do or die | yang jungwon

stage 7: a not so happy reunion

RIKI HAD NEVER SEEN DANI SO FILLED WITH SHEER PAIN BEFORE. her face when she saw haerin was so filled with disbelief and shock that if riki hadn't seen haerin himself, he wasn't sure that he would've believed that she had been turned. it wasn't easy to see haerin in that state but it was almost worse to see dani trying to grasp the situation. it was as if her entire world had been stopped and she was stuck in standstill, the way she had completely frozen physically and mentally. 

"dani, you need to push!" haruto yells, beads of sweat dripping down his neck from the force he was exerting to keep the zombie at bay. but dani can barely hear him over the roaring inside her skull, feeling as though her heart had jumped into her throat and all she can feel is the terror settling in her bones.

her best friend. the same best friend who had always joked about her crush on haruto. the same best friend who wiped her tears when she was upset. the same best friend who comforted her when she needed someone to talk to. the same best friend who would always be the soft, quiet, and talented person she had always been.

her best friend had been turned into a monster. a monster who couldn't remember the tears, the laughter, the lockers filled with snacks, or any of their beautiful memories. just. a. monster.

"DANI! PUSH!"

it's riki that gets dani out of her thoughts. and finally, she shuts her eyes as tightly as she can, and she pushes.

+++

"i really don't know how this happened but i just don't know if this is feasible," nari says, staring directly into the eyes of the zombie in front of her. she tilts her head for just a minute before clocking it over the head and running to catch up with jungwon and hiyyih. they had this strange agreement where the three of them would take turns making sure the second years weren't getting eaten alive.

surprisingly enough, the two second-years who had been the most reluctant were the ones who were holding their own the best. the taller one seemed to be a baseball player (or at least had practice swinging heavy metal objects) and while the shorter one was much more timid, he had a lot of pent-up frustration, as far as nari could tell.

the other two second-years weren't having the best luck, which meant that nari had to spend more time keeping them alive but jungwon (who was at the front of the group while nari brought up the caboose) would occasionally fall back, and overall, the group was able to successfully make it from the first floor to the second without any casualties.

it was almost going smoothly - as smoothly as any zombie apocalypse could really go, at least - until one of the second years stopped dead in his tracks, squinting as he tried to get a closer look into one of the classrooms.

inside was a young girl (a second year, perhaps) holding tightly onto a backpack, trying her best to keep from screaming in pain. nari isn't sure what compels her but her eyes wander downwards and she immediately pries the door open, gathering the young girl in her arms.

"please make it stop," the girl whispers against nari's chest. "everything just hurts."

nari holds her even tighter in her arms, careful to avoid putting too much pressure on the young girl's stomach. hiyyih meets her eyes and nods before turning to whisper in jungwon's ear. jungwon turns pale, his face gaining ten years seemingly in an instant as he hardens his expression. he drags the other second years into the room, pulling them into a corner and muttering to them in a low voice.

hiyyih immediately shuts the door behind them, beginning to stack various chairs and desks against the door closest to her as one of the second years breaks from the group to run and do the same on the other end. for some reason, however, it seems he knew this girl, his eyes never deviating from her frail frame, shivering in nari's arms. the cacophony of the zombies outside seems to grow thunderously loud, until the second year can't even hear his own thoughts.