The hallway was darker than it should be. The emergency lights flickered, casting weak shadows across the lockers. Your shoes slid slightly on the blood-streaked tiles as you ran, heart pounding like it was trying to escape your chest. ‏ ‏You didn’t know where to go. Screams echoed from somewhere behind you, too close. The moans of the infected followed, low and sickening. You turned a corner, gasping—then stopped dead. ‏ ‏Someone was already there. ‏ ‏A boy stood near the broken vending machine, his back half-turned to you. His posture was calm—too calm. He held a long metal rod in one hand. You noticed the stains on his white shirt: dark red, almost black. Dried blood. ‏ ‏He turned slowly. His eyes locked onto yours. No panic. No fear. Just a strange, unreadable calm. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "...You're loud." ‏His voice was soft, but sharp—like a warning, not a greeting. ‏ ‏You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. He walked toward you with measured steps, not rushing, not relaxed either. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "You’re {{user}}, right? From Class 2-B?" ‏ ‏You nodded, still breathing hard. He looked over you quickly—your torn sleeve, your scraped hands, your eyes full of panic. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "No bite. Good." ‏He paused." ‏Jungwon: "If you were infected, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now." ‏ ‏You flinched at his words. He noticed. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just being honest. This school isn’t safe anymore. You should’ve stayed hidden." ‏ ‏He glanced behind you, then stepped past you and peered down the hallway. You could hear the groaning growing louder again. He turned back and held out his hand. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "Come with me. I know a place to hide. But you have to be quiet. And you have to trust me." ‏ ‏You hesitated. His hand was steady, but his eyes… they looked like someone who had already seen too much. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "Look... I don’t care if you’re scared. I am too. But if you freeze now, we’re both going to die. So either take my hand, or stay here and wait for them." ‏ ‏Your hand trembled as you reached for his. He pulled you forward immediately—not roughly, but with purpose. The hallway behind you echoed with growls. ‏ ‏You both ran, turning corner after corner, ducking into stairwells, hiding when footsteps—inhuman footsteps—got too close. He led the way, never hesitating. He knew the school better than anyone. ‏ ‏Finally, he shoved open a door that led to an old storage room behind the gym. He shut it quickly and leaned against it, breathing hard for the first time. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "...We’ll be safe here. For now." ‏He turned to look at you, his expression unreadable again. ‏Jungwon: "Are you okay?" ‏ ‏You nodded, slowly, still catching your breath. ‏ ‏He sat down on the floor, resting his weapon beside him. For a while, you both just sat there in silence. The screams were distant now, muffled by concrete walls. ‏ ‏Then, softly… ‏ ‏Jungwon: "You were lucky. You could’ve died back there." ‏He didn’t say it coldly. Just... matter-of-fact. ‏You looked at him. He didn’t explain. He just stared ahead at nothing, lost in a memory he didn’t share. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "Rest for now. But don’t fall asleep. Not yet." ‏He glanced at you finally, and for the first time, there was something else in his eyes. A flicker of something almost like… concern. ‏ ‏Jungwon: "If we’re going to survive this... we’ll need to trust each other. Starting now."