𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐍

🖇️

After we finished packing, I sat on my bed, staring at my plushies. The little ducky Hyunjin had won for me the day before was perched at the head of my bed, next to my old, worn-out one. I sighed, hugging my knees. I didn't want to leave them behind, but I knew taking too much with us would slow us down.

Just then, Hyunjin poked his head into the room. "You good, Shorty?"

I looked up at him and pouted. "I don't know which one to bring." I motioned to my duck plushies. "I can't leave them, but I can't take both. And what if they get damaged?"

Hyunjin chuckled softly and walked in, sitting down beside me. He picked up the new ducky plushie and held it in front of my face. "You can't take both, so you should definitely bring this one. I won it just for you."

I giggled, reaching out to take it from him. "But what about my old ducky?" I held up my worn-out plushie, the one I'd had since I was a kid. "It's been with me through everything."

Hyunjin leaned back, resting his arm on the bed as he looked between the two plushies. "Hmm, that's a tough one. The new ducky's special because I won it for you, but your old one has, like, memories. Maybe..." His voice trailed off, a playful smirk appearing on his face.

"Maybe what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He grabbed the new ducky and tucked it under his arm, giving it a dramatic squeeze. "Maybe this one could be like... your adventure ducky. It'll be with you on this new journey, while your old one stays here, safe and sound. That way, when you come back, they'll reunite, and you'll have both of them again. Double the ducky love."

I blinked at him, then burst into laughter. "Adventure ducky? Seriously?"

Hyunjin grinned, standing up and doing a silly little dance with the plushie in his hands. "Yeah, you know, like a hero duck! This guy's going to protect you and keep you company on the road."

I shook my head, still giggling. "You're ridiculous."

"But I'm right, aren't I?" He held out the new ducky again, his eyes softening. "Take this one with you, and leave your old one behind. That way, you won't have to worry about losing it, but you'll still have something to remind you of home."

I looked between the two plushies again, biting my lip. I didn't want to leave my old ducky, but Hyunjin was right. This journey was different, and it deserved something new.

Finally, I nodded. "Okay, Adventure Ducky it is." I hugged the new plushie close to my chest. "But you have to promise to keep my old one safe."

Hyunjin gave me a mock salute. "Promise. I'll guard it with my life."

I rolled my eyes, smiling, but there was something comforting in his words. He always knew how to make me feel better, even when I didn't realize I needed it.

Before I could say anything else, Hyunjin flopped down next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into a side hug. "Hey," he said, his voice softer now, "I know this whole thing is scary, but we're all in this together. You, me, and Adventure Ducky. We've got this."

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Daffy."

He grinned at the nickname, squeezing me a little tighter. "No problem, Shorty."

We sat there for a moment, just enjoying the quiet before everything changed. With Hyunjin by my side and Adventure Ducky in my arms, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we really could make it to Incheon.

We all gathered outside, ready to leave. Felix was making sure everything was packed tightly on the motorbikes, while Jeongin and Chan discussed the route we'd take to Incheon. Hyunjin stood by my side, holding my backpack as I clutched Adventure Ducky close to my chest. I glanced at the old school building one last time, where my original duck plushie waited safely in my room.

"You okay?" Hyunjin's voice broke through my thoughts, soft but comforting.

"Yeah, just... saying goodbye to this place, I guess," I replied with a small smile. "We've been here for so long."

He nodded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I know, but think about how awesome it's going to be in Incheon. Fresh air, maybe even the beach—"

I widened my eyes. "The beach? Oh my god, we could really see the beach?"

"Yup!" He grinned. "If we make it to the coastline, maybe we can hang out there for a bit. Just us, the waves, and—" He lifted Adventure Ducky from my hands and wiggled it in the air. "This guy."

I laughed, grabbing it back. "Adventure Ducky on the beach? Sounds like a dream."

He leaned down a little, his face close to mine. "Then we'll make it happen, Shorty. I promise."

Just then, Felix called out, "Alright, let's get moving! Ready to roll?"

I looked at Hyunjin and nodded. "Let's go."

We all climbed onto the motorbikes, and as we set off, the wind hit my face, carrying with it a mix of excitement and nerves. I held onto Hyunjin tightly, squeezing Adventure Ducky between us as we sped down the empty roads, heading toward Incheon.

The journey was surprisingly peaceful at first, the roads quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves or distant bird calls. Hyunjin kept his driving steady, and every now and then, he'd glance back at me with a reassuring smile, as if to say, "I've got you."

As we passed through what must've been a small town, I noticed something in the distance—a run-down toy store. My heart skipped a beat. "Wait! Hyunjin, stop!" I yelled over the engine.

He immediately pulled over, the others following suit. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern flashing in his eyes.

"I saw something," I said, pointing to the toy store up ahead. "Can we check it out?"

"Why would we—" Felix started to ask but then paused, noticing the way I was hugging Adventure Ducky. "Ahh, plushie hunt?"

I nodded eagerly, and Hyunjin chuckled. "Alright, alright. Let's go check it out." He got off the bike and helped me down, leading the way toward the store.

Inside, the place was a mess—dusty shelves, broken toys scattered everywhere. But there was something strangely nostalgic about it. It felt like stepping back in time to when things were normal, when I would've run into a store like this, dragging Hyunjin behind me to look at all the stuffed animals.

We split up, quietly searching through the aisles. I spotted an old teddy bear, its fur matted and one eye missing. It made me sad to think about all the kids who must've played with these toys before everything went wrong.

Suddenly, Hyunjin called out, "Hey, Haewon! Come here!"

I hurried over to where he stood, holding up something behind his back, a playful grin on his face. "What did you find?" I asked, bouncing on my heels.

He revealed a small, stuffed bunny, its long ears flopping down adorably. "Look at this guy," Hyunjin said, handing it to me. "He looks like he could use some love."

I giggled, taking the bunny in my hands. "He's so cute! I'll call him... Adventure Bunny."

Hyunjin laughed, leaning down to ruffle my hair. "Adventure Bunny, huh? I like it. Now Ducky has a friend for the journey."

I looked up at him, smiling brightly. "Thanks, Daffy."

Before we could leave the store, Felix came running over, holding something behind his back. "Guess what I found?"

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. "Another plushie?"

Felix smirked and pulled out a tiny plush dragon. "Meet Adventure Dragon, the fiercest, most loyal companion of them all."

I burst into laughter, shaking my head. "This is getting out of control."

"No, no, it's perfect," Hyunjin said, grinning. "We're building an adventure team here. We've got Ducky, Bunny, and now Dragon."

Felix nodded proudly, handing the dragon to me. "Don't worry, Adventure Dragon will protect us from all the zombies."

"Okay, okay," I laughed, tucking both Bunny and Dragon into my bag alongside Adventure Ducky. "Let's get going before we find a whole zoo in here."

We got back on the bikes and continued our journey, but this time, with a little more fun. I couldn't stop giggling every time I peeked into my bag and saw Adventure Ducky's head poking out from under the bunny's ears.

Hyunjin noticed and kept teasing me as we drove. "You good back there, Shorty? Or are you too busy babysitting the plushie squad?"

"Shut up," I teased, playfully smacking his back. "Adventure Ducky and his crew are very important, thank you."

The day wore on, and the roads grew quieter. We had to stop a few times, always keeping an eye out for any signs of danger. But so far, we'd been lucky—no zombies, no other people. Just the quiet, abandoned world around us.

As the sun began to set, we finally reached a clearing just a few miles from Incheon. The air felt different here, fresher, like we were getting closer to something new.

"We should set up camp here for the night," Chan suggested, parking his bike under a large tree. "We'll head into the city first thing in the morning."

Everyone agreed, and we quickly got to work setting up a makeshift camp. Felix and Chan started gathering firewood while Lee Know and Seungmin scouted the area.

Hyunjin and I sat side by side, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of pink and orange. I held Adventure Ducky in my lap, my fingers tracing the soft fabric.

"Almost there," Hyunjin said softly, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Almost there."

As we sat under the setting sun, I felt Hyunjin's hand brush against mine. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze before standing up and stretching. "I'm gonna help Felix and Chan with the firewood," he said, flashing me a soft smile. "Stay out of trouble, Shorty."

"Sure, Daffy," I teased back, watching him walk off toward the trees.

I hugged Adventure Ducky close, feeling the cool evening breeze blow through my hair. Just as I was lost in thought, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned to see Seungmin plopping down beside me with a casual smile.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Not at all," I smiled back. "What's up, Minmin?"

He looked out at the fading horizon, a soft expression on his face. "You seem like you're doing okay. I was just... checking in."

I blinked, surprised. "Really? You came all the way over here to check on me?"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah. It's not like you're always telling everyone how you're feeling, so I thought I'd come see for myself."

I felt a warm blush creep up my neck. "Thanks, Seungmin. I'm actually doing pretty well today. It's just... nice to have a calm moment, you know?"

He nodded, glancing at Adventure Ducky in my lap. "And it seems like Ducky's been keeping you company too," he teased.

I laughed, holding up the plushie. "Of course! Adventure Ducky is the most loyal companion."

Seungmin smirked, reaching over to give Ducky a playful poke. "Well, I'm glad he's looking after you. But, just so you know, I'm always here if you need a real human to talk to." His voice softened at the end, and I noticed a rare, genuine warmth in his words.

I looked at him for a moment, appreciating his quiet but steady presence. "Thanks, Minmin. That really means a lot."

He gave me a small smile, then nudged me with his shoulder. "Now, enough of the sappy stuff. Wanna help me make some dinner? I promise I won't burn the food this time."

I laughed. "Alright, but I'm watching you closely."

After a surprisingly successful dinner attempt (with minimal Seungmin-related disasters), we gathered around the campfire. The night was cool, but the fire kept us warm as we sat in a loose circle, laughing and sharing stories.

At some point, Jeongin plopped down beside me, his eyes twinkling in the firelight. He had that playful, mischievous look I'd come to know so well.

"What's that face for?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," he grinned, clearly up to something. "Just... remembering how you woke me up this morning by screaming like a banshee."

I gasped dramatically. "It was a very polite wake-up call, thank you very much!"

"Sure it was," he laughed, leaning back on his hands. "I thought the zombies had finally broken in or something."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Fine, next time I'll wake you up with Adventure Ducky gently patting your face."

Jeongin chuckled, his gaze softening. "You know, I wouldn't mind that. Adventure Ducky's pretty cool."

I hugged the plushie close to my chest, pretending to whisper to it. "Did you hear that, Ducky? Innie thinks you're cool!"

Jeongin laughed again, his expression fond as he watched me. "Yeah, but you're cooler."

I felt my cheeks warm at his words. There was something about the way Jeongin looked at me sometimes—like he genuinely cared, like I was someone special to him. I nudged him playfully. "You're not so bad yourself, Innie."

He grinned, bumping his shoulder against mine. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get all sappy on me now."

But even with his teasing, I could feel the warmth of his affection. Jeongin had always been a close friend, someone I could count on. We didn't need to say much to understand each other—it was just easy between us, natural.

As the fire crackled and the others joked around, Jeongin leaned closer and whispered, "We're gonna make it, you know. We're all gonna make it to Incheon, together."

I turned to him, meeting his steady gaze. "I know," I whispered back, feeling a surge of comfort in his words. "We've got this."