A/N — not proofread, please point out any mistakes!

Jimin might have considered himself to have already lost his mind.

First of all, the idea of ditching class. Jimin is straight A student and graduating with the highest honors is his dream— how or why he was somehow convinced in joining his group of friends to leave school is beyond him.

Second, this whole situation of flesh-eating zombies and the sudden shift from a daily school routine to an all out real life survival show. Never in Jimin's days did he think he would bash a rotting corpse's head in with his fists.

Lastly— Jimin badly needs a change of clothes. Maybe he can snatch a few of those expensive tops from Seokjin's closet.

But despite the negative thoughts, Jimin thinks about how everything would have played out if he stayed in school that time. He'd be closer to Jihyun and would have kept him safe but—

Jimin turns to glance at his brother. Jihyun sits next to him with his still trembling hands clamped together anxiously. There's blood on his clothes and face— thankfully not his own.

It makes Jimin sick in his gut. He can't believe that he let Jihyun out of his sight, especially during the rise of the apocalypse. If he decided not to ditch class than maybe—

"Jimin," Taehyung calls suddenly from Jihyun's other side. "Hey. Jimin."

Almost immediately, Jimin looks up to glance at Taehyung. He's staring at him intensely from across him.

Jimin feels the heat rise to his cheeks again. "Uhm, yeah?"

Taehyung continues to stare at him without really saying anything. Then there's a small smile on his face.

"It's nothing," Taehyung whispers and turns away.

With that, Jimin releases a shaky breath and leans on his seat. He feels someone staring at him and glances up to see Jungkook looking at him through the rearview mirror. There's something mischievous about his expression.

That makes Jimin groan, knowing all the teasing to come. Eventually the car stops in front of a tall house filled to the brim with glass windows, arguably one of the only mansions in the area— Seokjin's place.

Jimin nudges Jihyun before opening the car door and quietly slipping outside. He sees Namjoon's car roll in just then and Yoonji basically kicks the door as she hops out.

"God damn!," Yoonji swings her bat over her shoulder and whistles. "Now this is a beauty I'd want to live in."

"Yoonji!"

Yoongi slips out of the car behind her. There's a neatly wrapped bandage tied around his forehead.

"Don't move too much!," Yoongi hisses. "You just woke up!"

"I'm fine," Yoonji rolls her eyes. She bends a bit and knocks on the driver's window of Seokjin's car. "Yo, Seokjin."

There's a short silence before Seokjin rolls down his window. He sighs and squints his eyes at Yoonji.

"What?," Seokjin grits his teeth.

Yoonji smirks. "Got some booze in there?"

Before Seokjin can even reply, Yoongi starts to scold her. "We are not here to have a fucking party!"

Yoonji scoffs. She shakes her head. "Relax, dude. I was kidding! I'd prefer a hot bath anyways. Would you mind?"

After a few seconds of staring, Seokjin eventually gives in. He sighs loudly and shrugs. "Fine. Just— do whatever you want."

"Sweet," Yoonji snaps her fingers and points at Seokjin. "You're the best."

"But!," Seokjin says and pulls something out of his pocket. He tosses it at Yoonji, who catches it easily. "I have a condition."

Yoonji stares at the small bottle in her hands. Yoongi glances at it and raises a brow.

"These are mints," Yoonji speaks questionably and shakes the thing.

"Yes, mints," Seokjin nods. "Because you two? Your breath smells like shit. Eat a piece or two and maybe I'll let you in my house."

"Excuse me but our breaths do not stink."

"Sure, whatever you say... you chainsmokers."

As Seokjin and twins bicker, Jimin hears Jihyun shuffle out of the car and stand behind him. Jimin faces his brother and sees him kicking at the dirt and staring at the ground.

Jimin thinks about what to say for a bit but eventually goes with his gut feeling. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jihyun looks up at him with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

Somehow, Jimin finds that question difficult to answer. He smiles and slightly nudges Jihyun with his elbow.

"I know you're dying for a power nape right now," Jimin smirks. "You can sleep in Seokjin's room."

"Don't you have to ask him first?," Jihyun raised a brow.

Jimin laughs loudly. "Nah."

After the rest of them gather around, Seokjin leads the gang to his house— much against his own will. Jimin looks up at the sparkling metal gates decorated with shimmering stones atop its speared tips. It's like something from a Victorian Era mansion.

After Seokjin whispers something into the comm, the gates screech open loudly.

Even though Jimin has been to Seokjin's place countless times, the beauty of his house still blows him away every time. He's immediately greeted by a large circular marble fountain in the middle of the garden area, with tall hedges bordering the path to the mansion itself.

The pathway itself is cemented with a smooth brick path. Behind the hedges bordering the path are patches of flowers arranged in squares by color. Jimin can see some statues placed deeper into the garden.

Seokjin inhales deeply and smiles. "Doesn't this smell great?"

Yoongi pops a mint candy into his mouth and chews. "You tell me."

As they walk forward, Jimin glances behind him. He sees Namjoon staring at the flowers with a small smile, both hands clasped tightly behind his back. Next to him is Hoseok, who is still walking a bit anxiously, his steps light and careful. At the very back is Teacher Choi, who looks just as anxious as Hoseok.

In front of them is Taehyung, who is walking closely behind Jimin but gives enough space between them. He suddenly turns and their eyes meet so Jimin gulps and whips his head around immediately.

"You're too tense," Jungkook speaks suddenly and makes Jimin jump.

Jimin clutches his chest. "When did you— I am not tense."

"Pft," Jungkook splutters out with laughter. "Please. You're denser than concrete, man."

"No, I'm not," Jimin hisses through grit teeth. He glances at Jihyun, who is walking just a bit further.

"Come on, Jimin," Jungkook leans closer. "Everyone knows that you've been pinin' on Tae for like—"

Jimin's face flushes again as he immediately slaps a hand over Jungkook's mouth. "Be quiet!"

There's muffled laughter from Jungkook. Jimin discreetly glances at Taehyung behind him and is relieved to see that he's somewhat spaced out and still has his gaze fixated at the flower fields.

Jungkook peels Jimin's hand away from his mouth and puts on a cheeky grin. "Wow. You didn't even deny it!"

"Shut up," Jimin hisses. "You don't understand."

"Hey, come on now," Jungkook nudges Jimin with his shoulder. "Nothing wrong with a crush, right?"

Jimin puffs his cheeks. He looks up at Jungkook, who grins innocently whilst shooting him a look of confusion. Although he wants to prove something to him, that what he feels towards Taehyung is more than just a cheesy romance novel-esque crush, he doesn't say anything.

Instead, Jimin huffs and turns away. He ignores the mischievous gaze in Jungkook's eyes and glances at the group in front of him. Just in front of Jihyun are the Min twins— who both look casual walking with their weapons in hand despite nearly dying just about an hour ago. Ami tails behind them with loud laughter.

They reach the door, finally, and for some reason Jimin felt the short stroll took an hour. Seokjin doesn't grab the doorknobs, he simply knocks, and it opens widely.

The doors screech loudly and light spills from inside. Jimin shuts his eyes for a bit until the crowd from behind him pushes him inside. So he ends up in the lobby without much effort.

But before Jimin can take in the scenario, he hears a loud female voice cheer in front of him.

"Seokjin!," She says loudly.

"Mom!," Seokjin smiles as the woman gives her a hug. "Thank goodness you're okay."

After Jimin rubs his eyes for a bit, he sees Seokjin and his mother embracing each other tightly. She pulls away and tucks a strand of her bleached blonde hair behind her ear.

"Are you okay, sweetie?," Sunwoo caresses Seokjin's cheeks. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Don't worry mom, I'm fine," Seokjin speaks with a surprisingly gentle voice. "Any news from Dad?"

Those words make the warm smile on Sunwoo's face fade. She shakes her head somberly. "I haven't heard anything from your father after he was called for duty..."

A tense silence passes. During that, Jimin feels the dread pool in him as he remembers that Seokjin's dad is a cop.

It takes a while but Seokjin eventually lets out an anxious smile. "Mom, you know how Dad gets when he's on duty. He'll be fine..."

Although Seokjin's words are encouraging, his tone and expression say otherwise. Jimin then glances at the Min twins, who both look uncomfortable where they're standing.

"Mom," Seokjin clears his throat. "Would you mind if my friends stay here for a bit?"

Sunwoo turns to glance at Jimin and the others. Her eyes widen for a bit and he assumes it's because of the bandaged Min twins and how most of them blood soaked clothes. But then she sighs and puts on a comforting grin.

"Oh, of course not!," Sunwoo cheers. "With all that's happening right now, you all need a good rest. I will prepare a clean set of clothes for everyone."

When the group is given access to every room except Seokjin's, Yoonji makes a mad dash to what Jimin assumes is the bathroom. Ami is hot behind her tail and is screaming for her to be given the opportunity to bathe too. Yoongi just sighs whilst he watches them.

Seokjin and his mother disappear into another room, leaving Jimin and the others in the main lobby. This finally gives him the opportunity to study the interior.

Hanging from the ceiling above them is a large chandelier painted with a shimmering gold. There are lit candles in its spews. Below that is a long spiraling staircase leading up to the second floor. Jimin catches sight of Yoonji and Ami's figures before they disappear into the hallway to the right.

On the wall between the staircase hangs a large family portrait. It's a hyper realistic painting of Seokjin, as a child, sitting on his mother's lap. Standing behind them is his father with his officer's uniform.

There's a fireplace underneath the portrait and a velvet leather sofa set curved in front of it. Jimin notices that Hoseok is already laying down on the main sofa. His legs hang from the side as he swings them casually.

Across Hoseok is Jungkook, who is sitting in a weird position with his legs straight up and his head nearly touching the ground. He looks fast asleep.

"I whispered to them that we should take some much needed rest— with Seokjin's approval of course."

Jimin turns around and sees Namjoon standing behind him with a dimpled smile. He has his arms crossed over his chest. Jihyun is standing behind him as well, that odd expression still on his face.

"I mean, we do have to gear up, yeah," Namjoon shrugs. "But we all need a break first, don't you think?"

"Wait, there are weapons in here?," Jihyun's eyes widen. "Are we in some illegal base or something?!"

"Jihyun!," Jimin scolds.

Namjoon just laughs. "No, Jihyun. Seokjin's dad is a cop so he has some stuff stored in here for safekeeping."

"You sound more like my father's son than I do."

Seokjin walks in with both hands behind his head. He ruffles his own hair and lets out a little yawn.

"It's true, though," Seokjin grumbles. "Being a cop does have some downsides. Dad said something about always being prepared in case we get raided."

"That sounds... awful?," Jimin speaks with an unsure tone.

"Eh, better than him being here," Seokjin shrugs. "But hey, that's some bullshit I don't want to dig into. Anyone up for biscuits?"

"I'm okay with biscuits," Jihyun chimes.

Before Seokjin can answer, Yoongi passes by quite slyly. He still has that mint candy in his mouth and chews it loudly as he walks by.

"Cops must have it so bad, huh?," Yoongi grimaces. "Bunch'a assholes."

Strangely enough, Seokjin doesn't argue with Yoongi about that. Instead, he glances at Jimin and says: "Tae's in the kitchen, by the way."

Everyone stares at Jimin as the group falls into silence. He feels the heat rise to his cheeks again. Even Jihyun has his eyes fixated at his face.

"Why— why are you all staring?!," Jimin puts his hands on his face.

"Don't you like—," Jihyun pauses and hums for a bit. "You have a crush on your friend Taehyung right?"

"Why would you say that?!," Jimin wails.

"Because it's obvious?!," Jihyun replies loudly in confusion.

Jimin groans. He wants to sink into a hole in the ground and never leave it. "I hate this."

"Yeah, yeah," Seokjin says. "Like I said— Tae's in the kitchen."

The emphasis in Seokjin's tone is more than telling. Jimin sighs and makes his way to the kitchen after Seokjin briefly points out the way there. He still feels everyone's gazes on the back of his head as he walks behind the spiral staircase and into the hallway to the right.

Jimin feels his palms sweat as he rubs them together. He walks across the hallway and listens to the soles of his shoes tap the ground. Eventually he reaches the kitchen door, it's a white wooden door with a pair of oven mittens painted on it.

After taking a deep breath, Jimin grabs the doorknob and enters the kitchen. For a moment, a thought flashes in his head— Why is he so nervous? Taehyung is an old friend, an good friend. There's no reason for him to—

But then Jimin actually sees Taehyung sitting on the kitchen counter, his legs swinging and his fringe over his eyes. He chews on some dry biscuits and hums so quietly that his voice is almost inaudible.

Suddenly Jimin's brain freezes. Suddenly he doesn't breathe.

And due to all the confusion swirling in Jimin's head, he almost lets out garbled nonsense. Thankfully he pulls himself together before he can embarrass himself.

"Hey there, Tae!," Jimin grins. "Mind if I have a biscuit?"

The introduction is awkward as hell and Jimin knows that. He still can't believe how dumb he tends to act in front of his oldest and dearest friend. It makes him want to jump in a deep well.

Taehyung looks his way and slowly slides the jar of biscuits across the counter. So Jimin plops next to him and grabs a handful of biscuits.

There's bit of silence as the two chew on their biscuits. Jimin realizes that he's gobbled down a handful of them under a minute and sighs.

"Taehyung," Jimin speaks after gathering his courage. "Hey... are you okay?"

There's a biscuit hanging between Taehyung's lips as he replies quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Jimin frowns. "Tae... please don't lie to me."

His words make Taehyung pause mid-chewing. The half-eaten biscuit crumbles in his mouth as he tightens his lips into a thin line.

"Listen," Jimin inhales sharply. "We've known each other since diaper age, Tae. I know when something's wrong with the way you breathe."

Taehyung doesn't say anything and just stares at his feet as he swings his legs back and forth.

"Ever since what happened at your house, you haven't been yourself," Jimin whispers. "You're too quiet, you're too—"

When Taehyung gives Jimin a look, he suddenly forgets his words.

That gives Taehyung a chance to speak. "When you were punching those zombies, what were you thinking?"

"Huh?," Jimin blinks in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Taehyung looks away. "Those things used to be people. When you were striking them down... did you feel any guilt?"

Hearing the question makes Jimin pause for a bit. He glances at Taehyung and observes the way his expression contorts into a frown. And he ends up staring down at his own hands. There are bruises on his fingers, marks of where the brass knuckles would fit in.

"I do," Jimin sighs loudly. "Every time I swing my fists, I think about the people they used to be."

Taehyung stares at him this time but doesn't say anything.

"But I think protecting you— and everyone else I care about...," Jimin pauses to breathe. "I think it's way more important than my own guilt."

A short moment of silence passes. Jimin looks down at his hands again and rubs his knuckles. The bruises on his fingers throb and it makes him hiss a bit in pain.

Taehyung gently slides his hand across the countertop and holds Jimin's fingers. He circles his thumb over his bruised knuckles softly. Somehow, the touch is comforting.

Jimin notices the size difference between their hands and smiles. Taehyung then leans in and rests his head on Jimin's shoulder.

"You're not a murderer, Jimin," Taehyung whispers. "You're not..."

As Taehyung trails off, Jimin quietly strokes his head with his other hand.

For a moment, Jimin forgets about his feelings towards his close friend. All he knows is that Taehyung needs him— and he'll be there for him, no matter what.

-

Yoongi just thinks he may have possibly fractured his own skull. Although it was because he caught the fall that would have impacted Yoonji instead so he doesn't have as much regrets.

Still, Yoongi wishes that his head would stop throbbing. Even though Teacher Choi, with Ami's help, has already bandaged him up, he still feels like an axe is attempting to split his head open.

And being in Seokjin's house— Yoongi thinks he's been here due to some council meetings outside of campus but honestly, he doesn't really remember.

But since Seokjin's house is utterly familiar and Sunwoo's bright blonde hair is something he's definitely seen before, Yoongi is sure he's paid him a visit at least once.

As Seokjin chats with Namjoon, Jimin and Jihyun, Yoongi glances around. He spots Hoseok and Jungkook both passed out on the couches and can't help but laugh at their awkward positions.

Yoongi then spots Teacher Choi, who is standing awkwardly at the back of the crowd by herself. He hears Yoonji and Ami's footsteps as they run up the spiral staircase.

A few seconds of Yoongi thinking passes and he eventually ends up grumbling to himself as he walks towards Teacher Choi.

"Oi," Yoongi calls out. "Thanks for patching Yoonji up earlier."

Teacher Choi looks up and smiles. "Oh, uh, it's nothing. What about you, Yoongi? Are you feeling okay?"

Yoongi feels his head throb again. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?," Teacher Choi reaches out to stroke Yoongi's face. "That fall... it was pretty bad. You may have a concussion."

A thought flashes in Yoongi's mind and he suddenly sees his own mother reaching out to comfort him. He immediately jolts backwards and slaps Teacher Choi's hand away.

"I said I'm fine," Yoongi hisses.

Yoongi spins on his heels and marches away, leaving Teacher Choi stunned. As he stomps forward, he overs someone mention Seokjin's father's status as a cop. A thought comes to mind and he voices it out.

"Cops have it so bad, huh?," Yoongi spits. "Bunch'a assholes."

Surprisingly, Seokjin doesn't comment on it. Yoongi stops marching when he reaches the sofa set. He attempts to sit but sees Hoseok's snoring face looking up at him. His eye twitches.

Yoongi remembers his father's advice— When finding yourself unnecessarily angry, take a deep breath and think about flying penguins. Well, not that penguins can actually fly, but the thought has always amused him.

There's already a small smile on Yoongi's face as he imagines penguins attempt to fly with their stubby feet and tiny wings. He looks down at his own feet and stared at his shoes. They're the first pair of sneakers gifted to him from his father.

Yoongi suddenly sees the image of his zombified parents in his mind. He shuts his eyes tightly and groans.

"Flying penguins," Yoongi whispers to himself. "Think of flying penguins."

When Yoongi hears footsteps, he turns around and expects to see Teacher Choi approaching him. Instead, he watches Jimin walk past him and disappear into the hallway.

Thinking that Jimin is probably going to check on Taehyung, Yoongi doesn't think much of it— but then he sees Namjoon tailing him silently.

Yoongi squints his eyes. He tiptoes towards the hallway and peaks from around the corner. Namjoon is standing at the very end of the hallway and is leaning on the wall with one foot crossed over the other.

It takes a moment for Yoongi to think of how to stealthily approach Namjoon. But he knows that in his current state of concentration, he wouldn't notice if a snake were to slither towards him.

So Yoongi casually walks across the hallway. Just as he expects, Namjoon doesn't glance at him, even when he's standing right next to him.

Yoongi stifles in laughter as he balanced on his tiptoes and whispers next to Namjoon. "Yo, what'cha doin?"

Namjoon doesn't flinch at all but he does glance at Yoongi with widened eyes. He eventually smiles and glances back at the door, which is slightly ajar to reveal the kitchen inside.

Whilst Yoongi tries to squeeze himself under Namjoon's arms, he spots Jimin and Taehyung sitting next to each other on the countertop.

"Why are you spying on those two?," Yoongi asks.

"I'm just checking on them," Namjoon whispers. "Taehyung isn't himself, I'm sure you've noticed that. And Jimin..."

When Namjoon fails to speak for a few seconds, Yoongi raises a brow. "What about him?"

"Before we found Jihyun, Jimin considered that he was dead," Namjoon nods to himself. "And with all that happened to get him back... He might be feeling bad about the whole thing."

Yoongi leans on the wall next to Namjoon. He laughs a bit as he watches his friend stare into the kitchen with a stern expression.

"Damn it, Joon," Yoongi shakes his head. "You know you can't lie for shit, right?"

Namjoon doesn't turn around. He's still staring at the two. "What's your point, Yoongi?"

"Well," Yoongi rubs his head when it starts to throb again. "Knowing you, the first thing you should've done was check on Seokjin's stack of weapons. Yet you're here, spying on two of our friends."

This time, Namjoon glances at Yoongi. The small smile on his face is gone.

"So, I'll ask you again," Yoongi smirks. "Why are you spying on them?"

Namjoon stares at Yoongi. For a moment, they don't say anything to each other. Yoongi faintly hears Jimin and Taehyung's voices from inside the kitchen.

Then Namjoon smiles, so much so that his eyes crinkle and his dimples pop up. Yoongi knows that expression— somehow, it always terrified him to a certain extent.

"You're right, I should be checking on the weapons," Namjoon hums. "And besides, the two seem to be okay."

Namjoon steps aside. Yoongi is about to question him when he sees Taehyung leaning on Jimin's shoulder with their hands clasped together tightly.

Oh. Yoongi glances up at Namjoon and sees that smile still on his face. Oh.

"You still haven't answered my—"

"You and Yoonji should rest," Namjoon cuts him off. "That was a bad fall. You should shower too."

Hearing Namjoon's familiar tone makes Yoongi zip his lips. "Yeah, guess I should."

Namjoon nods. He quickly spins on heel. "See you later."

As Namjoon walks away, Yoongi stares and releases a heavy sigh. He slowly closes the kitchen door behind him and rubs his throbbing head with both hands.

Due to that, Yoongi doesn't notice Seokjin walk up to him and only does when he speaks.

"What did you say to him?," Seokjin demands.

Yoongi looks up and scoffs at Seokjin's expression. "Nothing."

"Bullshit," Seokjin hisses. "You said something, otherwise Namjoon wouldn't have that big ass frown on his face."

That makes Yoongi raise a brow. He envisions the usually smiley Namjoon wearing a frown on that face of his and ends up laughing a bit.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?," Seokjin squints his eyes.

"Relax, bitch," Yoongi smirks. "Namjoon is just being an idiot again."

-

Yoonji yawns as she stretches her arms up. She finger combs her wet and continues to run her hands through them.

"God," Yoonji clicks her tongue. "Didn't think I'd want a shower this badly."

With a bath towel wrapped around her body, Yoonji steps out of the bathtub and glances at the mirror. There's a fresh cut on her cheek that makes her frown. She didn't notice it there the first time and didn't feel any pain even in the midst of showering.

"How the fuck did I get this?," Yoonji taps the wound and it stings. "Ouch—"

Yoonji sighs loudly. Her breath smells of mint and the scent makes her frown even more. She eyes her clothes, which are folded messily in a bin.

After digging through the clothes for a while, Yoonji fishes out the open bag of cigs from her jacket pocket. She groans when she realizes that her lighter is still with Yoongi.

"Guess I'll smoke one later," Yoonji groans and tosses the pack behind her. It lands in the bin.

Yoonji swings open the bathroom cabinets. She's greeted by rows and rows of facial creams and other beauty products. Most of them are unfamiliar to her.

When Yoonji actually spots something familiar, she takes it out without hesitation. It's a pack of white face mask sheets with aloe vera extract— it's the same brand she and her mother shared at him.

Yoonji stares at it for a while. She envisions her mother holding in laughter with that mask on her face and suddenly there's a sour taste in her throat.

Albeit difficult, Yoonji does her best to push the thought to the very back of her head. She takes a deep breath, wraps a bath towel around her and applies the face mask on.

Yoonji opens the bathroom door and sees Ami laying on the queen sized bed. She's upside down, with both her feet resting on the wall and one leg crossed over the other.

There's a phone in Ami's hands. She stares at it intently with her eyebrows scrunched together as she types away at what seems like lightning speed.

So Yoonji turns around and leaves Ami on the bed. She scans the room and revels in the artistry around her— the floral wallpaper matches the white mosaic floor. Every piece of piece of furniture is painted white with linings of light pink.

It's a refreshing sight for Yoonji, who thinks she's seen the worst things in the span of a few hours. She walks towards the clothes cabinet and swings the doors open.

What greets Yoonji are rows and rows of dresses and tops that are definitely not her size. Still, she takes one that catches her eye, a gothic cocktail with white laces stitched at the hems of its sleeves and skirt.

Yoonji quickly puts it on. Since the dress is too big, it fits like a regular size on her.

"Oi, Ams!," Yoonji calls. "Check this out!"

Ami glances at Yoonji for a split second but immediately goes back to staring at her phone. "What, found a gold stash or somethin'?"

Yoonji frowns. "Just look!"

With that, Ami puts her phone away and tilts her head upwards. Her expression of boredom shifts instantly when she sees Yoonji spinning around with that black lacy dress.

"Hey!," Ami grins and rolls off the bed. "Where'd you get that?"

"In that cabinet," Yoonji cocks her head and fans the skirt with her hands. "Doesn't it look sweet?"

"It's so cute on you!," Ami squeals a bit and dives for the cabinet. "Whoever owns that has taste."

Time passes with both Yoonji and Ami digging through the cabinets— she figures that all the clothes belong to Seokjin's mother but remembers how they were given access to everything except Seokjin's room. So there's no hesitation as she goes through every single piece of clothing.

First of all, switching on the lights in the cabinet reveals a hidden walk-in closet so their choices are much more than a handful. Yoonji and Ami stare with gaped mouths and perplexed expressions.

"Holy cow!," Ami yells. "This is heaven!"

Rows and rows of clothes hang from both sides; one row is full of dresses and the other of bright tops. All the pants are folded onto small piles stacked next to each other on tiny wooden benches. Up ahead are tall shelves that are filled to the brim with shoes of different styles.

"This one is so cute!," Ami screams with half her body hidden amongst the hanging dresses. "Look, Yoonji!"

As Ami pulls out a frilly blue dress, Yoonji thinks about what they're doing right now, about how all the terror outside can be forgotten, even for a moment, thanks to a few nice looking clothes.

And with all they've been through, Yoonji thinks that maybe, just maybe— they deserve happiness as short lived as this. So she smiled when Ami presents her dresses and immediately urges her friend to put it on.

"Whoa!," Yoonji smirks. "It's a perfect fit!"

Ami stares at her own reflection on the mirror for a second before turning around to face Yoonji. This time, the dress is the perfect length for her. Its frilled skirt ends just above her knees and the round sleeves give emphasis to her narrow shoulders.

Then Ami turns around. She finger combs her bright red hair before tying it into a high ponytail with a hair tie. Yoonji envisions something and sees a singing mermaid in her mind.

"Dang, you almost look like that Disney princess!," Yoonji exclaims. "What's her name again...?"

"Her name's Ariel, dumbass," Ami chuckles. "And I do not look like her."

"Please," Yoonji scoffs. "Your red hair and that blue dress, all you need is— wait there."

Ami tilts her head in confusion as Yoonji turns out and digs through more cabinets. She hums and fishes out some white stockings. Then she sprints towards the shoe racks and takes out a pair that has a color identical to Ami's dress.

Yoonji cackles. "These are what you need!"

"Uh," Ami laughs dryly. "Yoonji, I don't think we should really be playing dress up right now."

For a moment, Yoonji's smile fades. Ami stares at her for a bit and raises a brow when she suddenly explodes into loud laughter.

"Come on, Ams. Don't be such a killjoy," Yoonji spins the stocking in her hand. "Nothing wrong with a little bit of fun, right?"

There's a strange expression on Ami's face but Yoonji can tell that she's deep in thought. Her friend starts to laugh and raises her hand over her mouth. Ami's nails are painted in a light shade of pastel blue and it matches the color of her dress.

"Yeah, you're right," Ami smiles. "Hand me those stockings."

"Oh. I-I'm sorry."

The foreign voice makes Yoonji turn around, just as she hands Ami the stockings. Teacher Choi stands at doorway of the walk-in closet with an awkward expression on her face.

"I thought nobody was here," Teacher Choi laughs dryly. "I'm sorry. I'll— I'll leave."

Teacher Choi spins on her heel. Yoonji glances at Ami, who gives her a similar questionable look, before she feels the wound on her face again. It's dry— she remembers how it's been treated in the car, along with her other injuries.

Yoonji looks up. "Hey. Wait up."

Hearing Yoonji's call, Teacher Choi freezes at the doorway. She turns around slowly with her lips pursed anxiously. Ami watches closely in silence.

There's tension in the air as Yoonji steps closer. Teacher Choi is fully facing her now and looks even more nervous than she initially was.

"Uh, hi Yoonji," Teacher Choi says. "Your dress is really cute."

Yoonji doesn't say anything. She studies Teacher Choi's figure, glances at her familiar uniform and stares intently at her melons.

As Yoonji hums, Teacher Choi stutters. "Yoonji, w-why are you staring—"

"What's your cup size?," Yoonji asks with a raised brow.

Silence comes quickly after that. Teacher Choi speaks first. "M-My cup... size? Uhm..."

"Wait, it does matter," Yoonji smirks and cackles. "We'll know when you put on some of these dresses?"

Teacher Choi pauses. "Huh?"

"What Yoonji meant," Ami steps forward and swings an arm around Yoonji's shoulders. "Is that you should definitely try some of the cute clothes here."

Teacher Choi takes a moment to let those words sink in but eventually, she puts on a big grin.

With that, Yoonji, Ami and Teacher Choi spend what almost seems like hours trying on different dresses and matching together some clothes. For a moment, everything seems normal— it's almost as if they're just having a good time during a sleepover at Ami's place.

Outside, zombies groan and wander around for food. Inside, Yoonji is struggling to put on a pair of heels. It's a timeless moment— and she'll cherish it.