𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙧 (Gwi-Nam x Cheong-san)

Nine

Gwi-nam is silent as we rummage through the fridge, looking for food. He wordlessly hands me a water and goes to sit on the floor.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting next to him. I lean on him like before. 

"This whole zombie apocalypse is driving me crazy." He says. "How are we acting like this is normal?" I don't speak for a while. I take his hand in mine, rubbing it between my hands. 

"It's the new normal, Gwi-nam. Whoever created the reason behind these zombies did it to upset the idea of "normal" and force us to go through hell and back." I looked at him. 

"But so many people..people that I knew..they are dead, Cheong-san. How can I go on living as normal even if I survive, huh?" He's never sounded so..human, before now.

"We'll work on it together. We'll flee to a different city and we'll work it out." He suddenly pulls out of my grip, scooting away from me 

"You don't know that. You can't even begin be sure of that. Not anymore. "We" is just a possibility assuming I'm strong enough. Don't get too comfortable." He quietly says, getting up and walking away.

I follow him silently, feeling my heart clench uncomfortably in my chest.

We go upstairs to the second floor after paying respects to Ae-ri and her mother. He and I were walking into the room of the house, and suddenly Gwi-nam shoves me backwards. "Cheong-san there's zombies!" 

He slams the door, but it's too late. He's been bitten. My eyes go from his arm, to his face. "Gwi-nam. Gwi-nam, no..you can't do this to me." He pushes me backwards into a door that locks from the outside.

"I have to. To protect you. Move on without me. Don't you dare stay in this house when they bomb Hyosan. You have five days, okay?" My hands are banging on the door. "No! Please, turn me too! I can't do this without you. Please.." I beg him to stay. He's probably shaking  his head. "I told you to be careful. I told you not to make me do this alone!" I cried out, banging on the door again.

"I'm sorry. But I know you can survive on your own." He steps back and away from the door. "Good luck, nuisance." He smiles at me for the last time.

I sink to the floor, my back to the door. There's a yell and a thud, then silence. I started to sob. I buried my face in my arms as I let the tears flow free. I had lost my savior. He saved me and the cost had been his life. I hated myself for being alive. Then I remembered something he'd said once.

"We can't dwell on death. We have to focus on living." Once my head had cleared, I took a deep breath and looked up. I then realized what had been happening when they were infected. There was a zombie that used to be a pretty woman. She was wearing nothing but lingerie. She was different than the woman in the family picture that was hanging in the kitchen. 

 The zombie that had been a man..he was undoubtedly Ae-ri's father from the family picture. It made me sick. How could he cheat on his wife in their own house?

I choked out a sob. It hit too close to home.

"He cheated on her. His wife and daughter were out being killed by zombies and he was here, cheating on her." I bring my knees to my chest. "How could a person do something like that to his own family?" My voice is unsteady. 

"Because humans are a flawed and terribly imperfect species." A voice inside my head says. The tone is far away. 

I get up and look around. It's a pantry. I take my backpack from my shoulder and fill it with everything that will fit. I have to get out of Hyosan alive. It's what he wanted. 

I grabbed water and also a first aide kit that I found on top of a cupboard. 

"I'll make it out of Hyosan for both of us, Gwi-nam." I whispered. "And I'll do it all on my own."

And with that, I set out.