Chae Rin's POV
"What the hell is taking them so long..." I huffed, annoyed, it had been quite a while since both Su Hyeok and Cheong San had left, heading out for the teacher's office to get a phone.
But the two were still not back, and not wanting to pretend I wasn't concerned was getting harder as time went by.
"I just want to know the reason as to why we still haven't been rescued. We're children, shouldn't we be a priority?" Hyo Ryeong asked, I shrugged, not knowing how to respond.
"In some countries, they are sadder when adults die than when children die. And in others, they are sadder when children die. Which do you think our country is?" Nam Ra asked.
From besides Wu Jin, I looked at her questionably, but she simply looked ahead, not looking anyone in the eyes.
"What do you mean?" Dae Su asked her confused.
"When kids die, you lose hope. When adults die, you lose their wisdom. Hope and wisdom. Which do we value more?" Joon Yeong explained, everyone stood quiet listening, you could see why he was the 2nd smartest, of course, not everyone was smart though.
"What?" Dae Su's question came soon after his.
"They've been flying around since yesterday. If they wanted to save us, they would have already. But even if they do come, we won't be the first to be rescued. We're not that important" She stated.
"Because we're students" I completed her sentence.
"Yes... Nothing more" she finished.
"At the end of the day, even if we stay here, we won't get rescued" I mumble.
"Why's that?" Wu Jin asked, turning to me.
"Uh, I don't know if you noticed but, there's no room for a helicopter to land here" I said, he hummed nodding his head.
"The only way to save ourselves is to get to the roof" I sigh.
"There's no way that we'll head there now by ourselves, our main fighters are still Su Hyeok and Cheong San" I said.
"We have you" Ji Min said.
"Yes, but I can't possibly take on every zombie out there..." I dragged on.
"We're not going outside the room with just you" On Jo winces turning to Ji Min.
"What? Am I in the wrong for saying she can fight?" Ji Min asks, annoyed at On Jo.
"You're basically sending her on a death trip" Nam Ra chuckles dryly, Ji Min simply rolls her eyes.
~~~~~~~~
"Su Hyeok!" Dae Su and Joon Yeong's voice sounds after a while of silence, everyone rushes to him as he gets down from the window standing in the middle of the room.
"Are you okay?"
Where's the phone?"
I rush to the window pushing lightly onto his shoulder looking to the side, expecting Cheong San to be behind, or on his way, but, it was empty.
"Where's Cheong San?" I ask worried, On Jo asks again, but Su Hyeok doesn't respond, so she joins my side by the window.
"Su Hyeok. Where's Cheong San?" I ask, voice a little softer, almost scared to ask, and he finally turns back to look at me.
"We got separated in the teachers' office. He'll be okay" He replied in a calm tone, I nod, my lips forming a thin line as I turn to stare out the window again.
"You got separated? Fuck" Dae Su says, him too looking out the window.
"I'm sorry... for coming back alone" he says, voice shaking.
"One is better than none. He'll be back. I know it"I confidently said,
'Please don't let me be wrong in this' I thought to myself as I stared out the window, On Jo's hand squeezing mine for comfort that I could not find.
I looked down, eyes closed as I pondered the options, I could quite literally leave through the window and go to the teacher's office and run around seeing if I can find him, probably die in the process.
Or I could stay inside and hope that he can find his way back to the room.
I leaned more towards the first option...
I sniffle quietly, leaning my head on On Jo's shoulder as she continues to rub her thumb on my hand.
"I've been a wreck these past few days, haven't I?" I joked, a smile plasters on her face as she turned to look at me.
"You've been crying a lot more these days. It's weird. I thought it was impossible for you to cry" she said sarcastically, I chuckle.
"I'm glad" she said sweetly.
"What do you mean?" I asked her confused, looking up at her as she looked out the window.
"We're best friends, but I had never seen you cry. I thought that maybe you just didn't trust me enough to cry in front of me" she explained.
"We are best friends. But, I didn't want to concern you with sad feelings" I replied looking away.
"That's what friends are for, concerns and feelings. We support each other" she pinched me.
"I'll tell you, whatever I'm feeling. I'll tell you all of it" I smiled, she exhales with a smile, nodding happily.
"Do you think he's safe?" I ask her.
"It's Cheong San, I bet he's kicking ass to get back to the group" she nods, almost as if she's trying to convince herself, but soon enough I sniffle, and looking to my side, On Jo had a tear falling down.
"I didn't know how much I would lose in these 2 days" I laughed, wiping a tear.
"Me neither..." her voice betraying her as it sways, my own cracking as tears fall down faster.
"Why?" She asks me concerned.
"I hope they can make a vaccine that can reverse it" I say, she nods agreeing.
As silence settles in, I see Su Hyeok approach us, On Jo wipes her tears and I show him a reassuring smile and pat his shoulder before moving back sitting next to Nam Ra, my body leaning towards her side, her hand grabbing at mine as I lay my head on her shoulder.
"Joon Yeong, didn't you say your science club made drones?" She asks, almost confirming that his club did those.
"Yes. You want to look for Cheong San using a drone?" Joon Yeong asked.
"Is it possible?" I ask almost immediately.
"It is, but it's in the science lab" He faltered.
"We can go there. Let's go." I announce, standing up.
"How can we get there? It's full of zombies out there" He stated.
"We can use the hose!" I pointed at it.
"You want me to climb up using that?" He asks credulously.
"Yea, or do you want to run through the corridor?" I ask him sarcastically.
"The science lab is filled with zombies too" Hyo Ryeong said.
"There weren't any in the supply room, though. Cheong San went in to grab the prosthetic arm" I said assertively.
"We have to find Cheong San. Right now, we only have each other" On Jo commented.
"Yes. It would be good if we had a drone. We can find Cheong San and see how things are outside. We may even be able to send a message asking for help" Nam Ra remarks, I nod agreeing.
"That's all good, but, who will go?" Hyo Ryeong asks.
"I will" I volunteer, looking around the room.
"I'll go too then. I've had fire department training, and I've climbed ropes before" On Jo joins.
"No, I'll go" Su hyeok says, approaching the group, On Jo and him share a look.
"You went to the teachers' office already. You can't keep putting yourself in danger" She tells him.
"The drone wasn't complete, so we need a few more parts. Do you know what to get?" Joon Yeong asked, fully aware of what the answer would be.
"I have to go anyway. I'll go with the girls" he states, I smile.
"Chae Rin, why don't you stay here?" On Jo encourages, but I shake my head.
"I need to do this, plus if something goes wrong, you require someone to fight" I smirk showing my fists which made her smile a little.
"No. This time, I'll really go" Dae Su vowed, standing up straight with a serious expression on his face.
"You can't go. Not with that body. The rope will snap" Wu Jin told him.
"It was fine when I came down. But it'll snap if I climb up, right?" Dae Su said, in a way, finding a way to stay as Wu Jin confirmed that it would, in fact, snap.
"Right, good boy" He assured Dae Su, and he leaned back onto the radio.
"Next time, Dae Su" I promised, he nodded.
"Joon Yeong, let's go together" I smiled to which he nodded standing up the three of us walking to the window but Su Hyeok grabbed On Jo's elbow.
"It's too dangerous" He objected, "I'll go"
"Jump" I dared Joon Yeong, he did try, but he couldn't, and I snickered.
He finally went up on the desk and grabbed onto the hose.
"I'll go first" He announced, I nodded.
"Be careful" I warned as he began climbing up the rope.
"You go first, I'll cover you" I told On Jo who nodded.
"Be careful" Ji Min told her as she approached us on the window, Su Hyeok grabbing onto the rope steadying it.
"Come back safely, I'll be watching from here" Su Hyeok reassured her.
"I'll be with her, you can relax" I sighed.
On Jo nodded at him, beginning to climb up the rope.
"Do you think everything's all right out there?" Hyo Ryeong asks, her too approaching.
"I'm sure it is. As you said, the soldiers and the police are there." Ji Min replied, On Jo had just reached the window when I pulled the hose closer to me.
"I'll be back" I winked, using two fingers to signal them off.
"Ya! Grab the hose!" Su Hyeok exclaimed.
"Calm down, I'm fine" I mumbled, using my arms to fully go up the rope instead of using my feet.
"Why are you so bossy anyway, jeez" I complained, finally putting my foot in the hole before immediately leaping for the next one, making him gasp.
"Ya!" He scolded, I stuck my tongue out at him, just as I reached the supply room's window.
~~~~~~~~
Getting through the window, Joon Yeong helped me get down, grabbing onto my hand as I jumped down from the window frame.
"What do you need help with?" I asked him.
"On Jo is getting the drone, and it's bag, just help her load the things into the bad" He instructed, I nodded heading towards her.
"Joon Yeong, should we take both drones?" I ask him, he turns around, assessing the two.
"No, let the other one here, It needs too many things" He explained, I nodded as we finally closed the bag.
"We're done" I informed him.
"Me too, let's go back down" He said, all of us heading back to the window.
"I'll go last, go on" I smiled at the two, they nodded unsure, but nevertheless followed what I said, On Jo going down first with the big bag of material.
Joon Yeong following after her.
"Chae Rin, come on" I heard Joon Yeong yell from bellow.
"Give me 5 minutes" I said.
"Why do you need 5 minutes?!" He hissed.
"Just go prepare the drone!" I shooed him off.
"Ya!"
I slightly open the supply room door, most zombies too distracted, most of them outside to notice, I notice Nam Ra's post it on the wall and smirk as I reach out to grab it, just as a Zombie notices my presence, I hurry and grab it slamming the door.
"Sucker" I laugh staring at the piece of paper.
"What a flirt" I snicker stuffing it into my pocket as I reach for the hose going down.
"What took you so long?!" Joon Yeong asked confused, already busy putting together the drone.
"I went into the classroom" I said shrugging.
"What?!" On Jo shrieked.
"Calm down, the zombies didn't know I was there. Anyways, I thought I could grab my jacket, but uh... It was at the very corner of the room, so I couldn't get it" I sighed moving to sit next to Nam Ra.
As Joon Yeong finishes assembling it, he sticks a note at the top of the drone, stating our location and then turns it on, a few noises bringing it to life.
"Oh! That's cool" I mumbled
"Does it work? Is it working?" Dae Su asked him, eyes going between him and the machine.
"I think it will" Joon Yeong mumbled back to him, taking off his glasses to put on the VCR ones that connect to the drone's view.
"Can you see?" I ask him.
"Yes. I'm not blind" he said annoyed, the drone getting up from it's spot on the table.
"I never said you were" I pointed out, the drone passed by my head almost cutting it off.
"Ya. I don't want my thombstone to say, death by drone decapitation" I cried.
"Its' so fast" Dae Su commented.
"I'll take it outside after I find Cheong San. If I find rescuers outside, I'll land it in front of them" he said, taking the drone closer to the window.
"wait" Nam Ra called out.
"They say when people confirm their situation is hopeless, they truly fall into despair" she said.
"That's a cool saying. But what does that mean?" Dae Su asks utterly confused.
"It means that we shouldn't despair, despite what the outside looks like" I explained.
"I see. So that's what it means?" Dae Su asks nodding.
"Prez. It's best to have a plan and act accordingly, but we're not top students or as smart as you. Being logical isn't necessarily being human" On Jo told her.
"We should be logical in crisis situations" Nam Ra replied.
"Right now, we need hope more than logic" On Jo said.
"Look, i think flying that is what we need the most right now" Dae Su said pointing at the drone still on the air
"Try it, hurry" I said.
"Here I go then" Joon Yeong states, finally getting the drone out the window.
Everyone soon gathers near the desk as the player showcases the magnitude of the issue in the school.
Zombies flooded every single room we went through.
"Holy fuck... Are we the only ones alive in this foresaken hell?" I ask rhetorically.
As we continue to look through the windows, the one in the infirmary was open, Joon Yeong uses it as an advantage getting in and looking around.
"There's no one in the infirmary" Wu Jin says.
"Joon Yeong, go somewhere else" Dae Su suggested.
His drone goes out the infirmary room, just as a zombie with an arrow through her stomach appears.
"Wait. Hold on" Wu Jin says extending his arm looking back at the camera as I lean forward to watch.
"Why? What is it? Do you know the girl?" I ask him.
"Isn't that an arrow?" Joon Yeong asks.
"Where?"
"Right here" Wu Jin points out replying to Dae Su's question.
"You're right. It is an arrow. But why? " I mumble looking at him.
"My sister. She had a competition today" He says worried, his look said it all, he was worried, and Dae Su took notice squeezing the friend's shoulder.
Not long after that, Wu Jin and Dae Su got onto their knees, hands on the desk as they watched the camera images, I continuously took glances at Wu Jin, making sure he wasn't thinking too much about the past image.
His hand on his head as he continued to watch the images.
The drone went through corridors, entering another classroom, zombies inside, one of them tearing through the body of another person.
"Where the hell is Cheong San" Su hyeok muttered.
The drone finally went out the window, a student hung by the neck on a rope...
And finally.
"It's Cheong San!" On Jo exclaimed, I got up from my seat moving besides On Jo to stare better.
"What room is that?!" I asked.
"Cheong San!" Su hyeok called out.
"He can't hear you from here" Joon Yeong informed him.
"Ya, Lee Cheong San!" On Jo cried.
"I said he can't hear you" Joon Yeong repeated.
"On Jo, it's all right now. Cheong San is alive! He's alive! " Su hyeok assured her happily, hugging her.
My eyes widen at the scene, I look at him, his eyes meeting mine.
"The fuck are you doing?" I mouth to him before pointing at Nam Ra with my head, his head follows, Nam Ra staring at the interaction before turning away, Su hyeok pulls apart from On Jo going back to lean on Dae Su to watch the screen.
"What's he doing? Where's he going?" Dae Su asks confused as the image showed Cheong San cautiously walking along the room.
"Look this way. Look here! Where are you going moron?" Dae Su yelled at the screen.
"He can't hear you, Dae Su!" Joon Yeong said annoyed.
"Be quiet won't you. You'll get us killed"
"My bad" He says sadly.
"Didn't you say the battery was low?" Ji Min asks,
"Yes, I couldn't charge it fully so there isn't much juice left" Joon Yeong confirmed.
"Since we confirmed where Cheong San is, let's look elsewhere. We wanted to check outside and ask for help too. Chae Rin, is that okay? " she questions.
"Huh? Ah, yes. Sure. Let's do that" I smiled.
I move a little around until I'm between Wu Jin and Joon Yeong, Wu Jin was basically cornered as Dae Su stood above him, arms besides both of his, Su Hyeok with his arm over Dae Su, staring at the monitor, On Jo behind Hyo Ryeong, Ji Min right at the monitor and Nam Ra a little to the side.
I crouch down poking Wu Jin's leg as he turns his head to looks at me.
"You okay?" I whisper to him placing my hand on his knee, he tries to smile nodding slightly, I smile back at him.
"She'll be fine, don't worry. If she's here then we'll find her" I assured.
"thank you"
"Damn, Fuck, it's zombieland outside" Dae Su commented, the drone capturing all of the zombies who rushed to get the drone as it flew around the sky, the noise getting their senses.
"I think we should look outside the school" Nam Ra said.
"Let's go out" Dae Su insisted, Joon Yeong agreed, turning the drone 360 degrees to look around the whole permissis.
"Wait" Ji Min cut the silence.
"what is it?" Joon Yeong asked confused.
"Wait" she repeated, her voice cracking, as the look of despair on her face worsened.
"What's wrong?" I asked her, but she simply started silently crying.
"Wait. I can't..."
"What is it?" He asked her softly
"This... this is my dad's car" She pointed out.
"Which one? The white one? The black one?" He said turning the drone to the sides calling out different cars.
"This truck. It's my dad's." she says pointing at the camera.
"Don't worry. I'm sure there are lots of cars like that" On Jo said trying to console the poor girl.
"Let me check" he said, approaching the truck with his camera which only made the girl break into sobs.
Everyone turned away, unsure of what to do as the camera pinned to both of her parents inside the car, both turned into zombies.
On Jo hugged the poor girl, the drone's battery dying and Joon Yeong taking off the glasses.
I sat on the ground, hands on my mouth as I closed my eyes, selfishly hoping for my mother to still be home and alive.