"they're steering clear of her," hyejoo stares in awe. "she's unarmed, though."

"and definitely not one of the undead," jungeun says. "but she's coming straight for us."

jungeun holds up her gun and loads it.

"wait jungeun! i don't think she's going to attack us," chaewon pulls her weapon downwards until it's muzzle is facing the ground.

"yeeeeet! i knew there had to be someone else here besides me!" the girl shouts excitedly. she runs up to hyejoo and the two others. "hi, i'm yerim!"

"i told you, jungeun," chaewon says and smiles at the newcomer. "i'm chaewon, this is jungeun, and that's olivia."

"you have no idea how thrilled i am to help you three," yerim beams.

"you talk like a hyper evangelist," hyejoo said, her words coming out meaner than she wanted them to.

"haha, what use is religion here anyway?" yerim can't seem to wipe the bright smile off her face.

chaewon looks slightly taken aback by those words.

"anyway yerim," jungeun clears her throat. "how come the undead aren't attacking you?"

"whaaaat?" she puts on a shocked look. "they don't attack."

"we were being attacked before you came along," jungeun stated.

"you're kidding," yerim laughs. "look at them, just minding their own business." hyejoo looks over to see them aimlessly roaming around. jungeun doesn't say anything.

"maybe we should put down our suspicions," hyejoo says. "right now we need all the help we can get."

"we'll revisit this matter once we're out of harm's way," jungeun doesn't keep her eyes off the undead.

"do you maybe want to take the lead, yerim?" chaewon also uneasily glances around at the masked zombies.

"i see they really bother you," yerim says, but still doesn't seem to really understand it. after all, she's never had to deal with being attacked. "i can take you to that church over there for now." she points to a building from afar, with a cross perched on top of its roof.

after half an hour of walking, they see the entrance of this giant church. the undead they've met along the way have all moved aside wherever they walked.

"it's a really useful ability to steer off the undead this way," jungeun says, her words mostly directed towards yerim. "i have no idea what you're after, but we don't have much time. it's best i minimize the degree of uncertainty."

"it's still best when there's more people working with you, though," chaewon shrugs. i guess jungeun has a hard time trusting yerim, while chaewon doesn't seem to care, hyejoo quietly follows yerim into the building. maybe i should talk to her some more.

"why is it that you're helping us, yerim?"

"what the heck olivia?" chaewon scolds. "people are supposed to help each other out. it's people like san who are just weird."

"oh, i just remembered i forgot to tell you about my task," yerim laughs at herself. "my task is to help other people finish their tasks." she reaches into her coat pocket, and presents a rope with a small blue emblem attached to it. "i have this requiem necklace, which allows me to hear messages from other people who succeeded or failed at their tasks."

"so if i told you about my task, you'd help me?" chaewon's eyes lit up like the stars.

"i'd be more than happy to," yerim grinned.

"wait chaewon," jungeun pulls her by the arm. "we don't know if she's lying to us and trying to lower our guard."

"i really don't know how to react to this," the purple haired girl says. "i really do want to help you."

"i for one can't simply believe you this quickly," jungeun crosses her arms. "are you really expecting us to believe that your task is only to help us without gaining anything for yourself? not a chance."

"you're being too suspicious!" chaewon butts in. "what if she's just a genuinely nice person?"

"do you really think anyone's so nice to devote themselves for others without getting anything in return?" jungeun is still unconvinced by yerim's claim.

"i don't know about devotion, jungeun," hyejoo speaks up. "but there are nice people out there. just look at chaewon."

"was that a compliment?" chaewon's face flushes pink. "uh, anyways, jungeun you're a bit too much like... like a guard dog. wait, wait! not in a bad way, just-"

she immediately begins searching in her head for the right words. "it's like you bark at anyone except your owner. maybe you could chill out a little."

"so i'm like a dog." jungeun's voice lowers by an octave.

chaewon really knows how to hit her where it hurts.

"why are the undead avoiding you, yerim?" hyejoo quickly asks to tune out the tense situation.

"i honestly have no clue," yerim looks frustrated. "i tried asking them, but they won't go near me."

"maybe you're on dalburne's side. or sent by him to watch over us?" jungeun suggests. yerim's expression shifts to a confusing mix of offense, hurt, and surprise.

"i'm sure she's not-" chaewon defends, but gets interrupted by jungeun's doubtful words.

"although there's no evidence, that necklace of yours seems to hold a transcendent power in it. what were you doing these past few days?"

"just wandering around, not knowing what to do," yerim says, visibly nervous by jungeun's sudden interrogation.

"so you just let half of seven days pass by?" jungeun questions, looking her dead in the eye.

she must feel as burdened as when jungeun was asking me questions like this, hyejoo says to herself. but it's starting to make me a little suspicious, too.

"i'm afraid i can't believe that you let four days go by doing nothing when your life depends on it," jungeun says.

yerim seems to be honest and trustworthy, but then it could all be a face she put on. "that's why i was so happy to see you!"

"i would've been elated too, if i were you," jungeun is still full of suspicion. "i have to be honest - i don't trust you at all, yerim. and i cannot believe this easily what you've told us about your task. is there something else you could tell us that would be more believable?"

"i swear, i've been telling the truth all along!" yerim raises three fingers in an oath gesture. "i really don't know what you want me to say."

"i don't completely trust her either, but you're not even giving her a chance, jungeun," hyejoo points out.

chaewon puts her hand up. "i agree," she says confidently for once. "you've been doubting everything yerim's been saying since we met her. sometimes i can't decide whether you're being narrow-minded or have terrible judgement!"

"okay chaewon, i think that's enough," hyejoo pats her in the back to calm her down. jungeun doesn't say anything.

"i honestly just want to help," yerim smiles sadly.

"...i think we should let her come along," hyejoo says.

"me too," chaewon chimes in. "you're being too nitpicky, jungeun."

"is that so? well if both of you think that, i'll shut up," jungeun gave up trying to argue back. she's been acting a little petty today, thought hyejoo. "if someone else's task was to kill, would you be willing to help anyway?"

"i've already given my answer," yerim replied. "i'm willing to help anyone with their task."

"so that means..." jungeun looked at hyejoo. "she could end up helping san, too."

"i won't need to help anyone else if i have you," yerim said. "if you'd let me join your team, i'll stay to help you with your tasks no matter what."

"i can accept you as part of us," jungeun slides her gun strap over her head. "but i'll be keeping a close eye on her."

hyejoo nods and watches chaewon curl up asleep on a cushioned church bench.

end of day 4, i guess.