#cheong san x male reader

[luvymelody]

NAME : lee cheong-san , all of us are dead

SONG : love. , wave to earth

SUMMARY : cheong-san's friend group finds out that he has a crush on y/n l/n. wc : 2.5k

(it's gn reader pronouns but the reader is mentioned to be a princess a few times)

(non apocalypse au!)

"hey you punk, get to your seats!"

ms. park yelled out, people rushing to their seats as y/n slept soundly on their table,

"someone wake up y/n."

"y/n.. wake up.."

y/n's deskmate quickly slipped into their seat, tapping y/n on the shoulder rapidly to wake them up. y/n stirred awake, blinking at the bright sun that was shining through the window.

"thank you for joining us, y/n!"

ms. park said with a teasing smile, then setting down her books. y/n returned a small smile, sitting up.

"hi, good morning."

"good morning!"

as usual, everyone started to stand up, walking to the front to hand in their phones. y/n lazily stood up, walking slowly until someone bumped into them.

"here, i'll do it."

the boy said, softly taking y/n's phone out of their hand. y/n found that it was cheong-san.

"thank you, cheong-san."

"no worries."

cheong-san grinned at them, then walking to the front to put their phones into the box.

-

"in fact, none of us are completely free from prejudice. we all have preconceived ideas about others. here, 'free from' means the lacking in or unincumbered by. anyone want to interpret this?"

y/n lazily drew in their book, smiling a bit when their friend drew random things next to it.

"class president?"

nam-ra lifted her head, ms. park tapping the board with the chalk.

"the truth is, all of us have some sort of prejudice. we all have preconceptions about other people."

"hmm, okay. nice. next, y/n, bare-su, stand up."

y/n's smile faded as they looked up at su-hyeok who stood up, them following suit.

"yes?"

"what's with 'bare-su'?"

"uhmm.."

"it's short for barefoot su-hyeok. bare-su."

some people in the class could be heard laughing. su-hyeok nervously swaying on his feet with his hands behind his back. y/n was still scribbling on their page while their deskmate was smacking their hand to stop them.

"okay, bare-su! what did nam-ra say a minute ago?"

ms. park asked su-hyeok, who looked at y/n while they were still drawing on their page.

“y/n? do you wanna help out bare-su?”

“everyone has their own type of prejudice against other people, something like that.”

“yes, sit down. bare-su, you can keep standing- put your arms in the air too.”

su-hyeok groaned aloud as the class laughed under their breaths. cheongsan looked back at y/n as they dusted off their lap, laying their head on the palm of their hand and looking out the window.

cheong-san watched as the sun hit their face, y/n slightly squinting and covered the sun with their free hand, sighing a bit.

cheong-san quickly looked away as his friend, gyeong-su hit him on the shoulder.

"what are you doing man? shit, are you looking at y/n?"

"what? no way."

"you like them, don't you?!"

"shut up!"

-

eventually, lunch rolled around as cheong-san walked with his friends, laughing together as cheong-san prayed that gyeong-su forgot what happened in class an hour before.

"cheong-san."

cheong-san turned his head to see y/n, looking up at him holding their tray of food.

"do you want these? i hate them."

y/n pointed at the cubes of pickled radish, cheong-san looking at their face rather than the food they were pointing at.

"oh, sure, i'll take it."

cheong-san quickly picked up his chopsticks, picking up at the cubes quickly as his friends noticed that he wasn't walking with them anymore.

gyeong-su hit his friends, pointing towards y/n and cheong-san as cheong-san gave them his banana milk, y/n smiling up at him and he shared a giddy smile back.

"wah, they totally like each other."

"he's coming- turn around!"

the group all turned and walked towards a free table as cheong-san caught up to them, sitting down next to su-hyeok.

"yah."

cheong-san's head went up to dae-su who was sitting across from him on the table.

"what?"

"you like y/n, right?"

cheong-san blinked at dae-su, chuckling, then looking back down at his food.

"what gives you that idea?"

su-hyeok and gyeong-su made silent eye contact as gyeong-su dramatically rolled his eyes.

'no way he doesn't.'

'if he doesn't, he's crazy.'

the two telepathically contacted through their facial expressions, wu-jin hitting dae-su on the fore arm hard as dae-su caressed his arm in pain.

"shut up and start eating."

"why are you so rude to me?!"

-

"alright! be quiet!"

ms. park yelled once again that day, quietening the class in a hurry as they quickly reduced to silence.

"the school festival is coming up, and our class will be doing a play."

"what?"

"seriously?"

"again? our class did that last year!"

"quiet! they all liked our performance last year so much that they wanted us to do it once more."

ms. park said, wanting the class to be more proud of themselves. but some people just sighed, looking away in embarrassment.

"this time, we're going to be randomly choosing our roles, so don't get upset with what you get."

"yes ma'am.."

-

"seriously..?"

"seriously?"

y/n and cheong-san said at the same time, having gone up together to randomly pick the paper out of the box of random roles and looking at their papers while walking side by side to get back to their seats.

"what? what did you get?"

cheong-san asked, peeking over their paper to see what role they got but y/n quickly held the small piece of paper to their chest, shaking their head.

"tell me what you got first."

"no way, i asked first."

"same time?"

"okay fine."

"one, two, three!"

y/n and cheong-san held their papers infront of their chest, blinking at each other's roles.

"prince?"

y/n said, looking up at his face as cheong-san looked up at them.

"princess..?"

cheong-san muttered, nearly out of breath as he felt the breath in his lungs start to float away, up and up into the sky as the two held eye contact with each other, gazing at each other until a certain someone's best friend interrupted.

"wah! y/n and cheong-san are the prince and princess!"

gyeong-su exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the two who looked away from each other, quickly putting their papers down, cheong-san shoving his into his pocket as y/n held it in their hand, scrunching it up.

"y/n, you're the princess?"

y/n's deskmate asked, looking up from their seat while on-jo and i-sak looked up with y/n's deskmate, smiles on their face.

"are you?! that's so cute! y/n and cheong-san!"

"oooo!"

the class ooo'ed in unison, making y/n embarrassed as they covered their mouth with one hand, cheong-san starting to glare at gyeong-su.

"yah, asshole."

"okay i'm sorry man i didn't mean it- wait! i didn't mean it!"

-

“okay, take 16. three, two, one!”

ms. park said with a clap, na-yeon next to her holding a clapperboard and closing it right, rolling her eyes while doing so.

“romeo, you must leave, it isn’t safe for you here!”

y/n said, holding a piece of paper with their lines, their eyes looking down at it every few seconds.

“i can’t leave, knowing you’re here by yourself, it’s too much.”

“mercutio will be here any second, you have to go!”

y/n fell into cheong-san’s arms, worry on their face on they banged on his chest. cheong-san kept his gaze on y/n, gripping tight onto them.

“i don’t care, i’ll fight him, here, on the spot!”

cheong-san declared, pushing y/n softly out of his arms as he raised his shirt up a little, flashing the dagger that was tucked away under his shirt as he took out the fake plastic dagger, holding it in his hand.

“romeo! juliet!”

su-hyeok yelled, popping out from behind the curtains as he locked eyes with cheong-san, pointing the top of the fake sword in his hand at the two, cheong-san shielding y/n with his free arm.

“have you given in? will you give up juliet to me?”

su-hyeok said, glaring at cheong-san.

"never, you'll never have y/- juliet."

cheong-san declared, pointing his dagger at su-hyeok as the lights went out, the auditory room going dark as a little bit of shuffling was heard. after a few seconds, the lights went back on to reveal cheong-san on the floor, holding his stomach with one hand as the other propped himself up on his elbow, y/n held cheong-san, facing away from the audience.

su-hyeok was a few meters away, holding his neck while he slouched while standing up.

"if i can't have juliet.. no one can.."

su-hyeok said with a final breath, collapsing on the floor and presumably dying.

"che- romeo. please.. i need you..."

y/n said, cradling cheong-san's face in their hands.

"don't worry, juliet.. i, love you. i always have.."

cheong-san said, his eyes fluttering shut slowly as his hands held onto y/n's back, squeezing tight as y/n leaned in, the script saying that y/n and cheong-san would have to kiss, but y/n was too nervous, their lips opening and closing, pausing still infront of cheong-san's face.

cheong-san sensed it, his eyes looking down at y/n's lips, knowing y/n was nervous, the expression on their face being a tell-tale sign.

"it's okay, you don't have to."

the front curtains closed, cheong-san, su-hyeok and y/n were then hidden from the audience.

"good job!"

"that was good!"

"time for costume building!"

a person exclaimed, clapping aloud as the curtains opened back up, y/n quickly standing up, holding out a hand for cheong-san to get up.

"nice acting y/n."

cheong-san, smiling up at y/n as he grabbed onto their hand, y/n pulling him up.

"thanks, you did good too."

y/n smiled up at him, cheong-san's heart beating faster and faster as cheong-san adjusted his tie, swallowing a gulp.

"are none of you gonna help me up?"

su-hyeok said, still on the floor on his back as he looked up at the duo who looked over at him.

"ha, no."

cheong-san said, pulling y/n by the arm away to make their costumes as su-hyeok yelled out, and y/n laughed out.

"yah! help me up!"

-

"cheong-san, c'mere."

y/n said, writing down measurements as cheong-san looked over at them, walking over.

"i gotta take your measurements, lift up your arms please."

cheong-san did so, lifting his arms up as y/n wrapped the measuring tape around his waist first. cheong-san stared at y/n's focused features, not minding how y/n's hands trailed down to his hips.

“what colour do you think suits me?”

cheong-san murmured, standing tall as y/n began to measure his arms.

“hm, i think.. white. black too.”

“everyone suits black and white.”

cheong-san chuckled, feeling y/n's hands shake while y/n laughed.

"y/n! can you come measure su-hyeok?"

"coming! one sec!"

y/n said, quickly measuring cheong-san's shoulders, cheong-san becoming distracted at the thought of y/n measuring su-hyeok.

"su-hyeok?"

cheong-san questioned, y/n not hearing him as they started to walk away, holding the clipboard and writing down cheong-san's measurements.

"ah! y/n-.."

cheong-san quickly became quiet, watching as y/n smiled at su-hyeok, the two of them laughing about something that cheong-san couldn't hear. the dark haired boy's jaw tightened, closing his eyes as he breathed out.

"cheong-san! come over here, we need help!"

"coming."

-

y/n sat on the long staircase, their hands behind their back resting on the concrete, staring up at the sunset.

"y/n,"

cheong-san said, making y/n look towards the voice as cheong-san threw them a can of soda.

"thanks."

"no problem."

cheong-san sat down next to them, opening his own soda quickly and chugging a bit, opening the bag and picking out the corndog he bought, munching into it as y/n looked after they heard the crunch.

"hey, why didn't you get me one?"

y/n whined, reaching over to grab the stick but cheong-san brought his hand away, making y/n lean over him, hand on his leg.

"you didn't ask me, and i wanted one okay?"

cheong-san commented, taking another bite off the corndog as cheese stretched off on the stick, making y/n groan.

"please cheong-san- i'll buy you chicken!"

"you're gonna just buy from my mom's place and she's gonna be too nice and just give you for free."

"well.. i'll tell you anything you want."

cheong-san paused for a second, letting y/n snatch the corn dog out his hand, taking a bite.

"hey!"

"i will though! anything you want, but one thing."

y/n said, while chewing a bit, then swallowing.

"whatchu wanna ask?"

y/n smiled up at him through their eyelashes, blinking rapidly trying to charm him while cheong-san laughed, looking away from y/n but just scooted closer to them.

"okay. do you,"

cheong-san hesitated for a second, y/n tilting their head while waiting for his response, their can of soda pressed to their lips as the liquid shine from the drink spread onto y/n's lips.

"do i?"

"do you.. like anyone?"

cheong-san asked, quickly darting his eyes away from them as y/n blinked at the weird suspense to ask such a, normal question.

"that's it? but yeah, i do."

"who?"

"i said i'd tell you one thing."

y/n replied, not letting the topic spread any further about themselves.

"do you like anyone?"

"..maybe."

"what the hell?! who! tell me cheong-san."

"no, you aren't telling me your one!"

"i, have my reasons."

"well then me too!"

-

it felt like it had been taking months to prep for the school festival play, y/n could hear the talking of the crowd and audience outside, having put on the ridiculous dress that i-sak and gyeong-su made together.

"so, itchy.!"

"stop complaining!"

y/n's deskmate said, slapping them on the arm as y/n grabbed their arm, rubbing it in pain.

"you got this- oh, lee cheong-san."

y/n turned their head, seeing the dark haired 'prince' who wore the black and white princely attire that y/n had personally, helped make for him.

"hi y/n."

"hi cheong-san."

y/n smiled at him, making their deskmate slip away with no notice, walking towards on-jo and i-sak who were setting up the lights.

"are you ready?"

y/n asked, scratching the back of their head while looking away and cheong-san smiled back.

"yeah. are you?"

"'course."

-

cheong-san felt conflicted about his feelings, his jaw clutched as he lied on the floor.

"if i can't have juliet.. no one can.."

su-hyeok said with a final breath, collapsing on the floor as his body spread across the floor in a dramatic manner.

"romeo. please.. i need you..."

y/n said, cradling cheong-san's face in their hands. their voice hiccuping as they talked and their voice sounding out loud and clear through the auditory room.

"don't worry, juliet.. i, love you. i always have.."

cheong-san said, bringing a hand up to y/n's cheek, and then also swiftly taking off his mic set, making y/n raise their eyebrows at him as he also pushed down y/n's mic away from their mouth.

"cheong-san?"

"i love you, i always have, y/n."

y/n's eyes widened at the declaration, surprise filling their eyes as cheong-san had a sudden change in heart, his heart beating out of his chest as he worried of y/n not reciprocating his feelings.

"really?"

"of course."

cheong-san quickly added, nothing registering in his mind until he felt y/n's lips against his, his eyes widening, the crowd cheering, and the curtains closing.

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER FOUR' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ a fast-spreading outbreak soaks the school in blood. quite literally & figuratively.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; classism, homophobia, bullying, embarrassment, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

| NEXT | PREVIOUS

[DAY OF THE OUTBREAK…]

sitting at your front door, tying your shoes, you can't shake the feeling that something's off. last night's sleep was weirdly quiet - no dreams, no whispers in your ear, no memories bubbling up to the surface. just a big, empty space where your subconscious usually runs wild. it's unnerving, to be honest. you're used to your mind being a bit of a battlefield, even when you're sleeping. but last night, it was like someone hit the mute button. and now you're left wondering if this is what it's like when... well, when it's all over. is it just silence? nothingness?

the thought sends a shiver down your spine. you're not sure what's more unsettling - the idea of an afterlife that's just a blank slate, or the possibility that last night was just a weird fluke. either way, you can't shake the feeling that something's shifted, and you're not sure what's coming next.

your father's footsteps broke the spell, and you refocused on tying your shoes as the TV droned on in the background. the familiar sounds of his morning routine were comforting - washing dishes, drinking tea, and making job calls. occasionally, he'd cook breakfast, a rare treat when finances allowed. you'd learned to supplement your meals with snacks from school, stashing them away for weekends.

as the news anchor spoke, a name caught your attention - "missing student from hyosan high" - and you turned to see the scientist teacher's son on screen. but before you could process the news, your father's gruff voice cut in, "what'd you do to your hair?" his question was a stark reminder of your own daily struggles. you hesitated, a sheepish shrug your only response. the salt spray you'd applied to enhance your natural texture had slipped your mind, but the 35 anxious glances in the mirror hadn't. you'd sought validation in your reflection, ensuring the subtle waves framed your face just so. "just wanted to, uh, try something different," you mumbled, the words trailing off like a hesitant confession.

your father's gaze lingered for a moment, as if searching for a hidden meaning, before he turned away, disappearing into his room. the unspoken dismissal was clear: time to head out. with a quiet sigh, you grabbed your bag and slipped out the door, leaving the uncertainty of your father's reaction behind, like a lingering whisper in the morning air.

as you locked the door, a spark of excitement ignited. you headed down the steps with enthusiasm, careful not to trip. today was a first: ditching the bus for your bike. it was a small change, but one that filled you with unexpected joy. the prospect of feeling the wind and sun on your face was exhilarating. you smiled at how something so simple had awakened a sense of adventure. your feet hit the concrete with a loud thud, and as you looked up, three imposing figures loomed before you. their black coats billowed behind them like dark wings, and their smiles seemed to hold a sinister intent. you knew exactly who they were - and your heart sank. one of them concealed a bat behind his back, and your excitement was replaced with icy fear. paralyzed, you couldn't even think of calling the police. your father's words still lingered in your mind: "if you want me to live, let them beat me." the memory of his scolding made your stomach twist with anxiety. the men simply walked past you and began to head to the door you once came from only seconds ago. with shaking hands, you hastily untied your bike and stuffed the chain into your backpack, desperate to escape the ominous scene unfolding before you.

as you entered the classroom, your gaze instinctively sought out choi namra, your deskmate and sole point of reference. the murmur of conversations momentarily subsided as you took your seat, but you stood firm, refusing to be swayed by the subtle scrutiny of your peers. today, you had made a deliberate choice to style your hair, sweeping it aside to reveal your face in a departure from your usual disheveled appearance. the tangled locks that often obscured your features were now neatly parted, with wavy bangs framing your tired eyes. just as you settled into your chair, a gentle voice pierced the air, speaking from behind namra, who was engrossed in her textbooks. onjo's warm, kind eyes met yours, accompanied by a soft smile and a subtle thumbs-up. "y/n-ah, you look great today," she said, her words catching you off guard with their sincerity. a spark of surprise ignited within you, leaving you momentarily breathless. did she just say.. great?

your eyes only blankly blinked at her words until you cleared your throat, “w-what?” you asked. unfortunately, the sound of a high-pitched voice had cut off onjo’s next words. “yah!” the entire classroom was now facing a pink-cardigan-wearing nayeon who angrily stepped towards her desk. to which, he was surrounded by wujin and his friends. “get off of there. you stink,” she commanded to gyeongsu, who was sitting on top of her desk. your eyebrows raised at the interaction, gyeongsu hopped off the abnormally upset girl's desk. “oh, okay. my bad,” he spoke with a slight confusion in her tone. he proceeds to wipe off any excess ‘stink’ that he might have left, nayeon raises her voice once again at this. “cut it out! you're so dirty,” she shouts in disgust while moving her backpack away from him. to say that nayeon was privileged was an understatement, but you knew that already. “what the hell is your problem?” gyeongsu murmurs before taking a step forward in rising annoyance.

luckily, his friend cheongsan wraps his arms around his shoulder and tells him to just let it go. knowing that arguing with a disdainful girl like nayeon was practically a suicide mission. before the situation could escalate for the worse, the teacher stepped foot into the classroom. signaling everyone to stop chatting and head to their respective seats.

as the chairs scraped against the floor, your gaze wandered to the window. a tiny mosquito buzzed against the pane, trying to get in. this reminded you of what those threatening men called your father - a mosquito. they said he was a nuisance who took risks and left problems behind. you wondered why your father never talked about his life, before or now. he kept his secrets to himself, never sharing anything you wanted to know. his silence was frustrating, and you wished he would open up.

“alright everyone, c'mon bring up the phones.” your teacher announced. everyone piled to the front to bring their phones, it wasn't something you cared for. the only person you would text nowadays should be your father. if he didn't get a new one every other week that is.

with what money? you never did ask.

when everyone finishes turning their phones in the teacher, being as intelligent as she is, texts the classroom group chat and you suddenly hear a notification sound coming from right in front of you. your long-ago friend, wujin, and to the right of him, was daesu. who quickly looked behind him and looked at namra and you. pretending it was you two who had their phone still, however the entire class knew it was him. including your teacher. “daesu, seriously?” a voice asked in disbelief as the rest of the class laughed at his failed scheme so early in the morning.

the teacher began to go on about english studies and you tried your best to focus this time. to put in effort and change your lifestyle around. you're gonna be the best version of yourself, you're tired of trying to blend in and be accepted, and you will exceed in everything you do your studies, the way you carry yourself, everything. today was the day when you no longer lived in fear and humiliation. the new you was something you are ready for and you're starting to no longer care if others aren't. “y/n-ah!” your head snapped up to the teacher who smiled at you and pointed at your hair, “you look so handsome, wow.” to say your cheeks heat up in embarrassment was an understatement, the class had quiet giggles and all eyes were on you once again. you nodded your head and awkwardly cleared your throat. “let's see… how about you give me your take on individuality, in this case?” she points to the chalkboard where she wrote her previous inquisitions.

with a surge of determination, you straightened your posture, shedding the timid persona that had held you back for so long. just 24 hours ago, you were a different person, but now, you were ready to evolve. taking a deep breath, you began to speak, your voice steady and clear. "um, in this character's case, …she lacks the idea of being her own person. she feeds off of what her friends decide at every moment.." you carefully avoided eye contact with your classmates, focusing intently on your words. "meaning that she kinda sets herself up for disappointment when her results don't match her peers." as you finished speaking, you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. your teacher's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a moment of silence hung in the air before she responded, "perfect answer." the words hung in the air like a badge of honor, a testament to your growth and newfound confidence.

suddenly, her eyes darted to the other side of the classroom and her gleeful demeanor changed instantly to a sternful one. “you, bare-su, stand up.” everyone's eyes shot to the back of the class, except yours. “what's with ‘bare-su’?” she asks as he stands up and everyone laughs once again but a little louder now. as you stare out the window, the uncomfortable conversation fades into the background. you'd rather not dwell on the past or revisit old emotions.

the warm sunbeams streaming through the glass wrap around you, and your mind begins to wander. a familiar figure pedals into your daydream - the boy from the bike shop, with eyes like a fox and dark hair that makes your heart skip a beat. the memory of him is a balm to your soul, a sight that soothes your eyes and stirs your pulse. the thought of seeing him again sends a thrill through you, and you can't help but wonder when your paths will cross once more.

kyungho, kyungho, kyungho…

the name stuck to you while you gaze at nothing in the classroom. “oh yeah? what did y/n just say then?” the teacher's question cut through the air, snapping you back to reality as it echoed off the wooden classroom walls. suhyeok's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze fixed on you as if seeing you in a new light. your hair, styled differently, and your eyes, no longer hidden, seemed to have caught him off guard. as his gaze met yours, you quickly looked away, pretending not to care, trying to conceal the flutter in your chest. you didn't want him to think you still had feelings for him, that his presence still affected you.

“he uh… he said..”

just as suhyeok was about to speak, hyeonju burst into the classroom, her shocking appearance captivating everyone's attention. her face was pale, with blood trickling down her cheeks and lips. gasps filled the room as the teacher called out her name, but hyeonju collapsed to the ground, unresponsive. classmates rushed to her side, forming a circle around her as ms. park rushed to her aid. you remained seated, stunned, as ms. park cradled hyeonju's limp body, her face a picture of brutal injury. it looked like she had been hit by a car, with deep gashes and bruises covering her skin. the room was filled with worried murmurs and shocked expressions, as everyone struggled to process the scene unfolding before them.

you stood slowly from your seat when you heard someone ask their friend beside them “did she just say the science teacher drugged her?” your heart dropped. you had had some odd conversations with the science teacher before. him asking you to stay a bit after class and telling you if you felt like you needed to defend yourself from others, to always fight back, and then they’ll leave you alone.

little did he know that you have already done that and it still didn't exactly solve your crisis. you would just nod and awkwardly look away before saying you had to be home soon or else your father was going to come looking for you, even if you both knew, he probably wouldn't. on certain days, the man's demeanor shifted to one of frantic urgency, as he emphasized the harsh principles of survival of the fittest. his intensity was unsettling, leaving you concerned about his well-being. before you could ask if he was okay, he would dismiss you, leaving your questions unspoken. reflecting on these encounters, you revisited the memories, searching for any subtle signs that might have hinted at his inner turmoil.

“we gotta get her up, can you get up, hyeonju-ah?” the teacher tried speaking calmly, but every student in the room knew she was frightened just as much as you all were. “i'll carry her,” suhyeok offered, and began carrying the drifting girl on his back with isak and onjo following out shortly behind. ms. park closed the sliding door, leaving all the students to gather in small groups and discuss what they had just witnessed.

the lunch bell's gentle chime echoed through the school's corridors, signaling the start of the midday break. students sprang into action, eager to escape their classrooms. but you lingered, lost in thought, as you made your way out. questions swirled in your mind: what was wrong with hyeonju? why were people blaming the science teacher? would she recover? and then, a nagging doubt: was suhyeok really looking at me-

you looked up to see cheolsu, a quiet boy often overlooked by his peers, crumpled on the floor. he winced in pain, his eyes wide with surprise, as if your accidental stare had been a physical blow. "oh, cheolsu, are you okay?" you asked, offering a helping hand and lifting him up with ease. the height difference between you two was striking, with cheolsu's slouched posture making him appear even smaller. "ugh, s-sorry...i was in a rush," he stuttered, his eyes cast downward, a habitual gesture that spoke volumes about his struggles.

you shook your head and apologized, "no, sorry, my fault, I wasn't paying attention." as you took a deep breath, your gaze lingered on the scabs around his neck, a subtle hint of a hidden struggle. sensing your notice, he seemed to shield his secret, and you instinctively covered the area with a gentle touch, pretending to rub his neck. seeking to shift the focus, you asked, "heading to the cafeteria?" but he sidestepped your question, his eyes locking onto your hair as he asked, "what's up with your hair?" the familiar criticism stung, a reminder of the constant scrutiny you'd been facing.

“j-just uh,” you hesitate, “doing something different,” you responded while clearing your throat, trying oh so desperately to avoid the awkward ambiance. cheolsu stared at your new look for a few more seconds until he looked at something behind you, his eyes widened before moving to the wall quickly. bewildered by his action, turning to see someone you despised. myunghwan, walking with changhoon smirked as they looked in both of your directions.

your heart sank as you turned to face myunghwan, his smug expression making your blood boil. changhoon, walked alongside him, a sneer twisting his features. you felt cheolsu's tension beside you, his eyes fixed on the duo with a mixture of wariness and hostility.

"look at this," myungwhan stated. they snickered to one another. you rolled your eyes and looked away trying to keep yourself neutral despite the growing unease in your chest. myunghwan chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. his gaze roved over your new appearance, his expression dripping with disdain. "i see, you're trying to.. reinvent yourself," you rolled your eyes, fists clenched. “fuck off.”

but myunghwan just laughed, his eyes glinting with malice. "what, y/n? you gonna defend your new boyfriend? how cute.." you felt a surge of anger at his jab, but cheolsu's warning glance kept you from responding. changhoon, however, seemed eager to stir up more trouble. "yeah, what's going on between you two? you're not...together, are you?"

the air seemed to thicken with tension as myunghwan's smirk grew wider. you knew you had to defuse the situation before it escalated further. but how? you felt a familiar knot in your stomach as myunghwan's smirk seemed to grow roots, digging deeper into your skin. "what's going on here?" a soft voice interrupted, slicing through the thick air.

you turned to see a quiet figure emerging from the crowd, their eyes fixed on changhoon with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

myunghwan's smirk faltered, and for a moment, you saw a glimmer of uncertainty. "just having a little chat," he said, his tone dripping with false nonchalance. the nurse's gaze lingered on myunghwan before shifting to you and cheolsu. "looks like a pretty one-sided conversation to me." the air seemed to vibrate with unspoken words, and you sensed a hidden dynamic at play. myunghwan's eyes narrowed, but the nurse's calm demeanor didn't waver. you looked down to see a rather odd looking infection on the nurses arm. her arm turning an almost black color, her neck twitching. cheolsu and you shared a look of concern, “um..m-miss…” cheolsu couldn't bring himself to ask so he simply pointed at her revealing forearm.

but before he could say another word, the nurse's eyes rolled back in her head, revealing only whites. her body began to twitch and convulse, her limbs flailing wildly like a puppet on a broken string. her skin turned a sickly shade of green, as moldy bread and dark veins bulge beneath the surface like twisted rivers. a low, guttural moan escaped her lips, growing louder and more menacing with each passing moment. she lunged at changhoon, her fingers grasping for his face like claws, her teeth snapping wildly with almost animalistic hunger. changhoon screamed, his voice high-pitched and terrified, as the nurse's zombie form tackled him to the ground. her hands closed around his head, her fingers digging into his hair like talons. cheolsu stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet as he desperately tried to escape the horror unfolding before him. his eyes were wide with fear, his face pale and sweaty. “what the…?”

suddenly the nurse took a huge chunk of the screaming boys cheek with her teeth. his screams reached new heights as he frantically tried to shake off the nurse's grip, but she held firm. his eyes widened in terror as he realized the nurse's eyes had turned a strange, almost feral gray. just as suddenly as it had begun, the nurse released her grip on the boy's cheek, and he stumbled backward, clutching at the wound. myungwhan saw the opportunity to shove her however, she had other plans. she rushed at him next but myungwhan turned around and shoved you while swiftly running away down the hallway. where many students were gathered around eyeing the intense and gorey happening just seconds ago. they all screamed and began to scatter, seeing that now changhoon was thrashing on the ground uncontrollably.

you hold your shoulder with your right hand, myungwhan had shoved you with full force causing your shoulder to ache and sting. you wince as you quickly gather yourself. you grabbed cheolsu’s arm, pulling him away from the chaos with a strength that was almost desperate. "we need to get out of here, now!" you yelled, dragging him down the hallway as the sound of the nurse's moans echoed behind you, growing fainter but no less terrifying.

cheolsu stumbled after you, your heart racing with fear. the hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the lockers and classrooms blurring together in a mad whirl of color and sound. you could hear the distant moans of people, growing fainter but still echoing through the corridors like a chilling reminder of the horror you'd just witnessed.

"wait, slow down!" he yelled, his voice hoarse from fear.

you didn't listen. your eyes were fixed on the outside quad, you could hear the distant moans and screams, growing louder with every step. you wrenched open the doors and shoved cheolsu first outside before you. "close it! close it!" you shouted, following close behind. as you shut the doors, you see students screaming inside and running into classrooms. panting, you gripped your shoulder once again in pain, while you both noticed people running away outside as well. “shit,” you cursed. “run! everyone run!” you turned to hear a girl screaming while running across the schools soccer field only to get tackled by two other bloodied peers. cheolsu shared a look with you before you both ran toward the outside set of stairs of the school as the infected horde burst through the doors you were once holding behind you.

climbing up the stairs, step by step, you felt weightless until a sudden jolt sent you flying. your body rolled and bounced, landing with a sickening crack on your shoulder. the pain was excruciating, and your scream echoed through the staircase as you finally came to rest at the bottom. gritting your teeth, you opened your eyes to see the cause of your fall: a girl with black braided pigtails, her leg twisted at an unnatural angle, bone protruding from her skin. her eyes, bloodshot and wild, locked onto yours as she gurgled and began to crawl towards you with an unnatural speed. you rolled onto your side, desperate to escape, but she climbed on top of you, her grip on your sweater tightening as she pulled herself up to your face. with a surge of adrenaline, you grabbed a nearby rock with your one good hand and swung it behind you, connecting with a sickening crunch.

in a stroke of luck, the rock sent the girl flying onto the grass, momentarily freeing you. as you gazed up, cheolsu remained paralyzed on the same step, his eyes wide with shock. “cheolsu, help-” you yelled, but the girl latched onto your ankle, attempting to sink her teeth in. you grunted, shaking her off with a series of swift kicks. cheolsu's horror-stricken expression lingered as the girl scaled you once more, her relentless grip unyielding. trying to wriggle free from the girls grasps, you look around quickly to find anything to get away.

just as all hope seemed lost, a fleeing girl accidentally collides with your attacker, diverting her attention. seizing the opportunity, you broke free from the infected girl's grasp. you looked up to see cheolsu's fleeting glance before he turned tail and sprinted up the stairs, abandoning you. “wait, w-where are you going?” you shouted, alarm rising in your voice.

as cheolsu vanished from sight, you sprang to your feet, still reeling from the harrowing encounter. but your relief was short-lived, as another classmate - bloodied and bizarre - began to stir across the school yard. his eyes locked onto yours with a menacing glare, and he charged towards you with a ferocious intensity, plowing through others in his path. his bloody mouth twisted into a snarl as he sprinted closer, and you gasped in terror, bracing yourself for the impending impact. but just as he launched himself into the air, something unexpected happened - a shocking savior appeared out of nowhere, sparing you from the brink of disaster. your eyes widened in astonishment as you turned to behold the last person you ever expected to save your skin.

“we gotta move! come on,” suhyeok grabbed your good arm and pulled you alongside him. you grunted while running feeling a sharp pain every time you moved your body to keep up. you noticed he wasn't alone, choi namra was beside him as well. you never seen her face in any other emotion besides serious. right now, it was horrified.

"what's.. what the fuck is going on?" you panted, wincing in pain as suhyeok's grip tightened around your arm. "what's happening to everyone?"

suhyeok didn't answer, his eyes fixed on some point ahead as he dragged you through the chaotic school yard. choi namra kept pace beside him, her horrified expression never wavering. her eyes darted towards you, and for a fleeting moment, you saw a flicker of concern before her mask of seriousness slipped back into place.

"let me fucking go!" you demanded, trying to keep up with suhyeok's frantic pace. you ripped your arm away from him as you kept running.

"hurry up,," he gritted out, his jaw clenched in determination. "we need to get out of here, now." as you ran, the sounds of mayhem grew louder - screams, crashes, and an eerie, unsettling laughter that sent shivers down your spine. you risked a glance over your shoulder, and what you saw made your blood run cold. the school yard was descending into chaos. students were attacking each other, their eyes vacant, their movements jerky and unnatural. some teachers tried to intervene, but they were vastly outnumbered. the once-familiar surroundings were now a war zone, with desks overturned, windows shattered, and debris scattered everywhere.

suhyeok yanked you back into a sprint, his grip on your arm like a vice. "don't look back!" he yelled. "keep moving!" choi namra kept pace beside him, her eyes scanning their surroundings with a mix of fear and determination. "we need to find a safe place to hide," she shouted above the din. suhyeok nodded, his eyes fixed on a point ahead. "there!"

he led you towards the ladder that was leading up to a window in the school building. you all rushed towards it, once close enough you pushed namra to go first, “go, try to open-”

“no, its not safe. i'll go,” suhyeok states before moving her aside and beginning to climb the ladder, you attempted to hold back an eye-roll. if namra and you were down by where the crazy students were, how were you guys safer..?

you didn't ask the question aloud, as there was no time to bicker over insignificant things. suddenly, you seen two figures barreling towards you and namra. “namra, go up, now!” you grabbed her hand and hoisted her onto the ladder, “go! climb!” you seen suhyeok was being pulled into the window, quickly going back to reach for namra. as namra's feet disappeared into the window, you felt a surge of relief wash over you. but it was short-lived, as you saw suhyeok's eyes widen in terror. "hurry! hurry!" he shouted, his voice strained. you turned to him and tried as quickly as possible to climb with two legs and one working arm. you could hear then snarling as you went upward, when you start to feel the ladder tipping back and forth. the weight of the two men making the ladder almost fold under the pressure, “come on! you got it!”

suhyeoks voice rung through your ears, the burning in your shoulder making you wanna just give up, as you reach your arm for the next step, you suddenly feel yourself being grabbed and hoisted upwards. your body feeling light when you came through the window. suhyeok pulled you with all his might and the pull carried you both to the nearby wall. you stumbled into your dimly lit english classroom, gasping for breath. suhyeok slammed the windows shut behind you, leaning against them to catch his breath. choi namra stood guard, her eyes fixed on the doors as if waiting for the inevitable. you leaned against a nearby wall, your mind reeling with questions.

“so? whats going on out there?” nayeon asked impatiently. out of breath, you held onto to your shoulder gently. everyone out of breath or staring was quiet. no one dared to speak. “are you deaf?” she shouted with a voice crack.

“shut up,” you muttered. everyone's eyes were glued to you now. “what?” she asked with disbelief, folding her arms over her chest. you closed your eyes while holding in tears because of the pain in your shoulder. “i said…shut up.” you repeated with vigor this time. standing upwards nonchalantly while looking at the doors who were being held by your classmates. “oh you little piece of-”

��stop it! both of you! now's not the time for this!” jimin shouted. you winced again with a heavy breath this time. once again all the attention turned towards you. “what happened to you?” onjo asked while walking towards you, only to be stopped by her best friend, cheongsan. onjo glared at him before removing his arm, however choosing to still stand beside him.

“i fell,” they stared at you for more information, “down the stairs outside. one of those..things tackled me.” upon being further informed the students all seemed to be getting more nervous.

“oh..my god. what the hell are they?”

the two girls huddled in the corner with freak-struck facial expressions. meanwhile gyeongsu looked like his arms were gonna break from holding the door from opening. “don't you know? theyre.. zombies.”

[esmestarz]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ INTRO ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

about me ─ ★

she/her

infp

bisexual

i can play on the electric guitar and piano !!

i used to do ballet but now i do belly dancing

i love listening to music esp rap, metal (any type tbfr) and rock, my fav animal is a cat and I'm pretty sure that's it

stuff ─ ★

if you want me to write for a character that isn't on the list feel free to ask me and I'll write for them if possible <3

i will write smut, fem reader, gn reader, platonic and romantic relationships

i will not write rape, incest, gore, gang bang, male reader, gn reader, character x character, character x oc, poly relationships, specified race reader, trans reader since idk how to portray them

what and who i write for ─ 𐙚⋅˚₊‧

MOVIES ─ ★

black swan

- nina sayers

- lily

harry potter

- hermione granger

- harry potter

- draco malfoy

- luna lovegod

- ron weasley

- theodore nott

- tom riddle

scream

- tatum riley

- sidney prescott

- billy loomis

- stu marcher

- samantha carpenter

- tara carpenter

- amber freeman

- anika kayko

- ethan landry

- gale weathers

- jill roberts

- kirby reed

- chad meeks-martin

- mindy meeks-martin

SERIES ─ ★

pretty little liars

- emily fields

- alison dilaurentis

- hanna marin

- spencer hastings

outerbanks

- rafe cameron

- sarah cameron

- jj maybanks

- kiara carrera

- pope heyward

- john b routledge

the babysitters club

- sam thomas

- kristy thomas

- stacey mcgill

- claudia kishi

- dawn schafer

malcolm in the middle

- malcolm wilkerson

- reese wilkerson

- francis wilkerson

KDRAMA ─ ★

all of us are dead

- choi nam-ra

- lee su-hyeok

- lee cheong-san

- lee na-yeon

- nam on-jo

sweet home

- yoon ji-su

- lee eun-yoo

- cha hyun-soo

KPOP ─ ★

aespa

- karina

- winter

- ningning

- giselle

twice

- nayeon

- chaeyoung

- momo

- mina

- sana

- jihyo

- dahyun

- jeongyeon

- tzuyu

le sserafim

- sakura

- yunjin

- chaewon

- kazuha

- eunchae

gidle

- soyeon

- minnie

- shuhua

- miyeon

- yuqi

nmixx

- sullyoon

- lily

- kyujin

- haewon

- jiwoo

- bae

new jeans

- danielle

- haerin

- minji

- hyein

- hanni

GAMES ─ ★

the last of us

- ellie williams

fatal frame

- yuri kozukata

- rui kagamiya

cry of fear

- simon henriksson

resident evil

- leon s kennedy

- jill valentine

- ada wong

- claire redfield

- bela dimitrescu

genshin impact

- kinich

- xiao

- aether

- kazuha

- scaramouche

- cyno

- heizou

- thoma

honkai star rail

- argenti

- aventurine

- blade

- dan heng

- gepard

- sunday

ANIME ─ ★

jujutsu kaisen

- megumi fushiguro

- gojo satoru

- yuji itadori

- ryomen sukuna

- inumaki toge

- yuuta okkotsu

- choso kamo

[ddeonubaby]

Accepting requests yall, I would only accept x male reader and gender neutral requests sorryyy

FANDOM/S

– VOLTES V LEGACY

– ALL OF US ARE DEAD

– SQUID GAME

– TAXI DRIVER

- THE UNCANNY COUNTER

– ENHYPEN

– BTS

– SEVENTEEN

– TXT

– ATEEZ

– ASTRO

– NCT DREAM

– STRAY KIDS

– XDINARY HEROES

– IVE

– LE SSERAFIM

– RED VELVET

– BLACKPINK

– TWICE

ACCEPT

Angst, fluff, a bit suggestive, crack, HEAVY ANGST, a little bit of smut only

DECLINE

Hard smut, gore stuff, r@p3, or anything that is just so fucking cruel

PLEASEEEEE I'M BEGGINGGGG FOR REQUESESTTR

UPCOMING

- Study date with Cheong-san (aouad)

- Accidental make out with mingyu (svt and male 14th member)

[fallenmonsters]

let the secret out.

summary ➳ you’re a delinquent, who’s actually scary and intimidating unlike gwinam. cheongsan is a normal student. there shouldn’t be any connections between you two... right?

pairings ➳ lee cheongsan x delinquent!male reader

warnings ➳ fluff, foul language, mention of fights, secret healthy relationship, sparkles of jealousy, mention of gyeongsu’s death, nayeon throwing herself at reader, use of weapon (knife), blood, reader and cheongsan having sexual tension the entire fic lmao

“How about you, Cheongsan? What do you think of (Y/n)?”

The said male looks up from the foods in front of him to his friends, catching their curious gazes.

They had been talking about (L/n) (Y/n), the most feared delinquent on campus who actually doesn’t seem that much of a delinquent because of high grades and the lack of involvement in bullying. You were quiet and did nothing but to mind your own business in class, occasionally talking back against teachers that called you out for being late or skipping classes, and sending death glares to everyone who tries to get close.

You were an odd delinquent; involving yourself in fights only when necessary, accepting the teachers’ call for help, aggressively helping people who tripped in front of you, only minding your own business, and not minding people who accidentally spilled their drinks on you. You act how a delinquent shouldn’t, and it seems like you’re only called that is because you’re not afraid to speak out your thoughts no matter how hurtful it is, you’re intimidating and scary, and you beat up people.

His friends have stated their own opinions about you, mostly positive and only a small amount of negative, while Cheongsan continuously ate his food with his head hung low, since he didn’t want to partake in it. Though, he should’ve known his friends would not miss a chance to hear everyone’s opinion.

He looks at the table three rows away where you sat quietly alone, eating your favorite food and reading a book. That’s also one thing that makes you so unlike from other delinquents.

You look handsome like this, sitting in a way a delinquent would with all your focus fixed on the book. It’s almost as if you’re a godly, unrealistic being painted on a canvas by a professional and perfectionist painter.

Cheongsan didn’t understand why everyone found you so intimidating and scary; in all honesty, he thinks girls should be screaming, squealing and freaking out over you like those girls in cliché romance anime with handsome main character from how insanely and unbelievably attractive you are. But, in all honesty again, he would be irritated and annoyed if that actually happens.

“He seems fine to me,” Cheongsan answered Gyeongsu’s previous question with an unenthusiastic one as he forced himself to look away from your figure.

An unsatisfied look appears on both Gyeongsu’s and Suhyeok’s face as the others groaned at his lack of cooperation in sharing a throughout opinion, clearly disappointed. “What the fuck is that answer, you moron? There should be more to it like gossips about him and how you think of him.” Gyeongsu complains, smacking his arm.

Cheongsan raised his brows at him before his lips forms a pout, something that always happens when he’s thinking.

Unbeknownst to him, your eyes shifted from the book to his direction, a subtle smirk spreading across your face at the sight of his pout. You took out your phone and opened the camera, zooming it on his face with slight difficulty from how far he was. You then pressed the shutter button, successfully capturing him into picture as you opened gallery to save it in a specific folder.

Gathering his thoughts, Cheongsan finally opens his mouth to speak. “I think he’s handsome,” All of his friend’s jaws dropped. They did not expect that answer. “And I also think it’ll be fine to sit next to him or be close to him as long as you mind your business just like he does and if you don’t bother him that much.” He shrugs, taking one glance at you to see you’re on your phone instead.

“Have you tried sitting next to him?” Suhyeok asked curiously.

“No,” Cheongsan shakes his head. “But I’m not scared to try.”

Gyeongsu looks at him incredulously. “How are you not scared or intimidated? He’s scarier than Gwinam, and that says a lot.” Suhyeok nodded while pointing at Gyeongsu to show his agreement.

Cheongsan only shrugs at his question.

Since the beginning, he was never intimidated by you for unknown reasons. You were just so handsome, so attractive, and so godly that Cheongsan forgot to be scared. Though, your straightforwardness, honesty and the ability to speak out your thoughts without hesitation no matter how brutal or hurtful it’ll sound intimidated him a lot.

He assumes that’s probably why so many people are intimidated. No one can be completely honest and truthful nowadays in fear of being hated or disliked by others.

As his friends began talking among themselves after getting bored, Cheongsan looks at you once again only to catch you already staring at him. He makes sure his friends aren’t looking and smiles, subtly waving his hand to acknowledge your presence. He sees you nod, covering the smile that appears on your lips with your phone so no one can see it.

Cheongsan goes back to eating his food with butterflies filling his stomach and heart beating rapidly against his ribcage.

Perhaps, everyone being intimidated by and scared of you isn’t so bad when he’s the only one who can do things like this.

Shit, what the fuck.

Cheongsan panicked internally after escaping the zombies that suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the cafeteria, alongside Onjo. The two of them managed to escape in a room filled with survivors; Gyeongsu, Wujin, Jimin, Nayeon, Hyoryung, Isak, Minji, and Joonyoung. However, the person who Cheongsan hoped to be here was nowhere to be seen.

He rushes over to the windows to search for you outside, but all he was met with was total chaos, people running everywhere for their lives as zombies chase after them.

Someone banging on the door catches his attention and he turned around to see white-covered Daesu being let into the classroom by Wujin, who almost closed the door on him. That settled an uneasy feeling within Cheongsan and his stomach twisted, making him nauseous as worry clouded every bit of his being.

He saw you exit the cafeteria before the outbreak happened and haven’t seen you ever since, which only worsened the awful feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Were you bitten? Did you turn? Where were you?

“What happened to your face, huh?” Wujin’s voice snapped Cheongsan out of his thoughts, looking at Daesu who looked like he’s been slapped with a powder or something.

“I don’t know, some crazy jerk sprayed me with fire extinguisher.” Daesu answers while wiping his face with a clean towel he found hanging by the drawers. Onjo avoids eye contact at that. She was spraying fire extinguisher to keep the zombies away, she didn’t know Daesu’s there.

Gyeongsu raised his brows, “A fire extinguisher?”

“Yeah, damn it.” The bigger male pants, resting his hands on his knees after wiping his eyes. “What’s happening?”

“Who knows?”

“Trains.” Cheongsan stated as he approached them, “Train to Busan.”

“The movie?” Daesu gives him a puzzled look.

“Aren’t they zombies? It’s the same thing.” Everyone looked at each other, contemplating whether what Cheongsan’s saying added up. It was crazy, but he kinda has a point. “Watch this, it’s true.” He pointed outside to convince Daesu before pulling him towards the windows when he still doesn’t believe it.

Gyeongsu also tries to walk over, but was reminded by Joonyoung of the door and went back instead to hold it close, curiosity plastered on his face.

“Shit, what the hell?” Wujin curses upon seeing the chaos.

All three of them flinches with a curse when a hand slams on the window in front of them, only to see it’s Suhyeok. They quickly help him get inside and he turns around to hold his hand out to Namra, who you helped rush up the ladder. You were next to climb up quickly as Suhyeok and Namra helps you get inside, barely missing the zombie-turned teacher from getting your leg.

Suhyeok breathes heavily and drops on the floor with his eyes wide in shock, adrenaline wearing off. “It’s that, isn’t it? Zombies.”

You sighed, turning to look outside.

For the first time, you learned minding your own business doesn’t apply to all situations. You would’ve been bitten by those nasty zombies if it wasn’t for Namra — your only actual friend in the campus — coming over to drag you away along with Suhyeok, because you were ignoring people who ran and screamed thinking they’re just playing childishly. She knew you wouldn’t spare anyone a glance, so coming to save you was a right choice.

Cheongsan came to stand beside you while making sure nobody would see your mouths moving. “Are you okay? I was worried.” He said barely above whisper.

“I’m fine, and they can’t get close to me anyway.” You replied, giving him a side-eye. Cheongsan scans your figure to make sure you were saying the truth, before he was annoyingly interrupted by a female body getting herself between you and him.

“Are you okay, (Y/n)?” Nayeon questioned, feigned concern lacing her tone as she pulls your arm to turn you towards her, beginning to run her hand all over your body to check for any injuries. “Are you hurt? What took you so long to come? I texted you.” She pouts.

Irritation quickly bubbled within Cheongsan’s chest at her attempt of making herself look cute and adorable. He forgot the rumors about Nayeon liking you.

With an uninterested look appearing, you quickly grab her wrist to keep her from further harrassing your body. “Keep your hands to yourself, Lee. Can’t you see I’m not bleeding? If I was hurt, there would’ve been blood on me. It should be obvious. And I was too busy reading a book to notice your text.” You waved your hand dismissively as your straightforwardness once again causes everyone to wince.

“That’s gotta hurt for a girl who has a crush on him.” Joonyoung mutters under his breath.

Your eyes shift to Cheongsan’s direction after feeling jealousy radiate from him, and he catches the look that they said— I’m glad you’re here.

That’s right, you don’t care about anyone but him.

“Who the hell does she think she is?”

This class couldn’t get any worse. You thought while sighing deeply as your back leaned on the seat, head thrown back with closed eyes.

This argument between Nayeon and Gyeongsu is a complete nonsense that Nayeon started to get on his nerves for no apparent reason. Giving a fuck is an irrational thing to do when it comes to this stupid girl who does nothing but to whine for others to start doing something. She doesn’t want to save anyone, she wants to be saved.

Talk about self-centered narcissist.

You opened your eyes when Gyeongsu let out a scared yell all of a sudden as the sound of door opening echoed throughout the room, pushing your head forward to look at the person that entered.

“Coach Kang.”

Rolling your eyes, you threw your head back again to stare at the ceiling, finding it more interesting than anyone or anything right in this moment. The Coach is your least favorite person; he’s a fucking egotistical jerk that thinks women are men’s toys. He thinks he’s hiding it well, but you can see it from a mile away.

“Are you guys okay?” Coach Kang’s trembling voice asked and he sighs in relief after Gyeongsu nodded together with everyone else.

Gyeongsu approaches him, albeit hesitantly. “What about you? You weren’t bitten?”

“No. Of course, not. I’m— I’m alright.”

Your brows furrowed. Something’s odd. He shouldn’t have this much difficulty in breathing. Even if he ran all over the campus, his breathing would’ve just been heavy or out of breath. His voice shouldn’t shake this much, as if he’s trying to hide something.

“Hey, guys. Let’s block the door first. Get moving, hurry!” Coach Kang starts to lead the students as they began to help moving the seats to block the doors, attempting to stack them high.

You stood up from the chair but remained in your place, watching him move around and instruct the survivors. There’s a wave of negativity in your gut, like something’s not right, that you shouldn’t trust him too easily. You scan his body thoroughly, until your eyes froze at the nasty bite on his arm.

Your breath hitches. This motherfucker’s gonna kill everyone.

As Onjo and Isak moves to help, you quickly grabbed both of their arm to keep them in place. They looked at you surprised since this is the first time you’ve ever approached anyone by yourself. “What’s wrong?” Onjo asked, and Cheongsan stops after seeing you holding them.

“Don’t get close,” You warned, voice low and whispering. “He got bitten on his arm.”

Their eyes widened and almost instantly, looked at the Coach’s arm to find out you’re telling the truth. But then again, you never lied.

“Coach Kang. Your arm.” Onjo doesn’t hesitate to speak. You gently squeeze her arm in encouragement and praise. Being honest saves everyone, believe it or not.

“What are you doing? Come help us!” The Coach yelled.

“You have a bite mark on your arm!” Onjo raised her voice, causing everyone to freeze and look. Wujin flinches backward when he noticed the bite mark as the others began to feel fearful once again.

Coach Kang sees his own arm and begins to panic. “I wasn’t bitten. No, no. I—” He quickly rolls his sleeve down, “I— I wasn’t bitten.”

“It’s a bite mark.”

“I said it isn’t. Don’t talk back to me, okay?” His voice gets aggressive. You stare at him intently. He shouldn’t get close.

It was Isak who spoke next. “It looks like you were really bitten.”

Coach Kang seems to get angry at that as he raised his voice, “I wasn’t! How many times must I tell you?”

Isak felt you squeeze her arm as well. You wanted her to stand up for herself and her classmates. “Then why the hell are you hiding it!? Just show it to us!” She raised her voice and stepped forward as you went beside Onjo, sharing a look with Cheongsan. You knew she’s important to him.

“I think you should leave now.” Isak quietly said.

“What?”

“Get out of here immediately.”

“You want me to go out there?” Kang pointed at the door, “After all I did to get here? You want me to go back out?”

“You were bitten.” She doesn’t back out. Standing up against teachers is scary, but getting bitten by zombies and turning into one is terrifying. She thanks you internally for encouraging her. “Come on, get out. I SAID GET OUT NOW!!”

“Cocksucker!” Kang yelled. “How dare you yell at me like that?”

You scowled, glaring at him, pulling both Onjo and Isak behind you when Kang steps forward. Your protectiveness usually only kicks in when Cheongsan is the one in danger, but right now, he wasn’t the one that needs protecting. This girls, who can easily be overpowered by the coach.

“You little... Get over here. Come here.” He was showing his true colors at this point, and you clenched your jaw in anger. “NOW! You won’t come? Hey.” He makes a move to advance and you stepped in front of the girls as they quickly hide behind you.

Everyone stops when blood starts to run down Kang’s nose as he turns his back to wipe it.

“Onjo, don’t—!” Onjo ignores your warning, smacking a backpack against the back of his head. You cursed and pulled her back behind you again, watching as Kang turns around and shoots her a glare. Cheongsan immediately rushes over to you, realizing you might get involved in Kang’s rage.

“You fucking bitch.” He cursed, raising a hand and steps forward only to drop on the floor.

You ignored everyone’s gasps and mutterings, turning around to push Cheongsan, Onjo and Isak away knowing he’ll turn. Cheongsan grabs your hand that was pushing him and pulls you so you wouldn’t be close to Kang. The crunching of bones filled the noisy air together with Nayeon’s fearful beg to get Kang out of the room.

Soon enough, a growl erupts from Kang and he launched himself onto Minji, pulling her down on the floor, unfortunately getting a bite of her face. Daesu rushes over to hold zombified Kang back, throwing him on the lockers. You all looked to see a chunk of Minji’s skin beside her mouth gone with blood coating the place.

While Daesu’s in shock, Kang stands back up with a growl and advanced towards Wujin and Suhyeok, who both fortunately avoided him as the latter attempts to fight him off. Cheongsan grabs the table right on his side and uses it to trap Kang against the wall, struggling to do so due to Kang continuously shoving to get a bite out of him.

“Cheongsan!” You and Gyeongsu both yelled as he runs to help and pushes the table more on Kang.

“Shit.” You muttered when Minji begins to turn after getting kicked by Nayeon, feeling the survival folding knife through the fabric of your pants in your pocket.

Using it to kill them would probably make everyone mistaken you for a murderer or perhaps, even torturer, but was that really important when all of your lives are at stake? You don’t give a fuck about everyone except Cheongsan, anyway. But won’t he judge or hate you for bringing a knife at school? Won’t he be afraid of you just like everyone else is?

You thought carefully, before Daesu’s struggling voice snapped you out alongside Cheongsan’s and Gyeongsu’s grunts.

That doesn’t fucking matter. If you don’t kill them with whatever you have, everyone’s gonna be dead, even Cheongsan.

“Whatever,” You sighed. “Fuck this.”

You quickly ran towards the two and pushed them away, ignoring Gyeongsu’s “what are you doing!?” thrown in your direction. Holding the table with one hand, you used the other to whip the knife out and press the two buttons on the handle, the sharp blade instantly making an appearance. Everyone widened their eyes in shock as you don’t hesitate to stab Kang’s head repeatedly with your knife, its force causing his blood to stain your uniform and a small amount of your face. You only stopped when the growling and struggling died down, dropping his completely lifeless body and the table on the floor.

Everyone flinches when you turn around, finding the unbothered and casual look on your face unsettling.

They watch you twirl the knife as you shifted your gaze on Daesu, who was holding zombified Minji that tried to bite him. You cock your head to the side. One slit on the neck should be enough.

Your stare was enough to force Daesu into throwing Minji on the floor as you don’t waste time to grab her hair and stab your knife deep into the side of her neck, before slitting it by sliding the knife towards other side with great force and fast movement. Blood splatters on the floor as she goes limp.

It didn’t even take you thirty seconds to successfully kill two zombies. Maybe you’re more terrifying than those cannibals, everyone thought in sync.

You walk over to the towel that Daesu used to wipe his face with and begins wiping off the blood on your knife, leaning against the lockers. Cheongsan approached you — shrugging Gyeongsu’s alarming hand off his arm — and he sees your body tense almost immediately.

“Did they get to you?”

You look up in surprise at his caring, concern-filled voice.

He gives you a comforting look, having an idea on what you’re feeling right now. You neither regret nor feel guilty about killing them, but you were afraid of a possibility that his thoughts about you might’ve suddenly changed. After all, you’re aware of how even the slightest action can change a person’s thoughts about anyone. Let alone as big of an action as murdering a zombified teacher and classmate.

You silently shake your head, pressing the buttons to make the blade disappear into the handle.

“Then, that’s great.” He smiles, gratitude plastering his face.

“Thank you, for saving us.”

You dropped on the floor as soon as the door of recording room shut behind you, knees growing weak and tears stinging your eyes.

Gyeongsu’s gone. Nayeon did it.

He was Cheongsan’s bestfriend and to think that the girl who liked you was the one who killed him? It fucking made you feel shitty. Guilt devours you from the inside, spreading all throughout your veins and blood as you taste the bitterness in your mouth. There’s no fucking excuse to what she did; Gyeongsu was trying to help and she went all out accusing him of things that didn’t happen — and then goes on killing him without remorse just to prove her point when he didn’t turn.

“You did the same thing to Coach Kang and Minji!” Her voice bitterly haunts your ears.

You did kill them, after they turned into zombies. She wiped a zombie’s blood on Gyeongsu’s hand purposely to make him turn. There’s a big difference. You never wanted Kang and Minji to turn, even though the former pissed you off to no end. No one deserves to be a zombie.

She probably thinks you’re a hypocrite now, maybe even others who stayed quiet the whole time Namra was confronting Nayeon. They must be terrified of you yet they haven’t left you alone to die or kicked you out. Come to remember, they didn’t stop Nayeon from going out on her own.

A knock sounded from the window and you look up to see Cheongsan staring at you worriedly, gesturing to the lock. Unlocking the door, you let him inside by scooting away and watched as he sit beside you after locking it again, leaning both of your back against it.

There was only silence while you two stared blankly at the wall of recording room, grieving over a bestfriend— in your case, a classmate.

“You didn’t do the same thing to Coach Kang and Minji, you know.” He suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He shifted to face you and also make himself comfortable. “You killed them because you had to, otherwise we would all be dead. Nayeon didn’t have any reason to kill Gyeongsu. Everyone agreed on that.”

“Really?” Your eyes finally met his.

Cheongsan nods with sincerity coating his face. “They understand, and all of them are actually thankful you were brave enough to kill those two. No one thinks you’re the same as Nayeon.” He takes your hand in his and rubs it comfortingly, to which you responded by squeezing his hand back.

You play with his fingers, tracing them and tangling them with yours as you avoid eye contact. “I’m sorry about Gyeongsu...” He frowns at the look on your face. “I noticed something’s wrong with Coach Kang, but I didn’t notice anything when it came to Nayeon. I feel like I should’ve, specially when I’m the one who usually notice small things in this group, and I can’t help but think it’s—”

“It’s not your fault.” Cheongsan immediately interrupted, voice firm and unwavering. “None of us knew what was gonna happen. In fact, I think we’re the ones at fault because we told Nayeon to come here and apologize to Gyeongsu when that was probably what she wanted us to do. You tried to stop us, but we didn’t listen.”

You look up at him, seeing guilt and sadness in his eyes. You intertwined your fingers and Cheongsan doesn’t waste time to hold your hand back. “It isn’t your fault, either. We all carry the burden of not being able to save him, don’t beat yourself up.”

“It’s just—” He sighs. “I’m his best friend. Well, was. I could’ve done something more.”

“But you did, Cheongsan. You kept him from hurting you.” Cupping his face with one hand, you smile to reassure him. “I’m sure the last thing Gyeongsu wanted was to hurt his bestfriend and end up turning him.”

Cheongsan sighs and leans on your touch as he closed his eyes. It feels warm. He believed your words— even you knew Gyeongsu is a kind person who would never dare lay a hand on anyone he treasures. He was poor, but he had the richest heart among all people. Which is why what Nayeon did is even more unforgivable and frustrating.

Why does kind people have to always be the target to cold-blooded people? They might be easy to manipulate, but you still didn’t understand. Why was the world so cruel?

“(Y/n)?” Concern instantly plastered your face at how his voice trembled and he cleared his throat, feeling tears gather in his eyes.

“What is it, love?”

“You’re not gonna leave me, right?”

Cheongsan was afraid. You could easily tell. He was afraid of losing you like he lost Gyeongsu, of seeing you turn into those cannibalistic monsters, of seeing you die. You’re the only thing that kept him sane in this apocalypse. If he lost you, he would have no will to survive anymore.

You frown, wiping off the tears that spilled on his cheeks with your thumb. “I would never leave you, Cheongsan. It’s not gonna happen no matter what. I’ll stay by your side until we can be safe together, okay? Don’t cry, baby.” Bringing your other hand to cup the other side of his face, you gently pulled him to press a kiss on his forehead.

Cheongsan felt butterflies filling his stomach. Even in this zombie apocalypse, you never fail to make him feel loved and tinglish.

No one would probably believe you’re actually this soft and gentle when it comes to your lover. People always assumed you were rough and aggressive, and that you’re far from boyfriend material type. Little did they know you make sure everyday that he knows you love him, even though you can’t be close to each other in school.

You look into each other’s eyes before Cheongsan wrapped his arms around your neck and pulled you close to capture your lips in a lingering kiss.

It’s a life or death situation — feeling each other’s presence and kissing each other’s lips mattered more than hiding your relationship. Nothing should matter anymore than you and Cheongsan, and how you would live knowing the grim reaper can suddenly knock on your door anytime.

Right now, you just wanted to focus on the feeling of Cheongsan’s lips more than the zombies probably lurking outside the broadcasting room.

Gathering around the bonfire created by Namra’s lighter, everyone shared their own stories that no one has heard before. Hearing Namra open up made you smile, knowing she never got to do it with anyone up until now because no one bothered to befriend her. It’s actually why you two got along, being the black sheep of Ms. Park’s class.

You didn’t join them on bonfire, only listening to them share their own life stories as you leaned on the railings with both elbows rested on the surface. After dealing with so much crap and Gwinam going for your boyfriend’s head, you needed a well rest and a smoke to calm yourself, as well as to make the stress dissolve even just a bit. Though, dealing with zombies is honestly much better than dealing with school full of shitty students and teachers.

At some point, their conversation shifts from life story to crushes and you resist the urge to chuckle. Talking about crushes is probably the most mundane yet comforting thing to do in the middle of zombie apocalypse because it gives everyone a feeling as if they went back to a time when everyone wasn’t eating everybody. It reminds them of what they were doing when this apocalypse wasn’t a thing.

“How about you, Cheongsan? Do you have a crush?”

Their question made you puff a smoke as your thoughts wandered. Cheongsan can choose whether he’ll tell them or not, you suppose it doesn’t matter now since practically everyone in Korea is a zombie and not many would care anymore if two men are dating each other. Besides, you also wanted to care for him openly without worrying about someone finding out.

You assume Cheongsan nodded in reply due to various noises of curiosity leaving the other’s lips. He, too, probably doesn’t care anymore.

“Really? Who is it?” Onjo asked with surprise and tease lacing her voice, looking at him and waiting excitedly for his answer. Everyone anticipated it as well, some even growing impatient.

Cheongsan doesn’t say anything, instead points at you, who had your back turned to them.

All of their eyes follows the direction his finger pointed at and as soon as you entered their visions, their jaws drop in sync. Joonyoung looks at his finger and you back and fourth as he also pointed at you, mouth moving but no sounds coming out. Suhyeok had his brows raised, shock evident, staring at Cheongsan in disbelief. Hyoryung, Jimin and Daesu all covered their mouths, while Wujin, Onjo and Namra looked at him dumbfounded.

“You have a crush on (Y/n)!?” Wujin was the first to break everyone’s shock, beginning to look at you and Cheongsan back and fourth.

“How come you didn’t tell us? We shared our opinions about him in cafeteria, but you didn’t say anything about liking him.” Suhyeok shoots him a look, betrayed that Cheongsan hid it from them while they were idiotically telling what they felt and thought about his crush.

“Well, I did say he’s handsome.” Cheongsan defended himself. You subtly shake your head with a smile, realizing he must have said it so his friends would take the hint. “And to be honest, it’s not a crush anymore.” He shrugs.

Confusion is next to appear on everyone’s faces at his words, but Cheongsan stands up before they could ask what he means.

They watch as he walks towards you, and couldn’t help but notice that you immediately faced him as soon as his footsteps entered your ears. You inhaled one puff of smoke and threw the cigarette on the concrete floor. As if on instinct, Cheongsan steps on it to put it out. Your interaction was so natural that had everyone thinking if you often do it when you’re together.

“What’s up, Cheongsannie?”

He doesn’t respond, instead brings his hand up to tug your uniform with a pout. It’s a gesture he always does when he wants you to kiss him.

Without hesitation, you slip your hand on his face and leans forward to capture his adorable pouting lips in a kiss as Cheongsan closed his eyes, fist gripping the fabric of your uniform. You heard few of them gasp before you pulled away and ruffled your lover’s hair.

“Satisfied?” You smirk, licking your lips.

Cheongsan smacks your hand away and grumbles about you ruining his already ruined hair, red tint on his cheeks unfortunately visible. His heart pounded rapidly against his chest at first time kissing in front of people.

“Don’t worry, darling. You still look handsome with ruined hair and blood all over you.” Throwing him a teasing compliment, you leaned forward again to kiss his forehead, something that became a habit of yours after you started dating him.

“Fuck you,” Cheongsan playfully curses while pinching your side and shoving you away, though the smile on his face betrayed him.

You scoffed smugly, “You wish. We’re still in the middle of apocalypse, moron.”

“(Y/N)!!”

You laughed, avoiding his hand that tried to smack you over the head and runs over to the bonfire when Cheongsan starts chasing you, using Daesu as a shield. Now, all of them were shocked of how playful you are — a big contrast to how you are in school everyday.

“(Y/n), stop hiding behind Daesu.” Cheongsan panted as he glared at you playfully.

You childishly stuck your tongue out, which made Cheongsan roll his eyes while amusement crosses everyone’s face. “Only if you can make him move away.” You said smugly, knowing no one can force Daesu to move.

Your boyfriend gives you a look before shifting his gaze on Daesu, “Can you move, please?”

Much to your displeasure, the said man scoots away without hesitation and chuckles when he hears your gasp of betrayal. “What the— You traitor!” You smacked his arm quite strongly, causing him to wince and hold the arm that you hit.

Everyone laughs; it feels weird to see you be childish and playful when you’re usually calm, collected, cold and quiet, but they were happy nevertheless because you finally showed a side that you never did. However, they find it also sad how this is the only time they got to see you be playful, when they have just little chances of surviving. They regret fearing you just because you look intimidating. You may have a resting bitch face, but that doesn’t mean you hurt everybody on sight. They should’ve figured that out before.

Cheongsan comes to sit beside you (after successfully smacking the back of your head) with a yawn, exhaution finally showing itself on his body. Your eyes softened as you tugged his arm and Cheongsan let himself fall to your side. His head softly lands on your lap, facing the night sky, and you immediately bring your hand to massage his scalp. Cheongsan sighs in content, closing his eyes.

“Rest, darling. You need it.” You softly say. Everyone can’t help but stare at how gentle you are with Cheongsan.

“You need to rest too,” Cheongsan mutters with eyes still closed. “You and Suhyeok fought those zombies off more than we did.” He feels you shake your head.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re all the same in terms of exhaution.” You take his hand in your unused one to press a kiss on his knuckles. He opens his eyes, feeling butterflies clouding his stomach again. “And besides, I have to protect you from Gwinam. He’s after your head, who knows when he’ll come back.”

“He’s actually after my eye, but you don’t need to protect me all the time, you know.” Intertwining his fingers with yours, Cheongsan looks at you with worry in his eyes. “If you keep thinking about me, you’ll eventually forget to protect yourself. I don’t want you to get hurt or bitten.”

A smile spreads across your lips.

He might be right and it’s probably too dangerous to think about your boyfriend before yourself when zombies can grab you anywhere and anytime, but knowing he’s worried made you feel happy, warmth spreading from your heart outwards.

Cheongsan notices your smile and lightly hits your shoulder with his free hand, pouting. “Why the hell are you smiling? You rarely smile yet you’re smiling at the possibility that you could die protecting me. It’s not funny. Stop that.”

You only let out a chuckle in response to his scolding.

The others can’t help but smile when they heard the sound of your laughter for the first time as Cheongsan continues to simultaneously threat and scold you at the same time, refusing to stop until you swear you’ll look after yourself too. They found yours and Cheongsan’s couple interaction cute and entertaining, some even feeling as if they missed an opportunity to tease the two of you when zombies didn’t exist. It made them feel sad, but at least they found out before it’s too late and could still have an opportunity to tease.

“If you really—”

“Relax, sweetheart.” You interrupted, giving his hand a squeeze. He opens his mouth to object, but you beat him to it. “If you really think I’m going to forget about myself, then protect me instead. That way, we could prevent the worst from happening, hm? How does that sound?”

Cheongsan goes silent as he thinks about it for a while, then squeezed your hand back to let you know he settled his mind. “Okay. Sounds good enough.”

You grinned, leaning down to kiss his lips before petting his hair after pulling away. Greatly satisfied with your suggestion, Cheongsan closes his eyes to get himself to sleep, his free arm wrapping around your torso as he snuggled closer to you, wanting to feel your presence as much as he can. Shrugging your blazer off, you laid it over him to serve as a blanket.

“This is our first time seeing you smile,” Suhyeok spoke when silence fell. You look up to see a soft look plastered on his face. “I don’t mean to tell you what to do, but you should smile more.”

The others nodded their head in agreement. “You look good smiling.” Jimin compliments, receiving another nods of agreement from everyone.

You shrug, “I naturally don’t smile that often. He makes me laugh everytime, though. If you want any reaction out of me, just bring Cheongsan and let us talk. You’ll get a smile or laughter.”

“That’s probably because you trust him more than anyone else.” Onjo smiled, eyes soft. You nod while smiling, gently playing with Cheongsan’s hair.

“You don’t trust anyone that much.” Claimed Joonyoung. “So seeing you be freely yourself around us, it made me think how we gained it over the times we’ve spent together in this zombie apocalypse. Thanks for, you know... Trusting us.”

You flash them a smile. “Thanks for trusting me, too.”

Maybe letting your secret out wasn’t such a bad thing even before the apocalypse, with an exception of those gangs you beat up that may or may not use Cheongsan as hostage to get back at you.

Nonetheless, you were glad that your boyfriend had revealed everything out in the open — you’ve gained not many, but enough support. You’ll forever cherish this day, even if there’s little hope left to survive.

© ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғᴀʟʟᴇɴᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs. sᴛᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ, ᴘʟᴀɢɪᴀʀɪᴢɪɴɢ, ᴏʀ ᴜsɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏɴᴇᴛᴀʀʏ ɢᴀɪɴ ɪs sᴛʀɪᴄᴛʟʏ ᴘʀᴏʜɪʙɪᴛᴇᴅ. ᴀsᴋ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ.

[juicyvrse]

untamed desolation overview!

PAIRING ・❥・ lee suhyeok x quiet male!reader

GENRE ・❥・ strangers to lovers au, a little fluffy and angsty sometimes.

SUMMARY ・❥・ M/N was a typical student at hyosan high, kind of rude and bitchy, or so everyone thought. in reality though, M/N was a really timid person inside who played a persona to get by in school. But, one faithful day a little while after his good friend Jin-su disappeared would change his life forever

warnings ・❥・ i may or may not change the story around a little, but other than that this book contains spoilers and may be inappropriate for younger readers.

Story!

CH 1 : 01

CH 2 : n/a

CH 3 : n/a

stay tuned lovies!!❤️

[literaturedog]

𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚜. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗 (𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜)

𝙼𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚗, 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚜

━━━ 'CHAPTER TWO' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ trying to fit into the lifestyle of every korean teen, you try to reconnect with a long ago friend. however, you come in contact with someone you arent mentally prepared to speak to again.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; money issues, unfit parenting for m/c, loneliness, rejection, m/c is very depressed, cursing, absent parent [let me know if i missed any!]

MOODBOARD | NEXT | PREVIOUS

“let's go, sweetie.” soft but cold hands grasp onto your smaller warm ones. you found comfort in them, something that coerced your trust. you're not sure as to why you gave in so easily, but the lovely way the blurred-faced woman spoke to you made you feel safe, comforted. “it's cold, so let's go inside before the snow buries us, huh?” she spoke sweetly. you giggled at her small joke and seemingly made her chuckle as well. she was everything and more, comforting and collected. she looked vaguely familiar so you ask…

[TWO DAYS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...]

“m-mom?” your heavy eyelids flutter open to the sound of your father shouting through your door, “y/n l/n! how are you going to be the best in your class if you can't even wake up on time?!” he clicked his tongue while his footsteps dispersed further into the house. he was being sarcastic, you sensed it in his tone. your father's shouts were something you had added into your daily routine, learning how to work around it and whatnot. even if some days it felt as if his harsh words would never cease. thank god you didn't have dreams about him often, otherwise, you just might go insane. a few months ago, your father took you to see someone who specializes in the minds of youth. they asked you many questions about your daily routine and school life, and when your dreams were brought up you almost sobbed at the thought. how could you tell someone what had happened to you and how you keep dreaming about the betrayal? how could you let someone in on your secret? your deepest darkest secr-

“should i start a fire in order for you to get out of there?” your father's absurd threat had pulled you back into the one place you would rather be. reality. well, your dreams were a much more disturbing location, so that'll have to do in the meantime. reluctantly, pushing away the covers you swung your feet over onto the hard wooden floor that was always freezing in the early mornings.

quickly glancing at the time on your rickety alarm clock, you cussed under your breath to see you overslept so much, class started in 8 minutes. scrambling in your closet-sized room to find your uniform and quickly taking off your long-sleeve and sweatpants. while you start tripping over placing your socks on, the smell of eggs and rice had filled your nose. “y/n-” midway into your father's shout, you burst from your room with messy hair, heavy eyebags, and your backpack loosely on your shoulder. “oh, i guess you decided to actually do something with your life today.” you ignored his snide comment. placing your shoes on by the door, you then felt a heavy hand on your shoulder taking in your full attention. it was a plastic box filled with shrimp and rice wraps and dipping sauce, “you haven't talked to wujin-ah in a while, right?”

you knew what your father made, wujin’s favorite food when he was younger. you and wujin had history, you grew up side by side and were very close due to the fact his parents and yours were good friends. automatically making you two attached at the hip, school was always more fun when you had a best friend. you were more talkative when you were younger, meanwhile, wujin is more the shy type. his parents always thanked you for being his friend and watching over him, even though you were only 5 years old and didn't understand the true meaning of their words until later in life. now you both were in high school and were complete opposites. no longer close as you were, you couldn't even bring up an answer if someone asked you what his favorite color is now.

orange. it was orange before though.

you only nodded to your father before holding the box close to your chest and running out of the small apartment, heading to the bus stop. when the bus came you quietly took your usual seat and stared down at the plastic tray. you couldn't help but wonder if your father was truly worried for you or if he was embarrassed about having a loner of a son. how did he think of wujin so suddenly? he must have gotten up early to make these and you didn't notice any leftovers so he's pretty confident you would eat with wujin. except you wished you also shared that confidence. “why do you look sad, oppa?” you jolted as a soft voice whispered into your ear from behind. quickly turning you immediately noticed, it was the same school girl that rides the bus with you. you were confused, weren't you late for school? “uh, im not s-sad.” you answered with a clear of your throat. still recovering from being spooked by a girl two times smaller than you. she laughed into her hand before pointing at your lap.

you looked down to see the shrimp staring back at you. “you made lunch today, is that why you were late?” she asked with a curious gaze. you gave a small grin before sighing, “something like that. yah, why are taking the bus so late, huh?” she giggled at your comeback before showing her phone. seeing that her schedule was changed to come in late this morning. not the usual 8 am, but 9. “wow, guess you're lucky.” you gave an awkward thumbs up before turning back to your lap. not knowing what else to say to keep up the conversation. “what's your name, oppa?” she leaned forward onto your seat to ask. you backed away a bit before answering hesitantly, she only hmmed with a small smile. she compliments it before responding, “i thought i would have to call you sleepy-oppa forever,” you glared at that. “yeah…” you trailed when she laughed at your reaction. “w-well what is yours anyway? nosey-dayeon?” you asked with sarcasm and awaited another teasing laugh only to have the girl look at you with wide eyes. “what?”

“are you stalking me, y/n-oppa?” she narrowed her eyes at you, accusingly. you stared at her confused until you finally changed your facial expression. “there's no way…” you accuse her of lying to which she sticks her tongue out at you and begins to claim you stalk her every day. the bickering went on for about 3 more minutes until the bus suddenly stopped and the speaker stated hyosan high-school. you grabbed your tray from the empty seat beside you and realized the reason you were on the bus in the first place. rushing out, you hear a faint, “bye stalker-oppa!”

-

you were two minutes late but you didn't necessarily worry about it since you hadn't missed any of your classes yet. when you walked in, everyone had still been preparing for the day.

while class went on, you had noted how quick class went by when you werent exactly sleeping through it. long awaited lunch time had come and you couldnt help but keep glancing in the direction of wujin and his friends. they always seemed so close to one another that you almost envied them. someone you could lean onto without worrying what they might think of you, sounds like a dream. maybe a part of you did long for companionship, but you would never admit it.

everyone was chattering as they stood out of their seats and were heading out of the classroom. two girls running out of the class with high pitched giggles somehow gave you the motivation to stand with the delicious tray of rice wrapped shrimp and rice. a shaky exhale escaped from you as you passed by the class president and headed to the other side of the classroom. although, what seemed like a few feet felt like a few kilometers. “lets go already, im starving,” daesu groaned while rubbing his belly. “hold up, i gotta give back this notebook.” you noticed wujin was casually sitting on his desk while his friends surrounded him. you walked up behind him before slightly whispering his name. you tried to only get his attention but seemed to only get his and his friends as well. wujin raised a brow at your presence, you two hadnt spoken in years. “oh, hey y/n-ah,” he stated hesitatingly. glancing at his friends before looking back at your sheepish figure. you were only a few centimeters shorter than wujin but it seemed like he was towering over you at the moment.

“h-hi, again. um, m-my dad made your favorite a-and i thought that maybe we could share it. i know we haven't, uh, exactly talked in a long time. b-but there's never a time limit on good food, right?” you ask with a small hopeful smile. your eager eyes staring at his dazed ones, you could hear daesu’s belly grumbling as he stared at your hands.

wujin blinked before looking over at his friend, gyeongsu, who shrugged in response to his questioning stare. he looked back at you to see you waiting patiently for his response, almost like a small puppy waiting to be praised. “ah, i haven't eaten those since primary school..and they were only my favorite for like a week..” he trailed off with an open ended sigh. you blinked before nodding and looking down at the plate, “oh. y-yes, it was a long time ago.” you gulped as you didnt know what exactly to say next, once again.

“m’gonna have to pass.” you flicked your eyes to him as he gave a sympathetic smile, you bit your bottom lip in hopes you wouldn't burst out into tears from being rejected by an old friend. well, old acquaintance it seemed. “oh, uh, o-okay, s-sorry about interrupting.” you apologized and walked back to your seat with your tray of food on your table. don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

you pulled your hoodie over your head to cover your face as much as you could, not wanting anyone to see the tears that were threatening to spill down your rosey, embarrassed cheeks. meanwhile, back at where the boys all stood, daesu was currently scolding wujin. “yah, he was tryna befriend you.” he shoved his elbow into the boy's ribs. the same boy who hissed in pain and instantly responded back with, “shut up, you just wanted the food. anyways, there's no good that comes with hanging out with y/n l/n.” cheongsan couldn't help but look over at wujins words, seeing you hunched over, making your small self look even smaller as you plated with your fingers. refusing to touch the food you had for lunch. he sighed before pushing wujins shoulder, “you guys talk too much.” walking out of the classroom while the rest followed to go and get lunch. you noticed it got more quiet as they left. you also observed how everyone had left, even choi namra. were you destined to always be alone? could this feeling ever stop or will you finally live out your days with people who truly care for you?

these stupid questions always flooded your mind when in vulnerable situations like these. you couldn't help but ponder over your own isolation.

shaking your head to rid those intrusive thoughts, you knew you couldn't just wallow in your own self pity if it meant you were gonna keep going through these cycles of rejection. you stood out of your seat and marched out into the hallway, looking for the nearest trash can. you knew exactly what you were gonna do with that stupid tray of-

“yah! have you eaten lunch yet?” well, there goes your plan. you turn with a roll of your eyes to see the smaller girl, mijin. her hands in her sweater pockets while she pursed her lips, staring at the plastic in your trembling hands. “looks like i came just in time,” she smirked as she snatched the box out of your hands and opened it with wide eyes. “cmon, lets go eat outside, its always so stuffy in the hallways.” reluctantly, you followed after her as she stuffed a wrap into her mouth a pleasant moan. “hey, you could be a chef ya know? these are the best wraps ive ever tasted.” you held back a scoff at her praise. not understanding why she wanted to hang with you anyways. ‘i always wanted a gay friend..’ her words echoed in your broken mind. ah, maybe that's why.

“let's sit here, it's shady and my skin can't be in the sun too long or else i get nasty blisters,” you stared at her as she wiggled herself onto the bench that was on the side of the school building, quietly tucked away. “what? are you a vampire, sunbae?” you looked at her amused when she gave you a glare. “it's a condition, brat.”

finally you sit with a huff, your mind giving you terrible flashbacks of the awkward situation prior. “for a boy, you're really pretty. maybe if you didnt talk back so much you would get alot of attention.” you blinked before snapping your head to her, was she talking to you? she turned to see you gaping at her before hiding the shrimp wrap in her hands, “back off, this ones mine.” you shook your head before rubbing your eyes. whens the last time you ever received a compliment or a pat on the back, or a ‘good job!’? you tried to think back as far as you could but, nothing. just emptiness with flashes of traumatizing scenes. “can i know who the guy was?”

yet, mijins voice never let you remain just in your thoughts. “what guy?” you ask with a hard blink. trying to snap out of the daze you were in as you watched the girls play soccer in the field. “the guy you confessed to,” her words made your grip tighten on your knees. was she going to tell even more people? “no. you can't know,” you replied quickly and by accident, informally. you received a soft nudge to your elbow while she cursed under her breath, “i'm older than you, you imbecile! maybe i'll let you call me noona one day, if you acted like an actual under classmen.” you hissed while holding your ribs, it was a soft nudge but you still had marks from that day. “i don't even wanna call you that.” mijin was someone who was almost like a real big sister, she bickered with you but gave you support nonetheless…in her own way that is. mijin kept glancing from the corner of her eye, making sure you weren't staying in your brain for too long. you somehow reminded her of herself when she was in middle school and getting bullied. now she's someone who not many people fear but is someone that will definitely not back down from a fight. unfair or not. you weren't fragile looking, you had a toned body, mijin could see your collar bones peeking and strong shoulders from underneath your collared shirt. one button loose enough to see how low your neck truly blends into your smooth clavicle. she wasn't lying when she called you pretty, so she was stuck in her head with why the guy you had seemingly gave your heart to, refused?

-

the day went by pretty quickly, besides the sad scene from earlier. you chose to walk home since you wanted to stretch your legs and truly get yourself out of this terrible headspace. the flashback of your dream prior had suddenly overtaken your full attention. when was the last time you've heard from your mother, let alone seen her? it was a somewhat sore subject, she left when you were young without a word or explanation. when you would ask your father about it, he would simply say you didn't have a mother. a silly child with an easily manipulative mind believed the older man instantly. but when you went to school you noticed everyone mostly had two parents and you only had one. no matter what your peers would say about your dad, he was a man that was a realist and he gave you advice even when you think you didn't need it. yes, he sometimes forgets your birthday and yes, he’s had people you don't know come over and ask for their money your father owed. now other than those things, he was a great father.

you both had a rocky time but you always could confide in one another by watching your favorite shows. both of your laughters would erupt in the tiny apartment and echo throughout. your dad would chuckle while holding a finger to his lips and say something along the lines of, “do you want to get kicked out? the landlord is probably listening through the door,” to which you giggled even more at. unfortunately, those happy memories were very rare occasions. the only times your father would speak to you would be in a shouting tone that was very condescending. you would much rather not talk at all and live quietly if you truly had the choice.

“hey!” you continued walking down the street and beginning to cross a crosswalk. “h-hey! watch out!” you blinked out of the daze you were in when a hand roughly pulled you backwards, to where you get shoved into a hard chest. the sound of a car zooming past milliseconds afterwards caused you to let out a gasp when you looked back to where you were to see skid marks on the street. you almost got hit. your mind suddenly focuses on the grip the person still has on both of your arms, you turn only to be met with a matching school uniform. tilting your head up to see someone you weren't ready to contact anytime soon. lee-fucking-suhyeok. to say you could hear your heart in your chest was an understatement. it felt like the marching band that attend your school was drumming in your ears. his hair perfectly placed and his brown doe eyes staring into yours in…concern? no, of course not. he obviously didn't care about you when you had told-

“a-are you okay?” his voice startled you, not expecting him to speak. before you could answer, the small thought grew big in your mind, don't forget what he did. in an instant you had shoved him off of you harshly, he winced at your sudden push. you gave him a glare before continuing to walk away and straight toward the crosswalk where you almost had your life-taken. how could he ever even talk to you again and look worried for your life when he had put you in that exact situation before? “you almost die and i don't even get a thank you?!” he shouts as you swiftly walk across the street. the anger bubbling inside you seemed to burst at his question, you snap your head back to see him standing with his backpack on one of his shoulders and his hands in his pant pockets. screw his parents for doing a good job. “how about you go fuck yourself!” you spat before walking away with heated ears. you've never yelled with your gut at another human being before and even though it was the first. it sure as hell felt good doing it. maybe mijin had influenced you in a good way afterall.

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER ONE' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ being an outcast seems to be apart of the school experience. especially when a rumor about you and the gym teacher has caught the ears of gullible listeners.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; assault, bullying, homophobia, homophobic slurs, isolation, fighting, scary nightmares, talk of mistreatment to oneself, sleep deprivation. [please let me know if theres anything i missed !]

MOODBOARD | NEXT

hundreds of contrasting people that just so happen to be enrolled at the same school you were attending, were coincidentally all staring at you. what an odd coincidence it is-- that they all chose to go here of all the high schools in south korea. various teens who all have aspiring dreams and past trauma that makes them who they are, are surrounding you. dark eyes boring onto your crouched figure in the same high school where you were being publicly humiliated.

“c’mon fag, just give up, this is getting boring.” myunghwan smirked. you gripped your shirt as the wind was knocked out from your lungs when he had ordered gwinam to knock you on your back. gasping for air while gwinam held you down by your throat, kneeling beside you, his expression staying the same. the same boring look he always had never wavered even as you were struggling to take any normal amount of oxygen into your system. “fuck you.” you sputtered out through sharp inhales. the once prideful expression on myunghwans face easily diminished at your secure tone.

how, even at a moment like this, could you stay levelheaded and unafraid?

between your burning lungs, aching eye, or bruising ribs you could still feel that small ounce of hope. you were not going to let them conquer who you are. gaze flicking from myunghwan to the crowd once again that did not look at you with pity, but with hatred and disgust. no one even disagreed with what was happening, to think it almost even coerced you to believe this is what you deserved was terrifying in itself. you weren't scared though, you were angry. “i believe everyone can vouch for me when i say i was giving you the benefit of the doubt,” his words came with a scoff of disbelief. he waited a few seconds as he had noticed you trying not to flinch when gwinams large hand was squeezing just a tad tighter than before. your throat not even being able to let you swallow even if you forced it to. “alright, enough.”

gwinam released you upon command, not before spitting on your beat and bloody body as you rolled to your side with a troubling cough. your small body trembling as you could feel everyone's attention on myunghwan now, “i warned you, fag. maybe next time you'll learn when to listen and speak formally when in the presence of an elder.” he turned his back on you before the silence was cut with you laughing. you maniac, you were actually amused. “would that turn you on, hyung?” you asked with a bloody lip that attempted to curl into a smile, yet it transition quickly into a frown as you whimpered from the wave of pain that hit your chest. “me being respectful and obedient like a dog gets you going?” you asked another dangerous question. the crowd gasped at your courage even when being so beaten.

the older male’s back stiffened at your quick remark before he turned back around with a menacing guise. “you don't know when to shut up, you fucking idiot!” gwinam rushed towards you with a raised foot and-

[THREE DAYS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...]

“oppa, you just missed your stop.” a soft voice made your eyes flutter open to see the girl that has always sat behind you on the bus since your freshman year of high school, was shaking you softly. she always wore a different uniform than yours so you knew you didn't go to the same high school. you two never did converse until now.

you quickly stood up, adjusting to your surroundings before shouting to the bus driver to stop the bus, the bus halted sharply, almost sending you flying but you caught a pole just in time. as the door opens you rushed out. however, you decided on a whim to turn around swiftly and glance at the girl before bowing, thanking her, and then running towards school. the girl could only let out a soft giggle at your behavior, bowing to someone younger than you was quite uncommon, and yet you didn't hesitate.

rushing to your school's gate to get there in time was never a problem, you kept your grades up and went to school quietly as you would leave. no one could really say you were a bad student. you did put the time into your studies but, that was only because of your father who wanted the best future for you. so he says. you weren't sure what you were going to do after you graduated but whatever it is, it's going to make no one ever look down on you ever again. that, you were sure of. “yah!” a high-pitched shout grabbed your attention. following the voice across the street to a girl with a short haircut and bangs that faded into her short hair. she was trying to keep up with your pace, your eyebrows furrowed. she looked familiar, wasn't her name mijin? “stop running! i need to talk to you!” you didn't know why but you chose the decision to keep running, “i-im sorry! i'm going to be late for school!” you shouted while picking up your speed. you swore you heard fading curse words being thrown at you as you ran towards the front school gate.

quickly you made it inside to the school grounds before the couch could stop anyone, you placed your hands on your knees and attempted to catch your breath. “alright, and your late!” the couch used his usual ruler and stopped anyone from reaching the invisible wall of being on the premises. the two boys up front groaned in annoyance before changing their gaze to the boy who was clutching his chest in pain. your lungs really never healed correctly from that day.

“of course, the pillow princess gets to go through,” you heard the guy but you chose to ignore it and stand up straight. “hey, maybe if you suck the gym teacher off you’ll get special treatment too.. like him.” the one behind him snickered. you headed to class with your school sweater on and your hood up. after reporting to the principal about the incident, the school wanted you to hide the bruises, hide the evidence of what happened. ‘you wouldn't want the rumors to be spread to other schools you could potentially transfer to, right?’ you knew he was afraid of the school's name going six feet under and not because he was actually worried about you and your tarnished reputation whatsoever.

your beatings had healed over the past two months but your habit of wearing your hoodie up was now constant. almost necessary to get through the day. you enjoyed the comfort of it though, the idea that it engulfed you, almost as if it was an invisible cloak in a way. everyone ignored– no, avoided you like the plague. not wanting to be a part of whatever you were a part of. at the beginning of the year, many students transferred out of their class because your mere presence was just revolting to them. some would say you were being narcissistic when thinking that everyone would change their own schedule for you, but it was the truth nonetheless.

walking down the hallways you could hear a group of girls up ahead yelling at one another, something about one of their test scores being higher than the other. once you broke the distance between them you awkwardly excused yourself and scooted by. the girls only rolled their eyes at you before continuing to argue about their now broken friendship. grades were odd like that, not only were adults pressuring students but the students were to each other.

walking into your class– you slid the door open before closing it behind you, observing for a few seconds how your usual classmates were all gathered in their cliques. your dark circled eyes seem to zone in on the same group of guys that seem to always laugh and share a bond. they were never really into drama, they just lived in the moment. you wanted nothing more, craved nothing more than an honest and deep friendship. to be able to rely on someone without always having that clouded thought in the back of your mind that maybe, just maybe, they really didn't like you. you desired a friendship that was even stronger than love itself. well, love was complicated for you as well. the one time you were brave enough to confess to someone about your feelings for them, you got two black eyes and bruised ribs. to say you learned your lesson was an understatement.

“good morning everyone, let's please take our seats.” the teacher walked in with a bright smile, she always was very positive. you did enjoy that aspect of her.

upon realizing you were just standing in the same spot when you came in– it forced you to quickly head to your seat. sitting on the furthest seat to the left of the classroom was a blessing, your desk was fortunately placed next to the windows. you also thankfully sat next to someone who didn't really mind your presence as much as others. her name? choi namra. she was your class president, but nonetheless, she still was the only one who chose to be your deskmate at the beginning of the year. the feeling of belonging only happened to you a couple of times in your life and this was one of them. she never did speak to you however, she never did speak to anyone for that matter. you always thought maybe she was dealing with her own problems– her own set of issues that were way bigger than yours. your father always told you not to compare others' pasts with your own, yet you couldn't help but stare at the mismatched individuals in your class and ponder on what they were all hiding. what were their deepest and darkest secrets that they wouldn't dare to bring to light?

“im hoping everyone brought their book reports today and daesu, please don't ask me if it was actually due today or tomorrow because i have the due date saved on the board this time...” the teacher trailed off as she turned back to the green chalkboard and raised her hand to gesture to the assignments she listed and their dates. only to see all the dates were changed to the following day. the students in the classroom faced the husky boy, daesu, who stared with wide eyes and gave an innocent shrug. everyone's giggles filled the spacious classroom. sighing with her jaw clenching, not being able to hide her anger, the teacher glared at the mischievous boy who held back a laugh, “ill let it slide this once, but everyone must have it by tomorrow.”

your mind began to drift to other things, the classrooms cheers began to slowly dissipate from your ears and your dreams overtook you.

so heavy.

why did your backpack feel so heavy? you had been carrying it for two years and nothing had changed. now all of a sudden your legs were aching from the steps you had to take to reach your next class. maybe your father was right, maybe you werent as healthy as you thought you were. the thought of spicy ramen flew into your head, you scolded yourself mentally for your lack of self-discipline. father would be disappointed if he knew what you were thinking about. shaking the desirable thought away, you began to feel a heaviness in your bladder that consumed all of your prior attention.

if you went to the restroom right now, you would still have a couple more minutes to reach your next class so you hurriedly headed to the nearest boys restroom. upon entering you felt the tightness of your belt squeezing into your expanding stomach while you took in a shallow breath. quickly you removed your huge backpack and placed it beside you while you rushed to the urinal to pee. a shaky exhale escaped your lips as you finally released the tension that was formed in your gut, the sound of a bathroom stall opening made your ears perk. “be careful, he might peek at you.” a voice warned. you gulped as you heard another small chuckle behind you. choosing to ignore them you closed your eyes with a sigh. you could only hear the sink turn on and the sound of someone entering the restroom as well. their foot steps came close, then the sound of a zipper opening, now the sound of pee trickling down the urinal beside you.

you hurriedly tried pushing out the remaining urine in your system so you could go as quickly as possible. “what are you focusing so hard on?” you jumped at the deep voice that whispered next to you. flinging your eyes wide, you turned to see a tall and handsome classmate. you recognized him as one of gwinams friends yet you never spoke to him before. what was his question again?

“f-focus?..” you trailed off before you seen his slight smirk, he was teasing you. “oh no, i was just..”you turned to gesture to the guys who had spoke rudely about you before but they were no longer in sight. “um, n-nevermind.” you peered back downward to your own hands as you realized you've never held a conversation with someone so intimately before. the sound of both of your urine was the only thing you could hear besides your pounding heartbeat. how much water did you drink today?

your eyes couldn't help but catch at your peripheral, the said classmates heels were crushing the back of his shoes as he didn't slip his whole foot inside. he was also not wearing any socks. your eyebrows twitched while you wondered if he needed to borrow any, maybe he was from the part of korea you were from. before you could ask about his feet, the sound of the door opened and revealed gwinam and myunghwan who walked in with cocky strides. you nervously jiggled out the remaining liquid as he spoke, “where the hell have you been, prick?” myunghwan chuckled. the male next to you only hummed before responding, “sorry, i had to piss and i was catching up with an old friend.” he responded. your ears had a red glow to them as you gave him a wary glance. he seemed to not note your anxiousness cause he proceeds to send a wink your way. you quickly look away and begin putting yourself back into your slacks.

you rushed out without a second thought and ran to your next class. was he being nice? was he trying to befriend you? no. impossible.

you were a complete idiot for thinking you could make a true friend. “you dont deserve friends, y/n.” a sudden voiced spoke through the school speakers, it was the classmate who you were talking to prior. you blinked before slowing down your quick pace. “what?...” you whispered, there wasn't a way for him to be in the recording room that fast. “you're always going to be alone! always!”

your head lifted from your desk with a small gasp accompanying it, only to see the teacher writing down notes on the chalkboard. you gathered your surroundings before you realized the clock had read that the class was almost over. you realized you slept through class three times this week, rubbing your dark circled eyes from any prior sleep had you feeling more awake. you haven't been able to sleep ever since the confession incident, constant times of your most embarrassing and humiliating moments playing over and over in your weak head. you neglected sleep as best you could but the moments where your body would instantly shut itself down when you were even a tiny bit comfortable was out of your hands. hence the reason you received another paper for your father to sign, asking if everything was alright at home, you'd been forging signatures for a few months now and you've been getting better. 

you currently stared down at the paper as you walked through campus during your break, did your teacher truly care about a student this much or did she just do it because its her job?

“yah! dipshit!” your head spun behind you to see the same girl from this morning that was chasing after you. “when a person runs after you, you usually stop for them you brat,” she huffs as she placed her hands on her knees to gather herself. “i-im sorry, but i couldn't-”

“you couldn't be late to class, yeah i get it. listen, i have a question to ask.” she stated while walking ahead of you, you followed along as silence ensued. glancing around before you spoke, “yes?” mijin stops before the small girl turns to you, “so ive heard some rumors and i wanna know if they're true or not. i asked a couple of people but they all gave me some bullshit so i thought, why dont i just ask the kid himself.” she stated nonchalantly. your eyes flickered at her behavior, your hands tightened their grip on the paper you had before you turned and began walking away from the shouting girl. you couldn't have anymore of this stupid talks with people.

“do you want me to make a scene?!” her voice got annoyingly higher and even louder to which made your body tense with anger, turning around you stomped quickly back to her. “whats it to you, huh? what does me liking guys have anything to do with you?” you spoke with venom but soon noting how mijins eyebrows raised and her lips twitched to a grin. an annoying one, at that.

“so its true, you're gay.” you pupils flickered in nervousness before you rolled your eyes, “fuck you.” you spat and quickly headed back to the building you needed to currently be at. only to have an irritating parrot beside you. “so whats it like? ive always wanted a gay friend. i hear they keep secrets better than straight ones. do you think im at-least attractive?” you growled out a solid no to which she smacked her lips at. not liking your attitude towards her, “well i wish i was gay, that way we’d be-” you halted your steps once again before you whispered to her lowly. “no. you dont wish you were…” you trailed off while looking around to make sure no one was listening in, “you dont wish that because if you were, you would want the world to swallow you whole every second of the day.” 

she stared at you for a few seconds before she spoke with curiosity laced her voice, “did you always know?” a sigh escaped our lips at the unpleasant feeling of reminiscing had brought you. “no. i never heard of it before until i confessed to someone i had trusted. then they kept calling me that word,” you confessed with sorrowfulness engulfing you. “wait, that story was true?” you nodded as you cleared your throat while looking away. “what an asshole! we should egg his house!” she proclaimed with anger. you eyed her with amusement and confusion, not used to someone being angry for you, “we are doing nothing. dont you have tests to study for right about now?” you ask. 

she curses before she begins jogging away, “see you tomorrow, dipshit!” you flip her off at her nickname for you before walking the opposite way. you couldn't contain the growing smile on your lips as you replayed her small angry shouts to you earlier. shaking your head, what just happened?

[justice4gyeongsu]

❝ WHEN DAWN BREAKS ❞ masterlist

SYNOPSIS ➢ a zombie apocalypse breaks out at hyosan high school and puts the students in danger. however, these students each have a past that will bond them together to fight back for once. oh, and they arent asking for permission.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

RATING ➢ 18+ [do not read if you are a minor]

AUTHORS NOTE ➢ before you read!! : PLEASE FINISH THE SHOW BEFORE READING!! {it contains spoilers!} this series takes place in south korea, where it is known their mindsets arent as open minded as other countries. hence, you will be seeing homophobia take place, quite often. however true friends remain true friends no matter what, so maybe dont leave just yet! !

CHAPTERS !

chapter one : being an outcast seems to be apart of the school experience.

chapter two : trying to fit into the lifestyle of every korean teen, you try to reconnect with a long ago friend.

chapter three : sometimes a little courage can do a lot more good than bad. sometimes, that is.

chapter four : a fast-spreading outbreak soaks the school in blood. quite literally & figuratively.

chapter five : theres always a price to pay for survival.

chapter six : the art of unlikely alliances is always something special. even if you never saw it coming.

chapter seven : when can someone break free from their own history or will they become forever trapped in the abyss of their own mind?

chapter eight : if only there was an on and off switch to your mind, that way, no one gets hurt.

chapter nine : music and forgiveness dont really go hand in hand as you'd expect.

chapter ten : a rooftops panoramic view should be a beautiful sight, key word, should.

chapter eleven : adults seemed cooler before the infection outbreak.

chapter twelve : life isnt about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning how to dance in the rain.

chapter thirteen : the power of being stuck in a storage closet makes some come together while others seem to stray away.

chapter fourteen : ???

© all rights reserved to “justice4gyeongsu”. please do not plagiarize, steal, repost w/o credit for momentary gain.

[juicyvrse]

untamed desolation!

HALT!!

This isn’t actually the next chapter, this is me just letting you know that im redoing the first chapter because ik for a FACT i can do better andddd i will still be making chapter 2 as well. BYEEEE

sorry for tricking you🤭

ALSOO!! I’m deleting the other version so sorry everyone 😭😭

[literaturedog]

𝙰𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛… 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜… 𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐?

𝙾𝚗-𝚓𝚘, 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍. 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚊

"I will never like a guy like that."

━━━ 'CHAPTER THREE' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ sometimes a little courage can do a lot more good than bad. sometimes, that is.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; loneliness, sprinkles of unfit parenting, a bit of heatedness with an older male (just in m/c's mind) [let me know if i missed any !]

MOODBOARD | NEXT | PREVIOUS

[A DAY BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...]

roses, tulips, lilies, they usually were in every storefronts window. signaling perfectly how the season was changing soon and quickly, the flowers were now missing and/or wilted. you were going to miss seeing the bloomed flowers for a while. winter took the invitation swiftly, the wind blowing your hair away from your eyes proved that fact. the sun still shines down onto people's heads, as usual, it confidently shows it still has a job to do upon the season changing. the solid road you were walking down had green grass sprouting from between the cracks a little, a visual of a younger you playing with it while your mother was arguing on the phone with someone flashed by in your mind.

couldn't recall what it was about exactly. “y/n, you have two feet facing forward and yet somehow you seem to be walking backwards,” your father retorted to your slow walking. you snapped your head up to see he was a few feet away from you, jogging to catch up. “yeah, sorry.” you mumbled. not in the mood to argue so early into the day. especially on a weekend, the two days where you could only worry about how you would get your dad out the house.

your first thought when your father had told you he was leaving to run errands, you weren't necessarily thinking you had to be a part of it. well, it seems everything you don't expect always seems to happen to you. adding this to the list. “welcome!,” the store owner announced as you two walked in. you bowed when making eye contact and as you rose up the older woman couldn't help but send you, what only you could assume to be, a motherly smile. you gave a small smile in return, her warmth made it hard not to. “hello miss, we were wondering if you had any chamomile tea?” your father asked the lady with a high pitched tone, obviously trying to sound kinder than usual. you couldn't help the smirk on your lips when the woman quickly left her station and went to retrieve said herbs. you placed your hands on the counter and tapped your fingertips in a rhythm. “so..” you trailed off as your dad turned his head towards your direction.

“why do you need chamomile tea?” you asked while staring at the broken sign that stated no leaning on the small statues that were lined against the wall of the store. “just.” was your fathers answer. you exhaled while closing your eyes, you were used to your father not actually wanting to have normal conversations with you. in spite of that, it was still in fact draining to not have a communicative parent. and the only times he did want to speak to you, was because he needed to ridicule you for every decision you made in this life. it makes you ponder about what you must've done so awful in your past life.

you turned around to lean your back against the counter and stare out the windows with your arms over your chest, your thick green cardigan making you feel comfortable even if the atmosphere did not. looking out onto the street you see three grown women pass by, then a boy that seemed close to your age, maybe a little older, on a bicycle slowly cruises by the windows. to say he was handsome was an understatement, your mouth slightly parted as he looked into the windows of the shop you were in and looked directly at you. it wasn't a certain look he gave you, just the fact he did stare at you before disappearing past the window where you could no longer see him. making your throat dry and your heartbeat a little faster than usual. your feet led you off the counter and outside the open door to where he had disappeared to. he was crossing the street to the corner bike store, parking his bike outside and entering. you blinked before turning back to see your dad now chatting with another older lady about different tea’s. “dad, im gonna check out the-“ he waved you off, not even turning his head to spare you a glance. you shook your head from the sudden hurt and quickly jogged over to down the street to the sidewalk. your mind now focused on one thing and one thing only.

one someone, to be exact. upon entering the bicycle store you were greeted by a younger women whom you bowed to in response. you weren't sure if you fitted in with the rest of the people shopping in here. you still pretended to look at the bikes that were on display in the windows and throughout the store. looking up, you noticed a familiar tall and fit boy who was looking at bike tires that were hung up. swallowing in hopes of smoothing your vocal chords out from the dried cracks of anxiousness. you proceeded to walk slowly more and more to him, though one step came with an intrusive thought. “you see him and what are you gonna do about it?” you turned swiftly toward a wall full of chains for bicycles.

your heart began to beat harder at that. what are you going to do now? you probably seem like a stalker now, he's obviously gonna recognize you from the other shop. you need to leave, you need to leave now. “you own a bike?” a voice cut in to your own conversation. your head whipped to the side to see the said boy was now standing beside you and not where he was leaning over a few feet away prior. “uh, me?” you ask dumbly. he nodded with a smile that his eyes turn into slits, you blinked before answering, “no i don't.” oh no. “i-i mean that's why i'm here. y-ya know, to buy one.” the boy nodded slowly at your words. you weren't quite sure if he believed you or not. he then points to the chain you were once having a staring contest with, “maybe you should get the whole bike first.”

you nodded before nervously chuckling, to which a heavenly giggle escaped his throat. something that made your heart flutter at. “can i give you some advice though?” you nod quickly. he smirks at your quick reaction to his words. “don't try and get one of the trendy ones right now, they'll only go out of style as quick and usually they break down as easily.” your eyes stuck to his lips as he spoke to you. wow, he really was very handsome. you couldn't help your ears from gaining heat at the fact that he still stared at you as you did him.

“yes, i understand.” you softly responded with a starstruck face. “good.” his voice lowered. the boy looked down at your body which made you shy instantly. “also those shoes are good for bicycling, so don't even try to waste your well-earned money on some new ones.” you furrowed your brows before looking down. “ah, yes, i wasn't planning on it.” you reassured him while mentally hitting yourself for getting into your head like that when just speaking to this nice guy. “im y/n.” you stuck out your hand politely. “my names kyungho.” the name fit him perfectly you noticed.

he nodded before saying a gentle, “see you around then, y/n.” it was as if your heart punctured outwards of your chest and grabbed onto his sleeve when he was walking away, but instead you said “w-what kind of bike do you have?” you asked for the first time in a louder tone. he turned with an eye-slinting smile before responding.

the sun was finally done being confident for the day and began relaxing by 6pm. its winds and clouds taking over for the exhausted sun. “come back for dinner, y/n!” your father shouted while heading into the apartment building, you nodded before pedaling off on your new bike that you had recently bought the next day. you sold most of your old toys to nearby neighbors and finally, 19 hours later and you purchased the black version of the bike kyungho had. you pedalled off down a street, the feeling almost rejuvenating. not having a specific path you wanted to take, you just followed the sun as it set and the skies soon turned orangey-pink. you cut through wind so fast, your clothes were practically second skin.

it was different. very much different. it made you wonder as to why you never thought of purchasing one of these before. it beats walking, that's for sure.

while you skidded down many empty streets and just enjoyed the outdoors for once, you came across and intersection, you slowed down and drifted onto the sidewalk. slowly cruising towards the crosswalk. thats when you noticed it was the same intersection where suhyeok saved you from. a faint hint of your ears getting warmer made you grow angry. you knew one-hundred percent then, that you couldn't control who you liked. because even when you don't want to, that prick still somehow squirms his way into your arteries like a blood clot. an infectious disease that can only be cured if you rip your own heart out before he consumes it. shaking your head in order to clear your mind, your ears pick up laughter. you turn to see a chicken restaurant and eating inside were a few of your classmates. onjo, cheongsan, isak, and gyeongsu. they looked rather happy.. and warm.

you looked away in defeat, leaning onto your bike and rubbing your head. for once in your life you were not gonna live the same day over and over. tomorrow, you were going to change for good, that was something only you knew at the time, but soon everyone would see it too.

meanwhile, in cheongsan’s chicken, “yah, is that y/n-ah?” isak spoke as she covered her mouth from keeping chicken spewing out. everyone turned to see the young boy with his head in his hands and brushing his hair away from his face in frustration. cheongsan and gyeongsu looked back at each other before returning to their food. onjo looked at the two boys who were stuffing their faces once again, “we should invite him to eat with us,” she began and continued when everyone looked at her with surprised faces. “hes always alone. no one should be alone throughout high-school, it makes school even more unbearable. plus, isn't he woojin-ah’s friend?” she asked and immediately was met with gyeongsu shaking his head slowly in a grimace. “he tried to ..befriend him again but i think woojin just didnt wanna be apart of drama.” he explained while now picking at his food.

“drama?” onjo asked with a slight undertone. almost accusing cheongsan he had done something wrong from just answering her question. “y-yeah, you know about y/n and myunghwan..” cheongsan trailed off as onjo became angrier by the second. “y/n was just being himself, this whole town needs to grow up already. he never hurt anyone, he just had a stupid crush and wanted to tell him.” she stated with fire in her eyes. isak raised her eyebrows at her friends tangent. “do any of you know the guy?” isak carefully spoke up. everyone then proceeded to shake their head. “only y/n knows.” onjo answered while now pushing away her chicken while she tried to calm down. “and myunghwan and his goons.” gyeongsu added while looking down at his fork nonchalantly.

“that guy that snitched should go to hell.” isak stated with crossed arms and a small pout. finally, understanding y/n, when her friend put the situation in perspective for her. “yeah, i will never like a guy like that.” onjo announced seriously. cheongsan gulped and gawked at his childhood friend before continung to eat his food.

everyone was quiet, seemingly done with the conversation until gyeongsu spoke up, “if youre still a little angry, can i have that piece?”

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER THREE' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ sometimes a little courage can do a lot more good than bad. sometimes, that is.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; loneliness, sprinkles of unfit parenting, a bit of heatedness with an older male (just in m/c's mind) [let me know if i missed any !]

MOODBOARD | NEXT | PREVIOUS

[A DAY BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...]

roses, tulips, lilies, they usually were in every storefronts window. signaling perfectly how the season was changing soon and quickly, the flowers were now missing and/or wilted. you were going to miss seeing the bloomed flowers for a while. winter took the invitation swiftly, the wind blowing your hair away from your eyes proved that fact. the sun still shines down onto people's heads, as usual, it confidently shows it still has a job to do upon the season changing. the solid road you were walking down had green grass sprouting from between the cracks a little, a visual of a younger you playing with it while your mother was arguing on the phone with someone flashed by in your mind.

couldn't recall what it was about exactly. “y/n, you have two feet facing forward and yet somehow you seem to be walking backwards,” your father retorted to your slow walking. you snapped your head up to see he was a few feet away from you, jogging to catch up. “yeah, sorry.” you mumbled. not in the mood to argue so early into the day. especially on a weekend, the two days where you could only worry about how you would get your dad out the house.

your first thought when your father had told you he was leaving to run errands, you weren't necessarily thinking you had to be a part of it. well, it seems everything you don't expect always seems to happen to you. adding this to the list. “welcome!,” the store owner announced as you two walked in. you bowed when making eye contact and as you rose up the older woman couldn't help but send you, what only you could assume to be, a motherly smile. you gave a small smile in return, her warmth made it hard not to. “hello miss, we were wondering if you had any chamomile tea?” your father asked the lady with a high pitched tone, obviously trying to sound kinder than usual. you couldn't help the smirk on your lips when the woman quickly left her station and went to retrieve said herbs. you placed your hands on the counter and tapped your fingertips in a rhythm. “so..” you trailed off as your dad turned his head towards your direction.

“why do you need chamomile tea?” you asked while staring at the broken sign that stated no leaning on the small statues that were lined against the wall of the store. “just.” was your fathers answer. you exhaled while closing your eyes, you were used to your father not actually wanting to have normal conversations with you. in spite of that, it was still in fact draining to not have a communicative parent. and the only times he did want to speak to you, was because he needed to ridicule you for every decision you made in this life. it makes you ponder about what you must've done so awful in your past life.

you turned around to lean your back against the counter and stare out the windows with your arms over your chest, your thick green cardigan making you feel comfortable even if the atmosphere did not. looking out onto the street you see three grown women pass by, then a boy that seemed close to your age, maybe a little older, on a bicycle slowly cruises by the windows. to say he was handsome was an understatement, your mouth slightly parted as he looked into the windows of the shop you were in and looked directly at you. it wasn't a certain look he gave you, just the fact he did stare at you before disappearing past the window where you could no longer see him. making your throat dry and your heartbeat a little faster than usual. your feet led you off the counter and outside the open door to where he had disappeared to. he was crossing the street to the corner bike store, parking his bike outside and entering. you blinked before turning back to see your dad now chatting with another older lady about different tea’s. “dad, im gonna check out the-“ he waved you off, not even turning his head to spare you a glance. you shook your head from the sudden hurt and quickly jogged over to down the street to the sidewalk. your mind now focused on one thing and one thing only.

one someone, to be exact. upon entering the bicycle store you were greeted by a younger women whom you bowed to in response. you weren't sure if you fitted in with the rest of the people shopping in here. you still pretended to look at the bikes that were on display in the windows and throughout the store. looking up, you noticed a familiar tall and fit boy who was looking at bike tires that were hung up. swallowing in hopes of smoothing your vocal chords out from the dried cracks of anxiousness. you proceeded to walk slowly more and more to him, though one step came with an intrusive thought. “you see him and what are you gonna do about it?” you turned swiftly toward a wall full of chains for bicycles.

your heart began to beat harder at that. what are you going to do now? you probably seem like a stalker now, he's obviously gonna recognize you from the other shop. you need to leave, you need to leave now. “you own a bike?” a voice cut in to your own conversation. your head whipped to the side to see the said boy was now standing beside you and not where he was leaning over a few feet away prior. “uh, me?” you ask dumbly. he nodded with a smile that his eyes turn into slits, you blinked before answering, “no i don't.” oh no. “i-i mean that's why i'm here. y-ya know, to buy one.” the boy nodded slowly at your words. you weren't quite sure if he believed you or not. he then points to the chain you were once having a staring contest with, “maybe you should get the whole bike first.”

you nodded before nervously chuckling, to which a heavenly giggle escaped his throat. something that made your heart flutter at. “can i give you some advice though?” you nod quickly. he smirks at your quick reaction to his words. “don't try and get one of the trendy ones right now, they'll only go out of style as quick and usually they break down as easily.” your eyes stuck to his lips as he spoke to you. wow, he really was very handsome. you couldn't help your ears from gaining heat at the fact that he still stared at you as you did him.

“yes, i understand.” you softly responded with a starstruck face. “good.” his voice lowered. the boy looked down at your body which made you shy instantly. “also those shoes are good for bicycling, so don't even try to waste your well-earned money on some new ones.” you furrowed your brows before looking down. “ah, yes, i wasn't planning on it.” you reassured him while mentally hitting yourself for getting into your head like that when just speaking to this nice guy. “im y/n.” you stuck out your hand politely. “my names kyungho.” the name fit him perfectly you noticed.

he nodded before saying a gentle, “see you around then, y/n.” it was as if your heart punctured outwards of your chest and grabbed onto his sleeve when he was walking away, but instead you said “w-what kind of bike do you have?” you asked for the first time in a louder tone. he turned with an eye-slinting smile before responding.

the sun was finally done being confident for the day and began relaxing by 6pm. its winds and clouds taking over for the exhausted sun. “come back for dinner, y/n!” your father shouted while heading into the apartment building, you nodded before pedaling off on your new bike that you had recently bought the next day. you sold most of your old toys to nearby neighbors and finally, 19 hours later and you purchased the black version of the bike kyungho had. you pedalled off down a street, the feeling almost rejuvenating. not having a specific path you wanted to take, you just followed the sun as it set and the skies soon turned orangey-pink. you cut through wind so fast, your clothes were practically second skin.

it was different. very much different. it made you wonder as to why you never thought of purchasing one of these before. it beats walking, that's for sure.

while you skidded down many empty streets and just enjoyed the outdoors for once, you came across and intersection, you slowed down and drifted onto the sidewalk. slowly cruising towards the crosswalk. thats when you noticed it was the same intersection where suhyeok saved you from. a faint hint of your ears getting warmer made you grow angry. you knew one-hundred percent then, that you couldn't control who you liked. because even when you don't want to, that prick still somehow squirms his way into your arteries like a blood clot. an infectious disease that can only be cured if you rip your own heart out before he consumes it. shaking your head in order to clear your mind, your ears pick up laughter. you turn to see a chicken restaurant and eating inside were a few of your classmates. onjo, cheongsan, isak, and gyeongsu. they looked rather happy.. and warm.

you looked away in defeat, leaning onto your bike and rubbing your head. for once in your life you were not gonna live the same day over and over. tomorrow, you were going to change for good, that was something only you knew at the time, but soon everyone would see it too.

meanwhile, in cheongsan’s chicken, “yah, is that y/n-ah?” isak spoke as she covered her mouth from keeping chicken spewing out. everyone turned to see the young boy with his head in his hands and brushing his hair away from his face in frustration. cheongsan and gyeongsu looked back at each other before returning to their food. onjo looked at the two boys who were stuffing their faces once again, “we should invite him to eat with us,” she began and continued when everyone looked at her with surprised faces. “hes always alone. no one should be alone throughout high-school, it makes school even more unbearable. plus, isn't he woojin-ah’s friend?” she asked and immediately was met with gyeongsu shaking his head slowly in a grimace. “he tried to ..befriend him again but i think woojin just didnt wanna be apart of drama.” he explained while now picking at his food.

“drama?” onjo asked with a slight undertone. almost accusing cheongsan he had done something wrong from just answering her question. “y-yeah, you know about y/n and myunghwan..” cheongsan trailed off as onjo became angrier by the second. “y/n was just being himself, this whole town needs to grow up already. he never hurt anyone, he just had a stupid crush and wanted to tell him.” she stated with fire in her eyes. isak raised her eyebrows at her friends tangent. “do any of you know the guy?” isak carefully spoke up. everyone then proceeded to shake their head. “only y/n knows.” onjo answered while now pushing away her chicken while she tried to calm down. “and myunghwan and his goons.” gyeongsu added while looking down at his fork nonchalantly.

“that guy that snitched should go to hell.” isak stated with crossed arms and a small pout. finally, understanding y/n, when her friend put the situation in perspective for her. “yeah, i will never like a guy like that.” onjo announced seriously. cheongsan gulped and gawked at his childhood friend before continung to eat his food.

everyone was quiet, seemingly done with the conversation until gyeongsu spoke up, “if youre still a little angry, can i have that piece?”

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER TWO' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ trying to fit into the lifestyle of every korean teen, you try to reconnect with a long ago friend. however, you come in contact with someone you arent mentally prepared to speak to again.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; money issues, unfit parenting for m/c, loneliness, rejection, m/c is very depressed, cursing, absent parent [let me know if i missed any!]

MOODBOARD | NEXT | PREVIOUS

“let's go, sweetie.” soft but cold hands grasp onto your smaller warm ones. you found comfort in them, something that coerced your trust. you're not sure as to why you gave in so easily, but the lovely way the blurred-faced woman spoke to you made you feel safe, comforted. “it's cold, so let's go inside before the snow buries us, huh?” she spoke sweetly. you giggled at her small joke and seemingly made her chuckle as well. she was everything and more, comforting and collected. she looked vaguely familiar so you ask…

[TWO DAYS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...]

“m-mom?” your heavy eyelids flutter open to the sound of your father shouting through your door, “y/n l/n! how are you going to be the best in your class if you can't even wake up on time?!” he clicked his tongue while his footsteps dispersed further into the house. he was being sarcastic, you sensed it in his tone. your father's shouts were something you had added into your daily routine, learning how to work around it and whatnot. even if some days it felt as if his harsh words would never cease. thank god you didn't have dreams about him often, otherwise, you just might go insane. a few months ago, your father took you to see someone who specializes in the minds of youth. they asked you many questions about your daily routine and school life, and when your dreams were brought up you almost sobbed at the thought. how could you tell someone what had happened to you and how you keep dreaming about the betrayal? how could you let someone in on your secret? your deepest darkest secr-

“should i start a fire in order for you to get out of there?” your father's absurd threat had pulled you back into the one place you would rather be. reality. well, your dreams were a much more disturbing location, so that'll have to do in the meantime. reluctantly, pushing away the covers you swung your feet over onto the hard wooden floor that was always freezing in the early mornings.

quickly glancing at the time on your rickety alarm clock, you cussed under your breath to see you overslept so much, class started in 8 minutes. scrambling in your closet-sized room to find your uniform and quickly taking off your long-sleeve and sweatpants. while you start tripping over placing your socks on, the smell of eggs and rice had filled your nose. “y/n-” midway into your father's shout, you burst from your room with messy hair, heavy eyebags, and your backpack loosely on your shoulder. “oh, i guess you decided to actually do something with your life today.” you ignored his snide comment. placing your shoes on by the door, you then felt a heavy hand on your shoulder taking in your full attention. it was a plastic box filled with shrimp and rice wraps and dipping sauce, “you haven't talked to wujin-ah in a while, right?”

you knew what your father made, wujin’s favorite food when he was younger. you and wujin had history, you grew up side by side and were very close due to the fact his parents and yours were good friends. automatically making you two attached at the hip, school was always more fun when you had a best friend. you were more talkative when you were younger, meanwhile, wujin is more the shy type. his parents always thanked you for being his friend and watching over him, even though you were only 5 years old and didn't understand the true meaning of their words until later in life. now you both were in high school and were complete opposites. no longer close as you were, you couldn't even bring up an answer if someone asked you what his favorite color is now.

orange. it was orange before though.

you only nodded to your father before holding the box close to your chest and running out of the small apartment, heading to the bus stop. when the bus came you quietly took your usual seat and stared down at the plastic tray. you couldn't help but wonder if your father was truly worried for you or if he was embarrassed about having a loner of a son. how did he think of wujin so suddenly? he must have gotten up early to make these and you didn't notice any leftovers so he's pretty confident you would eat with wujin. except you wished you also shared that confidence. “why do you look sad, oppa?” you jolted as a soft voice whispered into your ear from behind. quickly turning you immediately noticed, it was the same school girl that rides the bus with you. you were confused, weren't you late for school? “uh, im not s-sad.” you answered with a clear of your throat. still recovering from being spooked by a girl two times smaller than you. she laughed into her hand before pointing at your lap.

you looked down to see the shrimp staring back at you. “you made lunch today, is that why you were late?” she asked with a curious gaze. you gave a small grin before sighing, “something like that. yah, why are taking the bus so late, huh?” she giggled at your comeback before showing her phone. seeing that her schedule was changed to come in late this morning. not the usual 8 am, but 9. “wow, guess you're lucky.” you gave an awkward thumbs up before turning back to your lap. not knowing what else to say to keep up the conversation. “what's your name, oppa?” she leaned forward onto your seat to ask. you backed away a bit before answering hesitantly, she only hmmed with a small smile. she compliments it before responding, “i thought i would have to call you sleepy-oppa forever,” you glared at that. “yeah…” you trailed when she laughed at your reaction. “w-well what is yours anyway? nosey-dayeon?” you asked with sarcasm and awaited another teasing laugh only to have the girl look at you with wide eyes. “what?”

“are you stalking me, y/n-oppa?” she narrowed her eyes at you, accusingly. you stared at her confused until you finally changed your facial expression. “there's no way…” you accuse her of lying to which she sticks her tongue out at you and begins to claim you stalk her every day. the bickering went on for about 3 more minutes until the bus suddenly stopped and the speaker stated hyosan high-school. you grabbed your tray from the empty seat beside you and realized the reason you were on the bus in the first place. rushing out, you hear a faint, “bye stalker-oppa!”

-

you were two minutes late but you didn't necessarily worry about it since you hadn't missed any of your classes yet. when you walked in, everyone had still been preparing for the day.

while class went on, you had noted how quick class went by when you werent exactly sleeping through it. long awaited lunch time had come and you couldnt help but keep glancing in the direction of wujin and his friends. they always seemed so close to one another that you almost envied them. someone you could lean onto without worrying what they might think of you, sounds like a dream. maybe a part of you did long for companionship, but you would never admit it.

everyone was chattering as they stood out of their seats and were heading out of the classroom. two girls running out of the class with high pitched giggles somehow gave you the motivation to stand with the delicious tray of rice wrapped shrimp and rice. a shaky exhale escaped from you as you passed by the class president and headed to the other side of the classroom. although, what seemed like a few feet felt like a few kilometers. “lets go already, im starving,” daesu groaned while rubbing his belly. “hold up, i gotta give back this notebook.” you noticed wujin was casually sitting on his desk while his friends surrounded him. you walked up behind him before slightly whispering his name. you tried to only get his attention but seemed to only get his and his friends as well. wujin raised a brow at your presence, you two hadnt spoken in years. “oh, hey y/n-ah,” he stated hesitatingly. glancing at his friends before looking back at your sheepish figure. you were only a few centimeters shorter than wujin but it seemed like he was towering over you at the moment.

“h-hi, again. um, m-my dad made your favorite a-and i thought that maybe we could share it. i know we haven't, uh, exactly talked in a long time. b-but there's never a time limit on good food, right?” you ask with a small hopeful smile. your eager eyes staring at his dazed ones, you could hear daesu’s belly grumbling as he stared at your hands.

wujin blinked before looking over at his friend, gyeongsu, who shrugged in response to his questioning stare. he looked back at you to see you waiting patiently for his response, almost like a small puppy waiting to be praised. “ah, i haven't eaten those since primary school..and they were only my favorite for like a week..” he trailed off with an open ended sigh. you blinked before nodding and looking down at the plate, “oh. y-yes, it was a long time ago.” you gulped as you didnt know what exactly to say next, once again.

“m’gonna have to pass.” you flicked your eyes to him as he gave a sympathetic smile, you bit your bottom lip in hopes you wouldn't burst out into tears from being rejected by an old friend. well, old acquaintance it seemed. “oh, uh, o-okay, s-sorry about interrupting.” you apologized and walked back to your seat with your tray of food on your table. don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

you pulled your hoodie over your head to cover your face as much as you could, not wanting anyone to see the tears that were threatening to spill down your rosey, embarrassed cheeks. meanwhile, back at where the boys all stood, daesu was currently scolding wujin. “yah, he was tryna befriend you.” he shoved his elbow into the boy's ribs. the same boy who hissed in pain and instantly responded back with, “shut up, you just wanted the food. anyways, there's no good that comes with hanging out with y/n l/n.” cheongsan couldn't help but look over at wujins words, seeing you hunched over, making your small self look even smaller as you plated with your fingers. refusing to touch the food you had for lunch. he sighed before pushing wujins shoulder, “you guys talk too much.” walking out of the classroom while the rest followed to go and get lunch. you noticed it got more quiet as they left. you also observed how everyone had left, even choi namra. were you destined to always be alone? could this feeling ever stop or will you finally live out your days with people who truly care for you?

these stupid questions always flooded your mind when in vulnerable situations like these. you couldn't help but ponder over your own isolation.

shaking your head to rid those intrusive thoughts, you knew you couldn't just wallow in your own self pity if it meant you were gonna keep going through these cycles of rejection. you stood out of your seat and marched out into the hallway, looking for the nearest trash can. you knew exactly what you were gonna do with that stupid tray of-

“yah! have you eaten lunch yet?” well, there goes your plan. you turn with a roll of your eyes to see the smaller girl, mijin. her hands in her sweater pockets while she pursed her lips, staring at the plastic in your trembling hands. “looks like i came just in time,” she smirked as she snatched the box out of your hands and opened it with wide eyes. “cmon, lets go eat outside, its always so stuffy in the hallways.” reluctantly, you followed after her as she stuffed a wrap into her mouth a pleasant moan. “hey, you could be a chef ya know? these are the best wraps ive ever tasted.” you held back a scoff at her praise. not understanding why she wanted to hang with you anyways. ‘i always wanted a gay friend..’ her words echoed in your broken mind. ah, maybe that's why.

“let's sit here, it's shady and my skin can't be in the sun too long or else i get nasty blisters,” you stared at her as she wiggled herself onto the bench that was on the side of the school building, quietly tucked away. “what? are you a vampire, sunbae?” you looked at her amused when she gave you a glare. “it's a condition, brat.”

finally you sit with a huff, your mind giving you terrible flashbacks of the awkward situation prior. “for a boy, you're really pretty. maybe if you didnt talk back so much you would get alot of attention.” you blinked before snapping your head to her, was she talking to you? she turned to see you gaping at her before hiding the shrimp wrap in her hands, “back off, this ones mine.” you shook your head before rubbing your eyes. whens the last time you ever received a compliment or a pat on the back, or a ‘good job!’? you tried to think back as far as you could but, nothing. just emptiness with flashes of traumatizing scenes. “can i know who the guy was?”

yet, mijins voice never let you remain just in your thoughts. “what guy?” you ask with a hard blink. trying to snap out of the daze you were in as you watched the girls play soccer in the field. “the guy you confessed to,” her words made your grip tighten on your knees. was she going to tell even more people? “no. you can't know,” you replied quickly and by accident, informally. you received a soft nudge to your elbow while she cursed under her breath, “i'm older than you, you imbecile! maybe i'll let you call me noona one day, if you acted like an actual under classmen.” you hissed while holding your ribs, it was a soft nudge but you still had marks from that day. “i don't even wanna call you that.” mijin was someone who was almost like a real big sister, she bickered with you but gave you support nonetheless…in her own way that is. mijin kept glancing from the corner of her eye, making sure you weren't staying in your brain for too long. you somehow reminded her of herself when she was in middle school and getting bullied. now she's someone who not many people fear but is someone that will definitely not back down from a fight. unfair or not. you weren't fragile looking, you had a toned body, mijin could see your collar bones peeking and strong shoulders from underneath your collared shirt. one button loose enough to see how low your neck truly blends into your smooth clavicle. she wasn't lying when she called you pretty, so she was stuck in her head with why the guy you had seemingly gave your heart to, refused?

-

the day went by pretty quickly, besides the sad scene from earlier. you chose to walk home since you wanted to stretch your legs and truly get yourself out of this terrible headspace. the flashback of your dream prior had suddenly overtaken your full attention. when was the last time you've heard from your mother, let alone seen her? it was a somewhat sore subject, she left when you were young without a word or explanation. when you would ask your father about it, he would simply say you didn't have a mother. a silly child with an easily manipulative mind believed the older man instantly. but when you went to school you noticed everyone mostly had two parents and you only had one. no matter what your peers would say about your dad, he was a man that was a realist and he gave you advice even when you think you didn't need it. yes, he sometimes forgets your birthday and yes, he’s had people you don't know come over and ask for their money your father owed. now other than those things, he was a great father.

you both had a rocky time but you always could confide in one another by watching your favorite shows. both of your laughters would erupt in the tiny apartment and echo throughout. your dad would chuckle while holding a finger to his lips and say something along the lines of, “do you want to get kicked out? the landlord is probably listening through the door,” to which you giggled even more at. unfortunately, those happy memories were very rare occasions. the only times your father would speak to you would be in a shouting tone that was very condescending. you would much rather not talk at all and live quietly if you truly had the choice.

“hey!” you continued walking down the street and beginning to cross a crosswalk. “h-hey! watch out!” you blinked out of the daze you were in when a hand roughly pulled you backwards, to where you get shoved into a hard chest. the sound of a car zooming past milliseconds afterwards caused you to let out a gasp when you looked back to where you were to see skid marks on the street. you almost got hit. your mind suddenly focuses on the grip the person still has on both of your arms, you turn only to be met with a matching school uniform. tilting your head up to see someone you weren't ready to contact anytime soon. lee-fucking-suhyeok. to say you could hear your heart in your chest was an understatement. it felt like the marching band that attend your school was drumming in your ears. his hair perfectly placed and his brown doe eyes staring into yours in…concern? no, of course not. he obviously didn't care about you when you had told-

“a-are you okay?” his voice startled you, not expecting him to speak. before you could answer, the small thought grew big in your mind, don't forget what he did. in an instant you had shoved him off of you harshly, he winced at your sudden push. you gave him a glare before continuing to walk away and straight toward the crosswalk where you almost had your life-taken. how could he ever even talk to you again and look worried for your life when he had put you in that exact situation before? “you almost die and i don't even get a thank you?!” he shouts as you swiftly walk across the street. the anger bubbling inside you seemed to burst at his question, you snap your head back to see him standing with his backpack on one of his shoulders and his hands in his pant pockets. screw his parents for doing a good job. “how about you go fuck yourself!” you spat before walking away with heated ears. you've never yelled with your gut at another human being before and even though it was the first. it sure as hell felt good doing it. maybe mijin had influenced you in a good way afterall.

[literaturedog]

"…his fingers brushing against yours as he gently pulls your hoodie back down." 𝚆𝙾𝙰𝙷 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴! 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚞𝚙, 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛

𝚂𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝚂𝚞-𝚑𝚢𝚎𝚘𝚔. 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖

"…suhyeok's face twisted in anger, his eyes flashing with a fierce protectiveness." 𝙱𝚛𝚘, 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚖𝚊𝚍? 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚝𝚏, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎, 𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙾𝚗-𝚓𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍

"…cheongsan waves the prosthetic limb at you, his face split by a triumphant grin." 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘

"…a sudden hand on your hurt shoulder shoves you aside, making you wince in pain." 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙱𝙸𝙸𝙸𝚃𝙲𝙷. 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜

"should've put her down first…then shook the rope," 𝙷𝙰! 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚕

"…we need you, y/n, you can't end it like this." 𝙰𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎

𝙰𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛

━━━ 'CHAPTER SIX' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ the art of unlikely alliances is always something special. even if you never saw it coming.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; homophobia, assault, bullying, embarrassment, some fluff, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

NEXT | PREVIOUS

in a flash of adrenaline-fueled strength, cheongsan wrenched the wooden frame from the classroom window sill and brought it crashing down on the zombie's skull, shattering the glass and sending the undead attacker tumbling to the ground. the sudden motion freed you from the zombie's deadly grasp, but the relief was short-lived as you collapsed to the floor, your shoulder throbbing in agony, feeling as though it had been torn from its socket. hroryeong rushed to your side, her voice laced with panic, "did it get you? you weren't bit, right?" but your response was reduced to a mere moan, your body consumed by an overwhelming tide of pain. with gentle urgency, hroryeong propped you against the wall, easing you off the cold floor. as your head lolled back against the wall, she pleaded with you to get up, but her words were drowned out by the cacophony of pain screaming through your mind, rendering you unable to respond.

a whispered curse escaped your lips as you struggled to hold back the tears welling up in your eyes, desperate to maintain a semblance of composure in front of your peers. the girls closed in around you, a wall of support, as you turned to witness the boys employing makeshift wooden frames to hold off the undead. but then, daesu burst into action, ripping an entire classroom door from its hinges with a fierce battle cry. "hey!" he blared, "get out of the way!" the boys scrambled to clear a path as daesu charged forward, door held aloft like a shield. with a series of swift, precise shoves, he blocked the zombie horde, creating a crucial barrier.

inspired by daesu's bravery, the boys rallied behind him, pushing forward with renewed determination, their collective momentum building as they fought to reclaim ground from the relentless undead.

with a shared glance, the girls nodded in unison, swiftly moving to support you. they carefully draped your one functional arm over hroryeong's shoulder, forming a united front as they navigated the treacherous hallways. the boys, meanwhile, strained against the undead horde, their grunts of exertion echoing through the corridors as they stumbled forward, blindly rounding corners.

upon reaching the stairwell, the boys seized the opportunity to redirect the zombies down the stairs, creating a temporary barrier. the girls, undaunted, collectively lifted you up the upper stairs, their footsteps a testament to their determination. summoning every last ounce of energy, you pushed through the pain, refusing to become a burden, and ran alongside them, your feet pounding the stairs in a desperate bid for safety.

the boys clattered the stairs behind you, their footsteps closing in as they struggled to catch up. meanwhile, hroryeong had swiftly pulled you into the first available hallway on the next floor, but her hasty decision soon proved misguided - the corridor was already teeming with stumbling zombies. in a flash, the girls' voices rose in unison, "go! go!" as they propelled you up another staircase, desperate to outrun the undead. you winced in pain, your makeshift sling threatening to unravel amidst the chaos. "it's... slipping," you ground out through gritted teeth, alerting hroryeong to the danger.

with a panicked gasp, she swiftly resecured the sling, her fingers shaking as she worked. simultaneously, the boys surged forward, forming a barrier between you and the ravenous horde, their bodies blocking the zombies that had been drawn by the commotion.

jimin spun around, her eyes locking onto daesu as he sprinted towards her, the wooden door clutched in his hands. but her gaze quickly shifted, her eyes widening in alarm as she spotted something lurking behind him. "daesu! watch out!" she yelled, her voice piercing the chaos. daesu reacted swiftly, spinning to face the new threat and hoisting the door like a shield, blocking the zombies' advance. but their respite was short-lived, as they found themselves encircled, the undead closing in on all sides.

you glanced up, wincing in pain, and saw that you were trapped, pinned between the zombies and a single, tantalizing doorway. "jimin-ah!" you shouted, grabbing her attention, and nodded frantically towards the door. jimin rushed to the door, only to find it locked, her face contorting in frustration. "shit, it's locked! we need a-a key or something to open it!" she shouts, her voice carrying to the others. daesu and jimin exchanged tense words, their argument fueled by the desperation to escape, their voices rising as the zombies closed in.

in a rapid, determined move, onjo commanded daesu to push back against the zombies with renewed force. meanwhile, she crawled forward with a sense of purpose, her hands grasping for the school's fire hose, coiled and ready for emergency use. she wielded the hose's metal nozzle like a hammer, pounding relentlessly against the metal lock. as the group held their collective breath, their exhausted muscles screaming in protest, hroryeong buried her face in your shoulder, her body trembling with fear. in a poignant reversal of roles, you found yourself now offering comfort and support to the girl who had once helped you.

"onjo, please!" hroryeong begged, her voice trembling with fear as tears streamed down her face. onjo summoned every last ounce of strength, her final swing landing with a resounding clang as the lock yielded, the door creaking open in defeat.

with a collective sigh of relief, the girls surged forward, pouring into the classroom like a dark tide. you ushered hroryeong across the threshold first, ensuring each of them reached safety before turning to daesu, who still lingered outside. "guys! it's open, come on!" you urged, your hand reaching out to pat daesu's shoulder as you held the door open, a beacon of hope in the chaos.

in a final, desperate bid for safety, the boys heaved against the door with all their might, then turned to sprint into the classroom. but in the chaos, cheongsan's foot caught on a splintered wooden plank, shattered remnants of the window frame, and he stumbled. a zombie, sensing vulnerability, began to crawl towards him with eerie speed.

without hesitation, you dashed out into the fray, ignoring the girls' frantic pleas from inside. you grasped cheongsan's arm, yanking him to his feet, and dragged him towards the door, his legs scrambling to keep up. releasing your grip, you spun to slam the door shut, the zombies' snarls and thuds echoing through the room as you leaned against the door, your heart ringing in your ears. breathless, you slid down the door, holding it closed, and glanced down at your shirt - now more tattered and filthy than ever.

as you caught your breath, the reality of your situation sank in. the zombies' relentless pounding on the door echoed through the room, a grim reminder of the horrors outside. the girls huddled together, their eyes wide with fear, while the boys stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. nayeons voice trembled as she spoke, "w-we can't stay here. we have to find another way out." but her words trailed off, lost in the uncertainty that gripped them all.

in a hair-raising moment, daesu's scream pierced the air as a zombie's bloody hand clamped onto his face and hair, its fingers digging deep into his skin. the creature's torso had wriggled halfway through the shattered window, its eyes fixed on daesu with a ravenous gleam.

without hesitation, joonyeong sprang into action, grabbing a fire extinguisher and slamming it into the zombie's head with a loud crash. the creature's grip faltered, its body slumping backward as it tumbled out of the window. but in the chaos, joonyeong's wild swing had shattered another pane, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

"get a desk!" cheongsan yelled, his voice ringing out as the group scrambled to respond. in a flurry of movement, they heaved chairs and desks into place, forming another barricade to block the windows. everyone except you rushed to help, their faces set with determination as they worked to secure their fragile sanctuary.

tempers frayed as nayeon's angry voice was heard, her words aimed squarely at onjo. "how could you lose it?" she shouted, her frustration palpable.

before you could even process what had been lost, gyeongsu intervened, his practicality a stark contrast to nayeon's emotion. "who cares?" he said gruffly, as he grasped another desk, his focus fixed on the task at hand. "we gotta secure the room now," he stated, his eyes locked on the front of the room as he headed back to join the others.

a fleeting sense of calm was shattered as nayeon's biting remark sliced through the air: "like you can talk." the familiar spark of animosity between her and gyeongsu was unmistakable, their long-standing dynamic of constant bickering rearing its head even in the face of catastrophic danger.

as you witnessed the exchange, it was clear that their petty squabbles had become a deeply ingrained habit, a reflexive pattern of behavior that persisted even as life and death hung in the balance.

gyeongsu's scoff dripped with loathing. "it's your fault we're in this mess. you were supposed to block the door and you didn't." nayeon stood her ground, her chin held high, as she delivered the final blow: "and if you had actually done what you were supposed to, then the gym teacher wouldn't have gotten to us." the air was heavy with tension, their verbal sparring a stark contrast to the dire circumstances that surrounded them.

you attempted to intervene, starting with a stern "nayeon-", but she swiftly cut you off, her words spilling out in a torrent of anger. "we almost died because of you! you're so fucking annoying," she spat, her venom directed at gyeongsu, who seemed to be seething, his anger barely contained.

but then, a sudden shift - "you forget to remember, you were the reason he left the door in the first place. always bitching at him..." your own pain and irritation boiled over, causing you to lash out at anything that even hinted at raising your blood pressure.

nayeon's lips parted, her eye twitching with agitation, as she lashed out: "seems like you always have something to say, huh? if you hadn't made coach kang so mad, maybe mijin wouldn't have turned!" her words stung you, sparking a surge of anger in both you and gyeongsu. you both began to close in on her, but the room erupted in a chorus of caution, everyone urging you to "leave it alone."

it was clear that this was neither the time nor the place for recriminations, yet nayeon's relentless jabs left you baffled. why was she still fueling the flames of discord when unity was crucial to your survival?

a sense of unease settled over the room as onjo's worried voice cut through the tension: "suhyeokie? has anyone seen him?" the question cast a shadow of concern, sending a shiver down your spine. you scanned the room frantically, searching for the familiar tall figure, but he was nowhere to be found. a growing sense of dread gnawed at your gut.

"he was right behind me," cheongsan called out, his voice strained as he struggled to hold the chairs in place against the window, barricading the zombies outside. the words only heightened your concern, and you felt a surge of fear. "did he..." you started to ask, your voice laced with worry, your heart racing with the urge to rush out and find him. the silence that followed was oppressive, heavy with unspoken fears.

“he didn't get bit,” cheongsan finished for you, his words a welcome relief that prompted a shaky exhale. you hastily masked the betraying breath with a throat clearing, trying to compose yourself. “at least, not when i last saw him…” cheongsan trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper as he too succumbed to worry for his best friend, another young life hanging hazardously in the balance.

slumping into a worn, abandoned chair, your mind spiraled into a tornado of despair, consumed by the haunting thought that he might truly be gone. the possibility that he wouldn't return, refusing to be dismissed. and yet, despite the anguish he had caused, your heart still skipped a beat at the mere memory of him. why did this toxic longing persist, even as your heart seethed with resentment? the pain he had inflicted over the past few months still lingered, a festering wound that refused to heal. so why couldn't you shake the feeling of your heart shattering into a million pieces? your thoughts drifted back to the beginning, to the moment when it all started, and the memories came flooding back…

as the lunch bell rang, the hallways transformed into a sea of chatter and laughter, with clusters of friends walking together. you, however, found yourself alone, making your way back to your friend's classroom to return a borrowed book. as you turned the corner and began descending the stairs, your breath hitched- changhoon and gwinam stood before you, their nonchalant strides a stark contrast to your sudden panic. with lightning-fast reflexes, you spun around and dashed back up the steps, desperate to avoid detection.

you ducked into a nearby classroom, sliding the door shut behind you and pressing your back against it. catching your breath, you cautiously approached the window, peeking out to see the duo sauntering down the hallway, hands buried in their pockets. but then, changhoon's gaze snapped upwards, locking eyes with yours in a fleeting moment of terror. your eyes widened as he nudged gwinam, directing his attention to you. you dropped down, dashing to the back of the room where a decorative screen door panel offered a fragile hiding spot. you concealed yourself behind it, clamping a hand over your mouth to stifle any betraying sounds.

abruptly, voices pierced the air, making your senses go on high alert. "yo! suhyeok!" gwinam’s shout sent your eyes darting frantically towards the ground, straining to listen, but only muffled murmurs reached your ears. an oppressive silence followed, causing your legs to tremble beneath you as you crouched in fear.

then, the creak of the classroom door opening made your eyes go wide with terror. you froze, holding your breath, and pleading with any higher power to spare you from harm. a whisper seemed to slice through the air, "yah, go check the back right there." changhoon's voice sent a chill down your spine. the scraping of desks and approaching footsteps made your heart race, each step echoing through the room like a countdown to doom. "the moron couldn't have gone far, we saw him in here," gwinam's detached remark only heightened your fear, his words dripping with venom.

without warning, the curtain door rustled, and a figure emerged, sending you into panic. you gazed up, fear etched on your face, only to be met with a familiar sight - the same guy from the bathroom encounter. his eyes, filled with sympathy and pity, locked onto yours, while your body trembled like a leaf, tears welling up in your eyes. you resembled a lost, helpless kitten, and his expression softened at the sight. a pang struck his chest as he took in your fragile form, curled up in a ball. unaware of the conversation about you, he was taken aback.

"found him?" changhoon and gwinam demanded, their eyes fixed on him for an answer. suhyeok's gaze darted back to you for a fleeting moment before shifting to the other door, slightly ajar. "no, he's not here. must have slipped out the other way," he replied swiftly, covering you with the panel once more, shielding you from view.

you couldn't fathom it - was he truly helping you? "shit, come on!" changhoon's irate voice echoed as he stormed out the door. the sound of footsteps faded into the hallway, and you exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, allowing the pent-up tears to stream down your face. your tense body finally relaxed, surrendering to the emotional release. but then, the panel shifted once more, sending you scrambling backward, your heart racing. suhyeok's gentle voice cut through your fear, "hey, hey, it's okay, they're gone." he knelt beside you, his calm demeanor a bandaid to your frazzled nerves. overwhelmed with gratitude, your head drooped forward, relief washing over you like a wave. hastily, you wiped away your tears, forcing yourself to compose your emotions.

you caught him gazing at you, and swiftly averted your eyes, your ears flaring with heat under the intensity of his dark brown stare. suhyeok's lips parted, but words faltered, trapped in his throat. he yearned to offer solace, yet hesitated, fearing it would only add to the awkwardness. "please...just go," you whispered, your voice barely audible, as you fixed your gaze on your lap, avoiding his eyes.

struggling to stem the tide of tears, you felt exhaustion seep into your very being. the daily grind of fighting to navigate school had taken its toll. the relentless torment - dog feces in your shoes, brutal beatings after class, harassment on your way home, and public humiliation in the classroom - had drained your spirit. the weight of being an outcast, a perpetual pariah, crushed you. even your home, once a sanctuary, now felt like a source of pain. your dad's indifference to your bruises, his dismissal of your nocturnal cries, and his neglect of your suffering had become too much to bear. the cumulative effect was suffocating, leaving you feeling utterly defeated, unable to cope anymore.

“you're no longer on the baseball team,” suhyeok said, disregarding your plea for him to leave. his words hung in the air, prompting you to look up at him in bewilderment. you sniffled, "what?" he simply nodded, his expression unreadable.

"you were on the team, right? i think i saw you play a few times," he said, a faint smile on his face. with a mix of reluctance and embarrassment, you pulled yourself off the floor, dusting off your pants and adjusting your school vest. "um...yeah. that was about a month ago," you admitted, causing suhyeok's smile to falter. he averted his gaze, looking away awkwardly before responding, "right, yeah...it's been a while since i've seen a game, so..." his voice trailed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence.

“why are you friends with them?” you interrupted, curtailing his nonsensical words. your gaze locked onto his, a fierce glare burning with intensity. “they're bullies, cruel and heartless. why?” you asked, your voice laced with confusion and hurt, your eyes welling up with emotion. suhyeok felt the weight of your scrutiny, like a spotlight shining down on him, and he faltered, stuttering before responding, “we've...we've been friends since childhood, they're not that bad, i mean...”

you burst out laughing, mocking his naive words, "not bad, huh?" your laughter echoes again, incredulous that you ever thought he was different. the realization hits you - he's just like the others, "you guys are all the same." with a mix of disgust and disappointment, you shove past him, turning to leave. but he grasps your arm, spinning you back around. his face contorts in offense, hurt by your words, "that's not true."

you swiftly shoot back, "then prove it," the air thick with unspoken meaning, your words a gauntlet thrown. but before suhyeok can respond, the classroom door slides open and a teacher breezes in, interrupting the tense moment. you both hastily step away from each other, trying to appear nonchalant. you hide your tear-stained face behind a veil of hair, avoiding eye contact, while the teacher asks with a cheerful smile, "oh, sorry for the interruption! i thought ms. jang was here. did you two see where she went?" suhyeok quickly attempts to match her bright demeanor, pointing outside, "yes, I saw her head to the teachers' lounge."

the teacher nods, seemingly oblivious to the tension between you and suhyeok. “alright, thank you! ill go catch up with her!” she exits the classroom, leaving you both alone once again. suhyeok takes a step closer to you, his eyes locked on yours. “look, im sorry that-” you didnt wait to hear his apology before leaving the classroom and sliding the door closed behind you.

as the final bell rings, releasing a flood of students into the afternoon, you make your way down the school steps, only to sense a tall figure falling into stride beside you. your gaze drops to find the familiar book you'd forgotten, now being offered to you with a charming smile. suhyeok's eyes sparkle as he says, "you forgot this."

you're taken aback, surprised he'd waited until after school to return it. your pulse quickens at the thought. snapping back to reality, you quickly look away, nodding with a brief, forced smile. the only way you could thank him without actually saying the words. you continue on, merging with the sea of students crossing the street, trying to blend in. as you continue walking, you can't shake off the feeling that suhyeok is still beside you. you glance over, and sure enough, he's keeping pace with you, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. “where are you headed?" he asks, his voice casual, as if he's just making conversation. you hesitate, unsure how much to reveal. "just home," you reply, trying to sound nonchalant.

suhyeok nods, his smile still in place. "mind if i walk with you? i'm headed in the same direction." you shrug, trying to appear indifferent, but your mind is racing. what does he want? why is he following you? as you walk, the silence between you grows more uncomfortable. suhyeok points out a few landmarks, but you only give curt nods.

"why are you following me?" you ask, deciding to confront him directly. "you could've just returned the book and left." suhyeok's smile falters for a moment, before he looks away, scratching the back of his head. "i guess i just wanted to make sure you got home okay," he says, his voice a little softer. you raise an eyebrow, skeptical. "that's it?" suhyeok looks back at you, his eyes locking onto yours. "im not like myungwhan and them. im gonna prove it to you," he states with that charming smile once again.

you study his face, trying to read between the lines. what does he mean by "prove it" to you? "what do you mean?" you press, your curiosity getting the better of you. suhyeok takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving yours. "i mean, i know they've been giving you a hard time. and i'm sorry. i'm sorry i didn't do anything sooner." you feel a pang of surprise. no one's ever apologized for their friends' behavior before. especially not someone like suhyeok. "why are you telling me this?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

suhyeok's smile reappears, this time with a gentler warmth. "because i want to," he says, his response frustratingly vague. you roll your eyes, unimpressed. as you continue walking side by side, you notice two girls across the street, clad in another school's uniform, pointing and whispering in your direction. your face heats up with embarrassment, and you instinctively pull your hoodie up to conceal yourself.

but before you can hide, suhyeok leans in, his fingers brushing against yours as he gently pulls your hoodie back down. his face is suddenly mere inches from yours, his eyes sparkling with amusement. a sudden thrill runs through you at the unexpected proximity, and you feel a flutter in your chest. the whispers and giggles from across the street fade into the background as you become acutely aware of suhyeok's presence.

suhyeok's voice cuts through the warmth, his words laced with a hint of concern. "you're gonna catch a heat stroke if you put your hoodie up," he says, his tone effortlessly casual. as he speaks, his hands reach out to gently tease out the tangles in your hair, his touch sending a wave of warmth through your body. his fingers work with a tender precision, as if trying to soothe a skittish creature. the sensation is both calming and unnerving, leaving your cheeks and ears flushed with a gentle heat.

his hands linger, and for a moment, you're trapped in the intimacy of the gesture, the world around you melting away. then, he steps back, his eyes sparkling with amusement, and you're left to wonder at the strange sense of vulnerability that lingers long after his touch is gone.

as you stand there, trying to process the unexpected tenderness, suhyeok's gaze drifts to your hoodie, which is still clutched in your hand. "seriously, take it off," he says, his voice low and persuasive. "it's too hot for that." you hesitate, “its fine..” you say, unsure of what to do. but before you can make a decision, suhyeok reaches out and gently unzips your hoodie from your chest to your lower belly. he helps you take off your backpack and hoodie then holds it for a moment, his fingers brushing against yours, before tossing it casually over his shoulder.

"come on," he says, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "lets keep going." he turns and starts walking, leaving you to follow. you do, your heart still racing from the unexpected touch. as you walk, you can't help but steal glances at suhyeok, wondering what other surprises he might have in store. the sun beats down on you, warming your skin, and you feel a sense of freedom wash over you. maybe, just maybe, this day won't be so bad after all.

next thing you know, time slipped by effortlessly as suhyeok became your constant companion, walking you home with a consistency that was both comforting and thrilling. four weeks passed, each day blending seamlessly into the next as the distance between you and the taller boy grew shorter. with every step, your connection deepened, and your heart began to beat in tandem with his presence. for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the prospect of school no longer filled you with dread. the halls, once a battleground, became a mere backdrop for the quiet moments you shared with suhyeok.

teasing comments and snickers, once a constant hum, faded into insignificance as suhyeok's presence became your shield. his calm and gentle nature was a comfort to your rattled nerves, soothing your fears and quieting your doubts. as the days turned into weeks, your heart, once a heavy burden, began to feel lighter, freer. it was as if suhyeok's presence had given you permission to breathe, to live, and to feel.

a sense of determination washed over you as you stepped into the school's bustling hallways. a single thought consumed your mind: confessing your feelings to suhyeok. the connection you shared had grown too strong to ignore, and you could no longer keep your emotions hidden.

with every step, your heart beat faster, but fear was nowhere to be found. suhyeok's gentle nature had become a sanctuary, a place where you felt safe and understood. the time you spent together had woven a sense of intimacy, making it feel as though you were already inseparable. in your mind, the lines between friendship and something more had blurred, and you couldn't help but wonder if suhyeok felt the same. today, you were ready to find out.

in an empty classroom, you wrote a heartfelt letter to suhyeok, revealing your true feelings. your hands trembled as you poured your emotions onto paper. once finished, you folded the letter and made your way to his locker, where his name was written in beautiful calligraphy. you slipped the letter inside, the soft sound echoing through the silence. in that moment, you felt vulnerable, yet hopeful. you had shared a part of yourself, and now all you could do was wait and wonder if suhyeok felt the same.

hours passed, and the silence was deafening. you couldn't focus in class, your mind wandering to the letter and suhyeok's potential response. as the final bell rang, you gathered your belongings and made your way to your usual meeting spot, wondering if he'd even show up. as you turned the corner, your heart skipped a beat. suhyeok was leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed on yours with an unreadable expression. you felt a flutter in your chest as he pushed off the wall and approached you, the letter clutched in his hand.

"can we talk?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. you nodded shyly, and he led you to a quiet corner of the schoolyard, away from prying eyes. the air was thick with anticipation when he finally looked up, his eyes locked onto yours, and you saw a glimmer of something there, something that gave you hope. just as suhyeok's words hung in the air, a trio of unwelcome figures emerged from the shadows, their presence like a dark cloud. myungwhan, changhoon, and gwinam loomed behind suhyeok, your eyes fixed on the letter in myungwhan’s hand.

your gaze dropped, and your heart sank as you saw the bullies' hands grasping the paper, their faces twisted in disgust. they devoured the words you had poured your heart into, their snickers and snorts piercing the air like daggers. “i never thanked you for being my friend,” he began to read out loud. you shook your head with tears welling in your eyes. this can't be happening, “your kind gestures and gentle words reached a part of me that no one has ever touched.”

the three bullies erupted into a chorus of mocking laughter, their cruel amusement echoing through the schoolyard as they reveled in the intimate words you had shared with suhyeok. the crowd around you grew, drawn in by the spectacle, as myungwhan's voice boomed out, reading your private confession aloud.

"“im grateful to be as close to you now, but some days i wonder if we could be even more,”" he cackled, his voice dripping with derision.

you stood frozen, blinking in shock, as the words you had poured your heart into were used against you. the laughter and snickers of the crowd cut deep, and suhyeok's face twisted in anger, his eyes flashing with a fierce protectiveness.

the moment felt like an eternity, as if time itself had slowed to savor your humiliation. but in the midst of the chaos, suhyeok's words were abruptly silenced as gwinam slung his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a suffocating grip. "damn y/n.. i know i would call you fag, but for you to actually be one? i mean, what a coincidence right?" gwinam sneered, his voice dripping with spite.

the crowd around you erupted into a murmuring of whispers and snickers, smartphones held aloft like a sea of tiny mirrors reflecting your humiliation. "what a shitty confession, he couldn't even say it to his face.." a voice murmured in the crowd. suhyeok's eyes flashed with anger, his face twisted in a mixture of rage and helplessness as gwinam's grip tightened around him. the scene unfolded like a nightmare, each passing moment a fresh wave of torture.

changhoon's hands closed around your neck like a vice, his smile twisted and sinister as he pulled you into a suffocating chokehold. tears streamed down your face as you struggled to break free, but his grip only tightened.

"i bet you got hard while writing this.." myungwhan's voice dripped with sadistic pleasure as he instructed gwinam to "check", his eyes gleaming with a perverse curiosity. suhyeok's face was a mask of paralysis, his eyes locked on yours for a fleeting moment before he turned away, abandoning you to the mercy of your tormentors. the betrayal stung like a fresh wound, as you realized he wouldn't be coming to your rescue.

"get off me!" you shout, your voice cracking with desperation as gwinam's hands move to unbuckle your belt. "no!" you scream, loud sobs wracking your body. in a surge of adrenaline, you lash out, sending a kick flying into gwinam's face. he stumbles back, blood streaming from his nose. the momentary distraction gives you the leverage you need to elbow changhoon and shove him against the wall.

seizing the opportunity, you grab your backpack and sprint through the crowd, your feet clattering the ground in a frantic bid for escape. you don't stop until you're safely behind the door of your home, where you collapse, exhausted and shaken. the memory of that day haunts you, and you can't bring yourself to return to school. but a week later, a truancy notice arrives, and your father's firm hand forces you back into the very environment you're desperate to escape. the next few months are a blur of isolation, as you struggle to come to terms with the trauma you've endured.

you could never forgive him for setting you up like he did.. so why does your heart break when he's gone now?

a piercing screech shattered the air, jolting you back to reality. you instinctively covered your ear with your one good hand, wincing in pain. then, a voice cut through the chaos, calm and authoritative.

"students and teachers of hyosan high school. i'm park sunhwa, the english teacher. something strange is happening throughout the school. some students are attacking others indiscriminately. so please flee and find a safe place."

a wave of despair washed over the classroom, but the sound of an adult's voice sparked a glimmer of hope. tears of fear and relief streamed down faces as the reality of the situation sunk in. "and if any students or faculty hears this and is able to please call the fire or police department. students, hide somewhere safe until help arrives. if you can get out of the school, please get out." the room erupted into a chorus of sobs and panicked whispers.

joonyeong's voice suddenly speaks up. "its alright, we can just stay in here for now until help comes," he says, but his words are met with skepticism. the group's eyes dart to him, searching for reassurance. meanwhile, you spring into action, scouring the backpacks for anything that might aid in your survival. isak and cheongsan watch with interest, their hushed conversation about onjo's struggles without suhyeok barely audible.

but one phrase catches your attention: "onjo's crush". your gaze drifts to onjo, and you realize that suhyeok's absence has left a void in more ways than one. it seems he had possibly more than one secret admirer. the revelation sparks a flicker of curiosity, but it's quickly extinguished by the gravity of your situation.

your search for supplies yields little more than makeup and secret diaries, which you leave untouched, respecting the privacy of your peers. you know all too well the pain of having your personal life exposed. meanwhile, joonyeong approaches cheongsan, his voice low and cautious. "you know, if y/n hadn't grabbed you back there, you probably would've got attacked." the words hang in the air, a stark reminder of the danger that lurks outside.

cheongsan's glare is immediate, but joonyeong presses on, his tone laced with a mix of sadness and urgency. "im just saying, now would be a great time to make amends. especially with suhyeok gone, we only have us now." the weight of his words settles over the group, a poignant reminder that in the face of adversity, their bonds may be all that remain.

as you continue to rummage through the backpacks, your hands close around a crisp white button-up shirt, its sleeves short. you hold it up, eyes closed, a silent prayer of gratitude escaping your lips. the two boys can't help but stare, their gazes drawn to the simple yet profound moment. "i cant.." cheongsan whispers, his voice barely audible. gyeongsu's curiosity is piqued, and he shifts his attention to cheongsan, sitting down beside him. "why not?" he asks, his eyes darting between cheongsan and you, who continues to search for supplies. "i mean, its not like we have anything else to do," gyeongsu states, his gesture encompassing the desperate scene unfolding before them. his words hang in the air, a poignant reminder of their precarious situation.

cheongsan's gaze lingers on you, a mix of frustration and determination etched on his face. with a sudden burst of energy, he leaps off the table and strides towards you, his movements fluid and purposeful. meanwhile, your search for sustenance yields a disappointing find - a chip bag, already ravaged and empty. you curse under your breath, frustration getting the better of you, before tossing the bag aside.cheongsan's eyes dart back to joonyeong and gyeongsu, seeking reassurance. and he finds it - both boys offer encouraging smiles and thumbs up, a silent show of support that seems to steel cheongsan's resolve.

cheongsan's sigh hangs in the air as he turns to face you, his eyes locking onto yours with a hesitant intensity. "hey," he says, his hands still clenched at his sides. you rise to your feet, bracing yourself for another confrontation, but instead, cheongsan's words catch you off guard. "what?" you ask, your tone softening.

"i um, i just wanted to say, thanks. for coming back for me earlier," he confesses, his gaze dropping, a hint of vulnerability creeping into his voice. stunned by his gratitude, you realize that your actions may have saved his life. but then, you recall how he, in turn, saved yours. "lets call it even," you say with a sheepish smile, the tension between you dissipating. "i would've been out there in that hallway still if you hadn't smacked that zombie on the head."

cheongsan's small smile mirrors yours, a fragile truce forming between you. it's a surreal moment, one that makes you realize that near-death experiences can be a powerful catalyst for understanding. you both see each other in a new light - not as enemies, but as humans, with families and loved ones waiting for you at home. you're just kids, after all, fighting to survive in a world gone mad.

as the smiles linger, the atmosphere in the room shifts, becoming less tense. you both stand there for a moment, the only sound being the distant moans and groans of the infected outside.

you nod in agreement, feeling a sense of camaraderie wash over you. "we should keep watching each other's backs." cheongsan nods, his eyes locking onto yours with a newfound sense of trust. "sounds good."

in an instant, the calm is shattered by nayeon's urgent voice. "did you get bitten?" she asks, her words hanging in the air like a challenge. isak responds swiftly, her tone laced with a mix of fear and defiance. "i said i wasn't!" your eyes meet cheongsan's, a shared sense of concern sparking between you. you both turn to isak, and your hearts sink.

her nose is smeared with dried blood, and her eyes betray a growing panic. isak rushes to a mirror, her reflection revealing the true extent of her distress. her eyes are bloodshot, protruding slightly, and her entire body begins to tremble. "come on, i-i said im okay!" she shouts, her voice cracking. onjo springs into action, grasping isak's hands in a desperate bid to calm her down. cheongsan and you approach cautiously, your minds racing with the terrible possibility that onjo might be next to fall.

a sense of urgency washes over you as you grasp isak's arms, trying to calm her down. "isak, calm down. it's okay," you say softly, attempting to soothe her growing panic. cheongsan mirrors your actions, gently pulling onjo away from the unfolding chaos. the two friends, once inseparable, are now separated by a growing sense of dread.

onjo struggles against cheongsan's grip, trying to shove him away, but it's too late. isak's body begins to contort, her teeth clenched in a vicious snarl as she crashes to the floor. "she's turning!" wujin's voice rings out, a stark warning that sends a chill through the air.

the echoes of nayeon's scream still linger in the air, but they're quickly replaced by the ominous shuffling of footsteps outside. the zombies, drawn by the commotion, are closing in. the boys spring into action, grasping desks and chairs to barricade the door, their faces set in determined lines. but their efforts may be in vain, as isak, now standing, takes a menacing step forward. her eyes fix on onjo and cheongsan, her chest heaving with ragged breaths.

"isak, please don't do this," onjo begs, her voice trembling, but isak doesn't falter. she charges towards them, only to be repelled by cheongsan, who shoves her away with a wooden stool. you seize the moment, dashing to the window and frantically working to unlock it with one hand. but it's a futile effort - the latch stubbornly refuses to budge, requiring two hands to open. time is running out.

a warning shout pierces the air, "y/n! look out!" and you spin around, heart racing, to see cheongsan launching himself at isak. he shoves her with all his might, and her body sails through the air, heading straight for the window. you drop to the floor, narrowly avoiding the collision, as isak crashes through the glass and disappears outside. but onjo reacts fast, dashing to the window and grasping isak's hand, her fingers closing around it like a vice.

onjos legs flail wildly, and you grab hold, straining to keep her from pulling herself out the window too. cheongsan seizes the wooden stool, his face set in a grimace, and brings it down, hammering isak's hand in a desperate bid to break the grip.

"onjo, you have to let go! she wouldn't want you to throw your life away!" you shout, sweat dripping down your face as you struggle to hold on with one working arm. it's the hardest thing you've done so far, and you're not sure how much longer you can last. the tension is palpable as you feel isak's weight teetering on the edge, and then, in an instant, it's released. cheongsan's swift action has broken the grip, and you hesitantly let go, your body sagging in relief.

you crawl away from the window, drained of all energy, and collapse against the drawers. the solid wood provides a comforting support as you lean against it, exhausted to the core - mentally and physically spent. the ordeal has pushed you to the limit, and for a moment, all you can do is sit there, trying to catch your breath and process what just happened.

onjo's body crumples, and she dissolves into a fit of sobs, curling into a ball as the weight of her grief becomes too much to bear. the room falls silent, with all eyes on her, as the sound of her anguish fills the space. gyeongsu's urgent voice cuts through the moment, "come block the door!" and you spring into action, joining the effort to barricade the entrance against the growing zombie horde. with one hand, you help push the desk into place, securing their safety.

meanwhile, jimin gently lifts onjo into a chair, standing beside her and offering what comfort she can, her hand rubbing her back in soothing circles. hroryeong sits down beside her, tenderly brushing the hair from her face and holding her hand, the two girls enveloping her in a cocoon of support. cheongsan's gaze lingers on onjo, his expression softening, and that's when it hits you - a spark of realization that changes everything.

the pieces fall into place as you realize cheongsan's true feelings for onjo. it's a surprising epiphany, and you can't help but wonder why you didn't see it sooner. his past glares and tense behavior around you and onjo now make sense - he was harboring a secret crush.

a small smile plays on your lips as you think about how unnecessary his worries were. onjo, sweet as she is, never sparked that kind of interest in you. she's not your type, and you're relieved that cheongsan's concerns were unfounded. but now, you're curious to see how this newfound understanding will change the dynamics between you all.

cheongsan's gaze sweeps the room, his eyes lingering on each face before settling on the window. "we should go," he says finally, his voice firm with conviction. "we're not gonna last here any longer." the room falls silent, with all eyes on him, as the weight of his words sinks in. wujin speaks up, her brow furrowed in concern, "where would we even go?" cheongsan's plan is already in motion, it seems. "we could use the hose from earlier," he explains, turning to gyeongsu. "i'll need you to open the door a little bit, just enough to fit the hose."

you stare at him, in disbelief, wondering if he's lost his mind. "cheongsan, what are we gonna do with a hose?" you ask, your voice laced with confusion, as you try to make sense of his seemingly harebrained scheme.

cheongsan's response is a steadfast gaze, his eyes burning with determination. you meet his intensity with a healthy dose of skepticism, rolling your eyes before voicing your doubts. "whatever this is, it better work," you say, your tone laced with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.

as you help gyeongsu clear a path, moving desks and chairs out of the way, you can't help but wonder if cheongsan's plan is nothing more than a desperate gamble. gyeongsu, too, seems uncertain, her voice tinged with reluctance as she slides the door open slowly. "isn't it better to wait for the rescuers to come save us?" he whines, her eyes darting nervously towards the unknown dangers outside.

cheongsan's words are laced with a sobering gravity, his eyes gleaming with a sense of leadership that commands attention. "we might all die by the time they arrive," he states, his tone firm and resolute. in this moment, you know you'll trust him without question, no matter the outcome.

with a deep breath, cheongsan drops to the floor, his belly flat against the ground as he stretches out to reach the hose. but time is of the essence - the zombies outside are a constant threat, and one wrong move could mean disaster. "i can't reach it," he admits, his gaze locking onto yours, a silent plea for help.

you scan the classroom frantically, searching for anything that might bridge the gap between cheongsan's outstretched arm and the elusive hose. your eyes dart from chair to desk, desperate to find a solution before the zombies outside become an even more pressing problem.

in a moment of synchronistic ingenuity, cheongsan darts into the school's lab, mirroring your own train of thought. he rummages through the shelves, his hands moving with a sense of purpose, until he emerges victorious, clutching a mannequin arm. "that's one way to get longer arms," you remark, a hint of amusement dancing in your voice, as cheongsan waves the prosthetic limb at you, his face split by a triumphant grin. you can't help but shake your head in disbelief at the absurdity of it all.

but absurd or not, the makeshift solution proves to be a stroke of genius. cheongsan uses the mannequin arm to snag the hose, pulling it towards him with a swift motion, before quickly closing the door and tugging the hose to safety. the plan, however unorthodox, has worked perfectly.

the hose scrapes against the wooden door, its rasping sound filling the air as cheongsan instructs everyone to tie it in a way that can secure a hand or foot. joonyeong chimes in, "zigzag! make it a zigzag," his correction transforming the makeshift rope into a sturdy, climbable fixture. with the rope readied, it's swiftly thrown out the window, the same window that bore witness to isak's tragic demise. you, gyeongsu, and cheongsan cautiously peer out, scanning the area below to see if the rope reaches a safe haven.

daesu, still recovering from his ordeal, can't help but chuckle at the sight of the three of you, "you guys look like the three stooges," he wheezes out, his laughter punctuated by a fit of coughing. but his mirth is short-lived, as a zombie's sudden appearance at the door sends a jolt of fear through the room, and daesu's expression turns grave.

"i'll go down and check the empty rooms," cheongsan declares, his voice firm. "i'll call when it's clear, okay?" the others nod in unison, their faces set with determination. but then, cheongsan's gaze shifts, his eyes locking onto onjo with a fleeting glance that speaks volumes. you catch the look, a subtle exchange that hints at a deeper concern.

"actually, someone else should go," cheongsan says, his tone firm but laced with a hint of protectiveness. wujin nods in agreement, his hand on gyeongsu's back. "you should go, gyeongsu."

gyeongsu's eyes widen in disbelief, his face scrunched up in a comical mix of shock and protest. "what? why me?" he asks, his voice laced with incredulity, as if he can't fathom why he's been chosen for this task.”

"it's alright, i can go," you say, already starting to climb, but wujin's firm hand pushes you back, earning a scathing glare from you. "you can't go!" wujin insists, his eyes darting to gyeongsu, who's still looking uncertain. "look, you're gonna make an injured guy go first?" wujin asks, his tone calling out gyeongsu, as he gestures to your injured state.

gyeongsu mutters a curse under his breath before beginning his descent, his movements cautious and slow. you, wujin, and cheongsan watch anxiously, offering words of encouragement as he makes his way down. just as you're focused on gyeongsu's progress, a sudden hand on your hurt shoulder shoves you aside, making you wince in pain. nayeons determined face appears, her eyes blazing with a fierce determination. "i wanna go down first!" she shouts, her voice firm and resolute. wujin's eyes widen in surprise, his hands gesturing towards your injured form. "hey, what the hell?" he asks, his tone a mix of confusion and concern.

"one person at a time," cheongsan cautions, his voice calm and measured, as he addresses the visibly irritated onjo. "you might fall if it shakes too much." you can't help but think, "should've put her down first...then shook the rope," your muttered remark a silent critique of the situation, accompanied by a withering glare that goes unnoticed in the tension-filled moment.

the air is thick with unspoken frustration, as the group waits with bated breath for gyeongsu to complete his precarious descent, the rope creaking ominously under his weight.

a sudden shout from below electrifies the air - "ms. park is here!" gyeongsu's voice rings out, and you gasp with excitement, your heart racing with hope.

"oh, thank god," you exhale, a sigh of relief washing over you as the weight of their predicament momentarily lifts. cheongsan's voice cuts through the din, his words a rallying cry - "ms. park is on the second floor, let's go, guys!" and with that, the group begins their descent, one by one, down the makeshift rope.

nayeon goes first, followed by daesu, jimin, hroryeong, joonyeong, wujin, namra, and finally onjo. you and cheongsan are the last two left, and your mind is a jumble of thoughts as you help each friend make their way down. but as cheongsan turns to you, his eyes expectant, you realize with a jolt of fear that you can't possibly climb down with one hand. a sense of resignation washes over you, and you prepare to accept your fate, separated from your friends.

"alright, your turn," cheongsan says, his voice firm, but you don't move. instead, you force a smile, trying to mask your growing unease. "you go first," you say, your voice laced with a false bravado, as you desperately try to hide your fear.

just as cheongsan is about to speak, his gaze drops to your arm, visible through the torn shirt. his eyes widen in concern as he takes in the swollen, purplish hue of your injury. but before he can express his worry, you preemptively cut him off, trying to rush him into action. "come on, we don't have much time," you urge, attempting to divert his attention from your injury.

however, cheongsan refuses to be swayed. instead, he gently but firmly passes the rope back to you, his eyes locked on yours with a resolute determination. "no, you go first," he insists, his voice firm but laced with a deep concern. "i'm not gonna leave you behind."

"cheongsan! come on!" gyeongsu's voice echoes from below, urgent and insistent.

cheongsan peers out the window, his head momentarily disappearing from view. "hold on! we're coming!" he shouts down, before turning back to face you. the next few seconds are heavy with unspoken tension, as you both glance behind you, witnessing the ominous sight of chairs crashing to the ground, overwhelmed by the relentless pressure of the zombies. then, without warning, cheongsan grabs your arm, his eyes burning with determination. "now! go!" you urge him, but he resists, his grip tightening.

"wait," he says, his voice low and resolute. "i'll go first, but come right after me. i can lead your foot to the next loop. it'll be easy, but we gotta get out of here fast. we need you, y/n, you can't end it like this." his words are laced with a deep conviction, a refusal to leave you behind.

to say your eyes watered at his words was an understatement - they welled up with emotion, threatening to spill over at the sincerity and conviction in cheongsan's voice.

"fuck it. let's go," you say, a fierce tenacity feeling within you. you both nod, a silent understanding passing between you. cheongsan swiftly begins his descent, waiting for you below. but just as you start to climb out the window, the sound of desks crashing to the ground echoes through the lab, followed by the ominous scuttling of zombies as they claw their way into the now-empty room. you hastily swing one leg over the windowsill, cheongsan guiding the other as it searches for a foothold. "next step, y/n, let's go!" he urges, his voice a steady anchor in the chaos. your arm protests with a sharp cramp, strained from holding your weight so tightly against the wall, but you grit your teeth, refusing to give in to the pain.

as you start your descent down the ladder, a sudden, terrifying sight makes your heart skip a beat - a bloodied girl leaps out of the window above, plummeting towards the ground. in a desperate bid to eat something, she grabs onto cheongsan's leg, causing the entire rope to shudder and sway precariously. "cheongsan! hold on!" you scream in horror, as cheongsan slides down the rope, his grip faltering.

frantically, you scan your surroundings for something, anything, to help, but you're utterly hopeless. you're powerless to intervene, unable to do anything but watch in despair.

"shit, try to shake her off!" you shout down to cheongsan, your voice laced with desperation. cheongsan grunts in effort, trying to dislodge the girl, but her grip is unnaturally strong, refusing to yield.

thats when you hear a familiar deep voice, “cheongsan-ah!” you look upward to see lee-fucking-suhyeok on top of a window ledge above where you both had just climbed down from. you looked up at him with relief, “suhyeok!”

[literaturedog]

𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝙾𝚗-𝚓𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸'𝚖 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝! 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 (✿◠‿◠)

"to say that nayeon was privileged was an understatement, but you knew that already." 𝙷𝙰! 𝙽𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝

━━━ 'CHAPTER FOUR' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ a fast-spreading outbreak soaks the school in blood. quite literally & figuratively.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; classism, homophobia, bullying, embarrassment, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

| NEXT | PREVIOUS

[DAY OF THE OUTBREAK…]

sitting at your front door, tying your shoes, you can't shake the feeling that something's off. last night's sleep was weirdly quiet - no dreams, no whispers in your ear, no memories bubbling up to the surface. just a big, empty space where your subconscious usually runs wild. it's unnerving, to be honest. you're used to your mind being a bit of a battlefield, even when you're sleeping. but last night, it was like someone hit the mute button. and now you're left wondering if this is what it's like when... well, when it's all over. is it just silence? nothingness?

the thought sends a shiver down your spine. you're not sure what's more unsettling - the idea of an afterlife that's just a blank slate, or the possibility that last night was just a weird fluke. either way, you can't shake the feeling that something's shifted, and you're not sure what's coming next.

your father's footsteps broke the spell, and you refocused on tying your shoes as the TV droned on in the background. the familiar sounds of his morning routine were comforting - washing dishes, drinking tea, and making job calls. occasionally, he'd cook breakfast, a rare treat when finances allowed. you'd learned to supplement your meals with snacks from school, stashing them away for weekends.

as the news anchor spoke, a name caught your attention - "missing student from hyosan high" - and you turned to see the scientist teacher's son on screen. but before you could process the news, your father's gruff voice cut in, "what'd you do to your hair?" his question was a stark reminder of your own daily struggles. you hesitated, a sheepish shrug your only response. the salt spray you'd applied to enhance your natural texture had slipped your mind, but the 35 anxious glances in the mirror hadn't. you'd sought validation in your reflection, ensuring the subtle waves framed your face just so. "just wanted to, uh, try something different," you mumbled, the words trailing off like a hesitant confession.

your father's gaze lingered for a moment, as if searching for a hidden meaning, before he turned away, disappearing into his room. the unspoken dismissal was clear: time to head out. with a quiet sigh, you grabbed your bag and slipped out the door, leaving the uncertainty of your father's reaction behind, like a lingering whisper in the morning air.

as you locked the door, a spark of excitement ignited. you headed down the steps with enthusiasm, careful not to trip. today was a first: ditching the bus for your bike. it was a small change, but one that filled you with unexpected joy. the prospect of feeling the wind and sun on your face was exhilarating. you smiled at how something so simple had awakened a sense of adventure. your feet hit the concrete with a loud thud, and as you looked up, three imposing figures loomed before you. their black coats billowed behind them like dark wings, and their smiles seemed to hold a sinister intent. you knew exactly who they were - and your heart sank. one of them concealed a bat behind his back, and your excitement was replaced with icy fear. paralyzed, you couldn't even think of calling the police. your father's words still lingered in your mind: "if you want me to live, let them beat me." the memory of his scolding made your stomach twist with anxiety. the men simply walked past you and began to head to the door you once came from only seconds ago. with shaking hands, you hastily untied your bike and stuffed the chain into your backpack, desperate to escape the ominous scene unfolding before you.

as you entered the classroom, your gaze instinctively sought out choi namra, your deskmate and sole point of reference. the murmur of conversations momentarily subsided as you took your seat, but you stood firm, refusing to be swayed by the subtle scrutiny of your peers. today, you had made a deliberate choice to style your hair, sweeping it aside to reveal your face in a departure from your usual disheveled appearance. the tangled locks that often obscured your features were now neatly parted, with wavy bangs framing your tired eyes. just as you settled into your chair, a gentle voice pierced the air, speaking from behind namra, who was engrossed in her textbooks. onjo's warm, kind eyes met yours, accompanied by a soft smile and a subtle thumbs-up. "y/n-ah, you look great today," she said, her words catching you off guard with their sincerity. a spark of surprise ignited within you, leaving you momentarily breathless. did she just say.. great?

your eyes only blankly blinked at her words until you cleared your throat, “w-what?” you asked. unfortunately, the sound of a high-pitched voice had cut off onjo’s next words. “yah!” the entire classroom was now facing a pink-cardigan-wearing nayeon who angrily stepped towards her desk. to which, he was surrounded by wujin and his friends. “get off of there. you stink,” she commanded to gyeongsu, who was sitting on top of her desk. your eyebrows raised at the interaction, gyeongsu hopped off the abnormally upset girl's desk. “oh, okay. my bad,” he spoke with a slight confusion in her tone. he proceeds to wipe off any excess ‘stink’ that he might have left, nayeon raises her voice once again at this. “cut it out! you're so dirty,” she shouts in disgust while moving her backpack away from him. to say that nayeon was privileged was an understatement, but you knew that already. “what the hell is your problem?” gyeongsu murmurs before taking a step forward in rising annoyance.

luckily, his friend cheongsan wraps his arms around his shoulder and tells him to just let it go. knowing that arguing with a disdainful girl like nayeon was practically a suicide mission. before the situation could escalate for the worse, the teacher stepped foot into the classroom. signaling everyone to stop chatting and head to their respective seats.

as the chairs scraped against the floor, your gaze wandered to the window. a tiny mosquito buzzed against the pane, trying to get in. this reminded you of what those threatening men called your father - a mosquito. they said he was a nuisance who took risks and left problems behind. you wondered why your father never talked about his life, before or now. he kept his secrets to himself, never sharing anything you wanted to know. his silence was frustrating, and you wished he would open up.

“alright everyone, c'mon bring up the phones.” your teacher announced. everyone piled to the front to bring their phones, it wasn't something you cared for. the only person you would text nowadays should be your father. if he didn't get a new one every other week that is.

with what money? you never did ask.

when everyone finishes turning their phones in the teacher, being as intelligent as she is, texts the classroom group chat and you suddenly hear a notification sound coming from right in front of you. your long-ago friend, wujin, and to the right of him, was daesu. who quickly looked behind him and looked at namra and you. pretending it was you two who had their phone still, however the entire class knew it was him. including your teacher. “daesu, seriously?” a voice asked in disbelief as the rest of the class laughed at his failed scheme so early in the morning.

the teacher began to go on about english studies and you tried your best to focus this time. to put in effort and change your lifestyle around. you're gonna be the best version of yourself, you're tired of trying to blend in and be accepted, and you will exceed in everything you do your studies, the way you carry yourself, everything. today was the day when you no longer lived in fear and humiliation. the new you was something you are ready for and you're starting to no longer care if others aren't. “y/n-ah!” your head snapped up to the teacher who smiled at you and pointed at your hair, “you look so handsome, wow.” to say your cheeks heat up in embarrassment was an understatement, the class had quiet giggles and all eyes were on you once again. you nodded your head and awkwardly cleared your throat. “let's see… how about you give me your take on individuality, in this case?” she points to the chalkboard where she wrote her previous inquisitions.

with a surge of determination, you straightened your posture, shedding the timid persona that had held you back for so long. just 24 hours ago, you were a different person, but now, you were ready to evolve. taking a deep breath, you began to speak, your voice steady and clear. "um, in this character's case, …she lacks the idea of being her own person. she feeds off of what her friends decide at every moment.." you carefully avoided eye contact with your classmates, focusing intently on your words. "meaning that she kinda sets herself up for disappointment when her results don't match her peers." as you finished speaking, you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. your teacher's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a moment of silence hung in the air before she responded, "perfect answer." the words hung in the air like a badge of honor, a testament to your growth and newfound confidence.

suddenly, her eyes darted to the other side of the classroom and her gleeful demeanor changed instantly to a sternful one. “you, bare-su, stand up.” everyone's eyes shot to the back of the class, except yours. “what's with ‘bare-su’?” she asks as he stands up and everyone laughs once again but a little louder now. as you stare out the window, the uncomfortable conversation fades into the background. you'd rather not dwell on the past or revisit old emotions.

the warm sunbeams streaming through the glass wrap around you, and your mind begins to wander. a familiar figure pedals into your daydream - the boy from the bike shop, with eyes like a fox and dark hair that makes your heart skip a beat. the memory of him is a balm to your soul, a sight that soothes your eyes and stirs your pulse. the thought of seeing him again sends a thrill through you, and you can't help but wonder when your paths will cross once more.

kyungho, kyungho, kyungho…

the name stuck to you while you gaze at nothing in the classroom. “oh yeah? what did y/n just say then?” the teacher's question cut through the air, snapping you back to reality as it echoed off the wooden classroom walls. suhyeok's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze fixed on you as if seeing you in a new light. your hair, styled differently, and your eyes, no longer hidden, seemed to have caught him off guard. as his gaze met yours, you quickly looked away, pretending not to care, trying to conceal the flutter in your chest. you didn't want him to think you still had feelings for him, that his presence still affected you.

“he uh… he said..”

just as suhyeok was about to speak, hyeonju burst into the classroom, her shocking appearance captivating everyone's attention. her face was pale, with blood trickling down her cheeks and lips. gasps filled the room as the teacher called out her name, but hyeonju collapsed to the ground, unresponsive. classmates rushed to her side, forming a circle around her as ms. park rushed to her aid. you remained seated, stunned, as ms. park cradled hyeonju's limp body, her face a picture of brutal injury. it looked like she had been hit by a car, with deep gashes and bruises covering her skin. the room was filled with worried murmurs and shocked expressions, as everyone struggled to process the scene unfolding before them.

you stood slowly from your seat when you heard someone ask their friend beside them “did she just say the science teacher drugged her?” your heart dropped. you had had some odd conversations with the science teacher before. him asking you to stay a bit after class and telling you if you felt like you needed to defend yourself from others, to always fight back, and then they’ll leave you alone.

little did he know that you have already done that and it still didn't exactly solve your crisis. you would just nod and awkwardly look away before saying you had to be home soon or else your father was going to come looking for you, even if you both knew, he probably wouldn't. on certain days, the man's demeanor shifted to one of frantic urgency, as he emphasized the harsh principles of survival of the fittest. his intensity was unsettling, leaving you concerned about his well-being. before you could ask if he was okay, he would dismiss you, leaving your questions unspoken. reflecting on these encounters, you revisited the memories, searching for any subtle signs that might have hinted at his inner turmoil.

“we gotta get her up, can you get up, hyeonju-ah?” the teacher tried speaking calmly, but every student in the room knew she was frightened just as much as you all were. “i'll carry her,” suhyeok offered, and began carrying the drifting girl on his back with isak and onjo following out shortly behind. ms. park closed the sliding door, leaving all the students to gather in small groups and discuss what they had just witnessed.

the lunch bell's gentle chime echoed through the school's corridors, signaling the start of the midday break. students sprang into action, eager to escape their classrooms. but you lingered, lost in thought, as you made your way out. questions swirled in your mind: what was wrong with hyeonju? why were people blaming the science teacher? would she recover? and then, a nagging doubt: was suhyeok really looking at me-

you looked up to see cheolsu, a quiet boy often overlooked by his peers, crumpled on the floor. he winced in pain, his eyes wide with surprise, as if your accidental stare had been a physical blow. "oh, cheolsu, are you okay?" you asked, offering a helping hand and lifting him up with ease. the height difference between you two was striking, with cheolsu's slouched posture making him appear even smaller. "ugh, s-sorry...i was in a rush," he stuttered, his eyes cast downward, a habitual gesture that spoke volumes about his struggles.

you shook your head and apologized, "no, sorry, my fault, I wasn't paying attention." as you took a deep breath, your gaze lingered on the scabs around his neck, a subtle hint of a hidden struggle. sensing your notice, he seemed to shield his secret, and you instinctively covered the area with a gentle touch, pretending to rub his neck. seeking to shift the focus, you asked, "heading to the cafeteria?" but he sidestepped your question, his eyes locking onto your hair as he asked, "what's up with your hair?" the familiar criticism stung, a reminder of the constant scrutiny you'd been facing.

“j-just uh,” you hesitate, “doing something different,” you responded while clearing your throat, trying oh so desperately to avoid the awkward ambiance. cheolsu stared at your new look for a few more seconds until he looked at something behind you, his eyes widened before moving to the wall quickly. bewildered by his action, turning to see someone you despised. myunghwan, walking with changhoon smirked as they looked in both of your directions.

your heart sank as you turned to face myunghwan, his smug expression making your blood boil. changhoon, walked alongside him, a sneer twisting his features. you felt cheolsu's tension beside you, his eyes fixed on the duo with a mixture of wariness and hostility.

"look at this," myungwhan stated. they snickered to one another. you rolled your eyes and looked away trying to keep yourself neutral despite the growing unease in your chest. myunghwan chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. his gaze roved over your new appearance, his expression dripping with disdain. "i see, you're trying to.. reinvent yourself," you rolled your eyes, fists clenched. “fuck off.”

but myunghwan just laughed, his eyes glinting with malice. "what, y/n? you gonna defend your new boyfriend? how cute.." you felt a surge of anger at his jab, but cheolsu's warning glance kept you from responding. changhoon, however, seemed eager to stir up more trouble. "yeah, what's going on between you two? you're not...together, are you?"

the air seemed to thicken with tension as myunghwan's smirk grew wider. you knew you had to defuse the situation before it escalated further. but how? you felt a familiar knot in your stomach as myunghwan's smirk seemed to grow roots, digging deeper into your skin. "what's going on here?" a soft voice interrupted, slicing through the thick air.

you turned to see a quiet figure emerging from the crowd, their eyes fixed on changhoon with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

myunghwan's smirk faltered, and for a moment, you saw a glimmer of uncertainty. "just having a little chat," he said, his tone dripping with false nonchalance. the nurse's gaze lingered on myunghwan before shifting to you and cheolsu. "looks like a pretty one-sided conversation to me." the air seemed to vibrate with unspoken words, and you sensed a hidden dynamic at play. myunghwan's eyes narrowed, but the nurse's calm demeanor didn't waver. you looked down to see a rather odd looking infection on the nurses arm. her arm turning an almost black color, her neck twitching. cheolsu and you shared a look of concern, “um..m-miss…” cheolsu couldn't bring himself to ask so he simply pointed at her revealing forearm.

but before he could say another word, the nurse's eyes rolled back in her head, revealing only whites. her body began to twitch and convulse, her limbs flailing wildly like a puppet on a broken string. her skin turned a sickly shade of green, as moldy bread and dark veins bulge beneath the surface like twisted rivers. a low, guttural moan escaped her lips, growing louder and more menacing with each passing moment. she lunged at changhoon, her fingers grasping for his face like claws, her teeth snapping wildly with almost animalistic hunger. changhoon screamed, his voice high-pitched and terrified, as the nurse's zombie form tackled him to the ground. her hands closed around his head, her fingers digging into his hair like talons. cheolsu stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet as he desperately tried to escape the horror unfolding before him. his eyes were wide with fear, his face pale and sweaty. “what the…?”

suddenly the nurse took a huge chunk of the screaming boys cheek with her teeth. his screams reached new heights as he frantically tried to shake off the nurse's grip, but she held firm. his eyes widened in terror as he realized the nurse's eyes had turned a strange, almost feral gray. just as suddenly as it had begun, the nurse released her grip on the boy's cheek, and he stumbled backward, clutching at the wound. myungwhan saw the opportunity to shove her however, she had other plans. she rushed at him next but myungwhan turned around and shoved you while swiftly running away down the hallway. where many students were gathered around eyeing the intense and gorey happening just seconds ago. they all screamed and began to scatter, seeing that now changhoon was thrashing on the ground uncontrollably.

you hold your shoulder with your right hand, myungwhan had shoved you with full force causing your shoulder to ache and sting. you wince as you quickly gather yourself. you grabbed cheolsu’s arm, pulling him away from the chaos with a strength that was almost desperate. "we need to get out of here, now!" you yelled, dragging him down the hallway as the sound of the nurse's moans echoed behind you, growing fainter but no less terrifying.

cheolsu stumbled after you, your heart racing with fear. the hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the lockers and classrooms blurring together in a mad whirl of color and sound. you could hear the distant moans of people, growing fainter but still echoing through the corridors like a chilling reminder of the horror you'd just witnessed.

"wait, slow down!" he yelled, his voice hoarse from fear.

you didn't listen. your eyes were fixed on the outside quad, you could hear the distant moans and screams, growing louder with every step. you wrenched open the doors and shoved cheolsu first outside before you. "close it! close it!" you shouted, following close behind. as you shut the doors, you see students screaming inside and running into classrooms. panting, you gripped your shoulder once again in pain, while you both noticed people running away outside as well. “shit,” you cursed. “run! everyone run!” you turned to hear a girl screaming while running across the schools soccer field only to get tackled by two other bloodied peers. cheolsu shared a look with you before you both ran toward the outside set of stairs of the school as the infected horde burst through the doors you were once holding behind you.

climbing up the stairs, step by step, you felt weightless until a sudden jolt sent you flying. your body rolled and bounced, landing with a sickening crack on your shoulder. the pain was excruciating, and your scream echoed through the staircase as you finally came to rest at the bottom. gritting your teeth, you opened your eyes to see the cause of your fall: a girl with black braided pigtails, her leg twisted at an unnatural angle, bone protruding from her skin. her eyes, bloodshot and wild, locked onto yours as she gurgled and began to crawl towards you with an unnatural speed. you rolled onto your side, desperate to escape, but she climbed on top of you, her grip on your sweater tightening as she pulled herself up to your face. with a surge of adrenaline, you grabbed a nearby rock with your one good hand and swung it behind you, connecting with a sickening crunch.

in a stroke of luck, the rock sent the girl flying onto the grass, momentarily freeing you. as you gazed up, cheolsu remained paralyzed on the same step, his eyes wide with shock. “cheolsu, help-” you yelled, but the girl latched onto your ankle, attempting to sink her teeth in. you grunted, shaking her off with a series of swift kicks. cheolsu's horror-stricken expression lingered as the girl scaled you once more, her relentless grip unyielding. trying to wriggle free from the girls grasps, you look around quickly to find anything to get away.

just as all hope seemed lost, a fleeing girl accidentally collides with your attacker, diverting her attention. seizing the opportunity, you broke free from the infected girl's grasp. you looked up to see cheolsu's fleeting glance before he turned tail and sprinted up the stairs, abandoning you. “wait, w-where are you going?” you shouted, alarm rising in your voice.

as cheolsu vanished from sight, you sprang to your feet, still reeling from the harrowing encounter. but your relief was short-lived, as another classmate - bloodied and bizarre - began to stir across the school yard. his eyes locked onto yours with a menacing glare, and he charged towards you with a ferocious intensity, plowing through others in his path. his bloody mouth twisted into a snarl as he sprinted closer, and you gasped in terror, bracing yourself for the impending impact. but just as he launched himself into the air, something unexpected happened - a shocking savior appeared out of nowhere, sparing you from the brink of disaster. your eyes widened in astonishment as you turned to behold the last person you ever expected to save your skin.

“we gotta move! come on,” suhyeok grabbed your good arm and pulled you alongside him. you grunted while running feeling a sharp pain every time you moved your body to keep up. you noticed he wasn't alone, choi namra was beside him as well. you never seen her face in any other emotion besides serious. right now, it was horrified.

"what's.. what the fuck is going on?" you panted, wincing in pain as suhyeok's grip tightened around your arm. "what's happening to everyone?"

suhyeok didn't answer, his eyes fixed on some point ahead as he dragged you through the chaotic school yard. choi namra kept pace beside him, her horrified expression never wavering. her eyes darted towards you, and for a fleeting moment, you saw a flicker of concern before her mask of seriousness slipped back into place.

"let me fucking go!" you demanded, trying to keep up with suhyeok's frantic pace. you ripped your arm away from him as you kept running.

"hurry up,," he gritted out, his jaw clenched in determination. "we need to get out of here, now." as you ran, the sounds of mayhem grew louder - screams, crashes, and an eerie, unsettling laughter that sent shivers down your spine. you risked a glance over your shoulder, and what you saw made your blood run cold. the school yard was descending into chaos. students were attacking each other, their eyes vacant, their movements jerky and unnatural. some teachers tried to intervene, but they were vastly outnumbered. the once-familiar surroundings were now a war zone, with desks overturned, windows shattered, and debris scattered everywhere.

suhyeok yanked you back into a sprint, his grip on your arm like a vice. "don't look back!" he yelled. "keep moving!" choi namra kept pace beside him, her eyes scanning their surroundings with a mix of fear and determination. "we need to find a safe place to hide," she shouted above the din. suhyeok nodded, his eyes fixed on a point ahead. "there!"

he led you towards the ladder that was leading up to a window in the school building. you all rushed towards it, once close enough you pushed namra to go first, “go, try to open-”

“no, its not safe. i'll go,” suhyeok states before moving her aside and beginning to climb the ladder, you attempted to hold back an eye-roll. if namra and you were down by where the crazy students were, how were you guys safer..?

you didn't ask the question aloud, as there was no time to bicker over insignificant things. suddenly, you seen two figures barreling towards you and namra. “namra, go up, now!” you grabbed her hand and hoisted her onto the ladder, “go! climb!” you seen suhyeok was being pulled into the window, quickly going back to reach for namra. as namra's feet disappeared into the window, you felt a surge of relief wash over you. but it was short-lived, as you saw suhyeok's eyes widen in terror. "hurry! hurry!" he shouted, his voice strained. you turned to him and tried as quickly as possible to climb with two legs and one working arm. you could hear then snarling as you went upward, when you start to feel the ladder tipping back and forth. the weight of the two men making the ladder almost fold under the pressure, “come on! you got it!”

suhyeoks voice rung through your ears, the burning in your shoulder making you wanna just give up, as you reach your arm for the next step, you suddenly feel yourself being grabbed and hoisted upwards. your body feeling light when you came through the window. suhyeok pulled you with all his might and the pull carried you both to the nearby wall. you stumbled into your dimly lit english classroom, gasping for breath. suhyeok slammed the windows shut behind you, leaning against them to catch his breath. choi namra stood guard, her eyes fixed on the doors as if waiting for the inevitable. you leaned against a nearby wall, your mind reeling with questions.

“so? whats going on out there?” nayeon asked impatiently. out of breath, you held onto to your shoulder gently. everyone out of breath or staring was quiet. no one dared to speak. “are you deaf?” she shouted with a voice crack.

“shut up,” you muttered. everyone's eyes were glued to you now. “what?” she asked with disbelief, folding her arms over her chest. you closed your eyes while holding in tears because of the pain in your shoulder. “i said…shut up.” you repeated with vigor this time. standing upwards nonchalantly while looking at the doors who were being held by your classmates. “oh you little piece of-”

“stop it! both of you! now's not the time for this!” jimin shouted. you winced again with a heavy breath this time. once again all the attention turned towards you. “what happened to you?” onjo asked while walking towards you, only to be stopped by her best friend, cheongsan. onjo glared at him before removing his arm, however choosing to still stand beside him.

“i fell,” they stared at you for more information, “down the stairs outside. one of those..things tackled me.” upon being further informed the students all seemed to be getting more nervous.

“oh..my god. what the hell are they?”

the two girls huddled in the corner with freak-struck facial expressions. meanwhile gyeongsu looked like his arms were gonna break from holding the door from opening. “don't you know? theyre.. zombies.”