Namjoon doesn't like the idea of splitting up either but he thinks with the little time they have and for Jihyun and Ami's sake, there isn't really much of a choice.

So despite everyone's bickering, Namjoon deems planning as the main priority. Sure, the death threats Yoonji and Jimin fling at each other are bothersome, but he tries to not let that get to him.

And that's how Namjoon figures out the ambiguity of the whole situation— with little to almost no clear information of Jihyun and Ami's whereabouts, the group will have to risk searching both of the campus' main buildings in order to conserve time and energy.

Yoonji mirrors Namjoon's thoughts by saying splitting up is a possible suicide— given the current circumstances, of course it is. It's why he balanced the most offensive based people in the group by splitting them across both teams.

The Min twins— is there really anything to say about them? Yoonji's bat is threatening enough and Yoongi can destroy both the living and the dead with his words alone. Jimin is a boxer, he's good with his fists. And Taehyung...

For a moment, Namjoon thinks his plan is full-proof. When they separate to inspect the two main buildings, he's confident that one of them will find Jihyun and Ami and that they'll all reunite unscathed.

Which is why he thinks their current scenario is so strange— the moment Jungkook opens the main doors, they're attacked by a horde of zombies. And now Namjoon is stabbing rotting heads with a knife, this isn't really something he considered in his plan.

Yoonji swings her bat. It crushes a zombie's skull and its brains explode out of its head. "Fuck, there's so many!"

"They better be in here!," Yoongi hisses as he dodges a zombie that pounces at him. "Cos if not, I swear to God—"

Jungkook stands at the very back. Although it's obvious that he's trying to keep his composure, there's still an anxious expression on his face.

"Guess I should have gotten a weapon, huh?," Jungkook says with an awkward grin.

"You think?!," Yoongi screams and slashes a zombie's throat.

Namjoon stands in front of Jungkook with his knife out. "Just stay behind me and you'll be fine."

Although Jungkook doesn't say anything, Namjoon can tell that he's more than regretful. He wields his knife and watches closely. In front of them, the Min twins are dealing with the undead.

But some get through them and that's expected. So it's Namjoon's job to take care of the zombies that slip through their defenses.

"How are we going to investigate with these fuckers in the way?!," Yoongi screams.

"We get rid of them!," Yoonji swings her bat again. "What else are we supposed to do?!"

"If we take up too much time then—"

"Shut up!," Yoonji hisses. "We are rescuing them, no matter what!"

Hearing Yoonji's words, Namjoon starts to think. He glanced behind for a quick second and sees nothing out of silence. The silence from their other group makes him assume that they've entered the building safely.

That's good, at least they're doing much better— Namjoon thinks to himself. Still, he wishes that they're group could be in much better circumstances as well.

Namjoon thinks and thinks. They need a plan— right now. Every second of delay brings more danger to him and his group. He glances at Jungkook, who watches anxiously with his doe eyes even wider than usual.

When Namjoon feels Jungkook's hands clasp his shoulder, he suddenly gets an idea— but it's wild, it's dangerous. He doesn't say anything about it and instead slashes his knife at the incoming zombies.

But then Jungkook speaks. "Hey, Namjoon. I think I got a plan?"

"Now that's fucking new," Yoongi comments from up ahead.

Namjoon sees the sour expression that crosses Jungkook's face so he gives him a reassuring nod. "Which is?"

"Well," Jungkook says slowly with a grin. "I'm the group's runner, right?"

That makes Namjoon raise a brow. "What are you suggesting?"

Jungkook shrugs. "I run."

Nobody says anything for a bit. Namjoon stares at Jungkook, who for some reason keeps giving him a cheesy grin. The twins are busy fighting the zombies.

"Kook, running away isn't that good of an option," Namjoon deadpans.

"What?," Jungkook blinks. "That's not what I meant. Remember what I said back at their house?"

And again, Namjoon thinks. He hums as he swings his knife. A zombie that had just pounced gets stabbed in the head. It falls to the ground with a loud thud.

Jungkook stares at the limp zombie with a mixture of shock and fear. Just then, Namjoon remembers his words from a few hours ago. He shakes his head and let's out a quiet sigh.

"Jungkook," Namjoon says. "That's not a good idea."

"Okay but hear me out," Jungkook grips Namjoon's shoulders and leans closer. "We're never getting in there if we don't distract these things somehow— and who else is going to do it?"

The thought makes Namjoon ponder for a bit. "What if they catch you?"

"Them? Catch me?," Jungkook lets out a hearty laugh. "I'm the fastest runner in school! Not even a cheetah can beat me in a race."

Namjoon exhales through his nose. He studies the cheeky grin Jungkook has on his face and realizes that the conversation can only have one result.

So Namjoon turns around and raises his knife. "I'm only agreeing because we don't have much of a choice."

"Yes," Jungkook whispers and does a little fist pump in the air. "You can trust me. I won't disappoint you!"

Since Namjoon doesn't much time, he doesn't really think about the strangeness of Jungkook's excitement. Instead he swings his knife forward and stabs a zombie in its forehead.

"Get ready," Namjoon says sternly.

Jungkook nods enthusiastically. He steps backwards and starts to do leg stretches. Namjoon recognizes it as his normal routine every marathon season.

Then Namjoon sees the Min twins and wonders how he's going to break the news of Jungkook's running plan to them. An idea comes to mind after a bit— he doesn't.

Namjoon hangs his knife in the belt loop of his pants and lunges forward. He grabs both Yoongi and Yoonji by their waists.

"The fuck are you doing?!," Yoonji hisses and claws at his arm.

"Namjoon!," Yoongi screams. "Let go of us!"

Without saying a word, Namjoon heaves and tosses both twins over his shoulders. Despite their protests, he sprints and throws down into a nearby shrub.

As soon as they're hidden, Jungkook screams. "Hey, you undead pieces of shit! There's some fresh meat over here!"

"What is he doing?!," Yoonji shouts. Her brother latches a hand over her mouth.

"Joon, stop him," Yoongi says in a low whisper.

Namjoon gives Yoongi a look that makes him curse under his breath. Meanwhile, all the zombies are starting to shift their gazes towards Jungkook's direction.

"That's right!," Jungkook stomps on the ground and waves his arms. "Come and catch me!"

As if responding, the zombies growl and start to limp towards Jungkook. They're slow, at least compared to what Namjoon originally envisioned as a situation of being chased by zombies. Still, standing there definitely means being eaten.

So Jungkook runs, just enough to outrun the horde but keep himself in their sight. The zombies trail him like a pack of mutts and soon the entrance to the building is clear.

Nobody says anything for a few seconds. Namjoon stares at the horde as it completely walks away from his sight. Then Yoongi grabs him by his shirt's collar and pulls him closer.

The expression on Yoongi's face is one Namjoon is used to seeing. His eyebrows are creased, his jaw trembles as he bites down onto his lower lip.

"Why'd you let him do it?," Yoongi whispers. "What if he fucking dies?"

Namjoon slowly presses a hand on Yoongi's chest and pushes him away. "It's because I trust him. He'll be fine."

Yoongi grumbles something under his breath but his voice is too soft for Namjoon to really understand. Then Yoonji stands and swings the bat in her hands.

"Damn it, at least we can go in now, right?," Yoonji cocks her head to the side. "Come on."

Yoonji walks away and swiftly disappears into the building, which leaves both Yoongi and Namjoon speechless for a few seconds. Her brother is the first to come to his senses and follows her in.

And of course, Namjoon stands up to follow the twins— not after looking behind him. He can't see any sign of Jungkook or the zombie horde. Despite his... different religious beliefs, he prays for his friend's safety.

Namjoon looks away and finally enters the school building. He steps over some undead carcasses and pools of blood. The unusual darkness makes him assume that the campus' power is out.

So Namjoon takes out his cellphone and switches on its flashlight. He squints at the sudden brightness but his eyes widen once he registers the view.

There are bloodstains all over the walls, some running down the windows in the form of handprints. Namjoon assumes that it's one of the other reasons why it's so dark inside too. On the ground, school items and personal objects are scattered about.

Namjoon looks down. There's a flyer under his foot so he bends down to take it. It's an ad for the photography club with Taehyung's smiling face printed colorfully on the cover.

As Namjoon follows the twins, he stares at Taehyung's face on the flyer. He tries his best to ignore the familiar faces of the corpses on the ground as he steps over them.

In the silence, Namjoon thinks about Jungkook and whether his decision to let him be the runner was a good one. He feels his throat dry up as he swallows hard.

"He'll be fine," Namjoon whispers to himself. "Jungkook is fast, he'll be fine."

"Hey, Namjoon."

Namjook looks up. He sees Yoongi standing at the end of the stairs just a few feet ahead.

"Come on," Yoongi makes a gesture with his hand. "What'cha standing there for?"

"On my way," Namjoon says simply.

Although it looks like Yoongi is about to say something, he silently walks up the stairs instead. Namjoon looks down at the flyer and realizes how tightly he's gripping it. His hand is trembling.

Namjoon sighs and folds the flyer. He shoves it in his pocket and swiftly follows Yoongi up the stairs.

The moment Namjoon reaches the top, the first thing he sees is Yoonji kicking down the bathroom door all the way across the hallway. It falls to the ground in pieces and makes a loud noise echo across the hallway.

"Yoonji!," Yoongi scolds. "You're too noisy!"

Instead of answering, Yoonji screams. "Holy shit— Ami!"

Once Yoonji's words register, both Namjoon and Yoongi sprint towards the bathroom. Somehow Namjoon makes it first and he freezes a bit at the sight of two blood-soaked figures.

Then Namjoon blinks and looks closer. It takes a moment for him to realize that the bloodied person standing in front of him is Jihyun. His dark hair is unkempt and there's blood across his cheeks and staining his uniform. He has a slab of wood in his hands and he swings it around blindly.

"Oi!," Yoongi screams as he dodges the weapon. "Stop that!"

Namjoon walks passed Yoongi and steps forward. He grabs the piece of wood Jihyun is still swinging around and holds it in place.

"Jihyun," Namjoon says softly. "It's okay. It's us."

It takes a moment but Jihyun eventually calms down. He stares at Namjoon for a few seconds and seemingly freezes at the realization.

"N—Namjoon?," Jihyun stutters a bit. "Oh thank God, I thought one of those things got in and—"

Namjoon grips both of Jihyun's shoulders tightly. "It's fine, you're safe now."

With that, Jihyun releases a shaky breath. He looks like he's about to collapse but he drops his weapon and rubs his temples instead.

"Jimin," Jihyun says, a bit out of breath. "Jimin— is he okay?"

Although Namjoon himself is unsure, he smiled. "He's looking for you at the other building. He's fine, don't worry."

It's obvious that Jihyun isn't reassured by that at all but he doesn't get to speak when Yoonji screams behind him.

"Holy shit!," Yoonji hisses. "You're alive?"

Jihyun turns around and gives Namjoon a clear view of Ami. She's standing at the back with a bloody wooden bat in her hands and is wearing a white striped baseball uniform. It's unbuttoned to reveal a black undershirt riddled with stains of blood.

Ami's hair is a bright red— natural, if Namjoon remembers correctly. It's tied into a messy ponytail under her matching baseball cap.

"Wait— Yoonji?," Ami says in realization. "Yoonji! Oh my God!"

As Ami drops her bat to the floor, she lunges at Yoonji and engulfs her in a big hug. The two girls hug for a while and all Namjoon thinks about is how the blood would smear on both of their clothes.

"How the hell—," Yoonji shakes her head with a small smirk. "What happened?"

Ami pulls away from the hug and grins. "We decided to swing a bit during lunch break. Where were you?"

Yoonji shrugs. "Ditching."

"I can't believe—," Ami shakes her head. Then she looks up at Yoonji with concern. "Are you okay? None of those things got to you guys, right?"

When Yoonji takes a moment of silence, Namjoon thinks about Jungkook. He hopes that he's alright and prays that the horde hasn't tired him out.

"Yeah, we're fine," Yoonji nods. "But where's the rest of the team?"

Ami lets out a loud sigh. "No clue. It got chaotic and we got separated— God, what even are these things?"

"Zombies."

Everyone faces Yoongi, who has his arms crossed and is leaning on the bathroom's doorway.

"What?," Yoongi raises a brow. "Just bein' real."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ami laughs and waves a hand. "Zombies don't exist."

"Ami, I told you, they're zombies," Jihyun sighs and shakes his head. "What else could they be?"

Ami releases dry laughter. "They can't be zombies. Those things don't exist."

The conversation reminds Namjoon of their first encounter with the undead. It's a horrible memory that he tries to push into the very back of his mind.

"Real or not, we have to get out of here," Namjoon deadpans. "Jihyun, I'm sure Jimin would want to know that you're fine."

Jihyun sighs loudly in relief and reaches for his phone. "Yeah, you're right."

Just before Jihyun could start dialing Jimin's number, there's a sudden loud banging that echoes throughout the bathroom. It isn't coming from inside so Namjoon assumes that it's from one of the other rooms.

Yoongi, who stands closest to the doorway, immediately steps out and wields his knife. Namjoon takes out his own knife from his belt loop and follows closely behind him.

When Namjoon hears Yoonji shuffle behind him, he gives her a gesture. "Stay with them."

Although Yoonji clicks her tongue in frustration, she doesn't protest. So Namjoon fully walks out of the bathroom and spots Yoongi slowly trekking the hallways.

"Have any idea where it is?," Namjoon asks in a low whisper.

Yoongi shakes his head and looks around. The banging continues and Namjoon listens closely. It sounds someone is hammering their fists against wood.

They pass by classrooms so Namjoon keeps his eyes on the doors. None of them rattle but the sound grows closer.

Yoongi eventually stops walking. Namjoon halts before he could collide with him. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Yoongi tilts his head and makes a gesture up ahead. Namjoon follows his gaze and sees a rattling door at the end of the hallway.

"How the fuck did one of those things get stuck in the janitor's closet?," Yoongi hisses under his breath.

Namjoon raises a brow. "I don't think there's a zombie in there."

Yoongi glances behind and he meets Namjoon's gaze. They stare at each other for a bit and have an understanding.

"I hate everything about this," Yoongi grumbles and fishes out a set of keys from his pocket.

When the set of keys come into Namjoon's view, he eyes them. There's a red tag attached to its metal hoop with an inscription that says— Student council members only.

It's identical to the one Seokjin owns, Namjoon notes, and he stands behind Yoongi silently as he expertly goes through all the keys.

"Okay," Yoongi exhales and holds up a key. "If you're wrong, I'll bash its brains in."

The tone in Yoongi's voice makes Namjoon smirk a bit. "And if I'm right?"

"I'll still bash its brains in."

Yoongi scoffs and rolls his eyes. He steps towards the still rattling door bravely and raises the key up. Of course, he checks the knob first and just as expected, it's locked.

"Aren't these doors locked from the inside?," Namjoon asks, still behind Yoongi.

"This knob's different," Yoongi sniffles for a bit. "Was installed the wrong way."

"They didn't bother to fix it?"

"Eh, a lot of things go over the council's heads. They don't give a—"

Their conversation is cut off by more banging from the janitor's closet. Namjoon slowly grabs the keys from Yoongi, who lets him have it without much protest.

With their positions now switched, Namjoon steps quickly towards the door. Yoongi stands behind him with his knife raised. In one swift movement, the door is unlocked and two figures fall to the ground.

Yoongi prepares to stab the zombies but then Namjoon recognizes the woman's get up. He raises a hand and waves it as a gesture.

"Oi, move," Yoongi clicks his tongue. "I told you, I'll bash their brains in."

"Please don't!," The woman screams. "We're not like those things!"

"Are you bitten?!"

"Bitten? What? No, we're fine!"

Namjoon stands in front of Yoongi. "Hey, there's no need for that. You wouldn't want to smack a woman, right?"

With that, Yoongi raises a brow. He glances down at the woman and Namjoon follows her gaze. She's wearing a tight black skirt with a matching dark blazes over a white blouse— it's the school's uniform for their teachers.

Her brown hair is unkempt, bun messy with strands sticking out on top of her head. Namjoon can't help but notice the tears and dirt all over her clothes. There's a nametag barely hanging onto her blazer— Miss Choi Jaehee.

"We're alive, not like—," Teacher Choi pauses and looks up. "Yoongi? Is that you?"

Yoongi squints his eyes and frowns. "Who the fuck are you?"

Teacher Choi doesn't say anything and her face freezes into an awkward smile. Sensing the incoming cringe fest, Namjoon swiftly steps in between the two.

"Yoongi," Namjoon exhales loudly. "You really don't remember Ms. Choi?"

There's a short as Yoongi squints his eyes. He doesn't say anything about Jaehee though, instead he leans closer to Namjoon to whisper in his ear.

"Can I at least smack him?"

At first Namjoon raises a brow, then he remembers that there are two people in the closet. He glances at the other person, a man this time, and studies his uniform with a design identical to Jaehee's.

His hair is jet black and he has a beard that runs across both sides of his jawline, all the way up to his sideburns. Compared to Teacher Choi's dirty clothes, his are tidy and neat. It makes Namjoon think for a bit.

There's a nametag on his chest that Namjoon can barely read because of the drops of blood— Mister Lee Hwangyu.

"Come on, Joon," Yoongi nudges Namjoon's side. "He failed me at Maths. I had to retake a whole subject 'cos of him."

Namjoon stares at Yoongi. "I thought you stopped cutting before the limit."

"I did!," Yoongi hisses. "And he still flunked me. See? He's a dick. I'd love to smack him."

When Namjoon shakes his head, Yoongi lets out a long groan of frustration. He turns around and smiles as he extends a hand towards Jaehee, who is still sitting on the ground.

As Jaehee stands with Namjoon's help, he grins. "It's good to know that you are safe, Teacher Choi."

"Oh," Teacher Choi says, expression a bit blank. "Oh! Namjoon!"

"You know each other?," Yoongi asks from the back.

Before Namjoon can answer, he hears running from behind them. He and Yoongi immediately turn around but are relieved to see Yoonji and the others sprinting towards them instead.

"The hell are you doing?!," Yoongi screeches. "We told you to stay with them in the washroom!"

"You guys were taking too long!," Yoonji answers loudly. "We thought you were being eaten or some shit!"

Yoongi sighs and pinches his own nose bridge. "We're fine, Yoonji... just ran into some trouble."

With that, Yoonji glances at the two adults with raised brows. Namjoon watches her curiously and notes how her expression shifts almost completely when she spots Teacher Lee.

"Oh hell no," Yoonji nearly spits. "I'm not going anywhere near that piece of shit."

"It's rude to talk that way to an adult, kid," Teacher Lee finally speaks, his voice rough.

Yoonji actually fumes at that and nearly lunges at Teacher Lee with her bat. Thankfully, Yoongi was sensible enough to stop her before she could.

Just before Namjoon can step in between two, Teacher Choi surprisingly steps forward. Although there's an awkward smile on her face, she raises both of her hands up sternly.

"Come on now," Teacher Choi says. "We should all be glad that we're all okay."

Teacher Choi's tone takes Namjoon aback for a bit. Although she means well, the awkward expression on her face kills the atmosphere instantly. He's at least glad that Yoonji's anger somehow faded because of it.

"Yeah, yeah," Jihyun speaks from the very back. "Can we please go now? Jimin is worried sick."

Namjoon nods. "Let's go guys."

With that, Namjoon leads the way to the stairs. He glances behind him and does a head count of the group just in case— right now, there are seven of them. At the very back of his mind, he counts Jungkook too. Eight.

They swiftly sprint down the stairs and make their way to the exit but Namjoon pauses when he sees a figure standing at the doorway. He recognizes the man's unkempt hair and buff build almost immediately.

Namjoon can't help but smile. "Hey, Jungkook—"

Jungkook raises a finger. He heaves and leans on the doorway. "Hold on, need to catch my breath."

There's an indescribable feeling in Namjoon, a certain warmth that came to him upon the realization of Jungkook's safety. It almost makes him want to give his good friend a hug.

But Namjoon holds himself back. Instead, he says: "So you really did outrun them."

"Unfortunately," Jungkook jokes. "Lost them somewhere across the street. Did you get Jihyun and Ami?"

Namjoon nods. He steps to the side to give a view of the people behind him. When Jungkook spots the two teachers standing behind Jihyun and Ami, he frowns.

But thankfully for Namjoon, Jungkook doesn't question their presence. "Cool. Can we get out of here now?"

"Yes, of course," Namjoon smiles. "Come on—"

"Wait!"

Just when Namjoon steps onto the doorway and sees the sunlight from outside, he and the others hear Ami yell behind them. He sighs and turns around to find her sprinting across the hallway.

"Ami!," Yoonji screeches. "What the hell? Get back here!"

"Yoonji, look!," Ami yells. "It's Lu!"

"Lu?," Yoonji says with wide eyes. "Don't fucking joke around!"

As Yoonji runs towards Ami, Namjoon steps to the side and lets her dash across the hallway. That's when he spots the girl on the ground just a few feet away from them.

Weird. Namjoon was quite sure that only corpses littered the hallway. The girl in question, Lu, is wearing a baseball uniform identical to Ami's. She has elbow length dyed blonde hair.

Ami steps over the other bodies and kneels down next to her. "Oh my God, Lu— were you lying down here this whole time?!"

Lu looks up. There's blood smeared across her face. Her baseball hat is tipped and covers one of eyes. She doesn't really say anything and just stares at Ami blankly.

"Hey," Jungkook says slowly. "I don't feel so good about this."

Namjoon glances at Jungkook. He doesn't say that he feels just as anxious.

"Say somethin' Lu," Yoonji lightly nudges Lu's shoulder. "Come on."

Again, Lu doesn't say anything. But then she looks up fully and renders both girls speechless so Namjoon takes it upon himself to investigate. He walks over and sees it— a huge bite mark tears right through Lu's left eye. There's fresh blood flowing down her cheek.

It hits Namjoon like a ball to the face. Bite mark— she's been bit.

"Oi, the fuck happened to your eye?," Yoonji scrunches her eyebrows together. "Lu?"

Ami just stares in horror. She stands up slowly and starts to walk backwards. At the same time, Yoongi steps forward and grabs his twin.

"Hey, let go of me!," Yoonji flails in her brother's arms. "Lu!"

"That's not your friend anymore!"

"Let go of me!"

As the bickering continues, Namjoon stares at Lu. She opens her mouth slowly and the leftover fibers of her cheek's flesh stretches like rubber. When she releases a loud scream, everyone freezes.

Lu starts to move on the ground. She barfs and pukes out a dark liquid, its smell something Seokjin definitely wouldn't handle if he were here. It puddles on the ground and splashes on other corpses.

Nobody says anything. Everyone stares at Lu, horrified as she twitches and spazzes. Her bones make loud cracks with every movement she makes as her limbs bend into impossible angles. That dark liquid continues to splutter out of her mouth.

"Lu?," Ami says with an awkward grin. "Get a hold of yourself."

As if replying, Lu arches her back and screams again. This time, the sound she makes is like something coming out of an animal. With her back still bent, she slowly rises to her feet.

Lu faces them, finally, and now her eyes have that familiar creamy white texture. She growls and that dark liquid drips down her mouth.

Jungkook gulps loudly behind Namjoon. "Holy shit."

And Lu— now a zombie, charges at them.

"God damn it!," Yoongi hisses and pulls out his knife. "We have to take it out!"

"Hell no!," Yoonji screams in protest. She grabs Yoongi's hand. "That's my friend! Don't you dare touch her!"

"Can't you see?!," Yoongi hisses. "That isn't your friend anymore! She's gone!"

Namjoon tries to step between the twins. All the while, he glances at the zombified Lu. "Guys..."

The twins ignore Namjoon and continue to scream at each other. Yoonji's lips tremble as she screeches.

"Don't say that," Yoonji says through gritted teeth. "Don't say that!"

"Guys?!," Jihyun wails. "It's getting closer?!"

"I'm going to bash its skull, damn it!," Yoongi tugs but is stopped again. "Yoonji, let go!"

"No!"

"Yoonji, I swear to God—"

"Take her instead!"

Hearing the terror in Teacher Lee's voice, Namjoon immediately whips his head around. It actually takes him a while to process the situation in front of him— Teacher Lee is standing in front of Lu with Teacher Choi pinned tightly in his arms.

"H-Hwangyu?," Teacher Choi stutters. "What are you doing?"

"I an not dying, not at the hands of a supposed fictional creature!," Teacher Lee says loudly. "You— it should take you instead!"

With that, Teacher Lee shoves Teacher Choi forward. She falls to the ground, just a few inches in front of the zombified Lu. It stares at her hungrily. That dark liquid continues to flow out of its mouth.

"Get out of there!," Jihyun screams and his voice cracks. "Teacher Choi!"

With Teacher Choi still frozen on the ground, Namjoon quickly takes in the situation. In their current positions, he's the nearest to her— right, means it's his job to save her.

So Namjoon sprints forward and grabs Teacher Choi by the elbows. He takes a deep breath and pulls her back. The zombified Lu lunges just then and ends up grabbing one of Teacher Choi's high heels.

Due to that, Teacher Lee stares. "What are you doing?"

"What do you—," Jungkook stops himself. He glances at Teacher Lee with wide eyes. "We should be asking you that! What are you doing?!"

Teacher Lee just puts on a strange grin, one that almost looks psychotic— Namjoon can tell that he's just as scared as everyone else.

"We'll get eaten," He says slowly. "Like all my other colleagues— if we don't sacrifice someone, I'll be eaten too—"

Teacher Lee is cut off when Ami swings her fist and hits him square in the face. As the teacher falls to the ground with blood trickling down his nose, everyone stares in shock.

"Piece of shit," Ami spits, her fists all bloody.

Namjoon keeps his eyes on Teacher Choi, who is still trembling out of fear. "Is that why you're so clean? And why Teacher Choi's clothes are riddled with dirt?"

Everyone faces Namjoon. Apart from zombie Lu's groaning, there's only silence.

"Is that how you survived this long?," Namjoon slowly turns towards Teacher Lee. "By feeding your friends to the zombies?"

Nobody says anything for a while until Teacher Lee starts to laugh loudly. He wipes the blood off his cheek and stands up slowly.

"You just don't get it, do you?," Teacher Lee says with a smirk. "The world is ending!"

"What's your point?," Yoongi hisses with a snarl.

Teacher Lee laughs again. "You've never been so bright, Yoongi. What I meant is— the natural selection is commencing!"

"Natural selection?," Jungkook whispers under his breath. "What are you on about?"

"It's pretty simple, Jeon," Teacher Lee grins. "We have to do everything to survive. Think about it, amongst those who are nothing, why would I sacrifice myself for their sake?"

When Namjoon notices the zombiefied Lu start to move behind Teacher Lee, he hides his hand behind his back and makes a gesture. Jungkook spots it first and hums.

"How someone of my tenure ended up in this garbage of a school is beyond me— but now I have the chance to prove that I'm better than everyone else in this godforsaken—"

Teacher Lee stops when Lu lunges at him and bites onto his shoulder. The cocky expression on his face fades immediately as he lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

They both fall to the ground. Teacher Lee continues to scream as the zombified Lu pulls a chunk of flesh off his neck. A mixture of dark and red blood splutters from him.

Namjoon doesn't question how nobody looks like they're planning on helping Teacher Lee. Instead, he turns around to face the group and sees the mostly horrified expressions on everyone's faces.

But before Namjoon could even announce that it will better for them to leave, he notices that the building's exit is completely blocked by a crowd of zombies— a familiar horde, almost looks like the one Jungkook had to outrun.

Namjoon swallows and feels his throat dry up. He's approached by Yoongi, who still has that snarl on his face.

"God, and I wanted to bash his brains in," Yoongi sighs loudly. "Guess he deserves that more— Joon?"

"We have to head upstairs," Namjoon breathes.

"What?," Yoongi raises a brow and then follows Namjoon's gaze. "Why are you— Oh. Oh shit."

Finally, the rest turn away from the grisly image of Teacher Lee being eaten and face the doorway. There's a short silence as everyone stares at the horde of zombies blocking their way.

It makes Jungkook grunt loudly and run a hand through his hair. "Okay, seriously? Did I run that much for nothing?"

As if responding, the zombies growl and start to march forward. Namjoon grits his teeth and sucks in a breath. He faces the group and points at the stairs.

"Upstairs," Namjoon orders. "They're lack of body coordination will slow them down."

"English please?," Jihyun asks.

"It means they'll be slower up the stairs," Teacher Choi finally speaks. She shivers and hugs herself. "Namjoon's right. We have to go upstairs."

When the zombies growl again, everyone scrambles to their feet. Namjoon helps Teacher Choi stand, then he notices that Yoonji is still staring at the zombie Lu and the already half eaten Teacher Lee.

"Yoonji," Ami speaks with a surprisingly gentle tone. "We have to go."

Yoonji exhales loudly through her nose as she grabs Ami's hand. She's pulled to her feet and she shuts her eyes as she looks away from her now zombiefied friend.

The group hurriedly rushes up the stairs. Namjoon does a head count as they pass him. He gestures at Yoonji and Ami, who are still at the very bottom.

"Jimin is going to be worried sick," Jihyun sighs as he stands next to Namjoon. "He'll think I've died or something."

Namjoon smiles at him. "He might already be thinking that."

Jihyun groans. "Ugh, he's going to give me a year long lecture again."

"Don't worry," Namjoon says lightly. "We'll all get out of here fi—"

"Yoonji!"

Upon hearing Ami's scream, dread suddenly fills up inside Namjoon. He glances down at the girls and sees Teacher Lee's zombified corpse clutching onto Yoonji's ankle.

"Motherfucker!," Yoonji hisses. "Let go of me!"

Yoonji kicks the zombie. It smashes its face in but it's still holding onto her ankle tightly. Namjoon glances at the horde. They're getting closer.

And unlike a few minutes ago, Ami looks hesitant to swing her fist at the zombiefied Teacher Lee. Namjoon figures that she fears the chance of getting infected.

"Outta my way!," Yoongi pushes through the crowd. "Let go of my sister, you dick!"

In one swift movement, Yoongi grabs Yoonji's bat and swings it down. He smashes Teacher Lee's half-eaten head and it explodes like a balloon of meat and brains.

Yoonji's ankle is immediately released. Despite that, she gags at the brain matter splattered all over her face.

"That's disgusting!," Yoonji wails.

"Shut up and get up!," Yoongi screams and tugs at her arms.

In the midst of the chaos, Namjoon glances around him. He spots Jungkook at the top of the stairs and calls for him with a low whistle.

Jungkook looks at him with his already doe eyes widened in fear.

"Take the others up top and lead them to the emergency staircase," Namjoon orders and turns around. "I'll be right back."

Without saying anything, Jungkook nods and slides the stairs' railings. He grabs Ami by the arm and pulls her up the steps despite her strong protests. Jihyun and Teacher Choi, having heard Namjoon, head upstairs themselves.

Namjoon grits his teeth. He keeps a straight face as he grabs the Min twins by the collar of their shirts. As he drags them to their feet, the zombies start to puke that dark liquid.

It gets all over them. Yoonji actually gags this time but she doesn't complain further. Namjoon tugs at them again and this time successfully pulls Yoongi up to his feet.

But Yoonji is still on the ground. Yoongi screams at her. "Oi, get up!"

"I can't!," Yoonji hisses and grips her foot. "Fuck, I think I twisted my ankle!"

Before Namjoon can even process it, Yoongi releases a string of curse words and almost immediately scoops up Yoonji in his arms.

"God damn it— Run!"

Yoongi sprints up the stairs, easily so with a whole other person in his arms. Just before following him, Namjoon glances behind him and sees the horde struggling to crawl up the steps.

When Namjoon reaches the top, he spots Jungkook and the others standing at the other side of the hallway. Jihyun is holding the emergency staircase's door open.

A strange feeling builds up in Namjoon's gut when he sees the Min twins conversing amongst each other. He hears growling just then and turns around to see a zombie standing right behind him.

Namjoon swings his knife out of instinct and stabs it in the head. Its eyes roll in its skull as it falls to the ground. Thankfully, other zombies trip at the corpse.

"Namjoon!," Jungkook calls all the way from the other side. "Come on!"

With a small huff, Namjoon turns and jogs forward. He stops after passing by the Min twins. Yoongi stands in front one of the second floor windows with Yoonji is staring out with him.

There's a split second silence, and in that moment Namjoon doesn't produce any thoughts. Even when Yoonji smashes the glass with her bat, he doesn't question it and just stares.

Yoongi then glances at him and smirks. The zombies are close to them and one of them is near enough to grab a few strands of Yoonji's short hair.

"You guys need a distraction," Yoongi shrugs. "Make sure to get them out, 'kay Joon?"

Namjoon opens his mouth to answer but before he can even talk, the twins jump out the window. He doesn't hear the impact of their fall. There's a silence that rings in his head as the zombies all follow the twins' trail of shattered glass.

For a moment, Mr. and Mrs. Min's rotting faces flash across his mind. Namjoon suddenly doesn't hear or see anything— he's just covered in darkness.

"They're fine," Namjoon takes a deep breath. "They're fine, they're fine."

Then Namjoon hears someone call his name in an echo. He jumps back to reality when he feels a hand grasp his arm tightly.

Namjoon turns around and sees Jungkook standing behind him with his eyes still widened.

"Come on," Jungkook's voice trembles a bit. "We have— we have to go."

Not really knowing what to say, Namjoon nods. He takes another deep breath and slips off of Jungkook's grip. Once he approaches the group, he notices that all of them are wearing fearful expressions.

Teacher Choi approaches him first. Her eyebrows are scrunched together in worry. "Aren't you going to check on them? From this height—"

"They'll be fine," Namjoon dismisses. "Let's go."

Although it looks like Teacher Choi has more to say, she pursed her lips tightly and nods instead. Namjoon slips passed Jihyun and despite hearing screaming from Ami, leads the way down the emergency staircase.

"Let go of me! They're not fine, don't you see?!"

Jungkook actually ends up carrying Ami over his shoulders due to all her flailing. They eventually make it out safely, since all the zombies are distracted upstairs, but Namjoon doesn't feel relieved at all.

And although it's the peak of the afternoon, Namjoon feels a cold chill in the air. He immediately heads for the side of the building, where the Mins jumped off, and sees a group of people surrounding some bushes.

As they get closer, Namjoon hears Seokjin speak. "Hey, is it just me? I don't think they're breathing."

Ami wiggles and it causes Jungkook to almost drop her. She lands on her feet though and charges towards the bushes.

When Ami pushes through the other group, Hoseok nearly falls to the ground. She kneels down next to the bushes and lets out a loud sigh.

"They're breathing," Ami smiles. "Thank God."

"Wait— Ami?," Jimin frowns. "That means—"

"Jimin!"

Namjoon steps aside and lets Jihyun run across the field. Once Jimin spots him, he immediately bursts into tears.

"Jihyun!," Jimin wails. "My baby brother!"

The two brothers run towards each other with open arms. Contrary to Namjoon— and everyone's expectations, Jimin suddenly grabs Jihyun by the collar. His sorrowful expression shifts instantly. All of a sudden, he's burning in anger.

"You punk," Jimin's voice seethes with fury. "Do you know how worried I was? I hugged a corpse because I thought it was you!"

Jihyun puts on an awkward grin. "Uhm, I'm glad to see you too?"

At that, Jimin's expression softens. He gives Jihyun an actual hug. "Thank God you're safe."

"Guys," Taehyung speaks in a monotone. "The zombies are going to fall."

Namjoon, with the pool of dread still bubbling in his gut, looks up to follow Taehyung's gaze. Indeed, the horde is peaking at them through the broken window. They're leaning so much and it looks like they'll spill out at any moment.

"Shit!," Seokjin grunts and grabs Yoongi. "We have to bolt!"

Namjoon does some breathing exercises. He finally takes a hold of the situation when he hears Seokjin's panicked and fast paced string of curses.

"We need to get to our cars," Namjoon says slowly. "Seokjin, take Yoongi. Jungkook—"

"No," Ami speaks up suddenly. "I'll carry Yoonji."

Just before Namjoon can question her capability, Ami grabs Yoonji's legs and throws her arms over her shoulders. Everyone stares.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?," Ami raises a brow. "Let's go!"

"Right," Namjoon's lips form a small smile. "Come on."

With that, the group dashes away from the campus and make their way to the cars. Some zombies end up falling but most of them are crippled instantly by the impact.

Namjoon is thankful that they all make it to the cars safely. Seokjin brings Yoongi over to his own car. In the chaos of distribution, all the girls end up with him.

Not that Namjoon's complaining— he just wonders where Hoseok ended up.

It's completely silent inside the vehicle as Namjoon drives back to the bakery. They arrive after a while and for a moment, nothing happens.

Namjoon glances behind him. Yoonji is still passed out on Ami's lap. "Stay here."

After seeing a brief nod from Teacher Choi, Namjoon exits the car. He closes the door, just in time to see Seokjin's car wheel in. Once it's parked, he approaches and knocks on the driver's window.

The window rolls down and Seokjin appears with disgruntled expression. "Please tell me— what the fuck happened to those two?"

"They jumped out the second floor window," Namjoon leans on the car. "To distract the horde."

"Are they stupid or some shit?!," Seokjin yells. He pinches his own nose-bridge. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

As Seokjin continues to groan, Namjoon peaks into the backseat. He sees Hoseok there with a still unconscious Yoongi lying down next to him.

"Hey, Joon," Hoseok calls out. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Namjoon hums and thinks for a while. "Wait for them to wake up."

"And after that?," Seokjin raises a brow.

"We gather weapons," Namjoon faces Seokjin. "Mind if we crash at your place?"

Seokjin puts on a face of disgust. "Well... fuck me."