WHISPERS OF TRUST: BOUND BY THE DAWN

“What kind of an idea?”

Eunhye’s voice was laced with curiosity, her brow arched as she leaned in, trying to catch Sae Joon Hyun’s train of thought. The dim light of the evening cast long shadows around the group, huddled together with tension thick in the air.

“Like how Hailey divided us into teams of two,” Joon Hyun replied, his tone steady, his gaze fixed on a tattered map spread out before them.

“One team goes to Jeonju, and the other?” Eunhye pressed.

“No, Noona,” Joon Hyun interrupted, surprising everyone by addressing her with an honorific he rarely used. She blinked at him, her mind halting momentarily. Did he just call me Noona? He never does that... what’s going on with him?

“There will be three teams,” he continued, oblivious to her internal musings.

“Three?” Yuri repeated, leaning against the wall with a skeptical expression.

“Yes,” Joon Hyun confirmed, pointing at the map. “One team goes to Jeonju, another to Andong, and the last stays here in Seoul.”

Eunhye tilted her head, frowning. “Why do we even need a team to stay in Seoul?”

“Anything can happen,” Joon Hyun said matter-of-factly. “The team in Seoul can act as a backup.”

“A rescue team, huh?” Jaeyeon chimed in, folding his arms.

“Exactly,” Joon Hyun agreed. His voice carried a weight of responsibility that made everyone fall silent for a moment. Then, with a decisive tap on the map, he asked, “Who will go to Jeonju?”

“It’s a given,” Jaeyeon said, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “In-Ha will go. But she can’t take the baby.”

The mention of her name made In-Ha glance up, her lips pressing into a thin line. She looked at her infant, Kaneisyeon, cradled snugly in her arms. Her chest tightened. The idea of being separated from her child gnawed at her heart.

“Yon will go with her,” Joon Hyun continued, as though unaware of In-Ha’s inner turmoil. “Let’s include myself and—”

“Me too!” Eunhye interrupted, raising her hand eagerly.

Joon Hyun hesitated, glancing her way. “But—”

“I… want to be part of this team,” Eunhye insisted, her voice trembling slightly but firm in resolve. “Please?”

Joon Hyun studied her for a moment, then gave a reluctant nod. “S-sure.”

Eunhye beamed. “Yay~!”

“And the team to Andong?” Jaeyeon prompted.

“Jay, Ji-Hoon, Charyeong, Minji, and Young,” Joon Hyun listed, his finger gliding over the map to mark their intended route.

“Oh, so the rest of us will stay back...” Eunhye muttered, nodding in understanding.

“Yeah,” Joon Hyun confirmed, looking around. “Does that work for everyone?”

A chorus of agreement followed, but the weight of the decision lingered in the air. In-Ha, however, was uncharacteristically silent. Her gaze was fixed on Kaneisyeon. Her fingers clenched tightly, the thought of leaving her child behind making her stomach churn. Just as she opened her mouth to object, Jeha spoke up.

“Shall I take care of Kaneisyeon?” His voice was calm but firm, cutting through the fog of her indecision.

In-Ha didn’t respond immediately. Her vision blurred as tears welled up. She bit her lip, staring down at the jeep mats as if they held the answers she sought. Jeha snapped his fingers in front of her face, jolting her back to reality.

“Hello? Shall I take care of her for you?” he repeated gently.

“Pardon?” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You’ll have to go to Jeonju with the team,” Jeha said softly. “You will go, right?”

In-Ha hesitated, her heart warring with her sense of duty. “...I…”

“Ma’am, we need you,” Jeha pressed. “We need you to solve this.”

“No, Jeha,” she protested weakly, shaking her head. “I can’t leave my child alone—”

“Kaneisyeon shouldn’t grow up alongside zombies,” Jeha interjected. “She doesn’t deserve that.”

In-Ha swallowed hard, her resolve faltering. “Should I... Do I really have to go?”

“For her sake, at least,” Jeha urged, “find a cure. Do whatever you can so she doesn’t have to live in this nightmare.”

“But what about now?” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Someone needs to take care of her in your stead,” Jeha said, his tone unwavering. “I can do that.”

“I guess… you can...” In-Ha finally relented, though her voice was heavy with reluctance.

Jeha offered a reassuring smile. “Ma’am, your child is probably the one thing keeping us moving forward. I’ll make sure nothing happens to her. Absolutely nothing.”

In-Ha’s shoulders sagged under the weight of her decision. “Then... will you be okay?”

“Of course,” Jeha said confidently. “Having a baby next to me gives me even more reason to survive.”

In-Ha nodded slowly, handing Kaneisyeon over to Jeha with trembling hands. “Alright, Jeha… this is because I have no choice. But… I’m going to trust you…”

“There, there,” Jeha said, rocking the baby gently. Kaneisyeon giggled at the motion, her laughter momentarily lightening the somber mood.

“There’s one more thing we need to keep in mind,” Joon Hyun began, his voice cutting through the fragile moment. “Time. We can’t lose track of time.”

“You’re right,” Eunhye agreed, sipping from a water bottle Jeha had retrieved earlier.

Joon Hyun’s expression grew serious. “How long has it been since we came together to fend off those creatures?”

“A week and four days!” Eunhye answered promptly.

Joon Hyun nodded. “Then forget about how long each of us has been in this situation alone. All we need to remember is ‘us.’ That’s the only thing that will keep us moving forward.”

“Okay,” the group murmured in unison, their collective determination steadying the atmosphere.

As the conversation wound down, Jaeyeon steered the jeep into a hidden base beneath a bridge. The dim, blue-lit space provided them with some semblance of security. One by one, they climbed out of the vehicle, spreading sheets across the ground to prepare for the night ahead.

Though exhaustion pulled at their bodies, the unspoken weight of tomorrow’s mission lingered. In the quiet, each of them wrestled with their own fears and hopes, knowing full well that survival depended on the choices they made tonight.

The camp had been eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or a distant groan that reminded them why they couldn’t let their guard down. Tossing and turning in their makeshift beds, none of them managed to catch even a wink of sleep. The weight of survival pressed heavily on their minds. When the first rays of dawn stretched over the horizon, Eunhye was the first to stir.

Shuffling in her tattered blanket, she sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. A yawn escaped her lips as she rose to her feet, her steps sluggish and uneven as she trudged toward the jeep parked nearby. The air was still cool, carrying the faint smell of dew and the metallic tang of lingering danger. She reached for the door, unlocking it with a soft click, and leaned inside to rummage through the bags.

Her hand finally clasped around a plastic water bottle. Pulling it out, she unscrewed the cap and brought it to her lips. The water felt cool and refreshing against her parched throat, and she drank with abandon, gulping it down like someone who had wandered the desert for days. Once she had drained enough, Eunhye screwed the lid back on and slipped the bottle into the bag. Just as she turned to leave, a voice cut through the quiet morning.

“Wow. A thirsty demon~”

Eunhye froze mid-step, the voice striking a familiar chord. She turned abruptly, her feet tangling beneath her as she lost her balance. Her body toppled forward, and she braced herself for impact when strong arms caught her mid-fall. One hand cradled the back of her head, protecting it from the hard surface beneath, while the other steadied her shoulders. She blinked, her eyes focusing on the figure holding her.

“Sae Joon Hyun!” she hissed, her voice a loud whisper of frustration and embarrassment.

His dark eyes met hers, amusement flickering across his face as his hands remained firmly in place. Her fists were curled against his chest, their proximity far too close for comfort.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concern replacing her earlier frustration. Her eyes scanned his face, searching for any signs of discomfort.

“Why?” he replied, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Did you hit your head? Are you hurt?” she pressed, her voice soft but urgent.

“No, no. I’m fine,” he reassured her. His grip on her shoulders loosened slightly, but he didn’t let her go just yet.

Eunhye exhaled in relief, her brows furrowing in irritation a moment later. “...Never creep up behind me like that again,” she muttered, her voice low but firm.

A chuckle escaped Sae Joon Hyun. “Haha. This is how we met the first time.”

“That was horrible,” she replied, her nose scrunching at the memory.

“Why?” he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

“The bloodthirsty guard was behind my life,” she retorted, glaring at him.

“Yeah, true,” he admitted, nodding slightly. “Things have changed so much since then.”

“What has changed so much?” she asked, tilting her head, curiosity creeping into her tone.

“You are less timid, for one~” he replied with a grin.

“That’s not even funny, Sae Joon Hyun,” Eunhye said, rolling her eyes as she lightly pounded on his chest with her fists.

“It wasn’t supposed to be~” he quipped, his grin widening.

Eunhye sighed, shaking her head. “Actually, there are a lot of things that have changed.”

“See? My point exactly,” he said, his tone triumphant.

“Like you,” she added, her gaze steady.

“Me? What’s so different about me?” he asked, leaning back slightly as he raised a brow.

“Hm. You’re friendlier, for one,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“Seriously? That’s not funny,” he retorted, mimicking her tone.

“But you commented on me first, stupid.”

“And? That’s it? You’re so childlike,” he teased.

“Gosh. Shut up,” Eunhye huffed, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

“Hey…” Sae Joon Hyun began, his voice softening.

“What?” she replied, her tone slightly cautious.

“Do you trust Jaeyeon a lot?” he asked, his gaze steady but unreadable.

“Huh? Where is this going?” she replied, narrowing her eyes.

“Just answer the question.”

“I guess I do trust him. Why?” she said, her brows furrowing.

“What about the others? Them as well?”

“Hm, yeah. We’ve got to trust each other, you know,” she replied earnestly.

“Oh. Like that,” he muttered, exhaling heavily.

“Tell me why,” Eunhye pressed, her curiosity piqued.

“Nothing, nothing,” he said, shaking his head slightly.

Before she could question him further, a voice cut through the quiet.

“How long do you both plan on whispering like that?”

Both of them turned their heads simultaneously, their eyes landing on Yuri, who stood with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

Eunhye froze, realizing the compromising position they were in. She was lying on top of Sae Joon Hyun, his back pressed against the floor of the jeep. Flustered, she scrambled to her feet, her movements clumsy. Sae Joon Hyun sat up quickly, his face slightly flushed.

“What did I just witness? Sheesh,” Yuri scoffed, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

“It’s not like that, Seonsangnim,” Eunhye stammered, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“What were you both even doing, then?” Yuri asked, her smile mischievous.

“Haha... The conversation just began, and I didn’t notice that we were on the floor like that...” Eunhye explained, her voice trailing off.

“Sure. So you were comfortable on top of him~” Yuri teased, her smirk widening.

“No! That’s not it!” Eunhye protested, her face burning as she pushed Yuri out of the jeep. Yuri giggled as she stumbled backward, enjoying the reaction she had elicited.

Sae Joon Hyun sighed, watching the two women walk away, their playful banter fading into the distance. “How come they forgot about me?” he muttered, shaking his head.

The sound of Yuri’s giggles stirred Jaeyeon and In-Ha from their restless slumber. The two exchanged sleepy glances before shrugging and sitting up. Within the hour, the entire group was awake and standing in a vertical line in front of the jeep, awaiting instructions.