"On-Jo!"

"What took you so long, Dad?"

Mr. Nam encases his daughter snug against his chest, tenderly caressing her head as On-Jo nuzzles into the warm fatherly embrace, so sorely-missed. Though tears track down her face, a small smile rests undyingly on her face.

Even in the midst of the heartwarming scene, everyone is preoccupied with the imminent danger still, hastily filing outside and leaving Cheong-San with the responsibility of bolting the doors behind him. As it seals shut again, you can hear the zombies thumping their bodies against it from the other side, snarling incessantly.

"Are you all okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, sir," Dae-Su answers politely despite his whole body rolling with unease, having been on the brink of death.

"Good, good," On-Jo's dad reprises, nodding his head at everyone in sequence, genuinely relieved. "There's nothing I'd rather hear than that you're all safe and sound."

He opens his arms right after, gesturing for Cheong-San to come. "Cheong-San."

"Ahjussi," Cheong-San snivels out, burrowing into the hug, the comfort of a person who's essentially his second dad bringing immeasurable ease.

With a final strong pat to Cheong-San's back, he moves away and tucks Cheong-San under one arm and On-Jo in the other as he addresses the group. "Is everyone still in running condition?"

You look around, considering everyone worn and weary, but to the best of your knowledge, unharmed. "Yes, we all are," you reply affirmatively.

"Great," Nam So-Ju sighs in respite. "Since we've got that cleared up, it'll make everything much simpler. For now, if you go through the tennis court to the construction site, you'll reach the mountain. Once you've made it that far, Yangdong shouldn't be far off, the destination merely over the-"

"Watch out, Ahjussi!" Cheong-San alerts in advance, spotting the undead clustering from the right-hand side, your group standing smackdab in clear view of the open area.

Mr. Nam isn't fazed and proceeds to flip one wayward zombie onto its back effortlessly, snapping its arm posteriorly, twisting punitively. "Incoming!" he warns, the sudden tumult drawing a slew of zombies, whipping his head back toward the group in haste. "Run, now!"

"Shibal," Mi-Jin swears, following the others in snatching whatever is left of the weaponry from the earlier fight, dashing off afterward in the direction of the tennis court. Nam-Ra tugs you by the arm, Cheong-San and Su-Hyeok trailing behind to aid Mr. Nam if necessary. On-Jo grabs her dad's backpack off the ground and gives it to him before tightening her hold on his hand, the father and daughter duo bringing up the rear.

Reaching the tennis court, Ha-Ri pivots back to stand guard outside the metal gates, aimed at the ready, awaiting the rest of the group to make it past the perimeter.

"Hurry!" Mr. Nam hastens, making sure everyone is accounted for before himself, going so far as instantly wrenching an unruly zombie off of Ha-Ri when it manages to tackle her to the ground.

Su-Hyeok fastens the gates together with a clang shortly thereafter in the nick of time, right as Mr. Nam's heels make it through to the inside. Hyo-Ryung's legs give out and she stumbles, Dae-Su pulling her back to her feet.

"Yah, yah, yah," Dae-Su reiterates, endeavoring to keep everyone as far away from the edge near the perforated fence as much as possible. "We can't go out there." He gesticulates at the gory throng encircling the premises. "No way in hell."

"What should we do then?" Wu-Jin gapes at the rapidly amassing population of creatures.

"Damn it. Out of the frying pan and into the fire," Dae-Su breathes out. "We're screwed."

Just as he says so, the locked tennis entrance gives out under the weight of zombies pushing against it, and upon its collapse, the horde pours in, spilling onto the green court. Frantic, everyone veers to opposite sides, fleeing to no end.

Mr. Nam however, doesn't waver and wastes no time in opening his backpack, pulling out a flare signal in hopes of luring the creatures to him. With metal bats in hand, Cheong-San, Su-Hyeok, and Mi-Jin hit relentlessly, bashing in heads so hard blood sprays across the square. But, even to that degree, it isn't enough to hold the monsters at bay.

"Cheong-San, take On-Jo!" Mr. Nam requests over the growling and crackling of the flare signal.

You push Cheong-San toward On-Jo and take the bat from him.

"Appa!" On-Jo yells, voice trembling. "Where are you going?"

Unanswered, On-Jo continually calls out to her father even as Cheong-San tries with all his might to drag her in a different direction.

Tugging on the whistle around his neck, Mr. Nam places it in his mouth and blows hard, drawing all the attention to himself, even lighting another flare signal for maximum recognition. "All of you, vacate! Get out of here and don't look back!"

Not able to turn a blind eye, Su-Hyeok and Cheong-San sprint toward him to assist as you turn On-Jo away, impeding her from approaching any further. She's too panic-stricken to think sensibly, and you both miss a zombie propelling itself onto you by a hair's breadth.

By the time everyone survives in making it to the second exit's threshold, you all realize Mr. Nam isn't coming with when he promptly padlocks the gate from within, the cold metal separating him and his daughter.

"You kids must leave."

"Appa..." On-Jo glimpses down to see a visible bite mark on the back of her dad's hand, tears brimming on the rims of her eyes.

"Honey, look at me," he utters softly, grabbing her hands where they're slotted in between the chain links of the fence from the other side. "You have to survive."

"How can I, without you?"

"The saddest day in any parent's life is the day they watch their child walk away, so let me be the one to depart first." Mr. Nam stares at On-Jo for another second before he looks away resolutely. "Remember that I'll always be with you, no matter what, On-Jo."

Right as he finishes his sentence, the measly stronghold folds, all of the zombies burst forth to deadly latch onto his back as they bite away, unceasing even with On-Jo's shrill screeches.

You block her sight as On-Jo efforts to push her way around you. Her sounds of distress attract another undead cluster near the edge of the woods, Cheong-San hurrying to pry a resisting On-Jo from you. Emotionally and bodily drained, she falls limply against his side, Cheong-San wrapping an arm around her shoulder to steady her.

"We have to go, now," Nam-Ra states decisively, sensing incoming endangerment, cursorily eyeing On-Jo with sympathy.

Unwillingly, you all desert the progressively transmuting form of Mr. Nam and tread onward toward the construction zone, burdened by the mountain's expansive, steep knolls.

On-Jo hasn't stopped weeping, hand securely clasped in Cheong-San's as she forces herself to keep moving, not desiring her father's sacrifice to have been in vain.

You've all scarcely stepped foot into the barren groundwork of the area, mid-renovation, when Nam-Ra stops short, virtually tripping over her own feet in her urgency. "No!" At her outburst, everyone pauses, heels skidding on the ground to halt, glancing at one another.

"What? Why?!" Dae-Su questions, now paranoid.

"Upstairs!" Nam-Ra's curt one-word reply is enough to sense her exigent tone, the group instantaneously retreating to the half-formed stairwell.

"She hasn't been wrong yet, so let's not take any chances!" Dae-Su impels everyone passing him, giving them a boost forward from the back firmly. "To the second floor!"

Sorely mistaken, you all realize that what's supposed to be a way to get to the higher level is still in-progress, the steps leading up unable to reach the top.

"Nam-Ra, there's no way out!" you turn around, the dread in your eyes matching hers.

"Now where do we go?" Dae-Su asks in trepidation, spinning his body every which way in hopes of finding another means of escape.

On a whim of intuition, Nam-Ra flings back opaque construction coverings, discovering hollowed out windows yet to have glass installed. "This way! It's our only choice."

Though appearing distinctly incredulous, Dae-Su locates a wooden work bench to use as a step stool for climbing onto the steel scaffolding outside, ushering the girls to go first. Everyone clambers out cautiously but swiftly in rapid sequence, adhering close to the jagged bricked walls.

"Stay away from the edge," Cheong-San cautions, catching sight of a curious Hyo-Ryung, half a step away from potentially falling off the precarious ledge.

"You can come here," Dae-Su prompts, pointing to his side, "so you're not on the outside, right at the tipping point."

"Alright," Hyo-Ryung concedes, casting Cheong-San an appreciative glance for his caveat, now taking more careful steps as she inches her way over to the other end.

In all seriousness, Nam-Ra turns her ear toward the blurred canvas, hardly concealing anything as it flaps in the wind. Her eyebrows knit together in concentration, listening attentively. "Remain quiet, and don't say a word." The group doesn't hesitate to heed the warning, everyone clamping their mouths shut forcefully, whether from apprehension or compliance, there seems to be little difference at the moment.

After a long bout of vows of silence, Nam-Ra sinks down to take a seat to your left, On-Jo's intermittent sobs echoing in the backdrop as she clenches her teeth to hold back overflowing tears. Regardless of the transient reprieve due to Nam Ra's cessation of tenseness, reality seeps in again, settling in the pits of grief everyone fell into.

"You can let it out," Cheong-San murmurs gently, crouching beside On-Jo and smoothing her hair away from her face.

"Why the fuck is nothing working out for us?" Mi-Jin seethes, glaring down at the ground below, estimating the drop distance. "We keep hitting dead ends upon dead ends."

"I wish you'd just can it." Dae-Su rolls his eyes, mimicking a zipping motion level to his mouth. "Joon-Yeong nearly died because of you. These 'dead ends' feel a lot like they're your doing."

Wu-Jin exhales long-sufferingly, turning to his friend. "Dae-Su..." he starts, shaking his head. "Now's not the time. I think you've said enough."

"If you hadn't bitched at him earlier, he wouldn't have felt the need to jump out there to prove a point, a suicide mission in his challenge." Dae-Su spits it out with so much contempt, you don't think you've ever seen him this angry before, usually one for sarcasm rather than direct confrontation.

"Cut it out," Joon-Yeong places a hand on Dae-Su's upper arm but the latter shakes it off brusquely, irritated. "I appreciate you sticking up for me, but I'm fine now, just...we have more pressing matters. Let's not make enemies out of one another."

"Fine," Mi-Jin retorts. "It was my fault for wanting to change our plans, it was my fault for getting your friend almost mauled, and it was also my fault for sticking to this group in the first place." She side-eyes Dae-Su, provoking. "Are you content now, asshole?"

"You give it a rest too!" Wu-Jin groans, looking back and forth between Dae-Su and Mi-Jin from his place in the middle. "What does surviving or dying even mean? I have no idea what it entails. If we get out of here, is that living? Our old friends have left; our moms and dads long since passed. Should we continue on like this?" The inflections in Wu-Jin's words distort by the end of his tangent, having to swallow past the lump in his throat, Adam's apple bobbing from the action.

"Then, do you seek to die, moron?" Mi-Jin berates. "Have you tried being seniors? Do you even know how it feels not wanting to wake up ever again-"

"That's enough," Joon-Yeong interjects inflexibly. "Why can't we be glad to have made it out alive instead of bringing up our losses all the time? It's not like we have many wins we can be proud of."

You close your eyes and breathe out through your nose, pulling your legs to your chest and leaning your head into the crook of your forearms as they settle on top of your knees, wanting nothing more than to drown everything out. A warm, calloused hand rests on the nape of your neck, rubbing soothing circles. Turning your head to your right, Su-Hyeok is watching you fixedly, silently inquiring with his eyes, and you answer in the same wordless manner, your slight head nod enough to placate him. Even when you lower your head again, he leaves his hand in the same position, unmoving.

"Is it some badge of honor?" Dae-Su's indignant voice reverberates.

"Try being a senior then! You juniors better survive until next year and live a day in our shoes. Come back and tell me after what's tougher: zombies or your final year of high school."

Done with the childish conversation, no one retorts back and Mi-Jin doesn't push for an antagonistic atmosphere any longer either.

"Your father," Ha-Ri's soft voice flits through the air, "He saved all of us. I'll never forget it for as long as I live-none of us will. If someone is remembered by many people for all their virtuous doings, that person will without question, reach the entrance of heaven."

Contributing to the consolation, Cheong-San gathers On-Jo to his chest and pats her back, much like she did for him in the gymnasium after the farewell with his mom. "We'll get out of this place to not disappoint all our loved ones watching over us from above. They're waiting for us away from here with open arms. The only thing left is to imagine that we're running toward them."

Leaving the two to themselves, Ha-Ri stands up determinedly, peering down at Mi-Jin. "Mi-Jin, let's go."

The short-haired girl rotates her head toward her friend, discernibly confused. "Where? Why?"

"Let's look for a spot we can jump off from. You said so yourself: we're the seniors."

"It's not like they show us any respect or treat us remotely close to it."

Ha-Ri clucks her tongue loudly, disapproving. "I've heard that excuse from you too many times now for it to have its intended affect. "Come on," she urges, tilting her head to the right. "I'll go this way. You split left."

You look up just in time so see Ha-Ri slipping past her half of the ledge, an awed Mi-Jin staring after her. "Aish, this bitch is so cool." Grudgingly, Mi-Jin gets up as ordered, dusting off her pants in a show of effort.

"I'll go," Su-Hyeok springs up, offering.

Mi-Jin eyes him, unimpressed. "Stay down."

He gives her an exasperated look. "I'm not a dog to follow that command."

Mi-Jin makes to shoulder him out of her way but he doesn't budge in the slightest, and the only one most surprised by his strength is her. Concealing her discomfiture at being obstructed, she masks it by raising her hand as if to slap him. You shake your head, bemused, as he flinches, the imagery quite entertaining. He's got at least a foot or more over Mi-Jin but is quick to back away, no longer standing his ground.

She retracts her hand and scowls. "Just move." Finally, Su-Hyeok gives way for her to brush past him, you, and Nam-Ra as On-Jo speaks up, garnering everyone's receptiveness.

"Whatever happens, I hope no one sacrifices themselves. It's so hard living because of someone else." She inhales shakily, staring down at her feet as she sits nestled into Cheong-San's side, one of his arms draped loosely over her shoulders. "There's nothing we can do for them. Living life to the fullest in honor of the person who died is too selfish. You can't die for lack of courage even if you want to; you wish to die for yourself but you have to live for the person who saved you."

No one knows what to say or how to respond to something that runs deep and resonates a lot with her, so you glance over at Cheong-San, knowing he can take it from there, having been in a similar situation and the closest to On-Jo out of everyone.

"How about we talk about all of this a little later? Tomorrow, or even the day after. There's next week too. Let's go someplace together, if you have a minute to spare after we get out of here, and we can talk about anything and everything okay? I know we have a lot to discuss, and it might be a simple thing, but I don't want to treat this like the end of everything. I want us to be able to dream of a better tomorrow, because I believe in us, and I'd like to believe that we still have a lot of time left together. So, why don't we go talk about it then?"

On-Jo turns to look up at him, eyes wavering as she recalls the same lines recited to him barely a day ago. "Tomorrow it is."

She reaches out toward him, and he raises their intertwined hands seconds later, pointing to the left of her face. "This side."

"Huh?" On-Jo angles her head, not comprehending what Cheong-San is referring to.

"You probably don't remember, but I do." He grins down at her. "The left side is by far much better."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow, On-Jo."

You watch the two intently, something about their companionship, to whatever extent, so palpable and personable. If anyone deserved a happy ending-especially one together-to you, it should be them.

Momentarily, you're drawn away from Cheong-San and On-Jo as you register Nam-Ra's shoulder bumping lightly into yours. As you turn toward her though, you come to realize that she's curled in on herself, shaking. When you go to place a hesitant hand on her shoulder, she recoils, withdrawing more into the wall, facing away from you.

"Nam-Ra...?" you inquire faintly, not wanting to scare her off, the sudden oddity of her mannerisms incomprehensible. Receiving no response, you peer around her, stretching your neck out to the side, eyeing her balled up fist as she bites on it.

You yank her hand away, evidence of teeth marks already embedded into her pale skin. She's crying silently, looking downward aimlessly. "What do I do?" she sniffs out so inaudibly you nearly miss it.

Ripping extra pieces of saved fabric from your skirt pocket, you wrap her wounded hand tightly with one, and use another to cover her morphing eye. Drawing both of her hands in between yours to clutch them together, you give it an earnest squeeze. "Nothing else but survive."

Nam-Ra shifts her body fully toward you, forlorn, but eventually nods, breathing out on a shaky exhale.

Cheong-San and Mi-Jin's side conversation exponentially grows in volume, gaining interest. "I think that's the only way out," he proposes, mentioning the direction Mi-Jin went in previously.

She shakes her head, bobbed hair swishing with the movement. "No, I looked down and that side drops into the basement. There's a lot of exposed steel bars from unfinished construction, so leaping is out of the question."

Ha-Ri motions to the area she surveyed, adding, "I don't think we have any use heading toward the side that faces the school. There's no point."

Mi-Jin chucks a spare rock off the ledge irately. "We can't go left, and we can't go right. Neither can we