The Past

The room felt like a time capsule, frozen in a simpler time when the world was whole, untouched by the horrors outside. I stood in the middle of it, breathing in the faint scent of dust and wood, yet underneath it, I could still imagine the faint traces of home—the warmth, the laughter that used to fill this space.

I sat down on the edge of the bed frame, my hand brushing over the worn surface as if expecting to feel the fabric that used to cover it. I blinked once, twice, and before I realized it, I was slipping back into my memories.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" My mom's voice rang brightly as sunlight streamed through the window, warming my face. I groaned in protest, pulling the blanket higher over my head.

"Five more minutes…" I mumbled, but before I could shield myself further, the blanket was yanked away.

"Come on, you'll miss breakfast!" she teased her laughter like music in the room.

I sat up, squinting at her playful grin. She looked so vibrant in that moment—her smile, her soft, wavy hair tied back casually. "Fine, I'm up! What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" came a booming voice from down the hall—Dad. His enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile. He always cooked on weekends, and pancakes were his specialty.

I jumped out of bed, my bare feet hitting the wooden floor, and ran past Mom, who was still laughing at my sudden burst of energy. The house was alive then—every corner buzzing with warmth and life. I could hear the soft clinks of dishes from the kitchen, and the smell of butter and syrup drifting through the air.

Rounding the corner, I saw my dad standing in front of the stove, flipping pancakes with a dramatic flair. "For my number one kid!" he declared as he plated one and set it down on the table.

"Your only kid," I corrected, giggling as I climbed into my seat.

"Details, details," he replied, winking.

Mom joined us at the table, pouring juice into my glass. For a moment, everything was perfect. The kind of perfect you don't appreciate when you're too young to understand how rare it is. My parents talked about their plans for the day, teasing each other playfully while I stuffed my face with syrup-drenched pancakes. I didn't care about the world beyond those walls—because my world was right here. Safe, whole, and filled with love.

"Hey." Hana's voice broke through the haze, soft but concerned.

I blinked, suddenly aware that I was staring blankly at the bare frame of the bed. My chest felt heavy, a dull ache settling deep in my stomach.

"You okay?" she asked, crouching beside me.

"Yeah," I said quietly, though my voice wavered. I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to shake the remnants of those memories. "Just… remembering stuff."

Hana didn't pry. She just nodded and sat down beside me, her presence grounding me back in the present.

The house wasn't warm anymore. It wasn't filled with laughter or the smell of pancakes. It was cold, empty, and silent except for the faint shuffling of zombies outside.

"I don't think that guy followed us inside," Hana said.

"I don't think he'd risk it. He might think it's a trap," I replied. "But he could go back and tell them about this place."

Hana glanced out the window cautiously, peering through the cracks in the old curtains. "Still, we can't let our guard down."

I nodded, gripping my bat tightly. "Yeah… We need to prepare, just in case." My voice was steady.

"After we clear this house, let's barricade the doors and windows—just in case," I said.

"Yeah. Let's stay here for tonight," Hana replied, stretching her arms with a tired sigh.

"Yeah. We'll stay here tonight," I agreed, setting my bat down for a moment. "It'll give us time to rest and plan. Maybe even check what supplies we can find."

Hana dropped onto the bed, the worn bed letting out a dusty whoosh. She stretched her arms over her head, groaning softly. "God, I didn't realize how tired I was until we stopped moving. My whole body feels like it's about to fall apart."

I smirked a little, leaning against the wall. "You've earned it. You've been kicking ass all day."

"We've been kicking ass all day," Hana corrected, shooting me a tired smile.

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Fair enough."

"Let's rest first before we clear this house. Let's eat," I said, handing her a bar and a bottle of water.

Sitting across from Hana, I noticed her eyes were distant for a moment, her gaze lost somewhere between exhaustion and thought. "You know, to be honest, I didn't know you when we first met—not until this all happened."

"Just because I'm a national champion in archery doesn't mean everyone cares who I am," Hana replied, her voice tinged with quiet resignation.

 chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess I didn't really think about it that way. But yeah, I never would have guessed you were a national champion in anything—let alone archery."

Hana's lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile. "I wasn't always this serious," she said, her voice softer now. "Before all of this... I had friends, I had my own life. But I guess you don't get to choose how things go, right?"

I nodded, understanding what she meant. "I get that. I didn't know you either, but we're in this together now. And that means something."

She gave me a thoughtful look, her eyes flicking to the bat I was holding. "You know when I first met you, I thought you were the type of kid who'd just try to survive and then cry in the corner. Guess I was wrong. I guess it's true—I don't always judge people correctly."

I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and pride. "Yeah, I guess we all have our ways of coping. But, I think everyone has that hidden strength we don't always see at first."

Hana chuckled softly, her grip tightening around her crowbar. "I guess so. I never would've thought I'd be stuck in a place like this either." She paused, then added, "But here we are. And we're still standing."

"I just hope Eunwoo and the others are holding on and safe," I said.

"I've heard about him. He's the star player on our basketball team, right? He's quite popular." Hana said.

I immediately held up a hand, signaling Hana to stop talking. The faint creak of footsteps echoed from below, followed by a soft rustling sound.

Hana instinctively gripped her crowbar tighter, her face tense. "Do you think it's that guy who was following us?" she whispered.

I shook my head, my heart pounding. "I don't know. Could be him... or could be worse."

We both stood silently, straining our ears. The sound grew louder—a dragging noise, slow and deliberate.

"Stay here," I whispered, gripping my bat tightly. "I'll check it out."

"Like hell you're going alone," Hana shot back, already moving to follow me.

The dragging noise got louder as we carefully descended the stairs, trying not to make any sound. I could feel Hana's presence close behind me, her breath steady but tense.

As we reached the bottom, the source of the noise came into view: two zombies, stumbling through the half-open door we'd forgotten to lock.

They were slow, but there was something different about them. Their clothes were torn but not completely dirty, like they had only recently turned. One of them was still wearing a backpack, the kind people use to carry supplies when they're trying to survive.

"They must've been looking for shelter," Hana murmured, her voice barely audible. "Maybe… they were like us before."

I swallowed hard, trying not to think about it. "It doesn't matter now. They're infected."

One of the zombies groaned, its dead eyes snapping to us as it stumbled forward, arms outstretched. I didn't hesitate. I swung my bat hard, cracking it across its head. The zombie staggered but didn't go down, blood and gore spraying across the floor.

"Watch the other one!" Hana shouted.

I turned just in time to see the second zombie lunge for me. Hana stepped in, thrusting her crowbar with all her strength into its chest. It didn't stop moving.

"Head! Go for the head!" I yelled, gripping my bat again.

Hana gritted her teeth and yanked the crowbar free, this time slamming it straight into the zombie's skull. A sickening crunch followed, and the creature collapsed to the floor.

The first zombie groaned again, swiping at me as it lunged. I dodged back, adrenaline surging through me, and swung the bat as hard as I could. The impact caved its head in, and the body dropped with a thud.

For a moment, the room was silent except for our heavy breathing. I leaned on my bat, staring at the two bodies sprawled on the ground. The backpack on one of them caught my attention.

"They were trying to get in here," I said quietly. "Probably thought it was safe… but they were already bitten."

Hana wiped her forehead, her face grim. "This could've been us."

I nodded, pulling the backpack off the body. "We'll check for supplies. We can't let anything go to waste."