Plague 2023 (Plague 2022 Season 2)

Episode 26

“What?” Yuri’s voice was barely a whisper, her mind racing to comprehend what Yon had just revealed. Could it be true? Was Su-yeong hiding something as dangerous as being infected?

Eunhye’s eyes darted from Yon to Su-yeong, her expression a mix of disbelief and fear. They had been so focused on Jaeyeon, so caught up in their fears about what he might become, that they had overlooked the possibility that there might be more than one, hiding a similar dark secret.

BEYOND THE BARRICADE: THE SHADOWS WITHIN

Yuri’s heart thudded in her chest, a mix of fear and confusion swirling in her mind as she took another cautious step back from Su-yeong. “Is that true? What is going on?” she demanded, her voice quivering with a mix of disbelief and rising panic.

Su-yeong’s eyes flickered with a mixture of guilt and resignation as she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes, it’s true,” she muttered, the weight of her secret finally crashing down around her.

“What?” Eunhye’s voice cracked as she struggled to process the revelation. “Why didn’t you tell us? Did Jaeyeon know?”

Su-yeong nodded again, her eyes downcast. She could feel the judgment radiating from Eunhye and Yuri, their fear and anger palpable. Jaeyeon had been the first to accept her when her secret came to light. He had been the one to bridge the gap between her and the rest of the group, urging them to be patient and understanding. He had given them reasons, logical and heartfelt, about why it was okay to let Su-yeong stay with them, despite the danger she might pose.

“He said that…since I don’t act strange…that I haven’t been for a long while, it would be okay to let me tag along,” Su-yeong began, her voice trembling as she tried to explain, but she was cut off abruptly.

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the room, startling everyone. Eunhye had struck Su-yeong across the face, her eyes brimming with tears and her expression twisted in a mix of hurt and disgust. “How could you?” Eunhye screamed, her voice breaking as the tears streamed down her cheeks. “Me and Seonsangnim were scared. We were fools! But you? You should have stood up for them! For him!”

The accusation hung heavy in the air, and the tension in the room grew unbearable. Su-yeong clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes filled with a combination of shame and sorrow. She had known that revealing her secret would come with consequences, but the reality of it was far more painful than she had anticipated.

Yuri, her hands shaking, looked between the two women, trying to grasp the full extent of what had just been revealed. “How many more secrets are you hiding?” she demanded, her voice cold as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Su-yeong hesitated, her gaze falling to the floor as she wrestled with the decision to reveal more. She knew there was no turning back now. The truth had to come out, no matter how devastating it might be.

“Hamin is probably a zombie too,” Su-yeong finally confessed, her voice barely audible as she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the fallout.

The room fell into a stunned silence, the air thick with tension. Yuri and Eunhye both recoiled, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. It was as if the floor had been pulled out from under them, and they were left scrambling for solid ground. The implications of what Su-yeong had just revealed were almost too much to bear.

“W-what?” Yuri stammered, her mind struggling to process the possibility. Hamin too? How could this have been kept hidden from them? How could they have been so blind?

Eunhye’s tears flowed freely now, her body trembling with a mixture of anger, fear, and betrayal. “How could you keep something like that from us?” she choked out, her voice filled with raw emotion. “We trusted you…we all trusted you!”