Dead or Alive

15: Giving Up Hope

"Leedo its been two weeks. We've checked that corner store every three to four days, we can't keep risking out lives like this." Seoho tried to reason with the younger, almost sounding on the verge of tears. "I miss them just as much as you do, but we have to focus on us."

Leedo clenched his hand into a tight fist, and tried to stop himself from breaking something. They were currently in the hallway on the third floor, trying to keep their argument private with the younger boys still in the room.

"They are still alive somewhere, I know it." Leedo countered, turning on his heels to face the once orange-haired boy. His mentality about their current problem has quite obviously changed within the past couple of weeks. "We can't give up on them."

"I'm not giving up on them!" Seoho defended, stomping his foot and crossing his arms. "Stop saying I am, alright? Trust me, I want to search for them just as much as you do! Seriously Leedo, this is turning us against each other when we need to stay together the most right now."

Leedo stared at Seoho with a blank look, his chest puffed out and face slightly red. Seoho was on the verge on begging for Leedo to just understand his view, though in the moment he really wanted to just knock some sense into him.

"We are all starving. We should focus on getting supplies while we can. Going to the same looted place and getting through zombies each time does not help us." Seoho tilted his head to the side and looked extremely tired. "The garden we planted on the roof won't produce stuff for another month at the least, if it would even produce something edible, and that's also if we can even last that long. Drinking rain water only does so much anymore."

Tears silently ran down Leedo's face as he tore his gaze from the squirrel. Seoho didn't know if he should approach or not, so he just stood watching the younger boy.

"I just miss them so much." Leedo cried, his head lolling forwards. "I can't help but feel like this is all my fault."

Seoho stood awkwardly before he approached and wrapped his arms around Leedo. The younger pressed his forehead to Seoho's shoulder and just cried.

"You know this isn't your fault, quit blaming yourself Leedo." Seoho reassured while rubbing the youngers back.

Within the door, Xion and Keonhee sat in silence doing nothing in particular. They hardly did anything these days to preserve energy. All of them looked sick in some way, they just looked miserable. None of them had eaten anything decent in weeks, but still took anything they could get. They collected rain water every time they could, which was quite often, amd would refill all the plastic bottles they accumulated as well as collect extra water in whatever other containers they could. Most of their clothes were withered or torn, but as of now they didn't exactly need protection from the cold.

The door opened, and Leedo and Seoho walked in with sullen looks on their faces.

"We'll go out tomorrow in a different direction to look for food." Seoho informed the other two once situated on the couch.

"Are we going?" Xion asked genuinely, cautiously standing up to comfort Leedo.

"If you want, yeah." Seoho replied and took Xion's place to sit beside Keonhee. "No pressure though."

Seoho tried to force all of his worries away, he knew he had to act the strongest for the sake of the others. He places a hand on Keonhee's head to ruffle his greasy hair. The oldest was extremely worried about all of them, their mental health, physical wellbeing, everything was dwindling low.

"Keonhee? Any thought?" Seoho tried to get him to speak, he missed the youngers lively voice.

"Yeah, I guess we'll go." Keonhee pouted under his breath, leaning into Seoho's touch and closing his eyes. "Will I have to kill anything this time?"