Moving On

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to push aside the lump in my throat. We didn't have time—not for grief, not for guilt, not for anything that might slow us down. The hallway behind us echoed with the guttural groans and heavy footsteps of the infected. Every second wasted here was a second closer to death.

"Eunwoo," I said, kneeling in front of him. My voice was firm but trembling at the edges. "I know this is hard. I know it hurts. But we can't stop here. We need to keep moving."

Eunwoo didn't respond, his shoulders shaking as silent tears streamed down his face. His hands clutched at his knees, trembling with the weight of what had just happened. This wasn't the Eunwoo I knew—the one who always had a grin plastered on his face, cracking jokes even in the worst situations. Seeing him like this tore at something deep inside me.

My chest tightened as I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're strong, Eunwoo. You've always been strong—for everyone. And right now, I need you to find that strength again. Not for me, but for her. She trusted us to survive, and we can't let her down."

He looked up at me, his eyes red and swollen, the light in them dimmed by loss. For a moment, I thought he wouldn't move, that he'd let the weight of it all crush him right here. But then, he nodded, just slightly, and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"I... I'll try," he whispered, his voice cracking.

"That's all we can do," I said, helping him to his feet. "One step at a time."

I couldn't let him see my pain, not now. If I crumbled, we'd both be lost. I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, leading him down the corridor. The sounds of chaos grew louder behind us, but I refused to look back. We had to focus on what was ahead.

"We'll find somewhere safe," I said, more to reassure myself than him. "We'll get through this. Together." 

As we moved, I stole glances at Eunwoo. He was trying to hold himself together, but the cracks were there, threatening to shatter at any moment. And though my heart ached for him, I couldn't stop. Not yet. We'd mourn Mrs. Nam when we were safe—if we ever found safety again.

The 2nd-floor emergency exit was silent, with only faint sounds of chaos echoing from below. For now, we were safe, but it felt like the calm before the storm. I kept a firm grip on Eunwoo's arm, holding him close. His steps were sluggish, and I could tell his mind was somewhere else.

"If only we'd made it out through the gym…" I muttered to myself, bitterness lacing my words. It was pointless to dwell on it now, but I couldn't help thinking of how close we'd been to escaping.

I turned to Eunwoo, his face pale and distant. "We'll find another way, okay? We'll get out of here." My voice sounded steadier than I felt, but I had to be the one to push us forward.

He nodded weakly, not meeting my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I motioned for us to descend the stairs. Step by step, we moved cautiously, my ears straining for any sound of the infected. The dim emergency lights cast long shadows on the walls, making every movement seem like something lurking.

As we turned the corner of the staircase, I froze. Ahead of us, huddled near the next set of steps, was a group of students. There were five or six of them, their faces pale and tear-streaked. They were trying their best to stay quiet, hands over their mouths to stifle sobs. One of them, a girl with a bloodied uniform, trembled so violently I thought she might collapse.

Eunwoo and I exchanged a glance. His expression wavered between concern and fear. We couldn't just barge past them—it might attract attention. But we couldn't afford to linger here either.

One of the boys noticed us and widened his eyes, raising a finger to his lips in a silent plea for us to stay quiet. I nodded slowly, motioning for Eunwoo to stay behind me. We moved closer, careful not to make a sound. The fear in the air was palpable, suffocating.

As we passed, I crouched near the boy who had gestured to us. "What's going on?" I whispered, barely audible.

"There's… there's more of them in there," he murmured, his voice shaking. "They're in the main hall… blocking the way out. We tried to go another way, but…" He trailed off, his gaze darting to the bloodied girl. My stomach churned.

Eunwoo crouched beside me, his face tense. "Is she bitten?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.

The boy shook his head quickly. "No! She just… she fell, and one of them grabbed her. But we pulled her away before…" He swallowed hard, unable to finish. I wasn't sure if I believed him.

I turned to Eunwoo. "We can't stay here. If they're blocking the main hall, we'll need another route. Maybe the back entrance near the cafeteria."

Eunwoo nodded, though his face was tight with anxiety. I looked back at the group. They barely held it together, and I wasn't sure they'd make it much farther.

"You all should come with us," I said softly. "We'll find another way out."

The boy hesitated, looking at his friends. One of them, a younger girl, shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. "We'll just slow you down," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Just… go."

I bit my lip, torn. Leaving them here felt wrong, but arguing could waste precious time.

"Stay quiet," I said finally. "If we find a way out, we'll return for you." It was a promise I wasn't sure I could keep, but it seemed to calm them, if only slightly.

The hallway on the first floor was dimly lit, the flickering light casting long, eerie shadows. My heart pounded as I scanned the area for anything we could use to defend ourselves. The faint moans and snarls of the infected seemed to grow louder with every passing second.

"Eunwoo," I whispered, gripping his shoulder. He blinked, shaking himself from his daze. "We need weapons. Anything we can find."

Eunwoo nodded weakly, his usual spark replaced by a hollow, haunted look. He followed me as we slipped into a nearby janitor's closet. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the scent of bleach. I rummaged through the shelves, shoving aside cleaning supplies and grabbing a rusted metal mop handle. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

Eunwoo spotted a toolbox on the floor and crouched down to open it. He pulled out a heavy wrench, its surface slick with grime. His hands trembled as he held it, his knuckles turning white. "This... this should work, right?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"It'll have to," I said, gripping the mop handle like a makeshift spear. "Just stay close."

We stepped back into the hallway, the faint groans growing closer. My stomach twisted as the sound of shuffling footsteps echoed from around the corner. My grip tightened on the mop handle as a figure emerged into view.

"The courtyard," Eunwoo said suddenly, his voice breaking through the tense silence. "There's a side exit that leads to it. If we can make it there, we might be able to jump the fence and get out."

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know about that?"

Eunwoo hesitated for a moment before a faint smile tugged at his lips, the first sign of the old him since everything started. "Well… the others showed me. You know, for when they wanted to cut class."

I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. "Seriously? You're telling me our escape plan relies on your knowledge of skipping school?"

"Hey," he said with a shrug, his grin fading slightly as he gripped the wrench in his hand tighter. "At least it's something, right?"

"Fair enough," I muttered. "Let's move. Lead the way, and stay close. If we run into more of them, don't hesitate."

Eunwoo gave a firm nod, his grip on the wrench tightening as he moved ahead. I stayed close, my makeshift weapon held at the ready. The hallway stretched out before us, dim and suffocatingly silent. Every flickering light above cast shadows that played tricks on my eyes, making it hard to tell if something was moving or if it was just my paranoia.

We turned a corner, and my breath caught in my throat. A group of students and a teacher stood huddled near the far end of the corridor, but something was horribly wrong. Their movements were unnatural, their heads jerking in sharp, erratic motions. It didn't take more than a second to realize—they were infected.

My heart sank as I recognized the teacher. "Mrs. Choi," I whispered, the name escaping my lips like a prayer. She had always been kind, her voice gentle even when scolding students. But now, her eyes were lifeless, and blood dripped from her mouth.

Eunwoo stopped in his tracks, his body going rigid beside me. "We... we have to fight them," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but laced with a trembling determination. "If we want to get through to the courtyard, there's no other way."

I nodded, though my chest felt heavy. There was no time to mourn, no time to hesitate. We had to survive. "Stay close," I told him, gripping the mop handle tighter. "Aim for the head. Make every hit count."

Mrs. Choi turned first, her body lurching forward as her dead eyes locked onto us. The students followed, their guttural growls growing louder as they staggered toward us. My pulse roared in my ears as they closed the distance.

Eunwoo was the first to strike. With a shout, he swung the wrench, the heavy metal connecting with Mrs. Choi's skull. The sickening crack echoed down the hallway as she collapsed, motionless. But there was no time to process it—two more infected students lunged at him. I stepped in, slamming the mop handle into one of their heads with all the strength I could muster. The impact sent splinters flying, and the infected crumpled to the floor.

The last one staggered toward Eunwoo. His face twisted with rage and hunger, his outstretched arms clawing at the air. Eunwoo hesitated for a moment, his expression conflicted, before swinging the wrench again. The infected fell with a thud, its grotesque groans silenced.

We stood there, panting and trembling, surrounded by the bodies of those we had once known. Blood smeared the floor, mixing with the lingering scent of decay.

Eunwoo's wrench slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Choi…"

"Let's go," I said, my voice sharp and urgent. "I think the other infected heard us. We need to move. Now."

Eunwoo snapped out of his daze, his grip tightening on the wrench as he nodded. The distant groans and erratic shuffling sounds were growing louder, echoing through the hallway like a warning.

We bolted toward the end of the corridor, our footsteps pounding against the floor. Every corner we turned felt like a gamble—either we'd find an escape route or more of them waiting for us. My heart hammered in my chest as adrenaline pushed me forward.

As we neared the door leading to the courtyard, my breath hitched, and Eunwoo froze beside me. A group of girls stood in the faint light filtering through the cracked windows. Their clothes were tattered and smeared with grime, and their faces were masks of exhaustion and determination.

One of them, positioned at the front, raised a makeshift bow, her hands steady despite the tension in the string. The arrow was pointed directly at us. My heart skipped a beat as Eunwoo instinctively raised his hands, the wrench in his grip falling loosely at his side.

"Wait!" I called out, my voice trembling but firm. "We're not infected!"

The girl narrowed her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze flicked between us, scanning for any signs of a bite or scratch. The other girls stood behind her, clutching various objects—a bat, a broken chair leg, even a fire extinguisher. They looked just as scared as we were, but their leader, the one with the bow, didn't waver.