The Outcast | 지금 우리 학교는 All Of Us Are Dead

6 || The Outcast

Ara's breath hitch as she accidentally puts a lot of pressure on her stomach. Everyone is taking their rest, hoping for the safety of Su-hyeok. She pats her hoodie's pouch to look for the small bottle. She felt around and grasped the rough plastic that's storing her painkillers until she finally grabbed what she was looking for. The vial that contains their invention. She didn't use it the night that Mr. Lee had it to her, instead, she continued her study on it. 'If only I have the time.'

Kangjeon didn't notice it, but she went on the wrong road again. Her thoughts are filling up with things that she should be fighting off. The cold drapes are cloaking in her mind again. 'Death looks tempting right now. I mean, when does it not?'

She clenches her hands tight and shakes away the ringing in her ears. The speaker squeals bringing her back to reality. The familiar voice of their English teacher blasted on it.

"Students and teachers of Hyosan High School. I'm Park Sun-hwa, the English teacher. Something strange is happening throughout the school.

Some students are attacking others indiscriminately. So please flee and find a safe place. And if any student or faculty hears this and can, please call the police and the fire department. Students hide somewhere safe until help arrives. If you can get out of the school, please get out. I'll repeat it. Some students are..." They can hear their teacher's voice shakes. "Hey, everyone... I don't know what's going on in here or how this whole thing happened, but... Still, find a safe place and hide. I... I'm sorry... I can't help. Don't get hurt, okay? Please, let's stay alive and meet again. Okay?"

Tears burst out on some students while others held it to act tough when in reality, they were all scared. Ara distance herself, not knowing how to deal with the heavy atmosphere. She leaned on the wall near the window and examined the vial, recalling the substances they put inside. 'To make someone stronger takes a whole study. Desperation to save him pushed me to participate. I just let that desperation takes me.'

Ara didn't mean to eavesdrop on On-jo and I-sak's conversation as she was standing just behind On-jo. Ara can hear the worried tone of On-jo.

"What's wrong? Are you..."?

"Really. I wasn't bitten," There's a slight pause. "I mean it, and I really wasn't bitten."

Anguish course through On-jo, her best friend, her sister, she can't believe it, she's going to be like those infected outside.

"I-sak..." The two look at Ara, startled at her voice. She stared at I-sak. "It's okay, your fine." Ara knows stating the obvious will make it worse. I-sak is in denial and what she needs is soothing words.

But someone has to ruin it permanently. "What's going on? Did you get bitten?" Na-Yeon stepped in on the conversation, grabbing the attention of everyone.

"I said I wasn't!"

I-sak's looks on On-jo and Ara, states help. Blood begins to flow out of her nose, and she runs to the mirror to see that she's turning.

"Hey, you're okay, right?" Gyeong-su asked I-sak in confusion. But the evidence told them so.

"On-jo...Ara" I-sak slowly walk back to On-jo and Ara.

"Isak" On-jo walks to I-sak and hugs her while Ara remains silent and stays still; she knows someone will soon take action about this.

"No, right? I'm not, right?"

It is evident to everyone that she is retracting. "I'm not; I'm not one of them." They are now both sobbing at each other.

"What are you doing? Get her out of here right now!" The yell of Na-Yeon only attracts more infected. "Sh*t. They're going to climb over." Joon-Yeong climbs up on the desk to cover the broken window from earlier.

"No! I said I'm fine." Cheong-san separate On-jo from I-sak. "On-jo."

"Let go."

I-sak then collapse. "Hurry up! Do something! Throw her out the window." Na-Yeon shrieked.

Ara can only close her eyes. 'She'll lose her. Forever. And I don't want to witness another person losing their loved ones.' A lone tear falls on Ara's cheeks. She can hear Cheong-san fighting I-Sak's infected state. Ara quickly opened her eyes when she felt On-jo's presence in front of her; that's when she saw I-sak running towards them. Ara uses her body to protect On-jo, hugging her and preparing from the pain, but a glass breaking behind them releases Ara's grip on On-jo. I-sak is hanging on the window sill, thrashing around. On-jo rushed towards the broken window and held I-sak, not letting go. Cheong-san was right at her side, persuading On-jo to let go. Ara turns away from the scene and releases a breath. They need to get out of here; it will be run over soon.

'The hose, we need that to climb down.'

The look on On-jo was all too familiar on Ara. She lost her, and there's no turning back. To be honest, Ara is guilty. She already acknowledges that this is her fault and no one deserves this.

The number of infected keeps increasing and increasing in number. Cheong-San looks at On-jo's form and rapidly thinks of an idea for their escape. "Let's go. We're not gonna last here longer."

"Where would we go?"

"The hose from earlier. Gyeong-su."

"Yeah? What? What is it?"

"Open it just a few inches. Enough for the hose to fit."

"Isn't it better to wait for the rescuers to come to save us?"

Ara boosts up some courage to talk. "We might all die by the time they arrive."

Cheong-San and Gyeomg-Su look at her, surprised at her emergence. "This will kill us faster. It's just going to be..." Cheong-San cut off Gyeong-Su.

"Is waiting for someone to save us the best thing we can do?"

"Oh, whatever. If I turn into a zombie... You're so mad. And you," Gyeong-Su pointed to Ara. "Don't go teaming up with this punk." Cheong-San chuckles at his friend.

Gyeong-Su slid the door a little, and Cheong-Su began reaching for the hose. Ara saw how he struggled on getting it and ripped out one of the mannequin's arms, tapping Cheong-Su on the shoulder. "Here, use this."

He gratefully smiled at Ara and proceeded on reaching the hose. After a minute, he finally got the hose and asked everyone for help tying knots in it. Cheong-Su walks over to Ara, who's staring at the infected outside. "Ara, thank you." She was about to ask for what, but he quickly ran back to finish tying the hose, leaving a perplexed Ara. 'For what?'

After their bickering on who will go first, the group decided it will be Gyeong-Su.

"Hey, guys! Miss Park is here! Miss Park is on the second floor." At Gyeong-Su's announcement, they started climbing down, one by one. Before Na-Yeon steps out, she looks at Ara, glaring at her. "You'll be good here, staying worthl*ss."

"That's enough, just go." Cheong-Su takes a glace at Ara's face, only to see her blankly staring at the hose. 'Is she contemplating?'

After clearing things out to On-jo, he turned to Ara. "Hey, it's your turn."

She nodded and began climbing down the hose. "Hurry, hurry." Cheong-Su mumble looking back and forth to the door and down to Ara.

The door broke, and so did the windows, the infected poured into the room. Cheong-San has left no choice but to jump down on the hose. 'I hope Ara is already in the broadcasti- '

And to Cheong-San's horror, he can hear a short scream below him.

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