ᴮˡᵒᵒᵈ ᵒⁿ ᵒᵘʳ ᴴᵃⁿᵈˢ . ᴬˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵁˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᴰᵉᵃᵈ ¹

ˡᵉᵃᵛⁱⁿᵍ ᵐᵉˢˢᵃᵍᵉˢ

No one in the classroom knew how much time had gone by.

After Nam-ra had reassured her that it was okay, Aeja had moved to sit beside Su-hyeok. They were both looking out the window at the sunny sky. Aeja remembered when she used to lie in the garden with Se-bin all day and point out what each cloud looked like.

"Wait, Aeja," Dae-su called out, making Aeja come back to reality. "Can't you pick locks?"

"I did it once," Aeja shrugged. "Why?

"Do you think you can open the door?" Dae-su asked, pointing at a closet door. "We think there's food in here. From the competition."

"I'll need a pin. Or two," Aeja said, standing up.

Hyo-ryung handed Aeja two pins that had been in her rucksack. Aeja placed the first pin into the lock and began moving it around. Using the second one, she slowly waited until the first one grew stiff.

"Is it open yet?" Dae-su asked.

"Not yet," Aeja replied. "Just let me concentrate."

Everyone went silent again, watching Aeja carefully move the pin around in the lock.

It then went stiff, making Aeja smile slightly. She placed the second one in and twisted, but then the pin broke, making Aeja curse under her breath.

"Can you still get in?" Wu-jin asked.

Aeja tried the doorknob, but it was still locked. Sighing in defeat, Aeja stood up, shaking her head.

"Should we knock it down?" Dae-su suggested, beginning to throw his whole body at the door.

Aeja could hear the zombies in the hallway reacting to the noise, just like they did in the library.

"Hey, take it easy!" Joon-yeong called from where he was barricading the door. "Quiet!"

"Hey, stop it!" Hyo-ryung called out.

Dae-su gave up with a sad sigh.

Meanwhile, Ji-min was watching her and the school choir on the camera. It was making very faint music.

"Don't play any music, either," Hyo-ryung said.

Ji-min stopped the video and closed the camera. However, a few moments later, she opened it up again and pressed record, facing the camera at her.

"My mom and dad... came to the school to save me, but the cops and firefighters never came. If anyone sees this later, please punish everyone who should've come. Everyone abandoned us. All of them. I swear I'll make you pay," Ji-min stopped to wipe her tears away before she continued. "Mom. Dad. I'll stay alive and get revenge. I'll get revenge on the zombies... and everyone else, Mom."

When she was done, she stopped recording and placed the camera away from her. Hyo-ryung grabbed it, deciding to leave a message as well.

"Mom. Dad. Hi. I'm fine, the kids are really good to me. Want to see them?" Hyo-ryung turned the camera to show the students that were sitting, who waved and bowed. "Well... Mom, Dad... I miss you. I miss you. And... I'm so sorry."

Wu-jin went next. "Mom. I want a raise in my allowance."

Wu-jin handed Dae-su the camera afterwards.

"Is it ready to go?" Dae-su asked.

"Yes," Wu-jin nodded.

"Music and lyrics by intergalactic superstar Yang Dae-su," Dae-su said into the camera. "Beat."