#suhyeok x male reader

[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!]

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[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.”

[ddeonubaby]

YALL SEND REQUESTS NOW I'M BEGGINGGGGG

[woodandwaxwings]

Fic Recs

will be updated as frequently as possible. Male, Gn, and Fem reader Recs

When Dawn Breaks by @justice4gyeongsu Fandom; All Of Us Are Dead (lee suhyeok x male reader) masterlist tagged bc it's multichapter

Let The Secret Out by @fallenmonsters Fandom; All Of Us Are Dead (lee cheongsan x male reader)

Tell Me by @lov-eable Fandom; Alice In Borderland (chishiya shuntaro x fem reader) masterlist tagged bc it's multi chapter

An Unlikely Friendship by @maddymoonfics Fandom; The 100 (john murphy x gn? reader)

Prettiest of them all by @jacesbeloved Fandom; House of the Dragon (jacaerys velaryon x fem reader)

requested by @niki-phoria Fandom; Alice in Borderland (chishiya shuntaro x male reader)

Summers Heat by @carlplsrailme Fandom; The walking dead (carl grimes x gn? reader)

no title by @niki-phoria Fandom; Alice in Borderland (chishiya shuntaro x male reader)

You're a Spade by @kawasama Fandom; Alice in Borderland (chishiya x male reader)

Edelweiss part 1 by @valeskafics Fandom; House Of The Dragon (jacaerys velaryon x fem reader) Sound Of Music AU

In a crowd of thousands by @houseofthxrnes Fandom; Bridgerton (Eloise Bridgerton x male reader)

The American Beau part 1 by @panandinpain0 Fandom; Bridgerton (Eloise Bridgerton x male reader)

Fake Love to real love part 1 by @daydreams-magic01 Fandom; Harry Potter Marauders Era (James Potter x gn reader)

The Haunting Of Abbey House masterlist by @neewtmas Fandom; Lockwood And Co.

[r3flrt]

☆ AOUAD WHEN THEIR CRUSH SLEEPS ON THEIR SHOULDER

synopsis | how aouad reacts to their crush falling asleep on their shoulder ☆ pairing | aouad x gn!reader ☆ wc | 408

note | honestly imagined it happening in my head and just blurted it out on this soo yeah :) (wu-jin’s got removed for some reason it disappeared)

☆ cheong-san

His heart would skip a beat. His face would flush and he would just stare down at your cute sleeping face, trying to keep his cool. Cheong-san is glad to be able to stare at your face. Whenever you did wake up he would just stare at you before complaining about how his shoulder hurt and he wasn’t able to move for so long. Deep down inside he’s happy and he almost says he’s joking when you apologize.

☆ su-hyeok

Su-hyeok wouldn’t know what to do. He would be talking to you on a bench and he felt you land onto his shoulder. “Are you listening to—” he turned to see you sleeping on his shoulder and his heart started beating so fast. He’d move your hair that fell in front of your face, admiring your gorgeous face. He would take his chance, kissing your forehead and rubbing your shoulder.

☆ gwi-nam

The two of you were under the bleachers, talking about the problems of school. The last time he looked over to you, you were playing with your skirt/pants, but by the time he finished his thought you were laying on his shoulder, still barley falling asleep. “Hey!” He taps your arm roughly, looking away when you pushed his hand off. “Please..let me sleep for a little while.” You yawn, placing a hand on his thigh. He’d roll his eyes and scoff, knowing he really didn’t mind.

© r3flrt ☆ do not copy, plagiarize, repost, modify or translate my works without permission. do not recommend my works on any platform other then tumblr, especially on TikTok.

[whoisjuicy]

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 : coming soon…

CH 2 : n/a

CH 3 : n/a

stay tuned lovies!!❤️

[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.

[24hlevi]

Out Of Time

Lee Cheongsan (All Of Us Are Dead) X Gn!Reader

Genre: Angst

Summary: Cheongsan has liked Y/n since they were kids, but never confessed due to them never seeming to feel the same. By the time the male confesses, he's out of time.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, Language, Major Character Death

Word Count: 2.9k

Now Playing:

wow my first aouad fic yay, i dont have a masterlist but i write for everyone EXCEPT Gwinam so feel free to request for them

italics + bold = flashback

Cheongsan and you had been best friends ever since you two were kids, always sticking with one another, and constantly teasing the other one, but still having love and respect for each other. But there was one thing wrong.

Cheongsan’s feelings for you.

When the infection of zombies started at your school, you were beyond terrified, but Cheongsan was there for you, just like he always was. What a fool you were to believe he was just being a good friend instead of something more.

“Y/n! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Cheongsan asked as he ran up to you, both of you now safe in the science classroom with zombies piling outside the door. His eyes were full of worry and concern, something you hadn't seen many times.

“I’m okay.” You answered him.

His hands grabbed onto yours and he checked your arms for any bites, letting out a sigh of relief when he found none and that you were still alive and human. “Don’t do that again.” He lightly scolded you quietly.

“I won't.” You told him, nodding your head. “Now stop acting like my mother, we're gonna be fine.” You smiled gently at him.

Cheongsan didn't respond, as he was too busy staring at your oh so beautiful smile that he could never get used to, the feelings of butterflies in his stomach whenever you did anything. He had never felt these things before, and all of a sudden when you two were just becoming high schoolers, he then realized that he had fallen for you. His childhood best friend.

“Hello? Cheongsan? Hello?” You waved your hand in front of his face and that was when he finally snapped out of it.

“What? You got something else to say?” He responded, not realizing how harsh it sounded before it left his lips.

Your smile fell from your face as you then shook your head, saying a quiet, “No.” before walking away to the other end of the classroom and sitting on the ground beside Onjo.

“What was that about?” Onjo asked you, seeing Cheongsan say something to himself before looking down.

“I dunno.” You shrugged. “He’s always like that.”

Onjo’s face contorted to confusion as she asked another question, “Like what?”

“Like one minute we’re friends and then the next he's an asshole to me.” You sighed, your chin falling on your knees that were tucked right under your head. “I can never tell what's up with him.”

Onjo’s jaw dropped when she heard what you said, already knowing that Cheongsan liked you because he already told her, but she quickly closed her mouth before you turned to face her.

“Is there something wrong with me?” You asked her.

“What?” She responded, taken back by your sudden question.

“You know,” Your eyes glanced over to Cheongsan and Suhyeok before looking back at the girl in front of you, “Because of the way Cheongsan acts. There must be something wrong with me, right?”

Onjo’s eyes widened as she quickly shook her head and her hand at the same time, “No, no, no, there's nothing wrong with you! Cheongsan is just…” She trailed off for a second, not knowing what to say. “He's just freaked out because of what's happening right now, he's been doing the same to me too. So it's nothing to do with you.”

Your eyes narrowed at how reactive she was to what you had said, but they quickly stopped when Suhyeok came over to you two. Both of you looked up at the boy as he smiled his charming smile before asking to talk to you. You looked at him confused before nodding and allowing him to help you up.

Suhyeok and you made your way to the corner of the classroom that had no one there as he looked down at you, “Hey, uh, so, I have something to ask you.” He said, almost looking nervous.

Sensing his nervousness, you feared what he was going to ask, but you nodded, telling him to continue without speaking.

“Do you like anyone?”

What?

You looked at him with both shock and confusion, “Are you really asking me this in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse?”

Suhyeok sighed at your annoyed tone and nodded, “Yes, I am.”

“Why?” You asked. “Wait, don't-don't tell me that you like me! I thought you were with Namra!” You whisper-yelled at him.

His eyes widened and he shook his head, “What?! No! I mean, yes I am with Namra but no I don't like you!” He whispered at the same level.

Now you were even more confused. Your eyebrows furrowed together as you responded with, “Then why the hell are you asking me this?”

“Because someone else likes you. And is using me as the messenger.” Suhyeok answered with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Are you fucking serious?” You questioned.

All the boy did was nod in response, too afraid to actually speak when you would scold him for doing this in the first place.

“Well tell them to tell me face to face, not you. You had me worried for a second, because no offense but you are so not my type, I would have rejected you.” You told him.

“Ouch.” Suhyeok feigned being hurt before nodding, “Yeah I’ll tell him.”

You smiled and nodded, giving him a thumbs up before he walked away, leaving you alone as you sat on the ground again, leaning your head against the wall and closing your eyes.

“Hey, you know you don't have to lie to my mom about her chicken, right?” Cheongsan asked you, well, more like told you.

“What do you mean?” You replied, looking at him as you walked back home.

“You told me it was salty, but you told her it was amazing. Which one was it?” He explained.

“Oh. Well, I mean, salt isn't bad. But it was just a little too much, that's all.” You said.

“So you were lying.” He responded, stopping in his tracks.

You turned around when you heard his footsteps stop, and looked at him confused. “Why does it matter so much?”

“Why would you lie to her?” Cheongsan ignored your question with one of his own, knowing it would get you irritated like it always did when he blatantly ignored your questions.

“Because I don't want to hurt her feelings.” You answered with a sigh. “Now can we please just go home? My feet hurt.”

Cheongsan didn't reply for a moment, too busy processing what you said and how weird it made him feel. He knew that you loved his mother like your own, but you had never said anything like that before about her, and it caused a warm feeling inside of him. When he finally finished processing it, he walked over to you and grabbed your backpack and bags of food from his mother and stood in front of you with his back facing you.

Looking at him confused, you asked, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Get on my back, I’ll carry you the rest of the way.” Cheongsan answered, not looking at you.

You let out a light chuckle, something he always wanted to hear despite it not happening often as you got on his back, his arms supporting your legs as your own wrapped around his neck.

“Onward, gopher!”

“Y/n? Hey, wake up.”

You heard that before feeling someone shake you gently, making you open your eyes to see Cheongsan standing above you.

��What are you doing?” You asked him.

“You fell asleep, so I’m waking you up.” He stated like it was obvious.

You let out a short groan, “It was nice, why did you wake me up?”

Cheongsan looked at you like you were crazy, “Did you forget what's going on? We’re fighting zombies, fucking zombies. We can't sleep.” He told you before his eyes widened and his hand reached to your forehead. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” He quickly asked.

“Cheongsan, stop. I’m fine.” You swatted his hand away from your head, not wanting him to treat you like some child. But at the same time, you didn't know why you were rejecting his kindness, maybe because there was something you didn't want to admit. And sure as hell not right now.

Cheongsan moved his hand away, and looked at you with a look you’d never seen before he sat down next to you. “I’m sorry, I’m just...worried.” He said quietly.

“About me?” You questioned. “Or everything?”

“Both,” He sighed. “I just don't want to lose anyone else. Not after Gyeongsu.” He admitted to you, looking down at his hands.

“Hey,” You said, but he didn't look up, “You're not going to lose anyone else, and not me,” You reached for one of his hands and held onto it, making him look at you. “I promise.” You smiled.

Cheongsan smiled back at you, looking back down at your now connected hands made him feel those funny things again. The feeling of wanting to hug you, to laugh with you, to kiss you. That's it. That's what it was. He finally knew what he was feeling now. It was love. He loved you, more than a friend. He wanted to be with you all the time, but not just as friends, as lovers. He couldn't help these feelings. He had known you since you two were 5, and he had these feelings ever since he was 6. But he finally understood what they were.

But how did you feel? That was the hard part for him. Cheongsan couldn't tell whether you liked him back or not, just as you did for him, and that was the worst part of it all. The fear of the unknown. Everyone has it at some point in their lives, and for you two, it was right now. There were unknown things everywhere. From why zombies had infested your school, why your friends had to die, to did you feel the same way about his feelings? He hated it. Not knowing how to tell if you had feelings for him despite it being over 10 years that he's known you. Not knowing how to confess these feelings to you in a zombie apocalypse. And not knowing if you both were going to make it out alive.

That was his worst fear, being separated from you forever. If one of you were to die, he would never forgive himself for it. Even if there was nothing that could be done about it. No matter if he was the one who was dead or not, he would still feel guilt and shame for never being able to change what happened.

Cheongsan opened his mouth to speak his thoughts, and finally confess when you leaned your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes.

“Wake me up whenever we have to leave.” You said to him quietly.

He wanted to say no, for you to just stay up a little longer so he could state his feelings for you, but instead he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you closer to him, “Okay.”

“You know Cheongsan, I wish you’d be nicer to me sometimes.” You said to the boy that was sitting on your couch.

“What?” His head spun around to look at you.

You sighed, “You treat me differently than your other friends. And I’d wish you'd stop it. Why do you even do it?”

Cheongsan stood up off the couch and walked over to you, putting his hands on your shoulders, “Because you're my best friend since childhood, Y/n. You know that.”

“Then why do you not treat Onjo the same as me?” You questioned, staring up at him.

The boy paused for a second, knowing he had just gotten trapped in a hole that he couldn't climb out of. “Because….Because I like her.” He lied. Not even thinking before he spoke.

He could see all the emotion drop from your face, and you let out a quiet, “Oh.” You grabbed his hands and took them off your shoulders, “Well, I’m sure she likes you back.” You told him, knowing fully well that she liked Suhyeok because she told you. You then turned away from him and went into the kitchen, leaving him alone cursing to himself for how stupid he was for what he said.

“Fucking stupid, why did I say that? Fuck.” He said to himself and added a sigh at the end.

“Y/n! Y/n wake the fuck up! We gotta go!”

You were shaken awake forcefully and your eyes and body shot open and up, eyes darting around all over the place, seeing the chaos that erupted in the room somehow when you were asleep and you saw Cheongsan yelling at you with wide eyes.

“What's happening?” You asked, letting your best friend pull you up on your feet and hand you a broken off piece of a desk.

“The zombies are breaking in, look,” Cheongsan pointed to the classroom door that was creaking loudly due to all the zombies pushing on the door. He then looked at the window behind everyone and back at you, “We’re gonna have to jump to another room.”

Your eyes widened as you began to shake your head, “What? No! I’m not jumping!”

Cheongsan grabbed your arm and pulled you over to the window as he opened it with his other hand and turned around to face everyone. “Everyone listen up! We can't get out that way, so we have to jump to another room!” He yelled for everyone to hear.

Soon enough, everyone had recreated a rope to hold onto while going from floor to floor and was going from person to person until it was just Cheongsan and you left.

You leaned over the window ledge, seeing how high up you were and feeling such immense fear that you froze in your spot, leaving everyone confused.

“Y/n? What are you doing? We gotta go.” Cheongsan said to you, putting his hand on your shoulder.

You quickly shook your head, backing away from the window slowly. “I can't.”

“What? Y/n you hav-”

“I can't! I don't want to do this anymore! I'm sick and tired of it all!” You yelled at him loud enough for everyone else to hear from the floor above you, the zombies pushing down the door more and more.

Cheongsan’s eyes were wide and full of fear as to what you were doing, and he rushed towards you but you kept taking steps back and he stopped when he realized. “Y/n?”

Tears began to well up in your eyes, and your vision was becoming blurry because of it. “What's the point if we’re all gonna die anyways? Just go, Cheongsan. You don't need me. You have Onjo.”

“No, I’m not leaving you. I need you, Y/n.” He said desperately, slowly inching towards you to pull you away from the door.

“I said go!” You screamed, making him flinch. “You like her, don't you? So go be with her. You deserve it.”

“I don't like her, okay?!” Cheongsan yelled back, walking towards you. “I never liked her! I just said it out of stupidity okay?! I like you! You! Ever since I was 6 I've been in love with you!”

You froze in your spot after hearing him. “You...what?”

Cheongsan made it to you and placed his hands on your shoulders, “I like you, Y/n. I always have.”

You wanted to respond, to say that you felt the same, but it suddenly felt hard to breathe, and your throat felt like it was on fire. You felt something start to trickle down your nose and you touched it, only to see blood. Your eyes widened as you looked at Cheongsan who had the same look, as he grabbed your arm and lifted up your sleeve, seeing a bite mark.

“You...You told me you were okay.” Cheongsan said quietly.

“I’m….sorry.” You spat out through the pain surging all throughout your body as you ripped your hand away from Cheongsan. Suddenly, your bones started cracking as they moved unnaturally and you backed away from the boy, groans leaving your mouth. “Get..away.”

Cheongsan stayed in his spot as he watched you start to turn into one of those beasts with wide eyes that had tears spilling from them. “Y/n, please.” He cried.

“I said get away! Now!” You yelled at him, continuing to back away.

“I can't lose you too.” Cheongsan said as he watched what happened to Gyeongsu happen to you. “Please. I love you, Y/n.”

Your eyes rolled into the back of your head as your back went backwards, and all of your sense of direction, logic, and normality was gone. You had become a beast. You growled when you spotted Cheongsan and started to run towards him. When he understood you had finally turned, he ran to the window and jumped out, grabbing onto the rope and watching you follow and fall to the ground. A loud thud echoing to make it even worse for him.

“Y/n…” He whispered to himself.

The others helped pull Cheongsan into the room they were in as the rest of the zombies began to fall out of the room below just as you did. When he opened his hand after getting pulled inside safely, he was holding your name tag that he had quickly swiped off before you turned, and it made him want to cry again. Because his worst fear had come true. He lost you. All because he confessed when he was

out of time.

[allofusaresimping]

Hi! I’m a new blog writing for All Of Us Are Dead (mainly *cough* smut, but fluff is allowed too)

Who I write for (boys)

* Suhyeok

* Cheongsan

* Gwinam

* Gyeongsu

* Wujin

* Daesu

Who I write for (girls)

* Nayeon

* Namra

* Onjo

* Mijin

* Hari

* Eunji

All characters are of age (so are the actors, all 18 or above)!

What I write about:

* Smut

* Fluff

* Angst

* Or all of the above ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

* Fem! Or GN! Reader ONLY, no Male!Reader

* Character x Reader

* Character x Character

Anyways feel free to ask me anything and in the meantime, I’m going to write! I have some spicy Suhyeok and Namra smut coming

[manuchyy]

Can i request an all of us are dead x male dancer reader insert, where they react to him run and attack zombies in heels (like the pointy heels) hehe 😊😊😊 also maybe a slight suhyeok x male reader😳😳😳

Of course! That was actually quite a fun and creative idea :) I actually got so invested on this, that I might make a Part 2 soon with a lot more action. I hope you liked this so far though. Thank you very much for this request!

Lee Su-hyeok x Dancer! Male! Reader

Running from zombies on pointy high heels wasn't exactly what you had anticipated, and how you were even doing it was also out of the question. Maybe the stumbling and falling actually saved your life, giving how those things also fell over multiple times and took a few moments to get up. Though, the zombies seemed quite invested on the clicking sounds your heels made.

Your mind and thoughts were racing non-stop, all you could think about was run and find somewhere to hide. Somewhere safe. Was there even a safe place? You'd be dead before even finding one.

Turning on to another hallway leading to the staircases, you tried avoiding the zombies as much as possible, stumbling into other panicked students in the process and possibly making them get eaten.

''S-Sorry- I'm sorry-''

Your breathless whispers were unheard, mixed with the pure hysteria and loud screams of students and zombies. Blood painted the walls and floors of the school, the sickening smell of death reached your nose, making you gag in disgust.

One step at a time you walked down the stairs holding yourself on the bloody handrail with both arms. The activity on this area ceased, with only a student or two running by. Reaching the end of the stairs, you instantly freeze upon noticing a woman standing there.

''Teacher Sun-Hwa...?!''

Park Sun-Hwa turns around to face you, panic written all over her face as the zombies come in through the entrance doors. You notice a school staff getting attacked and eaten by them. One of them had a traffic cone stuck on it's leg and once it took notice of both of you, it let out a loud scream.

Taking you by the hand, Sun-Hwa tries dragging you back up the stairs, only for the cone zombie grab her by the leg. Your fight mode instantly activated, and in hopes of saving your teacher, you kick it with your heels hitting it right on the head a few times.

The hits were enough to make it stumble backwards, buying time for you and Sun-Hwa to go up the stairs and run towards the broadcast room.

After barricading the door to make sure the zombies wouldn't get in, Park Sun-Hwa attempts on making a brief announcement using the broadcast room's equipment to hopefully reach out to other survivors scattered around the school. You hoped you two weren't the only ones.

And to think everything was normal a few moments ago.

...

''Su-hyeok!''

You rushed towards him, only coming to a stop once he turned around. The cheerful smile on your face was probably contagious, as the instant he saw it was you he started smiling the same way.

You and Su-hyeok knew each other since childhood, so close that both families liked to meet up once in a while when you two were together. His parents and yours didn't pester much, but you thought your mom only wanted to get close to his family for a possible marriage, though.

''Hey (N/N). You're going to dance classes?'' He began, his voice low and casual, starting to walk with you by his side. The nickname making you slightly blush in delight.

''Yeah, I am. The girls in my class aren't very fond of me though. They said a man can't use high heels and dance.'' You admitted, smile fading just slightly and your tone of voice barely above a whisper.

Su-hyeok lowered his head in acknowledgment, he hated how some people just couldn't be free to do what they wanted because of their gender. It shouldn't matter. He felt bad for you, no one should go through that.

''I think you're a really good dancer though, no matter what people say. To be frank, it's unique.'' He objected, trying to lift up your mood as he could.

''What is?''

''You.''

...

Waiting for any sign of survivors or life sure was exhausting, specially hoping on getting rescued. Someone must've called for help right? You at least prayed that Su-hyeok was okay, he was strong and a good fighter. You were aware he used to fight back in the days, didn't really please you but it might've come in handy now.

Leaning against the window with your back facing the chaos outside, you stare at your teacher who paced frantically around the room trying to come up with some sort of plan or solution. It was evident that as a teacher, she felt responsible for saving her students and getting them to safety. Or worse, responsible for their deaths. For not acting sooner.

''Teacher...do you think that maybe Su-hyeok and others are alive? It can't be just us.'' You muttered, tears threatening to fall.

Sun-Hwa wiped her own tears from before and approached you, placing her hands on your shoulder for comfort. She looked you dead in the eye and sniffed.

''I'm sure there are more survivors, and Su-hyeok...'' Sun-Hwa didn't have time to finish her sentence as the moment she looked behind you, her eyes went wide.

''W-What-'' You turn around and see a hose hanging out outside.

The two of you wait for a few moments, and once a person is seen climbing down, Sun-Hwa rushes to open the window and help them. It relieved you to see the familiar face of your good friend.

''Gyeong-su!''

Helping the boy get inside, you try to not fall down and balance yourself on the edge. Gyeong-su takes a moment to lean outside and scream, alerting the other survivors that you and teacher Sun-Hwa were there, while she hits him in the back in frustration and relief.

Sun-Hwa quickly checks him up, anxiously asking if he's alright while you look for any bites or scratches - guessing that was how it spread. Once certain he was okay, you look out to see more survivors come climbing down, reaching out to help them.

Maybe Su-hyeok was with them?

One by one, the students safely got into the broadcasting room and your hopes of seeing him lowered by the seconds. After helping Nam On-Jo inside, you and the others wait for more to come. Apparently there was someone else with them.

Gulping, you get the courage to speak as more tears threatened to fall. ''Su-hyeok...?''

The other students stare at you, your desperate and anxious expression making some of them lower their heads, not wanting to say anything. It was a painful silence, one that pierced through you like a bullet. Just by thinking about the possibility of the person you cared the most for dying, made your whole world crumble to pieces.

Still hoping for a response you stare at On-Jo silently questioning her. To your dismay, she shook her head in a no motion making you cry instantly.

''H-He was with us! He might still be alive. W-We didn't see him die.'' Gyeong-su added, desperately trying to give you some positive thoughts.

Gyeong-su was a very good person, you truly appreciated his friendship. He had helped you countless times before when the girls in your class tried shaming you in front of others. Surprisingly, the boys didn't really bother you much but didn't make it any better either. It was tough handling those situations alone so you opted to trusting him to give you some support.

Debating on whether to believe him or not, you chose to believe him instead. Maybe it was best for your own mental stability. Wiping your tears and looking outside the window to see if there was any sign of life, you try to get rid of those thoughts momentarily and focus on the survivors. It took a while, but the hose started moving again and voices were heard from outside. Were your prayers heard?

You and the other students rush to the window and lean forward, and once looking upwards, Lee Cheong-San was seen hanging on the hose with someone else hugging his back, alongside a zombie trying to get to them.

''Cheong-San!''

The person on Cheong-San's back kicks the zombie hanging on the hose with them in the arm, making it fall all the way down. You and the others back up to avoid getting hit by it and once it was safe again, all lean forward to see if they were okay.

You all stare in silence, witnessing both man hang on the hose for dear life. They seemed to be teasing each other? It truly was quite an interesting scene but also terrifying as both could fall down at any given moment. Though, you still couldn't recognize the one hugging Cheong-San.

Helping them get inside after all the fuss made, you take a moment to analyze the other man while the other students checked them for any wounds. Once he looked at you, your eyes went wide.

''Su-hyeok...?''

To be continued...

[alohajun]

♡ ANXIETY AND RELIEF — PARK JIHOON

jihoon x fem!reader | wc : 0.8k words | content : possible grammar and spelling mistakes, lowercase intended, all of us are dead au, mentions of zombies, angsty-fluff, reader has panic attack, best friends au | loki's lines : i have fallen into the all of us are dead abyss expect more of this au too ig

anxiety is a normal emotion that leads to excessive nervousness, fear, and worry. as much as it is normal to feel anxious, if the brakes on your anxiety train fail, you must seek a pillar to anchor yourself to. but that wasn’t possible for you right now, for your pillar was yet to return.

you sat in the classroom's corner, detaching yourself from your classmates as you looked at the windows, waiting for your best friend. the other kids looked at you, wanting to comfort you as they knew about your state, but with the way you kept distancing yourself, it was impossible.

“y/n …” cheongsan walked over with onjo, worry for you growing with each passing second. “jihoon will make it. i’m sure of it. he’s the fastest out of all of us.” he knew how you felt more than anyone in the room, having the same worry whenever onjo was out of his sight.

“gwinam was fast too,” you muttered, your anxious mindset only showing you the negatives. “but the zombies got him too, didn’t they?” this was the most you had spoken since suhyeok and jihoon had left, and it only showed the little hope you had left.

“we’ve been running from the zombies all this time, y/n.” wujin gave you an encouraging smile. “we got away every single time. jihoon too, right? this time will be no different.”

you appreciated your classmates’ attempts to calm you. you were grateful — you really were. but fear kept creeping into your head, and without jihoon to be your pillar, you knew you had to do something yourself.

without a clock, no one knew how long it was. but all you knew was that it certainly had been too long since the two males had left — and hearing absolutely no ruckus outside didn’t ease your mind, either.

namra sighed, standing near the windows as she looked at you. “you freaking out will not help them come back faster. jihoon might be your best friend, but you aren’t the only one who's going through a hard time. there are many classmates we’ve lost too,” she uttered, speaking the truth with no sugarcoating.

“i know, i’m sorry.” you apologised, looking down as you hugged your knees. “but jihoon isn’t just my best friend. he is the only one i have in this world, so he’ll always be important to me.”

onjo crouched near you, holding your hand. “you don’t have to be sorry. we know–” everyone turned towards the window, seeing a familiar pair of long legs dangle down the makeshift rope they had tied. “suhyeok! suhyeok-ah!” the boys ran towards the ledge, pulling the male along with the backpack he had on.

the strongest males of the group had gone to find rations before they moved to the rooftop, wanting to make sure they had enough to survive on for a few days since it wasn’t certain how long it’d be until help arrived.

“where is jihoon?” cheongsan questioned the missing male’s presence before you could, looking out the window, wondering if he was following behind. “suhyeok-ah? where is he?” his attention turned back to the tallest, feeling his heart drop at his expressions.

“a shelf crashed just as we were about to leave, and the zombies came in–” he tried explaining, his eyes never leaving yours, wordlessly conveying an apology he couldn’t put into words. “–he told me he’ll follow, and i waited for him in the office but he …” suhyeok trailed off, stepping forward in an attempt to comfort you.

“j-jihoon … d-didn’t?” you couldn’t bring yourself to complete the sentence, struggling to stand as your knees felt weak. “jih-hoon.” you covered your mouth with your hands, falling to the floor as you muffled your cries; the reality of his words sinking in.

feeling your chest constricting, you took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down to no avail. your brain shut down, and you forgot the simplest act of breathing, gasping for air while wiping away the tears that blurred your vision.

“y/n? y/n!” you couldn’t comprehend what was happening around, just knowing your friends were probably trying to help you deal with your panic attack. “y/n, hey–” the rest of their words were drowned by the sound of your heart racing, fear engulfing you.

just as you wanted to give into the darkness, a pair of arms wrapped around your shoulders, pulling you into a familiar embrace. jihoon? you forced yourself to look, your glossy eyes meeting jihoon’s crescent-shaped ones.

“jihoon!” you cried out, happy tears falling down your face as you clung onto him, feeling relieved. “you are here! you are okay!”

“yes, i am okay, love. i’m completely alright.” he smiled as he pulled away to look at your face. “you didn’t really think i’d leave you alone with all these zombies running around, yeah?”

relief was a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following the release of anxiety. feeling relieved was feeling free — just being back to the person you usually are. you were in the arms of your pillar, and nothing else felt more relieving than knowing he was back by your side.

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[xxwearelovingescapesxx]

I'm With You- Suhyeok x fem!reader

A/N: Takes place after they arrive on the roof and the helicopter takes off. Y/N is on edge and Suhyeok talks to her. I didn't really specify their relationship, so you can interpret it whatever way you want.

Y/N stood away from the others wiping her hands frantically on her skirt, trying to get rid of the blood that stained them. She blinked back tears trying not to think about what happen in the last day or so.

It was nightmare.

This world had become a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

Lost in her own thoughts Y/N didn't hear Suhyeok approach her. She yelped in fright when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I called your name a few times and you didn't answer," He placed his hands up in surrender.

Y/N looked up at the taller male, "I'm sorry I was thinking."

Hearing the quiver in her voice, Suhyeok took her hands; which were tightly gripping her skirt, in his own squeezing them gently.

"They left us...that helicopter was our chance to escape this hell."

"I'm sure another will come," He spoke trying to convince himself and her.

Wrapping his arms around her, Suhyeok held Y/N close to his chest.  "I promised to protect you and I meant it,"

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ '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!]

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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!”

[nanawiin]

my ask box is open for all of us are dead male characters x reader, you can send me fanfic ideas

I will write for:

Cheongsan

Gyeongsu

Gwi Nam

Suhyeok

And maybe will write for the other boys

((I also accept smut requests))

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER FIVE' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ theres always a price to pay for survival.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; angst, homophobia, an adult calling a minor an inappropriate word, authority figure abuse, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

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chaos erupted in the wooden classroom as everyone scrambled to find a cell phone - a lifeline to the police and, more urgently, their parents. meanwhile, you sat on the floor at the back of the class, exhausted and in agony. but then you remembered the small first aid kit tucked away in your bag, a habit that might just pay off. you shed your green school vest and began to unbutton your dirty, ripped white shirt, revealing the aftermath of your tumble down the stairs. with shaking hands, you opened the ointment bottle from your medkit and gently slid your shirt off your shoulder, wincing in anticipation of the treatment to come. across the echoey classroom, gyeongsu's voice rang out, "hey, joonyeong! i think you're right. they can't open doors!" he yelled to his classmate, who was grimly holding the doors shut against the infected horde. joonyeong's reply was laced with caution, "yeah well... let's keep 'em closed just in case."

meanwhile, the desperate search for a cell phone continued. daesu stood a few feet away from you, his eyes fixed on your pained expression as you applied medicine to the jagged gash on your shoulder and neck. his brow furrowed in concern, "a-are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with worry. you let out a weary sigh before responding, "yeah..."

daesu's nod was hesitant, his eyes darting back to yours with a mix of concern and skepticism. "do you, uh, need help? i could put it on for you," he offered, his voice tinged with uncertainty. you looked up at him, confusion etched on your face - was he genuinely willing to assist? "um, yeah- no... think i got it," you stammered, awkwardly thanking him.

daesu nodded again, his gaze dropping to his shoes, clearly eager to escape the uncomfortable exchange. you seized the opportunity to divert your attention, catching onjo's eye across the room. she flashed a gentle smile before returning to her search through scattered desks and backpacks. in that moment, you realized the depth of her kindness - a quality you'd overlooked until now. a pang of regret hit you; if only you'd mustered the courage to connect with her before all this chaos erupted. isak's triumphant shout cut through the disorder: "here! i found one!" the room's attention converged on her, where she stood beaming, a cell phone held aloft like a treasure. the device, pilfered from a forgotten backpack, sparked a flurry of hope. as isak attempted to unlock the phone, you seized the moment to rise from the floor, joining the crowd gathered around her.

"is it charged?" daesu asked, peering over cheongsan's shoulder. gyeongsu's retort came swiftly from his post at the door, "of course it's charged, you idiot, who the hell comes to school with a dead phone?" daesu's face fell, but he countered with a pout, "it could happen..." isak's sudden curse cut through the exchange: "shit. it's locked." the room's collective excitement deflated, replaced by a crushing wave of disappointment. while you walked to gaze out the classroom window, your injured arm hung limp against your torso. your mind began to wander, wondering if other students were trapped, just like you. the sight outside was eerie - zombies swarmed the school grounds, their convulsions visible even from a distance. in the soccer field below, you spotted familiar faces among the horde. one in particular caught your attention: a 1st year boy, his high school journey brutally cut short. his ripped jacket and bite-ridden skin were a grim reminder of the fate that had befallen him. you couldn't help but wonder... what were his parents doing at this moment, oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded?

with a nervous gulp, you turned to see cheongsan holding up the treasure, tantalizingly close to the girl outside - now a snarling zombie, her jaws snapping wildly against the glass window. "what are you doing?" you asked, alarm creeping into your voice. isak and onjo turned to you, and isak explained, "he's trying face recognition." you shook your head, hesitation etched on your face, "that's... it's not gonna work. she's moving too much, and she looks completely different from just an hour ago." with a dismissive gesture, you tossed your vest onto the desk and leaned back, retreating into your own thoughts. cheongsan exchanged a skeptical glance with his friends, who shrugged in response, unsure of their next move.

onjo stepped forward, her impatience palpable. "y/n-ah is right. just call 112, you don't need to unlock it for emergency calls." cheongsan's fingers flew across the keypad as he dialed the number, the room falling silent in anticipation. you nervously ruffled your hair, which had fallen into your eyes, as a mix of unease and worry swirled inside you. your mind began to wander to your dad - was he okay? it was ironic, really, that you were worried about him now, when he'd probably never even noticed if you skipped school.

the seconds ticked by at a glacial pace as we waited for someone, anyone, to pick up. cheongsan's eyes were fixed on the phone, his grip on it tightening with each passing moment. onjo shifted her weight, her eyes darting between the phone and the window, where the zombie girl still snapped and clawed at the glass. you couldn't help but think of all the worst-case scenarios, your mind racing with the possibilities. and then, just as suddenly as it had begun, everything was silent. the phone's ringing had stopped, replaced by an eerie stillness. "hello?" a voice crackled through the speaker.

cheongsan's voice was shaking slightly as he spoke, "h-hello? yes, we need help. our school... it's been overrun by zombies." the voice on the other end was calm and detached, "what's your location?" onjo leaned in, her eyes locked on the phone, "we're at hyosan high school. please, you have to hurry." the voice replied, "yeah sure sure.. help is on the way. just don't get bit.." you felt a surge of hope at the words, but it was short-lived. the sudden sound of the call ending had erupted in the silence.

wujin's voice rose in frustration as he exclaimed, "they hung up? what the fuck..?" daesu tried to calm him down, offering a reassuring presence. you couldn't help but groan at cheongsan's blunder, "why would you tell them there were zombies? you should've said something more urgent." your annoyance was palpable, and cheongsan shot back, feeling defensive, "then what would you have said, huh?" the room fell silent, all eyes turning to you, waiting for a response.

you ventured a suggestion, "i don't know, like, there's a serial killer or something.." your words trailed off as you nodded, but the silence that followed was deafening. you glanced away, feeling a twinge of awkwardness at the lack of response. "..or not," you added, your voice barely above a whisper.

jimin's calm and collected voice cut through the tension, "it doesn't matter. the teachers and principal are probably having people come get us." her words were like a balm, soothing the frazzled nerves of the group. the reminder of the adults' presence was a welcome one - they would come, they would rescue us, and we would be reunited with our families. the thought brought a sense of comfort, a reassurance that we weren't alone in this desperate situation.

nayeon's frustration boiled over, her voice rising to a shout. "ugh, just call them again!" but joonyeong’s response was laced with urgency, "hey, keep it down, you're gonna attract more of them." his arms ached from holding the door shut, his muscles cramping from the strain. just then, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, echoing down the hallway. everyone's heads snapped towards the sound, their curiosity and fear piqued. the zombies outside, once shuffling aimlessly, now lurched towards the commotion, their footsteps shuffling rapidly down the corridor. as the hallway cleared, gyeongsu cautiously opened the door, peeking outside before suhyeok yanked him back to safety. amidst the chaos, onjo seized the phone, her fingers flying across the keypad as she dialed a mysterious number. the room fell silent, all eyes fixed on her, wondering what she was planning.

onjo sidled up beside you, her shoulder grazing yours as she leaned against the desk. you sensed a piercing gaze and glanced back to find cheongsan's eyes flashing with hostility. swiftly, you averted your gaze, focusing on the window's distant view.

meanwhile, onjo's voice was calm and composed as she spoke into the phone. "hello, sir. do you know captain nam soju from rescue team one?" her words trailed off, leaving you wondering who she was talking to. your eyebrows knitted together in surprise - how did onjo know someone of such high rank? the question lingered, unanswered, as you waited for her next words.

onjo's gaze shifted towards you, her expression a mask of neutrality as she listened intently to the voice on the other end. the silence stretched, and the eye contact became too much to bear. you cleared your throat, breaking the spell, and redirected your attention to your shoes - suddenly, they seemed fascinating. however, onjo's next words shattered the calm, her tone grave and urgent. "there's a fire." the room's atmosphere shifted, everyone's ears perking up at the alarm. "it's in classroom 2-5 of hyson high school. hurry, it's massive." with that, she ended the call, the sudden silence punctuated only by the weight of her words. the

“theyre coming?” you ask softly, eyes filled with hope. onjo nodded her head with a sigh of relief. “thats great! we’ll be back home in no time.” hyoryeong said with a small nervous chuckle. “right?” she asked with insecurity. not being confident in her exclamation.

onjo's nod was reassuring, but her expression remained cautious. "yes, they're on their way. but we need to be careful, we don't know what's happening outside." she glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the barricaded doors. hyoryeong’s eyes darted to you, then back to onjo, her voice barely above a whisper. "what if...what if they don't make it in time?"

the room fell silent, the weight of hyoryeong's words settling over the group like a shroud. you exchanged a nervous glance with onjo, the hope in your chest beginning to flicker with doubt. onjo's expression turned grim, her jaw clenched in determination. "they'll make it," she said, her voice firm. "we just need to hold out a little longer." but her words were cut short by a loud scream once again from outside the room. the group's heads snapped towards the sound, hearts racing. the wooden walls creaked, groaning under the pressure. "what was that?" gyeongsu whispered, his eyes wide with fear.

you spoke up, your voice firm, "that's the second time we've heard that scream." but no one responded, and you felt exasperated. you stood up and moved away from the desk, "hey, someone could be out there." but your words were met with disbelieving stares. daesu asked incredulously, "what, you wanna go out there?"

you hesitated, feeling a flush rise to your cheeks, "i'm just saying...i would want someone to come looking for me if i was missing." your words tumbled out, laced with a shy vulnerability.

nayeon flopped down in a chair, her back to you, and huffed, "if you wanna go out there, be my guest, but i'm staying here." her dismissive tone made you scoff. you rolled your eyes, muttering under your breath, "god forbid you actually contribute." but nayeon seemed oblivious, already pleading with jimin to call the police again, her voice laced with desperation. meanwhile, you focused on the mundane task of tying your shoes, careful not to strain your shoulder. once finished, you stood up, buttoning your torn white shirt with a sense of determination. your eyes locked onto gyeongsu, and you began to head towards him, ready to take action.

every gaze in the room locked onto you, confusion etched on every face. gyeongsu's voice rose above the rest, "wait, are you really gonna go out there?" he asked, incredulous. wujin chimed in, his tone laced with doubt, "you're injured, how do you even expect to help?" his words hung in the air, a challenge.

you turned to him, your voice low and sharp, "now you're concerned about me?" the quiet snap was a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside. you shook your head, disbelief written across your face. the same childhood friend who had ignored you yesterday now pretended to care? it was almost laughable.

your words sparked a reaction, daesu taking a step forward, his face tense with a mix of confusion and annoyance. "what the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, his hand on wujin's shoulder, as if holding him back from lashing out. you let out a sigh, the sound barely audible, and turned away from the confrontation, your eyes drifting towards gyeongsu and the door. "forget it," you muttered, your voice laced with a hint of frustration, as you began to head towards the exit.

but your progress was halted by a hand on your shoulder, suhyeok's grip gentle yet firm. he looked down at you with an expression of genuine worry, his brow furrowed in concern. "i'll go with you," he said, his voice resolute, his determination clear in his tone.

suhyeok's declaration sparked a wave of panic within the group, like a stone tossed into a tranquil pond. you couldn't help but think: of course, everyone's worried now that the golden boy is going with me - the outcast. "suhyeok, you can't!" onjo exclaimed, her voice laced with urgency, "we don't know if that person is even still alive or not." she added, her words dripping with concern.

you shrugged suhyeok's hand off your shoulder, the touch feeling suffocating, and took a step back, creating some distance. he noticed your uncomfortable withdrawal, his eyes narrowing slightly. "i don't need you to come with me..." you said, your voice barely above a whisper, as you looked away, avoiding eye contact.

isak's words hung in the air, laced with a quiet intensity. "yeah, if y/n-ah wants to go, then let him. that's his choice, not yours." her eyes betrayed a deep-seated fear, not of the present moment, but of the unknown consequences that might unfold.

suhyeok turned towards you, but you avoided his gaze, your eyes fixed on some invisible point on the floor. his attention shifted to the table, where your green vest lay discarded. he swiftly walked over and picked it up, and with a swift motion, ripped it halfway down the middle. "hey, what are you-" you started to ask, confusion etched on your face, but suhyeok's finger pressed against his lips, signaling silence. you watched, perplexed, as he tied the two pieces together in a knot, his hands moving with a quiet purpose.

with a few quick movements, suhyeok transformed the torn vest into a makeshift sling, his hands moving with a quiet confidence. "here, put your head through here and you can let your arm hang here," he instructed, his voice low and gentle. before you knew it, he had crafted a perfect solution to ease the tension on your upper shoulder and neck.

meanwhile, daesu and wujin exchanged a weighted glance, their faces a picture of suspicion and uncertainty. you shot suhyeok a sideways glare, your eyes narrowing slightly. "i'm not thanking you," you whispered, your voice barely audible, as you looked up at him with a mix of annoyance and gratitude. suhyeok's expression remained neutral, his eyes locked onto yours. "i know," he said simply, as he fell into step beside you, following you out towards gyeongsu.

as you walked, the silence between you and suhyeok was palpable, punctuated only by the soft rustling of your clothes and the distant sounds of the group getting up behind you. you couldn't help but feel a twinge of discomfort at his presence, his actions both helpful and infuriating at the same time.

gyeongsu waited by the door, his eyes scanning your face before shifting to suhyeok. "ready?" he asked, his voice low and even. you nodded curtly, avoiding eye contact with suhyeok. "we’ll just go check and come back." with a quiet nod, gyeongsu pushed open the door, revealing a brightly lit corridor beyond. the air was thick with an eerie silence, and you could feel the weight of the unknown pressing down upon you.

as you stepped into the corridor, the door creaked shut behind you, enveloping you in an unsettling quiet. the air was heavy with the scent of dust and decay, and the flickering fluorescent lights above cast your eerie shadows on the walls.

you led the way, your footsteps echoing off the walls, with suhyeok following closely behind. your eyes scanning the deserted hallway, your senses on high alert. the corridor twisted and turned, leading you deeper into the heart of the building. you couldn't shake the feeling that you were being watched, that unblinking eyes were trained on you from the shadows. suddenly, you halted, your head cocked to one side to find suhyeoks hand on your back. "do you hear that?" suhyeok suddenly whispered, his voice barely audible.

your eyes narrowed, your gaze scanning the hallways. "hear what? and stop touching me." you hiss at him. suhyeoks eyes locked onto yours, his expression grim. "that." then, you heard it too - a low, mournful whimper, seeming to come from the direction in front of you. you cautiously peeked around the corner, your gaze drifting down the dimly lit hallway towards the staircase, the flickering fluorescent lights above grabbed your attention. but what you saw made your heart skip a beat - a girl's limp form hung suspended from the stairway's bars, her body eerily still, her eyes frozen in a permanent scream. you gasped, your instincts screaming at you to act, your mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

but before you could take a step forward, suhyeok's arm snaked around your waist, pulling you back into the shadows with a swift, firm motion. "what the fuck did i tell you-" you hissedat him. his voice low and urgent, his breath warm against your ear, before clamping a hand over your mouth, his fingers pressing against your lips. "at least look around before you get yourself killed."

his eyes narrowed, annoyance etched on his face, his brow furrowed in concern. you shot him a defiant glance, your eyes flashing with anger, your heart still racing from the shock. shoving him off of you, "you touch me again and i'll push you into those things," you threatened, your finger jabbing into his face, your voice barely above a whisper.

suhyeok's expression twisted into a disbelieving scoff, his eyes rolling heavenward. "yeah, i'd like to see that," he taunted, his voice dripping with skepticism, his gaze lingering on yours with a hint of challenge.

you swiftly silenced suhyeok with a hushed command, your eyes darting back to the staircase. that's when you saw it - a zombie looming mere inches from the girl's desperate grasp, its presence a constant threat. she struggled to pull herself up, her face reddened with exertion, sweat dripping down her forehead. but every time the zombie turned, she'd retreat, hiding in a futile bid for safety.

time was running out - she was mere seconds from slipping, her fingers trembling with fatigue. if she fell, it would be a four-story drop to certain death. you watched, transfixed, as she teetered on the brink of disaster.

as you scanned your surroundings, a forgotten pencil case caught your eye, lying just a few feet away. with a deep breath, you dropped to the ground, army crawling towards the pencil case with deliberate slowness. your gaze remained fixed on the zombie, while suhyeok's eyes locked onto your legs, poised to pull you to safety at a moment's notice.

with suhyeok watching your every move, you inched closer to the pencil case, your hand reaching out to claim it. finally, your fingers closed around it, and you crawled backward, creating a safe distance between yourself and the zombie. then, with a swift motion, you hurled the pencil case down a nearby hallway, the sound echoing off the walls as it flew through the air. the zombie's attention was caught, its body lurching away from the girl as it shambled down the hallway in pursuit of the noise. seizing the opportunity, you began to stand, but suhyeok was already ahead, swiftly closing the distance to the girl. helping her down and he grasped her hand, pulling her to safety as she thanked him over and over, her voice trembling with tears.

"you're my hero, truly. thank you so much," the girl gushed, her arms wrapping tightly around suhyeok's neck as she hugged him with gratitude. but you were already moving, your patience worn thin. "lets go," you whispered urgently, your voice low and insistent.

suhyeok pulled the girl along, her hand still clutched in his, as you all turned the corner and sped through the hallways with a crouched, hurried gait. the girl's sobs grew louder, her words tumbling out in a frantic, tear-choked explanation of what had happened to her friends. suhyeok tried to calm her down, his voice a soothing murmur, but she was beyond consolation, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she hyperventilated.

"you need to stop crying, or we are all gonna die," you warned, turning back to the girl with a stern expression, your finger pressed to your lips in a silencing gesture. but before you could continue, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway behind you - loud, quick, and getting closer.

"run!" suhyeok yelled, darting to the front of the group as you all sprinted down the hall. your hearts racing, you turned a corner and finally saw the classroom door ahead. suhyeok pounded on it urgently with both fists, releasing the girl's hand as he did so. you caught up, breathless, and saw nayeon blocking gyeongsu's attempt to open the door, the two of them arguing in hushed tones. but before you could intervene, you turned to see a horde of zombies rounding the corner behind you - three to seven of them, their eyes fixed on you with a mindless hunger as they ran at full speed.

in a flash of quick thinking, you slid open the classroom window and urged suhyeok to climb through. he cast a desperate glance at the zombies closing in, their ragged breathing and shambling footsteps mere feet away, before hoisting himself up and through the opening. he reached back for your hand, but you gestured for him to take the girl's instead.

with a surge of adrenaline, you grabbed her knee and pushed her upwards, trying to boost her to safety. but she clung to your arm, her eyes fixed on the horrors behind, her cries growing more frantic. "go! go!" you shouted, pushing her upward with increasing urgency, as suhyeok tried to pull her arm up from the other side.

suhyeok's grip on her hand faltered, sending her tumbling over you as you desperately tried to break her fall. you groaned, the impact knocking the wind from your lungs, as the zombies closed in - now mere feet away. with a surge of adrenaline, you tried to haul her to her feet, but she was paralyzed with fear, her screams echoing through the hallway.

"come on! damnit!" you shouted, tugging at her arm with increasing urgency, but she was frozen in terror. and then, in a flash of horror, the closest zombie latched onto her leg, its jaws closing around her ankle like a vice. she shrieked in agony as the zombie's teeth sank deep, the others quickly following suit, their bites tearing into her flesh with savage ferocity.

you stood frozen, helpless, as the zombies feasted on her flesh, their gruesome banquet mere feet away. the girl's eyes locked onto yours, her face contorted in a silent plea, her tears streaming down her cheeks like rain. her hand reached out, a desperate bid for salvation, but it was too late. just as all hope seemed lost, a chorus of screams erupted from the windows, the voices of your friends shouting your name, their cries piercing the air like a siren's wail.

“y/n-ah, leave her!”

“shes gone, come on!”

“y/n-ah, move your ass!”

“get inside! now!”

a crushing wave of guilt and fear washed over you, paralyzing your nerves and muscles. your eyes widened in horror, frozen in place as the zombies devoured the girl below. but then, a pair of arms wrapped around you, lifting you up with a gentle yet urgent strength. you felt yourself being pulled up into the window, your limp body causing you and your rescuer to tumble backward onto the classroom floor.

as you sat up, dazed and disoriented, you found yourself cradled in someone's lap, their arms wrapped tightly around you. the warmth of their embrace was a stark contrast to the terror you'd just faced, and for a moment, you simply sat there, frozen in shock. the others shut the windows quickly and held onto the doors to keep them shut.

your head hung limp, your gaze fixed on your lap as you felt the strong, muscled arms wrapped around your body, holding you in a tight embrace. the pressure caused your shoulder to ache, but you didn't have the strength to move. slowly, you lifted your head, your eyes scanning the room as reality began to seep back in. that's when you saw them - your classmates gathered around you, their faces etched with concern. and then, you realized who was holding you - suhyeok. with a surge of adrenaline, you swiftly elbowed him in the ribs, breaking free from his grasp. you stood up, your legs trembling slightly as you found your balance.

he coughed, his eyes widening in surprise at your sudden movement. "what the..?" daesu muttered, confusion etched on his face as he looked from you to suhyeok, unsure of what had just happened.

"i told you. stop touching me," you said, your voice firm, as you clutched your shoulder, still feeling the ache from suhyeok's grip. your hair was disheveled, a testament to the intensity of the moment that had just passed. you glared down at suhyeok, who looked away, defeated, his eyes cast downward in submission.

but cheongsan wasn't having it. "yah, suhyeok-ah saved you," he spoke up, his voice tinged with annoyance. "you should be thanking him." his words hung in the air while others just stared.

slowly, you turned to face the group, your eyes meeting the gaze of your friends, who were all staring at you, their faces etched with concern. your chest still heaved rapidly, a reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded.

the room was thick with tension, the only sound the heavy breathing that still racked your body. you felt like you were under a microscope, every eye on you, waiting for your reaction. suhyeok's gaze remained downcast, his shoulders slumped in defeat. cheongsan's eyes flashed with irritation, the others looked on, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern. the silence stretched out, becoming almost unbearable. you knew you needed to say something, to break the tension, but your mind was a blank. all you could think about was the feeling of suhyeok's arms around you, holding you captive, and the horror that had just unfolded below the window.

jimin's voice had a subtle rebuke. "he wouldn't have had to save him if you had let gyeongsu open the door," she said, her gaze fixed on nayeon as she strode away, her eyes scanning the other windows with a mix of fear and determination. nayeon spun back, her face twisted in a scowl. "you wanted to leave them out there!" jimin accused, her voice low and venomous.

nayeon's defenses were clearly breached, her words tumbling out in a rush. "so what? they decided to go out there, we never told them to! they could've been bit, fuck, they could still be!" her finger jabbed toward you and suhyeok, the pressure of the moment clearly getting to her.

suhyeok slowly rose to his feet behind you, still wincing in pain as he released his grip on his ribs. "you can check us, we didn't get bit," he said, his voice steady, his eyes locked on nayeon. onjo quickly came to his defense, her voice firm. "suhyeok-ah said they aren't bitten, he wouldn't lie," she said, her gaze fixed on nayeon, trying to reassure her.

but before the tension could ease, cheongsan strode forward, his eyes scanning you from head to toe before narrowing in suspicion. "oh sure, check me but not him, right?" you shot back, your voice laced with sarcasm, as you stood face to face with him. cheongsan took a step closer, his jaw clenched. "and? you have a problem with it?" he asked, his tone confrontational.

just as the confrontation was reaching a boiling point, suhyeok stepped in, his hand extending from behind you to gently but firmly push cheongsan back. "guys, not now," he said, his voice a calm anchor in the storm, trying to steer the group away from further conflict. gyeongsu, leaning against the door frame, chimed in with a soothing tone, "yeah, come on guys, we gotta be careful. now's not the time to argue." but his words were quickly met with a sharp tone from nayeon. "oh, now you wanna add on?" she snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. "you're such a liability, and you don't even know it." the air seemed to vibrate with tension as her words hung in the air, a challenge to gyeongsu's very presence.

gyeongsu's face reddened with anger as he took a step forward, his voice rising. "what? what did you just say?" but before he could get any closer to nayeon, his friends grabbed his arms, holding him back. "everyone needs to just shut up and sit down-" someone started to say, but the words were cut off by a sudden commotion.

"watch out!" you yelled, as the classroom door burst open and a frantic figure scrambled inside. everyone recoiled in fear, unsure of who this new arrival might be, but as the person turned to face the group, a collective sigh of relief rippled through the room. it was coach kang, his face flushed and sweaty, his chest heaving with exertion.

the room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the coach as he struggled to catch his breath. finally, he spoke, his voice gruff with concern. "are you guys okay?"

the question hung in the air, open to interpretation. but before anyone else could respond, gyeongsu nodded curtly, speaking for the group.

gyeongsu's eyes narrowed slightly as he approached coach kang, his voice laced with skepticism. "what about you, you weren't bitten?" coach kang's head shook slowly, his chest still heaving with exhaustion. "no, of course not. i-im alright. yeah, i'm alright," he stammered, his nod a bit too emphatic. something about his demeanor didn't quite add up, and your eyebrows furrowed in concern. you turned to your right, searching for a shared spark of suspicion, and found it in namra's watchful gaze. as your eyes met, a silent understanding passed between you, a sense that something was off.

namra rose slowly from her seat, her movements fluid and deliberate, her eyes never leaving yours. unspoken questions, the group's attention drawn to the subtle exchange between you and namra.

"okay, well let's block the doors first," coach kang instructed, his voice snapping the group back into action. the room's dynamic shifted in an instant, as if a switch had been flipped, and everyone reverted to their student roles, mannerisms and all. with newfound urgency, the group sprang into motion, rushing to construct a makeshift barricade. desks scraped against the floor, chairs clattered on top, and the sound of heavy breathing filled the air. you strained to move a desk with one hand, your legs pushing against the floor to drag it into place.

"hurry up, what's taking you so-" coach kang's voice trailed off, his words freezing in his throat as his gaze landed on you. his eyes widened, his face a picture of shock, as if he'd seen something that made his blood run cold. "what happened to you?" coach kang asked, his voice laced with a wariness that bordered on suspicion.

you let out a frustrated huff before explaining, "i fell down the stairs and hurt my shoulder. i wasn't bit if that's what you're thinking..." but your words trailed off as your gaze drifted down to the coach's arm. a jagged red gash caught your eye, surrounded by teeth marks and bloody flesh. the sight made your heart skip a beat. coach kang seemed to sense your stunned silence, and cleared his throat awkwardly, busying himself with moving chairs and avoiding eye contact. it was clear he was no longer interested in listening to your explanation.

you turned to onjo and jimin, their eyes already locked on the coach's arm, a silent understanding passing between them. "do you guys see that...?" you whispered, your voice a mere breath, as if speaking the truth might shatter the fragile calm.

onjo and jimin nodded in slow, synchronized motion, their faces reflecting a dawning realization. onjo's voice rang out, a loud whisper that cut through the tension. "coach kang, you have a bite on your arm!" the coach's face drained of color, his skin turning a ghostly pale. "w-what? no, no," he stuttered, his hand jerking up to yank his sleeve down, hiding the offending arm. "no, i wasn't bitten, it's alright," he protested, his words tumbling out in a frantic bid to reassure, but his eyes betrayed a growing panic.

the coach's denial was met with incredulity. "you have a bite mark, how is that not a bite-" but before you could finish, he cut you off with a sharp rebuke.

"shut up, i said it isn't. don't talk back to me, you're a student," he spat, his words dripping with venom. his tone was a slap in the face, and you felt a surge of indignation at the dismissive language. isak stepped into the fray, her voice calm but firm. "it looks like you were really bitten," she observed, her eyes fixed on the coach's arm. the coach's face turned red with rage. "i wasn't! how many times must i tell you?" he thundered, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief and anger, as if the very suggestion was an affront to his authority.

"show it then!" you demanded, your voice firm and resolute. isak stepped forward while her tone was uncompromising. "then why the hell are you hiding it? show us." the coach's gaze faltered under the weight of their combined scrutiny. isak’s eyes flashed with a fierce intensity, her voice dripping with authority. "i think you should leave right now," she commanded, her words a clear dismissal.

as the standoff continued, you discreetly glanced to your side, your eyes landing on a desk with a sharp pen lying on it. with a slow, deliberate movement, you reached out and grasped the pen, hiding it behind your leg, your grip tightening around it. "come on! get out already!" isak yelled, her frustration boiling over, her words echoing through the tense silence.

the coach's face twisted in a sudden, vitriolic outburst. "you cocksucker!" he bellowed. you spun around, bewildered, and shot back, "are you insane? watch your mouth!" your gaze swept the room, locking eyes with your male peers. "you're gonna let him speak to her like that?" you asked, your tone laced with disgust and outrage.the coach's face reddened, his finger jabbing accusingly at you. "you stop talking! i could call you the same thing!" his lips curled into a sneer, a cold, calculated glint in his eye. "yeah...you think i don't know?" he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "you think they don't know?" he sneered, his gaze raking the room. but you stood your ground, your voice firm and resolute. "i don't give a fuck what they think, and you need to leave now, you fucking pervert." your words struck a nerve, and for a moment, the coach's mask slipped, revealing a flicker of unease beneath.

"how dare you speak to me like that? do you think i won't remember this when this is all finished? huh?" his thunderous voice sent shockwaves through the room, loud enough to draw a few zombies to the hallway outside. as he took a menacing step closer to isak, onjo swiftly intervened, positioning herself protectively in front of her friend. you instinctively moved to stand guard, the pen at the ready. "y/n-ah, stay back!" wujin warned, his voice firm and urgent. "he's infected," joonyeong added, her eyes fixed warily on the coach.

and then, a telltale sign of the infection's grip: a nosebleed. the coach's eyes widened as he felt the warm trickle down his face, his gaze dropping to the crimson droplets staining his clothes and splattering the floor.

the coach's gaze snapped back up, his eyes locking onto yours with a mix of anger and desperation. his face twisted in a snarl, the nosebleed worsening as he took another step forward. you stood your ground, the pen poised like a tiny sword, ready to strike.

"stay back!" wujin and joonyeong chorused, their voices a united front against the coach's erratic behavior. onjo's eyes darted between the coach and you, her expression a mask of concern. the coach's body language screamed warning signs - the jerky movements, the wild eyes, the increasing aggression. you knew the infection was taking hold, and time was running out. with a deep breath, you steeled yourself for what might come next.

the coach's eyes seemed to glaze over, his pupils dilating as he took another step closer. his mouth opened, revealing bloody teeth, and a low, menacing growl rumbled from his throat. you gripped the pen tightly, bracing for impact.

"he's gone," joonyeong whispered, his voice barely audible over the coach's eerie growl. "we need to get out of here, now."

onjo nodded, her eyes fixed on the coach's deteriorating form. "y/n, come on," she urged, tugging on your arm. for a moment, you saw a glimmer of the person he once was, trapped beneath the surface of the infection. in a split second, the coach's face twisted into a grotesque snarl, and he sprang into action - but his target was mijin, trapped between the narrow lockers. panic erupted as he pounced, his body pinning hers to the ground.

chaos ensued as the group scrambled to escape the horror, but daesu stood tall, his adrenaline-fueled strength surging as he rushed to mijin's aid. with a fierce cry, he heaved the coach's zombie form off her, slamming him into the nearby wall with a bone-jarring crash. as the dust settled, all eyes turned to mijin, her face etched with pain and fear. and then, the unthinkable - a crimson bite mark marred her lips, a grim harbinger of the fate that awaited her.

mijin's eyes widened in terror as she stumbled backward, her hand instinctively rising to cover the wound. "no, no, no..." she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

daesu's face fell, his eyes filled with a mix of horror and helplessness. "mijin, oh god..." he trailed off, his voice cracking with emotion. the group stood frozen, paralyzed by the grim reality unfolding before them. the coach's zombie form, still reeling from daesu's tackle, began to stir once more, its eyes fixed on mijin with a mindless hunger.

"we have to get out of here, now," wujin urged, his voice firm but laced with desperation. "we can't let her...we can't let her become one of them." but it was too late. mijin's eyes began to glaze over, her body starting to succumb to the infection's deadly grip. a faint moan escaped her lips, and she took a stumbling step forward, her gaze fixed on the group with a growing hunger.

in a heart-stopping instant, coach kang's body contorted in a grotesque convulsion, his limbs twitching with an otherworldly energy. he sprang to his feet, his movements jerky and unnatural, and launched himself at suhyeok and wujin. the latter held up a chair as a makeshift shield, but suhyeok swiftly shoved him out of harm's way, dodging to the side as the zombie coach crashed into the podium behind them.

the zombie's head twitched, its eyes locking onto suhyeok with a mindless hunger. it lunged, arms outstretched, but suhyeok dodged the grasp by a hair's breadth. with a swift punch, he struck the zombie coach in the face, but it seemed to have no effect. the zombie latched onto suhyeok, its grip unyielding. your heart sank as you watched in horror, but instinct took over. you sprinted forward, grabbing a chair with one arm and slamming it into the zombie coach's back with a loud crash. the force of the blow sent shockwaves through the air, but the zombie's grip on suhyeok remained unbroken.

in a flash of adrenaline, suhyeok seized the opportunity to turn the tables, using the zombie momentum against him. with a swift motion, he hurled the man into the wall, the sound of crunching bone and scraping flesh echoing through the room.

cheongsan sprang into action, grabbing a nearby desk and slamming it into place, pinning the man to the wall with a fierce determination. gyeongsu rushed to his side, adding his strength to the effort, and together they strained to keep the desk in place, holding the snarling zombie at bay.

the air was electric with tension as the two boys wrestled with the desk, their muscles straining to keep the zombie trapped. the sound of scraping furniture and labored breathing filled the room, a testament to their desperate bid to contain the monstrous creature that had once been their coach. as you stood there, chest heaving, the chaos seemed to slow down, and your gaze drifted to the side. that's when you saw mijin, her eyes brimming with tears, her face a picture of despair. nayeon burst into the space between you, her movements frantic as she began to dismantle the barricade at the door.

"y/n-ah...please," she begged, her voice barely audible over her sobs. her eyes pleaded with you, and yours stung in response, welling up with tears. "i-its...it's gonna be okay," you whispered softly, trying to reassure her as she stumbled towards you, her hands shaking like leaves. you knew you had to calm her down, to make her believe everything would be alright. "mijin-ah, you have to stay where you are, okay?" you continued, trying to sound calm, but the words felt like a betrayal. "it's okay...it's just a scratch," you lied, the words tasting bitter on your lips. but you knew the power of the mind was a potent thing – maybe, just maybe, if mijin believed it, it could become true.

mijin's gaze fell to the floor, her eyes clouding with disbelief at your words. she took a step forward, her feet carrying her towards nayeon, who was still frantically trying to clear the barricade. but as mijin approached, nayeon's fear spiked, and she scrambled onto the desk, her eyes wide with terror. "get away from me!" nayeon shrieked, her legs kicking out wildly as she tried to push mijin away. one kick landed squarely on mijin's chest, sending her crashing to the floor.

"nayeon, stop!" you bellowed, your rage lifting at the scene unfolding before you. but it was too late. mijin's body began to contort, her neck cracking ominously as her limbs twitched with an unnatural, robotic jerkiness. then, a blood-curdling screech tore from her throat, and she sprang to her feet, her hands dangling limply at her sides.

daesu sprang into action, his arms encircling mijin's waist as she launched herself at him with a savage ferocity. but even his formidable strength was pushed to the limit as mijin's body contorted and twisted, her limbs flailing with a wild, unbridled energy. with a swift, urgent glance, daesu roared, "everyone, out, now!" and made a frantic dash for the door, mijin's crazed form clutched tightly in his grasp. her body arched and bucked, threatening to break free from his hold, but daesu's grip remained unyielding as he battled to contain the fury that had consumed her.

as the two zombies continued to writhe and snarl, suhyeok's voice cut through the chaos, "we gotta go." he sprinted to nayeon's side, and together they frantically cleared the doorway of debris, their movements fueled by desperation. "get out, get out!" suhyeok's guttural shout echoed through the room, his words punctuated by the sound of scraping furniture and shuffling footsteps.

you scanned the room, ensuring everyone had escaped before making a final dash for the door. "lets go guys!" you yelled, shoving the last straggler forward as you followed close behind. but as you emerged into the hallway, a sense of unease settled in - suhyeok was nowhere to be seen. you spun back to face the door, just as he stumbled out, his face etched with exhaustion, and slammed it shut behind him. with a shared sense of urgency, you followed the group down the familiar hallways, the same corridors where, just moments before, you had tried to save a young girl from the clutches of the undead. as you pounded the hallway floor in a frantic sprint, your momentum was abruptly halted by a collision with joonyeong's back. the sudden impact sent a ripple through the group, and before you could process what was happening, everyone began swiftly reversing direction, their feet shuffling in unison.

curiosity getting the better of you, you darted a glance to the side, and your heart sank. a horde of zombies was closing in, their vacant eyes fixed on the group with a chilling hunger. nayeon's terrified screams pierced the air, echoing off the walls as she crumpled to the floor, her legs seemingly unable to support her. the group's frantic energy was visible, and you knew you had to act fast to avoid being overwhelmed by the encroaching undead.

in a flash, suhyeok burst from the rear of the group, his movements a blur as he launched himself upward, landing a lightning-fast kick on the bloodied student's face. the sudden display of agility left you breathless - stunned didn't begin to describe it. with a fierce determination, suhyeok continued his assault, pinning zombies to the walls and sending them crashing to the ground. but despite his valiant efforts, one managed to slip past his defenses, charging towards the group with a menacing intent.

without hesitation, you darted forward, weaving through the crowd with a swift precision. as the zombie closed in, you struck, your kick finding its mark on the undead attacker's leg. the zombie's balance faltered, and it crashed to the floor, its momentum extinguished.

just as you thought you'd dodged the worst of it, a zombie lunged from the shadows, its grasp closing around your injured arm like a clutch. a searing pain shot through your limb as the zombie's grip tightened, and you couldn't help but yell out in anguish as it yanked your arm with a sudden, violent force. in a heart-stopping instant, the zombie's mouth was mere centimeters from your arm, its rancid breath washing over your skin as it prepared to deliver the final, gruesome bite. time seemed to slow as you faced the very real possibility of becoming the zombie's next victim.

“y/n-ah! no!”

[justice4gyeongsu]

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

SYNOPSIS ➢ adults seemed cooler before the infection outbreak.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; flashbacks, near death experience, choking, betrayal, violence, alot of angst, mentions of bullying, depression, some fluff, mentions of puking, reoccuring ptsd, exclusion, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

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gwinam lunges at cheongsan, grabbing his shoulders with a vicious grip. wujin tries to intervene, attempting to pull gwinam off cheongsan, but he's too strong. daesu joins the fray, punching gwinam in the stomach, trying to distract him. jimin tries to pry gwinam's hands off cheongsan's shoulders, but he refuses to let go. despite the commotion, gwinam's grip only tightens, his fingers digging deep into cheongsan's skin. cheongsan's face contorts in pain as gwinam forces him to kneel, his shoulders screaming in protest. the group's efforts to stop gwinam only seem to enrage him further, his eyes blazing with a malevolent fury.

the situation is spiraling out of control, and it's unclear how far gwinam will go. the group's attempts to intervene only seem to be making things worse, and cheongsan is paying the price. joonyeong, determined to stop gwinam, swings a wooden stick at his head with all his might. but the stick shatters upon impact, splintering into pieces as gwinam's head barely flinches. gwinam takes advantage of the momentary distraction to break free from the group's grip. with a swift kick, he sends joonyeong flying across the rooftop, his body crashing to the ground feet away.

"joonyeong!" you shout, racing towards him in panic. joonyeong struggles to sit up, wheezing as he tries to catch his breath. "i'm okay... i'm okay..." he gasps, his face contorted in pain. you kneel beside him, helping him up as the others stare on in shock. gwinam stands tall, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. the group's attempts to stop him have only seemed to enrage him further, and it's clear he won't hesitate to hurt anyone who gets in his way. cheongsan still kneels at his feet, his shoulders throbbing in pain. gwinam's rampage continues as he shoves off daesu and jimin, sending them stumbling backward. with a sudden burst of strength, he grabs wujin and hurls him at daesu, the two crashing to the ground with a strained groan.

cheongsan, determined to fight back, rises from the ground and throws a punch at gwinam. but gwinam intentionally takes the hit, his smirk growing wider as he shows off his strength. with a swift and merciless counterattack, gwinam punches cheongsan in the face, sending him crashing to the floor once again. cheongsan's body slides across the rooftop as gwinam kicks him, his form skidding to a stop near the girls. onjo, hroryeong, and jimin cower in fear, their eyes fixed on cheongsan's battered form. joonyeong, still recovering from his earlier injury, struggles to get up, his face etched with worry.

the group's efforts to stop gwinam have been met with brutal force, and it's clear he won't stop until he's asserted his dominance. suhyeok, still nursing his injuries, looks on with a mix of anger and helplessness. gwinam's gaze sweeps across the rooftop, his eyes lingering on each of them before settling on cheongsan's prone form. his smirk grows wider, his chest heaving with excitement.

as he stalks toward cheongsan once more you walk over and block his path. you stand frozen, the hammer trembling in your hand as gwinam's words cut deep. “look who it is,” his bored tone and scoffing gaze make you feel insignificant, and for a moment, you doubt your ability to confront him. gwinam's eyes linger on the hammer, his expression unimpressed. "you think that little thing can hurt me?" he sneers, his voice dripping with contempt.

your mind races, fear threatening to overwhelm you. you try to steel yourself, taking deep breaths to calm your racing heart. but your body betrays you, shaking uncontrollably as gwinam's gaze pierces through you. "shut your mouth, you gopher." the others watch in silence, their eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them. they can see your fear, your hesitation, and it's clear that gwinam senses it too. his words echo in your mind, "i thought you would've killed yourself by now." the hurt and shame wash over you, making your grip on the hammer falter. gwinam takes a step closer, his eyes glinting with amusement. "you know who i am," he repeats, his voice low and menacing. “so why dont you crawl back into that hole you came out of, faggot!”

your heart screams at you to run, to escape the terror that stands before you. but your legs won't move, rooted to the spot as gwinam's gaze holds you captive. suhyeok's sudden attack catches gwinam off guard, the wooden plank cracking against his back as he lunges towards you. gwinam spins around, his eyes narrowing as suhyeok throws a punch that he effortlessly dodges.

but gwinam quickly gains the upper hand, his hand closing around suhyeok's throat like a vice. suhyeok's eyes widen as he tries to break free, but gwinam's grip only tightens. suhyeok's coughing and gasping grows more desperate, his face turning red as he struggles for air. you watch in horror, your mind frozen in shock.

but then, without knowing, you're sprinting towards gwinam, the hammer still clutched in your hand. your heart races, your breath comes in ragged gasps, as you launch yourself at gwinam. time seems to slow as you cover the distance, your eyes fixed on gwinam's head, twisted in a snarl. suhyeok's struggles grow weaker, his eyes pleading for help. you raise the hammer, ready to strike, as gwinam's gaze flicks towards you, a hint of surprise in his eyes. but he doesn't release suhyeok, his grip remaining unyielding. you swing the hammer with all your might, the back of it striking gwinam's neck with a sickening crunch. you feel a surge of adrenaline as the hammer pierces his skin, and gwinam's eyes widen in surprise.

he releases suhyeok, who collapses to the ground, gasping for air. gwinam turns towards you, his face twisted in a snarl, and pulls the hammer out of his neck. he raises it, ready to strike, but namra appears out of nowhere, pushing you behind her. with a fierce determination, namra swings a wooden stick, engulfed in flames, at gwinam. he tries to defend himself, but the stick connects, sending him stumbling backward. namra falls to the ground, but she's far from defeated. with a fierce cry, she crawls towards gwinam, the leftover piece of wood still clutched in her hand. she plunges it into his leg, piercing his skin and causing him to cry out in pain.

gwinam's eyes widen in shock as he drops the hammer, momentarily stunned. you seize the opportunity, quickly picking up the hammer as gwinam's gaze is diverted. namra's bravery has given you a chance to counterattack, but gwinam's anger and pain make him even more dangerous. you grip the hammer tightly, ready for the next move.

gwinam's face contorts in rage as he tries to stab namra with the wooden stick, but she refuses to let go of his arm. despite his kicks, punches, and shoves, her grip remains unyielding.

"let go!" he yells, his voice echoing across the rooftop, but namra's determination only grows stronger. gwinam's attention is focused on namra, his anger and pain clouding his judgment. he sniffs towards her, his senses heightened, and for a moment, he's distracted. you see your chance, hammer at the ready, and take a step forward. but jimin's voice holds you back, "don't, y/n! he's too strong!" you glance back, seeing jimin's worried expression, and hesitate. that's when namra seizes the opportunity, grabbing gwinam's hair and sending him tumbling towards the edge of the rooftop.

suhyeok rushes forward, trying to grab gwinam as he struggles to get up, but gwinam's newfound strength is too much. with a swift motion, he chokes suhyeok, holding him over the edge of the rooftop, half his body hanging precariously in the air. the scene is chaotic, with everyone frozen in shock. gwinam's eyes gleam with a malevolent intensity, his grip on suhyeok's throat unyielding.

you sprint towards suhyeok, namra by your side, and together you grab gwinam's arms, pulling with all your might. gwinam's grip on suhyeok's throat falters, and with a collective heave, you both send him tumbling over the edge of the rooftop. time seems to slow as gwinam falls, his body plummeting seven floors down. you grab suhyeok's sleeve, pulling him towards you, and peer over the edge, watching in horror as gwinam hits the ground with a sickening thud. the sound echoes up, a haunting reminder of the violence that's unfolded. you feel a shiver run down your spine as you pull suhyeok closer, ensuring he's safe. namra stands beside you, her chest heaving, her eyes fixed on the spot where gwinam fell. the rooftop is silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of those around you.

you glance around, taking stock of the group. suhyeok's shaken, but alive. namra's eyes gleam with a fierce determination. jimin and the others look on, their faces etched with shock and fear. suhyeok's gaze falls upon you, his eyes locking onto yours with a mix of gratitude and relief. he looks like he's seen a ghost, his face pale and shaken. "thank you," he whispers, his voice barely audible over the wind. you feel a lump form in your throat as you nod, still trying to process the events that just transpired. suhyeok's eyes seem to bore into your soul, as if searching for something more.

his expression softens, his eyes filling with concern as he takes in your trembling form. he gently pries his sleeve from your grasp, but instead of letting go, he wraps his arm around you, pulling you into a warm embrace. "hey, it's okay," he whispers, his voice soothing. "its safe now."

your eyes well up with tears as you bury your face in his shoulder, the visual of your past trauma still haunting you. suhyeok's grip tightens, holding you securely as you shake uncontrollably. the memory of being huddled in that corner, helpless and scared, comes flooding back. but just like this time, you're not alone. suhyeok's presence anchors you, his warmth and comfort a beacon of hope. namra and the others give you space, their concerned glances a reminder that you're surrounded by people who care. but in this moment, it's suhyeok's embrace that holds you together. "i'm here, he’s gone," he whispers, his breath warm against your ear. your tears soak into his shoulder as you cling to him, the fear and adrenaline slowly giving way to a sense of safety and security.

its been a few minutes as you cry, suhyeok's grip only tightens, his arm a steady presence around you. he doesn't try to shush you or tell you to stop, he just holds you, letting you release all the pent-up emotions. slowly, your sobs subside, replaced by shaky breaths. you just lean your head against his chest, as he swayed slightly while holding you. his cheek on your head, as you closed your eyes. suhyeok uses his thumb to wipe your tears, he tilts your chin upwards, his eyes never leaving yours. "better?" he asks softly, his voice gentle. you nod, still sniffling, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. suhyeok smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "good." the word sent a shiver down your spine.

suhyeok nods, his arm still around you. "let's go." the group begins to move back towards the fire, suhyeok guiding you with a gentle hand on your back. as you walk, you feel a sense of relief wash over you. you're not alone, and you're safe. but the memory of gwinam's twisted smile and the sound of his body hitting the ground will haunt you for a long time to come.

the group makes their way to the fire pit, the warm glow of the flames a welcoming respite from the chaos that unfolded. suhyeok guides you to a seat, his hand still on your back, before sitting down beside you. namra takes a spot on the other side, her eyes scanning the group as if checking for injuries. jimin and the others settle in, their faces somber, still processing the events on the rooftop.

the fire crackles, casting flickering shadows on the surrounding walls. the warmth seeps into your bones, calming your still-frayed nerves. suhyeok puts his arm around you again, pulling you close. "we're safe now," he whispers, his breath warm against your ear. you nod, feeling a sense of gratitude towards him. namra hands you a steaming cup of tea, which you take gratefully, the warmth spreading through your hands.

as you sit there, surrounded by the people who just helped you survive a nightmare, you feel a sense of belonging. you're not alone, and you're safe.

you bite your bottom lip, trying to distract yourself from the haunting memories of gwinam's words. but they linger, echoing in your mind like a cruel mantra. as you lean into suhyeok, he wraps his arm tighter around you, offering a comforting presence. the warmth of his body and the gentle pressure of his arm help calm your racing thoughts. around you, the others tend to their wounds, their groans and winces a reminder of the battle you all endured.

the group's quiet determination and suhyeok's reassuring presence help calm your nerves. but the memories of gwinam's twisted smile and words still linger, waiting to pounce on your fragile peace of mind.

“what was with that gwinam kid?” joonyeong's question hangs in the air, and cheongsan's response only adds to the mystery. "he turned into something totally different," cheongsan repeats, his eyes clouded with concern. you nod in agreement, still trying to process the events on the rooftop. as you move away from suhyeok, he lets you go, but his eyes remain on you, checking for any signs of distress.

you attempt to remove your arm from the vest sling, wincing slightly as you move it. but to your surprise, the pain has subsided, replaced by a dull soreness. you flex your arm, testing its range of motion. "be careful," suhyeok warns, his voice low. "you don't want to mess it up more"

you nod, still moving your arm cautiously. the others watch, their faces etched with concern. "what happened to gwinam?" wujin asks, his voice laced with frustration. "he was always a bit off, but...that was something else." suhyeok shakes his head. "i don't know, but i dont think he can die." the group falls silent, lost in their own thoughts. you continue to move your arm, testing its limits, while suhyeok keeps a watchful eye on you.

namra's voice cuts through the silence, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and trepidation. "did you hear that?" she asks, her gaze darting around the group. you follow her lead, scanning the surroundings, but there's no sign of movement. hroryeong's confusion is palpable as he asks, "what? is it someone?"

namra's eyes narrow, her thoughts racing, but she says nothing. cheongsan chimes in, "i don't see anything," his voice laced with a hint of skepticism. but then, he freezes, his feet shuffling restlessly as he prepares to stand. "wait a sec... i hear... i think i hear a helicopter," he says, his voice low and uncertain. the group's attention snaps to where cheongsan is looking, their faces filled with disbelief. "what?" suhyeok asks, incredulous. but then, you hear it too - the unmistakable whir of rotor blades. "holy shit, there is one," you exclaim, wincing as you stand up, your sore arm protesting the movement.

a massive black helicopter thunders over the vast river encircling the school, its rotors churning the air as it hurtles closer and closer. cheongsan's voice rings out, urgent and clear: "fire! use the fire!" the group springs into action, scrambling to gather pieces of wood to signal the helicopter. anxiety and relief swirl together in a dizzying mix as they frantically wave their makeshift torches.

as the helicopter bears down on them, its intentions unclear, you whisper a fervent prayer: "oh, thank you god." with your uninjured arm, you wave wildly, hoping against hope that they'll be seen, that help will finally arrive. the helicopter's roar grows louder, its shadow looming larger, and it seems to be heading straight for them - a behemoth of metal and wire, bringing with it the promise of rescue.

in an instant, the helicopter's spotlight slashes through the darkness, bathing the rooftop in a blinding glare. everyone shields their eyes, momentarily disoriented by the intense light. as the helicopter draws closer, the wind whips up, sending hair flying and eyes squinting against the gale. thankfully, it hovers above the roof, its spotlight still fixed on the group.

you turn to check on namra, only to see her clutching her ears and wincing in pain. a jolt of fear hits you - they might discover her secret, her bite. you rush to warn her, but your words are lost in the chaos. the group is shouting, hands raised in defense, as two men in black military gear emerge from the helicopter, guns trained on the rooftop. confusion etches your face as you freeze, unsure of what's happening. before you can react, two more men descend from the helicopter, their movements swift and synchronized. and then, without warning, the helicopter banks away, leaving the group stunned and vulnerable, surrounded by armed men in black.

"wait..." you trail off, turning to face the four men who tower over you, their eyes burning with an air of command. their guns are poised, fingers hovering over triggers, ready to unleash a deadly storm at a moment's notice. "sir, can you help us?" daesu ventures, his voice barely above a whisper, but it's met with a curt, stern response: "get on the ground! now!" the group exchanges startled glances, uncertainty etched on every face. then, slowly, they begin to lower themselves to the ground, their movements hesitant and fearful. the men in black loom over them, their guns unwavering, as the rooftop seems to shrink, becoming a tiny, precarious stage in a high-stakes drama.

you cautiously lay down, careful not to exacerbate your injured arm, keeping it at your side while resting the other beside your head. fear of further damage holds you back from moving it. the man's voice cuts through the tension, his words sparse and clipped: "high school roof. 10 survivors confirmed." it's clear he's reporting to someone, following orders from an unseen presence. your gaze drifts to the man beside him, who produces a device and begins scanning hroryeong's head. "checking for temperatures now," he announces, his voice directed at the walkie-talkie in his hand. a shiver runs down your spine as you wonder what they're searching for. you glance to your left, where namra lies beside you, her eyes wide with fear. you try to whisper to her, but suhyeok's urgent voice on your right side drowns out your words, calling your name with a mix of desperation and concern.

you turn to suhyeok, "what is it?" you ask, sensing the urgency in his voice. his nervous gaze locks onto yours, "the helicopter left. i don't think they're here to save us..." he trails off, his words laced with a growing unease.

your attention snaps back to the men, who are methodically working their way down the line, their devices at the ready. a spark of desperation ignites within you. "grab something," you whisper to suhyeok, your eyes scanning the rooftop for anything that can be used as a weapon. suhyeok's bewildered expression makes you realize the recklessness of your plan, but you press on, your voice barely audible. "if they find out about namra, they'll kill her. if he tries anything, i'll jump on him and you hit the guy next to you, put him in a choke hold." but suhyeok's incredulous reaction cuts you off, his lips curling in disgust. "what the...y/n, listen to me. these guys are trained and have guns. you wanna just die off a stupid plan?" he hisses, anger and fear warring in his voice.

you ignore suhyeok's protest, your focus fixed on namra, who's now the next in line for the device-wielding man. your heart races, anticipating the worst.

"do me first," you blurt out, trying to divert attention from namra. the man pauses, his gaze narrowing as he takes in your awkward demeanor. "i'm just... really cold, right now," you stutter, "so i just need you to... uh, know that." your words trail off as the group's eyes flicker towards you, their expressions a mix of confusion and suspicion. it's clear you're trying to cover for namra, but your excuse falls flat.

the man's response is curt and unyielding: "we will reach everyone and take their temperatures accordingly." he turns back to namra, the device poised over her forehead. you silently curse, your mind racing for a solution. your gaze darts around the rooftop, desperate for anything that can be used as a weapon. your eyes land on a piece of metal near your feet, and you slowly extend your toe, trying to hook it and drag it towards you. but the metal scrapes against the rooftop, the sound echoing through the tense silence.

it's too late, the man's voice cuts through the air, "below average temperature. providing a warming blanket." he says matter-of-factly, as the guy beside suhyeok hands over a tinfoil-like fabric, wrapping it around namra's shivering form. you exhale a silent sigh of relief, grateful for the distraction.

then, it's your turn. the man takes your temperature, and you wait anxiously for the beep. when it sounds, he reads the result, his expression unreadable. "higher than average temperature," he announces, his words sparking confusion. suhyeok's voice rises in concern, "what?" but the man's gaze remains fixed on you, his silence unnerving.

your breathing quickens as he exchanges a weighted glance with his partner, then looks at the smoldering fire. his eyes narrow, as if piecing together a puzzle. "one was sitting too close to the fire, should reach average temperature in an hour," he states, his voice detached. "one has hypothermia, and the rest are normal." with that, he rises from his kneeling position, and all four men retreat to the other side of the roof, leaving you with more questions than answers.

"we'll rescue after the mission is complete, over," the man's voice crackles through the walkie-talkie, his words laced with a sense of detachment. you feel the weight of suhyeok's gaze upon you, and turn to meet his intense stare. "what?" you ask, a hint of defiance creeping into your tone. suhyeok shakes his head, his eyes clouding with a mix of emotions, before he looks away. you sense a deep understanding in his silence, and whisper, "if i was bitten, i know namra would've done the same for me." your words hang in the air, a testament to the bonds of friendship forged in crisis. as you glance upwards, you notice the military men watching you, their expressions unreadable. "you can get up now," the man says, his voice firm but detached. "are you all the only survivors?" he asks, his gaze sweeping the group. cheongsan hesitates before responding, "we don't know."

you take a deep breath, pointing towards the building you last saw the kids in. "i think i saw a group of kids heading that way," you speak up, your voice laced with a mix of hope and trepidation. "but, i'm not sure if they're still..." your words trail off, the unspoken fear hanging in the air like a challenge. the military men seem to understand the unspoken implications, their faces set in determined lines.

jimin steps forward, her voice trembling with urgency, "will you rescue us?" she asks, her eyes pleading for reassurance. the men nod in unison, their faces set in determined lines. "we will," one of them confirms, his voice firm and calm. "so stay here and wait, don't go anywhere," he instructs, his gaze sweeping the group. a collective sigh of relief ripples through the survivors, their tense shoulders easing slightly.

the four men then move with purpose towards the edge of the roof, their movements swift and synchronized. they begin anchoring themselves with thin black ropes, securing them to the rooftop with sturdy knots. the helicopter, now a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky, hovers above, its spotlight casting an intense beam downwards. the men clip themselves to the rope, their harnesses glinting in the light, before beginning their descent into the darkness below.

as they rappel down into one of the classrooms, the silence on the rooftop grows thicker, punctuated only by the creaking of the ropes and the distant hum of the helicopter. you all wait in uncertainty, unsure of what to do next, your eyes fixed on the spot where the men disappeared into the darkness. the minutes tick by, each one stretching out like an eternity, as you wonder what lies ahead.

the silence is oppressive, punctuated only by the occasional creak of the ropes or the distant hum of the helicopter. you shift your weight, trying to ease the tension in your muscles. namra, still wrapped in the warming blanket, catches your eye, her gaze questioning. you try to reassure her with a nod, but your own doubts linger.

suddenly, the rope attached to the roof jerks, and the sound of muffled voices drifts up from below. the men are communicating with each other, their words indistinguishable but their tone urgent. the rope jerks again, and a figure begins to ascend, hand over hand, towards the rooftop. as the figure emerges into the light, you see it's one of the military men, his face set in a grim expression. he reaches the rooftop and unclips himself from the rope, his eyes scanning the group before locking onto the man in charge. "sir, we've found something," he says, his voice low and serious. "you need to see this."

you look to suhyeok curiously, wondering what the military man could have found that's so urgent. suhyeok's eyes are fixed on the man, his expression unreadable. you nudge him with your elbow, trying to get his attention. he turns to you, his eyes narrowing slightly as he raises an eyebrow.

"what?" he mouths silently, his gaze flicking back to the military man. you shrug, equally puzzled. "i dont know," you whisper back, your eyes locked on the scene unfolding before you. the military man is now speaking in hushed tones to his superior, their conversation intense and serious. the rest of the group is watching, their faces filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. suddenly, the superior nods, his expression grim. "alright, let's move out," he says, his voice firm. "we need to get out of here, now." the group exchanges nervous glances, unsure of what's happening or where they're going. suhyeok turns to you, his eyes questioning. "what's going on?" he mouths again. you shake your head, just as unsure. "no idea," you whisper back, "but it can't be good."

the helicopter's rotors grow louder, whipping up a frenzy of wind as it descends closer to the rooftop. the military men spring into action, their movements swift and precise. they rush towards jimin, quickly hooking her up to a harness attached to a winch cable. "what's happening?" jimin asks, her voice laced with fear, as they secure her in place. "we need to get you out of here, now," one of the men responds, his voice firm but reassuring. suhyeok steps forward, his eyes wide with concern. "wait, what about the rest of us?"

the superior turns to him, his expression grim. "we'll get to you, but we need to do it one at a time." the winch cable starts to retract, pulling jimin towards the helicopter. she looks back at the group, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and happiness.

the military men swiftly move to hroryeong, hooking him up to another harness. namra stands frozen, her eyes fixed on the spot where jimin disappeared into the helicopter. you quickly move to her side, standing close to shield her from the military men's attention. you gently take her arm, trying to reassure her without drawing attention. namra's eyes flicker to yours, her gaze filled with fear and uncertainty. you try to offer a comforting smile, but your own anxiety betrays you. as the men finish securing hroryeong, they start to move towards cheongsan. you subtly position yourself to block namra from view, trying to make her blend in with the group. you close your ears, pretending to be affected by the helicopter's noise, hoping to deflect attention from namra's condition. the military men seem to be moving with a sense of urgency, their actions swift and efficient. you wonder what they've found, and why they're prioritizing some of you over others. the uncertainty hangs in the air like a challenge, making your heart race with anticipation.

as suddenly as it started, the military men halt their operations, their movements abrupt and unexplained. they quickly pull jimin back down onto the rooftop, removing the harness and wires from hroryeong. the group exchanges confused glances, unsure of what's happening. "what's going on?" wujin asks, his voice laced with frustration. "why did you stop?"

the military men seem just as perplexed, their faces etched with concern. they confer with each other in hushed tones, their words indistinguishable. the superior turns to the group, his expression grim. "we've received new orders," he announces, his voice firm. "the extraction is aborted. we need to secure the perimeter." the group looks around, bewildered, as the military men swiftly move to form a defensive position around the rooftop. it's clear something has gone terribly wrong, but no one knows what.

namra tugs on your arm, her eyes wide with fear. "what's happening?" she whispers. you shake your head, just as confused. "i don't know," you reply, trying to reassure her. "but we need to stay close." as the military men take up positions, their guns at the ready, the group huddles together, unsure of what's coming next. the silence is oppressive, punctuated only by the distant hum of the helicopter, now hovering ominously above the rooftop.

cheongsan steps forward, his voice laced with desperation. "aren't you gonna save us?" he asks, his eyes pleading with the military man. the man's expression remains grim, his gaze fixed on some point beyond the rooftop. "don't move," he barks, his voice firm and commanding. the group exchanges nervous glances, unsure of what's happening. suhyeok takes a step forward, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "hey, what's going on? why can't we leave?"

the man's eyes flicker to suhyeok, his expression unyielding. "i said don't move," he repeats, his hand on his gun. namra tugs on your arm again, her voice barely audible. "what's happening?" you try to reassure her, but your own fear is rising. something's gone wrong, and the military men seem to be preparing for a threat. but what? the silence stretches out, oppressive and heavy, as the group waits with bated breath for some sign of what's to come. the helicopter's hum grows louder, and the wind picks up, whipping hair into a frenzy.

one by one, the military men turn and make their way back to the helicopter, their faces set in grim determination. the group watches in horror as they depart, leaving them stranded on the rooftop. "wait, don't leave us!" joonyeong screams, his voice cracking with desperation. "please, you can't leave us here!" onjo begs, her eyes welling up with tears.

the military men don't look back, their faces resolute. they climb aboard the helicopter, which lifts off into the night sky, leaving the group behind. the rooftop erupts into chaos as everyone starts crying and begging for the military men to return. namra collapses to the ground, her body wracked with sobs. you try to comfort her, but your own tears are flowing freely. "why did they leave us?" hroryeong wails, his voice echoing across the rooftop.

"we're going to die here," jimin moans, her eyes streaming with tears. the group's despair is palpable, their cries and screams filling the night air as they realize they've been abandoned. the helicopter's lights fade into the distance, leaving them alone and vulnerable on the rooftop.

your tears fall freely, but your anger and frustration boil over, and you start pushing the tower of random chairs on the roof. they crash to the ground, the sound echoing through the night air. "you fucking cowards!" you shout, your voice hoarse with emotion. you point at the helicopter, now a tiny speck in the distance. "how could you leave us here?" you scream, your anger and betrayal pouring out. "we trusted you!"

namra looks up at you, her eyes wide with fear. "stop," she whispers. "please stop." but you can't stop. you're consumed by rage and hurt. you kick at the chairs, sending them scattering across the rooftop. "we're going to die here because of you!" you shout at the helicopter, as if the people on board can still hear you. the others watch in shock as you vent your anger. some of them start to cry, while others look away, unable to bear the sight of your despair.

as you finally exhaust yourself, you slump to the ground, surrounded by the scattered chairs. your body shakes with sobs, and your eyes burn from crying. the rooftop is silent, except for the sound of your ragged breathing and the distant hum of the helicopter, now almost out of sight.

you feel a hand on your shoulder, and you turn to see namra looking at you with concern. "it's okay," she whispers. "someone will come back." you groan with your hand gripping your own hair for dear life, “no ones coming back..”

[justice4gyeongsu]

━━━ 'CHAPTER NINE' [WHEN DAWN BREAKS]

SYNOPSIS ➢ music and forgiveness dont really go hand in hand as you'd expect.

PAIRING ➢ lee suhyeok x male!reader

AU ➢ enemies-to-lovers au!

CONTENT WARNING ➢ this chapter contains; flashbacks, near death experience, alot of angst, mentions of bullying, depression, some fluff, mentions of puking, reoccuring ptsd, exclusion, mentions of gore, blood, cannibalism [let me know if i missed any!]

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determination had fueled their attempt to break into the 'instrument room', but now, defeat settled in. daesu slumped against the unyielding door, his breath escaping in a frustrated sigh. "shit, it's no use." joonyeong's voice broke the silence, his stomach growling in protest. "i'm starving," he said, dropping into the chair beside daesu. the two groups sat in a face-off, a circle of chairs on either side of the room. namra positioned herself by the doors, ever vigilant, with suhyeok at her side. earlier, she had given him permission to intervene if necessary, but a reassuring word from you had eased her concerns. for now, everything was settling.

you crouched down, your eyes scanned the drawers beneath the chalkboard, searching for anything of value. your stomach growled, a gentle reminder of your hunger. you hoped to stumble upon something edible, but the first drawer revealed only a knotted mess of wires and extra outlet boxes. undeterred, you methodically explored each drawer, your fingers tracing the contours of the tangled cords, your mind focused on the task at hand. the silence was punctuated only by the soft creak of the drawers as you opened and closed them, your search fueled by a glimmer of hope.

suhyeok's gaze lingered on you, his eyes fixed from a short distance away. positioned strategically, he was close enough to offer assistance if needed, yet also within reach of namra, ready to intervene if the situation took a turn. his thoughts, however, drifted to a different time and place - the school hallways, where you had once been a fleeting presence, a whisper of a person, barely perceptible. your quiet nature had allowed you to blend into the shadows, your existence slowly fading from notice. but now, suhyeok's mind was consumed by the weight of a shared past, a dreadful day that had left an indelible mark. he couldn't help but wonder how he would ever find the courage to face you again, to reconcile the ghosts of your shared history.

as you took the smooth wires from the drawer, your gaze drifted to the right, drawn to namra's fixed stare on the door beside her. her intensity was noticeable, and you felt an inexplicable pang of unease. your eyes darted back to the wires, then returned to namra, your mind weighing a suggestion that instantly felt wrong. something about it seemed cruel, inhumane. sensing her awareness of your gaze, you quickly looked away, feeling a flush rise to your cheeks. instead, you tucked the wire into your pants pocket, thinking it might prove useful someday. the gesture was a distraction from the uncomfortable moment, a way to shift your focus away from the unspoken tension.

as you rummaged through the adjacent cupboard, a treasure trove of guitar picks and sheet music lay before you, a seemingly endless supply. suddenly, a presence materialized beside you, and you turned to find suhyeok squatting next to you, his arms crossed over his knees. his face was a mask of solemnity, his gaze piercing as he looked at you. for a moment, you locked eyes with him, drowning in the depths of his dark caramel irises. then, you broke away, your focus returning to the cupboard's contents as you continued to dig through the clutter, the silence between you thick with unspoken emotions.

suhyeok's eyes remained fixed on yours, his gaze burning with an unspoken desire to connect, to bridge the gap that had grown between you. he wanted to talk to you, to ask how you were, to know what you were thinking, but the words caught in his throat like dry leaves. his mind was a jumble of emotions, a tangled web of regret, concern, and longing. he shifted his weight, his eyes darting to the floor, then back to yours, searching for a spark, a hint of what to say. the silence stretched out, a canvas waiting to be filled with words, but suhyeok's brush remained poised, unsure of where to begin. he cleared his throat, a faint sound, a prelude to speech, but still, the words wouldn't come, frozen in his chest like winter's snow.

you pushed the cupboard door shut, the soft click echoing through the room, a punctuation mark to your fruitless search. standing up, you stretched your arms over your head, arching your back in a gentle stretch. as you turned to move on to the next cupboard, your path was blocked by suhyeok's crouched form. he remained frozen, his eyes still fixed on your prior form, his expression a mixture of longing and uncertainty. his position, though unintentional, was a physical manifestation of the emotional barrier between you. you hesitated, unsure of how to navigate this unexpected obstacle. suhyeok, sensing your pause, slowly rose to his feet, his movements slow but fluid. his eyes try to meet yours, his gaze a gentle plea for connection, for understanding. the air was thick with unspoken words, the silence, a breathing entity that pulsed with unease.

as suhyeok shifted out of the way, you continued your search, moving downwards to the next cupboard. the door creaked softly as you opened it, revealing a neatly stacked array of small boxes, each adorned with labels in precise handwriting. curiosity piqued, you began to remove the boxes one by one, placing them down beside you on either side, creating a small assembly line of mysterious containers. the labels read like an odd inventory: "winter songs", "forgotten songs", "popular melodies", and "drafts". the boxes themselves were brown, their lids closed with a tiny click. as you arranged them, the silence between you and suhyeok remained, but your focus on the task at hand created a sense of purpose, a distraction.

suhyeok squatted beside you once more, his movements quiet as he positioned himself closer than before. his eyes fixed on the boxes, and he began to pick them up one by one, examining their contents with an air of curiosity. you didn't acknowledge him, your focus still on the cupboard's depths, but you were aware of his proximity, his shoulder almost touching yours. as he delved into the boxes, a faint rustling sound filled the air, accompanied by the occasional soft whisper of surprise. meanwhile, your hand closed around something unexpected in the back of the drawer - a hammer, its handle worn, its head heavy with use. you pulled it out, the tool feeling solid in your grasp, a contrast to the delicate boxes and their mysterious contents. suhyeok's gaze remained fixed on the box in his hands, but you sensed his awareness of the hammer, his attention piqued by the unexpected discovery.

suhyeok's fingers unfolded the paper he found in the box labeled ‘drafts’, his eyes scanning the contents with a mix of curiosity and reverence. as he read, his expression transformed, a softness creeping into his features. the paper was a letter, but not just any letter - it was a song, the words dancing across the page in a harmony of apology and longing. music notes were scribbled in the margins, a melancholic melody that seemed to match the rhythm of suhyeok's heartbeat. his voice, barely above a whisper, began to recite the words, the lyrics pouring out like a gentle stream:

"in the silence, i hear your voice

a whispered sorrow, a heartfelt choice

to let go, to move on, to find

a way to heal, to leave the past behind"

as he read, the words seemed to take on a life of their own, filling the space between you with a sense of yearning. the apology was raw, honest, and beautiful, a poignant expression of regret and hope. suhyeok's eyes never left the paper, but you sensed his gaze reaching out to you, his heart speaking directly to yours. the hammer in your hand felt heavy, a tangible weight compared to the ethereal beauty of the song. the moment hung suspended, a delicate balance of emotions, as suhyeok's voice faded into the silence, leaving only the echoes of the apology.

you rose to your feet, your focus swiftly shifting away from suhyeok and the emotional intensity of the moment. the hammer, still clutched in your hand, seemed to grow heavier as you walked towards the desk, its surface a blur of wood and scattered papers. with a quiet thud, you placed the hammer down, the sound a punctuation mark to your deliberate dismissal of the tender moment. the desk's edge was cool beneath your fingertips, a stark contrast to the warmth of suhyeok's words, still lingering in the air like a gentle breeze. you didn't look back, your gaze fixed on some invisible point beyond the desk, as if willing yourself to move forward, to leave the vulnerability of the moment behind.

as you stood there, lost in thought, your gaze drifted upward, and you noticed jimin sitting in a corner of the room, her eyes fixed on a small video camera she had discovered. the camera's lens was pointed at her face, and she was speaking in a soft, introspective tone, as if sharing secrets with an old friend. her words were directed at the camera, but they seemed to be meant for whoever might find the video in the future. "to whoever is watching this," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "i hope you're doing okay. i hope you're finding what you're looking for." she paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "i'm leaving this here in case...in case things don't work out. in case i'm not around to explain myself." her eyes dropped, her gaze falling to the floor as she struggled to find the right words. "i just want you to know that i tried. i tried to make things right, to fix what was broken." the camera captured every nuance of her expression, every tremble of her lip, as she spoke from the heart. you watched, transfixed, as jimin's words hung in the air, a message in a bottle, cast into the unknown.

jimin's eyes flashed with a hint of determination, her voice taking on a slightly harder edge as she continued speaking to the camera. "if you're watching this, and you're one of those who left us here...who abandoned us without looking back..." her words trailed off, as if she was collecting her thoughts, choosing them carefully. "i want you to know that i remember. we all remember. and i hope...i hope that someday, somehow, you'll face the consequences of what you did." her gaze seemed to bore into the lens, as if she could see the faces of those who had wronged her and the others. "punish them," she whispered, her voice dripping with a quiet intensity. "punish them for leaving us to rot in this place. punish them for not coming back for us." the camera captured the raw emotion on her face, the pain and the anger, as she spoke words that seemed to be torn from the very depths of her soul.

while jimin's words faded away, hroryeong gently took the video camera from her hand, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. she turned the camera towards herself, the lens focusing on her face as she began to speak in a soft, trembling voice. "mom...dad..." she whispered, as if the camera was a portal to the past, a way to reach the parents she had lost. "i'm sorry...i'm so sorry..." tears began to well up in her eyes, her voice cracking with emotion as she spoke to the camera as if it were her parents. "i remember the way you used to smile at me...the way you used to hold my hand. i remember everything." her gaze dropped, her eyes fixed on some point beyond the camera, lost in memories. "i wish you were here...i wish you could see me now. i wish you could tell me everything is going to be okay." the camera captured every tear, every quiver of her lip, as hroryeong poured out her heart to the absent parents, her words a poignant expression of love, loss, and longing.

you couldn't bear to watch anymore, the emotions raw and overwhelming. you turned away from the group, your gaze falling upon the last drawer, still unopened. your hand reached out, almost mechanically, and pulled it open. the contents were shrouded in darkness, a mystery waiting to be uncovered. as you peered into the drawer, the sounds of the group's confessions, their last words to the world, faded into the background. you felt a sense of detachment, as if you were observing yourself from afar, going through the motions. the drawer's interior revealed a blank empty cupboard. staring at it in defeat, you sigh and stand up with a small curse, “shit.”

you stood there, lost in thought, until suhyeok approached you once more, his footsteps quiet on the dusty floor. he stood beside you, his eyes fixed on the empty drawer, before turning to face you. his gaze was soft, his voice barely above a whisper, as he finally spoke to you. "i'm sorry," he said, his words simple, yet profound. "i'm sorry for not being able to save you." his eyes searched yours, as if seeking forgiveness, understanding. the air between you seemed to vibrate with tension, the weight of unspoken emotions, as suhyeok's words hung in the balance, waiting for your response.

suhyeok's voice cut through the silence, his words a gentle plea. "i need you to understand," he said, his tone soft, yet urgent. "i know i made a mistake. i know i let you down." he took a step forward, his eyes locked on yours, searching for a glimmer of forgiveness. "i was scared, ...but that's no excuse." his voice cracked, a hint of emotion seeping through. you scoff, “you were scared, huh?” you look away. "i should have been stronger, i should have been there for you." he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "i know i can't undo what's been done...but i need you to know that i regret it. i regret not being able to protect you." his words hung in the air, a heartfelt confession, a desperate attempt to bridge the gap between you. the silence that followed was heavy with tension, as if the very fate of your relationship hung in the balance, waiting for your response.

you shook your head, a slow, deliberate motion, as if trying to clear the words from your mind. "stop," you said, your voice firm, but barely above a whisper. "just stop." you raised a hand, a clear gesture of dismissal, as if trying to physically push the words away. "i can't forgive you," you said, the words tumbling out, a harsh truth. "i don't know if i ever can." suhyeok's face fell, his eyes dropping to the floor, as if the weight of your words was crushing him. "look its..," he whispered, but you cut him off. "stop talking," you said, your voice rising, a hint of anger creeping in. "just stop. i don't want to hear it." the silence that followed was oppressive, a heavy blanket that suffocated the room, leaving only the echoes of your words, a stark reminder of the chasm between you.

as you and suhyeok stood there, locked in a tense moment, neither of you noticed namra staring by the doorway, watching you both with an intent gaze. she was a silent witness to the emotional exchange, her expression unreadable. you and suhyeok were too caught up in your own emotions to notice her looking there, frozen in silence.

onjo appeared beside you, her gentle smile a stark contrast to the tension that had filled the room just moments before. she held out the camcorder, its lens still warm from onjo’s earlier confession. "here," she said softly, her eyes locked on yours. "i think it's your turn." her voice was a gentle invitation, a nod to the unspoken understanding that each of you had a story to tell, a truth to reveal. the camcorder seemed to hover in mid-air, a symbol of the trust and vulnerability that had been shared among you. you felt a sense of trepidation, a hesitation to bare your soul, but onjo's gentle smile reassured you, encouraged you to take the next step. the camera seemed to wait, patiently, for your story, your truth.

you sat next to the open window, the warm sunlight spilling in, casting a gentle glow on the room. the camcorder felt heavy in your hands, its weight a reminder of the responsibility that came with sharing your truth. you fiddled with the camera, your mind racing with thoughts of what to say, or if you should say anything at all. the silence was oppressive, a physical presence that pressed upon your skin, making your heart feel heavy. you looked out the window, watching as the sunlight danced through the leaves of the trees, wondering if you had the courage to reveal your own story. the others had shared their truths, their confessions, their regrets...but could you do the same? the camera seemed to stare back at you, its lens a constant reminder that this was your moment, your chance to speak. but the words wouldn't come, and you were left sitting there, frozen in uncertainty.

you took a deep breath, your finger hovering over the record button. you glanced around the room, ensuring no one was watching, before pressing the button and holding the camera up to your face. your voice was barely above a whisper as you began to speak. "hello, to whoever finds this. you may not know me, my name is..." you paused, a slight hesitation before continuing. "y/n l/n." the words felt strange on your lips, a formal introduction to an unknown audience. you took another deep breath, your eyes drifting out the window as you continued. "i'm not sure where to start, or what to say. i'm not even sure why i'm doing this." the camera's lens seemed to bore into your soul, as if urging you to reveal more. you hesitated, your thoughts racing, before finding the courage to continue. "i guess i just want to leave something behind, something true." the words felt fragile, vulnerable, but you pressed on, the camera's gentle hum a reminder that you were sharing your story, your truth.

your voice remained soft, but a hint of vulnerability crept in as you continued. "i'm the son of a mother who suddenly vanished..who couldn't bare to live the life that she had. i barely have any memories of her." the words felt like a confession, a revelation of a pain you'd long carried. "i remember pieces of her...a smile, a laugh, a warm embrace...but they're fading, like a dream i can't hold onto." you paused, collecting your thoughts before speaking again. "and i'm the son of a father who was consumed by debt...who thought staying down was needed to survive." a hint of bitterness seeped into your tone, a resentment towards the circumstances that had shaped your life. "he just let it happen, let them take everything from us." your eyes dropped, as if the weight of those memories was too much to bear. "i grew up with nothing...no stability, no security...just a constant sense of uncertainty." the camera's lens seemed to hold your gaze, as if urging you to confront the pain head-on. you took a deep breath, the words still flowing, like a river finally undammed.

your voice cracked slightly as you continued, the memories still raw. "i was a victim of bullies...relentless, merciless...they saw my weakness and pounced." your eyes flashed with a hint of defiance. "but i fought back...many times...i refused to stay a victim." despite the bravado, your tone betrayed a hint of sadness. "but it didn't matter...i was still an outcast...still alone." the words hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the pain and isolation you'd endured. "i tried to fit in...to be like them...but i couldn't...i wouldn't." your gaze dropped, as if the shame of those memories still lingered. "i was a ghost in my own life...invisible, insignificant...." the camera's lens seemed to hold your gaze, a silent witness to the anguish you'd faced. you took a deep breath, the words still flowing, a cathartic release of the pain and hurt.

"no one will help you but yourself," you said, a fierce determination etched in your voice. "i'm the only one who showed up for me every single day that i woke up...i was there for me when i felt like this life was no longer worth living." your eyes shone with a quiet strength. "i was my own savior, my own caretaker...i learned to love myself, even when the ones i wanted couldn't." a hint of sorrow lingered, but it was tempered by a sense of triumph. "i learned to fight for myself, to the very end...to hold on to hope, even when it seemed like a distant dream." your gaze locked onto the camera, a fierce intensity burning within. "i am my own hero, my own refuge...i will not wait for someone else to save me, because i know that i am enough." the words hung in the air, a powerful declaration of self-love and resilience. "i will fight for myself, every day...and i will love myself, even if it's the only love i ever know."

a single tear fell, rolling down your cheek as you spoke, your voice trembling with emotion. "i will never be a victim again," you whispered, the words a solemn vow. "even before this outbreak, i was a survivor..” you trail off, “and i will continue to be for the ones that couldn't be.” you slowly reached out and pressed the stop button on the camera, the recording coming to an end. your gaze lingered on the device for a moment, as if ensuring the words were truly captured. then, with a solemn expression, you turned away from the camera and looked out the window. the sunlight streaming in seemed to fade into the background as your eyes drifted off, lost in thought. your face reflected a mix of emotions - determination, sadness, and a hint of hope.

you felt a gentle touch on your shoulder, a soft pressure that seemed to convey a sense of understanding. you knew it was namra without looking, recognizing the thin, long fingers that rested on your shoulder. you didn't turn to face her, instead, you simply raised the camera, offering it to her. the hand on your shoulder hesitated for a moment before namra slowly took the camera from you. her fingers brushed against yours, a fleeting touch that seemed to convey a sense of solidarity. without a word, namra turned and walked back to her chair by the classroom doors, the camera clutched in her hand. you watched her go, still gazing out the window, lost in thought. the silence between you was palpable, yet somehow, it felt less heavy, as if sharing your story had created a sense of connection, a sense of understanding. namra's presence seemed to linger, even as she returned to her seat, a quiet witness to the emotions that still swirled within you.

suhyeok's gaze lingered on your tired figure, his eyes filled with concern. he seemed to debate whether to walk over to you again, to offer some semblance of comfort. he couldn't hear anything you said to the camera which made him curious. but before he could make a move, namra's sudden action caught his attention. she quickly walked towards the long red curtains that kept out the zombies, her movements swift and purposeful. suhyeok's curiosity got the better of him, and he followed her, his footsteps quiet on the floor. as he approached, namra turned to him, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and urgency. "i can hear something," she whispered, her voice barely audible. suhyeok's brow furrowed, his head cocked to the side as he listened intently.

the others quickly got up from their seats, their faces filled with concern, and walked towards namra, who stood frozen by the curtains. onjo approached you, her brow furrowed with worry, and asked, "are you okay?" her voice broke through your reverie, and you turned to her, still trying to process what was happening. you stood up, your movements slow, and followed the others towards namra. as you approached, namra turned to the group, her eyes wide with alarm.

"i think i hear someone...puking," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. the group exchanged uneasy glances, their faces filled with a mix of fear and confusion. suhyeok took a step forward, his hand on the curtain, as if ready to pull it back. "what do you mean?" he asked, his voice low and cautious. namra's grip on the curtain tightened. "i don't know, it sounds like...retching, gagging..." the group fell silent, their ears straining to pick up the sound. but nothing occured.

namra's eyes darted around the room, her gaze sweeping across the space as if searching for something. her expression was tense, her brow furrowed in concern. "guys, i think we should leave," she said suddenly, her voice low and urgent. "this room feels...weird." she hesitated, as if trying to find the right words.

cheongsan halted, his hand on the door handle, and turned to face the group. "we can't just leave," he said, his voice firm. "we need to figure out what's going on." daesu groaned, throwing up his hands. "this is all because we didn't head to the roof when we had the chance...when the music was playing." onjo's eyes lit up with a sudden idea. "we do have music," she said, a sly smile spreading across her face. she turned to namra, who still clutched the camcorder. "namra, can you play back the recording?" namra looked confused, but onjo continued, her excitement growing. "we can use the music to lure them in...build a tall barricade and funnel them into a trap." the group stared at her, unsure of what to make of her plan.

onjo's voice was filled with determination as she outlined her plan. "once all of them come in through these doors," she said, pointing to the left doors, "we can make a run for the backdoors and head to the roof." her eyes locked onto yours, her gaze intense. "every infected person will be in the room on this floor...we have to make it to the roof once theyre all in." she paused, her chest heaving with excitement. "we can do it." you nodded, a surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins. the plan was risky, but it was their best chance of escape. suhyeok and daesu nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination. namra and cheongsan exchanged a nervous glance, but they too nodded, ready to put their trust in onjo's plan. with a deep breath, the group steeled themselves for what was to come. they knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were ready to fight for their survival.

with a sense of purpose, the group sprang into action, beginning to set up the barricade. suhyeok and daesu started dragging heavy tables and chairs towards the left doors, their faces straining with effort. namra and cheongsan worked together, piling up stacks of books and furniture to reinforce the barricade. onjo directed the operation, her eyes darting back and forth to ensure everything was in place. you joined in, helping to secure the barricade with ropes and weights. as you worked, the retching sounds grew louder, more insistent, and the group's sense of urgency increased. they knew they had to be ready before the infected broke through the doors. sweat dripped down your faces, and muscles ached, but no one complained. they were driven by a shared determination to survive. finally, the barricade was in place, a sturdy wall of furniture and debris blocking the left doors. onjo stepped back, her eyes scanning the barricade, a nod of satisfaction on her face. "it's ready," she said, her voice firm. "let's get into position." the group moved to the backdoors, their hearts racing with anticipation. they knew what was coming.

cheongsan volunteered to stay behind, his voice firm. "someone has to open the door on the other side to let them in." suhyeok hesitated for a moment before jumping back over to join him. "i'll go with you," he said, his eyes locked on cheongsan's. the two of them positioned themselves by the barricade, ready to open the doors and lure the zombies in.

meanwhile, you and horyeong worked together to secure the chairs with rope, your hands moving in tandem. "you're brave," horyeong said suddenly, her voice soft. your gaze dropped down to hers, your eyes questioning. "what did you say?" you asked, your voice low. horyeong's face flushed pink as she looked up at you, her eyes shining with sincerity. "you're brave...and i hope you know that." she finished tying the knot, her hands moving quickly. you blinked, your ears heating up with shock, as you processed her words. no one had ever called you brave before. you didn't know how to respond, your mind racing. “um, well-i-yeah-.. im..” you stammer. she only looks at you and laughs, “you're welcome.”

meanwhile, cheongsan and suhyeok were engaged in a hushed conversation, their voices barely audible over the creaking of the barricade. cheongsan's eyes narrowed, his expression puzzled. "what did you just say?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity. suhyeok's response was a low, throaty laugh, his eyes glinting with amusement. "i said i like someone else," he repeated, his smirk growing wider. "you don't need to worry about me and onjo. so treat her right, and not like a guy, moron." cheongsan's stare intensified, his gaze boring into suhyeok's. "who is it?" he pressed, his voice low and urgent. suhyeok's hesitated, his eyes darting towards you before snapping back to cheongsan. the same fear that had gripped him when myungwhan's arm had wrapped around his shoulders, while you were being assaulted, threatened to overwhelm him. he couldn't bring himself to say it, his voice caught in his throat. instead, he looked back at you, his gaze lingering on the glimpses of you he could see through the cracks between the chairs. "i'll tell you later," suhyeok said finally, his smile strained, his eyes betraying a mix of emotions.

suhyeok playfully elbowed cheongsan, gesturing for him to get back behind the barricade. "go, go!" he whispered urgently. cheongsan nodded and scurried back to safety. suhyeok took a deep breath, grasped the door handle, and slid it open. he didn't hesitate, dashing forward and using the wall to propel himself back behind the barricade. the zombies tumbled into the room, their feet tangling in the chairs set on the ground, causing them to trip and stumble. joonyeong, positioned by the camcorder, grinned mischievously as he pressed play. the loud music blared to life, echoing off the walls and drawing in more zombies. they shambled towards the sound, their moans growing louder, more insistent. the group held their breath as the zombies poured into the room, their numbers swelling. the barricade creaked and groaned under the pressure, but held firm. suhyeok landed hard on the floor, his chest heaving, and grinned at cheongsan. "that was close," he whispered. cheongsan nodded, his eyes fixed on the horde beyond the barricade. "too close."

the group strained against the barricade, their muscles trembling with effort, as the zombies pushed and clawed at the makeshift barrier. joonyeong, meanwhile, continued to turn up the volume, the music growing louder and more intense, drawing even more zombies into the room. onjo darted between the windows, peeking through the curtains to check the hallways. each time, she shook her head, her expression grim. "still too many out there," she whispered to suhyeok, who nodded curtly, his eyes fixed on the barricade. cheongsan, you, and daesu were pressed against the barrier, their faces set in determined lines, as they struggled to hold it in place. namra and horyeong were positioned at the edges, their eyes scanning the room for any signs of weakness. the zombies continued to pour in, their numbers seemingly endless, as the music reached a deafening crescendo. the barricade creaked and groaned, threatening to collapse at any moment, but the group held firm, their lives depending on it. onjo checked the windows again, her heart sinking as she saw the hallway was still filled with zombies. "we can't stay here," she whispered urgently. "we need to be louder, daesu!"

daesu's face turned red with rage as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "die zombies, fucking die!" his voice echoed off the walls, drowning out the music for a moment. the zombies, already frenzied, became even more agitated, their moans growing louder, more urgent. they pressed against the barricade with renewed strength, causing it to slide further towards daesu's side of the room. the group stumbled backward, their feet scraping against the floor as they struggled to maintain their position. the barricade creaked ominously, its stability precarious. "daesu, again!" onjo yelled, her voice panicked. "one more time!" daesu continued to shout, his voice hoarse, his eyes blazing with fury. the zombies kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless, as the barricade shrank, trapping the group in an increasingly smaller space.

the others, not holding the barricade, grabbed whatever instruments they could find - guitars, drums, maracas - and began playing them with reckless abandon. the loud sounds were ear-piercing, a chaotic mix of clashing notes and rhythms that grated on the nerves. namra was banging away on a drum set, her face contorted in a mixture of fear and determination. hroryeong was strumming a guitar with wild, slashing motions, the strings squealing in protest. joonyeong was shaking a pair of maracas with a frenzied intensity, the beads rattling out a maddening beat. the music was a far cry from the harmonious melodies they had played earlier, now it was a jarring, discordant noise designed to attract every zombie within earshot. and it worked. more and more zombies stumbled into the room, drawn by the cacophony, their eyes fixed on the group with a hungry gleam. the barricade creaked and groaned, the group's position becoming increasingly precarious. but they didn't stop playing, their faces set in grim determination, as they fought to survive.

your arm began to ache, a burning sensation spreading from your shoulder to your wrist, as you strained against the barricade. you gritted your teeth, pouring all your strength into holding it back. the zombies pushed and clawed, their relentless pressure threatening to overwhelm you. sweat dripped from your brow, stinging your eyes, as you dug deep, finding reserves of strength you didn't know you had. your legs trembled, your back screamed in protest, but you refused to yield. the barricade creaked, groaned, and shuddered, but you held firm, your arm a rigid bar of muscle and bone. the others played on, their music a wild, savage counterpoint to the zombies' moans, as they fought to keep the horde at bay. but you knew it couldn't last. the barricade was weakening, the zombies too numerous, too strong. you felt it slipping, inch by inch, the weight crushing down on you like a physical force. your vision blurred, your breath came in ragged gasps, but still you pushed, your arm screaming in agony, as the barricade teetered on the brink of collapse.

cheongsan's voice cut through the din, "wujin, now! we need to go, now!" but wujin, still gazing out the window, shook his head, his expression grim. "we can't go yet! not yet!" he shouted back, his voice laced with urgency. cheongsan's eyes widened in alarm, "what do you mean? we can't hold this much longer!" wujin's gaze remained fixed on something outside, his jaw clenched. "there's too many out there...we'll never make it...just a little longer, please!" the barricade shuddered, the zombies' pressure intensifying, as if sensing their prey's desperation. the group's cries of exertion grew louder, their faces contorted in effort, as they fought to maintain their position. suhyeok's eyes darted to wujin, then back to the barricade, his mind racing with the implications. "what's out there, wujin? what are you seeing?" but wujin just shook his head, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "just...hold...on..."

"it's gonna fall!" you shouted, your voice hoarse from exertion, as the barricade creaked ominously. you winced in pain, your shoulder aching despite using the other one to push. the strain was taking its toll on your body, but you refused to yield. everyone was fighting, pushing, and shoving, desperate to keep the zombies at bay. in the midst of the chaos, your gaze met suhyeok's, and for a fleeting moment, you locked eyes. it was as if time stood still, and all that existed was the two of you, connected in a shared struggle for survival. the eye contact seemed to inject new energy into your weary muscles, and you pushed harder, fueled by a renewed sense of determination. suhyeok's expression mirrored yours, his eyes burning with a fierce resolve. together, you fought on, your movements synchronized, as if driven by a single heartbeat. the barricade groaned, the zombies clawed, but you stood firm, united in your defiance. in that instant, you knew you could face anything, as long as you had each other.

"clear! we have to go now!" wujin yelled, his voice piercing the chaos, as he slid open the door to reveal an empty hallway. the sudden reprieve sparked a frantic scramble for escape. one by one, the group members abandoned their stations and sprinted towards the door. you glanced at daesu, who gestured urgently, "go already!" you nodded and took off, your heart racing, as you dashed towards the door. looking back, you saw cheongsan hesitating, then turning to run back to daesu. he grabbed daesu's arm, pulling him along, as they both sprinted towards the door. they were the last two to leave, and as they reached the threshold, the barricade behind them gave a final, ominous creak before collapsing under the crushing weight of the infected horde. the sound of shattering wood and screams filled the air, but you didn't look back. you kept running, your eyes fixed on wujin, who was leading the group down the hallway, their footsteps echoing off the walls. you knew you had to keep moving, to find a safe haven before the zombies overwhelmed you once more.

you ran side by side with joonyeong, your feet pounding the floor in unison, as you both stayed tucked in the middle of the group. the girls - namra, horyeong, jimin and onjo - flanked you, their faces set in determined lines, their breathing ragged. wujin and cheongsan led the charge, their long strides eating up the distance, as they navigated the twisting hallways. daesu and suhyeok brought up the rear, their eyes scanning the surroundings, ready to defend against any stragglers. you heaved, your lungs burning, as you struggled to keep pace. the group's formation was tight, a cohesive unit, as you all fought to escape the zombie-infested school. the hallways blurred together, a never-ending maze, but wujin's lead kept you moving forward. sudden turns and sharp corners made your stomach lurch, but joonyeong's presence beside you was a steady comfort. you glanced over, meeting his gaze, and saw a flicker of fear, quickly replaced by a determined glint. you nodded, and he nodded back, your bond forged in the heat of survival.

you all thundered up the first staircase you saw, your footsteps echoing off the walls. wujin led the charge, his eyes fixed on the top, as you ascended higher and higher. at each landing, you turned right, following a zigzagging path through the school's upper floors. your one-armed gait made balance a constant struggle, but joonyeong stayed glued to your side, offering a steadying hand whenever you stumbled. his support was a lifeline, helping you navigate the treacherous stairs without falling behind. the others pushed on, their breathing growing more labored with each floor. daesu and suhyeok still brought up the rear, their eyes scanning the stairs below, ready to defend against any zombies that might appear. as you climbed, the sounds of chaos and destruction grew fainter, replaced by the creaking of the old school's wooden framework and the group's ragged gasps. finally, you reached the top floor, the stairs ending at a door marked "roof access".

the door to the roof access loomed before you, its metal surface gleaming in the dim light. wujin grasped the handle, pushing and pulling with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. cheongsan joined him, their combined strength straining against the unyielding door. but it remained stubbornly shut, the lock unyielding. the group's collective anxiety grew, their impatient whispers and shifting feet echoing through the corridor. "come on, come on!" daesu urged, his voice low and urgent. "we can't stay here!" suhyeok added, his eyes scanning the stairs below, as if expecting a zombie horde to appear at any moment. joonyeong stayed close to you, her hand on your arm, her gaze fixed on the door. "what's wrong?" namra asked, her voice trembling. "why won't it open?" wujin stepped back, his face grimy with sweat, and examined the lock.

daesu, frustration etched on his face, growled, "move!" and positioned himself before the door. he took a few steps back, then launched himself at the door, shoulder first. the impact was loud, but the door held firm, barely budging. daesu recoiled, wincing in pain, his shoulder likely bruised. cheongsan, meanwhile, had moved to the side, where a keypad was mounted. he studied it for a moment, then began entering a password. the keypad beeped, and a flashing red light signaled "incorrect". cheongsan's face contorted in anger, he punched the keypad with a curse, "come on, shit!" the group's anxiety spiked, their eyes darting between the door, the keypad, and the stairs below, where the zombies could appear at any moment. "try again!" wujin urged, his voice low and urgent. cheongsan's fingers flew across the keypad, entering another sequence. the beep sounded once more, followed by the same flashing red light. "no, no, no!" cheongsan shouted, his fist clenched in frustration. hroryeong’s grip on your arm tightened, her eyes wide with fear. "what if we can't get out?" she whispered.

joonyeong pushed daesu aside and began pounding on the door, his fists making loud thuds. "is anyone there? anyone?" he shouted, his voice hoarse from screaming. he banged the door again, desperation etched on his face. you remembered the hammer in your pocket, the one you'd saved from the music room. "joonyeong!" you called out, tossing him the hammer. he caught it mid-air, his eyes flashing with determination. she began hammering the metal door handles, trying to break them off. the clangs echoed through the corridor, accompanied by joonyeong's grunts of effort. you glanced down the staircase, still seeing no signs of zombies. but you knew that could change any moment.

namra's eyes locked onto yours, her expression grim. "they're coming, a bunch of them," she whispered, her head cocked to the side, as if listening to a distant sound. you strained your ears, but heard nothing. yet, you trusted namra's instincts over your own. you hurried to cheongsan, who was still trying to hack the keypad. "cheongsan, namra says a horde is coming," you warned him.

he nodded curtly, not looking up, and motioned to suhyeok. the two of them positioned themselves at the top of the staircase, eyes fixed on the floor below, waiting for any zombies to emerge. meanwhile, joonyeong continued to hammer at the door handles, but soon groaned, his hand hurting from the reverberation. wujin took over, his face set in determination, and continued to strike the same handle. slowly but surely, it began to loosen, the metal creaking in protest. a faint crack appeared in the door, and you knew they were making progress. the sound of wujin's hammering echoed through the corridor, a rhythmic clang that seemed to match the pounding of your heart. suddenly, suhyeok's voice cut through the din, "wait, do you hear that?" he whispered, his eyes fixed on the staircase below.

the sound of zombies crawling and tripping up the staircase grew louder, their moans and snarls filling the air. suhyeok and cheongsan stood firm, using a thick wooden art placer and a metal tripod to push back against the horde. the wooden placard cracked and splintered, but held firm, as they desperately tried to hold off the zombies. "fuck, it's not opening?" you cursed, glancing back at wujin, who shook his head, his face grim. the hammering had stopped, and the crack in the door seemed to have reached a plateau. panic began to set in, as the reality of your situation sank in. you were trapped, with no clear escape route. the zombies would soon overwhelm suhyeok and cheongsan, and then you'd all be doomed. jimin’s eyes met yours, wide with fear, as she whispered, "what do we do?" namra's voice trembled, "we can't stay here..." horyeong and onjo clung to each other, their faces pale. the group's cohesion began to fray, as desperation took hold. wujin's gaze darted around, searching for an alternative, but there was none. you were running out of time, and options.

namra tapped you on the shoulder, her eyes locked on yours, and pointed to a huge blue tarp next to her. you quickly grabbed it, understanding her plan. "everyone, help!" namra shouted, as she began to unfold the tarp. "we need to cover the balcony, block the zombies from coming up!" the group sprang into action, grabbing the tarp's edges and rushing to the balcony. you heaved the tarp over the railing, and the others helped to spread it out, covering the stairs below. the zombies, undeterred, continued to climb, but the tarp blocked their ascent, trapping them below. the group breathed a collective sigh of relief, but knew it was only a temporary solution. the tarp wouldn't hold forever, and you still needed to find a way out. wujin turned back to the door, hammer in hand, and resumed his efforts to break through. joonyeong joined him, and together they hammered away, trying to widen the crack. suhyeok and cheongsan stood guard, ready to defend against any zombies that might breach the tarp. you looked around, assessing your situation, and knew you had to keep moving. the roof was still your best bet, but you needed to get through that door.

just as you thought the tarp would hold, a figure emerged from behind it. gwinam, his eye bloody and swollen, walked calmly past the zombies, who didn't even flinch in his presence. his gaze was fixed on the group, and his expression sent shivers down your spine. it was almost...evil. the group exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to make of gwinam's sudden appearance.

gwinam's evil smile fixed on cheongsan, who stood frozen, tripod still clutched in his hand. cheongsan, trying to protect himself, swung the tripod at gwinam, but it was like hitting a brick wall. gwinam didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge the blow. your mind racing, memories of gwinam's torture in school came flooding back. you were that terrified kid again, unable to move or escape. onjo's shout broke the spell, "keep holding the tarp!" you snapped back to reality, but your body trembled with fear. gwinam's grip on cheongsan tightened, his smile growing wider. "give me your eye, yeah?" his words made your blood run cold. namra, however, sprang into action. with a strength that belied her slender frame, she grabbed gwinam by the throat, holding him over the ledge. gwinam's eyes widened in surprise, his grip on cheongsan faltering. namra's gaze burned with intensity as she gritted out, "why don't you just die?" and with a swift motion, she threw gwinam down the staircase. the tarp, still clutched by the group, was dragged down with him, leaving you all exposed once more. the zombies, now free to climb, began to pour up the stairs, their moans growing louder.

onjo's yell cut through the chaos, "we got the door open! come on!" the group sprinted towards the doorway, desperate for escape. as you emerged into the bright sunlight, you felt a sense of hope. but, you didn't forget your friends still fighting off zombies. you turned back, seeing suhyeok and cheongsan struggling to hold off the horde. "guys, come on!" you shouted, rushing back to help. you grabbed cheongsan's arm, pushing him towards the door. "go, go, go!" suhyeok followed close behind, zombies mere steps behind. wujin and joonyeong helped pull them to safety, as namra and hroryeong stood guard, ready to defend against any stragglers. finally, everyone was through the doorway, gasping for breath. you looked around, taking in the rooftop's expanse. the sun shone brightly overhead, a welcome change from the darkness below. but, you knew the zombies could still follow. you needed a new plan, and fast. "we need to find a way down," wujin said, echoing your thoughts. "or a way to block the door," suhyeok added, still catching his breath. the group began to brainstorm, desperate to survive.

the door creaked and groaned, but suhyeok and cheongsan held firm, their faces strained with effort. you gazed up at the helicopter, its rotors whipping the air into a frenzy. the wind stung your eyes, making it hard to keep them open. but then, you saw him. cheolsu, the one person you forgot about. he sat in the helicopter, looking down at you with a mixture of guilt and relief. your mind reeled as you whispered, "what...?" cheolsu's eyes met yours for a brief moment, before he looked away, closing his eyes in comfort. the betrayal cut deep, a second knife to the back. you felt like you'd been punched in the gut, all the air sucked out of you. how could he? why was he there, safe and sound, while you fought for your life? the questions swirled, but the answers remained elusive. the helicopter began to lift off, leaving you and your friends to fend for yourselves. you watched, numb, as cheolsu disappeared into the distance, leaving you to face the undead hordes alone.

suhyeok sprinted alongside the helicopter, waving their arms and yelling, but it was too late. the helicopter vanished into the distance, leaving you all behind. you took suhyeok's spot, holding the door with cheongsan, feeling the undead pounding against it. for a moment, you thought. then, you remembered the wires in your pocket. "wait," you said, digging into your pocket and producing the wires. you handed them to cheongsan, who quickly got to work. he tied the wires to the door knobs, securing them with a sturdy knot. "okay!" he exclaimed, slowly lifting his weight off the door. you did the same, and to your relief, the door held firm. the zombies on the other side continued to pound and moan, but the makeshift barricade kept them at bay. for now, you were safe. cheongsan let out a sigh of relief, and you shared a nod of triumph. but, you knew it was only temporary. you needed a new plan, and fast. the group gathered around, looking at you for guidance. "what's next?" wujin asked, his eyes scanning the rooftop. you took a deep breath, thinking. the city stretched out before you, a vast expanse of unknown dangers. but, you had to keep moving. "we need to find another way down," you said, "and fast."

the helicopter vanished into the distance, leaving you all behind. hroryeong's sobs echoed through the rooftop, a heartbreaking sound. cheongsan, exhausted, collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving. you knelt beside him, concern etched on your face. "hey, it's okay. take deep breaths," you said, patting his legs to prevent cramping. cheongsan nodded, still panting, as you sat beside him. you took a moment to catch your own breath, feeling the weight of your situation. all you wanted was to go home, to shower, to sleep in your own bed. but that was a luxury you couldn't afford. not now, not yet. you were stuck on this rooftop, trapped with your peers, surrounded by the undead. the reality was crushing.

but for now, you just sat, trying to gather your strength, trying to process everything that had happened. the silence was broken only by hroryeong's sobs and cheongsan's heavy breathing.

you and cheongsan exchanged a nervous glance as the door began banging hard, the sound echoing across the rooftop. you knew it was gwinam, trying to get in. the metal doors shuddered under the impact, but held firm. for now. everyone gathered around, watching in silence as the door continued to shake. one burst, two, three... but after the fourth, the banging stopped. an unsettling quiet fell over the rooftop. you waited, expecting another burst, but nothing came. the silence was oppressive, heavy with tension. "what's going on?" wujin whispered, eyes fixed on the door. "is he...?" joonyeong trailed off, his voice barely audible.

you shook your head, unsure. cheongsan slowly got to his feet, his eyes locked on the door. "i don't know, but we need to be ready." suhyeok nodded, positioning themselves beside cheongsan. the group formed a semi-circle around the door, waiting, watching. the quiet stretched out, punctuated only by horyeong's sniffling. you held your breath, bracing for what might come next.

namra's voice broke the silence, her words barely above a whisper. "he's gone." suhyeok turned to her, confusion etched on their face. "who's gone?" but namra's gaze was fixed intently on the door, her head cocked to one side, as if listening for something. "gwinam," she said, her voice firm, confirming what everyone was thinking. the group exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to make of namra's declaration. cheongsan took a step forward, his eyes locked on the door. "are you sure?" he asked, his voice low. namra nodded, her eyes still fixed on the door. "yes, i'm sure. he's not trying to get in anymore." the silence that followed was oppressive, heavy with uncertainty. what did it mean? had gwinam given up? or was he planning something else? you couldn't shake the feeling that you were all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.