13) Daegu City

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'You left everything, why did you leave us? Out of all these years I'd came across your secret, that journal I gave to you... your precious works inside. I hate you and yet I'm so invested in what you had found, why you left and where you've gone. Part of me wants to throw it away, but I wouldn't benefit from it and neither will you.'

"Jeongyeon, are you awake?" Sana waved her hand in front of her face almost startling her.
"Y-Yes, I'm here."
"It looked like you were spacing out." Jihyo joined as she smiled.
Jeongyeon nodded quickly and hung back at the end of the group where Chaeyoung was joking around with Dahyun with her the help of her knife.
"What are you doing?" Jeongyeon exclaimed.
They both stopped and Chaeyoung hid the knife behind her back.
"Chaeyoung was impersonating someone from a horror film." Dahyun said quietly.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Which one?"
"That guy from Friday the thirteenth." Chaeyoung answered.
"Doesn't he have an axe or a machete? Your dumb small knife does not compare to that." She laughed as Dahyun joined in.
"Hey! It's a good knife!"  Chaeyoung pouted.
"It's puny like you." Jeongyeon sniggered as a huge laughter broke out from the group.
"That's it!" Chaeyoung sheathed her knife and clenched her fist.
"No no no no! Chaeyoung stop!" Tzuyu immediately ran up to her, grabbing her by the waist.

"As you guys were distracted, we just found a town." Ryujin interrupted their dispute. In front of them was large city never mind town, it spread across all around them and realising where they were, they were surprised how close they are from Busan.
"Daegu city." Chaeryeong smiled, "We're almost there."
They continued until they found themselves in the middle of the street with large buildings surrounding each corner and side. Daegu was one of the largest cities in South Korea, hoping they would avoid contact with other people, but that's not 100% guaranteed. A few shouts and came from the others side of the buildings which made them push to the East.

As they walked down the street, they realised that a few people were staring at them from the office buildings and large complexes.
"They're friendly?" Yuna asked as she grabbed Lia's arm.
"They're not attacking us yet, but let's just watch ourselves." Jeongyeon kept her gun close.
Strangers on the streets backed away as they snarled at them.
"We should warn them." Dahyun said.
"They won't believe us and even if they did, we can't risk taking more people." Momo shook her head, "We have to look out for our group."

Further on, noticing that people had abandoned a certain part of the city, no one was there but the distance wails. Nobody had seem to rummage the streets. It was empty. "Where is everyone?" Ryujin asked.
Nayeon looked back and saw the locals staring from afar as if they were waiting patiently. They shook their heads as a few people grasped onto each other.
"They seem scared." Nayeon spoke.
"Scared of what exactly?" Yeji asked.
"Maybe we'll find out." Jihyo pointed at a circular-square structure just as a stadium.

"What's that?" Chaeyoung nervously asked.
"It's the Daegu Mall, maybe they know something we don't." Mina sighed.
They surveillance the area to see any signs of movement, but it was safe for now.
"Should we go in?" Tzuyu asked.
"We'll just go in quickly, no rests." Jihyo instructed as everyone agreed.

On arriving at the entrance, the glass doors had been shattered to pieces and small dried droplets of blood around the area.
Inside was just an empty space, a few shops were shut and abandoned.
"We should stick together." Momo said.
No one spoke, but they all followed her lead as everyone watched each other's back, this place made them anxious despite the large space and outstanding structure there was something lurking.
Staying together, they hoped to find at least a food store, in their luck something in the distance caught their eye.

A few bags were laid on the floor only some spilled ammo from one of the bags, it felt ominous.
They were about to take another step, but Momo stopped them.
"I really don't think we should be here." She whispered and then scuttling began to echo near the entrance.
"Do you think—?" Yuna gulped on her last syllable.
Chaeyoung put her finger up to her lips and listened.
"We should get out now." Nayeon quickly with the others to the exit.

And yet, to think they were out of the clear was always never right. A large group of people stood in their way, much older than them and vicious.
"I don't think you're going anywhere." A manly snarl came from one of them, he seemed to be the leader of the group. They all pointed their guns towards them.
"Now, you can surrender all your things and come with us." He ordered.
The girls all looked at Jihyo who nodded and lowered her gun and everyone followed.

They picked up their items and forced them back inside and sat them in the middle of the mall. The strangers put their things inside one of the clothing stores and kept them guarded.
The leader smirked and knelt down, "Who do you think you are to come here?"
"We didn't know it was yours." Sana answered.
"Well too bad. It seems that no one told you the Outsiders control these places." He smiled.
"Outsiders?" Jeongyeon murmured.
"Yes Outsiders..." He stopped and pointed at her, "You, you look like Seungyeon..."

The group gathered around and gasped.
"That's Seungyeon's sister." One laughed.
"It's a shame Seungyeon left, she would be be happy to see you. Wait... you don't even exist." The group grew more horrendous and loud.
Jeongyeon clenched her fist.
"Word spreads around quick even in the post-apocalypse." The leader sniggered, "Search her."

They grabbed Jeongyeon by the arm, she struggled as she tried to get out of their grip.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Momo shouted.
The Outsiders took her jacket and zipped it down which a book fell.
The leader picked it up and nodded, "I thought I saw something poking out... A stupid book." He gave it to one of the Outsiders.
"Put it with the others."

They released her and pushed her back to the group.
"You girls better be on your best behaviour. Don't try anything." He growled as he started to leave.
A few Outsiders guarded them preventing them to do anything.
"Dammit!" Tzuyu shook her head.
"This damn situation again." Mina sighed.
"What now? What are they going to do with us?" Yeji asked nervously.
"The best thing to do is wait, but I have no idea what they'll do with us." Momo said.

Jeongyeon crawled into a ball and faced away the group. Nayeon placed her hand on her shoulder, "That book, where was that from?"
Everyone turned to listen.
"I-I found it back at that dig site, I didn't want to show it yet because... it's my father's." She lowered her voice only for her friends to hear.
"Your father?" Jihyo whispered.
"Yes."
A loud crash filled the room, the strangers rushed around trashing every part of the mall and as one of the Outsiders pointed their gun in the air and pulled the trigger, "Shut it!" He shouted as bullets rained.

They went back to their positions.
"What are you going to do with us?" Yeji spoke.
"Kill you mostly, but we need you to do work for us first. You're welcome." They smiled and laughed.
Suddenly, the fear had settled in.
"K-Kill..." Yuna stuttered.
"I won't let that happen, none of you will get killed. These Outsiders have no idea what the world is now. If we're getting killed it's mostly by the infected." Jihyo slightly reassured them.
"Ah, so we won't get killed by a bunch of dumb people, but savages." Ryujin sighed.

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