Promise; Lee Su-hyeok

010. Make Me Feel Smart

1223 words

"What if all of this started with Hyeon-ju?"

"She went to the hospital," Hyo-ryeong says, stating the obvious.

Joon-yeong looks up, "What if it spread in there as well?"

Hyo-ryeong gasps, "Maybe that's why no one is coming."

"But wait. They still work, right?" Joon-yeong asks, pointing at the computers. "Uh, internet. The internet."

I move from my spot on the desk with the controls and get closer to Su-hyeok. "Joon-yeong you're so smart. Wanna get married?"

He gets caught off guard, "Really?" He then remembers about the computers, "Oh. Well, let's see." He bumps into Ms. Park on the way to them. "Sorry, Ms. Park," he apologizes.

"Oh." She nods and moves out the way.

Dae-su brings him a chair, "Here. Sit."

"Thanks."

Woo-jin hums, "It should work. Is it on?"

"Hm. I think so."

Most of them huddle up around Joon-yeong. Su-hyeok, Nam-ra, Gyeong-su, and I stay in our spots. "What's the problem? Why is it not turning on?" Ms. Park queries, getting closer to the computer.

I love this woman, I really do. But, sometimes she's just so... oblivious? Yeah. She's just so oblivious.

I sigh one of those 'I'm disappointed in you' sighs. "It just did, Ms. Park," I laugh, answering for Joon-yeong.

"Oh, sorry." She recedes back.

Just like my will to live.

Now it was Joon-yeong's turn to sigh. "School ones are so slow."

"Maybe it's not online?" Woo-jin theorizes.

"It must be."

Woo-jin whines, "Ugh. It's gonna take all day."

I get distracted from their conversation when Nam-ra taps Su-hyeok's shoulder. "Su-hyeok did you see it?"

He looks at her, confused. "What?"

She notices me watching them have their conversation. "In the science lab. Did you see it, Y/n?" I shrug and look back and forth between them with a dumbstruck stare.

Su-hyeok still appears equally as confused. "Well, we were actually in the art room." He pauses, "What's in the science lab?"

"Uh, well..." Nam-ra gazes down at the floor.

We change focus when we hear a chime come from the computer. "It worked," Joon-yeong states, almost proudly. Su-hyeok heads over to them and I glance at Nam-ra.

She also has this glint in her eyes.

Kind of reminds me of how I used to look at that someone who used to be extremely precious to me. Used to.

Why does almost every girl here look at Su-hyeok like they're in love or something? Even some of the boys do.

Anygay.

I follow him to where everyone is bugging Joon-yeong.

"Okay. Open the browser," he says more to himself than to us. The computer makes a loud ass whirring sound and I grimace. It's almost as painful as hearing Na-yeon's voice 8 hours a day.

"Look up Zombie virus." Dae-su says. Woo-jin agrees, "Yeah, Zombie virus."

Ji-min says something but I don't quite catch what she said because there's a banging at the window. I walk away and head over to Gyeong-su, who's looking at the swinging hose.

"Was that banging on the window from the hose?" I question, trying to look up. He squints, also looking up. "I think so."

I shiver when I hear loud screaming in the distance. It didn't even sound like it was on campus. Ain't no way I heard screaming from outside the school.

I settle down next to Gyeong-su on the table. After three seconds of me sitting down, glass breaks and scatters all over the floor.

Everyone jumps up from their seats and me and Gyeong-su fumble back.

"What the fuck was that?" Joon-yeong asks and more glass breaks.

"Get over here. Come here," Ms. Park demands.

Woo-jin looks at us with wide eyes, "Did someone not make it in?"

"No," Cheong-san says, all mysteriously and emo-ly. "No one."

Why's everyone being so depressed? I don't like it.

I make ghost sounds to add dramatic effect. "OoOoOOoh." Everyone pauses their fear and whimpering just to glare at me. "Damn. Okay, sorry. I see how it is." I look down and they go back to being scared.

"Wait," Gyeong-su warns Cheong-san. "Don't get too close."

Su-hyeok grabs Gyeon-su's waist and pushes him to the side. "Be careful," he tells Cheong-san.

"Cheong-san, wait." I hand him Jennie, "Use her if you need to. But break her, I break you." He nods, taking her from the end where I wrapped my bandages. He slowly walks to the window.

Gyeong-su follows, "Do you see anything?" After peering outside, Gyeong-su waves his hand, "It's just the wind."

I shake my head, "No it is not. Don't you hear the growling?" Nam-ra frowns, "What growling?"

I blink. "Don't you hear it?" I say, looking around at everyone. The all shake their heads.

"Su-hyeok," I look at him with pleading eyes, hoping that I'm not going insane. "You hear it, right?"

He stops for a moment to listen. Slowly, he also shakes his head. "No. I don't."

They all start asking what I'm talking about. I shush them when I hear something that sounds like rubber being rubbed up against rubber.

"Cheong-san!" I quickly grab him by the back of his shirt and drag him back. A zombie falls out right after, its leg dangling from one of the hose knots.

Everyone screams. Again.

"Fuck. What did I say?" I tease with a grin. "Next time you should listen carefully."

"To you or to our surroundings?" Gyeong-su asks.

I hum, "Yes. Anways, there's kinda like a zombie trying to come in, sooooo..."

"Look, it's coming in," Dae-su says. "Watch out, watch out!"

"Cheong-san, get back," I order. "Gimme Jennie. I'll take care of it." I put my hand out, waiting for him to give me back my daughter. He doesn't respond so I just yank it from his hand, accidentally cutting my fingers in the process.

"Look out, look out." Gyeong-su tells Cheong-san, who was currently in too much shock to do anything.

I hop over to the zombie and grab her by the hair so she won't bite me. She thrashes around and I pull her hair hard causing her to snarl. "Dipshit," I mutter.

"Y/n, get back." Gyeong-su says.

"I'm glad you're worried, but hold on a second. I'm about to finish this."

Just as I'm about to slit her throat open, Cheong-san pushes me onto Gyeong-su and pushes her with a mop.

I apologize to my brother and slap my forehead. "Oh my god. You're fucking kidding me. A knife would've been so much better."

"Push it!" Su-hyeok urges. "Push it off."

"Did you get it?" Dae-su asks him, watching Cheong-san obviously struggling.

I smile, "I'm so happy to have people like you around, Dae-su." He smiles back and I continue. "You make me feel smart."

"Aww thanks, N/n."

Gyeong-su helps Cheong-san push. "Go! Harder!" He pants.

The zombie uses the mop to sort of pull itself in. It grabs the window frame with it's bony, bloody fingers.

Oh, now it's getting in. That's fun. Exclamation point?

"Shit."