STAY ALIVE [AOUAD]

16 The Helicopter

[The incidents, dialogues, and actions in the series will be altered from the original series from here onwards]

Silence settled around the group of teenagers. The rescue chopper had simply flown away, mistaking the students for infected zombies and taking away a boy who lied to be the sole survivor. The door was locked shut after the fire, with Cheong-san resting his back against it. Most of the teens were dispersed around the rooftop while some gathered together for small talk. Suhyeok and a few others were silently stacking up wooden shards and pieces of unused desks stored on the terrace, in hopes of lighting a fire.

Away from them, y/n stood at a corner, looking down at the school ground that was once lush green. Blood and flesh were tattered along the grass, with an uncountable amount of students and teachers waddling around in search of an unaffected human. She could even see Gyeong-Su, who was desperately clawing at a tree to get past it. The empty barrel of the gun sat in her hand, disappointed that Dae-su had mistaken her words for 'fire'. As she was trying to say that the door opens only in case of a fire. But alas Dae-su was restless at the time.

Y/n soon turned back from the grounds, looking back to her friends who were all clamped around a pile of wood. Nam-ra stood above them all with a questioning look, summed up with a speck of an uneasy expression. Su-Hyeok was busy trying to make a fire, with a wooden stick on a piece of wood. Just like how dry hay was used to make fire back in the day. But other than smoke and a few sparks of fire, nothing came ablaze. Y/n stood next to Nam-ra and nudged her right side. "Are you gonna make them look pathetic or just gonna give them the lighter? You're not that sadistic are you?" Nam-Ra narrowly scowled at the female, who was smiling gleefully despite her taunting words. Nam-ra reaches down for her skirt pocket and pulls out the lighter.

"Use this instead" The group stared at the class President with surprise. "why couldn't you give it earlier!" Grumbled Dae-su snatching the lighter from her. Y/n wrapped her arm around Nam-ra, patting her back with a proud smile. The first time y/n caught her smoking was in her first year when she was running away after pranking a teacher. Though she had scolded Nam-ra a thousand times over it, it seemed to not work. But she started to reduce her intake of smoke due to the shooter's constant pestering.

As the sun dropped for the day and night began to gloom, a moderately large fire had been put up. Recollecting previous campfires and memories, the teens sat around the fire. A delightful conversation was going on, a few confessions of prejudice that each had about everyone. And y/n also got to know that On-Jo was scared of her at first and had regretted not making friends earlier. The shooter had dismissed the statement, arguing that she was never too late to make her a friend, quite narcissistically at that. However, the most surprising confession of the day was everyone's expectation, except On-Jo's. Cheong-San finally revealed his feelings toward the other girl, who walked away from the group in shock. The author didn't write the actual words of confession as they had forgotten the lines and are too lazy for a rewatch.

The happy chatter had subsided sooner than they had anticipated. On-Jo was seated on a corner on the rooftop, crying silently. Though everyone wanted to console the teen they somehow did not want to impede. Y/n was restlessly staring at the said girl with questioning eyes. Maybe it was the lack of understanding she had of sentiments, that Y/n found it ridiculous. "You'll dig a hole in her head like that" Wu-Jin's voice drew her attention away from On-Jo as she looked up. Her head was comfortably placed on his lap as she lay on the floor. "I don't know if you'll understand but, hiding your feeling for your best friend ain't easy. And crying over it as an emotional person is perfectly alright, if you also include the current circumstances, the pressure of your dead peers can be overwhelming"

Y/n felt the corners of her lips lift to a cheeky smile. "Wu, you'll make a great therapist you that? You talk real smooth" Wu-jin softly laughed at the girl's compliment, placing his palm over her hair and combing it down. "Then I'd want you as my first customer" Y/n giggled with closed eyes, nodding off to Wu-Jin's hands. "I'll gladly take up that offer then, Dr. Jang Wu Jin" The tips of his ears blushed pink, watching the girl drift off to a nap.