All Of Us Are Dead - Su Hyeok

20

In a dimly lit room, I found myself seeking refuge from the horrors that lurked outside. The room was eerily quiet, save for the distant groans of zombies echoing through the night. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, my body yearning for rest. A parched throat and aching jaws added to my discomfort, making me feel thirsty, desperate for relief.

Suddenly, a comforting sensation broke through my discomfort - a gentle pat on my head. The unexpected touch startled me, and a voice followed, soft yet firm, "I found you, Shinae."

Slowly, I turned around, my heart pounding in my chest. Standing close behind me was Gwi-nam, his presence both surprising and unsettling. My eyes widened in shock, my mouth dropping open at the sight of him. His familiar face was a stark contrast to the grim reality outside our sanctuary.

"Gwi-nam," I managed to utter, my voice barely above a whisper. He responded with a smile, a gesture that seemed out of place in our dire circumstances. He reached out, placing a hand gently on my cheek. I instinctively brushed his hand off, my gaze scanning him from head to toe.

His appearance was disheveled, his usually vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless. "Why do you look so dead?" I asked, my words coming out as a harsh huff under my breath. I frowned, my mind racing with questions and concern.

"Tell me why are you here without that Cheong-san?"

"Well he went elsewhere and I slashed zombies and ended up in this room."

After revealing my separation from Cheong-san, I pointed accusingly at Gwi-nam's chest. "Now you explain to me, why are you alive? Your hands, your neck... they're bitten," I demanded, my voice echoing in the silent room. His response was a smile, a simple curve of his lips that did nothing to alleviate my confusion. He gently guided me to sit back down beside him, our shoulders brushing against each other in the dim light.

"If I knew, I would tell you, Shinae. But I don't know what happened after I was bitten and that guy left me," he confessed, his voice filled with a confusion that mirrored my own. I looked at him, my mind racing with possibilities. "Either way, you're dead but still alive because I guess you're immune, seeing you didn't turn," I mused aloud, trying to make sense of the situation.

Gwi-nam turned to me, a serious look on his face. "Shinae, don't you know what this means?" he asked. I shrugged, "You're a hambie?" I suggested, using a term I had heard before.

He laughed, a sound that seemed so out of place in our grim surroundings. "This means... I'm a god," he declared, still chuckling. I stared at him, incredulous. "What's with that 'hambie'? Is that even a word, Shinae?" he teased, flicking my forehead playfully.

I huffed in response, "I think you're insane. You're just somewhat zombie." But before I could say more, he took my hand and pulled me towards the door. "Wait, where are you taking me?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice.

"C'mon. I still have to kill Cheong-San," he said nonchalantly. I pulled my hand out of his grasp, "Just because you were left behind by him kicking you doesn't mean I want to get involved. Besides, I think I can't see them," I said, trying to reason with him.

He sighed, approaching me once again. "Why is that?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. The question hung in the air, a reminder of the strange and terrifying world we now found ourselves in.

"I might be a half vampire," I admitted quietly. His heightened senses allowed him to hear my whispered confession. He looked at me, his gaze scrutinizing every inch of my face. He opened my jaw, revealing my teeth which were more pointed and longer due to thirst. It seemed that when I wasn't thirsty, I looked like a human, but when I was, I transformed into a deadly vampire.

"Your teeth are sharp, but there are zombies here, Shinae. How can you be a vampire out of everyone who became a zombie?" Gwi-nam questioned, his tone incredulous. He whacked my head playfully, causing me to scowl at him. "I drank a man before coming to sch-" I began, only to be cut off by him.

"I don't want to know about your sexual life," he interjected, misunderstanding my words. "Don't talk. I drank his blood, not what you're thinking, you dirty-minded hambie," I corrected him, causing him to laugh. I then proceeded to tell him the whole story about what happened in the past. I had been absent for two weeks, a fact that seemed to surprise him. As I recounted my tale, the room filled with the echoes of our voices, a stark contrast to the silence that had once reigned.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice filled with caution. "Let me see your eyes," Gwi-nam responded. He gently cupped my jaw, his one good eye studying mine. The blue of my eyes was marred by slightly red strokes, a clear sign of my thirst. "It looks a bit red. You can just tell your friends that you fell down or got blood in your eye if they ask," he suggested.

"Blood got in the eye, really Gwi-nam?" I retorted, slapping his shoulder lightly. "That hurt, you know," he said, feigning pain but his playful tone betrayed him. "But really, just lie. If they find out, I'll have your back," he reassured me. His words brought a pout to my lips, but I found myself hugging him, momentarily forgetting the chaos outside. Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over, and to my surprise, he too shed a few tears. Even though he had become a bully, it wasn't by choice. He was always threatened by the leader, Myeong-something. I couldn't quite remember his name. Gwi-nam and I were best friends as kids, and he always protected me from bullies. But as time passed, we drifted apart. Now, in these dire circumstances, we were bonding again.

I groaned, resting my head on his shoulder. Standing up, I applied pressure to my throbbing temples. "A little thirsty, but I'll live. Thanks," I sighed, sitting back down. I looked at him, my gaze firm. "But I'm not killing Cheong-san, and I don't want you killing him either."

"Are you serious?" He asked, his voice filled with disbelief. I nodded in response. "Shinae, he took my eye," he retorted, his voice laced with bitterness.

"After you tried to kill him," I reminded him.

"He threatened to involve the police," he defended himself.

"Because you killed the principal. Trust me, that's a normal reaction, even if it was good that you did," I said, my voice steady despite the tension in the room. Gwi-nam huffed in response, his frustration evident. "I'm still pissed at him," he admitted. I shot back, "I care for you but he is my friend as well I'll explain it to him" His glare was met with my defiant stare.

His attention then shifted to our surroundings. "Were there other people here?" he asked, standing up to take in the scent of the room before sitting back down. His question took me by surprise. "What are you talking about?" I retorted, pushing him away from me. "It smells like people were here!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the room. "Yeah, but they became zombies, so I threw them out of the window," I explained, my tone matter-of-fact.

His response was a smile, a strange reaction given our conversation. "I can also say that you've liked that Bare-Su or Su-hyeok, as you call him, for a long time now and he likes you as well. Trust me, I know him," he said, his words catching me off guard.

I growled at him, my surprise quickly turning into annoyance. I froze, processing his words. "If he likes me, then why isn't he interested in me?" I questioned, standing up with my hands on my hips. "Oh, I'm sure he is, Shinae. He's probably as interested in you as I am," he replied, a smile playing on his lips as he walked towards me.

"You smell heavenly, Shinae, but I don't feel like biting you," he said, pulling me into him. I tried to push him away, but he seemed to be in a daze. "It seems like it's a kind of scent that lured people when I'm thirsty. I guess it even worked when I was not thirsty but wanted Ms. Song to believe my lie. It's like a power, maybe," I mused.