Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jaekyung heard the zombie before he saw it. It screeched, groaned, and clicked incessantly, as if stuck on a broken record. Time seemed indistinct, the constant noise of zombies merging into the background. South Korea was not doing exceptionally well, but neither was any other country on planet Earth. Somehow, and Jaekyung couldn’t quite figure out how it had happened, the military forces around the globe had failed to take back control of the situation. 

Was the military truly dumber than a groaning horde of zombies? Jaekyung couldn’t fathom how tanks, vast ammunition supplies, high-tech military aircraft, and satellite lasers had failed to even temporarily halt the spread of the undead. Maybe Jaekyung had given them too much credit by assuming they would take advantage of every resource available. 

Perhaps he had been somewhat arrogant to expect so much from those fucking meatheads— after all, Jaekyung saw them as nothing but idiots running into battle with their weapons on full auto. Yet, there had been a glimmer of hope within him once. Standing atop a skyscraper, gazing down at the desolate streets of Seoul, Jaekyung couldn’t shake off his disappointment. He had tried really hard to maintain a sort of camaraderie, because being in the SWAT and being in the military might not have been quite the same, but they both required extensive training and yes, perhaps Jaekyung had overworked himself through it but he had not come in contact with one military personnel in the past few weeks. Not one.

This absence hinted at two equally disturbing possibilities: either the military had somehow been completely overrun by the rising numbers of zombies, or the government had chosen to abandon the rest of the world and retreat with the president and other pigs— excuse him, with other politically powerful people.

Both options meant the rest of the country was pretty much, for the lack of a better word, fucked. It meant no rescue, no access to weapons, no distribution of resources, and no civilian camps. People remained trapped in their apartments, stores, or classrooms, with the government offering no assistance— a reality that pissed Jaekyung off more than the approaching zombie.

As the decaying woman limped towards him, Jaekyung assessed her relatively fresh appearance, marred only by a change of color and a broken leg. “You’re not even worth a bullet,” he muttered. Retrieving an elongated dart from his belt pouch, he took aim and sent it flying. The projectile cracked her skull upon impact, and with a final groan, she collapsed to the ground, meeting her demise once more.

Jaekyung sighed in annoyance as he stomped towards the zombie. He didn’t mind dealing with the slow ones with his elongated darts, but he detested having to extract them from their skulls. It was always messy, and it always pulled out something he had no interest in naming or cleaning.

As he searched the zombie, stripping her down, he uncovered money and jewelry hidden in her bra, a small flip phone tucked in the waistband of her underwear, and an ID and a family photo in her back pocket. In the picture, the family appeared happy— two young children chasing a small dog, while a mother and father relaxed on a picnic blanket nearby. Jaekyung placed the photo in her hand, closing her fingers around it.

He wanted to believe that her family was still alive somewhere, that she, like the world expected of any other mother, had borne the burden and saved her children by sacrificing herself. He huffed in amusement then; the birth rate in South Korea was already declining before the zombies showed up like cockroaches after a feast, and so now he couldn’t help but wonder…

How would his country recover now? What was everyone doing to address this worldwide crisis? Was he the only one still hoping to find civilians and bring them to safety? Perhaps it was his hero complex, or his training as a team leader, but if he could gather just a few hundreds then perhaps he could make some changes. Civilians were not hard to train after all, but simply hard to control. 

Jaekyung removed the dart from the zombie’s head, wiping it clean on her clothes before returning it to its pouch. He was quite proud of these little things; they had a history. Years ago, during a training session, a rookie had joked that the target resembled a dartboard. Inspired, Jaekyung had asked a welder friend to craft these specialized darts. He then challenged the rookies to throw them at the targets, resulting in a mix of amusement and frustration as they struggled to hit their marks. Of course  many had failed that day, but Jaekyung had been more than just entertained as he watched over the team as they teased each other and made bets, putting their snacks on the line. Many of them had been disappointed when Jaekyung stopped bringing the darts, but that did not mean he didn’t keep them for himself. 

When the zombie apocalypse hit, the darts were among the many things he grabbed before fleeing his apartment. It happened on one of his rare days off, so he had taken multiple sleeping pills the night before the outbreak and had only woken up two days later, feeling refreshed but irritated by the chaos surrounding him. Sirens blared incessantly, people screamed, zombies screeched, and guns fired at irregular intervals— it had not been easy waking up to the world he knew having been turned upside down. But one of the most disappointing aspects was the lack of contact from his team. As one of the team leaders, he wondered where they were and why they weren’t responding. Back then, he had no answers, but he quickly learned that not everyone was cut out for survival. That realization had put some of the guilt as a team leader to rest.

Jaekyung sighed once more, turning his attention back to the duffel bag in the far corner of the roof, when fast-approaching footsteps stopped him in his tracks. He tensed, hand on the smallest firearm he carried, and another retrieving a dart from his pouch as he watched the door intently. Fast footsteps meant an abnormal zombie, and those were tricky; they zig-zagged their way towards their prey, their legs too fast for most people to keep up with.

A loud thud echoed from the staircase, followed by an even louder pained moan. Then the footsteps resumed, slower this time. Jaekyung caught a glimpse of fluffy light brown hair before it vanished behind the wall. “I-I’m human!” a stuttering voice called out, male, Korean, likely in his early to mid-twenties . “I’m sorry, I followed the zombie up here because I’m running out of water, and when one of them breaks away from their group, it usually means they sensed a human, so—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jaekyung snapped back. “You’re practically inviting more of them up here. Just get in here,” he ordered firmly, his weapons still at the ready.

With hesitant steps, the person peeked out, revealing only the top of his head. Jaekyung could make out brown eyes and fluffy brown hair, but also take notice of the fact that the stranger was significantly shorter. “Come out,” Jaekyung hissed in annoyance. When the man finally emerged, Jaekyung couldn’t help but feel completely overwhelmed by the intense feeling of wanting to smash his head into the nearest available brick wall.

The young man sure had a pretty face, but he looked ridiculous wearing a SWAT vest over plain denim overalls and a pale green t-shirt. His baggy pants were rolled up once or twice to keep them out of the dirt, clearly too large for him. On his feet were bright red high-top Converse shoes, entirely too flashy for a zombie apocalypse. To top it off, he had a medical kit strapped around his torso, the bag resting against his left hip as he tightly held onto the strap resting diagonally across his chest. How had someone like him managed to get his hands on SWAT equipment?

“Where did you get all that from?” Jaekyung asked as he holstered the dart and the Glock— the man was small enough for him to handle with one hand if necessary.

“They’re mine,” the man stuttered, causing Jaekyung’s eyes to widen in surprise. Could he really believe him now? Jaekyung was certain there had been height requirements to join SWAT in the past few years, and besides, the man trembled as if Jaekyung was trying to steal his soul. “My name is Dan, Kim Dan,” the man introduced himself, unprompted. “I’m a senior tactical medic for SWAT, see?” Dan pointed at the name on his vest before retrieving an ID from one of the pockets. He held it out for Jaekyung to see before pocketing it again moments later.

Then, he reached into his bag and pulled out two neatly folded pieces of paper, holding them out to Jaekyung. Jaekyung watched him cautiously for any sudden movements before walking over and taking the papers from Kim Dan’s hand. One was an Advanced Tactical Medical Provider Certificate, and the other was a medical license. “I couldn’t take all of them with me,” Dan explained as Jaekyung handed the papers back.

“Couldn’t you find a less distracting outfit? You’re basically a red cape to a bull,” Jaekyung criticized. While Jaekyung himself was wearing civilian clothes as well, they were at least all black, as were his running shoes.

Dan blushed at the question and looked down at his feet. “I was visiting my grandma in the hospital when it happened. This is all I had in the car, so…”

“Do you have weapons on you at least?” Jaekyung asked.

Dan shook his head, and Jaekyung sighed in frustration for what felt like the hundredth time today. “Well—” Dan began, hesitating before scratching the back of his head as if unsure whether or not to continue. “I’m fast, so I haven’t needed to defend myself yet,” he explained, and fuck, Jaekyung was beginning to run out of reasons to not believe the man.

“I suppose you couldn’t contact your team either,” Jaekyung said, not accusingly. He motioned for Dan to follow him to his duffel bag, glancing back to see Dan sidestepping the dead woman with a grimace. “She was already a zombie, I didn’t do anything to her,” he quickly clarified, not wanting to be misconstrued as a killer or worse, a rapist, as the woman’s clothes had been cut open during Jaekyung’s search for valuables.

“Unless you want to stick with me, what can you trade?” Jaekyung asked seriously, hoisting his duffel bag and rummaging inside until he found a water bottle, waving it teasingly. He could use a few supplies, but having a medic around meant he wouldn’t have to worry about his own health anymore and could just pass that responsibility on to Dan.

“Where are you going?” Dan asked first, which was fair. Jaekyung wouldn’t blindly follow anyone either, but he was surprised to see Dan sounding more serious now. It was becoming increasingly evident that perhaps Jaekyung had underestimated Dan, even if only slightly.

“I’m trying to make my way down to HQ in Busan,” said Jaekyung. He had originally started his career there but had been transferred to Seoul to train recruits. “Where are you based?”

“I was based here, but I can’t get through to anyone, and the station has been ransacked. I couldn’t even stock up on band-aids,” said Dan with a slight pout, though his eyes were serious. “The HQ in Busan has bunkers. Is that why you want to go there, Mr…?”

“Joo Jaekyung,” responded Jaekyung. “That’s exactly why. Even if it’s infested with zombies, if I can clear them out and secure the place, it would be better than waiting around for nothing. Once I have my shit together, I can start looking for survivors and hopefully reconnect with my team. So, what do you say? Trade or not?”

“No trade,” said Dan firmly. He tightened his grip on the strap of his med kit, his expression set with determination. “I will come with you.”

Chapter Text

For the next 24 hours, Jaekyung had decided —entirely on his own, he might add— that Dan would be on probation. He wasn’t entirely sure what the man was capable of or what his true intentions were, but Jaekyung needed to ensure that having Dan around wouldn’t become an inconvenience.

He followed Dan from a distance as the latter quietly navigated the hallways of the hotel. Dan would occasionally stop in his tracks, turning his head this way and that before continuing on. Jaekyung hadn’t been told what this strange ritual of Dan’s was, but he had tasked Dan with finding them a safe spot for the night, and the hotel across from the skyscraper had been an option. The skyscraper itself was no longer safe due to the dead zombie on the rooftop— once the other zombies caught on, they would swarm the place as if gathering for a funeral. If Jaekyung and Dan had lingered much longer, it would have been their funeral too.

“Hey Doc, what the fuck are you—”

Dan gently shushed him. This was the second-highest floor of the hotel, and if Dan didn’t make up his mind soon, Jaekyung was determined to just smash a door in and camp there.

“Come here,” Dan whispered, gesturing for Jaekyung to keep his footsteps light by very slowly waving his hand up and down. Once Jaekyung was right behind him, Dan took quiet steps towards the room to his right, carefully dropping onto one knee. As slowly as he could, he retrieved a stethoscope from his kit, then waved Jaekyung over as well.

Though annoyed, Jaekyung complied and put on the stethoscope as instructed, placing the diaphragm against the door. Barely noticeable, there was a constant thud from the other side, accompanied by a faint odor of decay seeping through the cracks.

“I see,” Jaekyung whispered, then handed the stethoscope back to Dan, who promptly put it away. He wondered just how acute Dan’s hearing was to pick up on such subtle sounds through doors and walls. Specialized training could develop such skills, but Dan was a medic, and surveillance wasn’t typically part of his job description. Even then, the training focused more on understanding the behavior of sounds rather than acquiring superhuman hearing abilities.

Dan proceeded to the last doors on the floor, listening intently. After a few moments, he shook his head negatively. If the last floor was also infested with zombies, they would need to change locations or resort to drastic measures like breaking in as quietly as they could before throwing the zombies out of the building through the window. The last thing they needed was a zombie funeral to happen inside the building.

Upstairs, there were only two rooms, one at each end of the hallway. Standing in the middle, Dan listened carefully before approaching the one on his left. “Can you open this, Mr. Joo?” he asked in a whisper.

Without a word, Jaekyung pushed Dan aside and retrieved a flat-head screwdriver from one of his pockets. Carefully, he inserted the tip of the screwdriver into the gap between the door and the doorframe, near the latch. Applying leverage by pushing and twisting, Jaekyung forced the latch open with precision. With a soft click, the door unlocked. He pushed it open and stepped aside, gesturing for Dan to enter first, bowing in feigned respect.

Hesitating, Dan entered first. It was a suite room with two levels, and by the looks of it, whoever had been there last had left in a hurry. Food was left out on the counters to spoil, and water was running upstairs. “Someone might be here,” Dan remarked.

“Stay here, Doc,” Jaekyung ordered as he entered. He closed the door, relieved to find a lock from the inside. Just to be sure, he balanced the screwdriver on the handle as a warning in case anyone attempted to enter. Abandoning his bag on the floor, Jaekyung took slow, calculated steps up the stairs, gun at the ready. He pushed open only the door to the bathroom, finding clothes strewn on the floor, towels, and uncapped bottles of shampoo, but no one inside the shower cabin.

Turning off the water, he repeated the routine in every other room on the floor before returning downstairs. They needed a plan, one that didn’t require unnecessary splitting up. Jaekyung could patch himself up, but he wasn’t sure Dan would readily part with his supplies unless Jaekyung played nice and offered something in return— his protection.

Dan was cleaning the kitchen area when Jaekyung descended the stairs. He was discarding the spoiling food and clearing everything left out. Thankfully, the fridge was still working, its buzz audible even from upstairs, indicating that there might be something edible waiting for them.

“We should do a rations check,” Jaekyung suggested, and Dan hummed in agreement.

“I have 3 NPAs, 3 sets of PPE, 2 tourniquets, 1 space blanket, 5 gauze packs, 2 chest seals, and emergency antibiotics, probiotics, and painkillers. I have two bottles of each, 1000 pills per bottle,” Dan listed off. Jaekyung whistled in impressed surprise at the numbers. Dan was not only prepared to survive for a while, but he was also ready to help others by the sound of it.

“I would have taken more with me if I could have, but my car was looted,” Dan explained. He washed his hands in the kitchen sink before joining Jaekyung on the living room sofa. “What about you, Mr. Joo?” he inquired.

Jaekyung sighed, feeling the weight of exhaustion in his body. “Why don’t you take a look? You’re obviously better at keeping lists anyway,” he said dismissively, gesturing toward his duffel bag. Dan pressed his lips together, looking as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately sighed in defeat. He left his own med kit on the sofa before making his way over to the bag.

Jaekyung half-expected Dan to struggle with lifting the bag, but to his surprise, Dan managed just fine, carrying it to the sofa and dropping it on the coffee table effortlessly. Clearly, Dan had more strength to him than his body showed.

With a knee on the table for support, Dan began digging through the bag, methodically taking out items one by one and organizing them into groups. As he leaned over, the arch of his back became more accentuated, and as space dwindled next to him, he leaned further over the table to reach new spots.

Maybe it was because Jaekyung hadn’t been able to fuck for the past few months, but Dan suddenly looked like a good candidate for the task. 

Jaekyung couldn’t help but notice the way Dan’s pants tightened around his firm ass. The sight of Dan hunched over the table, his shirt riding up and revealing glimpses of smooth skin above the waistband of his overalls, which he had unfastened hours ago, letting it hang around his waist. He was curious how Dan would react if he were to stand up right then, get behind him and whisper dirty things into his ear while grinding his bulge against Dan’s ass. 

“Mr. Joo?” Dan’s voice pulled Jaekyung out of his thoughts. Dan was still there, one leg kneeling on the table as he held onto each side of the bag opening. “You have a lot of ammo with you but not much of everything else,” Dan said with a worried look on his face. Jaekyung noticed Dan’s habit of frowning and pouting simultaneously whenever slightly inconvenienced— honestly, how old was this guy and who let him get a medical license?

“That’s fine, Doc. There might still be some food in the fridge, and if not, we’ll make do with the military packs until we can go on a raid tomorrow. I ain’t moving a fucking finger for the rest of the day though,” Jaekyung declared, rubbing his left shoulder as he spoke, feeling a strange pang of pain shoot through it as if he had been stabbed. Without a word, Dan approached and pressed down on his shoulder ever so lightly, eliciting a hiss of pain from Jaekyung. “The fuck, Doc?”

“You’re hurt,” Dan stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, no shit,” Jaekyung grumbled.

“I can help if you want. I was a physical therapist for a while. But you should go shower first, try to use hot water if there’s any left,” Dan suggested.

Once again, Kim Dan was proving himself to be not as much of a wimp as Jaekyung had anticipated. The man was definitely an introvert, quiet, and too whiny for Jaekyung’s liking, but there were moments when Kim Dan the civilian and Kim Dan the tactical medic switched places. In those moments, Dan’s eyes would lose their innocent spark ever so slightly, and they would darken with seriousness instead.

“Is that a doctor’s order?” Jaekyung teased.

“It’s a suggestion and an offer, Mr. Joo,” Dan replied, bowing low before returning to the table and beginning to place everything back inside the bag. He carried a concentrated look on his face as he went over the task, ensuring he was distributing the weight accordingly.

“Whatever,” Jaekyung huffed dismissively. Dan was too boring for him anyway, so attempting to flirt his way into having sex with Doc was not going to happen apparently. But a massage wouldn’t have been too bad, and neither was the idea of a long, hot shower.

Chapter Text

As the warm water cascaded down his body, Jaekyung could feel the tension melting away like ice on a hot summer day. Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath in, he allowed his mind to wander, painting vivid images of another figure— Kim Dan. 

Dan was on his knees before Jaekyung, their gazes locked. The steam from the shower enveloped them both, creating a veil between reality and fantasy. “Please, Jaekyung,” this Dan whispered, his voice hoarse with need. “I want you inside me so badly.”

”Do you deserve me?” He asked in return, smirking at the turn of events. He knew the real Dan was shy, probably a fucking virgin still but this Dan? Jaekyung wanted this Dan to be a cock-deprived slut. This Dan was bold and unashamed, his hands trembling as they reached towards Jaekyung’s growing erection. Jaekyung could almost feel the warmth of Dan’s breath on his skin, the anticipation building within him like a powerful wave. 

Dan’s lips were parted, his tongue darting out to wet them in anticipation. The fantasy Dan gripped Jaekyung’s throbbing member, his gaze big and teary. “Please, Jaekyung,” he tried again. He slowly stroked Jaekyung’s length, his eyes never leaving the object of his desire. His hand moved up and down Jaekyung’s shaft with an experienced rhythm, as if Dan had been made for this. 

Jaekyung jerked himself off faster, imagining Dan's eager hands doing it for him instead. The cock-deprived slut in his mind still knelt at his feet, pleading for mercy with tearful eyes. "Please, Sir," Dan whined, his voice hoarse with need. "I need you inside me. Please, don't leave me wanting like this."

Hearing those words sent a jolt of excitement through Jaekyung. He loved the idea of having a confident slut under his command, someone who would do anything to satisfy his desires and their own. Shyness and reserve had no place in his fantasies; he yearned for bold, unapologetic sexuality that would submit entirely to his will. Eager virgins, however, held a special place in his heart— men who were full of questions and insecurities but willing to learn from him, eager to please and desperate to explore their bodies in ways they never thought possible.

He couldn’t help but imagine what such a journey would look like with Dan— imagining how Dan would look while swallowing his cock whole, gagging slightly on its thickness before learning to deep throat him expertly. Jaekyung felt his orgasm drawing near at the image of Dan fucking himself back onto his shaft, his hole tightening around it as he cried out in pleasure. Imagining Dan’s tears streaming down his face pushed him over the edge.

With a final, forceful stroke, Jaekyung came with a loud groan, his body trembling as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him. Breathlessly, he collapsed forward, hitting the shower wall gently as the hot water washed away his cum and sins. He laughed at himself, shaking his head in disbelief; a few months since he’d last had sex passed and he was already doing this ? He was surely going insane.

Jaekyung still breathed heavily as he pushed open the door of the shower cabin. His body already felt more relaxed, as if nothing from the past few months had ever happened. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had showered—he had broken into a few places here and there during his self-assigned mission of gaining contact with his team. In those places, he not only showered but also raided, packing everything he could find.

In the beginning, he had thought it wouldn’t last, that the military would take care of it all and he could soon return to his apartment and rest. But hours stretched into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months. Before Jaekyung knew it, he was living life on rooftops, failing to find functioning utilities in any of the places he had broken into.

Now warm water felt like a miracle. But this was a suite in an expensive hotel, and Jaekyung knew it most likely ran on its own set of generators and water tanks. However, he couldn’t determine just how much longer they would run for. But that was okay, as the plan to stay wasn’t long-term.

The next step was to rest for a while before heading to Busan. It was a 5-hour drive on a good day, but with limited gas and zombies blocking the main roads alongside abandoned vehicles— it was going to take much longer. Moreover, Jaekyung had no actual way of knowing whether he and Dan would even be safe at the HQ; what if hordes of zombies were waiting for their next meal? What if the place was completely shut off? What if the passwords and codes changed and his ID card no longer worked? There were so many possibilities, and Jaekyung hated things that were not certain. For him, things had to be black or white; his life had no room for gray. 

“I should shave,” he thought aloud as he went through the cabinets in the bathroom, finally finding a hotel-provided razor. With a messy can of shaving cream on the floor, he quickly got to work, shaving away despite the foggy bathroom mirror being his biggest inconvenience. He couldn’t help but notice how spacious the bathroom counter was, and how it was just the perfect height to bend someone over it, forcing them to look at themselves as Jaekyung would fuck into them from behind. He wondered if Dan would cry if he were to do that to him, but there was doubt in his mind. Dan was the equivalent of a harmless hamster, blushing and looking away whenever he got embarrassed by his own stutter— there was no way Kim Dan was kinky. 

But perhaps Dan’s sexual life was the least of Jaekyung’s worries. Was Dan into men? Despite Dan’s tendency to blush whenever Jaekyung got close to him, it didn’t necessarily signify anything. After all, the blush seemed to appear on Dan’s cheeks frequently, and Jaekyung had only known him for less than 24 hours.

Ah, whatever. 

Jaekyung splashed water on his face once more to remove the remaining foam before rummaging through the cabinet over the sink. Finding another razor and some other hotel-provided products, he knew they would come in handy later. Taking the can of shave gel with him, he wrapped everything in a towel and carried them as he searched for one of the bedrooms. Remembering seeing clothes earlier and Dan mentioning a washing machine in the kitchen, he decided to take the chance to wear something clean for a change.

“Rich people are my favorite,” he whistled, eyeing the brand clothes left behind— expensive and almost new, along with a pair of pricey sneakers thrown across the room. Holding up the nearest shirt, he noted it looked like it would be a tight fit, but knew it would work. However, he wasn’t going to risk getting anything from it; everything he found had to be washed downstairs. Creating a pile on top of a laid-out shirt, he began searching through drawers and the wardrobe, discovering a neatly folded white robe that he put on, discarding the damp towel around his waist. His search yielded only a few more shirts and some jeans that were too short for him. 

With his pile made, he grabbed the corners of the shirt underneath and left the room. Suddenly, a garlicky, roasted smell stopped him in his tracks— was Dan cooking?

With hurried steps, Jaekyung descended the stairs and found Dan fussing around the kitchen. “The hell are you doing?” Jaekyung found himself asking. It’s not that he wasn’t hungry, especially for real food and not just military packs, but had Dan really been careful about the food he had found in that fridge?

“I found a bag of frozen veggies, a tiny thing of hotel butter, and some seasoning,” Dan said, shrugging a shoulder. On the counter next to him was an opened military food pack with dehydrated rice, steam rising from the hot water that Dan had added. “It’s nothing much but it’s better than just plain MREs.”

“Spoiled, aren’t you?” Jaekyung spat through gritted teeth. They could have dehydrated those for later; was Kim Dan that desperate for a meal?

Dan stopped stirring the veggies and gave him a long look before pointing the wooden spoon dangerously close to Jaekyung’s face. “You’re in pain, and I am tired. If we don’t find gas, and a car by the way, because if you had yours still, you wouldn’t be here, and I got beaten up by a gang of mobsters for my car weeks ago, we will have to walk. Do you know how far away that is, Mr. Joo? It’s 200 miles. Isn’t it better to fill up while we can?” Dan was slightly out of breath by the time he finished, and Jaekyung’s eyes were wide with surprised amusement. He didn’t expect Dan to not only threaten him with a spoon but also go off on him. 

Okay. This was something Jaekyung could get used to.

He smirked down at Dan before nodding his head in agreement. Busan was definitely weeks, if not months away if things didn’t go their way, and finding a car with gas in it, let alone a functional car, was going to be a pain in the ass.

“I am sorry,” said Dan, his cheeks already reddening. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“No, you’re right. Then we will stay here for a few days,” Jaekyung spoke, noticing how Dan’s eyes subtly dropped to his chest, where just a patch of his skin was showing behind the robe. “I am gay, Kim Dan,” he said. “I think you might want to rethink the way you look at me.”

“That’s not—!” Dan tried, but Jaekyung interrupted him by patting his head. Dan’s hair felt oily under his fingers, but Jaekyung didn’t care. The man was cooking for him, after all; Jaekyung could at least be nice for a while.

“Stir it, or it will catch on fire,” Jaekyung ordered, watching as Dan scrambled to do as told. “Did you find anything we can use for the washing machine?”

“Th-there’s some dish soap we can use, but n-not too much,” Dan stuttered, his head bowed low as he continued fussing over the stove. Jaekyung took over the task of putting in the first load of laundry, having to walk around Dan a few times just to get things organized in two piles and grab the dish soap— a small travel-sized bottle resting on the sink. So much for staying in a suite if the hotel was only going to provide mini-sizes of everything.

“Go take a shower after this,” Jaekyung whispered softly. “There should be stuff in the bathroom down the hall upstairs, but if there’s not, the first room on the right has a few things from the master bathroom wrapped in a towel. I will go check for a supply closet while you’re showering.”

Why did it almost feel domestic?

Chapter Text

For the following days, Jaekyung and Dan shared the suite. Jaekyung had managed to find a supply closet in the basement of the hotel, while Dan discovered a small bottle of Tylenol under one of the beds, seemingly having rolled there after the previous occupants left in a hurry. The supply closet didn’t offer much, except for a few clean towels that Dan had cut thin strips out of, clean sheets still in their plastic packaging, and more mini-sized items that they decided to keep for later. It wasn’t much, but the dish soap, butter packs, and the extra small hand sanitizers were the most useful items they found.

They had tried to search for more supplies, but the need for rest was greater. Jaekyung had found out in those past few days that Dan gave decent massages, and his cooking was far more palatable than any salad Jaekyung usually put together before the fucking apocalypse started. Of course, there had been the argument over dehydrating the rest of the frozen veggies versus using them in another big meal before they had to leave for Busan, but Dan had won in the end. It was decided that the veggies would be sacrificed in their meal tonight.

“You ready to go yet?” Jaekyung asked, straightening his vest. He took a long look at Dan, who was tying the laces of his new shoes. They both had decided to ditch most of their own things and make do with the ones found in the suite. Thinking of it as an extra layer of protection, they were both wearing the two black turtlenecks they’d found, while Jaekyung had topped it off with a long-neck jacket from a tracksuit, still wearing his black shoes and pants. Dan, on the other hand, had abandoned his overalls for a sports hooded jacket and dark-colored jeans, and his red Converse for a pair of sneakers. Jaekyung still managed to find a massive issue with the outfit— the turtleneck Dan was wearing was a woman’s. While it did fit Dan, it was tight, and Jaekyung found himself having to resist the urge to grab the man’s small waist whenever he was not wearing his goddamn jacket.

“Mhm,” was all Jaekyung got in return. Yesterday, they had gone out to explore the rooms not occupied by zombies and had come across one of the offices that held onto the blueprints of the hotel. While nothing interesting came up, Dan had noticed tunnels under the building that he assumed were either connected to another nearby hotel or a local business. Either way, it was better to be in a tunnel than out in the streets while attempting to raid before fleeing Seoul.

“I think I need a weapon,” he whispered, and Jaekyung couldn’t help but agree. Dan had claimed time and again that he had managed for so long solely by being fast on his feet, but if they were going to travel together, then Jaekyung needed Dan to be able to protect himself, at least temporarily.

“I think there was a crowbar in the supply closet,” Jaekyung recalled. Suddenly, an image flashed before his eyes, one that showed Dan breathing heavily, wiping a speck of blood off his cheek as he stood over a zombie with a crowbar held tightly in his hands. Perhaps Joo Jaekyung was really going insane for that to be stirring something in his body. “We’re not getting you a crowbar anymore,” he mumbled then, ignoring the confused look on Dan’s face. 

After quietly making their way downstairs and back into the basement, they crawled through a hole that the hotel owner might have tried to brick shut but had given up mid-project. It opened up to the tunnel—a seemingly endless hallway, narrow and cold, damp and sinister. The only light came from emergency bulbs here and there, glowing a dim, ugly orange color.

“Do you want light?” Dan whispered, his voice filled with anxiety. For a moment, Jaekyung looked down at him, and though he could barely see the shorter man, he took notice of the way Dan seemed smaller than before, as if he was physically closing in on himself.

How could Jaekyung say no to him when Dan was obviously afraid of the dark, or perhaps claustrophobic? Honestly, who allowed this man to be a member of the SWAT again? “Fine,” was all he said. Before leaving the suite, they had drenched strips of towel with hand sanitizer, wrapping each tightly around a hanging rod Jaekyung had unscrewed from one of the wardrobes. It was the smallest thing they could find that was still long enough to be safe to hold onto, though they had to use more strips to create a handle; the last thing they needed was third-degree burns.

Without saying a word, Jaekyung pulled out the makeshift torch from the otherwise empty duffel bag. Once lit, Dan let out a long exhale that Jaekyung was sure he meant to be subtle with, but it just proved to him that Dan was indeed afraid of the dark. It was fine. They could work with that. “Thank you,” whispered Dan, and Jaekyung didn’t protest when he realized a small hand was gripping one of the straps on his vest.

“Whatever.”

They walked alongside in silence for minutes that seemed to stretch on and on. Occasionally, a rat or two would be heard scattering around, pitter-pattering away from their light and the heat. It was a miracle the tunnel was not filled to the brim with zombies already but—

“Were you really asleep when it happened?” Dan’s question ignited an amused huff from Jaekyung, who shook his head in self-disappointment.

“I’m a light sleeper,” Jaekyung explained, keeping his voice low; zombies or not, it was better to not attract attention. “So I really needed those pills. Didn’t expect to wake up with a zombie banging on my door two days later.”

Back then, Jaekyung had cursed and huffed with anger, not knowing what awaited him on the other side of the door, but he was fully prepared for a verbal confrontation from one of his nosy neighbors. Instead, when he flung open the door, a decaying man launched himself at Jaekyung, his hands reaching for his throat and his teeth aiming for his face. Even today, Jaekyung couldn’t fathom how, but he managed to escape the attack unscathed— perhaps that was a lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Dan that he crushed the zombie’s head with his bare hands. Jaekyung found comfort in his ability to protect himself through sheer strength and determination alone. Yet, he knew that instilling fear in Dan wouldn’t serve them well in the long run.

Though perhaps Jaekyung was still underestimating Dan. “Were you really visiting your little granny?” He decided to ask, his voice barely audible over the distant drip of a nearby broken pipe.

He cast a brief glance at Dan, who bowed his head low before weakly humming in confirmation. “One of the patients in the hospital… started biting people. Everyone panicked, and the hospital went into lockdown but… I somehow managed to get out.”

He could recognise himself as being an asshole, but even Jaekyung couldn’t ignore the fact that Dan’s grandma likely hadn’t made it out alive. He felt the urge to ask what had happened to her, to ask if they could return for her before leaving for Busan… but he knew better. It would have been insensitive. Jaekyung had no way of knowing her condition— was she alive, waiting, or had she become one with the undead? Even if she had survived, could she have been transported? But they did not have a functional car. The previous night, they had gone out to look around the area, but tires had either been slashed in attacks or zombies had been trapped inside the cars, and killing them would have started a funeral they couldn’t have escaped. So Jaekyung said nothing, and neither did Dan. 

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, Jaekyung forcefully pushed open the door with his shoulder, revealing a flight of stairs leading upward. He positioned the torch at the base of the stairs before ascending alone, reaching another door. “It’s unlocked,” he whispered after giving the handle a gentle press, gesturing for Dan to follow. With a gentle push, Jaekyung swung the door open, greeted by the sight of a ransacked sports store. Its windows lay shattered, crudely boarded up in a weak attempt at security. Racks were strewn haphazardly across the room, and blood-soaked the few remaining articles of clothing, almost like the art of a madman. 

“Look for anything clean,” Jaekyung said, his face contorted in disgust as he kicked away the remnants of a slashed volleyball. “We don’t know what fucking disease the blood has in it.”

“Do you think it’s that?” Dan asked, halting Jaekyung in his tracks. Jaekyung turned back to the doctor, noting the worry etched on his face. “Do you think it’s a blood disease?”

“Aren’t you the doctor?” Jaekyung asked, though only half-jokingly. Dan was a medic, after all, and he had been awake when the chaos began, so he should have had more insight than Jaekyung did.

He spotted a nearby baseball bat, grabbing it and giving the air a few swings to test its weight. The bat seemed light enough for Dan, and probably sturdy enough if they could find some long nails to stick into it— even better if they could get some barbed wire as well. Jaekyung whistled, and that was the only warning Dan got before Jaekyung threw the bat at him from across the room. With widened eyes, Dan caught it right by the handle.

Dan hummed in agreement once he recovered from the shock, holding onto the bat like one would with a bouquet. “It could be anything,” he began, gently nudging objects out of his path as he explored the store. “In movies, it’s usually a virus, but viruses are more complex than that. Something like this would require a very specific host, but the fact that there were so many patient zeroes—”

“What the fuck did you just say? Patients? Multiple?” Jaekyung interrupted, surprised. Didn’t outbreaks typically start with one person? If the virus needed specific hosts, how could there be multiple simultaneously?

“The first sighting,” Dan explained, meeting Jaekyung’s gaze from across the room, “there were 10 zombies running on a highway in Japan. They were really fresh. I wish I still had my phone so I could show you, I—” Dan paused, taking a deep breath to compose himself. “The next sighting was reported three hours later from a deserted area in Texas. Then, 10 hours after that, mountain climbers in Austria were attacked by zombies. Only one escaped and ran to the police with the footage.”

“So many, in such different climates and environmental conditions, and in such a short amount of time— it couldn’t have spread through travel,” Jaekyung mused aloud, considering the implications. “Sure, the transformation happens quickly, but it sounds as if the zombies were fucking spawned in random locations around the world like fucking Minecraft.”

“What other theories do you have?” 

“Biological experimentation also appears in movies, but in the age of surveillance, it wouldn’t be possible,” Dan reasoned. “It would have leaked to the public by now. Contamination doesn’t seem likely considering their locations, unless they all traveled to the same spot at once and got contaminated there. But the mountain climber was asked about travels and said no one in his group was not big on travels.” Dan whistled then, throwing the bat back to Jaekyung who gave the medic a long, confused look. His first thought was that Dan had perhaps found a flaw in it and no longer wanted it, but Dan’s look full of expectation made it easy to catch on. 

“And I suppose government experiments are out of the question too. We can’t get two of them to not kill each other’s babies, don’t know how fucking three of them would agree on the same experiment,” he reasoned, then back to Dan went the bat. 

Somehow, their raid had turned into them wandering aimlessly around the store, tossing the bat back and forth as they brought up theories, then taking turns trying to debunk each other’s ideas. Though helpful, their theories were nothing more than just that; movie logic couldn’t translate to real life, and Dan’s medical knowledge had its limits. One thing was certain: the initial appearances made little sense.

Eventually, boredom took over, and they decided to explore the area, finding it eerily tranquil. Removing the wooden planks from the main entrance proved disturbingly easy, but the quiet streets were even more unsettling. Jaekyung had grown used to the constant undead cacophony of screeches, cries of agony and groans of frustration, but now, only the wind’s whistle surrounded them.

“There should be a convenience store nearby,” Dan remarked, swinging his bat casually. Jaekyung noted Dan’s almost childlike excitement; it was a change from the man he’d gotten to know in the past few days. “I miss ramen,” Dan muttered, a hint of a pout and frown taking over his features once more.

“Care for some ramen with me?” Jaekyung teased, expecting his double meaning to sail right over Dan’s head. To his surprise, the medic blushed and looked away. “What’s this? Not so innocent after all, huh?”

“And you?” Dan challenged, prompting a chuckle from Jaekyung. 

“You’re brave, I will give you that,” he remarked, shaking his head in amusement. Jaekyung had always been drawn to pretty faces, small waists, and soft bodies— there was just something about being bigger than them that intrigued him. When he’d learned how to dominate properly from a professional, he’d been reminded time and again that the sub held the power to stop everything, a concept he took to heart. But everything else? Jaekyung wanted to control, and the size difference was a satisfying aspect of it all. Thankfully, there had been many interested in giving up control the way he couldn't help but desire, so there had been no shortage of one-night-stands. 

“You take that over there,” he directed, nodding towards a small, abandoned-looking 7/11. “I will take this one. Remember to use that bat if you need to, okay?” Giving Dan’s head a pat, he smirked at Dan’s attempt to swat his hand away.

As he walked towards his target, Jaekyung counted Dan’s distant steps alongside his own, a simple measure of how long it would take to reach the medic if needed. It was a comforting thought that Dan wouldn’t fucking die on him; he still needed the medic after all.

5.

10.

50.

60 seconds. 

After exactly 60 seconds, Dan stopped hearing Jaekyung’s steps. He sighed in silent relief, finally alone with his thoughts. The past few days had taken a toll on his weak heart, so having this moment to gather himself felt like a godsend.

Dan didn’t hate Jaekyung— he didn’t think anyone could truly dislike the man. Sure, Jaekyung’s personality had its flaws, but he was a silent provider and protector. Joo Jaekyung opened doors, yet always stepped in first to assess the situation before inviting Dan to follow. Despite Jaekyung’s occasional eye-rolls, sighs, and annoyed tongue-clicking at minor inconveniences, he ultimately listened, observed, and acted accordingly, albeit sometimes putting on a show first. He was the type to notice when Dan was thirsty, quietly opening a bottle of water without a word or waiting for thanks. Sometimes, Jaekyung even took a sip before passing the bottle to Dan, as if to imply the act was for himself rather than for Dan.

Dan could see right through Jaekyung; it was a skill he’d honed as a medic. He was accustomed to people lying to him about their medical conditions or their substance use, so he’d developed the ability to read people like open books, and Jaekyung was no exception. It was clear that Jaekyung was sexually attracted to him, but Dan couldn’t act on it. He’d never been one to sleep around or date around; he leaned towards purity in relationships. He wanted dates, years of living together under the same roof, and ultimately marriage. Though in a zombie apocalypse, those ideals seemed distant, Dan knew he couldn’t be whisked away from his morals so easily. 

But it was difficult. Jaekyung was undeniably attractive and had a teasing manner that, while not hurtful, could still be considered extreme and it wasn—

Dan’s world seemed to have ground to a halt. The store was mostly barren of products, with tables, racks, and chairs scattered about in an obvious attempt to block out the zombies. Lost in thought, Dan failed to notice he was mere steps away from a blind zombie. Its jaw clicked open, its neck cracking as it strained to locate Dan.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

With cautious steps, Dan began to retreat, feeling behind him with a hand to ensure he wouldn’t stumble into a dead end and become his own demise. However, nothing could have prepared him for the chair leg protruding from the makeshift barricade. 

He fell backwards, heading straight for the ground as the zombie screeched, its loud cry echoing throughout the entire store. Suddenly, Dan felt the cold, slimy touch of the undead creature as it lunged towards him, its rotten flesh brushing against his skin. The stench of death filled his nostrils, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. With all his strength, he pushed the bat against the zombie’s neck, feeling the splintering wood give way under the pressure. His heart raced as he anticipated the worst. 

As the zombie’s grip weakened, Dan seized the opportunity to apply more force with his legs as well, effectively pushing the zombie away before rolling onto his hands and knees, grabbing a better hold of his bat and attempting to exit the building. One minute was all he would need to get to Jaekyung, only one.

But as Dan staggered towards the exit, he felt a sudden jolt that sent him sprawling onto the cold, hard floor once more. His heart raced as he looked behind to see the rotting hand of the zombie clinging to his ankle, attempting to drag him. Gulping down his nerves, Dan raised his baseball bat above his head and brought it crashing down onto the creature’s skull with all his might. The sickening sound of bone breaking echoed through the abandoned store, and a fountain of gore sprayed outwards, coating Dan’s body and clothing in a sticky red mess. Despite the overwhelming instinctual urge to gag at the stench that followed, Dan bit his lips shut and tightly pressed his eyes closed. He couldn’t afford to find out exactly what it was that made zombies into what they were. 

Cursing under his breath, Dan frantically wiped away the blood that had splattered across his face, determined not to let even a single drop enter his body. Once he was satisfied, he pushed himself up from the floor and turned his attention to the zombie at his feet. Suddenly, the sound of hungry growls emerged from the depths of the store, urging Dan to move quickly. There was no way he would allow himself to become trapped in the middle of their funeral. 

With renewed vigor, Dan bolted out of the store and dashed across the street, grateful beyond measure that Jaekyung had left the doors wide open for him. “We have to go, now!” He pleaded, feeling the unmistakable pounding of footsteps closing in behind him. It was clear they planned on catching the killer before they could rejoin their fallen friend. 

“Let’s go,” Jaekyung called out, his expression tense as he glanced briefly out the window. With practiced efficiency, he swiftly zipped up his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder before nodding towards the back of the store. “There is a back door we should be able to use,” he said hurriedly. 

They navigated their way through the maze of racks and storage shelves, finally reaching the back door. To their dismay, they found themselves hemmed in by limited escape routes— a tall gate loomed on one side, while a seemingly endless brick wall stood on the other. Desperation surged through Dan as he scrutinized their predicament.

"Push this against the door," he instructed, pointing to a nearby dumpster. Jaekyung wasted no time in complying, shoving the metal container firmly against the entrance as Dan continued to assess their situation. A glimmer of hope flickered in his mind as he considered an escape plan. "We could climb up to the roof," he declared, his voice filled with newfound resolve.

Jaekyung seemed to share his conviction, grasping Dan's arm and lifting him effortlessly onto the top of the dumpster. Following suit, he leaped up beside him, both men now perched on the edge of their makeshift barricade. Together, they reached up for the low edge of the roof, hoisting themselves up only to come across another problem that stared at them right in the face— a tangled mass of zombified workers clinging desperately to exposed electrical wires. They must have been called out to fix some issue at the store only to end up biting each other to death. “Go back down?” Dan questioned, his voice trembling. 

Just as he finished, his plan was shattered by the deafening crash of the dumpster being violently hurled away from the door. A doodle of desperate zombies filled the small space, zeroing in on the two men. Frantically, they began climbing one another in an attempt to get to Dan, most likely wanting to avenge their friend back in the 7/11. 

Dan scanned the front of the store, his heart sinking as he realized that their options were rapidly dying. Zombies surrounded them on three sides, leaving only the towering barrier behind them— the wall of the neighboring business. “Come,” was all Jaekyung said. Getting on one knee beside the wall, Jaekyung positioned his hands in such a way as to create a makeshift ladder step for Dan. His eyes were serious, filled with the same determination that Dan wished he had as well. “It’s low enough,” he urged. 

Gathering his courage, Dan took a few steps back before launching himself forward with as much speed as he could muster. Leaning into Jaekyung’s support, he propelled himself upwards, his fingering closing around the edge of the wall. As he climbed up, he heard Jaekyung's loud curse followed by the sound of a snapped cable, indicating one of the electrician zombies had chewed its way through. “Jaekyung!” He called out, leaning over the edge and offering his hand. 

Following Dan’s lead, Jaekyung launched himself towards the wall. Grasping Dan’s outstretched hand should have been the last of it, the one step before they could relax, albeit momentarily. But luck seemed to abandon them once again when the large bricks beneath Dan’s torso crumbled under his weight, sending him hurtling forward; in that moment, Jaekyung’s grip on Dan’s hand slipped away, and he was plummeting backward, landing heavily on his back with most of the impact absorbed by his left shoulder. Dan could just imagine how the pain was radiating throughout his body, but thankfully, Jaekyung drew a ragged breath, providing some measure of relief to the medic that at least he hadn’t hit his head in the fall. 

With a newfound sense of urgency, Dan knew he had to act quickly to protect Jaekyung from the monsters. When he noticed one of the unfortunate electricians was approaching Jaekyung with limping legs, Dan was pushed into motion. 

Without hesitation, Dan slid down the wall with his bat held firmly in his grasp and stood over Jaekyung as he cracked open yet another zombie’s skull. The action angered the rest, and what might have started as a weak attempt at catching Dan and taking revenge for their little friend, had turned into wails of agony from the creatures below, which pushed each other even harder just to get to him.

This was going to be a big funeral. 

Chapter Text

Dan took a deep breath, bracing himself for the task ahead.

Jaekyung sat between his legs, facing away from him; his torso was bare, glistening with sweat even though he was shivering uncontrollably, the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his injured shoulder doing nothing to calm Dan’s worried mind. With supplies dwindling by the hour and their water stack being nil, there seemed to be little hope left for them. But there was nothing Dan could do— not knowing how people turned into mindless zombies made him hesitant to use water they found along the way, so the least he could do was use some of the hand sanitizer they found at the hotel and trying to keep Jaekyung’s bandages on until they could no longer hold onto the blood.

Dan prided himself on his medical expertise, both academically and instinctively. However, having to improvise treatment for an ill patient like Jaekyung gnawed at his conscience, especially considering how close they had grown over the past week. The attack on the rooftop had forced them to hunker down until the horde of undead dissipated. They had managed to secure a vehicle while scouring the desolate city streets, but it only got to get them onto the highway. They had been walking ever since, only ever stopping when Jaekyung’s body would stagger and limp without his consent. 

Jaekyung was a formidable figure, easily dwarfing Dan in terms of sheer size and mass. As much as Dan wished he could adequately support Jaekyung should he collapse, the harsh reality was that Jaekyung's stature made it nearly impossible for Dan to physically lift and carry him. At best, Dan could attempt to haul Jaekyung to safety if truly needed, but there was no way Dan could carry him the whole time like Jaekyung probably could do to him.

"I need to remove your bandage," Dan cautioned, taking yet another fortifying breath. Jaekyung simply gave a curt nod, betraying no trace of hesitation or apprehension despite the obvious shake in Dan's voice. As soon as Dan started unwrapping the soiled dressing encircling Jaekyung's injury, the taller man let out a visceral groan of pain, his entire frame sagging forward. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Dan muttered in rapid succession, his heart aching. It was hard for him; the man that had been protecting him all this time was crumbling down before his eyes. It was a reminder that Jaekyung was human. 

"For fuck's sake, Doc! If you hate me so much, just say it!" Jaekyung attempted to joke despite the evident strain in his voice. Dan arched an eyebrow, now accustomed to Jaekyung's attempts at humor even in the worst possible moments.

With a deliberate touch, Dan tapped the tender flesh adjacent to Jaekyung's wounded shoulder, relishing the sharp intake of breath that followed. "You insufferable brat," Jaekyung mumbled, though his words carried no malice — only weary resignation. Breaking the silence that ensued, Jaekyung asked, "Where the hell are we anyway?"

With practiced ease, Dan continued to cleanse the wound, his mind wandering as he responded nonchalantly, "Somewhere around Anseong, though I’m not sure." He unrolled more bandages then, mentally counting down his stack. 

As Jaekyung wiped the accumulating beads of perspiration from his brow, he asked, "How safe do you think this place is?" 

Dan's fingers lingered on Jaekyung's skin even after securing the makeshift bandage, a fleeting touch filled with care and longing. "Hard to say," Dan admitted, his gaze distant as he pondered the potential scenarios. "Smaller towns often mean fewer vehicles, but also a higher likelihood of survivors hunkered down in someone's home, waiting out the apocalypse."

Jaekyung let out a disbelieving chuckle, filled with bittersweet amusement. "Waiting for the apocalypse to magic itself away," he mused, his tone heavy with sarcasm. Dan could empathize with Jaekyung's sentiments — the idea of salvation coming from outside forces was nothing but a pipe dream after having watched the government and its military fail the people of its own country. Survival depended on one's own resolve and resourcefulness. 

Dan firmly believed that if they couldn't secure a safe haven, it fell upon them to create one themselves. At present, such a thing appeared beyond their grasp, but the prospect of a nearby town suggested the possibility of convincing the townspeople to let Jaekyung rest within their community. While Dan could cope with spending the night outdoors, he remained stubborn about shielding Jaekyung from both the dangers of the outside. All Jaekyung needed was a few days of peaceful rest, his body desperately needing proper shuteye out of the zombies’ reach. 

“Maybe we sh—” Dan started to speak, but a distant rumble of an engine interrupted him, causing his heart to skip a beat before racing wildly. Jaekyung cursed under his breath, clumsily regaining his footing. Without hesitation, Dan darted behind a nearby bush, hastily stuffing their belongings and any conceivable debris he could find inside to cover them up. Quickly returning to Jaekyung's side, he peered over to witness a weathered jeep approaching them at rapid pace. A familiar glint blinded him from the passenger’s seat; a clear sign of a gun being pointed at them. 

"Where's your bat?" Jaekyung inquired, a touch of concern lacing his voice. 

Dan shot him a scrutinizing glance before delivering a sharp smack against his arm, choosing to ignore the grimace that flashed across Jaekyung's features. "And what good is a stick going to do when the man starts shooting? It’s in the bush with everything else.” 

As Jaekyung gazed skyward, almost seeking solace from a god that didn’t exist, he uttered, "You used to be so adorable when you were shy." The grin tugging at Jaekyung's lips contradicted his words. 

Just as Dan prepared to voice another protest, the jeep abruptly screeched to a halt. Five men tumbled out, two brandishing weapons while the apparent leader exuded confidence with a toothy grin. "Gentlemen!" The man boomed, his unnerving enthusiasm leaving Dan feeling uneasy. The two men wielding firearms were not targeting Dan directly, but rather focusing their deadly intent upon an injured Jaekyung as if he were nothing but a wild beast ready to pounce; under any other circumstances, Dan would wholeheartedly agree. "These days," the man remarked, his demeanor evoking that of an elderly man recalling fond memories of yesteryears, "there aren't many survivors left to meet. So tell me, where would you like us to drop you off?”

Dan said nothing. Jaekyung said nothing. 

The silence persisted until one of the armed men prodded, "Come on, we ain't gonna hurt ya." The same man then glanced toward Dan, prompting Jaekyung to step forward in order to shield Dan. 

With a delicate grip, Dan clasped Jaekyung's forearm, an effort to anchor him. "We just need a safe place to rest," Dan asserted, his voice steady despite the looming threat. 

The leader nodded, suggesting, "We have a small barn in Anseong — shall we?" His men complied, clearing a path for Dan and Jaekyung to approach the jeep. Two of the men, one carrying weapon a gun and the other unarmed, made their way towards the vehicle's trunk and jumping in with practiced ease, while the remaining armed man settled beside Dan in the backseat. Jaekyung was seated on Dan’s other side, visibly stressed, slumped against the window, his heavy breaths betraying the glare in eyes.

Though the drive to Anseong was relatively brief, it was filled with tension and anxiety. Jaekyung was growing worse by the minute, and the closer they got to the town borders, the more evident it was that the group had no intention of simply extending a helping hand toward two struggling survivors. 

As the jeep came to a stop, men awaited its arrival, hastily yanking Dan and Jaekyung free from the vehicle. They were then shoved into a modest barn, thrust inside roughly and, unmistakably, locked within.

As Dan observed the locked doors, a question escaped his lips, "Now what?" A resounding thud echoed in the background, drawing his attention to Jaekyung, who had crumpled to the floor, lying prone. “Jaekyung!” Without hesitation, Dan rushed to his side, palpating for a pulse, which he fortunately detected, albeit faint. In response, he sank back onto his haunches, exhaling heavily with relief.