𝒜 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇-

They slowly made their way toward the hotel, the weight of what they had just witnessed pressing heavily on them. Some students walked in stunned silence, their faces pale with lingering terror, while others desperately fiddled with their phones, searching for a signal that refused to appear.

Seungbin let out a frustrated growl before hurling his phone to the ground. "Why the hell aren't our phones working?!" His voice cracked with frustration, his hands trembling.

Mina's voice wavered as she hugged herself. "How long are we just going to stand here...? In front of their bodies? I can't—I can't take this anymore."

"It's still them," Yoon-seo snapped, wrenching herself free from Jun-hee's grip. "They were our friends! Don't just call them corpses like they're nothing!"

Mina's expression twisted with grief, her fear turning into anger. "But they are fucking dead! Do you hear yourself?! They're NOT coming back!"

"SHUT UP, DAMN IT!" Kyung-jun's voice thundered through the night, his fury cutting through the tense air like a knife. The group fell into stunned silence, the weight of his outburst enough to make their stomachs churn.

Jun-hee, who had been sitting on the steps, sighed and stood up. "Stop yelling. It's not helping anyone."

Kyung-jun let out a sharp 'tch' but said nothing more, his jaw clenched tightly.

Then, suddenly—

"You're the class president, aren't you?!" So-mi stormed toward Minji, her voice rising in frustration. "Do something! Be useful for once instead of just standing there!"

Minji stiffened, her lips parting in shock, but before she could respond, Kyung-jun stepped in front of her. Without hesitation, he shoved So-mi back—his glare sharp enough to cut through steel.

"Yah. Who the fuck do you think you are?" His voice was low, dangerous. "She's not the only class president, and none of us know what the hell is going on right now. So if you don't have anything useful to say, shut your damn mouth."

So-mi's eyes burned with fury as she snapped back, "Why are you defending her so much?!"

Kyung-jun didn't hesitate. "Because she's my girlfriend," he said simply, his tone unwavering. "And I'll always defend her. No matter what."

Minji's breath hitched. Even in the middle of this nightmare, even when everything was falling apart, he was still her safe place.

Jin-ha let out a shaky breath, rubbing his temples. "Damn... what a shitty situation..."

Suddenly, Yoon-seo turned on her heel and started climbing the stairs, her footsteps hurried. In her rush, she almost stumbled, but Jun-hee caught her just in time.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going, Seo?"

"I'm trying to get upstairs!" she shot back, her voice laced with desperation. "Maybe there's internet up there!"

Jun-hee let out a frustrated sigh but quickly followed after her.

As the tension in the group remained thick, Kyung-jun turned toward Minji. His fingers brushed against hers, grounding her in the chaos.

"Are you okay?" His voice was softer now, meant only for her.

Minji swallowed hard before nodding. "As long as you're with me... yeah."

His grip tightened slightly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Even as fear crept through every corner of their being, even as uncertainty loomed over them like a storm—Kyung-jun's presence was steady. And for Minji, that was enough to keep standing.

—

Jun-hee and Yoon-seo finally returned, their expressions grim but determined.

"So basically, we need to form a small group to venture into the forest," Jun-hee announced. "It might lead to a village, and if we’re lucky, we’ll find help."

Silence followed before Hyun-ho stepped forward. "I’m coming with you."

One by one, others joined him—Na-hee, Yoo-joon, Eun-chan, and even So-mi.

Kyung-jun remained still, arms crossed. "I’m not going," he stated firmly. "This won’t end well."

"But… we might find something," Minji hesitated, glancing at him.

Kyung-jun exhaled sharply and turned to her, his gaze softer than his words. "Minji, please." His voice was quieter now, almost pleading. "Let’s just wait here. It’s dangerous. I’m not scared for myself, but for you."

Her heart clenched at the raw concern in his voice. She wanted to argue, to tell him that she could handle herself, but she knew him. Knew that nothing she said would make him worry any less.

"Fine…" she murmured, lowering her head.

A small sigh of relief left his lips, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t fade.

Nearby, Yoon-seo tugged on Jun-hee’s sleeve, her voice barely above a whisper. "Be careful… please."

Jun-hee’s usual unreadable expression softened as he gently patted her head. "I will. I promise."

Minji watched them with a faint smile, the moment bittersweet. Even in this nightmare, there were glimpses of warmth.

But as the small group disappeared into the dense forest, an unsettling silence settled over those who stayed behind.

Minji shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Kyung-jun noticed immediately. Without a word, he shrugged off his hoodie and draped it over her shoulders.

She looked up at him. "You’ll be cold."

"I don’t care," he muttered. "Just take it."

Minji tightened the hoodie around her, inhaling his familiar scent—comforting, grounding. But the warmth in her chest quickly turned to unease when she saw the look in his eyes.

"You’re scared," she whispered, realization dawning.

Kyung-jun didn’t answer right away. His fingers twitched, his usual tough exterior cracking just a little. "I don’t like this," he admitted. "Not knowing what’s coming next. Not being able to protect you from it."

Minji reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "You’re here. That’s enough."

He exhaled, his grip tightening around hers. "I swear, Minji. No matter what happens—I won’t let anything happen to you."

The words were a promise. A desperate, unshakable vow.

Minji wanted to believe him. She really did. But as the wind howled through the trees and the night stretched endlessly before them, a small part of her couldn’t shake the feeling—

That things were about to get much worse.

♫