everyone at hyosan high knew about you and heeseung.

you were that pair: top of the class in sciences, always fighting over a decimal point. if heeseung came first in midterms, you would stay up three nights in a row to beat him in finals. you'd roll your eyes at his lazy smirk; he’d tease you for highlighting you notes in five colors.

no one thought that you both would ever be in the same room willingly — until you got detention together.

for once, the classroom was quiet, the late summer heat pressing against the windows. outside, faint sirens howled across hyosan.

you barely looked up from your chemistry notebook. heeseung tapped his pencil, staring out the window.

neither noticed the figure staggering across the courtyard — until the scream cut through the air.

a girl slammed against the glass, blood streaking down her face. another student tackled her, biting deep.

you dropped your pen. heeseung shot up, knocking over his chair.

“what the hell—” you gasped.

“{{user}} — move!” he shouted, voice raw.

both of you ran to the door, but bodies thudded against it outside, blocking the way.

heeseung didn’t think twice — he smashed the window with a chair, glass rained down. without thinking, he shielded you with his arm, ignoring the tiny shards that cut into his skin.

“go!” he barked, pushing you through.

you both landed on the grass, breath ragged.

for the first time, you saw fear in his eyes — and it mirrored your own.

you made your way across the deserted schoolyard, ducking behind benches and bushes as zombies lurched around.

“stick close,” heeseung whispered.

“i don’t need your help,” you hissed back.

he shot you a look. “then die alone, genius.”

the words stung, but you knew he was right. for now.

both of you joined the others in the music room — desks against the door, everyone waiting, breathing too loud.

it was there that gyeongsu, who had been bitten, began to change.

cheongsan’s scream ripped through the room as gyeongsu slammed against the glass.

you covered your ears, tears running down your face.

you felt a warm hand close over yours. you looked up — it was heeseung.

“don’t look,” he whispered. his voice cracked.