𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 || 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱

𝟯. 𝗨𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱

14:40

Everyone around me is tackling each other and ripping off each other's skin. But why am I sitting here, unnoticed. Am I invisible? It can't be because why else would they be avoiding me like I'm fire. And that iffy smell..it's stronger than it has ever been. 

"Kang Hara!"

I snap my head toward the sound of my name. There, under the table, I spot Cheongsan waving at me desperately. My leg is still aching, and getting up feels like a challenge, but I try to push through the pain. The screams are deafening now. I press my hands against my ears, desperately trying to block out the terror around me.

"Stop yelling, stop yelling!" I murmur, repeating the words like a mantra, trying to calm myself.

Before I can say it again, a familiar voice cuts through the madness.

"Get ahold of yourself!"

Cheongsan pulls me away from the frenzy of crazed classmates, his grip firm but gentle as he helps lift me off the floor. He places his arm around my neck, supporting me as he carries me toward a safer spot.

"Hara! Cheongsan!"

Onjo rushes over, her steps nimble, dodging the crazed students trying to attack. Together, we start searching for a way out. But the exits are blocked. The kitchen is overflowing with screams and chaos.

"I found something!" Cheongsan shouts.

He continues to support my weight as we head toward a window. With swift movement, he jumps onto a table, then helps Onjo and me up. Without wasting a moment, he throws open the window.

"Go, now."

Onjo climbs through first, disappearing into the safety beyond the window.

"Hara, now!" Cheongsan urges, looking at me with concern.

"No, we have to help the others," I say, my voice trembling, even though I know we can't help everyone.

I begin calling out for classmates who seem unaffected by the madness, urging them to run toward us. A few start to move in our direction, but as they do, a strange, unsettling feeling spreads through me. Something's wrong.

"Hara, we have to go now!" Cheongsan says urgently.

"Wait, there are still—" I try to protest.

But Cheongsan doesn't wait. He grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward the window. "Please..." His voice is pleading now.

I glance back one last time, but there's no time to hesitate. I look at him, then at the window.

"Hara, Cheongsan! Hurry!" Onjo calls from the outside.

Without another word, Cheongsan lifts me up by my waist and pushes me through the window. I tumble to the ground on the other side. Onjo grabs me, helping me to my feet. Cheongsan follows shortly after, landing beside us.

We huddle together for a moment, catching our breath.

"Now what?" I ask, my leg still aching but not as much as before.

We stumble towards the exit, moving as quickly as I can with the pain. But then, just ahead of us, a "zombie"—if that's what they are—appears. Cheongsan quickly pulls us back, only to find another one blocking our path.

He looks around, scanning for another way out, and then pushes us toward another exit.

We rush through the parking lot, weaving in and out of panicked students. The screams are all around us, but we press on, trying not to look at the carnage that's unfolding before our eyes. My leg still hurts, but somehow, I push through it.