All Of Us Are Dead - Su Hyeok

13

"Ms. Park, it's been more than thirty minutes, but he still doesn't want to come out," Cheong-san said, his voice filled with concern. The teacher sighed, a weary expression on her face. "I'll see what I can do," she replied, her voice steady despite the worry in her eyes. She then walked off, her footsteps echoing in the silence as she disappeared into the recording room while I came out a while ago.

I found myself sitting next to Nam-ra, the cold metal of my knife a stark contrast to the warmth of her presence. As I absentmindedly played with the knife, my mind wandered to the other students who had become zombies. Their faces flashed in my mind, a grim reminder of the reality we were living in.

The others were huddled around the window, their voices a low murmur as they discussed Gyeong-su. Suddenly, Ji min stood up, her movements quiet and deliberate. She walked behind the group of kids, her actions piquing my curiosity. I watched her, wondering what she was up to.

In her hand, she held a handkerchief. She walked towards the broken mop that lay discarded in a corner. With careful movements, she wiped the end of it, her actions methodical and precise. Once she was done, she folded the handkerchief and put it in her pocket, her actions leaving me puzzled.

"Hey, Nam-ra, did you see what she just did to the mop?" I asked, my gaze still fixed on Na-yeon. Nam-ra nodded silently, her eyes mirroring my confusion. It was strange, her actions seemingly out of place in our current situation.

"If anyone should, it's Ji-min " Na yeon stated, her voice firm and resolute. I glanced over at Ji min, her seemingly innocent demeanor a stark contrast to the accusations being thrown her way. "Why should I?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion.

"He's like this because of you," Hyo-ryeong retorted, her words cutting through the tense silence that had settled in the room.

JI min looked taken aback. "What did I do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Na yeon scoffed, her disbelief evident in her tone. "Like you don't know?" she shot back, her gaze never leaving Ji min.

Ji min defended herself, her voice steady despite the accusations. "Was it wrong to suspect him? You did too, everyone did. It wasn't just me," she said, her words echoing in the silent room.

Wu jin shook his head, his expression filled with disappointment. "I believed him, and you've been pinning things on him every chance you had," he said, his voice filled with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Well, I didn't. She's right, but I didn't insult him like you did," Suho admitted, his voice filled with a mix of regret and defiance. His words hung in the air, a silent admission of guilt. "Why are you picking on me?" Ji min asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you deserve it," Na yeon retorted, her words sharp and biting.

"That's enough, Na yeon," Ms. Park interjected, her voice firm and authoritative. Na yeon sighed, a sound of resignation, and moved to stand at the back of the group. Ms. Park turned to Ji min, her gaze softening slightly. "You remember your promise, right? After 30 minutes, you'd apologize."

"Okay," Ji min responded, her voice cold and detached.

Ms. Park glanced at the clock on the wall. "...It's been 30 minutes."

"All right," Ji min said, her voice barely audible. She slowly rose from her seat and walked towards the recording room. The door shut behind her with a soft click, leaving us in silence.

"Why did she clean the mop?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Nam-ra shrugged, her eyes reflecting the same confusion I felt. She rose from her seat and moved towards the window, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding outside. I followed her, my curiosity piqued.