𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝟒 | 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥

𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒚𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 - 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏
┈┈┈┈┈𖥸┈┈┈┈┈

There were a lot of things you expected to see in the aftermath of Cheong-San plummeting from a window along with a multitude of zombies but him scarcely seizing hold of the hose rope again with Su-Hyeok back-hugging him was categorically not one of them.

"It's Bare-Su!" Dae-Su hollers, nearly drowning out the snarl of the zombie still dangling obstinately to Cheong-San's ankle. "Are you guys alright?"

"Does it look like they're okay?" Wu-Jin backhands his friend in the chest.

Notwithstanding the setting, you can still overhear Su-Hyeok's chastise. "Shit! I told you to drop the zombie. Why couldn't you do it? If I hadn't kicked her off, she'd undoubtedly have bitten you by now. The girl has been hanging on forever."

"Yah! Can't you see I was a little preoccupied?" Cheong-San retorts, both hands still holding on for dear life. "...And stop hugging me, it's unpleasant and gross."

"You wish I was hugging you, moron."

"Get lost!" There's no bite behind his words at all, regardless of Cheong-San's feeble attempt at maintaining an air of disgust at their current position.

"Why? Aren't you enjoying this?" Su-Hyeok teases.

You and On-Jo turn to one another, amused, as you peer out the window ledge, looking back and forth between the boys, momentarily silent. "They're cute," you joke, and it pulls a laugh from On-Jo, her face lighting up slightly, no longer as withdrawn since I-Sak's loss.

"Get lost!" On-Jo mimics Cheong-San's near-loving tone, and you bite your lip, holding back a snort. "We're cuter." She knocks her shoulder into yours good-humoredly but lightly before leaning forward even more. "Hey! Stop flirting out there and get in here!" Cheong-San and Su-Hyeok simultaneously whipping their heads towards On-Jo's voice is almost comical as you and her both move back to make room for the two to swing in.

The moment Su-Hyeok is once again safe inside the classroom, the two of you just stare at one another, simply drinking in the sight of each other. From the sun-lit window, bright light streams in from behind his back, almost washing his form out entirely, but suddenly, there's Su-Hyeok smiling at you and he's all you can see.

"You came back."

"I promised, didn't I?"

You have no idea who moves first, but it ceases to matter as you launch yourself into Su-Hyeok's awaiting embrace and wrap your arms around his neck, stretching on tiptoes in order to hug him even tighter. The force with which you throw yourself at him marginally knocks him off-kilter, but he regains his balance swiftly. You feel Su-Hyeok stoop down as he pulls you in closer by the waist into his open arms, practically lifting you off your feet with how snugly he's holding on as he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck.

"I missed you."

"Not as much as I, you."

"This isn't a competition," Su-Hyeok whispers back, chuckling quietly into the line of your shoulder, the breath from his exhale tickling the shell of your ear and calming your disquieted heart. "I'd win every time if the unit of measurement is longing."