| ten | together

whenever, wherever
we're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near

Yi Hyun woke up from a nightmare. He dreamt that his family was slaughtered by the creatures and he was alone, with their dead bodies decaying in his arms. When he jolted awake from his nightmare, the first thing he did was search for Saebom who was not in his arms. He was scared for two minutes when he got up and searched the empty floor only for Saebom to walk up the stairs with the rifle in her hand. 

She smiled at him, "morn-" 

The morning became good the instant Yi Hyun hugged her. Saebom was startled at first, but the familiar scent of the man eased her and she hugged him back. Yi Hyun on the other hand was never thankful about anything as he was at the moment when he saw Saebom walk towards him. She was safe, alive and more so, with him. He held her for quite some time, their heartbeats were in synch with the other, Saebom resting her head on his shoulder. 

She had forgotten how peaceful life was with Hyun with her, and it hit her that they had separated, so she broke the hug. "What happ-"

"MICHASO!" Yi Hyun yelled cupping her face, Saebom's hair was loosely tied in a bun and few of the hair strands that covered her face was tucked by him. "Where did you go? Do you even know how scared I was?" 

Saebom tilted her head, confused, "I was searching the perimeter, since I was up anyway." She held his hand, "I didn't wake you up because I knew you slept quite late." 

Yi Hyun withdrew his hand, stepping back at her explanation and avoiding eye contact with her since she looked too cute to remain mad at her. "Arasseo," He rubbed the back of his neck, "just next time, do not leave me behind." He took the rifle from her hand, checking the bullets and walking back to their safe zone as Saebom watched him with a smile. 

_

"I am going,"

"No, you are not." 

Nara was adamant to her the house and go search for his parents, she could not rest even for a second the entire night while the rest dozed off pretty tired. So-cheol was up too. The twins were guarding the rest of them and imagining dreadful scenarios about their parents. So-cheol's anxious heart did not let him breathe in peace even for a second and Nara was constantly hammering herself for being distant towards her parents.

Enough was enough when Nara stood up, using the ammunition from the rifle and buckling up her military uniform. She put the helmet, and tied her hair but So-cheol held her arm, and a fight woke the rest of the kids. 

The kids were resting but not quite asleep, since danger awaited them, they could not be at ease, and the woman with them was silently observing the scenario. Ae-sol had slept resting her head on the cold wall, Kim Chi had tried staying awake but sleep overtook his senses but their eyes fluttered open when they heard the twins. 

"What's happening?" Yoo-jung the class president stood up, "who is going where?" 

The thought of going outside woke them all in an instant. Tae-man was aware of his surroundings and he clutched to his rifle whilst Wo-taek rested his head on Tae-man's shoulder, still sleepy. 

"No one is going, anywhere." So-cheol held Nara's rifle, he was sleepless, upset, anxious and angry, more on himself and now on his twin. "You are not going, Nara, I am not going to let you." 

"And why should I listen to you?" Nara pulled her rifle back, "I cannot wait here, they might need assistance and I am going to go get them. What is the harm?" 

"Nara," Ae-sol softly spoke from the corner of the house, "it is dangerous outside."

"She is right," Kim Chi-Yeol was on his feet right when Nara stubbornly wanted to go hunt for her parents, "you canno-"

"I don't care," Nara faced her classmates, and with a defeated sigh she turned towards her twin. "My parents are out there, and I am going to get them." 

"Kid," The lady spoke up, her voice was hoarse and dry, however her eyes were sharp and a frown etched on her face. "listen to your brother," She pointed at her, "this is no time being a hero." The rest of them nodded, although a bit scared about the lady who looked pissed for some reason. 

Nara did not give a hoot, she turned to walk towards the door but was stopped by So-cheol again. "Let me go."

"Aniyo!" So-cheol was as adamant as his twin, the rest of the people in the room quite tensed at the situation. 

"Wae?" Nara replied, pissed at how she was being stopped on searching for her parents, "wae?"

"Because I already lost two people I love the most and if God forbid, I lose you, I will die." 

Nara's heartbeats dropped at the deep pacing breaths her twin was taking. So-cheol was in tears, still standing his ground and facing her. She was dumbfounded at how his words were affecting her and met his teary eyes. This was tough on them, living their whole life as inseparable duo and then being separated and living continents apart for five years only for an apocalypse to invade their lives again. 

"I cannot lose you, Ra, I will kill myself if anything happens to you." So-cheol broke down, not embarrassed to cry in front of his classmates, nothing mattered more than his sister and Nara felt tears stinging her eyes. She took a step towards him. "Jebal," He pleaded, covering his face with his palms, "don't go, I cannot lose you too." He felt his anxieties rise into an attack, if he did not calm this instant, he was going to get another attack.

So he awaited the anxiety attack, only to be engulfed by a pair of cold arms and the scent of what once reminded him of home. Nara was hugging him, and his heartbeats slowed at that gesture and So-cheol let his guard down, hugging her back. Nara sighed, wrapping her hands around her brother, patting his back so he could be at his ease. 

"Its okay So," Nara whispered, a little thing they did to him whenever he was overwhelmed by anxieties. "Its all okay, I am not going anywhere." She patted his back, until his breathing was steady. She blinked the tears off and broke the hug, holding So-cheol's shoulders. 

"They are so cute," Tae-man whispered to Wo-Taek, "I might puke." He was hit on the head by both Wo-Taek and Yoo-jung so he sat back pouting. 

"You two are up since last night," Kim Chi-yeol spoke up, "you guys should eat something and rest." He took hold of his rifle, offering to watch for them. "I'll keep an eye."

"Me too," Ae-sol nodded, standing beside Kim Chi-yeol, "others can rest too, we'll watch." 

The twins were hungry, they had not eaten anything since lunch the previous day and the thought of their parents dead somewhere was hurling their stomach. They sighed at the same time, Nara shook her head, So-cheol did not even respond. Kim Chi grabbed the pack of biscuit they had saved for the duo and took Nara's hand, placing it on her palm. Nara looked up at him, "Eat." 

That was more like an order than a request, and Nara held the packet, even though hunger long gone. She opened the pack, taking one and passing the rest of it to her twin. He was only staring at it.

Nara on the other hand took a bite of the biscuit and she never knew a biscuit would taste so good. The moment she took a bite of the biscuit, she paused, feeling both sick and hungry. She forced herself to gulp it and took a sip of the water Ae-sol passed, and looked at her twin. Nodding at him, she touched his hand that held the packet, and on cue So-cheol took one piece for himself, eating it like it was distasteful. 

O what they would give to have their parents back, they'd forget all of the past, and forget they were mad at them and just be thankful. 

"Yaedul-ah," Tae-man got their attention at his sudden yelp, he was pointing at something from the side of the window sill, "bumo," He said, bumo meant parents and whilst they were not his or their classes parents, it just suited the duo who came back to the kids. "they are back." 

Everyone rushed towards the window sill, delighted to see the duo back but Nara and So-cheol immediately leaped out of the house, they wanted to hold their parents and hug them. They saw their parents approach them on a motorbike. Nara walked closer with a smile and So-cheol stood back, their parents were here and everything was going to be fine. 

Only they did not notice a sphere right besides Nara, ready to leap and shred her to pieces. 

Everything that happened after that was fast and blurry, and Nara's eyes shut, she was her father's arms, her mother besides him and her twin holding her hand.

Well, atleast they were finally together.

_