Lee Cheong-san x Lee Na-yeon | All of Us Are Dead

Wakeful

Na-Yeon slowly opened her eyes as she could hear the chirping of birds outside and rays of light broke through the darkness of the room. She was still pressed into Cheong-san's neck, half of her body draped over him. But what surprised her was that he was still doing the same, she wanted to get up but ... this for her seemed like an escape, to some form of normality even if this hadn't exactly been normal between the two of them. But as she snuggled up burying her nose into his neck and getting a sense of his scent. 

She paled, it wasn't the sweat or the dirt that now covered him but the scent of blood that now permeated his own scent. 

"Are you done sniffing me?" 

That immediately made her freeze causing her to tense up, "relax ... i know I don't exactly smell like flowers but it can't be that bad." She let out a giggle into his neck which surprised the both of them and was immediately cut off, once again leaving the room in silence. 

"So what were you sniffing for?" Cheong-san asked after a few minutes. Na-Yeon replied, "I don't really know ... you, I guess." The answer did surprise Cheong-san because what reason would she have for looking for it, "well unless you're looking for blood and sweat ... then you got it." 

They were both trying to find a way to navigate the conversation because there was hesitation on both sides along with the underlying tension between them. 

"So I guess, you can move now ... i mean you got a lot of sleep" Cheong-san went to move but felt a hand on his shoulder trying to stop him. 

"Can you just ... i don't know ... can we just ... stay like this for a while?" she asked her voice barely but a whisper. "Why would we do that?" the question was asked and she could hear some of the underlying strain and venom that was with it but she continued on regardless. "Just so that we can feel normal for a while ... just pretend the outside doesn't exist ... that everything ... hasn't happened yet." 

Cheong-san didn't know whether to feel anger or pity at the situation because, his best friend's murderer was asking him to pretend that none of the things they went through had happened, for what? the silence that came after from Cheong-san was enough for Na-Yeon to see where she had miss spoken. "I don't ... i don't mean like that" "Then how do you mean?" she could feel the anger in his voice. 

"I mean let's talk or something because I know, as soon as we leave those doors some of us are not going to make it ... and I know that's going to be me." There was once again silence from Cheong-san and she expected it, he would be the last person giving her assurances that somehow, she the spoiled princess of the school was going to make it. He scoffed as he laid back down much to her surprise, "Don't take this the wrong way, I'm still tired and I would rather rest here right now."

That wasn't the answer she would have liked to hear but it was good enough in her books that he didn't immediately shift to the other side of the room or push her away. She cautiously went back to laying on his chest making sure to always maintain eye contact with him the whole time. The scowl and disinterested look on his face were still very much different from what she normally expected of him during school, and it was all aimed toward her. She only let out a sigh of relief when she was back on his chest with her face buried in his neck, "Thank you"

He didn't reply and she didn't need him to, but she was still thankful nonetheless, but now she needed something to break this tension, anything.

"Can you tell me about your parents?" she felt the tenseness that was in his body fade for a moment and could feel his head turn, most likely trying to glance at her to see what expression she wore. "Why would you want to know that?" this time she could hear it in his voice, this time there was no venom in the words, only confusion. 

"I once ... visited your Chicken Restaurant" That surprised Cheong-san more than anything and the underlying anger waned to his curiosity. "When was that?... i would have seen you," Na-Yeon was just glad he was responding, and at least not with hostility. "It was when you handed out those flyers before ... i got curious, and went to see for myself." Cheong-san felt Na-Yeon tighten her grip around him as he asked still confused "Then did you come in?"

"No"

It was a simple answer quick and to the point and that would have been the end of their conversation but she went on. "When I got there ... i saw you, and all ... your friends ... and it felt like I would be intruding." That seemed even odder to Cheong-san because Na-Yeon was known for doing whatever she wanted around the school, and going wherever she wanted, that's what happened when your parents were some of the biggest donors to the school unlike him ... a scholarship kid. "That's never stopped you before."

Na-Yeon felt that strike in her chest now, she could only guess because she knew she was going to die that is why she was laying it all out there. She would rather at least she tries to get him to see a small part of her even if that didn't make her righteous or free of what she did. "Well, most of the time I don't, actually ... outside the school, I don't really have friends ... even inside the school." Cheong-san continued listening quietly, he was hoping she wasn't going to use her loneliness as a means to justify what she did to Gyeong-su.

"But this lady did persist that I at least buy some chicken, even if I wasn't going to come inside," Cheong-san let out a small laugh this time surprising Na-Yeon, "That sounds like my mom." 

"But that was ... really good chicken" At that statement the both of them started laughing for a bit before they settled down. "It's a family recipe ... my ... my dad left us" She could feel there was something more about that statement but she didn't know if she had a right to ask. She must have been thinking about it for a while because Cheong-san noticed, "He was a fireman, he went out one day and ... there was a blaze ... he and his friends didn't come out." Na-Yeon propped herself up to look into his eyes and she was about to apologize but he held up his hand. "No need for condolences, unless it's to my mom because I was too young ... i find it hard to remember his face for myself without the pictures ... but somehow ... I miss him."

"My mom was working at the store when all of this happened ... so I hope that she's okay ... I'm going to find her" She could hear how choked the statement came out as if by saying out loud Cheong-san was wishing it would be true. She hoped for his sake that it was.

Na-Yeon nodded before going back to her spot on his neck again noticing how he had not tensed up this time when they got closer together. 

"How about your parents?" 

She didn't know if her story would matter as much after hearing his own, her's was pretty common in comparison, "I have both my parents ... but sometimes it feels as if I don't have any." Cheong-san didn't immediately shut her down as whining and so she continued, "I used to be close with my dad ... we were as thick as thieves ... then mom and the families told him to start working more." She let out a scoff  "My mom ... well ... she's ... just a mon" She stopped her statement midway remembering Cheong-san calling her the monster back in that room after she had committed murder. 

So she swallowed the words and decided that maybe that was enough, but Cheong-san had also caught and wanted her to continue "She is a monster and ?," The question held no malice but she was still reluctant to answer it, "She is all about her status ... how we are all supposed to be," "She destroyed my relationship with my dad, I don't know why."

"My family ... well ... they're just" She let out a sigh the left said the better.

"My dad gives me anything I want because he knows he can't be there ... and he always looks like he is dying when he comes back from his business trips." Cheong-san could feel some tears run down his neck but decided not to say anything.

"I'm sure my mom will think if they shared some of our chicken all that would be resolved," Na-Yeon let out some choked laughs that Cheong-san joined in as well.  

"And if that doesn't work, her pan will definitely do the job" The two continued laughing drowning out the small growls and moans that came from the zombies outside.

Cheong-san didn't like it before but now he understood, just how having a day that seemed normal amongst all this would be a good break, the last thing he wanted was for the both of them to lose their minds.