One Step At a Time

The construction site was silent, the fading light casting long shadows over the abandoned area. We'd cleared the path on our way here, taking out a few infected, but the tension in the air remained thick. At least no one was here—at least for now. The emptiness felt eerie, but it also meant we could breathe for a moment, free from the constant fear of being surrounded.

As the darkness settled in, I took a deep breath. It was colder than I'd expected, and the weight of the situation pressed down on me. Still, there was a certain comfort in knowing this place so well.

"Good thing we had the foresight to leave the tent and gear here," I murmured, glancing at the supplies we'd tucked away. It felt strangely like home in a place that should have been abandoned—like we'd managed to carve out a small piece of normalcy amid the chaos.

Eunwoo, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up. "Maybe the others will think we're weird, but this... this was always the best spot to get away"

I watched as Hana and the others approached the tent, their eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, the grim reality of our situation seemed to melt away, replaced by the small comforts we'd managed to salvage from the chaos. The soft glow of the fire crackling in the barrel cast long shadows around the construction site, adding a warm, flickering light to the otherwise cold, night.

"Wow," Hana muttered, clearly amazed, as she peered inside the tent. "I didn't expect to find a pillow and a blanket here of all places."

I couldn't help but smile, even though the situation was far from normal. The thought of being here, in a place so far removed from the chaos, felt surreal. We had made this place as comfortable as possible, using whatever we could find, even when the world outside had fallen apart.

"Yeah, it's not much, but it works," I replied, glancing back at the others who were already making themselves comfortable inside. Jihoon was the first to sit down, his face visibly relaxing as he lay back on the pillow, letting out a long sigh. The stress of the day seemed to drain from him.

Hana, still looking around in disbelief, shook her head. "This is... I don't know, weirdly comforting. How did you guys even think to do all this?"

Eunwoo chuckled softly, taking a seat near the fire. "We weren't exactly planning to make camp here, but... we've been here enough to know it's a safe spot. And when you're stuck somewhere, you learn to make it work."

"I can't believe you left all this stuff here," Hana said, still scanning the tent with an almost disbelieving look. "It's like you planned this out."

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, even though part of me was relieved that everything had worked out. "We didn't plan on it, but after seeing what happened, we figured this would be a good place to stash some supplies. It's away from the crowds, easy to defend, and... well, it's got a good view of the stars."

Eunwoo added, "Plus, it was always quiet here. Peaceful."

Hana raised an eyebrow. "Peaceful? You mean during the days when we were running away from tests, right?"

As we stood near the edge of the construction site, our eyes scanning the darkness for any movement, I couldn't help but feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. The others were inside the tent, resting, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy, but it felt like the night was still holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Eunwoo leaned against the rough metal fence, his gaze distant as he flicked the stick he'd held back and forth. I could tell he was deep in thought. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he spoke up.

Eunwoo's words hung in the air, heavier than the darkness surrounding us. His voice trembled a bit, betraying the vulnerability he was trying so hard to hide. "I hope Dad is safe... I don't know what I will say when I see him."

I knew exactly what he meant. The weight of Mrs. Nam's death still felt raw, like an open wound we weren't sure how to heal. Her sacrifice had been so sudden, so final, and now, with everything that had happened, we had no guarantee that Mr. Nam was still out there—waiting for us, or worse, already lost to this chaos.

"I don't know how to face him, either," I whispered, my voice carrying a heaviness that echoed Eunwoo's. 

We stood in silence for a moment, just listening to the crackle of the fire in the distance and the wind rustling the few scraps of paper and debris that had gathered around the site.

"Thanks, Eunsu. Because of you, I've managed until now. Don't worry, we'll survive. We have to," Eunwoo said.

"Thanks, Eunwoo," I said quietly, meeting his eyes. "You've helped me just as much. We're in this together. We'll survive, no matter what."

"We have to," he echoed, his voice stronger now. "We can't give up. Not after everything we've been through."

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. It wasn't much, but it felt like a promise. A promise that no matter how dark things got, we wouldn't face it alone.

"Okay, sorry to disturb your little moment," a voice interrupted, sharp and cold. "But just so you know, if you two are planning anything, I'll shoot you both. I'm not joking."

I turned to see Hana standing by the entrance of the tent, her bow still in hand, but her face was more serious than I'd ever seen it. Her tone was light, but there was no mistaking the warning in her words.

Eunwoo chuckled nervously, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I swear, we're just talking about survival plans! No funny business here, promise."

I couldn't help but laugh a little, though I felt a bit awkward. "She's right, though. We're just trying to keep each other motivated." I turned to Eunwoo, making sure I wasn't overstepping any boundaries. "We're good, Hana. No need to worry."

Hana gave us a pointed look, clearly not convinced, but after a long moment, she finally lowered her bow slightly. "Alright. Just making sure. You never know in situations like this."

"I'll make sure to keep my hands to myself," Eunwoo joked, though I could see a hint of tension behind his smile.

Hana gave him a look that clearly said, I'm watching you, but her expression softened just a bit. "Good. You two are lucky I'm not in the mood for target practice right now."

We both nodded, knowing she meant business, and the moment passed. The air between us felt a little lighter, but I knew we couldn't afford to forget the danger around us. 

As the night settled around us, with the faint crackling of the fire keeping us company, I turned to Eunwoo. "So, what do you think about the infected?"

Eunwoo shifted a bit, his gaze scanning the dark outlines of the construction site. "They're unpredictable," he said his voice low.

"Yeah, we're still not sure what they can do because we've been too focused on surviving. But tomorrow morning, we can observe them. I know it's risky, but what do you think about capturing one of the infected?"

Eunwoo's expression shifted to one of concern as he processed my suggestion. "Capturing one? That's risky... risky. If we're not careful, it could put all of us in danger. But... I see your point. If we can learn more about how they move, how they react, it might give us an advantage."

"I think we should make this our base," I said, glancing toward where Hana and the others were. "I don't know about them, but we both know the ins and outs of this construction site. Plus, there are two convenience stores nearby, and my apartment is close enough to grab some supplies. This place can hold off some zombies for now."

Eunwoo nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the construction site as if weighing our options. "Yeah, this place is familiar to us. It's been a good spot so far. We know the ins and outs, and the layout's got potential for defense. We can fortify it, keep a lookout, and make sure no one gets caught off guard."

Eunwoo nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah, you're right. We can't just keep drifting around without a plan. We need to figure out what Hana and the others want to do too. We all must know where we stand, and if we want to stick together, we need to have a clear goal."

I looked toward the others resting by the fire, taking in the quiet moment. "For now, our priority has to be survival. A solid foundation. If we can hold this place down, we can think about the next steps. I know you want to find your dad, and that's something I can't ignore. We'll get there, but we need to make sure we're ready first."

As we patrolled the site, our flashlights illuminated the scattered remnants of what had been left behind—tools, discarded materials, and a pile of paint cans stacked haphazardly against a wall. Eunwoo crouched down, inspecting the paint cans and the bits of scrap metal nearby.

"Maybe we can use this for something," he mused, holding up one of the cans. "Any ideas?"

I looked at the pile, then let my gaze wander around the construction site, my mind working to piece together a plan. The idea came to me as I studied the entrance. "What about using this as a kind of alarm system? If someone—or something—tries to get in, we can rig it so it makes noise."

Eunwoo's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "That's smart. We could hang the cans on some wire near the entrances. If they get bumped, it'll rattle and alert us."

I nodded, already visualizing how we could set it up. "We can also use some of the scrap metal and tools to reinforce the doors. Maybe even block off the weaker spots."

Eunwoo stood up, holding a paint can in each hand. "And the paint? If we need to, we could use it to mark areas or even as a distraction—throw it and create a noise somewhere else."

"Good thinking," I agreed. "Let's gather what we can. The more prepared we are, the better."