𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚋𝚒𝚊 💐 - fear of being alone

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟙𝟞🦋

𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐍

🖇️

The fire slowly began to die down, and everyone started getting ready to sleep. Felix, Chan, and Seungmin set up tents while Lee Know and Jeongin made sure our perimeter was secure. Hyunjin and I took one last look around the campsite before sitting down side by side on a blanket under the stars.

I was wrapped in a warm jacket, but I still felt the chill of the night air. Hyunjin must've noticed because he scooted closer, draping one of his arms around my shoulders. "Cold, Shorty?"

I nodded, leaning into his warmth. "A little."

He rested his chin on top of my head, his hand gently rubbing my arm. "Don't worry. You're safe with me."

I smiled softly, my eyes fluttering closed as I relaxed into his side. It was moments like this that reminded me just how much Hyunjin meant to me. He had always been my safe place, the one I could rely on no matter what.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he nudged me gently. "Hey, Haewon."

"Yeah?"

He pulled something out from his jacket pocket and held it up in front of me. "Guess who I found hiding in my bag?"

My eyes widened as I recognized the second, and tiny plush duck he had won for me back at the amusement park. "Mini Ducky!"

Hyunjin chuckled, handing it to me. "Yep, seems like Mini Ducky wanted to come along for the adventure too."

I hugged the little plushie close to Adventure Ducky, feeling my heart swell with warmth. "Now they both have a friend."

"Just like us," Hyunjin said softly, his voice filled with affection. "We're always gonna have each other, no matter what."

I looked up at him, my heart fluttering at his words. "Always," I whispered back.

The stars twinkled above us, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful—like, despite the world being in chaos, as long as we had each other, we'd be okay.

As we settled down for the night, I curled up in my sleeping bag, Adventure Ducky and Mini Ducky tucked safely by my side. Seungmin was lying nearby, already half-asleep, while Jeongin snuggled into his own sleeping bag on the other side of the fire.

Just before I closed my eyes, Jeongin's sleepy voice drifted over. "Goodnight, Haewon."

"Goodnight, Innie," I whispered back, smiling to myself.

Hyunjin, lying just a few feet away, gave me a gentle nudge with his foot. "Sweet dreams, Shorty."

I giggled softly. "You too, Daffy."

With that, I closed my eyes, feeling safe and warm, surrounded by the people I cared about most in the world. No matter what came next, I knew we'd face it together.

The journey to Incheon had felt like the longest we'd ever been on. The endless roads, the distant groans of zombies that echoed in the night—it was all a haunting reminder of the danger that constantly lurked in the shadows. But through it all, we had hope. The thought of reaching the safe camp kept us moving, step after step, mile after mile.

We'd been walking for what felt like hours, the exhaustion settling into my bones. Every now and then, Hyunjin would glance back at me, concern etched across his face, but I'd force a smile and nod. I had to be strong, for them, for myself. We were so close now.

When we finally reached the outskirts of the camp, my heart raced with anticipation. In the distance, I could see the fence that surrounded it, tall and sturdy, just like Chan had described. But as we drew closer, something felt... off.