His eyes were locked on the road ahead, unwavering. "Shut the fuck up, Doom Baby," Jang muttered to the inanimate zombies in the car, his voice low but sharp. "I've made up my mind, and this isn't for what you think."
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles whitening. "I couldn't give less of a damn about that tw—... bitch's circumstances. But..." He paused, his tone softening just slightly before hardening again.
"It's because of his mom... because of her, a dog got to live a little longer. That's the only reason I'm heading to where he said she's working. Nothing more to it." His voice turned into a growl. "This AIN'T CHARITY!" he barked, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the building coming into view.
"Well, shit," he murmured as his gaze landed on the skyscraper ahead. It was supposed to be 50 stories tall, but only 25 remained—the upper floors were consumed by flames, smoke curling into the night sky.
"Let's hope she wasn't in one of the upper floors," Jang muttered, his voice barely audible as he stepped out of the car, his zombie squadron following his lead.
"Alright, listen up!" he barked, his tone commanding. "Be fucking thorough, or I'll thoroughly fuck you up."
With that, they moved toward the half-collapsed building, the air thick with tension and smoke.
"Let's find that bitch's mommy," Jang growled, his voice carrying both determination and a hint of bitterness as they approached the fiery wreckage.
=========== SEVERAL DAYS LATER ============
Chuckles were loudly heard across the house, as Jiho's mother, Ji-yeon, flipped yet another page of the family's photo Album, "Look..." Ji-yeon murmured, her eyes dark and soaked as she looked at another photo, showing it to Eunhee and Daniel who sat by her side on the couch, Jiho's father - Min-soo, stood by the entrance window, looking out while puffing a cigarette.
"Holy shit... Is that flour...?" Daniel chuckled weakly as he looked at the image, with Eunhee soon following. His voice dry, his eyes showing the signs of insomnia, yet they were drier than everyone in the house.
"Yes," She murmured, her voice shaky as she traced the image of his infant photo, "He was such a naughty boy... He thought the flour was sugar and covered himself with it.." She murmured, her voice trailing off, Minsoo silently scoffing to himself at the word 'Naughty'.
"Jiho... My Jiho..." Her voice cracked as tears flowed down from her eyes, "Look, your friends are all here for you..." She softly called at the photo, her lips pursing as she once more was unable to contain her tears.
It was then both Daniel and Eunhee looked away, unable to look even in the eyes of a photo of their presumed-dead friend. Eunhee pressed her palm against her lips as she held back her cries, while Daniel's expression remained unreadable as he breathed deeply over and over again.
"Mommy and Daddy are here for you..." She sobbed uncontrollably, as his father hid his face in the sunlight.
"Miss..." Eunhee got up from her seat and rushed to her behalf and held her close, while weeping uncontrollably herself, dropping the photo album as she curled into a ball again.
"You're such good friends. You're such good friends...!" She murmured as she cried onto Eunhee's shoulder, who felt her heart twitch at Ji-yeon's words, and Daniel mimicked Min-soo; looking away - hiding his face even more.
"My baby boy..." She cried softly, causing even the stoic Min-soo to purse his lips as he looked out, already finishing his 15th cigarette of the past half-hour.
Soon after the outbreak, the army came to the school and extracted the students and teachers that barricaded themselves in; and were soon evacuated out of the quarantine zone.
Due to a great number of zombies, the army only had enough time to save the ones in the main building. Eunhee and Daniel and pretty much everyone of Jiho's classmates and schoolmates were freed... Minus Paul.
Currently, there's a program for the students that is at works. Another school is being built and prepared for them outside of the quarantine zone. But that's a story for later.
Eunhee and Daniel's families were close by Jiho's house. Miraculously, all of them were safe.
Ji-yeon was hurt that day; cracking her pelvis as she fell down the stairs. She was treated, and discharged quickly, after being instructed to rest at home. She never made it to work the day of the outbreak.
Everyone was safe.
All but Jiho, who ran deeper into the quarantine zone. He had the least luck of all; running in the direction of the outbreak.
Jiho's mother Ji-yeon and his father Min-soo waited anxiously for the military to publicize a list of missing people, as well as lost and found; as their hands were being held by their close friends and relatives.
What they did not know, and what Eunhee and Daniel did not have the heart to tell them was the injury the majority of the school saw on Jiho's palm. The bite wound. It was thanks to those many testimonies that the military soon declared Jiho...
... Dead.
And tragically, it was what brought his parents together, as they sat in their home, waiting for a son who will never return.
Eunhee and Daniel, unable to not feel they had a hand in Jiho's demise, had a silent agreement to not talk about what happened to Jiho that led to this, and would deal with it much, much later.
Right now... Jiho was still fresh in their minds, as they once more walked away from the An household, hand in hand; after consoling Ji-yeon.
'It was worth it...' Was the thought that kept Daniel up at nights. It was the thought that he donned as a shield. He grabbed Eunhee's palm as they walked away from Jiho's house.
It was warm. It was warmer than any palm he had ever felt... Yet, for some reason, his own palm couldn't get any of it anymore. As if encapsuled in his own icy tomb as he kept the truth to himself. That he shattered Jiho's 10 years' worth of trust in a single day, and then watching him run with that wound in his palm.
Surely it was worth it. It had to.
'Besides... W-we'll have our whole lives to... Get over it...'
Daniel gulped as he exhaled,
'To get over... Jiho-..' It was then he and Eunhee passed by the park, where they all bonded. Where he would go to as a child to hang out with Jiho. A memory flashing before his eyes.
================
"H-HEY...! I'M JIHO! W-...Wanna be friends?"
================
"Eunhee," Daniel stopped abruptly, letting go of her hand as he stopped in place.
"Daniel...?" Eunhee murmured as she looked at him, her eyes as weary as his, yet not nearly as dry.
"There's something you need to know."
--- MEANWHILE ---
"Marcel," Amelie said softly, stopping her butler as the sleek Bentley glided silently down the street. The car's windows were pitch-black, shielding them from view. "Stop the car."
"...Miss?" Marcel responded, his tone cautious as he eased the vehicle to a halt near the edge of the street.
He turned slightly, his gaze meeting Amelie's. Her expression was somber, her eyes cast downward.
"You need not worry," Marcel began gently, his voice steady. "We shall—"
"Let's not tell them he's alive," Amelie interrupted, her voice resolute yet tinged with hesitation as she raised her head to meet his gaze.
"My lady...?" Marcel questioned, a slight furrow forming in his brow. Confusion flickered in his eyes. "Why not...? We're nearly there."
"...What if we tell them," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, "but Jiho dies later...? They'd be devastated." Her words hung heavy in the air, the weight of her concern palpable.
Marcel looked down, his lips pressing into a thin line as her words settled in.
'You've truly matured, my lady,' he thought, pride swelling quietly within him. 'To consider their feelings so deeply…'
Amelie exhaled softly, her resolve hardening. "Jiho... Jiho has to tell them himself," she said, her voice steady as she looked directly at him.
"He'll live. And he'll do it."