Survival with EXO

CHAPTER 40: MISSING BEAUTY

"Be back in one piece!" Jongdae yelled against the car window after Jana rolled it close. She heaved a lazy sigh once the engine clicked start. Tamad na tamad siyang umalis ng bahay pero kailangan. Wala na silang gasul.

"Keep an eye on her." Chanyeol mouthed at the other two members sitting on the back seat with blank faces. Kyungsoo and Luhan together with Jana lose a game so they were in charge for a quick supplies run, making them head to the city with starving stomachs.

Buong biyahe, tahimik lang ang tatlo. Walang imik si Jana sa ex-secret crush at mortal enemy niya sa nakalipas na kalahating oras. Hindi naman kasi niya close yung dalawa, mas gusto pa niyang kasama si Chanyeol sa pagkuha ng mga supplies.

"Are we there yet?" Luhan mumbled, striking an impatient eyes on the rearview mirror, his hands still playing with a rubix cube. Ngumiwi lang si Jana na wala pang energy para manabunot. Kahit siya uwing uwi na kaya sana makahanp agad sila ng gasul.

Luckily, they reached a gasoline station soon and it was completely clear. But still had to be cautious. In every place, any way. Malapit lang sila sa palengke kaya tiyak nasa paligid lang sila.

"Hyung, let's go." Kyungsoo called him after noticing that Luhan was still sitting pretty inside the car.

"I'll just wait here. Come back fast. I wanna go home already." walang lingon niyang sagot habang naka dekwatro't busy pa rin sa paglalaro sa rubix cube. Malamang, wow na wow naman si Jana sa inakto ng reyna.

"What?" Kyungsoo frowned at his demand. "Go help me carry the tank so we can get home fast." he tried to fish out the deer face guy but Luhan resisted. Ang dami dami niyang dahilan na siyang nagpaikot sa mga mata ni Jana na kanina pa naghihintay sa gilid. "My head hurts, Soo. Just go without me."

"Then, who's gonna help me?"

"Of course, me!" Jana entered the scene. Tsaka siya yumuko para pagsabihan si Luhan sa loob ng sasakyan. "So, Your Highness, just stay here. Ha? Stay as a princess." she cracked a fake smile at him. He did the same.

"Don't you dare leave the car if you still want to live." nanggigil na sambit niya bago pabalibag na sinara ang pinto. Wala talagang balak tumulong ni Luhan sa kanila.

"Panay sabi ng manly, duwag naman." Jana ranted to herself after taking the gear from the car's trunk. Alam naman niyang yun lang ang tanging dahilan kung bakit ayaw sumama sa kanila ni Luhan.

The place was creepy quiet, so was the guy with him. Tahimik silang naglakad papunta sa convenience store na nandito rin sa gasoline station. They found empty shelves and dry blood stains and bits of human guts scattered on the floor. Nasa may sulok yung mga nakahilerang gasul at bukod doon may natagpuan pa sila.

"Noona, behind you!" Jana was stunned for a second to hear Kyungsoo call her as Noona - which happens once in a blue moon. Pero nakapag react pa rin siya kahit papano, facing a zombie in a jumpsuit and pushing it against the wall before it could even drag her. After shoving a blade into its temple, another emerged from the storage room. Kyungsoo pounced the zombie from behind, smashing its head against the wall until its growling disappeared.

"You okay?" they asked both in chorus and gave each other assuring nods. May mga natitirang iilang stocks sa mga shelves na dali dali na rin nilang nilagay sa dalang backpack.

"Has he always been like that?" Jana broke the silence, blurting out her frustration.

"Who?"

"You know who." she couldn't help but do the eye rolling whenever he is mentioned or even at the thought of him makes her blood boil. "For real, what is he staying alive for? Anong ambag niya sa grupong ito?"

Kyungsoo smirked in delight. "You really hate him that much?"

"He started it." she protested and this is the first time she ranted at Kyungsoo since bibihira lang na magkausap sila. "You know how I tried na pakisamahan siya pero wala talaga eh."

"Luhan hyung just need more time to recover." he said while arranging a few canned goods in his back pack.

"Recover from what? Was he abused or something?" she said with a ridiculous tone. "It isn't like he's the only victim here."

Nang walang sumagot sa kanya pabalik, napalingon siya sa kausap na nakita na lang niyang nakatayo at nakayuko.

"Kyungsoo?" lumapit si Jana sa kanya na bumalik sa pagkaulirat nang tapikin niya ito sa braso. "Are you okay? Did I say anything wrong?"

Kyungsoo looked a bit pale and upset, keeping his head down. "No, you're right. We're all victims here." he said with a forced smile and when Jana caught his gaze, she knew there was more.

After months of surviving with these boys, she still didn't know them that much. They all barely talked about before this survival. Even Jana. Nonetheless, she thought that whatever happened to them was pretty much as worse as everyone else.

Iaangat na sana ni Kyungsoo yung tangke ng gasul nang mapatigil siya. Jana turned to him and right then he heard it right. The dead silence earlier was slowly filled with the sounds of death and hunger.

Behind a shelf, they witnessed this deadly march few steps from the store. It was a huge pack of migrating zombies limping and moaning dead through road.

"Luhan" napalingon silang pareho sa isa't isa pagkatapos maalala ang kasama na nagpaiwan sa kotse. Hindi na nga nila halos makita yung sasakyan dahil sa kapal ng mga zombies na nagsisidaanan, mukhang galing sila sa palengke. They silently cussed for they have no choice but to wait. Masyado silang madami. Isang katangahan ang sumugod ng walang plano.

"We have to go get him." Kyungsoo couldn't longer stay still and watch the vehicle being swarmed by the undead.

"Not yet." Jana stopped him, pulling him down to hide. He was dying to know if Luhan was still in one piece but it was suicide to go out there. Lumipas ang ilang minuto na parang sampung taon sa pakiramdam. Wala silang ideya kung may madadatnan pa ba silang Luhan sa sasakyan.

As soon as the coast was clear, they headed to the car as cautious as they could. Once they pulled the door open, they found a rubix cube lying on the back seat and nothing else. Luhan is gone.

Itutuloy...

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mag-aala sopia ng the walking dead rin ba itong si luhan? Uy! Uy! sinong mga kapwa TWD trash dito? Please, befriend me!