting romantic feelings, Cheong-san and On-jo notwithstanding), and finally Su-hyeok. He looks good, if... sad.

Mom walks behind him, looking less proper and more of a civilian. She wonders if they know how much the other means to her. Orangibberish bumps into Jae-ik, as strange as it is that he survived, and both Ho-cheol and U-sin walk behind them. Dal-ho is further in the back.

It seems far fetched to think that all these people from separate storylines would bump into one another, and yet it only goes to show how few survivors were out there.

On-jo walks outside, looking out at all the tents and people. Later on, after it gets dark out, she walks behind a building, pulls out a hidden rope and uses it to climb over the wall.

"That's illegal," Commander Jin reminds her.

On-jo shrugs. "So are a lot of things."

Nam-ra sits up, wanting to know what she's doing out there. But then she comes across a tree with ribbons tied to it. Across from it, there's a pile of what looks to be snacks.

Oh.

A memorial just for them. For their loved ones.

I-sak, I miss you

Nam-ra, come back

Cheong-san, I love you

"Oh," I-sak coos.

Nam-ra smiles, her heart growing with affection at her inclusion. She realizes On-jo and the rest really do care about her, and she forgives her for the attack.

"Hey, when you say 'love'," Cheong-san teases.

"Ah! Shut up!" she laughs, smiling more than she has the entire episode.

On-jo places snacks on the base of the tree, and then takes out his name tag, saying that she misses him. This doesn't erase their smiles, but they grow sad as On-jo pulls him into another hug.

She begins to walk back the path she came from but then she stops and turns around. She looks out at where there school is, a far distance away, and sees a small fire.

Hmm...

Mi-jin is wearing a sign, petitioning for seniors to get free admissions. She does get some sympathy for it.

"God, you're unbelievable," Ha-ri says, the closest thing to alright she's been since her brother died. Mi-jin beams at her.

Nam-ra hides a grin. They might have started dating shortly after meeting, but it's clear that the bond between them is growing strong.

On-jo searches through tents until she finds Su-hyeok, who smiles beautifully when he sees her. Through their dialogue, Nam-ra gets the impression that none of the remaining members of their group have remained very close, though the couples are probably the main exception. And that saddens her, because at school the friends always seemed so tight knit. She would've thought that the shared trauma would've brought them all closer together.

She wanted to believe...

On-jo tells Su-hyeok what she saw. The fire on the roof. The campfire Nam-ra so desperately wants to experience firsthand. She's going there tonight and he wants to go with her. Excitement builds up at the thought of making things right with them as it had ended so wrong. As On-jo leaves, Su-hyeok apologizes for freezing when Nam-ra almost bit her. Her chest clenches at the reminder.

"Your choice that day saved us all."

Really?

Well, not all. Woo-jin is still dead and so is Cheong-san and the rest of them. But if Nam-ra, On-jo, and Su-hyeok all made it then it must have been the right decision.

She tells him not to tell anyone and he nods. That night, she goes to the place from before and finds everyone waiting for her.

Essentially, Su-hyeok told Dae-su, who told Ha-ri, who told Mi-jin, who isn't getting special admissions into college.

"Bullshit!" she complains. "I go through all that trouble to not die and this is my congratulations." She crosses her arms. "And I probably told Hyo-ryung." She nods at the girl. "We're gonna be good friends, I can tell." Hyo-ryung grins.

"You're not the only one who was hurt. We were all hurt too. Being alone doesn't make it hurt less."

Thinking of how she probably means Woo-jin sends a knife through Nam-ra's heart, but her heart has already been hardened enough to withstand it. Still, this is what she wanted. All the survivors together, a support system, a friend group.

On-jo questions if Hyo-ryung is sure. She is.

So, they all walk to the memorial, placing down snacks and messages about how missed they are. Dae-su puts the candy wrapper from the supply closet for Joon-yeong, explaining that he couldn't throw it away, promising to bring a box next time.

"I will!" Dae-su says. "I'll bring you all the boxes in the world." He reaches over past Ha-ri and Woo-jin, Joon-yeong stretching out his arm to grab hands.

Ha-ri points out the light in the distance, Hyo-ryung adding that it does look like their school.

The insides of the construction building are burnt to a crisp, the rest gawking at the mess left behind. She knows On-jo wants Cheong-san to come out, and Nam-ra wishes that he would but knows the odds of becoming a hambie are slim and surviving a fire of that magnitude even as a hambie seems unlikely as well. At least Su-hyeok is there to support her.

Then there's the actual school, marked a safe zone. All their destroyed classrooms and everything in between.

Nam-ra remembers the first time she walked through that school, her mother going on about how it would be the next step towards her future while she just felt like it was the next stage of prison. But she didn't say that. She never said or did anything unsuitable for Choi Nam-ra.

She drowned in those scorched halls. But only when the flame was lit did she breathe again.

There's something surreal about seeing her classmates walk through the halls they hid from then ran through, once overrun by zombies. The same halls they walked through everyday to get to classes. Now they come across charred bodies.

Su-hyeok asks if On-jo really believes they'll see her again and she does. So they walk onto the roof. It's snowing. There's a fire.

The rest of the kids speculate that it could maybe be other students like them, or maybe a YouTuber like Orrangibberish. But On-jo knows. And so does Nam-ra.

That fire is her friendships.

"I don't know for sure. But I think I do."

And so she walks onto the scene, the group looking in awe. Su-hyeok is especially stunned to see her.

She walks into the light, smiling wide, so happy. They still call her class president.

Su-hyeok seems like he's frozen but asks how she's been. She looks at Ha-ri, Dae-su and Hyo-ryung (definitely a couple now), and she says she's missed them.

Nam-ra apologizes for not coming sooner. On-jo wants her to come with them, she cares so much about her, but she says she has other things to do.

Well, she always did keep busy.

"There are some others like me."

More hambies.

Nam-ra is the class president. She's not a robot. She's not a snob.

But if there's anything Nam-ra is not, it's alone.

On-jo makes that clear, sticking up for her and telling her again not to think of herself as a zombie. Her heart warms at the words.

"You know how we're not really kids, but also not quite adults yet, either?"

That's what binds them together. They're not this but they're also not that. They're something in between. They aren't naive, but they haven't lost a certain spark in them. And yet they know something children haven't learned yet and that adults have forgotten.

It's similar with being half-zombie. She can do things no human can do, she's lost the ability to do some things can do, but her heart, her fears, her emotions, they're all the same.

She thinks of Mr. Lee, tirelessly searching for a hopeless cure to save his family. Ms. Park, giving up her life to save a student who didn't deserve it. The bullies, deriving joy from the pain of others. Eun-ji, getting drunk off the power that once alluded her. Mom, and all her politics. Captain Nam, trying to save his daughter. And her friends, loving one another despite the pain of losing, and still they love. They hope.

Humanity is such a boundless thing. What's to say a hambie can't be just as human as anyone else?

On-jo begs her to stay. She takes her hand and promises it will be okay. She doesn't want to lose anyone else.

"We're friends even if we're apart."

Yes. So even though death keeps them from Woo-jin, and Cheong-san, and Joon-yeong, and everyone else they lost along the way, a part of them will always remain, even though they can't see them.

She looks at Su-hyeok and he agrees that they'll always be friends.

That's good enough.

Nam-ra, in real life, leans her forehead onto her boyfriend's neck and breathes.

That's when she notes that other hambies are coming. She smiles at On-jo. "See you, okay?"

With that, Nam-ra jumps over the side of the roof. Dae-su's eyes bulge. "What the fuck?"

They all look over in disbelief and unease, the camera moving from each of her remaining classmates.

And then it cuts to dark.

"OH, THANK FUCK IT'S OVER!!!" Ji-min bellows out, leaning back in her seat as if out of energy completely.

"We survived!" I-sak cheers, throwing her arms around Gyeong-su. Her smile falters. "I mean, we didn't. We literally didn't. We were actually the first to not survive. But you know what I mean." She squeals, shaking her boyfriend excitedly.

Dae-su whistles, before pointing at various friends, repeating, "Nap? Nap? Nap?"

Su-hyeok rests his face against hers. "You good?"

Nam-ra revels in the touch, finally at peace. "Yeah... I'm happy."

Chapter Text

Assemblywoman Park's POV

She's been given incentives to rethink everything. How she's raised her daughter, how much she's done as a politician, how she acts towards the people around her.

Now that the show is finished, she'll have to make adjustments to some of her strategies. That way she can prioritize people more than she has in the past. Eun-hee's not exactly sure how she'll explain all this to her team, or what she'll say instead. It would be so much easier if they had been taken with them. In fact... why wasn't Dal-ho at the least taken? There are people of less significance who were, and he had a fair share of speaking roles.

But all of that has to take a backseat for the time being. Her daughter needs her now and that's what's most important.

"Did you... have to go?" Su-hyeok asks, his voice soft and somber. The three of them sit in the room where they had all had lunch in, conversing at one of the tables.

"I... I did," Nam-ra responds. "I was changing too much. I didn't want to hurt anyone else."

"You did what was necessary for an impossible situation," Eun-hee assured her. There really was no blaming her and she would hope the others involved would see the same logic.

Then again, love is the death of logic.

A part of her was in denial over her daughter's transformation, simply refusing to acknowledge the strength and pain she was in. It's horrible to say but-

Well, isn't what Eun-hee's parents would have done in that situation? It's what they did during her divorce, and she preferred it to the burning disappointment.

"Woo-jin was never cruel," Nam-ra continues. "I'm sorry I had to stop him. And we all saw that my cravings were a liability. I couldn't even apologize to his sister; I was too busy trying not to bite her."

Eun-hee sighed at the reminder of the last great tragedy this show put them through. She had hoped that the sister would have been rewarded for her bravery by her brother's survival. They deserved it to say the least.

There was no sense of solidarity between Eun-hee and her siblings. She doubts that if all this had happened when they were teenagers, they would have bothered to worry about her when they had to worry about themselves. And that was acceptable in her eyes. They were their own people with their own goals and sometimes their goals simply put them at odds with one another, so they competed. For grades, for affection, for reputation. Even now, when she goes years at a time without any meaningful communication, she thought that was how it went.

How many things did Eun-hee accept as normal that she shouldn't have? How much of it did she let affect her daughter? After all, when Nam-ra was born she was so shocked by how much she loved her that she rejected the thought of her having siblings to spare her the rivalry.

(And the rejection.)

She thought she was teaching her daughter to be strong all on her own. But really, she just made her feel alone.

"We would have found a way around it," Su-hyeok promises Nam-ra.

"I don't know if that would've been possible. I kept coming close to losing control. Too many close calls. If I didn't go than it was only a matter of time before I hurt somebody without reason."

She listens to her daughter's words and understands them as much as she doesn't like them. "I just hate to think about you out there all alone, or with people I don't know or trust yet."

How did she feel in that timeline? To not get to reunite with her daughter? She'd likely think Nam-ra dead if none of her classmates came forward with some excuse of some sort.

"It's alright," Nam-ra smiles. "I don't love that we had to be apart. But... we found a way back to each other. And even when we're all torn apart by circumstances we had no say over, we all had each other at one point or another. I think that makes it worth it. Do you?"

"I do."

Eun-hee does too.

XXX

Ha-ri's POV

She was raised with certain pressures. She was the oldest. She had to set an example. She had to be good enough and never let anything get the better of her. If she did than she wouldn't be a very good big sister now would she?

She didn't account for him being as stubborn as her at the end of the day. They're so different, but they have something in common. They'd both die for each other. He did. He did die for her.

She wishes he didn't. She wishes he would have cared more about his own life than hers. Maybe that makes her a hypocrite but she is the older one. She should have protected him. But she couldn't in the end.

Ha-ri won't cry. Not like she did in the moment. She puts all her grief, all her sadness in a locked room in her heart the way she taught him to do. She doesn't know when or how but somewhere along the line she taught him to push all his negative emotions to the side. It's not like him to have done that on his own, he learned that from her. Otherwise, they might be more alike than they thought. She'll unlock that door when she's alone.

"Do you two wanna talk alone?" Mi-jin asks Joon-yeong and Woo-jin, glancing at Ha-ri with an unsaid, 'If that's okay with you', that she's too disrespectful to voice. She wouldn't be Park Mi-jin if she was respectful.

Ha-ri nods. She doesn't want to stand in the way of Woo-jin getting a boyfriend. So, that she can make fun him as he's made fun of her.

Plus, it would make him happy.

They walk off, Joon-yeong's hand gripping her brother's arm tightly. She lets go of his hand and lets him go. All the while pretending not to notice Mi-jin winking at Joon-yeong as they pass.

It's just hard to let him go knowing she would've had to leave him there on that road and never see him ever again. She wonders about her parents, probably dead given the shortage on survivors, but if they were alive, then what would she tell them? That her brother sacrificed himself for her? Would they blame her for not protecting their son? As she blames herself?

Mom and Dad do love them, but they have their flaws, she sees that now. Ha-ri wanted to succeed in archery because she loves it but also because of the amount of support she was given. But it was more than that. It wasn't just support, it was pressure. She had to succeed for her family. Her family, who would be so disappointed in her if she failed.

And then there's Woo-jin, who never had any pressure to succeed but no support either. At least not from them. She accepts it now, that he felt invisible in his own home. He had more free time, but only because no one took the time to know about his life.

But no matter what happens with their parents, they should have each other.

"I'm really fucking sorry, Ha-ri," Mi-jin says.

Ha-ri says nothing in response, instead pulling the other girl into a hug, surprising them both. After a moment of stiffness, their bodies relax into one another. She presses her head against the other girl and sniffles only once, still not ready to unleash the overwhelming grief at the knowledge that she would have lost her brother forever. Go on each day without him. But as Mi-jin hugs her back, she can't but feel her heart lurch.

"Hey," Mi-jin offers. "At least your brother's not actually dead. Like... in real life. Still sucks that they had to go in the show, but it's something."

Ha-ri nods against the other girl's head.

"Yeah," she continues. "Those boys are still here to drive the two of us fucking insane."

XXX

Joon-yeong's POV

They hide when it's all over. They don't bother with the lunch room or the bathrooms, instead finding solace behind Class 2-5's couch, sitting side by side, Joon-yeong's head on Woo-jin's shoulder.

He pulls away. His fingertips ghost over the other boy's neck. It was as it should be. Not too pale or too red. Not even a bruise on it. Certainly not a bite. As if Joon-yeong didn't see a zombie bite into it. Didn't see it snap. To be fair, there probably wouldn't be any markings if it did snap, but still, he has to check. Woo-jin looks at him with pained eyes, so different from the lifeless ones he had when they left him on that road.

It hurt to see him like that. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt him before. It hurt to see him with a zombie biting into his neck, on his back as he said his final words to his sister, convulsing around as he turned, as a zombie, and then dead. Undeniably dead.

It was like all the light was sucked out of the world, and the only thing left to keep him going was Woo-jin himself.

How do you keep going? After all that? When Woo-jin doesn't get to keep going?

Joon-yeong is not stupid, and he isn't unreasonable. It wasn't Nam-ra's fault that he was bitten, and he understands that Woo-jin was gone the moment he turned. But that still doesn't erase the memory of her holding back the boy he adores so much and snapping his neck without a second of hesitation.

Woo-jin was the gone the moment he turned. Gone. Gone. Gone.

The thought brings back the icy chill that he struggled to warm throughout the rest of the final episode.

It's not right. He never wants to think of Woo-jin as being so irreversibly gone. To think he'll never smile or hope or laugh or be again. To think that from then on, Woo-jin would not be on the earth to make it a better place. And the world is a better place when he's on it.

Joon-yeong doesn't think he could stop adoring Woo-jin if he tried. And he has tried.

Joon-yeong still doesn't regret his sacrifice. He's glad that Dae-su, On-jo, Su-hyeok, Hyo-ryung, Ha-ri, and Mi-jin made it to the survivor's camp.

(But maybe if he was there, he could have saved him.)

"I adore you."

"Oh." Woo-jin smiles. He's made him happy. "I didn't know that."

But that only makes him start crying again because he has to know how much Joon-yeong cares for him. He always has to know. And even if he spends the rest of his life reminding him, showing him, he'll make sure he knows.

"Hey," Woo-jin implores, looking so concerned for him that he thinks he'll combust. He will combust. He's going to explode- "We're gonna be okay."

He doesn't think. He doesn't talk himself out of it or reason with himself. He doesn't know what he's doing when he throws his arms around Woo-jin's shoulders.

All he knows is that they're kissing. It's desperate because of course it is. Because Woo-jin was gone except he's here and Joon-yeong needs all of him. And his heart bursts in his chest. Lips press back just as hungrily. They're alive, they're here, and nothing will tear them apart.

Woo-jin rips away and Joon-yeong is brought back to earth, panting softly. He looks at him with wide, surprised, confused eyes that stare as if trying to figure out what it is they're doing.

Joon-yeong's heart drops and he wonders how he could be so stupid. He's about to apologize, to do whatever he can to salvage their friendship any way he can when Woo-jin leans to bring their lips together again.

Clarity only makes things even better. Because as his tongue pushes into the other boy's mouth, he knows that what he's doing is reciprocated. He doesn't know if Woo-jin knew he wanted this before but it's okay. They'll talk through it later on. They'll have time to talk about this sort of thing.

But for now, there's no talking, no thinking, just kissing.

XXX

Gyeong-su's POV

I-sak gasps, loudly and overdramatically, grabbing Gyeong-su's hands and looking around. No one else seems to notice. She nudges her head towards the couch.

"Oh," he says in surprise at the boys hidden behind it. It's not hard to tell that they're kissing, but only if you really look. It's because they're behind the couch but the couch is positioned a certain way in front of the wooden chairs. In the corner of his eye, he sees Na-yeon staring at them with a confused look on her face, her eyes flickering to other parts of the room and then back to the boys like she doesn't know if she should be seeing this or not. Which he guesses is a pretty tame reaction considering who it's coming from.

"I'm always right," I-sak says happily.

"Yeah," Gyeong-su can only nod incredulously. "I- I guess it's true. You're always right."

"I know... Also Dae-su and Hyo-ryung are on the list now."

"What!?"

Uh... Wait a minute...

Um, I-sak takes his hand in hers, resting her chin on his shoulder and he smiles.

Sometime later, they're actually sitting with Dae-su and Hyo-ryung. The former is still visibly upset, his face red and blotchy, but at least he's stopped crying. And, well, technically he's not sitting but laying on the couch cushions, his knees curled up to his chest like a big baby.

"Is he actually napping?" Gyeong-su whispers to Hyo-ryung.

"He's trying his best," she whispers back.

"It would be easier if you people wouldn't talk like I'm not here," Dae-su snaps, his eyes screwed shut.

"Sorry," they both murmur in response.

"Damn it," he grunts, moving to sit up. "I'm never gonna nap like this. Maybe when we get home. And I'm in my own bed. And no one's around. And I can put on my ocean noises."

"You sleep with ocean noises?" Hyo-ryung asks.

"You don't?" Dae-su asks back incredulously.

"Well, don't act so surprised," she shoots back. "I'm pretty sure most people don't."

Very obviously, but in a way she probably thinks is discrete, I-sak turns towards Gyeong-su, nudging her head towards the duo as if to say, 'See? See?' And it's like, they're just bickering.

"Do you think the soldiers would've given me a sound machine at the survivor's camp?" Dae-su asks. "It's the least I deserve at that point."

"Maybe, but it looked like we would've been kept close together at first. It would've been bad enough if your snoring kept me awake all night."

"I don't snore!" Dae-su snaps. Then, softer, he mutters, "At least Woo-jin and Joon-yeong never complained about it for sleepovers. And they're on my back about everything." He doesn't say it like he's annoyed. More sad.

Hyo-ryung softens, raising a hand as if to do something that would comfort him but drops it. "You think those versions of us were ever gonna be happy again? Or would they just spend the rest of their lives missing Ji-min and Woo-jin and everyone else?"

Gyeong-su thinks of Cheong-san in that explosion.

"Maybe both," Dae-su shrugs. "I'm glad I still had you."

Hyo-ryung looks momentarily stunned but then chuckles like it's a joke. "Thanks."

It kind of reminds Gyeong-su of Cheong-san and On-jo. They both lost their best friends, they both deal with that grief together. It's... sweet. And a fucking parallel, as I-sak would say, and before all this he would point out that real life doesn't use writing techniques but if anyone's lives can be judged by how well-written it is, it's theirs.

You know what? He shouldn't doubt her. He guesses that the whole shebang is starting again. Couples I-sak predicted years in advance are getting together. So, Gyeong-su figures it's only fitting that it begins again. Someone has to be pining at all times.

God, by graduation they're gonna be one of those friend groups, aren't they? The kind entirely made up of couples.

Huh. It really is I-sak's world.

XXX

On-jo's POV

She's so tired, but at least it's over. That's what goes through her head as she rests her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Cheong-san turns his head so that his nose is smudged against her hair. "Hey, when do you think they'll send us back ho-"

The panic is automatic, but not heart attack-inducing. Because one second ago she was surrounded by other people and now she's alone in her room. She jerks up, steadying herself to keep from falling thanks to the weight under her head suddenly missing.

On-jo closes her eyes. Whoever kidnapped them really needs to work on their methods! But whatever.

She checks her alarm clock. Still one pm. She runs out into the hallway, bent on finding her father or really anyone to assure her she didn't just have the freakiest and most descriptive one second fever dream of all time. That she didn't just imagine being in love with Cheong-san, or Choi Nam-ra being super sweet actually, or the deaths of so many people she cares about.

"On-jo!" she hears her father's shout. As she comes into the light of the living room, she closes her eyes, colliding with him. His arms wrap around her and she revels in the safety, the security, his embrace brings her.

Their front door knob turns, but it's locked. Then the rapid knocking comes. "On-jo!" she hears Cheong-san's desperate voice come through, muffled by the walls.

On-jo quickly pulls away from the hugging, rushing to rip the door open. Immediately, she's taken into another hug.

"Did that really happen?" he breathes out.

"Yeah," she nods in a daze.

"Be specific, it was so weird, I need to make sure. What really happened?"

"We were kidnapped-"

"Kidnapped."

"And we watched a show about our-"

"Future."

"And you-"

"Kissed me!"

"After you died."

"Oh yeah." His shoulders deflate. But then perks up again. "So, us getting together really did happen!"

Cheong-san and On-jo look at one another. After a second, they're leaning in and kissing. She smiles into it, feeling so happy she might burst.

Behind them, they hear Dad clearing his throat. They jump apart, turning to look at him. He had his arms crossed, looking extremely unhappy by this turn of events.

"I'm telling your mother."

"No!"

As her boyfriend begins begging her father for forgiveness, On-jo watches on trying not to laugh. But she hears the distance sound of her ring tone streaming through the halls from where she left her phone in her room.

She gasps. "That's probably I-sak!"

She leaves and starts to Cheong-san follow after her, but Dad calls out, "Don't go to her room!"

The call already missed by the time she gets there. But it's not just I-sak blowing up her phone, but the entire group chat. Oh wait, no, it's the secondary group chat minus Dae-su. (There are ones for all of them. You know, for surprise parties and stuff.) They're debating the ethics of pranking him by making him think the entire thing was a dream he had during one of his naps.

Hmm... Too soon after Woo-jin's death.

On-jo: thats mean

Woojin: maybe im mean

Joonyeong: You're not.

Woojin: im not

On-jo looks at the people in her chat and realizes she'll need to add Nam-ra. She goes to do just that when she realizes she doesn't know what Nam-ra's number is. She goes to the main chat.

On-jo: anybody have namras #??

Su-hyeok ❤️💙💜: I-

Su-hyeok ❤️💙💜: oh no

Su-hyeok ❤️💙💜: HOW DID I NOT ASK FOR HER PHONE NUMBER!?!?!?!

Su-hyeok ❤️💙💜: I HAVE TO WAIT TIL MONDAY SEE HER AGAIN!?!?!?!?!

I-sak 🦄: Don't worry I did it 4 u <3

On-jo will also need to get rid of those hearts next to his name...

Anyways, she heads back to the kitchen, where Dad and Cheong-san are sitting by the table. Immediately, her boyfriend stands up and meets her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You leave your phone at your house?" 

He checks his pockets with his other hand and then shrugs. "Guess I did. Had other things to worry about."

"I get that," On-jo nods. "But we're having a discussion in the non-Dae-su chat, might wanna pitch in."

Cheong-san nods, then smiles affectionately as he looks down at her the way he'd smiled at her in the show when he- well, when he said goodbye. 

She smiles back at him.

"That was so weird!"

"I know!"

Chapter Text

Min-ji's POV

"Okay... so, we both died in episode two... but you got kidnapped and I didn't?" Min-ji says into the phone, laying flat on her back in her bed.

"Well, yeah, but I died later in the episode. So, there was more time with me. Also, I was in the pilot. Kind of set up as a major side character but whatever. Plus, when you died, we were dealing with Coach Kang's zombie and then we had to go on this whole fast paced chase scene. When I died, I was the primary threat, there was plenty of time to linger on it, and the escape that followed was a lot more tense and suspenseful. I actually think we processed your death during a montage, where Ms. Park was giving a speech. And then I died, which like, ahhh! ... Not- not to say that my life matters more than yours, it doesn't. Um-"

"Ms. Park was there?"

"Over the loudspeaker. And On-jo was the- well, not the main character, but the female lead. Cheong-san was the main character, so."

"I would've guessed Bare-su."

"Right? But then Nam-ra would be the female lead... which she kind of was- There were four leads, but Cheong-san was the main main lead!"

"Nam-ra?"

"Yeah, they're actually really, really cute together. Very mysterious loner with a heart of gold and outgoing popular kid dynamic. He was looking out for her so much, and she would only ever smile at him, and- and she left him this note when they got separated so that he could find her. It didn't work, but still. And then she was turned into a hambie, or a halfbie, that's a half human/half zombie hybrid, and it was like they were forbidden lovers! Or star crossed. Or destined for tragedy. But they were together anyways. And I just-Ugh!"

"Huh."

"Anyways, On-jo was the female lead, and so obviously, me dying is gonna be a big deal... Not that she doesn't love you! It's just that I mean so much to her... Ah, ugh... Okay, I would say that you're closest to Dae-su, right? Plus, you were begging him for help when you first got bit. So say that Dae-su was the female lead... Well, I guess the equivalent in that scenario is if Woo-jin died in episode two. And he does die in canon, just in the last episode, right before they make it to safety but after the military drops a bomb on the city and Cheong-san heroically sacrifices himself to kill the evil hambie Gwi-nam."

"Oh my god, that sounds so climactic."

"It was."

"That sounds like everything following should be falling action, and then resolution, or at least a plot twist."

"Yeah... Woo-jin's death was kind of basic though. Sad? Definitely, absolutely, bawled my eyes out, but par for the course. And also kind of dumb. No, like really dumb. Like, 'why did you do that?' dumb."

"Oh..."

"Yeah... But anyways, Dae-su was devastated when it happened. Crying for his bestie, like how On-jo was for me. So hypothetically speaking, Dae-su is the female lead, Woo-jin dies early, and you... Oh my god, that would make the subplot with his sister unbearable to watch! That was a whole thing, there was this subplot with his older sister-"

"The archery captain?"

"Ohhh, yeeeaahh. Somehow his sister does terribly in a competition and has to go back to school just in time for the outbreak. And so, she goes on this whole quest to save her brother, and like... Imagine if he was dead from episode two. That would be so hard to watch! It would be like, Ha-ri's group merges with the class, and she's all, 'Where's my brother?' and we'd have to say, 'Sorry, he made it until the first afternoon, and then he was standing in the wrong place, and got bit one little time, and then we had to throw him out a window!'"

"... That's how you died?"

"Yeah... I mean, on the bright side, in turn, I would've made it to the finale. By then, I probably would've come to terms with the possibility that I wasn't gonna make it. It'd still be sad, but I'd have had the time to accept it... Oh, and Joon-yeong would've had to die in episode three to make him and Woo-jin the equivalent of Gyeong-su and me."

"Wait, what?"

"That's the best part actually! There was a good chunk where Gyeong-su and I were the only ones present in the main friend group who had died, I think it was a narrative decision since we were the main characters' besties, and so we got a little closer, we both had a renewed sense of life and gratitude and each other. I realized how special he was to me. So... we haven't exactly had time for a first date... well then again, neither have Cheong-san and On-jo or Su-hyeok and Nam-ra..."

"Still a little confused about the latter."

"But... we are dating! Or at least more than friends. Ahh! I get excited just thinking about it!"

"Right... So, what does our friend group look like now?"

"Oh, it's bigger and better than ever! Loads of couples, so many couples. Nam-ra is an official member. Hee-su, you know her, she's... a little more complicated, I don't think it's my place to divulge the deetz, but On-jo's dad is gonna try and foster her now. I'll have to ask her if I can let you in on the loop with her, but there is a planned Girl's Day coming up after she recovers from... the economy. Things are still kinda tense with Ji-min because she left Hyo-ryung to die, but she really going through it when she did that, so it's not unforgivable, and she is sorry."

"What the fuck?"

"Also, we're pretty close knit with Ha-ri's group, which is three seniors and one junior. I think they might also let a fourth senior who also died in episode two and wasn't kidnapped in on everything. And finally... drumroll please... Na-yeon is officially an enemy of the group! Ahhhh!"

"What did Na-yeon do?"

"She killed Gyeong-su."

"... Like... as a zombie?"

"No... I mean, she turned him into a zombie. But she wasn't a zombie at the time."

"... Um, it's like... 6pm. After all that you must be tired."

"Right."

"So... let's talk about this more in the morning."

"That makes sense."

"... Congrats on getting to more than friends with Gyeong-su."

"Thank you!"

"... Night."

"Goodnight!"

Min-ji presses end call and then places her phone on her desk table. She lays on her back and stares at the ceiling.

She isn't getting much sleep tonight.

XXX

Mr. Lee's POV

Byeong-chan gets home. And he waits. He pours a glass of soju. Sits at his desk, feet away from his tied up family. He savors the time he has left with them while he has it.

He was a fool for thinking he'd ever see them as they were again. That things would return to how they were. Before the world came in and had it's way with his son. His wife and son reach for him but the restraints keep them apart.

He should have killed them himself. But he loved them too much.

It was good that this happened. So many lives lost. So many innocents dead. And they were innocent.

He doesn't bother treating his jaw where Jang Ha-ri struck him. It was well-deserved, he knew. She had right to her anger and who better to take her anger out on?

How many times did Byeong-chan look at the students he taught and let resentment bubble inside him? See the carelessness of them all and hate that they could be so happy when his son was brought to such misery? Believe every one of them complicit in the downfall of his family?

In truth, they were innocent. Truly innocent and simply in need of time to grow up. Time that would have been stolen from them.

He's grateful for the intervention, though he wishes it had happened much sooner. Before he lost everything that ever had his heart. But it's better than the city collapsing in his name.

He deserves what's coming to him. He deserved the hate and the violence and he regrets that towards the end anger was targeted more towards the man capable of making decisions he never would than him.

Speaking of which, Jin Seon-mu acts swiftly, as was expected of him. Though he doesn't count the hours that pass before soldiers are knocking down his door, it isn't long.

Byeong-chan doesn't bother wondering what the man possibly could have told them when he gave the orders but they're clearly well-prepared, heavily armored, keeping their distance from his poor wife and son as they drag them away from him. Byeong-chan knew he would never see them again. Not even in this monstrous state.

He's put in handcuffs, carted away.

The things that ensue are told to him second hand. An investigation was launched into Hyosan High. Do Il-sung was fired from his position as principal and he lost his license, something that gave Byeong-chan a great deal of catharsis. A cover-up was put into place the moment Commander Jin's cohorts came to the agreement that the Jonas Virus was, in fact, a zombie virus. They didn't want to scare the public when it was being handled. Instead, Lee Byeong-chan would forever go down as a murderer, who killed the people he was supposed to love. Supposed to protect.

But not Jin-su's murderer. His beloved Bo-ra's murderer, but not his son's.

As for Jin-su's bullies, Gwi-nam was blamed. It was the easiest way to punish him for the actions he would have had if not for the show. As for Myeong-hwan, Hyeon-ju, and Chang-hoon, they'll all have jailtime as accessories.

Not even their fathers' riches could save them. Only those in power could bring down the sword of justice. Byeong-chan thought he could use his intelligence to manufacture a way around the system, but in the end he just caused more heartache to those who didn't deserve it.

He's given a life sentence and can't deny that he deserves it.

Only one person comes to visit him. One person from that day in that room when they saw everything that could have been.

"How's your wife and kids?" Byeong-chan asks in simple terms.

The defeat in Jin Seon-mu shoulders and exhaustion in his eyes is enough answer.

XXX

Na-yeon's POV

She's the one who takes it to the extent it's taken to.

Ms. Park was gonna say it was just her bullying Gyeong-su, and Nam-ra intervened and-

She's the one who says there was poison involved.

She adapts the truth from the show. Her interactions with Gyeong-su had gotten worse. She stole poison. She would've hurt him if not for Choi Nam-ra. Na-yeon texts the plan to Hyo-ryung who passes it on to Gyeong-su and Nam-ra.

Before she's taken away, literally out in handcuffs, an old woman rushes out of the door Na-yeon knows is for Gyeong-su's apartment in their complex. Fury in her eyes, she marches up to Na-yeon and before the cops can intervene, slaps her across the face. Gyeong-su and another boy, his older brother, the one who was supposed to be away at a low ranked college he got like six scholarships to, pull the old woman back.

For a moment, her eyes meet his, and the shame crashes back in.

(And she's not bitter when she sees him and his brother leading his grandma back to where I-sak is watching from their doorway. She's not.)

Her parents try to pay for her to get out of it. Park Eun-hee refuses to let them. They do manage to cover it up so no news sites report on it but that's not the part Na-yeon cares about.

Mom won't even look at her anymore. Dad keeps going on and on about how she's throwing her life away over a 'stupid welfie'.

"Don't call him that!" Na-yeon snaps at him. It's all she can do. Her parents look at her like they don't even know her anymore.

But she doesn't like the person they did know.

They're shocked by the murder attempt. At least there's that. But it's not the main point. They don't understand why she's so ready to go to prison for it. For someone like Gyeong-su. They don't understand her shame or her remorse or the weight of what she almost did.

Then again, neither did she once upon a time.

Not to mention the reputation she almost ruined if not for her parents covering everything up.

"You didn't have to do all this," Ms. Park says to her one day. She visits her a lot. More than her parents do. "You hadn't actually done anything yet."

"I know," she admits. "But I would have."

She would have...

She'll get out in five years. It doesn't matter. It's not the worst punishment in the world. She could have it much worse. Yes, the other girls in the prison look at her like they could eat her alive, and things are so dirty in prison, but it's what she deserves.

She'll go on.

But now that her parents have officially disowned her, something also done as quietly as possible, she won't have anywhere to go after she gets out. Na-yeon will probably be the poor one at that point. She'll have to get a job, and without university or her parents giving it to her. They gave her a lot of things that she'd now have to... to... And with a criminal record on top of all that.

Okay. Okay.

She deserves this.

XXX

Hee-su's POV

She thinks it was a dream. When she comes back. She puts her hand over her stomach and can't find it in her to believe in nice men who swear to look after those who need looking after or kids who are kind to her in the form of classmates who never looked twice at her.

She remembers, or maybe imagines, being asked what her phone number was from one of the girls but not having one to give. Not having a phone to call the others when the girl offered her own in return.

Hee-su gasps, sitting up to dig through her backpack. It takes a second but she pulls out a napkin with a row of numbers on it.

It's undeniable proof that someone cares. Someone wants to be friends with her. That she's gonna be okay.

Detective Jae-ik takes on the task of getting her taken away from her parents. Assemblywoman Park ensures it's done as quietly as possible. Nam On-jo and Yoon I-sak and a few of the others paint the spare room of her family's apartment. Lee Cheong-san's mother brings her a basket of food and smiles at her and pinches her cheek and doesn't look at her any differently than she does the girls who aren't pregnant.

"You're... sure?" Jae-ik says. They're sitting

Hee-su nods. "You took care of my baby, even through all of that. I really think I'd feel better if you raised him instead of someone else."

"I'll be honest and say I'm honored you thought of me," Jae-ik says. "But I'll have to talk to my partner first."

Hee-su nods, hope clutching in her heart, knowing the baby's best chance is with him. Or maybe knowing that she'll feel the most secure that way.

Her labor goes smoothly. Really smoothly. More smoothly than most according to the nurses. Hee-su supposes that it makes sense with her health after labor in the show, and she did all that by herself.

On-jo, So-ju, and Jae-ik all come to visit her, her foster sister carrying balloons and a box full of cards from all their-

All their friends.

They take turns visiting when she comes home from the hospital. She knows they don't want to overwhelm her, so they visit in groups of three. Woo-jin, Dae-su, and Joon-yeong are so welcoming. Cheong-san, Gyeong-su, and Su-hyeok are so protective. On-jo, I-sak, and Hyo-ryung do her nails and fill her head with mystical stories of something called 'Girl's Day'.

She babysits for Jun-seo and Min-ri, Jae-ik's other son.

"Better you than College Boy," he says bitterly. "I let him watch them once. Never again. Trust me, all of you kids are better fit for this."

She rocks Jun-seo to her chest and marvels at how loved this little baby is. She sits in the Song's living room, much bigger and much nicer than the one she grew up in, the one she avoided as much as she avoided her parents, and knows he'll grow up better than she did.

Well... she's still growing up even now.

And she's working on doing it well.

But there's no rush. Like On-jo and Nam-ra always say. Being a not-quite-kid but not-quite-adult isn't so bad.

So, she happily hands Jun-seo back to Ari, his adoptive mother, at the end of the night, waves goodbye to Min-ri, and bids Jae-ik good night when he drops her off at the Nam's apartment building.

Hee-su will start school again next semester. Full of friends and people who don't know about what happened. But until then, while she's going on Girl's Days and babysitting, she feels more like a teenager than she ever did before. She feels more her age than she has for her entire life. Even if she'll never get to know the innocence that's always eluded her.

But Jun-seo will grow up innocent and that's all she could ever dream of. And as for Hee-su, she's surrounded by people who don't have their innocence either. But they're surviving.

They're all surviving.

XXX

Cheong-san's POV

He can't stop feeling like a bad son.

He's grateful his parents were working on the big move when they came back. That he didn't have to see them when the last time he looked at his mom she was- well- you know.

They're home when Cheong-san comes home from hanging out with On-jo for the rest of the day. And seeing his mom and dad in the kitchen, moving around each other seamlessly as they cook, as they do the thing they both love, as they've done a million times in the past, since before he was even born, since before the string of miscarriages and stillbirths that led to them being so overprotective, as they've done his entire life- It's too much. He runs to his room before either of them can even look up.

"Cheong-san, dinner!" Mom knocks on his bedroom door, so cheerful. He holds back a sob.

He keeps a level voice as he responds with a lie. "I ate at On-jo's!"

"Oh, you should have said something," Mom calls back. "I'll wrap up your plate then. Are you sure you're full?"

"I'm sure!"

He cleans up for bed while they eat together.

Cheong-san barely has it in them when he skims on breakfast too, and is quick to meet up with On-jo so they can head over to I-sak. They hold hands the entire ride over and when he feels like it, he kisses her cheek and is met with a blush. He's so happy he gets to do this now. He can't believe it.

They aren't dating that long when they say it. One day, On-jo can't hold back anymore, and she asks him to climb the mountain near the school. They find the back of that prison. At the tree that would have been the memorial. She puts her hands on base, looks up on all the branches, and breaks down crying. He holds her through it.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Maybe it's too early. But he's loved her for so long and that love burns in his chest. On-jo is it for him. She always was.

His relationship with On-jo blossoms while he avoids his parents. He hates that last part, he does. Dad shrugs and says he, 'called it.' Whatever that means. But Mom hates it too. She hates that he's dating at all but she really hates that there's a rift between them that there wasn't before.

When Cheong-san sees his mother, he thinks of her as a zombie. A mindless zombie. He doesn't know if he'll be able to keep himself from breaking down in front of her as he remembers everything. Gyeong-su and the others biting her as she called for him. Dae-su and his other friends beating her up. Everything from when he saw her really. Mom in that crowd of zombies when the bomb dropped.

Dad probably died too. The block the new restaurant was on was abandoned by the time Hee-su got there and that was so soon after Mom left. Though he'd probably be smarter about leaving when he saw the news report, it might have been too late. And if not then what? Dad just has to live with his wife and son being dead?

But he can't avoid his parents forever. He loves his parents too much. He just has to get over everything first.

Getting over everything takes so long.

At least, Gyeong-su knows what happened. He knows the grief. Everyone who was there knows. There were a few days when Cheong-san broke down crying because his best friend almost died. He was there for him, just like Cheong-san is there for On-jo on the days when she cries for what almost happened to him.

They're there for him, when he has to break. When he has to just let out everything he's feeling. But it's like he's caught in the middle of it all. He tries to grieve them but when he always sees them, unaware of the storm brewing right under their noses, it breaks the parts of his heart he's managed to glue back together again.

"We can tell her the truth," On-jo suggests. "My dad will back you up."

"I don't know... I have a feeling that if I tell her one thing than I'll end up telling her everything. And if she knew about..." Well, they both know. "She'd implode. She'd actually implode. I can't do that to her!"

"I get that..." On-jo drifts off. He knows she's thinking about her dad, how he'd react if she-

Fuck.

They have their double date with I-sak and Gyeong-su at Cheong-san Chicken. Mom gets I-sak's name wrong again and On-jo thinks the food is really spicy, and... it doesn't hurt him. That's the thing. He knows how similar this was to another double date, one that never happened because it was too soon, but it felt nice. Like, this is his life, this happiness is secure, and there will always be days like this. He doesn't need to worry.

There are good days and there are bad days, but he kisses his mother on the cheek every morning and eventually the hurt fades little by little.

XXX

Ji-min's POV

The adults take it upon themselves to explain her... change in behavior to her parents.

They don't believe them. Who would? If Ji-min wasn't there, if she had been spared while all her friends lived through that horror show, she'd probably think they were all just pranking her. She'd be very confused about Nam-ra though, but she'd probably figure she was just the last to find out about her dating Su-hyeok and they decided to make a joke about it in the weirdest way possible.

And she'd be really, really angry at them if they told her about her parents.

That's probably why her own death was left out of the explanation, Mr. Nam's expression faltering for only a second from its steely resting place to look at them sadly. Probably thinking about On-jo and how glad he is that he didn't have to deal with the grief of losing her.

But that's selfish isn't it? They all saw On-jo in that last episode. After everything was taken from her. She had... she had never felt closer to the other girl. She had never felt more distant from her friends and that's when she felt a strong kinship with On-jo. They were never that close before.

The only reason it was On-jo in that recording booth is because Hyo-ryung wouldn't have had the words, the boys wouldn't have had the gentleness, at least not with her, and she would have taken her anger out on Nam-ra if she tried.

But back to her parents, they don't believe her or anyone else who tells them about the show, because who would? But they can't deny her or how clingy she becomes. Ironically, it's Hyo-ryung's admission to get them to start entertaining the idea that it's all true. Being someone they know, recognize, trust, but also in a better state of being than her.

Ji-min wishes it wasn't true.

The first few nights, she sleeps in her parents' bed at night like a little girl waking up from a nightmare and maybe she is. Maybe it was all just one big, terrible nightmare.

But if it was, it doesn't feel like she's woken up yet. She thinks that it must've been like that for the others. That when they got back, it was like waking up from a bad dream for them. That was something sad and sick and strange but it was over now. They're awake. They can go back to their lives.

Ji-min wonders how many people have nightmares about their nightmares.

Things are still awkward with her friends. She can't blame them after what she did to Hyo-ryung.

She doesn't know why they still bother. Why they don't leave her to her parents and forget she ever existed. It might be what she deserves.

But they don't turn their backs on her. They let her sit with them and though none of it is the same as it was before, everything is improving. Kind of. It's supposed to improve, isn't it? The couples who are supposed to be together, are. No one is dead, besides Mr. Lee's family. The bad guys get what's coming to them-

Or at least most of them do.

And the good guys get their happy endings.

Or... they're living. And they're happy living

Here she is! She's living! What the fuck is there to do now?

Ji-min wants to go back more than anything. Back to being an immature little girl.

But that's not really possible, unless they go back in time and watch a show about them watching the show to prevent it all. But somehow Ji-min gets the feeling that that would just put them in the same positions they're already in.

Ji-min doesn't understand why things are the way they are, but her friends don't leave her and her parents are alive. And so is she. Hyosan is still in tact. That accounts for something. 

Hyo-ryung still comes over, and she doesn't pretend that Ji-min didn't leave her on that trail to die. She would have died... She would have died and Ji-min would have cried, even if she didn't have the right to cry. But then again, would she have had the right to not cry? To ignore the pain she caused?

She doesn't fucking know.

But Hyo-ryung sits on her bed, scrolling through her phone, like nothing ever happened.

"Let's play prank calls."

"What? Why?

"We used to. It was a lot of fun."

"That was a long time ago. We're different now."

"We were always gonna be different. That's just... time. That means we can't have fun?"

"I..." Ji-min doesn't know anything.

"Let's call Dae-su. It was always the most fun with him. If it's not fun, then we've outgrown it." 

"... Alright."

Ji-min still has a lot left to learn, but slowly, ever so slowly, she comes to the realization that she's not as broken as she thought.

She still thinks it's so unfair that she never got to hit Mr. Lee.

XXX

Mi-jin's POV

Well, this is fun.

"So then Ha-ri's brother-" Joon-seong cut off at Ha-ri's glare. "Well... you can guess. And then the class president decided being a hambie was too dangerous and she left. And everyone who was still there made it to the survivor's camp. But you know, they're all grieving. But after a few months, they find the class president! And... that's it."

"That's it?" Ha-lim says in disbelief, looking very much so cornered from where she sits at the cafeteria table, the rest of the 'bathroom bunch' as Mi-jin's taken to making everyone call them, surrounding.

"Yes... well, for the show," answers Joon-seong. "Um, so, in conclusion, Mi-jin and Ha-ri are dating now." She nods. "And these three are our friends now. We'll also be spending a fair share of time with Ha-ri's brother and his boyfriend, who's Mi-jin's really good friend-"

"Actually, brother," she corrects.

The others look at her confused, silent questions in their eyes.

"I'm adopting him."

Joon-seong's brow creases. "As a... brother?"

"Can she do that?" Min-jae asks.

"I can do whatever I want."

"I've seen you two argue about how often you argue," Ha-ri points out. She's so attractive, even though Mi-jin really doesn't see her point.

She'll put in terms Ha-ri can understand. "Okay, say you Woo-jin weren't lucky enough to be biologically siblings. Wouldn't you adopt him?"

That is what would have happened, after all. Both couples would've still gotten together, her and Joon-yeong would've forced them to hang out, they'd have no choice but to adopt each other in order to build up a resistance against the two of them.

Oh, even better if it turns out they actually were biological but their parents separated them at birth!

No, Mi-jin and Joon-yeong never get the idea to double date, it's randomly found out that the people they're dating are long lost siblings, they party because, hey, they're gonna be in-laws!

Oh, ooh, actually, both couples break up, because of petty reasons, Mi-jin doesn't know, maybe to 'protect them' or some bullshit. Like Harry Potter. Over summer break, Ha-ri and Woo-jin find out they're long-lost siblings, they come back super close. Maybe their parents get back together. Her and Joon-yeong are like, 'You're fucking kidding me, they become step-siblings right after our relationships end!?' And they're not on speaking terms, so this ain't corrected until both inevitably get back together. But until then, the two sets of siblings go toe to toe.

But the sexual tension though...

Yeah. That's what would've happened.

"I-" Ha-ri's eyebrows shoot up. "Um... well, Woo-jin's annoying-"

"So is Joon-yeong."

"Uh... yes? I don't-" Ha-ri shakes her head. "Ask me again in an hour." She leans back in her chair after pushing away from the table, a cute look of contemplation on her face.

"... and their friends," Joon-seong finishes lamely. "We'll spend a fair share of time with Ha-ri's brother and his boyfriend, who's Mi-jin's brother, I guess, and their friends." Mi-jin nods, approving of the statement.

Ha-lim opens her mouth, closes it, then opens it again, nodding. "Got it."

Now, Mi-jin's never had a ton of friends. That was fine by her. Really, it was. She was always too brash, too unpleasant, too much of a shithead to get along with other people. There were people she smoked with, people she slept with, people she set stuff on fire with, but never anyone she like... cared about. Or who cared about her.

She thought that people were just fucking exhausting. And you know, they are. But... maybe she just had to find people she doesn't mind tiring herself out over.

Gossip travels fast, and all it takes is one little interrupted make out session in the girl's locker room, and all of a sudden, rumor has it that the school delinquent and the archery captain are fucking. And that's fine by her. People have been calling her bad words since she was a kid. She worries for Ha-ri though, but her girlfriend treats it all with a cold strength that's so goddamn intimidating.

And hot.

And the people who don't look at them funny because they acknowledge how attractive girls are look at them funny because...

Well, they are a weird friend group. Two dorks, two athletes, and one delinquent who's also the only person in this city with her shit together. And in senior year too!

Mi-jin resists the urge to snap at them. But also brag. None of those nobodies were in the show. And she fucking survived it too! How is that even possible? She heard the name 'All of Us Are Dead' and accepted it almost immediately! But no! She's so awesome. And they think they can judge them?

With all the scandal surrounding the school, it wasn't enough to justify missing the big tournament. It was the first one of those big, important athlete events that Mi-jin has ever cared about. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let her skip class to watch. She glares accusatorily at Joon-yeong when they pass each other in the halls.

Ha-ri does better than she did in the show. (Seriously though, how good was the competition?) She comes home with a silver medal and no offers from the National Team.

"My parents are furious," Ha-ri tells her while they're hanging around in Mi-jin's room. "I wonder how bad they would've been if I got sent back on the first day. Not to mention, when we did get sent back, my coach went on a whole rant, really similar to the one he did. It gave me and Min-jae such deja vu."

Mi-jin nods, remembering the nervous-but-trying-not-to-be call she got when she got her phone back at the end of the day. You know, just checking to make sure that zombie apocalypse that was supposed to happen that day really was prevented.

"Well, fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all." Mi-jin rolls over, gasping. "Can we please make out in your coach's office, now?"

"No," Ha-ri hit her shoulder. "Not until right before graduation. Be smart about this."

Mi-jin nods. But she sees the way her girlfriend slumps, the exhaustion in her eyes. She responds with a tiny pinch to her hand, causing Ha-ri to look at her in annoyance. "Who cares what your parents, or your coach, or the National Team? What do any of them know about archery?"

"..." Ha-ri snorts, but her mood isn't that much better. "If it was just my parents' expectations, that would be one thing. But I love archery. I'll always love archery." She hesitates. "Woo-jin knows that, it's why he would've spent his last minutes telling me not to give up, even though I did worse then. Then again, not like there was any point in saying anything for his future," she finishes bitterly.

Mi-jin says nothing. Ha-ri tries her best to hide her grief over that shitty alternate universe, but Mi-jin's seen her cry than most people will in their lifetimes. She knows it's best to just let her pull herself together. She grieves quieter than most, in small doses.

"Fine, I'll do it, I'll be your manager."

Ha-ri looks at her confused. "What?"

"I'll be your manager. For archery. This way, we'll both have futures."

"Do you even know anything about managing?"

"Hmm... That's what I'll study for," Mi-jin says. "I'm going to the cheapest school I can get into. Or that'll give me a scholarship. And any school that wouldn't make me pay the whole tuition definitely won't make you pay the whole tuition. You can join the archery team there, or hell, start it, and afterwards, I'll be your manager."

Ha-ri grins. "That could work," she says. She kisses her. Mi-jin wraps her arms around her shoulders.

Ha-ri's parents look at her like a bad influence, which you know, she is. And she thinks that this might be the first time the Jang's golden child defied her parents, because Mi-jin knows that parents like those won't keep their disapproval quiet.

Mi-jin and Joon-yeong did come up with a fallacy plan when dealing with their parents in-law. She would pretend to be the brother's girlfriend and he would pretend to be Ha-ri's. They thought the plan was foolproof, but the Jang siblings vetoed it. Buzzkills.

So, they both come to dinner being introduced as really good friends. Mi-jin tries, she really does, but every word out of her mouth manages to alienate the parents. Barely even look at Woo-jin or Joon-yeong, which, how did Ha-ri not notice that before?

She gets her answer by the way Ha-ri's spunk chips away at every disappointed look and every passive-aggressive comment.

Why did they think this would be a good idea?

It's not until after, when Mi-jin leaves the bathroom and passes the kitchen, does she overhear Ha-ri's mom talk to Woo-jin as they get out dessert.

"That's probably why she did so poorly in her competition."

"They didn't meet until after the tournament," Woo-jin lies so easily. She's proud of him.

"Oh. Well, that's not an excuse. Your sister should be focusing on getting back on track. Not- not-"

"Not what? Having a gir- a friend?" Woo-jin asks. She respects the save. "She's happy."

"... What were you gonna say?" Mi-jin's eyes widen. "Just then?"

"... Good friend?"

For a second, there's silence. She holds her breath.

Their mother gasps. Mi-jin looks around for help.

"Wait-"

"Mom?"

"No!"

Mi-jin frantically shakes her head.

"Um-"

"Our Ha-ri and...?" She cringes.

"I'm dating Joon-yeong!"

Mi-jin gapes.

... Well, dessert's gonna be fun.

XXX

Woo-jin's POV

Dessert is going to be miserable.

Look, in his defense, Mom totally came to the first conclusion on her own. He was just trying to take the heat off that very correct conclusion. It's barely his fault that she now knows about both of them.

He sits down after helping his mother pass the dishes, immediately taking note of the way Mi-jin's eyes flicker from him to Mo- Ugh, eavesdropper!

Woo-jin shoots her a warning look.

Don't. Give. It. Away.

... This pastry is really good.

This is alright. They'll just get through dinner.

Joon-yeong takes his hand underneath the table, as they've done throughout this entire dinner. And yes, using chopsticks has been extremely difficult, but they're trying to see if his parents will notice how bad they're struggling with their food. On instinct, Woo-jin smiles at him. But he knows that Mom is watching, that his words to her were just confirmed, and so thinking fast, he squeezes his boyfriend's hand and gently lets go. He gives him a look that's purposeful, enough to say that there's a reason behind his actions without saying what that reason is.

And you know, it's just until dessert is over.

"So, Ha-ri," Mom starts. Oh God, here we go again. "You and Mi-jin have gotten especially close."

"Uh, yeah..." Ha-ri answers, then in a mutter that's probably not meant to be heard as well as it is, but the table is too damn quiet, she adds, "You have no idea."

Woo-jin bites his lip.

Mi-jin looks anywhere but the table.

Mom forcibly nods, stiff, like she's straining to do so.

They're not being suspicious.

Joon-yeong's eyes are flickering around the table. Soon, he'll put everything together, he's too smart not to. (He's just so amazing.) Which will be fine, he won't make a scene about it. But Woo-jin kind of wants to wait until after dinner, when they go to his room- Oh, Mom actually might not let them do that anymore. But Woo-jin imagines that he'll tell him he told his mom and it'll be a 'yay' moment...

Really though, they just need to get through dessert. And they're doing a great job, he's nearly done with his pastry. And he's not getting seconds-

... Yeah, he is.

But it'll be fine. Even though it's a very delicate balance keeping everything from spilling over, as the minutes tick by, Woo-jin becomes more sure that they'll make it through-

Dad clears his throat. "Pass the napkins, love."

"Both our children are gay!" Mom cries, throwing the napkin at him and running from the table.

Silence.

Woo-jin takes another bite from his pastry. He can physically feel Ha-ri turning and looking at him incredulously. He should probably look back at her, shrug, play dumb, 'I don't know what that was about.' Yeah...

... Mom's really good at making pastries.

"Woo-jin!" He winces and jumps.

They just taste so good and-

"Actually, our side of things was my fault," Mi-jin cuts in. Woo-jin blinks up at her in surprise that she would lie for him. She winks at him very obviously, she clearly doesn't wink a lot, or know they're supposed to be subtle, but Ha-ri doesn't notice.

Joon-yeong just looks at all of them unimpressed.

"I'm sorry, what happened?" Dad asks, way too confused for his large and intimidating stature.

Mi-jin shakes her head. "Sit down, Mr. Jang."

"I am sitting."

Honestly, Woo-jin expected worse.

Okay, so things are a little more awkward at home than normal. At school, they don't tell anyone who's not a close friend, and even their close friends are told in a process dragged out over a long period of time, so none of their classmates know, unlike Ha-ri, who never cared about her reputation.

But they're getting there.

They go on dates on parts of the city that are far enough away from their school. They still get dirty looks when they're too obvious, but he doesn't care about that.

And of course, he gets scared. And he gets choked up thinking about Joon-yeong on one side of that barrier while he's on the other when the only thing to do is keep going at any cost. Just like there are days neither Ha-ri or Joon-yeong are willing to let him out of their sights.

But everyone has bad days.

Mostly, Woo-jin is...

Woo-jin is happy.

There's this one day...

He doesn't ever want to move.

He's pretty sure that he's dozed off at least twice, but at the moment, Woo-jin is awake and so is Joon-yeong as they lay in his bed, facing one another. Their noses brush against one another. He can kiss him if he leans a little forward. Once, the desire to do so would've physically hurt him, but for now he's content.

They stare into one another's eyes and let the moment pass over them

The door opens, his mother barging in without knocking, basket in hand. Woo-jin gasps, his eyes flying to her, but he doesn't have the energy to move.

Mom stops in her tracks, staring at the two boys, before turning and taking dirty clothes from his armchair.

"Any more laundry?"

"Chair." He points across his room.

Mom and Dad are accepting... kind of. They... are... coping... by not acknowledging anything at all. He doesn't have Joon-yeong over a ton, but today he does because... because... because the night before Joon-yeong had a nightmare and they felt being lazy. Point them, Mom and Dad haven't mentioned it. The same goes for Ha-ri when she has Mi-jin over.

Mom slows her movements as she starts catches sight of his easel, a few feet off from his arm chair. "Woo-jin?"

"Yeah?"

"You made this painting?"

Joon-yeong turns his head to see and immediately winces. Woo-jin knows why.

The painting is an exact replica of a scene from the show as Woo-jin remembers it. A wide shot of the roof. Five students, representing the girls, Joon-yeong, and Cheong-san standing with their heads tilted up towards the sky, though they aren't detailed enough to be identified. Two figures that are supposed to be Su-hyeok and Nam-ra sitting by the door. Woo-jin and Dae-su laying opposite one another. All while rain pours, pours, pours down on them.

Joon-yeong doesn't understand why he wanted to memorialize anything from the show, especially such a sad thing, but it was something Woo-jin had to do. Maybe he doesn't understand it either, but he knows that he had to. And his boyfriend gets that at least.

Woo-jin nods, resting a firm hand on Joon-yeong's hip. "Yeah... the scene just sorta came to me one day, like someone else showed it to me." Joon-yeong softly hits his arm. "But obviously that's not what happened."

Mom isn't even listening to him. She never is. But she does hum, nodding. "Very nice."

Wait, what?

Woo-jin immediately props himself up on his elbows, shock coursing through him. His eyes must be so wide.

"Um... thanks."

Mom walks closer, gently taking Joon-yeong's hand in her own and squeezing it. She smiles at him.

It feels like a step forward.

She leaves. Joon-yeong puts his arm around his waist, wordlessly telling him to lay back down. He complies without argument, returning to the position they were at before. After a second, Woo-jin moves forward, kissing him again.

XXX

Yeong-ju's POV

Something very strange is happening.

For starters, Choi Nam-ra of all people has begun dating Lee Su-hyeok. It took her and Su-mi a minute to figure the... linguistics of that relationship but they think they've got it. Su-hyeok is the hottest, most popular guy in school. She would know, all of her friends have at least considered offering him their nametags at least once, but most chickened out.

Of course that bitch couldn't settle for being first in the class, and rich as fuck, and class president because Mommy thought it'd be a nice birthday present or something, but she had to have the best boy too.

Yeong-ju can't even blame Su-hyeok for going after her. She probably pays for all their dates to five star restaurants. Who could compete with that?

But like, Su-hyeok isn't rich, and he hung around guys like Myeong-hwan last year, and he's a total class clown. Popular or not, he's the total opposite of (she has to scoff) Choi Nam-ra. The only status he has is among classmates. And God knows the class president never cared about that.

Maybe she started to? Maybe her mom decided her being a friendless vampire was bad look. If that's the case, they'll probably break up whenever that assemblywoman does a background check. You know, after the heart attack.

Really though, Yeong-ju would've thought that Prez was smart enough to know how badly Su-hyeok fit in with her high standard society...

But that's not the part she cares about. No, the worst part of it is that when the inevitable break up does come up, Su-hyeok will be used to all the fancy amenities of having a rich girlfriend. Yeong-ju can't compete with that. No girl in their class can, except maybe Na-yeon (before she got expelled, ironically for getting Prez involved in her bullying of that one boy she's always bickering with).

And then there's another thing. All of Su-hyeok's friends are just cool with Nam-ra now. It's bizarre. And freaky as fuck to see her socializing. Willingly. Like, even the girls. Like, I-sak and On-jo are acting like she's the third Plastic. As if they didn't hate Nam-ra just as much as the rest of them. God, those girls are so fake. They'll be right back to talking behind her back like they were before as soon as those two break up.

"Shut up," Seo Hyo-ryung says petulantly when she overhears Yeong-ju talking about Nam-ra with her friends. And it's like- What?

"Seriously, didn't any of those girls he hangs out with have a crush on him?" she whispers to Su-mi during gym class, eyeing the it couple in question as they take spots close to one another. It's enough to make her barf. And his girl friends are just cool with it? Or even like, Jang Woo-jin. She doesn't say anything to Su-mi, who had a fleeting crush on him well, but Yeong-ju is pretty sure he's gay. Which she's cool with. But if you like boys, and Lee Su-hyeok is right there... "Like, they have seen him right? Okay, On-jo's been dating Cheong-san since forever and I-sak just started dating Gyeong-su, but what about the other girls?"

"Maybe that's why those two are the most buddy-buddy with her outside of Bare-su," Su-mi suggests.

"I don't know," Yeong-ju says. "Like, if they were both hot for him, why shouldn't they play fake-nice? But since they have boyfriends, what's the motivation?"

"Well... maybe they secretly like Su-hyeok even though they have boyfriends," Su-mi says. "I mean, On-jo and Cheong-san have been even more lovey dovey recently. I-sak got with Gyeong-su around the same time that-" She nudges her heads towards Nam-ra and Su-hyeok. "-happened."

Yeong-ju is momentarily stunned by the idea before realizing that it makes perfect fucking sense. She facepalms. "Ugh, those bitches." That's such a mean thing to do, their boyfriends deserve better than to be consultation prizes. Honestly.

"Ooh, do you think Ji-min called them out on it?" Su-mi asks. They had previously speculated that she was the one with the crush on Su-hyeok, and that was why there was so much tension between her and her friends now. But maybe she's just the only one brave enough to point out how messed up it all was.

"That wouldn't explain why she seems the most weird with Hyo-ryung and less so with the others in that group."

"They were best friends. If Ji-min pulled away for any reason, I see why things would be the most sour with Hyo-ryung."

"Good point..." Yeong-ju nods. "I still think Hyo-ryung had feelings for him though. Maybe On-jo and I-sak just didn't tell her their game plan on getting close to Nam-ra."

There's just no solidarity between them all. If On-jo liked someone else, she should've broken up with her boyfriend, and I-sak shouldn't have gotten a boyfriend. Yeong-ju guesses she can't blame them for crushing on Su-hyeok, but there are still standards.

That's when Coach Kang comes in, shouting at them all to stop yapping. She catches a look of distaste shared between I-sak and On-jo. And yeah, Kang is a strict teacher, but it's the way those girls think they're above absolutely everyone. It's not like Kang is the principal (Who finally got fired! Eeeh!) or Mr. Lee, who fucking murdered his family (Which... was a scandal to say the least and cost their school it's evaluation. Actually, maybe Nam-ra going with Su-hyeok is a desperate bid to... who knows, raise someone's reputation?) (Yeong-ju was really hoping that with all these changes, the phone ban would lift but no. Guess she's stuck hiding her phone at her desk forever). As far as they know, Couch Kang never murdered anybody.

God, that friend group is so toxic. Maybe Choi Nam-ra does fit in with the rest of them.

XXX

Eun-ji's POV

When she gets back, the first thing she does is run. She runs across streets, through alleys, all the way back to school. Eun-ji stands in front of the entrance doors, sees the athletes practicing on the fields, not a mindless zombie in sight.

Them and her. Not the same. And she is different in a way that is below. It's a run inside. It's a trip of the staircase. It's a walk to the science lab. It's a bite on the finger. And she'll be different in a way that's above.

But Eun-ji freezes. Eun-ji does not move forward. She walks back. She sits on the bleachers. She doesn't watch the athletes. She stares at the door.

Life is better when you're better. No one can hurt her when you're above.

All the people who hurt her... zombies. Dead, pathetic zombies when she gets to be something so much better.

So why doesn't Eun-ji go and get that for herself?

Isn't she strong enough?

(Isn't she strong enough to sacrifice all the people who didn't hurt her?)

(No one would have thought twice if Eun-ji died. No one. No one besides Cheol-soo and her mother, but no one cares about them either.)

(If the world can ruin her, why shouldn't she ruin the world?)

(Ruining the world is much braver in concept, when she doesn't think about the sweet little girls who'll go motherless.)

(But what if those little girls grow up and they're hurt as she was hurt? Isn't this sparing them?)

(Just the evil ones. Just the ones who smirk as they hurt. That's not evil. That's heroi- That's something else, but it's not evil.)

Eun-ji stays rooted to her spot. She doesn't infect herself. She waits, numb, as the hours tick by and the sky changes. The authorities show up and the school grounds are evacuated- Not a hard task given the hour.

Eventually someone has to lead her away from her spot, and at one point she passes the Principal, being dragged off kicking and screaming. Probably denied anything could've been wrong at all and had to be escorted away.

He doesn't even notice her, but she laughs. She laughs so loud he stops for a second, his head jerking towards her. He sees her. And he turns even more red in the face, his struggle starting up a new.

That's when she decides- She doesn't need to burn the school to the ground. She just needs to walk above it. And Eun-ji doesn't need superpowers to do that. She doesn't even money.

Eun-ji doesn't walk home. She walks to a poorer neighborhood. To a place she had never been before. A place she only knew because of a slip of paper snuck into her pocket with a whispered, 'If you ever need help', as if the person handing it to her could even help himself.

Still, he's the only one to ever try-

He's just really bad at it.

"Eun-ji?" Cheol-soo says incredulously. "Where have you been? I- I tried to call but your mom said you weren't home-"

She shuts him up with a hug.

They aren't- It's not- It's not whatever Class 2-5 is doing with one another right about now.

But they're not like the kids of Class 2-5. There's no point trying to be or pretending that they are.

Fuck it. Eun-ji knows she's above the rest. Above the people who so easily turned to zombies, when she was the outlier. She knows that. She just has to act like that.

Min Eun-ji and Kim Cheol-soo aren't rich.

That's not what the main problem was. The main problem was meekness. Cowardice. They were weak.

The money thing is something they have to figure out. They don't have the invisible shield that protected monsters like Gwi-nam and Myung-hwan until men with more power than their fathers had no choice but to overrule.

She's slightly better off than him, but with only her mother supporting her.

Financially, they could be worse. But in the stability they have, they are invisible. They're nobodies. And no one has any reason to excuse the things they do.

There's nothing stopping the next principal or the other teachers from throwing her out like the trash she's always been treated as.

Eun-ji has to be smart. Calculated. Pick her battles. Not go so far as to get expelled. Not reckless like Gwi-nam and Myung-hwan could be. She realizes she was reckless in the show, and that got her locked away and experimented on.

She just wants her revenge. She'll do it the best way she can, even without zombie blood. And she's not gonna pick on the meek kids. The kids who don't defend themselves.

Just the ones who hurt.

She pours milk on a mean girl's head and gives her that vicious look that's been directed at her so many times in the past. She gapes, stands, and slaps Eun-ji across the face. Eun-ji slaps her back and harder.

She stalks the boys who dumped trash on her and exposes them for cheating on their girlfriends.

Her and Cheol-soo plant pills in Mr. Jung's office, get him fired.

They send letters to the prisons their bullies were sent to, mocking them, laughing at them. She thinks that must sting worse than spelling out every way they scarred the both of them. Even though that's what most victims do when their tormentors get in trouble. But the hurt they inflicted is funny to them. But for those bullies to be laughed at? That's revenge.

They plant evidence. They spread rumors. They ruin the lives of the people who contributed to the downfall of their lives.

It's invigorating.

They're alive.

It's destructive and toxic and never ending.

But if on nights when they're both so tired, then Eun-ji rests her head on Cheol-soo's shoulder the way she saw so many kids from Class 2-5 do to their friends, then that's neither here nor there.

Reputations change. Choi Nam-ra is no longer a cold hearted bitch, Lee Na-yeon is now the attempted murderer, and the two of them have gone from easy targets to kids you shouldn't mess with.

That's all they've ever wanted. Really.

That's all they ever asked for.

"Do you wanna... go to the mall? Or a restaurant? Or... something?" he asks one day when they hang out on the goddamn roof of their school, staring down over the edge as if waiting for the zombies to burst through the windows.

Eun-ji almost snaps at him. No. That's normal kid stuff. Things normal kids do with their normal friends. They. Aren't. Normal.

But no zombies come bursting through those windows.

And Eun-ji doesn't want to jump.

"Sure," she says numbly.

She keeps her head held up high during school hours, trying to feel the power she saw in herself walking through the zombie infested halls as something so much above of them all.

The show was the first time she saw her own anger expressed so freely.

It gave her a reason to be alive.

And when Lee Su-hyeok and the rest of those phonies he calls friends look at her like she's the one great failure, the one thing that didn't go right, the one thing that still went wrong after so much so-called fixing-

She tells them to fuck themselves.

This was the only happy ending Min Eun-ji and Kim Cheol-soo were ever gonna get.

So don't ask what they're trying to do when they spend the afternoon at the mall, like-

Like people who can get some other type of happy ending.

XXX

Su-hyeok's POV

"So, um, Woo-jin and Joon-yeong are together," Su-hyeok tells her.

She tilts her head. "Okay?"

He gets the idea that she doesn't really get 'it', so he says, "I mean they're dating." She squints at him. Okay, wow- "Joon-yeong confessed to Woo-jin after that last episode."

"Oh!" Nam-ra says, and he grins. It's not every day his genius girlfriend is behind. It's weird but her confusion and her realization face is so cute. But then she adds, looking horrified, "They broke up?"

"What?" Su-hyeok honestly has no idea where that came from. "No. They're dating."

"I mean like, did they get back together?" Nam-ra asks, frowning, looking so concerned. "When did they break up? Was it after episode ten? I didn't realize it was that bad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Woo-jin and Joon-yeong?"

"No, I know that-" He sighs roughly, deciding that it would be best to just spell everything out and let her do the same. "I'm telling you that they're dating for the first time. No one ever broke up. Just one, new relationship."

She leans in as if really taking in his words before she gasps. "Oh! They thought they were hiding their relationship?"

"Uh..." Su-hyeok says, getting honestly freaked out at this point.

Then, she begins to laugh, something she still only does on rare occasions. It's so beautiful but he has other stuff to focus on right now.

Her laugh is really beautiful though.

"That's actually quite cute," she admits. "I can't believe they thought they were being subtle. I did think it was brave of them to be so open about their relationship in a high school setting."

At this point, Su-hyeok thinks he must look especially stupid, but he thinks he's starting to catch up. "Nam-ra, when do you think they started dating?"

"Well, I only met them at the beginning of high school but I'm assuming that it started before then," she says so seriously. "It was really meant to be a secret between friends this entire time?"

Su-hyeok is so weirded out. But like... in a good way. It's just that he was so surprised when they told him, also in a good way. But still surprised. He didn't even know that either of them liked boys. So, it's just a little weird that Nam-ra apparently didn't know that they weren't dating.

"Wait." Nam-ra's eyes go wide. "Did... you not know they were dating?"

"No, I did," he says quickly. He clears his throat. "Um... they only just started dating," he explains, not used to having to spell things out for her. "They weren't dating before the show. Now they are."

By the look on her face, he can tell she doesn't believe him, smiling softly and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Alright then."

"No, it's true."

"I know," she begins petting his hair affectionately, still unconvinced.

Um... So, it feels like the months pass by quickly. Soon it's November and then finally, it's December 9th, the day he's been waiting for. The day after her birthday, which had spent at a dinner with her mom.

He takes Nam-ra out for a date, taking just enough time for them to come back to-

"SURPRISE!!!!"

"We threw you a surprise party!" I-sak says like it's not clear by all of their friends jumping out from behind the furniture of her mansion. Her and On-jo both rush over to give her hugs.

The delight on her face is subtle but beautiful, and Su-hyeok knows this was the right move.

Dae-su, Woo-jin, and Joon-yeong all come up to wish her a happy birthday.

Enough time has passed that Joon-yeong's accepted that Nam-ra didn't want to hurt Woo-jin, and Su-hyeok really hopes they can be friends because they'd actually be pretty close given how smart the both of them are.

He's not so sure about Ha-ri though, she's still cold. She doesn't smile at her like everyone else does. He doubts they'll ever be close or anything, but it's enough that she's here now, a bit of a wallflower but enjoying the party.

These are the highlights of the party-

"You lying, cheating, piece of shit!" I-sak shouts.

"Oh yeah? You're the idiot who thinks you can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!!!" Gyeong-su shouts.

I-sak gasps, affronted. "I'm leaving you, and I'M TAKING NAM-RA WITH ME!!!!!"

"Okay," On-jo takes the Uno cards from both their hands. "I think we're gonna stop playing now."

"They quoted those lines verbatim, how long do you think they practiced that?" Cheong-san mutters to Su-hyeok, who shrugs in response.

"Is this the first time Hee-su's had drinks since she had her baby?" Joon-yeong asks.

Mi-jin laughs. "Let her have this. She's having fun."

Hee-su hops up on an ottoman, fists raised to the ceiling. "Wooo!"

After a second longer than most times, they call back. "Wooo!'

She stumbles over. Su-hyeok runs to catch her in his arms.

"... Okay, she's had enough," Mi-jin admits.

"Time for cake," On-jo announces, putting the cake they commissioned from Cheong-san's parents on the dining room table. "Someone get Nam-ra."

"Got it," Su-hyeok jogs to the den, where, as expected, Nam-ra, Dae-su, and Min-ji sit cross-legged in front of her giant flat screen.

'Today, we'll be investigating the Daegu Sewer Rumors. If you don't know-'

"It's time for cake."

He gets a couple grunts in response.

"Orangibberish's videos will still be there after." He nudges Dae-su's back with his foot. "Come on, don't you love cake?"

"One more video?" Min-ji whispers, like she's exhausted.

"Everyone's waiting."

"Alright." Nam-ra nods. "Let's go eat cake."

Dae-su and Min-ji both whine.

"My heart, my hips, my body, my love. Tryna find a part of me that you didn't touch. Gave up on me like I was a bad drug. Now I'm searching for signs in a haunted club. Our songs, our films, united we stand. Our country, guess it was a lawless land. Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand. Paper cut stings from our paper thin plans."

It's been a while since Woo-jin and Ji-min last did karaoke. Since... before everything really. Still not great but ridiculously entertaining. This is the first time Nam-ra and Hee-su get to see it firsthand. No one's even told them that this is a thing they do.

Nam-ra's delighted gaping is the best part.

"Sing Celebrity!" Dae-su calls out. They all cheer.

"Time for your last gift," I-sak says excitedly, leading Gyeong-su into the room as he carries a large box with a sheet over it instead of being wrapped. "This is from the both of us."

Nam-ra takes off the sheet, gasping when a bunny in a cage is under it.

"Or technically, the bunny and the cage are from me, the food and all the other stuff it needs are from Gyeong-su, cause it doesn't really make sense to get you a present you have to buy more stuff for right away. And if you want the details about it, your mom paid for it all, we just agreed to split it in name. Oh, we talked to your mom by the way, she's agreed to let you have a pet."

Nam-ra carefully takes the bunny from the cage, looking like she can't believe it as she raises the animal up over her head. Suddenly, the lights cut out and a flashlight is shined onto the small creature.

"You're so lucky!" Woo-jin complains. "I've had I-sak talk to my mom eighteen times and she still hasn't changed her mind about pets."

"Every time you and I-sak hang out, I get more confused," On-jo adds.

"Oh, we can share him then," Nam-ra says simply, petting her rabbit.

They all look at her confused. "What do you mean?" Woo-jin asks, tilting his head.

"Well, I figured Su-hyeok would be Yippee's father, but it can be you," Nam-ra says. "Don't worry, my father doesn't live with me either, so it's okay if you're not always around. In fact, you can move to Singapore and not call for two years and still be considered a father for what's expected of you." They all stare at her in awe. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Hell, yeah I want to! I mean, not the Singapore part, but-" He surges forward, pushing Su-hyeok to the side and taking his place next to Nam-ra holding out his arms. Su-hyeok gets up and sits next to Joon-yeong as she shows him how to hold Yippee. They share a look.

The people they're dating are co-parenting a bunny now.

"We should pick out godparents."

"Yes!"

He cannot believe he lost the role of godparent to own girlfriend's son- ... pet to I-sak and Gyeong-su.

At least he's taking it better than Joon-yeong.

He loves the way Nam-ra fits in his arms when he has his hands on her hips. This is just after the last one of their friends have said their goodbyes. Nam-ra's mom has a long day at work and it's just the two of them. Su-hyeok has her pressed against a wall in her hallway.

Nam-ra smiles as she pulls away, taking his hand and leading him along. He follows happily. She brings him to the room next to the bathroom.

"Wait, this is the guest roo-"

"Yippee's in my room. Not in front of him."

So, it was an all-around great birthday.

XXX

Hyo-ryung's POV

"This is really unconventional..."

"I know, but conventionally, Dae-su would try out for next semester's choir and do well, and you would reject him anyway. So I thought I'd be unconventional."

"Hyo-ryung, Dae-su was rejected for a reason," Ms. Bae tells her. "For a multitude of reasons. The behind the scenes workings are... so complex. And this-" She gestures to herself and Hyo-ryung behind the desk. "This isn't how we do things."

"You let Ji-min join the choir," she points out. "And I love her. But I think we're all a little grateful that the other kids are there to tune her out."

"Kim Ji-min is... bright. And she's passionate. And she fits. If I let Yang Dae-su on stage with the rest of those kids, he'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"What's so wrong with that?" Hyo-ryung challenges. Ms. Bae scoffs. "If he the chops for it."

"You're asking me to jeopardize the school's image."

"The school's image is already ruined."

"So, shouldn't we be trying to pull ourselves back together not- not-"

"It's letting a talented boy who happens to be overweight in the school choir. He's not a criminal. There are a lot worse things you can do for the school's image."

"Hyo-ryung, listen to me. The answer is no. I'm doing what's best for everyone. Including Dae-su. You will not change my mind on this. All you are doing is wasting both of our times. Now if there's nothing else, I'm going to ask you to leave."

"But-"

"Now."

Hyo-ryung sulks at the mall food court over a milkshake. It's not fair. Dae-su's so talented and Ms. Bae doesn't even care about any of that.

She's looking down at her drink when someone sits in front of her. She figures it's one of her friends, probably seeing her look down and coming to cheer her up. Actually... the person who does stuff like that the most is Dae-su in question. She looks up, and nearly has a heart attack when she sees Min Eun-ji looking back at her.

"What are you doing?" she asks before she thinks better of it. Of being so crass with Hyosan High's new mean girl.

"I have a way of knowing things," Eun-ji says to her. "Ms. Bae found your little chat funny enough to laugh about with some other teacher friends. Wasn't accounting for Ms. Park taking an early lunch and walking in. Now that was funny. The earful she got."

"What's your point?" Hyo-ryung asks, feeling even worse, and also humiliated knowing Ms. Bae made fun of her for doing that afterwards.

"My point is that I am very good at screwing over shithead teachers." She thinks back to episode seven, holds back a shiver, and guesses that she can't disagree.

"But... why would you want to help me?" Hyo-ryung frowns.

"Because the head of choir, Ms. Bae, is a bully." Eun-ji says. "And obviously, Dae-su has more than enough friends to make him feel better. But that means Ms. Bae should just get off scot-free?"

And... she pays attention. Eun-ji targets people who are horrible to be around. People who spread rumors, push people around, call people names. And Ms. Bae is being horrible. Hyo-ryung just doesn't know if she'll hold back with someone who wasn't horrible to her.

The memory of Eun-ji biting Mr. Jung flashes in her mind and she suddenly feels nauseous.

"I know she's a bully. But I don't think she should get fired or anything-"

Eun-ji narrows her eyes. "Okay, say we don't get Ms. Bae fired. Probably the right move, she'll just be replaced by someone just as bad. Won't get your boyfriend the spot."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Hyo-ryung snaps, the word mortifying to her. She feels her face heat up without her consent.

Eun-ji ignores her. "But adults aren't as defenseless as kids. Unless it's life-ruining bad, blackmail will just get me suspended."

At the word 'blackmail' it hits Hyo-ryung how much of a trap this is. She gets up from her chair, intent on just walking away.

"Sit down," Eun-ji orders. She does. "You're surprising me a lot. The girl I watched in that show never would've confronted a teacher. And she certainly would've run screaming the second a girl like me sat down in front of her." She narrows her eyes. "You don't seem frozen with fear. If I flash my teeth you're not gonna go running and screaming, are you?"

"No," Hyo-ryung shakes her head, keeping her mouth as zipped as she can. Her beating heart picking up even faster.

"Then that means you've... changed," she says almost wistfully. She sighs hard. "Ms. Bae's recently divorced, isn't she?"

"Yeah..." Hyo-ryung says, not really knowing where this is going.

"Rumor has it the house she lives in now is really shitty cause her ex got the old one," Eun-ji continues. "And you're friends with Choi Nam-ra."

"I don't think her mom will let her pay for someone's house," Hyo-ryung says incredulously.

"Then don't offer her that. Just offer her money. Enough money until she returns the favor."

"I don't know..."

Eun-ji snorts. "You're not asking her for high exam scores. You won't get in that much trouble if you get caught. Unless... we aren't brave enough to risk it?"

Hyo-ryung bites her lip, thinking of all the comments Dae-su has gotten about his weight. About all the things he doesn't get that are handed to others because people are so shallow. About singing around the campfire together and sounding good and wondering why he can't do something he's so good at.

"Is there anything else? Anything... cleaner?"

"We can't change the system. If we want to beat it, we have to work around the parts that don't work for us and use the parts that do."

But she also thinks about how much they all judged Nam-ra when they all thought her mother bought her her position. Dae-su wouldn't want to get on the choir this way. Cheating. Even if cheating is the only way to win.

"I... have to go."

She tells Nam-ra what she was told to do, not to convince her but because she needs to get it off her chest. Nam-ra doesn't tell anyone about it. That's something great about her, she's great at keeping secrets. Even from I-sak. And when Hyo-ryung confides that she feels like a terrible person, Nam-ra holds her hand. They have a sleepover. She wonders how she ever saw the worst in her.

And eventually, she tells Dae-su too. They sit on the sidewalk together outside the school. They have a lot of time to spend together considering how many of their friends are dating each other. "Wow... that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

"Thanks. I didn't actually do it though."

"Yeah, well, fuck it. Who needs some shitty school choir? I don't want a spot anymore. It's run by..."

"Shitheads?"

"Shitheads."

"Yeah," Hyo-ryung nods, feeling more reassured than she has in awhile. "Fuck them."

"And please don't talk to Eun-ji again. Not even for one of us. She's freaky. Like, dangerous freaky."

"I know," Hyo-ryung agrees. Even if the worst of what she's done technically hasn't happened and never will. Even if she was hurting. "I won't. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You tried to get me on the school choir."

"Okay."

"I know I've said this before, but as bad as Other Me has it..." He pauses, probably thinking of Min-ji, Woo-jin, and Joon-yeong. "I'm really glad I'd still have you."

"Me too," Hyo-ryung agrees. She's really glad she'd have had him.

She hesitates but holds his hand. He turns his head to her, surprised. But he grins at her all toothy. It's... cute.

XXX

Gwi-nam's POV

...

...

... Wait, what the fuck? Where did any of that come from?

Prison is so annoying.

Fuck.

XXX

Nam-ra's POV

Autumn turns to winter and winter turns to spring. Nam-ra almost can't believe how time works sometimes. How quickly these last few months have passed with the day they watched the show one cataclysmic point in her memory, but still just point. The actual day in question felt like months had passed between the first and last episode, she remembers that, but now it just feels like a checkpoint in her life, marking change. When something happens so suddenly and you can never go back to the way things were before.

She wonders if that's how it felt for the survivors. Three days isn't that much in the grand scheme of a lifetime but it was three of the most traumatizing, changing days they would ever have experienced, leaving them irreversibly different from the people they were before.

Nam-ra was on a certain path before all this. She knew what to do but she didn't want it. She never even let herself admit it but she didn't want it.

In many ways she's grateful for the way things went down. That they knew everything that needed to be known but didn't have to go through with it all. Not as much as if she had become friends with the others the way normal people make friends, or if she had been a part of the group from when she met them but grateful still.

Nam-ra packs her backpack for overnight. Long gone are the days when every single weekend was spent studying while listening to music or watching some emotionally devastating Netflix show. There are still days like that, but more so days that Nam-ra spends with her friends. Completely a part of it all.

She kisses Mom's cheek as she goes, Mom taking a second away from her book to wave her off. "Have fun, sweetie."

Nam-ra pauses to say goodbye to her rabbit, and whispers, so quiet that only her and Yippee can hear her. "Have fun with Grandma."

Her driver stops by Cheong-san and On-jo's apartment building, both hugging their parents goodbye before the couple happily hops into her car. Captain Nam smiles and waves at her from the staircase. They drop Cheong-san off at Su-hyeok's house knowing full well they'd see both boys again in a few hours.

Despite everything, their parents don't give them the permission to go to the roof of their school. They let them have their campfire at camp grounds, in the woods, at places that are safe. That's all fine. It's one of the responsibilities of being an adult.

But the teenagers are going for a full-circle moment.

They're careful sneaking past Coach Kang to get to the roof, keeping as quiet as they can. It's crowded in around the fire with so many kids but Nam-ra wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Sing another song, Dae-su," Min-ji requests, the rest of the group giving their murmurs of agreement.

Nam-ra joins in. She knows the lyrics now. She smiles as she does.

Head on Su-hyeok's shoulder, holding hands with On-jo, she thinks about what she'll say for the confessionals. Their confessions are less serious than neglect or regret now that everything's over, more like lies they told their parents or tests they didn't study for.

But Nam-ra still can't think of anything. She has everything she's ever wanted. She's understood in a way she never thought she would be before.

Nam-ra glances at the people around her. The girls of Class 2-5 sitting on her right. The boys on her left. The seniors and Min-jae across from her. All of them together. 

She's happy. So happy. 

Chapter Text

"Is it on?"

"Give me a sec!" Gyeong-su groans. He squints at the lens. "Yeah, it's on."

"Awesome!" He steps backwards until he's next to I-sak, who smiles and waves at the camera. "Hello! My name is Yoon I-sak-"

"-And I'm Han Gyeong-su-"

"-And today we are ranking the deaths in the show 'All of Us Are Dead.'"

Gyeong-su nods. "Right. Now, we have a very special relationship with show, because..."

"We almost lived it," I-sak says, clapping her hands. "Or more accurately, we almost died it."

Gyeong-su looks briefly confused at the statement but goes along with it. "Um, so... we didn't discuss any of where we wanted certain deaths to go before this."

"We did not," I-sak confirms. "We're doing this all right now."

"Uh huh, so why don't you explain the system we agreed on?"

"Firstly, blast from the past, we're gonna be sorting all the deaths in a tier list!" Cut to a recording of a computer screen, where a tier list is pulled up. At the bottom there are various pictures of friends, classmates, and other people from All of Us Are Dead taken off of the everyone's respective social medias or other places online. I-sak and Gyeong-su's cam is in a box in the corner. "After we divide them, we'll be ranking the deaths within the top and bottom tiers to determine the best worst-"

"Most well-written," he clarifies.

"-and worst worst deaths."

"Most stupid."

"We thought about doing this for all the sections, but that's a lot of work."

"So, we have five tiers right here," Gyeong-su chips in. "Our S tier, which we call-" His lip wobbles, whining, 'Nap'."

I-sak nods. "Basically, that rare breed that's so fucked up that you're shocked, even when you know this show is horrible. And it exhausts even more than most. So, you need a nap."

"Then there's-" His shoulders slump, voice dropping to a tired groan, "'What the Fuck?'" he says. "I named it. Which were my thoughts going in and out of my death episode-"

"But he will be going in 'Nap," I-sak interrupts.

Gyeong-su nods. "We actually did have a long debate about whether 'Nap' or 'What the Fuck?' should be S. In the end, 'Nap' was just more creative."

"Uh huh," she nods. "So, then there's our mid-tier. Which we've decided to call, 'Nam-ra's mom's assistant'."

"Below that is 'Everyone Hates The Principal'."

"And last and by definition least, our final tier, 'Not I-sak's World'." I-sak glares at the webcam, stormy-eyed and angry. No other words are said.

"... So, for this ranking, above all, we're going to be considering authorial intent, which is what the death was supposed to convey, story impact, how it effects things afterwards, and emotional impact, how bad it made us feel."

"Not to mention, what it says about the story and characters."

"We're gonna try to be as unbiased as possible, but obviously, we are humans-"

"I'm not," I-sak interrupts.

"... You're not?" he asks.

"I'm an alien from outer space."

Gyeong-su nods. "Okay... I have a secret, I actually am a vampire, not a human."

Her face lights up. "I have a vampire boyfriend! And On-jo said it would never happen."

He grins. "So, let's get to it then? First to last death?"

"Yup! First off, we have Lee Jin-su," I-sak starts. "The very first zombie... but not the last."

"No, not the last," Gyeong-su says solemnly.

"I mean, we have to give it props for being the very first death, the one that really kicks things into motion. That being said, we don't get a lot of emotion from like... knowing him as a person. But that is made up for in... his life was really sad. And thinking about his life makes us sad because, you know, we are human... wait. Also, we get some emotional investment from Mr. Lee's perspective."

"And yeah," Gyeong-su adds. "He was the bastard who started all this. But..."

"His life was sad."

"His life was so sad!" I-sak agrees. "So... I think we should put it in either 'What the Fuck?' or 'Nam-ra's Mom's Assistant'."

"Since it was the first, and also the first impression of all this fucked up shit we get in the series, I vote 'What the Fuck'."

"Hmm..." She strokes her chin, considering this. This goes on for a minute. He waits for her to come to a conclusion. "Okay." She moves the picture of Jin-su, a school picture from Hyosan High's website, to the second highest tier.

"Next up, we couldn't remember when it was revealed that Mr. Lee's wife died, but chronologically it happened next, so we're doing her now," Gyeong-su scrolls the mouse over to a picture of the woman, a few years old, back from happier times.

"Um... well, narratively speaking, her being dead doesn't really add anything," I-sak explains. "Like, Jin-su dying was kind of enough to emphasize how sad Mr. Lee's life is. So really, the wife also being dead only really contributes anything in that we don't have to wonder where the wife and mother is during all this, which honestly, do we really need? We didn't ask what happened to On-jo's mom at any point during the show."

"What did happen to On-jo's mom?" Gyeong-su asks.

I-sak's eyes widen. "I don't know."

"... 'Everybody Hates The Principal?'"

"Yeah," I-sak looks down. "I feel like a bad person."

"We both accepted that when we agreed to do this."

"I know," she nods, assuring herself. "Hyeon-ju."

"Well, she's a bully and a bad person, so she loses sympathy points."

"But we weren't supposed to sympathize with her," I-sak counters. "We were supposed to be shocked by her transformation since it was still at a point where we didn't really know what was going. And honestly, I feel like over-sympathizing with the person we were watching going through that would've taken away from the horror aspect and just made it too sad."

"It's really dumb that she got bit the way she did though," Gyeong-su adds. "Even us, people who haven't seen horror movies don't follow scary noises! And trying to pet some random animal is such a bad move."

"But we weren't rooting for her," I-sak argues.

"Well, we also didn't want her to fucking die."

"I also like the contrast of one of Ji-soo's bullies being really sweet towards animals. It's one of those things that make you think." She taps the temple of her head. "I say we put her in 'What The Fuck?'"

"I just can't justify that all this happened because some girl ignored common sense," Gyeong-su says. "'Nam-ra's Mom's Assistant'."

"But isn't that one of the main themes of the story?" I-sak asks. "That people die because other people fucking suck?"

"You think it was meant as a deconstruction," Gyeong-su asks, unconvinced. "Because I'm pretty sure people who make dumb decisions in horror get other people killed as well."

"But is it a theme?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

"Look, it's one of the first deaths. It sets the vibe throughout the first episode. It drums up the tension... I can't call that mid."

"Fine. Whatever."

"Nurse Kim. ‘Principal’."

"Chang-hoon. ‘Assistant’."

"Next up, we have Min-ji. We don't actually remember if this came before or after Ha-lim's, but we're guessing before."

"Now, we love Min-ji," Gyeong-su assures the camera.

"We do," I-sak says. "But to be completely unbiased, as she's presented by the show, she was pretty much a nothing character and then she died. Like, we know that she's a sweetheart. But in the show, we don't."

"There was some stuff that her death did for the story. Her begging for Dae-su broke our hearts."

"But did they break because we know her personally?" I-sak adds.

Gyeong-su continues, "At the same time, it was the first Class 2-5 death. That has to mean something."

"..." Something dark flashes in I-sak's eyes, like the words remind her of something. "But should the first death of Class 2-5 be with a character who barely did anything at all and was barely noticeable? She didn't earn the first death of the class. What does that even say?" Her voice has a tint of hysteria towards the end.

"Um..." Gyeong-su turns his head towards her in confusion. "Well... maybe it was to set the- the expectation. I mean, it was immediately followed by yours and you were established pretty well in the first episode. So, maybe it was to be like, okay, minor characters will die and then it's you." By the tone of his voice, it's clear he's very uncomfortable talking about this.

"... Maybe," I-sak says unhappily. "I still think it should be in 'Everybody Hates The Principal'."

"Oh come on, I think it can go to 'Nam-ra's Mom's assistant'. It was mid. Come on. It was mid."

I-sak sighs, looking deep in contemplation. After a few seconds, she gasps, "Shit! I forgot about Coach Kang!"

The camera blacks out and comes to, now with a school picture of their coach at the end of the lineup.

"Um, so, Coach Kang," she says. "It was an 'oh shit' moment when we realized he was bit. I handled it like a champ though. It ruined stuff for us. It's just that- Not... exactly... a 'What The Fuck' moment."

"'Nam-ra's Mom's Assistant' is good."

"Great." She quickly moves the picture to there. "So back to Min-ji- It didn't do as much for the story, it didn't freak us out as much as Coach Kang's. It did freak us out in general but would it have if we didn't know her? For that, I think Coach Kang's death sets the standards for 'Nam-ra's Mom's Assistant', so..."

"Okay, I see your point. 'Principal'."

She moves the picture of Min-ji, taken by I-sak at a recent Girl's Day trip to the mall to the chosen.

"Next we have Ha-lim." I-sak hovers the mouse over a picture of Ha-lim that Joon-seong provided for them.

"Well, we don't really know her that well at the start of the show. It's sad, but also more to set the tone for people dying. So, I'd say 'Everybody Hates The Principal'."

"Agreed," I-sak nods. She moves it and then it's her turn. Her picture shows her in a pretty dress with her hair done out at the grass of a park. Yes, she did have Gyeong-su do a photoshoot to get the perfect picture of her for this specific video. "My turn."

"Nap."

I-sak blushes. "Aw. I'm flattered. But it was a 'What The Fuck' death."

"It was the first main character death!"

"Main characters die! We were expecting it! Well... I was hoping not, but as a piece of media-" She shakes her head. "Look, 'Nap's are a special breed."

"But-"

"Objectivity."

"Ugh," he groans. "Fine."

"Gyeong-su. Nap!" I-sak immediately moves the picture of her boyfriend, grinning and giving the camera a thumb's up to the top tier. She then points to the camera threateningly. "Fuck Na-yeon. It's on sight, bitch."

He has no reaction to this, implying she's gotten like this before. "Hee-su. Uh... Assistant?"

"Look, Hee-su's my girl. But her storyline as it's presented is sort of like- What?"

"It was really sad though."

"It was!" she nods. "It's just... Principal because like what was that?"

"I... think it shows the unfairness of society that Hee-su was put in such a bad position and her dying to protect her baby is an example of the theme of familial love and sacrifice and... she should be in 'Nam-ra's Mom's Assista-'" He chokes holding in a laugh. "I'm sorry, my mind went to a terrible place. Don't ask. I'm trying to spare you."

I-sak gapes at him before taking his face in her hands and kissing his cheek. "I've taught you so well!"

She moves Hee-su's picture, which shows the normally timid girl smiling widely, also at the mall, and with makeup done to the middle tier.

"Cheong-san's Mom. Fuck you. Who said this was okay. Who said this was okay?"

"Nap?" Gyeong-su asks.

"No," I-sak shakes her head. "Either 'What The Fuck' or Assistant."

"Assistant!?"

"Do you understand what the bar is!?"

"It was a 'What The Fuck' death!'

"Then argue for it! We are being unbiased, so argue!"

"I- that was the 'main' main character's mom. Her death was built up to and we all were kinda like, 'Okay. She's setting herself up for disaster.' But we didn't actually think it would happen the realistic way! It was at the beginning of the episode and not the end which is kinda unique. OH! And also! The 'main' main character's best friend's zombie killed his mom!"

"Oh my god," I-sak gasps. "I'm so sorry. It's a 'What The Fuck' death... We can put it in 'Nap' if you want?"

"No." He shakes his head. "'Nap's are a rare breed."

"Uh..." I-sak swallowed. "The Principal?"

"That scene was kind of funny."

"Yeah..." She nods solemnly. "Plus, it had plot relevance giving Gwi-nam his first reason to kill Cheong-san. So."

"Assistant?"

"Assistant."

"I just realized that we named a section after the fucker and didn't put him in it."

"Well, we named a section after your reaction to your death and didn't put you in it," I-sak reminds him.

"So true."

"That asshole Joon-yeong always complains about. The one who tried to push Cheong-san to death. I know his name has a 'd' in it, but I'm blanking," I-sak says. "I got this picture of the science club page of the school website."

"Are you sure that's the right guy?" Gyeong-su squints at the picture of him, which was cropped from a group photo. As such, he was wearing a green team t-shirt.

"..." I-sak stares at the picture in. "... 'Everybody Hates The Principal'?" she murmurs. "It just sort of happened. So."

"Yeah... Wait, we forgot Mr. Lee," Gyeong-su says. "So, he died saving Detective Jae-ik, which was noble. I felt his death was kind of early though. Like as a character, he had the potential to do more."

"I'm kinda convinced he may be a hambie."

"What?"

"His zombie seemed really calm in comparison," she points out. "And I didn't see him with the rest of the zombies in episode eleven."

"If he was a hambie, they would have shown us that."

"Maybe they were saving it for season two."

"There is no season two," Gyeong-su says, looking scared at the thought. "I-sak, we all went home. It's over."

"For us. But I have a feeling the other versions of our friends are in for more."

"But- but- I..." He groans. "Okay, but since he's not a confirmed hambie in the show as we've viewed it, we have to count him because we're unbiased. Alright?"

"... Fine." The camera cuts out, returning with a picture of Mr. Lee at the end of the line up.

"Uh, so, we can't really say that his death was meaningless, since it had impact on the plot. Like, if he survived than he would've been rescued with the cops and there would be no reason to go to the school, so there's that. But it still seemed like he had more to offer alive. Uh... 'Assistant'."

"I feel like most things are gonna be in 'Assistant'," I-sak says.

"It is the middle tier," he points out. "It's like... the average impact we can get from a death."

"Right, so next off we have Ji-min's parents. We didn't really get to know them, but they really informed Ji-min's character. Um... that being said, with Ji-min's death turning out the way it did..."

"Let's put them in 'Assistant'. Kind of neutral. Nothing too strong either way."

"There we go again." I-sak shakes her head. "Jae-jun-"

Gyeong-su frowns. "Who?"

"The soldier with the mom who the army experimented on."

"Oh. 'Assistant'."

"Yeah... Mr. Jung."

"Also 'Assistant'."

"I'm hating this!" I-sak tells him.

"Well, they're deaths that serve their purpose. They just aren't that special."

"The mid-list is so fucking big."

"I think that means the show did it's job," Gyeong-su argues. "We're in the middle of the show, so. And there being a balanced section makes the really impactful deaths hit harder than if everything was just trying to top itself."

I-sak stares at him, but with growing pride. She kisses him on the cheek. 

"Next up," she says, more cheerful this time. "Myung-hwan."

"Ooh! That can be in 'What The Fuck?'!"

"... It served it's purpose." She grimaced.

"You want to put it in..."

"Like, it was satisfying, but it wasn't supposed to be anything other than satisfying to see him die. It served it's purpose."

"Okay then," Gyeong-su nods.

"Um... So, Na-yeon-" Her voice is strained and she clears her throat. "Well, in this show where most people die by mindless monsters, this death scene was a lot more... slow... creepy... horror with Gwi-nam. So... 'What The Fuck?'" 

"Uh- sure."

"Cheol-soo-"

"Wait," Gyeong-su says. "We forgot about Ms. Park."

"... I think she might also be a hambie."

He gives a long, drawn out sigh. "She wasn't though."

"Just hear me out." I-sak sits up. "When Na-yeon hallucinated all the zombies she was looking at as you, Ms. Park was in the middle but she hadn't turned. And yet, they left her alone. Just like they left Eun-ji alone before her neck even did the snappy thing. We didn't see her zombie when the bomb dropped. We didn't see her turn. And maybe I just have a bad memory but I remember it looked like she was gonna throw up. Don't remember a nose bleed."

"I-sak, unless they're confirmed to be a hambie, we count them. Because we're not biased. Right?"

I-sak pouts. "Fine. If we have to."

The camera jump cuts to a picture of Sun-hwa from her Facebook already in 'What The Fuck?'

"Cheol-soo?"

"'Assistant'."

"Y'know, this is why the military left our friends, right?"

"... Eh, it still wasn't that special."

"Alright."

"Ji-min," I-sak pouts. "Oh... Well, tragedy aside, I feel like the show was setting her up to have a really character arc that was cut off."

"I don't know. Maybe her arc was just how hard she can hit rock bottom and then she did. It feels like she can go to any of the middle tiers depending how you look at it."

"It was a really fucked up death..." I-sak agrees sadly.

"Yeah... then again, it was stupid of her to run into the woods. So, it all cancels out."

"If it cancels out, then... 'Assistant'?"

"It feels wrong to put her in the neutral zone though..." 

"But there are arguments for either side. What else can we do?"

"I guess..." They put her in the middle tier. Gyeong-su clears his throat. "I feel like Joon-seong is also going there too. It was well-built up to, but he wasn't that memorable as a character- Ooh, just got another pinch of guilt there -and at this point, we're used to dark deaths."

"It is crazy how deep episode ten's opening is before we get breathing room though," I-sak points out. "And that's not even the craziest thing that happened that episode. But you're probably right." She did the honors of moving him.

"Speaking of which-"

"Joon-yeong, definitely one of the worst deaths. I think it's a debate between 'What the Fuck?' and 'Nap'."

"Where did you get this picture of him?" Gyeong-su squints at the screen. The picture is of Joon-yeong, though clearly an artsy touch was put to it. He was crouched in front of a black car during the night time, gazing into the camera with a coolness that he doesn't usually have. The lighting as it reflects off his face is, frankly, perfect.

In response to his question, I-sak laughs.

And laughs.

And laughs.

And laughs.

"... Nap?"

"Why not?"

“So, Min-jae.”

”Well, he really wasn’t that memorable as a character, but the circumstances of his death were pretty bad and pretty unique given that Gwi-nam almost let him go then changed his mind. Plus he kept fighting to the end which was cool of him. I say ‘What The Fuck.’

"After that is Nam So-ju-"

"-And that is going straight to 'Not I-sak's World'."

"Oh," Gyeong-su does not disagree. "That's the first to go in that tier. Wanna explain your reasoning?"

"Yeah, there was no good reason why he couldn't just follow after the rest of the group right away. Like, sure, the zombies aren't gonna stay distracted forever, but that's why you gotta get out of there now. Chop-chop! What, was he stalling?"

"That's a good point."

I-sak beams. "Thank you."

"Next u-" He gets a stormy expression on his face. "Where is Cheong-san's picture?"

"... I forgot," I-sak whispers.

"Really?" Gyeong-su folds his arms. "You forgot the main character?" I-sak is quiet for another second. Then she opens her mouth. "Don't say it. Don't-"

"I'm not convinced he's not a hambie."

"I-sak!"

"We didn't see him turn. We didn't see a body."

"Seriously?" He groans.

"Seriously!" She nods. "And like, he's gotta be the most developed character. I just can't imagine a season two without him!"

"There is no season two!"

"Season two is just Nam-ra and Woo-jin's ghost arguing over raising their bunny after our ghosts gave him to them."

Gyeong-su lets out a long sigh. "Well, as far as we saw, he died. And he's going in Nap. And we need a picture to put him in Nap."

"Fine." The camera cuts out and cuts in with a picture of Cheong-san giving a thumbs up in the nap section.

"Gwi-nam," Gyeong-su says. "Um, so, since he's the main villain, and his death came at the climax of the story, it was very memorable. I think he belongs in 'What The Fuck?'. Not that we were questioning it, like-"

"'Why did this have to happen? Ahhh!"

"Right, or really upset, but, you know."

"Agreed." His picture was the news report of him getting taken away in handcuffs by the way.

"Commander Jin." His army photo. "So, this is a complicated one."

"I think we should go to 'What The Fuck' it was very different death, but in hindsight, well built up to, being more quiet and we all just kind of went from 'How does he live with himself?' to 'Ohhhh'."

"Alright then." Gyeong-su nods and places him.

"Woo-jin, hmm, NOT IN I-SAK'S WORLD, BITCHES!!!!"

Gyeong-su's so surprised by the loud exclamation he jumps back as she moves Woo-jin's picture, one of him and his sister as children, both disheveled and miserable, the words 'Siblings Destroy 50 Year Old Fountain' headlining over them, to the bottom tier.

"We're not even gonna discuss-"

"No," I-sak holds a hand. She sighs. "Look, I didn't want to say anything that would upset his boyfriend and family even more, but his death was so stupid. He could've just pushed the zombie out of the way like a normal person! Not to mention, it was the finale. This is the last death we have to get through! A) I love him, but as a character in the story, he did not earn the right to die in the finale. B) You're really gonna make the last death we mourn the stupidest one? Wow. Wow."

Gyeong-su stares at her and when it seems like she has nothing else to add, he opens mouth. "We-"

"And that's why I'm suggesting an initiative called, 'It didn't happen'. In which we go the rest of our lives pretending he survived the series."

"What? So, you'll acknowledge that in the alternate universe, you and I died, but you won't acknowledge Woo-jin or Mr. Nam's deaths-"

"No, I'll acknowledge Mr. Nam's death. There's a purpose to that, and it's to keep our friends from having a responsible authority figure around. Because God forbid. Still, it affected something. Woo-jin literally could've just been in the background not saying anything for the rest of the episode and no one would've batted an eye."

"Okay..."

"Look, Woo-jin's death was really dumb and unnecessary, alright? And it made me respect him as a person less. So, for our friendship's sake, I have to ignore that it happened at all."

Gyeong-su clears his throat, seeming like he's about to say something before quickly backing out of it.

I-sak narrows his eyes at him. "What?"

"I just think that after everything they've been through, he got tired, and he was emotional, and it happened very quickly, and he made an impulsive move."

...

He coughs.

She stares at him an almost lethality, like there should be smoke coming out of her nostrils. 

"Episode two."

"What?"

"I died in episode two!" she shouts, flailing her arms around. "And I died from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you died in episode three from murder. And we did not go through all that for some chump to make it to the goddamn finale only to die from impulsivity!"

Gyeong-su stares at her slack-jawed.

I-sak stares back, heaving out deep breaths.

He kisses her. She enthusiastically kisses back, throwing her arms around his neck, pulling back only slightly to reveal a wide smile on her face as their foreheads rest together before going back in.

The camera cuts.

When it cuts back, it's no longer in the computer recording but rather the two of them take up the screen like normal, both grinning wide and toothy. 

"So," Gyeong-su starts. "Now that our tier list is complete, it's time to sort. Remember, just the top and bottom tiers. 'Not I-sak's World' is pretty easy. We're ranking Woo-jin's death lower than So-ju's."

"Do you think we would give him a trophy for last place?" I-sak asks. "I feel like he'd be chill about that."

"Maybe, but do you wanna know what'll happen if Ha-ri and Joon-yeong find out?"

"Good point."

"'Nap'."

"First things first, I feel like we should put Joon-yeong at number three. Like, it's still one of the worst deaths, but not the worst death. Like, I feel like either you or Cheong-san would deserve the title more."

"I can agree."

"Then we should agree on who gets the prize," I-sak says. "Yours."

"Cheong-san's?"

"Mine?"

"Yes!"

"Cheong-san was the main character-"

"Honestly, I feel like the show was trying to  make you as likable as possible so we were all rooting for you when it happened."

"A bomb dropped when he died! He was consumed by an explosion!"

"Yeah, it was really action-y. Your's was so subtle. So quiet. Almost haunting. Like, Na-yeon really just did that so easily."

"But there was such a struggle to stop Gwi-nam and he killed Cheong-san anyways! He got the eye and everything!"

"You were murdered!"

"So was he!"

"Your death set the bar for the rest of the series. It communicated that even more fucked up shit than what you were expecting was about to happen!"

"This was the climax! This was everything the series was building up to!"

"So much was happening when Cheong-san died. You couldn't just focus on the death itself."

"It was supposed to be chaotic!"

"For your death, we needed the death scene itself and the reveal that Na-yeon fucking murdered you and it was everything a death scene could possibly offer without also killing off the zombies of all our friends or our living friends trying to escape or anything to make it even worse."

"He's my best friend!"

"You're my boyfriend!" 

"I thought we were being unbiased!" 

"I thought so too!"

"..."

"... If we give Cheong-san this trophy," I-sak bends over and holds up a trophy made out of gold tinsel with the engraved words 'Best Death' on it. "On-jo is going to figure it out."

"She wasn't seriously expecting us to not do this."

"But what if it gets out to rest of the group that we did this, and that leads to questions, and Joon-yeong and Ha-ri find out we think Woo-jin died like a little bitch baby?"

Horror immediately takes over his face. "I- That- that seems like a stretch."

"Stranger things have happened."

"I guess..." Gyeong-su looks troubled. He shakes his head. "Fuck it. Your reasoning is good enough. I'll take the trophy and give you ten thousand."

"Thank you," I-sak says satisfied. "I'm not even trying to say Cheong-san's death wasn't horrible. I just think yours was better."

"Fine." It cuts back to the tier list. "So, one last look at the final tier list to end things off. And I think that's it."

"Okay." Cut back to them. I-sak pats her lap. "Let's edit, upload this video onto a hard drive, delete the video from the computer, and then burn the hard drive."

”No one can ever know about this.”