↳ gas station。

@▸ park chaewon。 Minho had often thought he would die so he knew how it felt. How the sudden feeling of being caught in fear and frozen to the spot felt, how useless and helpless one felt. But they were alive and okay and they were still kicking. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” he said and nodded at Chaewon. “You are alive.” He wanted to support her and give her some comfort but he was not the best with it. He knelt down and closed the woman’s eyes, putting a cloth over her face. “She probably isn’t. She’s dead after all.”

A small hum left his lips. Yeah, he preferred to keep the people safe with staying away from the uninfected, the healthy. He was not sure if there would not eventually be a time where it could spread, where the virus could attack the people he loved and end up with them sick and having to eat human meat too. Maybe even having to kill. “Oh, yeah,” Minho said and looked at his bag. “It’s fine. It helps me collecting things and also giving people what they need.” At least most times, whenever he met someone or he knew someone had a setup close so they would find it some time soon. “I am not good, I am sure of that. But I am trying to do my best.” After all he killed too. And that was definitely not good.

Surprised he looked at her and then nodded. “I had a group in the beginning,” Minho said gently. “But then I figured out I was infected.” And he left. He left because he did not want anyone to be in pain or eventually get hurt. “It’s fine. I can be your friend if you want me to?” he offered, hoping he could help her not be alone. It was lonely after all.

@▸ lee minho。 “Thank you,” Chaewon said, slightly bowing to the older. Chaewon gently picked up another slice and took a bite, chewing the meat slowly. She nodded as Minho reassured her of his supply, as a way to express her gratitude once more.

Minho asked her a question and she turned her head to follow his line of vision. “It was all so sudden, I didn’t know what to do. For the first time, I thought… I would die.” She looked closer at her attacker and saw the wounds Minho had pointed out. “I didn’t know…” Chaewon said. No matter how many times she told herself that she had no choice, the sight of a person losing their life in front of her, because of her, was something she hadn’t gotten used to yet. “Hopefully, she isn’t in pain anymore.”

Chaewon listened to Minho’s reply to her first of many questions and nodded in response. “I get what you mean, I wouldn’t want to hurt those around me. I hope I'll never have to.” She had always suppressed it while she was still living with her family, and no matter how strained their relationship was, she never wanted to hurt them.

Startled by Minho’s immediate response, Chaewon’s eyes widened but as she heard him continue to speak, her gaze immediately softened. “Ah, so that’s what that’s for,” she said, looking at the big bag. “Must be pretty difficult to carry around.” And to still be helping others when you don’t know when you could be the next one dead. “I’m not sure how you do it. You must be a good person, Minho. I wish… I could be like you.”

Minho’s next question throws Chaewon off her balance, the same question she had been pondering the night before meeting him. “I’m not sure.” Chaewon wasn’t like Minho, she wasn’t one to do good. Maybe she should have lied and said that she was here to help, but she thought her saviour deserved at least the truth. “It was my first time meeting someone else out here. I wanted a friend, an ally, but this disease makes it difficult…” Chaewon forces out a weak smile. “I’m sorry.”

@▸ lalisa manoban。 lisa's sweet voice is all she needs, for her eyes just stare at that beautiful face when she speaks, and even in the slightest volume she feels her heart slowing down until it reaches a peaceful rate, hands covering hers on her face. "i really thought...oh god, thank god we met here." the recall of the incident has her heart rate picking up again, how they managed to run away from the infected that could have had their lives lost on this path if they were any slower.

her eyes fall shut at lisa's lips against her skin, the feeling being missed so much from the lack of such tender and warmth from the latter. she savored the moment even if it was shorter than she thought, eyes fluttering open once again when she feels her lips leaving her. but it was good enough and xiao doesn't think she needs anything more than this. in this world where all hopes have been wasted, lisa is her only line of hope left - and she can't see herself leaving lisa alone now that she knew how much she has longed for her.

she follows the thai girl to the bench by the roadside, their hips almost land on the wood at the same time and her eyes glue to the contents inside her bag, all the water and bandages, they are almost the same with what xiao had with herself when she was still with the other group of people, just that she couldn't bring more medication with her when she sneaked away that night to run for her life. she had planned for it for a while but things sort of went out of her control when the cuts intensified, those men keep on lying about how they are not the ones causing them.

"just a bit, these are just....shallow cuts." but even shallow cuts hurt when they bleed, she thinks to herself. but at this point she doesn't want to let lisa worry even more especially after her following sentences, making her reaching up to caress her face with her other hand. "hey...it's okay. i am good now, right? i will be fine as long as i am with you, and it is not your fault."

@▹ cheng xiao。 to see those tears blemishing xiao’s face brings physical pain to her chest. for the suffering they’ve gone through, the time they’ve spent apart—lalisa extends a hand forth to wipe at the girl’s tears, ushering her with a honeyed voice. “don’t cry… i’m right here.”

the release of tension from the damsel is evident in the way a sigh elicits past rosy brims. longingly, lalisa savors the moment as she cups the other girl’s face in her hands, bestowing a gentle kiss to her cheek. feather light, her lips meet the milkiness of her skin. all at once, she feels eased, relaxed. this is where she’s meant to be and this is who she’s meant to be with. she has no doubts concerning this.

“let’s replace your bandages.” a tinge of pink shades her own cheeks and regrettably, their moment of solace and sweetness quickly comes to an end. but it isn’t for naught as lalisa is quick to take notice of the latter’s wounds and bandages seeping with crimson. she isn’t one to prod, so she’s silent with the specific matter at hand, only beckoning xiao over to a bench accompanying the side of the road. once seated, she’s digging her backpack for spare bandages and water to cleanse the wound. if it were an option, ointment and cream would be preferable, but such isn’t available. the thai woman makes a mental note to perhaps drop by a pharmacy of some sort in search of said ointment.

“…does it hurt?” she asks gingerly, eyebrows knitted together as she only eyes xiao’s wounds, her lips pursed together in concern. anything would be better than to see her loved one suffer. “if only… if only i could have been with you earlier, protected you. i wish i could take the pain away from you...”

@▸ park chaewon。 “Eat as much as you want,” Minho said gently and nodded at her. He knew how bad it could get, how hungry one could get. Most times he had himself under control but most times did not mean all times. And it when those exceptions happened. “I have more so don’t worry. You can eat as much as you want.” It was easy to eat like that, easy to chew and swallow and Minho had an easier time imagining it was just some animal meat and not one of a human.

“It must have been pretty scary, right?” he said and looked at the dead woman, kneeling down to close her eyes. “She was sick, she wouldn’t have made it much longer,” he explained, pointing at a few of her wounds. He was not feeling bad for killing that woman, not really. He probably should but his guilt had left a long time ago.

Looking at Chaewon he nodded then, slowly. “Yeah, I eat it too,” he said and looked at the meat. “Have to, otherwise I get sick and lose my mind.” And he could not lose it, could not get crazy and hurt the people. Too many had already gotten hurt when he could have been able to step in and help. But he would not let anyone get hurt again. “I’m infected.” He had been for a while.

Just like he had been alone for a while too.

Surprised he then looked at her upon hearing her next words, shaking his head immediately. “No! No, I don’t meet people to hurt them.” He frowned. He wouldn’t be surprised if people did that. “I actually bring supplies and water and such,” he said and pointed at the big backpack he had. “I am just… I cant eat normal food anymore so I’m trying to do good and give it to people in need. What about you?” Curiously he looked at her. “Why did you meet with me?”

@▸ lee minho。 [] tw: cannibalism? but not bloody

Chaewon’s head hurt. It was throbbing like crazy, the pain clouding her brain. The smell of blood was tempting; it beckoned her to take a bite, for any relief she could get from the pain. Chaewon exerted the little strength she had left to plant her feet to the ground, just so her saviour wouldn’t know she was one of those he should fear, the one he should have killed instead. Even then, she knew it was too obvious. She was infected.

Out of the corner of her eye, Minho’s figure slowly grew bigger. Chaewon closed her eyes again and braced herself to become just like the woman lying motionless on the floor. Yet, rather than any pain, a smell hit her instead. Chaewon’s eyelids fluttered open to the sight of raw meat, packed nicely in a lunchbox. Chaewon heard Minho speak, but she could only understand a few words. Even then, the few words were enough. She saw Minho offer her a small smile and stretched out her trembling hand to pick up a slice of meat. Chaewon brought the slice up to , her front teeth biting down into the soft flesh.

Just like some magic painkiller, the taste of meat on her tongue swallowed up the sharp pain in Chaewon’s head, the throbbing slowly ebbing away. She wolfed down the thin slice in her hand and reached out for another. At that point, the first slice of meat must have rebooted her senses as she realised the food wasn’t hers, it was someone else’s. “Ah, sorry,” she said, unable to look into Minho’s eyes.

“Thank you for the–” Chaewon pauses, unsure of her words. “–food. But… could I have another slice? I-I’m really hungry.” It was strange. It was the first time Chaewon could talk about eating with another human, and it was strange to talk about flesh like it was some poultry. But, after all, she couldn’t be the only one who had changed since the outbreak. Was Minho like her too?

“Are you… infected?” Chaewon asked, slowly raising her head to look at Minho. “This meat, you eat it too, right? I mean, I think you said you got it today so I would think you eat it.”

Chaewon pauses her rambling for a while, before asking the next question. It was a question that she wouldn’t know how to answer if she was asked, yet, she wanted to know. “If you’re infected, did you meet me to… eat me?”

@▸ park chaewon。 [tw: ]

It was easy to see that something was clearly not right with the other and Minho was worried that she did got harmed. But there was no blood aside from the lady that was lying dead on the floor, eyes wide open. Minho could see how worn out that woman had been and upon a closer look he recognised a few badly infected wounds. She would not have survived for much longer and maybe she had wanted to take as many people with her as possible.

“Are you sure?”

Because there was something in the other’s eyes but maybe he was just imagining it. He then noticed how she looked at his wrist and the moment he heard her say her name he realised he had found the right one. The woman form the radio he had wanted to meet up with. “I was looking for you.” He smiled at her, noticing how she tensed but he was not entirely sure what was going on. Was it the dead body on the ground? Was it the smell of blood or maybe she was not good with strangers? Who knew.

But then she told him to stay away and he realised. She was infected. Just like he was. Shaking a step towards her he put his backpack down before he grabbed a lunchbox and opened it, having some thinly sliced raw meat inside it. “Here,” he said, holding the box out for her. He had figured out that, if one forced themselves to eat some normal food or at least drank a lot, just a few sliced of meat every day was more than enough. He kept them with him to make sure he was not suddenly having those horrible nightmares again he had been having. He knew how it was to be badly infected and unable to keep the own body under control. But he was trying his bed.

“I did not kill them, they were dead before but I got it this morning and it’s still good.” He showed her a small smile. “I know you probably don’t like it but it’s better than eating from the woman on the ground.” And a lot less bloody.

@▸ lee minho。 [] tw: mentions of cannibalism, death

Chaewon felt the grip around her neck loosen, air rushing back into her lungs in quick breaths. Opening her eyes to the sound of a male voice, she looked at her attacker, but the attacker wasn’t looking back at her. The woman’s eyes had lost their focus, lost their murderous glint, lost any hint of life. The woman who had been breathing, moving, talking a few seconds ago, was now nothing more than a body. Just a body. Meat. Flesh.

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, the same voice she had heard a few moments ago. Chaewon turned towards the voice and saw an outstretched hand. Almost automatically, she extended her arm and her shaking hand clasped his. Chaewon wasn’t sure if she was hurt, all she could feel was her head throbbing as the smell of blood filled the room, but she mustered her strength to reply.

“No,” Chaewon replied. “I think… I’m okay.”

Speaking seemed to help Chaewon gain some sense of stability and she could finally take a look at her saviour, rather than the juicy, no, body on the floor. He donned a pink watch on his left wrist and looked to be just slightly older than Chaewon herself. Pink watch, familiar voice… Could it be?

As the man said his name, Chaewon’s suspicions were confirmed. It was really the man from the radio. “Lino from the radio, right?” she asked through trembling lips, even if she already knew the answer. “I’m Chaewon!” Chaewon felt tighten, maybe it was fear, maybe it was relief, but she tried to blink back her tears. “It’s fine, thank you so much for saving me. I… I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t ki– step in…”

She tried to continue talking, but the smell of blood crashed into her senses like a wave, slivers of pain shooting up from her ribs into her skull. Hungry. She wanted a bite. But Minho was in front of her, she couldn’t possibly…

The ache in her head stabbed her head once more, causing her to hiss in pain. Chaewon sharply retracted her hand away from Minho and onto her head, clutching it as if it could stop the pain. Chaewon opened to apologise but no sound came out, all she could think about was the stabbing pain in her head, the longing for flesh on her tongue. “S-stay away,” she says meekly. “Please.”

@▸ lalisa manoban。 as much as xiao wants to leave this world, lisa's existence shows her that there is still a bit of hope in it, maybe her death wish can come to a stop for a while. as they flee the scene and makes it far enough for the infected to lose track of them, she feels the last bit of energy in her drained as she pants heavily, feeling herself being pulled into a familiar embrace before her arms weakly wrap around the other's torso. she had wanted to meet lisa for a while, ever since she knew she is still alive and also in seoul, she can't deny there's is no one day she didn't miss the lady, wishing to catch on news that she is safe on the other side.

"i missed you so much," she whispers, tears slowly roll down her cheeks when they pull away, the situation they had just escaped from reminded her how precious lisa is compared to the other people she doesn't even know of. at this point, she just wants to be at her side and protect her at all cost.

"no, i can understand." xiao smiles and suddenly that simper disappears when she looks down at her arms, blood from the previous cuts had split up and soaked the bandage once again. "guess i have to change the bandage again," she said in a jesting tone, trying not to worry the other.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 Even though he believed that he was lacking in emotion but he knew how hard it was to lose someone important to him. The fact that she used past tense on her sentences showed that the person you mistaken him for was no longer there, or worse being infected. She somehow reminded him of himself, he kept seeing reflection on his old friend he lost in every human beings he encountered.

It was like some kind of denial from his part because the other male was no longer with him, leaving him without words. It angered him but there was still a little bit of hope that he would come back. "You do not need to apologize, it happens." He replied and he noticed her gaze fixated on his arm, following your line of sight he suddenly greeted with a bright shade of crimson.

Before he came to this place, he tried to do some scavenging for supplies but he encountered some infected that he tried to make a run for it. Which brought him to a metal fence with a hole, enough for a human to pass through but the space not big enough that it made it scratch his skin in a painful way. He was on the run to escape that he barely have time to treat it until he met you. "Oh." He said in realization, the pain started to come back to him and felt a bit dizzy by the sight of blood.

@▸ park chaewon。 [cw: slight description of gore i guess? and violence]

"You aren’t the one to decide that,” Minho said, grabbing the tall woman’s hair before he pushed his knife right through her skull. It felt disgusting. The way the knife had to break the skull open and then slid so easily through the mass of brain. And if it had been a year prior Minho would have probably thrown up. But now he just stood there, knife in his hand as he pushed the dead woman away from the young lady that had been cornered into the wall.

If he had made the right decision? He could not tell. But he had witnessed most of the situation, how the taller woman had suddenly attacked the other one, no mean words exchanged or anything. So all he could judge from was what he had witnessed. And his instincts had told him to act, to protect the young woman against the brick wall who had fumbled with some small knife from her back pocket.

“Are you hurt?” Minho asked and then held out his hand, to help her move or to greet her, whatever fitted better at least. The smell of blood was filling the gas station and Minho hated it because whenever he had not had any human flesh before, he knew his body would react to it. Luckily he was not hungry and he did not have to worry this time. At least the smell of gas was stronger.

“I’m Lino. Or Minho,” he then added. Most people over the radio knew him as Lino though sometimes people mentioned his real name. What they all did know about him however was that he was wearing a pink watch on his left wrist – just like now. “I’m sorry, I saw what happened but if I had acted earlier she might have caught me and we would have both been dead.” The moment of surprise had gotten them lucky, both of them. And even though Minho knew how to fight and protect himself he could not risk it after all.

[post deleted by owner]

@▹ cheng xiao。 the dark silhouettes of the many infected within the gas station fill her vision, but the warmth of xiao’s voice even amidst their crisis reels her in. this is how lalisa is, fearless in the face of danger, always willing to protect her loved ones even if it means sacrificing herself. but as the other girl tugs her, she escapes from the battle scene as quickly as it had arrived. their legs alternate with haste and they exit the gas station, fleeing the scene and leaving their perpetrators behind.

they stop far from the gas station at the center of the dirt road, out of breath. lalisa wants to thank xiao for having saved her, but the gratitude slips from her mind and her first instinct is to throw her arms around the other girl’s frame. it’s been too long, and lalisa has missed her too much. to simply see her well and alive is more than enough.

“thank goodness you’re okay,” she only mutters, tension released from her body. “i know i was being reckless but i was just worried about you.” releasing xiao from her grasp does a sad smile fill the canvas of her face, her gaze now lingering across the latter’s visage.

@▹ lee jihoon。 She was ready to close her eyes and swing her arms blindly and clumsily just to not have her scooter taken away from her, but perhaps the seemingly endless chanting of, ‘No, please don’t take it’ inside her head was enough to have the suspect fall from the said scooter – he did take it with him though, causing Heejin to wince. Her scooter…

When the man had gotten back to his feet, Heejin awkwardly but bravely took a step forward, one hand she reached out to grip on one of the handles tightly while the other she held up, balled into a fist. She was not violent for the most part, if this was another situation she would have just fled without even trying, but that was the thing – she could not because there is NO WAY in this hell on earth she would abandon her scooter. Silently she prays that the thief would not hurt her in any way.

Well, he did not try anything funny to possibly injure her – but he did call her a stalker.

Wait, what?

Gangnam stalker? She did stay at Gangnam just recently, but she swears she did not see a single soul while she was there – except maybe for suspicious persons that she clearly avoided at all costs.

“What…?” Heejin was dumbfounded then the worse thought crossed her mind, causing her to drag her scooter away from the man with all her strength.

“What do you mean I’m a stalker? I have never seen your face my whole life...you―you must be imagining things! I’ve heard of this...yes, that’s right. Y-you are infected aren’t you? YOU’RE HALLUCINATING! I know a lot about you... you /beings/!” She blurted out without a care about coherence. Her body was obviously shaking – enough for her to drop her keys but she was too frightened to even dare to pick it up.

Maybe she should have just let the stranger take her scooter, now both her vehicle and her life is at risk.

@▸ lee minho。 [] cw: mild violence

Chaewon takes a step back, but her heel meets rough brick.

“,” she mutters under her breath.

The woman in front of her takes a step forward, closing the distance between the two. The woman was clearly taller and bigger, but Chaewon’s small frame doesn’t leave much room for competition. “You’re one of those bloodsuckers, aren’t you?” the woman asks, her voice low but clearly shaky. Judging from the eye bags and disheveled hair, Chaewon can tell the woman isn’t doing very well. Well, Chaewon isn’t in any position to say that, especially when she's being backed into a corner of the dingy gas station store like this.

“No! No,” Chaewon shakes her head vigorously, her voice barely a whimper. It's a lie, and the woman seems to know it, or maybe she doesn't care, as she takes bigger steps towards Chaewon, slowly extending her hands out towards Chaewon’s neck.

Chaewon puts her hand behind her back, fishing for the Swiss Army knife in the back pocket of her jeans. She pulls it out slowly, even if she knows the tiny blade will be of no use against the crazed woman towering over her. Chaewon steals a glance at the rest of the store beyond the woman’s shoulders, hoping to see some form of life to save her, or distract the woman, or whatever it takes for Chaewon to live to see another day. After all, some dude named Minho was supposed to be meeting her here. But, alas, the only person Chaewon has met in this otherwise empty gas station store has been this woman, who is definitely not Minho.

Chaewon looks out of the fogged glass windows once more, in hopes of seeing the man whose voice she heard over the radio. Seizing the opportunity, the woman lunges towards the poor girl and slams Chaewon against the brick wall. Chaewon pulls out the Swiss Army knife from behind her, but the woman’s grip on her shoulders is too strong.

“You don’t deserve to live,” the woman hisses.

Maybe she's right, Chaewon thinks. After all, she was never supposed to survive this long; it was stupid of her to think that meeting some man she met over a radio would save her. Chaewon closes her eyes, and braces herself for the worst.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 "lisa?!" she isn't in her best mental state until she feels the sharp pain arising from her shoulder and arms, her whole body tackled to the side by the girl she is not planning to meet here. the dizziness caused by the heat outside still has her brain unable to put into train of thoughts, and there are way more questions than answers she can ever get from the latter. the familiar growling from the infected comes from behind lisa, and xiao cannot even think longer before pulling herself and lisa up, stumbling across the few packs of cookies on the ground that fell out from her bag.

"no, we are running together," she corrects the lady's words, afraid what could be the underlying meaning behind what she had said. but she doesn't have much time to think, because the infected has turned its head to them, and apparently covered in dust while looking deranged. now that xiao cannot help but think how lucky she was earlier, being quiet enough to not alert the monster and only had discovered it when lisa was here. if she had accidentally stepped on something and exposed her location, this might be the last time they ever met.

the pain from her shoulder still remains, but she doesn't have time to think about it. her hand reaches from the bag stuffed with food that she had scavenged and lisa's wrist, already prepared to run with what and who she is holding in her hands to somewhere far enough. and sadly, she feels the tingling sensation across her skin- the cuts that she has bandaged with cloth had probably burst open, because some blood has seeped out from the wounds and dying the cloth red. the time provided for her to think is getting shorter and it is until the moment when the infected jump towards them, xiao tugs on lisa and yells. "run!"

@▹ cheng xiao。 [] idk how this got so long, pls don't mirror the length -

the radio had been awfully silent. it’s usually booming with many of the other survivors, but this morning lalisa was met with silence, much to her disliking. she questions why she isn’t simply staying with another person in the same area yet, as this would make scavenging much easier as well as safer. but at least she can guarantee that there’s space for xiao once she, well, arrives. that is…if she were to arrive.

given the pair’s location, it would take quite a long while to travel to the other’s location by simply walking. not to mention the thread the infected posed as. reminiscing upon what the other woman had told her, lalisa is sure that xiao means to travel alone. how reckless can she be?

standing to her feet, the thai woman slings her backpack over her shoulders, eliciting a sigh. hopefully she can find the other before the infected do.

——

the dirt path is empty as usual, the pit pat of lalisa’s feet against the track audible. she had planned to jog the way in hopes of arriving faster and perhaps finding her past lover faster, but such would be a waste of her energy. it’s not as if she’s hopeless about meeting xiao, but she isn’t exactly hopeful either. just knowing that the latter had been safe all this time had been enough for her, but now…not hearing her voice, not knowing her whereabouts—it terrifies lalisa more than she’d like to admit.

her chest aches and her thoughts are drowned out by ones of anxiety. she needs a breather, a break, so her trek is cut short and she decides a break at the gas station visible in the distance will prove beneficial. the walkway leading up to the door of the small building are reminiscent that of footsteps that have come and gone, but the damsel gives it no thought. if any survivors are currently inside, infected or not, she will simply have to be careful.

much like any other gas station or convenience store, a multitude of the shelves are empty now, only filled with what’s expired or practically useless. there’s rustling from inside, across the many aisles, and thus the scavenger perks up and pays attention to her surroundings. hopefully it’s simply another survivor and not another feral infected who plans to feast upon her flesh.

rounding about the corner of the aisle do her steps halt, fading into silence as she searches for the source of the sound. set in the dark, her eyes are still adjusting to the lack of light. but soon enough, the vague outline of a figure in the distance catches her eyes. it’s a sight to behold: cheng xiao herself, alive and well.

“xiao!” the name falls from her lips without a second thought, without hesitation. she garners the latter’s attention, but with it, those quiet and lurking nearby. the bloodthirsty launch their attack. leaping from her position does lalisa swiftly tackle xiao to the ground away from the infected that arose from the shadows. she feels deeply terrible for this action, but the feeling of her body hitting the floor will be much more preferable than being bitten or consumed.

“xiao, please run,” lalisa spares the woman before her a glance of desperation before she raises to her feet with her bat in hand, preparing to race into combat for the one she loves.

@▸ chittaphon leechaiyakul。 Her panting has slowly come to a halt after their frenetic run from the gas station. Such a quick-paced run leaves the girl’s heart pulsing within her chest at a rapid rate, threatening to implode from within her frame. But adrenaline had been quick to hijack her system, forcing her to sprint beyond her limits and ignore her body’s restraints as a means of getting to safety. How delightful the body’s fight or flight response is. Lalisa can only chuckle at the reminiscence of her classes in the last, and how deeply engrained the functions of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system were in her mind. It’s something she misses quite largely.

Ten’s words only bring her solace, for even if Lalisa can not forgive herself, being accepted by the latter is more than enough for her own conscience. It’s more than enough to prove her worth in this world, more than enough of a reason for her to continue. To be given a second chance in the world that had already shattered is something that simply mesmerizes her. How astounding it is to experience such a notion for herself.

“Thank you, Ten.” She speaks the words with simplicity, quite lackadaisically. It’s simple really—the way in which she lies. A twinge of pain can be seen within umber irises, but she’s quick to mask her desolation with that of a mirrored smile, stretched across coral lips. Ten was absolutely correct. Despite how she had fallen, their safety had been secured and that was that. So why does she blame herself like so?

“Well, my backpack’s rather full.” The woman motions to the weight on her back with a small chuckle. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to carry more even if I wanted to. Why don’t we head to the warehouse? We can always scavenge more at a later time.”

@▹ jeon heejin。 Jihoon nearly jumps at the abrupt sound of something hitting the ground... and a scream that is more startling than frightening.

His instincts prompt him to release his grip on the throttle and search his pockets for his knife, but before he can find it, the scooter topples over with him on it. "!" he yelps, barely managing to plant a foot on the ground before it falls and drags him down with it. He gets off and kicks the stand back down, holding his arms up with his palms wide open as he takes a few steps backwards. "Whoa, calm down, I can explain―"

There is a glint of recognition in his eyes when he takes a better look at the stranger's face and scans her figure. "Wait, do I know you?" spills out from his lips before he could stop himself, eyebrows knitted in a deep frown as he lowers his hands down slowly. His gaze shuffles between her and the scooter a few times before his brain finally makes the connection. The exact same vehicle had followed him around for at least ten minutes when he was completing an order sometime last year. He remembers contemplating on whether he should call the police before he arrived at his destination... and so did the driver.

It was a misunderstanding, but for a lack of better name, he blurts out, "You're the Gangnam stalker!"

@▸ lalisa manoban。 the sky has no clouds, like a big piece of blue cloth hanging on the four corners of the world, spread wide open masking the whole city. a huge contrast to its clearness is the city covered in dust, buildings still erectin from the ground but have long lost its vitality, just throwing one gaze over and it is obviously deserted. the heat has grown even more unbearable for the girl as she drags herself under the azure for three hours now, even with pauses in the middle her energy is still losing as she tries to head towards her destination. hell, she doesn't even know where she is, for her eyes are losing its focus when she stumbles upon a pillar, legs giving up as she sits by the support for a while, getting her bottle of water and finishes the last bit of water that she plans to save. if she is too stubborn, she can't guarantee the heat won't kill her given how weak she is feeling right now.

she slowly gets up, wanting to look for any buildings around that could be a source for supplies. schools, warehouse, wherever it is, it can all lead her to possible findings. but as she turns around, she finds herself pretty lucky — the place behind the pillar she rests upon is an abandoned gas station. with convenience stores and mini-marts integrated in gas stations, her survival instincts lead her to go in and look for some supplies she could use for the rest of the journey. but there are some noises, either it is her hearing things or whatever, it is always better to get some protection. she picks up a piece of a wood plank from the roadside as she approaches the gas station, now a bit too quiet as she tries to listen- even her breath goes muted as she exhales carefully, each time stepping out with caution at the rocky road. she didn't see anyone among the shelves, but she still needs to stay alert.

she s her bag quietly and sweeps all the snacks off the rack. fried potato chips aren't necessarily the best things to eat in such critical times, but now anything she can use to fill her hunger will do.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 () i didn’t notice this somehow :’D

Bated breaths expelled from the male’s lungs in brief and quick concatenation, adrenaline pumping in his veins as it propelled him onward, the thumping of his heart drumming cacophonously in his ears. Ten dared not turn back, fearing the consequences of carelessness and curiosity, his brain only screaming to him ‘run, run, /run/’. The sheer panic and trepidation clenching its merciless grasp around his throat with the taunting promise of death was the only force driving the man forward to safety.

After running a good kilometre, the gas station had long since vanished from visibility, leaving the infected that attacked Lalisa to bite the dust. The two finally slowed their steps into traipses. A bench awaited them away from the asphalt, which Ten instantly reached for, instantaneously collapsing onto it as the ache in his muscles finally settled in from sprinting this long.

Audible wheezes escaped Ten as he attempted to catch his breath, chest rising and falling harshly with ever inhale and exhale. Umber flickered towards the female when her words fleeted to his ears, no sentences falling from his lips as he only busied in calming his pacing heart. It took a few more mouthful of airs before Ten’s heart finally slowed, and his gaze softened as Lalisa talked, silence being the only response from the male in the seconds succeeding the end of her guilt-ridden apology.

At last, Ten offered a gentle smile, kind and not blaming, and spoke, “It is fine, Lalisa. You don’t have to apologise, it happens to the best of us. At least we’re both alive, that’s what matters most. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt and that infected didn’t kill you. Don’t kick yourself over it, okay?”

With a nod, Ten stood from the bench, wobbling momentarily as a curse easily slipped from his mouth — his legs had became jelly from all the exercise. “We can head further down to the warehouse I’m residing? Or we can head to the city- although, we’ll have to pass by the gas station again. Unless, we take a detour, which would probably take a long time but it might be safer, if we don’t come across any more infected.”

@▹ kim taehyung。 she hates it—how helpless she is in this situation, weak, forfeiting. lalisa’s become the very thing she’s sworn to destroy, and baring her emotions to a mere stranger is enough to baffle her. was it pity that shaped the words he elicited? she couldn’t tell. so with a weak resolution, the girl dries her tears with the back of her hand and restrains all she has to bare.

“…i apologize. you look like someone i once knew.” a sad smile defines her brims—an expression she has forced in order to maintain a strong exterior, though such a facade has already dissolved. the woman is ready to grasp her shattered sentiments and flee, act as if she had never met this man and had never made such a mistake. but her blindsight already holds her prisoner to this scenario. her vision, now clear and unobstructed by tears, falls to the stranger’s arm resting by his side, tainted by that of bright crimson.

“you’re hurt—“ lalisa reaches forth with hesitation, gently touching the latter’s arm. from the looks of it, it hasn’t been long since he’s sustained damage, with the coloration of his wound still a fresh red. “i should have something to help.” hastily, she retrieves her backpack and digs through it for bandages or something of the sort. an infected wound isn’t always fun to deal with. “please, let me help you.”

@▹ lee jihoon。 Heejin just finished looking inside the gas station’s store for gum – but all she saw were expired candies. If her life depended on it, she would have gotten one but it was merely a craving. Gum helped her focus and she surely needed to focus right now as she was planning to go to another area, she needed to be alert. Her scooter was ready too. She made sure that it had gas, just enough to escape if ever she needed to do so.

When she approached the glass door, however, the said scooter was—well...

“What the is happening?” She muttered to herself but Heejin knew that if she wanted to keep her scooter, she has to do better.

And so she sent an almost empty water bottle flying – but gravity still exists even in chaos, the bottle did not even reach Heejin’s target: a man, trying to start HER scooter. “YAaa~!” Given that so many weeks have been spent being quiet, her shout rather came out as the least threatening sound humankind might ever hear.

Though there was no time to even be embarrassed – Heejin sprinted towards the front of her scooter, spreading her arms wide, as if she was much of an obstacle even, “Let go of my scooter, you nasty thief!”

@▹ jeon heejin。 ― october 26th, 2120

there will be a day where jihoon finally runs out of gas, forcing him to abandon his scooter and travel for miles by foot with the danger of having a feral infected human charge after him lurking with every step he takes ― and he realizes that he wouldn't know what to do when that day comes.

he tries to avoid having his fuel meter go past the halfway mark in case he can't fill up, so when he notices the red arrow hover above it in the middle of his supply run, he makes a brief stop at the next gas station he sees. it's one that he has visited quite a few times before when he was doing his delivering gig, often hanging out with the other drivers from his company in-between taking orders under the pretense of filling up gas. jihoon hadn't realized how vast the grounds are until he sees it empty, save for one lone scooter parked right in front of the only gas pump available, much to his dismay. he looks around for its possible owner, only to find that he's alone (there might be someone inside the station's convenience store, but its windows are too heavily tinted for him to be able to see), so he shrugs and pulls up next to it. he is hit with an odd sense of familiarity when he examines the scooter and wonders if it belongs to someone he knew ― perhaps a fellow deliveryman? he dismisses the thought with a nonchalant shrug and proceeds to seat himself on the saddle as he attempts to start the bike to get rid of it.

@▸ chittaphon leechaiyakul。 negligence to her surroundings is quick to bring karma, and lalisa isn’t exactly delighted to see the face of death itself, despite her brooding over what a wonderful idea such might be. her companion’s quick reflexes grasp her away from that meandering vortex, and the woman wastes no time in grabbing her belongings and fleeing from the gas station with ten. she only curses herself for being powerless.

their legs alternate with haste aside one another, running a distance far enough to secure safety. they stop at a bench and lalisa has to catch her breath before she catches notice of the frissons forming at her skin, the way her hands twitch and her fingers shake—she had been so caught up with the idea of playing hero and being strong, she had never realized how /afraid/ she had actually been.

“i’m so sorry. i… i was careless.” she’s guilty for the occurrence, and thus a grim look settles upon her features, the color nearly drained from her countenance. “you could have gotten hurt, i—“ but her voice becomes caught in as she faces yet another conflict. blaming herself and regretting what hasn’t been done will bring her nowhere. she knows this very well by now. lalisa only shakes her head at the words that have already escaped.

“what i meant to say was—thank you. i won’t let my guard down next time.” discernible is the way in which the damsel smiles, an elusive tinge of despair just beyond a facade of gratitude. this isn’t to say that she isn’t appreciative of what ten has done. it’s that she cannot forgive herself for being incapable. “where should we head next?”

@▸ lalisa manoban。 mystification adorned the debonair lineaments of ten's countenance, before thin tiers tugged into a smile. "we were going to scavenge the gas station? i wasn't aware of that- i must've forgotten. my apologies, i've been rather discombobulated lately, it seems."

"in that case, let's" mirth gracing the simper upon his lips, ten gesticulated with one hand towards the gas station store. "after you."

trailing after the female, the two set foot within. notwithstanding the fact that it was broad daylight outside, it seemed dimmed inside, natural luminescence from the star unable to reach its warm grasp towards the back of the store, where shadow shrouded every nook and cranny, crevices and corners blanketed in darkness. instinctively, the male's bod drifted nearer to the lass, not needing to be informed twice on keeping close.

with the sound of glass shards and shattered floorboards crunching beneath their footwear, ten ambled further down the aisle, vacating from lalisa's side, the guarantee to stay by her gone from his musing as he busied filling his duffel bag with stock items.

upon discerning the call of his naam, ten lifted his gaze to where it came from. after a last swipe of his arm across the shelf, sweeping all packaged food into his backpack, he pivoted on his heel. his steps were light and swift as his feet brought him to where he last saw lalisa-

-only to find her on her back, a delirious infected on her screeching at the top of their lungs.

"lalisa!"

there was no hesitation in the manner ten barreled against the stranger's side, knocking the weight off from lalisa. he held onto the strap, situating himself between lalisa and the infected, allowing the former time to collect her bearing. when the infected lunged for them once more, he used the heavy mass of his bag to create momentum, swinging it at the person and sending them flying into the shelf from the full force he put in the effort.

"come on," announced ten hastily, hand grabbing onto lalisa's as he pulled her after him out of the gas station store while the infected was disoriented.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 He did not know how long it had been since the outbreak. It took something that made him feel good about himself, his huge knowledge over technologies and programming landed him an awesome job with a great amount of income. Especially with his side job as an unknown hacker brought him a lot of cash. But since this tragedy hit the world, he lost everything. His job, his home, and his technologies. It was pretty much useless since there was not even an electricity anymore. It made him hit rock bottom but he still tried to adapt.

Taehyung was walking down the road to search for supplies that he could bring to his hide out, looking around making sure that it was clear of the infected. He was heading to the gas station until he heard a voice, making him stop on his steps before looking around for the source of that voice until his eyes landed on a female with a dark brown hair, length just below her shoulders looking at him like he was a ghost.

His eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliar name that came out from the other's mouth but before he could respond, the girl in front of her suddenly broke into tears making him feel extremely uncomfortable because he never been good in comforting someone. He also did not like human interaction, but seeing her looking broken that way stirred something inside of him. Was it pity? He never knew, but he knew he can't just leave. "It is okay." He assured in the end but did not know how to make the conversation after.

@▸ chittaphon leechaiyakul。 “i am glad you’re well, too.” a glimmer of opalescence is vivid in her orbs, sheer gloss of contentment. after all the catastrophes she has bore witness to, simply seeing another in a well state is enough to fill the woman with glee. “i expected the city to be bustling with life but it was a rather safe journey. i’m glad for that.” a soft hum elicits past rosy brims as irises besmirched with that of hazelnut gaze over her companion’s visage.

“did you forget that we were to scavenge?” teasingly, lalisa chuckles. her gaze elusive that of joy diverts to the gas station before the pair, beams of lights entering beyond the dilapidated and shattered glass windows. “i think this here is a great place to start. shall we?”

the front door swings open with ease. the interior is a cluttered morass, with shelves and products spilled against the tile floor. but many shelves lay upright still, to which lalisa can only imagine what may lurk in the shadows. “let’s stay close together. we’re better off safe than sorry,” she whispers to the male behind her, giving a small nod of her head before they enter the building in unison. the woman gives a cautious glance around the expanse of the place before setting beside a shelf. with many more items than she had expected, lalisa works with haste as she removes her backpack and fills it with what she can—canned goods, dry food, medical supplies. but the day’s events begin to take a turn when a rustling noise opposite the pair sparks lalisa’s attention.

“ten? we should leave soon.” silence. “ten?” in a mere matter of seconds, her back hits the floor and she’s face to face with one of the infected, feral and starved. she doesn’t hesitate, swinging her bat with the force she can manage against her perpetrator’s skull. but they’re unrelenting. and jesus christ, lalisa has never felt so weak before. if only she can reach for the gun at her holster in time—

@▹ kim taehyung。 it’s amusing how dull things have become. with humanity on the brink of extinction with nowhere to go, lalisa once considered how it might not be so bad to join the side of those infected. at least then, her suffering would end and she’d depart from the world that has become all too mundane. as she kicks at the dirt at her feet, she can only ponder why she even tries anymore.

her lackadaisical meandering leads her astray from the main road to the gas station. there might be some worthy finds, but the woman figures that what’s needed has most likely already been scavenged. how much longer might it take until the world itself falls into the pits of ruin? it’s already been long enough.

at least, that’s what lalisa thinks. but notions are quick to change and the damsel knows for a fact that the human mind fluctuates with ease. such is why she gapes at the figure before her with visible confusion amidst her features. he’s tall, lanky, his ruffled hair a light brown. even the garments he adorns... this person looks just like—

“phassa! is that you?”—her deceased younger brother. right. he is no longer a part of this world.

she catches herself, stumbling over the words. “i’m so sorry. i mistook you for someone else.” but just when she thinks she’s fine, her hand is over and her eyes are bubbling with tears. she had been suppressing her heartache for much too long.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 cajoled from his deep cerebration by the subdued patters of one's footfalls, ten's pate pivoted towards the source of the noise, the lithe figure of a female stranger greeting umber. reflexive and genial, the smile embellishing the stretch of thin tiers was, as ten stood.

"that is me, ten," confirmed the owner, a chuckle reverberating from his throat. "nice seeing you in the flesh, lalisa."

head nodding, ten answered, "yes, my trip here was safe. there aren't many people on the outskirts, i would say the city would be more dangerous. was your journey pleasant?"

hoisting the duffel bag unto his shoulder once more, ten nodded back to where lisa had came from. "so, shall we go? back into the city or into the wild." as he spoke, a thumb was jabbing to the direction in which he came from.