Train To Busan

Chapter 1

It's been two months since Soo Yun moved in Seoul, but things weren't going as she was expecting. Her job was stressing her: because of it, she didn't have time to go out or even to make some friends. She was always so busy that she barely had the time to go to sleep; it was a nightmare. So, after two months of living like this, she decided to leave all behind and go back to Busan. She missed her parents, her friends, her old job. She didn't care if life was better in Seoul. She wanted a happy life, she wanted to enjoy things and that was what Seoul couldn't give her: happiness and freedom. So, she grabbed her stuff in the apartment and then left.

The train station was full of people that day, even though it was late at night; Soo Yun walked around, with the backpack on her shoulders and her ticket in hand. She stopped looking at the timetable, in which was also indicated the binary she had to find. But as soon as she stopped someone ran over her from behind; Soo Yun turned around, confused. There stood a man, with a phone in his hand and a little girl beside him.

"I'm sorry -he bowed his head a little bit- I wasn't looking where I was going" Soo Yun stared at him in silence, appreciating his beauty. He was for sure one of the most handsome men she had ever seen in her life. He was really tall and fit; in that moment he was wearing something that looked like an elegant suit, that perfectly suited him. His hair was short and black, the same color was in his eyes. She felt like getting lost once she gazed in them, and he looked really young even though he already had a daughter. Maybe he was in his late thirties. 

"It's fine, don't worry" she replied with a smile after a few seconds of silence. He returned the smile, staring at her for some time before the girl started to tug a strip of his jacket.

"Dad, our train will leave soon"

"Alright... Then, goodbye miss" he gave her another smile before walking away with the kid; Soo Yun sighed, watching him leave for a few seconds, then she returned to look at the timetable. Soon, she found the number of the binary and without other hesitations, she reached it. The inspector asked for her ticket and after checking it, he let her in; she thanked him and took off her backpack, walking through the corridors to go to her wagon, which was the number 11. The train was packed with people it was almost a surprise for her especially because it was a weekday.

Soo Yun stopped for a second, waiting for the other people to find their seats so she could look for hers. She couldn't help but smile when she saw a baseball team. She used to play it when she was in high school, but when she started the university she had to leave it behind. It had been such a shame since she was really good. When everyone sat, it was easy for her to find her place.

"Welcome aboard the KTX line, enjoy your ride" the pilot said before starting the engine; soon the train started moving and Soo Yun sighed, grabbing her phone; she didn't tell her mom yet so it was time to do it. The girl composed the number then she waited for a few second the response.

"The phone number is not reachable at the moment, please call back later"  said the metallic voice.

Soo Yun stared at her phone. Weird, she thought. Her mom had never missed a call. But she tried not to think about it to just enjoy the view outside the window; the weather wasn't that good, she thought it was going to rain soon but she didn't mind it. She loved the rain, especially when she was at home, under the sheets, just hearing the sound of it against the window. 
After a few minutes of looking outside, her stomach growled. She skipped lunch that day so she was pretty hungry at the moment; fortunately, she saw some machines which sold food before reaching her wagon. So, she grabbed her money and started to look for them.

"Excuse me" the girl tried to stop one of the inspectors, but he was walking fast and he looked really worried so she just decided to look for the machines alone. When she finally saw one of them, she had reached the wagon number 9. She was inspecting the food, trying to choose which one to eat when she heard some screams coming from the wagons she had just passed. Curiously, she put the money away and opened the door of the wagon number 10; a crowd of people was covering her view, but she could see something was happening. It almost looked like a fight. 

"What the hell..." she whispered, moving out the way when some people started to run towards her. But the last one was attacked and tackled on the floor by somebody else; Soo Yun stared at the scene in shock, while that poor guy was getting eaten from the other one. 

"Run!" someone grabbed her, dragging her behind but her eyes couldn't leave that scene. Was it all inside her head? No, it couldn't be. And when she saw those two getting up from the floor to run after her, she knew she had to run faster than she could. 

Crying and feeling the pain in her legs, she pushed her way to the front; she could see the last wagon where most of the people stood. The man she met at the station was right in front of the door, telling her and all the people behind to run faster. She reached out her hand and he grabbed it, pulling her inside. Once Soo Yun was in she fell on her knees, feeling like the air was being squeezed out of her lungs. She scratched her neck, failing every time to breathe air in.

"Hey! Hey!" she saw him again, in front of her face, trying to calm her down; he grabbed her hands, stopping her from hurting herself.

"Look at me! Everything is fine!" Soo Yun stared at him, scared. 

"Follow me, just do what I do -he tried to instruct her- First in, then out. You can do it" while doing this, he held her hand and even though it was a minimum contact it did help her a lot. She imitated him, staring deep into his eyes, until, slowly, she started to breathe again. He remained on the floor with her for few minutes, just to be sure she was really alright.

"Have a seat there. It's more comfortable" he said once she was stable; Soo Yun nodded, following him until he set her on a chair.

"Thank you for helping me"

"It's fine -he looked over the door, now covered with paper sheets- What's your name?" he asked, trying to keep her distracted.

"It's Soo Yun"

"I would have preferred to meet you under different circumstances, anyways, I'm Seok-Woo. That's my daughter, Soo-An" Seok-Woo said, but before she could reply his phone rang. He excused himself and stood up to answer the call. Soo Yun just looked at him and immediately she could tell something was wrong; he looked really worried and she could see some tears in his eyes. People all around them were panicking too.

"Mom, are you hurt?" that question was enough for her to understand that was the last time he was going to talk with his mother. She was smart enough to tell that if the situation inside the train was like that, outside was worse.
She thought of her family, regretting on leaving the phone in her bag. Were they okay?

"Attention, please. Because of recent developments, the stop of the Cheonan was suppressed. For your safety, please remain in your place."