𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘 ⇄ seulrene

chapter six ❲part 1❳

loud gasps were emitted from the camp. all the survivors were shocked to see seulgi. along with shock was fear. shackles of metal were heard, a male survivor was gripping metal chains in his hands, ready to tie up the half-zombie. everyone gathered up, some took out their weapons and others didn't. seungwan, sooyoung and yerim backed away from joohyun and seulgi. sooyoung was in front of the two, holding out her gun.

“u-unnie, y-you're crazy for bringing the fucking undead in here!”

joohyun understood that state that they were in. she felt like this the first time she looked at seulgi but after a minute or so, she got to really know the half-zombie. seulgi wasn't going to harm anyone unless her protective instincts kicked her to do so. joohyun had to explain that to everyone before they do something bad.

both her and seulgi backed up. seulgi hid behind her, holding her hand tight. this time, seulgi was the one who's scared. the thought of being killed scares her, especially when she has the chance of being human again, “p-pretty.. i-i'll just go—” 

“you're not going anywhere, seul.” joohyun interrupts, “y-you're staying with me.” she has to convince everyone that seulgi was not the zombie they see her be right now. she might look like one but she has the mind of a human. joohyun looks at sooyoung straight, “if she was a zombie, she could be attacking you right now. every one of you could turn into the undead outside these safe walls of yours. but what is she doing?”

every survivor focused their attention to the half-zombie behind joohyun, body slouched and head hanging low as if it was in a vulnerable state, “she's hiding because she's scared.” joohyun whispers, an audible shakiness was evident from her voice, “i've already been with her for almost a month now. seulgi could have eaten me already if she was a zombie… yet she didn't.” 

“b-but unnie, she's still a zombie—”

“no, she's not!” joohyun exclaims, her breathing was becoming heavy as she was trying to explain, “she's not even partly a zombie anymore! i-i can prove it!”

joohyun began to list out all the conscious, human-like actions seulgi had expressed towards her. she could feel tears running already. she was emotional to declare that seulgi was indeed changing and means no harm to anybody in this camp.

“she's becoming human.” joohyun felt drained, her vision blurry. everything around her turned to specs of dots like the static on a tv. she didn't know whether she was tired from the travel or because she was trying her best to prove the truth. she hasn't said much though, “s-seulgi is human…”

a collection of voices that called out her name shouted but only one stuck out to her the most. the owner of the voice catching her just in time before she falls,

“j-joohyun!” 

joohyun began to wake up from a deep sleep. her eyelids slowly rising. she blinks, getting used to the bright light that hangs from the roof of the tent. she questions how long she was out for. she stares at the roof for a while, lost in her thoughts and not noticing the woman that just stared at her from the side

seulgi stands inside the tent with joohyun's resting body on the bed. she sat beside the older woman, worried as hell but glad that joohyun was awake now. she gripped joohyun's pale and warm hands, pressing her lips on the back of the hand, “i-i'm sorry for being s-such a burden…” the older woman jumps at the sudden contact, surprised to see seulgi beside her.

“y-you're okay! and you're not a burden, seul.” joohyun immediately sat up, capturing the half-zombie in a bone-crushing hug. “they didn't hurt you, right?” joohyun pulls away from seulgi, holding her shoulder and checking her side-to-side for any suspecting injuries. until she realized that she was holding seulgi's injured shoulder, “oh my gosh, i'm so sorry, seul. did it hurt?”