The two groups entered different part of the school . Tae Hyun group was able to outrun the infected.The group of seven stumbled into the music classroom, shutting the door as quietly as possible. The soft thud of the door closing seemed deafening in the silence. The room smelled musty, with sheet music scattered across the floor. Tae Hyun quickly checked the windows, making sure they were locked.
"We can't stay here long," one of the other students, Min Soo, muttered nervously, wiping sweat from his brow. "This place isn't safe."
Kyung Jisoo leaned against the wall, his breath still heavy from the run. "We need to go back. We can't just leave the others behind."
Akiko nodded, stepping closer. "They could be trapped, or worse. We shouldn't have split up in the first place."
Tae Hyun, still pacing by the door, whirled around, glaring at them. "Are you both out of your minds? Going back is the dumbest thing we could do. We barely made it here alive."
Seung Hwan, the boy with the bandage arm, raised his hand slightly. "Tae Hyun's right. We don't even know where the others are. Going back might just get us all killed."
Kyung Jisoo straightened, his expression hardening. "So what? We just abandon them? They're part of the group, Seung Hwan."
Min Ji, a tall girl who had been keeping to the back, spoke up hesitantly. "We don't even know if they're alive, though. What if… what if it's already too late?"
Akiko shook her head, determination in her eyes. "I'm not ready to accept that. We have to try—splitting up was a mistake. We're stronger together."
Tae Hyun scoffed, his frustration boiling over. "This isn't about being 'stronger together.' It's about staying alive! You think going back will help anyone? You saw what happened back there! We go back, and we'll all end up like her!" His voice cracked at the memory of the girl who had been devoured by the infected.
Another student, Ha Rin , who had been nervously clutching her bag, spoke up. "I don't like this either, but Tae Hyun's right. If we go back, we could lead the infected straight to them—or worse, we'll get caught ourselves."
Kyung Jisoo stepped forward, his fists clenched. "So that's it? You're all okay with leaving half our group to die?"
Min Soo shifted uncomfortably. "We don't even know if they're still alive, Kyung Jisoo. We can't just throw ourselves into danger."
Akiko crossed her arms, her tone icy. "I'm not talking about being reckless. I'm talking about survival. If they're still alive, we have a chance. We can't just leave them."
Tae Hyun stepped toward Kyung Jisoo, his voice low and dangerous. "We don't even know where they are. You want to risk everything for a slim chance that they're out there? That's not survival. That's suicide."
The room grew tense as the argument escalated. Seung Hwan watched . "Look, I get it. No one wants to leave anyone behind, but we're not doing anyone any favors if we get ourselves killed too."
Ha Rin nervously bit her lip, looking between the others. "Maybe… maybe we can find another way? Like, maybe there's another route or something?"
Before anyone could respond, a loud bang echoed from somewhere down the hallway, freezing everyone in place. Tae Hyun held up a hand, motioning for silence. The air felt heavy with dread, every creak and groan of the building making their nerves fray.
Min Soo swallowed hard. "Whatever's out there, it's close."
Tae Hyun glared at Kyung Jisoo and Akiko. "Look, we need to stay focused. We head to the roof, we make a signal for help. That's the only plan that makes sense. We can't go running off looking for people who might already be dead."
Kyung Jisoo gritted his teeth, but he didn't respond. Akiko shot Tae Hyun a cold glance but kept quiet as well.
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken tension. Finally, Tae Hyun spoke again, his voice quieter but firm. "If you two still want to go, be my guest. But I'm not risking the rest of us for a wild goose chase."
Kyung Jisoo's hands balled into fists at his sides, his frustration clear, but the sound of another distant bang made the decision for them. Akiko exhaled slowly, exchanging a resigned look with Kyung Jisoo. For now, they would follow Tae Hyun's plan.
"Fine," Kyung Jisoo muttered, his voice tight. "But we're not giving up on them."
Tae Hyun gave a short, tense nod. "We'll see. But first, we survive."
With that, the group began to gather their bearings, preparing for the next leg of their journey toward the roof—though the tension between them remained, simmering just below the surface.
*Meanwhile, in the other block of the school,* Mr. Im, Hwang Jin, Iseul, Ah Rim, Seung Min, and the two other students hurriedly crashed into a classroom, barring the door behind them. Their breaths came in short, desperate gasps as they leaned against the walls, the silence of the room a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
Iseul, still trembling from the earlier encounter, huddled in a corner, trying to steady her breathing. Mr. Im scanned the group, relieved that at least they were safe—for now.
"Do you think the others made it?" Hwang Jin asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his face pale with exhaustion.
Ah Rim, pacing near the window, let out a snort. "Who knows? Maybe they found a better spot. Or maybe they didn't. Either way, I'm not waiting around for them."
Iseul glanced up, her eyes wide with fear. "They wouldn't leave us behind… right? They'll come back. They have to."
Seung Min, still recovering from his earlier episode, sat on the floor, clutching his inhaler. "It's too dangerous to assume anything," he muttered. "For all we know, they're trapped—or worse."
Mr. Im sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We can't rely on them coming back for us. We need to focus on staying alive. If they make it, they'll find us. But for now, we stick together and prepare for the worst."
The group fell into a tense silence. They all knew the truth—they were on their own for the moment, and survival wasn't guaranteed. But despite the uncertainty, there was a flicker of hope, however small, that the others might still be out there, fighting to reunite.
As the tense silence lingered, one of the two students, a boy named Kim sung, finally spoke up. His voice was cool and soothing. "Even if they make it they are not coming for us. The boy who was filed to the monitors, he has this weird vibe around him."
The other student, a girl named Eun Bi, who had been silent, looked up. Her voice was soft but filled with a quiet determination. "I agree with Kim that guy something is off about him."
Ah Rim scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Drama, Drama, Drama."
Eun Bi straightened her back, her eyes narrowing. "But here isn't safe we need to move."
Mr. Im held up a hand, trying to defuse the tension. "calm down.Tae Hyun isn't a get along type but he is a good kid."
Seung Min, still catching his breath, looked at the window. "We could take another path to the east block.We need to get the school's design."
Hwang Jin nodded thoughtfully. "That could work, but we'll have to be smart about it."
The group fell quiet again, each person weighing their options. It was clear they had to do something, but the risks were high.
Eun Bi glanced at him and gave a small nod of encouragement. "We will. We just need to be smart."
Mr. Im, sensing the growing resolve among them, stood up and looked around the room for anything they could use. "The only design available is in the principal's office."
" Then it's settled we get our hand on that design " Seung Min said. The room became silent as a cemetery on the thought about the plan.