painkiller // namhyeok

3: MEET ME AT OUR SPOT

2 months later

Their group went back to Hyosan after taking care of two neighboring cities. By taking care, they meant killing the remaining zombies, even wrapping them and placing them all in the nearest buildings. As expected, there were multiple zombies lingering around. They were careful of survivors either since they didn't want to be feared by them.

We don't have anything to do now, might as well do the military's job, for now, Junwoo said.

We won't do this for free, though. Dr. Kang assured the teens, seeing that they were about to complain about their task. When the time comes and they finally come back to get all remaining survivors - half-zombies or not - we will tell them what we did. Suan and Haneul have the evidence we need.

Since the youngest two among them weren't infected and just wanted to stay with them, they were asked to watch by the sidelines and document their travels. That way, they both have evidence that they're not on the bad side or could threaten them when they refuse to compensate for them.

On the last week of their second month of traveling, they came back to the city of Hyosan. They weren't supposed to come back, but Namra and Cheongsan practically begged them to.

Yoobin and Dr. Kang wanted to tell them not to expect much from their friends; that their friends were already forced to move on with their lives in another city and continue their studies in order to have the future they wanted to achieve before the outbreak happened.

But of course, all of them have soft spots for the two. Namra and Cheongsan were the ones who gathered them, after all. They persuaded them into joining them, shared their stories, and helped them adjust to their new life as half-zombies. Sooner or later, they learned that all of them have one goal - to help others like them all while ensuring that the virus won't spread again as well.

One week.

That was all they gave them.

Every day of that week, Namra and Cheongsan lit up a fire on the rooftop, patiently waiting for their friends to stop by. Hyunsu and the others would join them sometimes but when winter came, only Hyunsu would come with them.

It was the last day of the week when Cheongsan decided not to come. He caught a cold and a fever while staying on the rooftop for consecutive nights.

"I thought we'd be immune from colds by now," Cheongsan said, his voice raspy. "Guess it's not part of the virus' job description."

"Shut up and just get some rest," Gwinam said, the person assigned to take care of him for the night. Namra and Hyunsu were also in the room with them to check on him.

Cheongsan tried sitting up. As he did so, something fell from his bed. Hyunsu picked up a red nametag. "Nam Onjo," he read. He gave it back to Cheongsan without asking anything.

"Sorry, you can go now," Cheongsan sniffed. "I hope they don't come today though." Namra glared at him. "Come on, that'd be unfair if I don't see them."

"Whatever," Namra said before pulling Hyunsu along with her.

"Don't come home late!" Gwinam yelled at them before Hyunsu shut the door behind him.

"Do you really think your friends will look for you?" he asked her once they were both settled on the rooftop, a blanket on his shoulder while his arms hugged his legs closer to his body.

"I don't know," Namra admitted. "Part of me wants to see them again, part of me doesn't," she smiled tightly. "They have no other business here so why bother coming back, right?" Hyunsu didn't answer. "I guess I'm just really getting my hopes up."