"We can't just sit here doing nothing," Hyunjin groaned, the relief of finding his leader safe and sound now replaced by fear for the rest of his members.
"We won't. We'll move once we have a plan," Minho snapped, getting sick of his repetitive complaints. As if he was the only one who was worried.
As if Minho wasn't.
When Jisung was out there.
Somewhere.
And for all he knew, he might be alone.
And all he could think about was his stupid argument.
Why the hell had he said any of it? Accusing Jisung of making moves on Felix!? It seemed so stupid now. Why had he been so insecure? He had acted like a child.
Clearly Jisung was just being nice. Anyone who knew Han knew he was always watching everyone, quietly stepping in to help when someone needed it, even if they never asked for it. It wasn't always grand gestures but it was little things, like making quick eye contact during a show when someone winced. Or slipping an extra snack in someone's bag when they were clearly not feeling well on their strict diet. Even just a firm hand squeeze under the table when someone was upset.
Han was there for everyone at their worst. So Felix wasn't getting any special attention. It was just what Han always did.
Why had Minho blown up at him like that!?
"Ya! Are you even listening?? We're trying to make a plan!" Hyunjin snapped, causing Minho to flash a glare at him.
"Woah! No need to get so worked up, I'm just trying to get your attention," Hyunjin said defensively, raising his arms and backing away.
"Sorry...there's just a lot on my mind. Start over."
Chan nodded, understanding the meaning of his words.
"We only have a limited supply of ammunition so we can't use these handguns forever. We're going to need to head back to the control center. I vote that we travel at night as the zombies seem to be more sensitive to sound than images. They likely won't notice us as long as we're quiet."
Minho nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.
"So, who gets to carry the guns and who's fucked?"
Chan gave him a disapproving look.
"I think Chan should take one. He's most likely to make it out of here so we should arm him the best," Jeongin responded.
"If he's the most skilled, shouldn't he save the better weapons for those of us who can't really fight zombies with blunt force?" Seungmin asked.
"He's right. I won't be taking one. I was thinking...you and Hyunjin should each take one," Chan said to Seungmin, causing Hyunjin to jump to his feet.
"Wait! I can't shoot a gun! I'll be absolutely useless!"
"I'll teach you."
"How!? If one of those goes off in here the ricochet could kill any one of us, if the initial shot doesn't do the job!"
"I won't have you use live ammo. We need to save what we have."
"But-the zombies will come running in here like crazy! It'll be way too loud!"
"And your shouting is so much better?!" Minho snapped under his breath.
Hyunjin apologized quickly to the two girls holding the door as he noticed the panic on their faces as they braced for impact.
"Sorry...it's not that I'm too scared. I just think if someone else has a better chance of protecting themselves with it, they deserve to take it. Why don't we leave the guns with Sungyeol and Haewon?"
The five of them turned, considering it.
"I know you're worried that arming them will mean they have to fight, but they already made it this far. They can protect themselves. And the others. A hell of a lot better than I can," Hyunjin laughed in embarrassment and Chan thought for a moment.
"I just don't want to put them in any more danger than we already have."
Jeongin turned his head in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they're only here because they wanted to see our concert. It's our fault they got pulled into this mess," Chan whispered.
"Jesus, you really think everything's your fault, huh? You'll even take the blame for the fucking zombie apocalypse!?" Minho groaned.
Seungmin walked over to Chan and placed his hands on his shoulders firmly.
"Look. I know you're just trying to process everything but we can't have you blaming yourself for this mess. Not when you've got to help us get out of it. If you keep worrying about everything that could go wrong, you're not going to be able to focus on the present. We need you, Chan."
Chan smiled a little bit, nodding.
"Yeah, I know. It's just hard not to feel responsible for all of the lives lost in that auditorium."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
"We feel it, too. It's just not something we can afford to think about right now," Minho sighed.
"I know. Okay. So, what do you think of the plan?" Chan asked, switching the subject.
"Depends. How far was the control room from where I found you?" Minho asked, rolling up his sleeves.
"Not far. We'd only have to make it a bit further down the hallway."
"But it's still on the north side?"
"Yeah."
"So nowhere near the others."
Chan shook his head.
"But maybe we can find them on one of the security cameras," Jeongin smiled, causing the others to feel just a tiny bit of excitement.
"As long as the cameras in the hallway are intact, we should be able to find them somewhere," Seungmin nodded in agreement and the others followed suit.
"If we have the firearms, we can cover behind. That way we don't risk destroying any valuable items ahead of us or anything in the control room as we approach. Those in the front can be in charge of brute force attacks and defense," said Sungyeol and they turned towards her.
"And Hyunjin, I.N., and Seungmin can stay in the center of the back to stay safe," Haewon added.
"Are you sure? It'll be pretty risky to be on the end," Chan said worriedly but Minho nodded.
"As long as you're aware of the risks. We trust you."
The girls nodded.
Seungmin checked the time on the clock and noticed it was a little past midnight. The concert would've ended two hours ago.
If only the zombies had waited. Just a few hours. Then so many lives could have been spared.
"We should get going then. If we want to move quietly, we'll have to go pretty slow. We don't want to risk anything so the sooner we go, the better."
Everyone seemed to agree, so the group assembled by the door. Chan took the lead, Minho right behind him. Seungmin and Jeongin stepped behind the two and Hyunjin inserted himself right between them. The two girls finally stood and placed their hands on the doorknob.
"Are we ready?" Haewon whispered, her eyes starting to shake with fear.
Chan nodded, and she pulled it open as quietly as possible. After checking left and right twice, Chan motioned for the others to follow and they began their dangerous journey.
