Starting with Hyunwoo, then Seongyong and Jaeseong put their hands together. Taewoong, who had been standing still with a confused look, finally put his hand on top with a determined face.
“We will win no matter what.”
“Hey!”
With Taewoong’s somewhat fierce lead, the soccer team members did their cheer with serious faces and dispersed. Yeoul, standing one step back, touched his thrumming chest in awe. Then Yechan burst into loud laughter.
“The soccer team’s spirit is insane. Hey, should the baseball team do one too?”
“That’s so embarrassing…”
Jian visibly cringed, genuinely embarrassed. Taewoong pretended not to notice and led the way with Yeoul.
“…Oh, shit.”
Zombies were crowded at the entrance, possibly having heard their conversation in the art room. Taewoong opened the door slightly, saw the zombies, cursed, and closed it again before turning to Yeoul.
“What should we do?”
Yeoul hummed briefly in thought before meeting Taewoong’s eyes.
“Since zombies can’t climb stairs… let’s push through and run to the staircase.”
They had to pass through the front door since zombies were also at the back door. With no other option, Taewoong nodded and raised his right hand.
“Let’s go. I’ll strike first, you all follow.”
After confirming everyone’s silent nods, he took a short deep breath and clenched his fist. He quickly opened the door with his left hand and punched the zombie in front of him with full force.
“KHAAAK!!”
The zombie, hit unexpectedly hard with a loud thud, screamed and collapsed. As Taewoong tried to pass, other zombies rushed over, drawn by the noise. Without hesitation, Taewoong kicked the nearest zombie, pushing it back. The rushing zombies behind it were shoved backward. In that moment, he grabbed Yeoul’s hand and ran toward the stairs. Everyone silently ran after them.
Tak! Tak! Tak! Yeoul, breathing heavily while trying to keep up with Taewoong’s speed, deliberately banged the mop handle against the railing as they passed the staircase. The zombies chasing noisily behind couldn’t climb the stairs and collapsed in a heap. Everyone leaned against the opposite wall, holding their breath.
“Phew… Yeoul, do we need to check your classroom?”
Having reached the third floor where humanities classes and Yeoul’s classroom were, Taewoong turned to look at Yeoul. Yeoul glanced at the sign for Class 1.
He had a bouquet for Taewoong in his locker. He wanted to get it, but the flowers wouldn’t help their survival and would just be extra baggage. Reluctantly giving up, he nodded weakly.
“Hmm…”
Yeoul seemed disappointed about something important in the classroom. Taewoong cleared his throat and quietly offered his hand. Yeoul blinked, then took it. They headed downstairs together.
“…Oh, shit.”
Today wasn’t a regular school day but graduation day. And graduation attendance wasn’t mandatory. There were fewer students than usual on the senior floor, which meant fewer zombies too.
They assumed the second floor would be similar and went down without thinking, only to see zombie students with yellow and blue badges, zombie teachers in formal attire, and zombie parents.
Everyone froze at the sight of zombies filling the hallway. Taewoong, at the front, couldn’t move either and just squeezed Yeoul’s hand tighter.
“Kak! Kaak!”
“Krkak, kak!”
“Krrrr.”
A Korean teacher zombie with one shoe missing, walking unsteadily and clicking its teeth, a limping soccer team junior zombie, a zombie in baseball uniform… Seeing familiar faces among the countless zombies, everyone let out sobs, sighs, or curses.
“S-shit…”
The discomfort seemed contagious as Taewoong also sighed and his hand visibly trembled. Yeoul, holding his hand, anxiously scanned the frozen Taewoong, the zombies, and their surroundings.
They couldn’t stay like this. They needed a plan.
What to do? How to escape this panic? How…? While frantically looking for a solution, the evacuation guide posted on the wall caught his eye. His confused mind suddenly cleared.
Yeoul squeezed Taewoong’s hand tightly as if signaling him, then let go. Ignoring the stares behind him, he quickly went to check the guide. Taewoong hurried to his side in surprise.
“Dangerous-“
“Emergency alarm. Taewoong, let’s use the emergency alarm.”
Scanning the evacuation routes, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, and elevators, Yeoul pointed at the fire hose on the evacuation guide. Taewoong frowned in confusion.
“Emergency alarm?”
“Yes. The emergency alarm keeps ringing until it’s turned off. The zombies are sensitive to sound, so they’ll focus on the noise, and in that moment, we can move and help any remaining survivors escape. Oh, should we also go to the broadcast room and announce for people to escape?”
There were more zombies than expected. They couldn’t just wait for the school bell, nor could they stay where they were. Plus, they didn’t know where or how many survivors might be left.
While thinking of a way to escape this situation without harming potential survivors, he thought of the noisy emergency alarm.
An alarm would make everyone move. Yeoul looked at Taewoong, silently asking if they could reach the broadcast room. Taewoong stared at the “Broadcast Room” sign not far away in the zombie-filled hallway, then looked at Yeoul.
“You’re probably right about everything.”
So far, Yeoul hadn’t been wrong. Trusting Yeoul’s opinion 100%, Taewoong exhaled deeply.
“…Time to use some strength.”
- Let’s Survive No Matter What!
To reach the science building and new wing where the needed items were, they had to cross the bridge at the end of the second floor, nicknamed the “cloud bridge.”
The problem was the distance to the bridge. It wasn’t short, and there were many zombies.
“Hoo…”
It clearly wouldn’t be easy to pass through. Taewoong turned his shoulders with a stern face, then jumped lightly in place to warm up. The soccer and baseball team members behind him followed his lead. Yeoul swallowed nervously.
“Um… Taewoong, just in case, don’t swallow anything that comes out or splatters from the zombies.”
“Okay.”
They needed to push through the zombies somehow to make a path. Taewoong took deep breaths while gripping and loosening his hold on the bat, then took off his backpack and placed it on the floor. He immediately took out self-adhesive bandages, gloves, and all the remaining baseballs.
After tightly wrapping bandages around each finger, he called Jian and Yechan.
“I’ll go to the broadcast room to announce for survivors to escape, then set off the emergency alarm.”
“Emergency alarm?”
“Yeah. I’ll lead the way to the broadcast room, somehow breaking through. Help reduce the zombies on the path.”
Though he didn’t want to admit it and found him annoying, Jian was a skilled pitcher who had been selected in the second round of the rookie draft. Taewoong handed Jian the baseballs and glove.
“Do well here and I’ll call you Choi Dong-won.”
When Taewoong mentioned the legendary player Jian had said he respected, Jian’s eyes narrowed. But then he took the glove and balls with a serious face.
“Hey, Nam Taewoong. You’re making a big mistake.”
Yechan, who was watching Taewoong and Jian, handed the tennis racket he was holding to Taewoong and took a bat from his backpack instead.
“Swinging a bat in front of the designated hitter who was the cleanup batter for three years. Move aside, don’t block the path of big brother Lee Dae-ho.”
Yechan went behind Taewoong and warmed up by swinging the bat fiercely.
Each time the bat cut through the air, it made a whoosh sound. Taewoong was bewildered by this intense display before chuckling. He put the bandage and bat he was holding into his backpack, slung it over his back again, and picked up the tennis racket.
“Yes, alright. You guys stay in Korea. I’ll go play in the Premier League.”
“Then we’ll be Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Gyu-sung, and Lee Kang-in.”
Hyunwoo, Seongyong, and Jaeseong tied their shoelaces and stood up. Yeoul looked puzzled as he watched the soccer team and baseball team members preparing like athletes before an important match.
“…Isn’t that Cho Gyu-sung still in Korea?”
“No, this time…”
“You English-challenged fools, shut up and get ready.”
Jian, who had finished warming up, cut in and stood right in front of the group. He scanned the glass windows all around, then caught the ball he had been spinning in his hands. He immediately wound up. Gritting his teeth, he threw the ball toward the glass door of the skyway.
Crash!!
The baseball, flying at high speed, broke the glass door precisely. The shattering sound echoed through the hallway.
“Kaaak!!”
“Kak, Kakak!!”
Dozens of zombies that had been wandering around began screaming with their mouths covered in blood and pus. Soon they staggered toward the broken window.
“Let’s go.”
Taewoong, who had been watching, started running too.
He had never lost to anyone in running. Taewoong ran at the front with his racket raised. Holding the racket flat, he struck the head of a slow-moving zombie whose leg was impaired. Plop! With a sound like something bursting, blood splattered and the zombie collapsed with a choked sound. Without hesitating for even a moment, Taewoong immediately swung his racket toward the next zombie.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
