HMT Chapter 2 (Part 3)

“Kieeek…!”

But Yejin’s luck had run out. The monsters that had been happily tearing into a fallen body began lifting their heads one by one.

Their bodies blocked the view, but the corpse beneath them was mangled beyond recognition.

If someone is chewed up that much, they probably won’t even turn into a zombie.

That was all Kim Yoon thought as he stared at the grotesque sight.

“Kiyaaaak…!”

Perched on the bus window frame and struggling against Sangjin, Yejin was finally noticed by the monsters. Hearing the simultaneous shrieks rising from behind her, she squeezed her eyes shut. This was the end.

Soon she would become just like her friends who had turned into monsters. She had waited for Kim Yoon to save her, but for some reason he had stopped moving.

She resented him, but in a situation like this, risking one’s life to save someone was already unrealistic.

“Kihiyaak…!”

“Kyaaak…!”

She felt murderous intent approaching from the front and from behind. She couldn’t tell whether Sangjin would bite her neck first, or one of the monsters creeping up behind her.

Mom…

Right before the MT trip, she’d been on the phone and had snapped impatiently at her mother. It was something normal between a mother and daughter. Her mom always worried about her only child. Don’t drink too much, don’t wear clothes that are too short, call me when you reach the pension…

The nagging, worse than before college, had annoyed her so much she hung up one-sidedly. If she had known it would be the last time she’d hear her mother’s voice, she would’ve said she understood, just for this once.

After bringing Jisoo back to the bus, she immediately tried calling her mother again, but all she heard was the endless ring tone.

“Kihiik!”

The growls grew closer. She felt hands grabbing her department jacket. Her body tilted back. When a heavy weight pressed onto her knees, she opened her eyes in fright, and came face to face with Sangjin, now inches away.

“Kyaaaak…!”

She screamed until her throat felt torn. A few monsters near Sangjin snapped their heads toward her. The junior who used to treat her so kindly had half her neck bitten off; her ear drooped onto her shoulder, nearly sliding down to her collarbone.

After screaming, her throat closed as if something blocked it, and only a muted gasp escaped. A chilling breath washed over her nape. She wished, desperately, that she would die in one blow, without feeling pain.

That moment, Kim Yoon dropped down onto the window frame.

With one hand braced against the bus roof, the first thing he did was kick Sangjin’s face clean off. He didn’t even have time to relish the satisfying impact before he stomped down hard on the face of another monster whose nose was practically buried in Yejin’s back.

Crack, bones snapped out of place, and the monster’s head bent so far back its skull touched its spine. It flailed its arms a few times before collapsing backward.

The monster dragging one foot behind it tripped over the fallen one, and the two of them went down together. Their flailing looked as pathetic as crushed insects.

Kim Yoon’s eyes flashed. He had finally taken down one monster. In this infuriating situation, it was his one small victory.

“Hic… Yoon…”

He grabbed the arm of the uselessly sobbing Yejin. The muscles hidden under his jacket were wound tight.

“Ow… that hurts…”

Yejin’s upper body toppled onto the bus roof. After letting go of her arm, he grabbed her calf and hoisted her up.

“Yejin!”

Dohoon rushed over to support her, bouncing anxiously on his feet until she was safe. Now that she was saved, Kim Yoon prepared to climb back up onto the roof.

“Krrr…!”

“Kyakk! Kak!”

“Kahiik…!”

Three monsters lunged straight at him. One was Sangjin, whose face he had kicked; one was a classmate who had been nearby; the last was a junior.

He braced his arm and tried to pull himself up, but Sangjin grabbed his ankle faster.

A dark red handprint smeared across his jeans. He’d kicked monsters countless times already, so flecks of blood here and there didn’t bother him, but this was the first time blood seeped through like this.

Clenching his jaw, Kim Yoon swung even harder and kicked Sangjin’s skull. One eye burst. The sensation was disgustingly vivid. A sticky liquid smeared across the toe of his shoe. For the first time fighting monsters, his stomach churned. He wanted to rip the shoes off and switch to a clean pair, but now wasn’t the time.

“Kyaaaak!”

Once he shook off Sangjin, the other two clung to him. One grabbed his leg and snapped his jaws toward it; the other, whose arms were twisted grotesquely, rammed him with its head. He barely moved his leg out of the way. Unfortunately, that caused his body to tip.

Ah, damn it… I’m screwed.

He really should’ve lived the way he was meant to. If he’d stayed still and let Yejin die, none of this would’ve happened.

The sensation of his body leaning backward was unbearable. Even if he didn’t die from the fall, it was only a matter of time. Without a weapon, even if he managed to kill them all, he’d eventually be bitten.

He was grinding his teeth at the thought of what was coming…

“Sunbaenim!”

It felt like ice had grabbed his hand. Kim Yoon blinked slowly, lowering his gaze to the pale hand clutching his own.

“Iiiik…!”

Jiwoo was pulling with all his strength, face flushed red. Their weight difference was huge, and Kim Yoon had already been falling backward, Jiwoo’s thin body was dragged forward helplessly. He would obviously fall with Kim Yoon, yet he refused to let go, straining with everything he had.

When Jiwoo’s foot hit the edge of the roof, Kim Min and Han Min panicked.

“Hey! Grab him!”

“Nam Jiwoo!”

Kim Min grabbed Jiwoo’s waist first. Han Min wrapped his arms around Kim Min’s waist to add strength.

“Agh, why the hell are they all sticking their noses in…”

Haena clicked her tongue and grabbed Han Min’s shoulder. With all three of them pulling, Kim Yoon’s body shifted back toward the roof.

Kim Yoon didn’t waste the chance and stomped down on the monster clutching his ankle, axe-like.

The problem was another monster, its arms twisted, had its teeth pressed right against his leg. His jeans were tough, but these monsters tore through living flesh without hesitation. Unless the denim was plated with steel, its teeth would reach his skin sooner or later.

“Get away!”

Whack…. Once again, the one who saved Kim Yoon was Jiwoo. Jiwoo had pulled the vitamin drink he’d been fiddling with, intending to give it to Kim Yoon, out of his pocket and thrown it at the monster. Its jaw was gaping so wide that the thin glass bottle lodged squarely inside its mouth.

“Gyagyagyak…”

Even as a monster, it seemed biting down on the bottle was difficult. Its teeth scratched against the glass, wobbling back and forth before several blood-soaked pieces shot out of its mouth and clattered onto the ground.

Thanks to Jiwoo’s help, Kim Yoon safely climbed back onto the bus roof. He slowly ran his hands over his pants, checking for any spots that hurt. He didn’t feel like he’d been bitten, but everything had happened so fast that it was entirely possible he simply hadn’t noticed.

Realizing he was fine, what bothered him more was the blood smeared on his hands. He wasn’t a full-blown germaphobe, but he hated having anything on his hands. His mood sank.

And it wasn’t just dirt, it was the blood of monsters. If there were even a small stream nearby, he felt like he could jump in no matter how cold it was.

“Sunbaenim, are you okay?”

Lost in thought while staring at his hands, he turned when Jiwoo approached. Jiwoo’s clear voice made him look up. Maybe from all the frantic movement, Jiwoo’s round glasses hung precariously off the bridge of his nose.

Behind the thick lenses, his normally hidden large eyes flickered into view. Their gazes met, and Jiwoo’s eyes trembled violently. Pushing his glasses up with the back of his hand, Jiwoo reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

“H-Here… wipe your hands with this…”

Kim Yoon stared at the handkerchief held out to him. The wired earphones earlier, too, Jiwoo carried things most kids his age didn’t. It was amusing, in a way, and oddly charming.

The pure white handkerchief had no pattern besides a navy-embroidered letter J on the corner. Something he actually needed. With no way to wash his hands, at least he could wipe off the blood.

After taking a few breaths, the violent thoughts clouding his head faded beneath the surface. He regained enough composure to smile as usual. And to at least thank Jiwoo, who couldn’t even look at him directly and instead only peeked timidly through his glasses.

“Yoon, I’ll wipe them for you. Give me your hands.”

If only the idiot hadn’t shoved Jiwoo aside and plopped down in front of him before he could speak. Jisoo, saved as a by-product of rescuing Yejin, had always made it painfully obvious she liked him.

The sharp perfume she wore was so strong his nose throbbed. Even the stench of blood couldn’t mask it, impressive in the worst way.

His briefly lifted mood nosedived. He couldn’t manage his expression at all. Apparently unaware of how cold he looked, Jisoo tried to wipe his hands with the handkerchief she’d snatched from Jiwoo.

“I’ll do it myself.”

The words came out harsher than intended. Seeing Jiwoo sprawled on the floor from being shoved and looking embarrassed made his irritation flare even more. He slapped Jisoo’s hand away hard enough to make a loud snap. She blinked in shock.

Taking back the handkerchief, he wiped his hands clean. The once-white cloth immediately stained dark red.

With clean hands again, he grabbed Jiwoo’s arm. Applying a bit of force, he pulled the thin boy toward him. Jiwoo’s glasses had slid all the way down his nose from the earlier shove. His startled eyes darted wildly between Kim Yoon and Jisoo.

If only he minded his own business like usual. But no, he had to care about everyone. Even now, shaken as he was, he still seemed more concerned about the upset Jisoo than himself.

“Hey, your handkerchief got dirty. What should we do? Should I wash it and return it, or buy you a new one later?”

He lightly shook Jiwoo’s arm as he spoke. Jiwoo’s round eyes finally lifted to him. His long black lashes trembled without direction.

“Uh… well, um…”

Did I speak in a foreign language? Watching Jiwoo stutter like he couldn’t comprehend the question, Kim Yoon chuckled faintly.

“Well, with everything going on, I guess buying a new one won’t be easy. Then I’ll just keep it and wash it clean for you. That’s better, right?”

“N-No, it’s fine. You can keep it, Sunbaenim. If… if that’s what you want.”

Jiwoo finally seemed to understand and waved his hands in refusal. If he’d gone so far as to embroider his initial on it, it must’ve been something he cherished. Yet he still acted like it was nothing.

The way he behaved, like it would be an honor for Kim Yoon to keep something of his, sparked a cruel curiosity. If Jiwoo saw his true nature, would he still act like this?

What if, right now, he wrapped his hands around Jisoo’s trembling throat and squeezed while holding eye contact?

If Jiwoo saw him kill someone, would those dazed, admiring eyes remain the same?

He’d already shown plenty of violence, yet Jiwoo still looked at him like he was the most incredible person in the world. He must have been deeply blinded.

“Alright then.”

Smiling faintly, Kim Yoon folded the soiled handkerchief and shoved it into his pocket. Then he met Jisoo’s glare.

“Jisoo, sorry. I must’ve hurt your hand, right? I only refused because I didn’t want your hands getting dirty from cleaning mine.”

“…That’s why?”

“Yeah. Let me see. Does it hurt a lot?”

“…No, it’s fine.”

The moment he apologized, Jisoo’s mood lifted. Seeing Jiwoo step toward Kim Yoon again made her irritation spike. The gloomy kid who normally couldn’t even speak to Kim Yoon had taken advantage of the chaos to act bold.

It already bothered her that Jiwoo had saved him from falling. Seeing him blush as he offered his handkerchief had been unbearable. When Kim Yoon slapped her hand earlier, she’d been startled, but looking now, it was clear it had been nothing but a small kindness toward the boy who’d saved him. Proof was in the fact he kept that shabby handkerchief instead of tossing it.

“Hey, come here. Don’t stand over there.”

“Yeah. Stay with us.”

As soon as Kim Yoon and Jisoo started talking, Jiwoo stood there like a misplaced sack of grain. Kim Min tapped his arm, and Han Min motioned him over. Jiwoo wanted to stay close to Kim Yoon, but that was just greed.

He belonged watching from a distance.

Jiwoo bowed politely to Kim Yoon and Jisoo, then walked toward Kim Min and Han Min. Having survived together, they seemed to feel a sudden closeness toward him.

“You really don’t pick up on things, do you? Anyone can see those two aren’t just friends. Times like this, you should back off.”

“Right. People keep saying Kim Yoon sunbae and Jisoo sunbae are dating but keep it quiet.”

Kim Min and Han Min whispered to him. Jiwoo simply nodded instead of arguing.

“…Yeah. I guess I really was oblivious.”

There had been emotion in the hand that pushed him away. If the rumors were true, that they were dating, then his actions could’ve seemed offensive. He had only offered a handkerchief, but if it were anyone other than Kim Yoon, he wouldn’t have offered it so easily.

Knowing he had personal feelings involved made him understand her reaction. Even he was filthy, covered in dust from crawling and falling.

“Why are you scolding him? The sly one is that sunbae. Doesn’t she feel any shame? If she wants to wipe his hands, she should use her own handkerchief. And what’s with showing up the moment Jiwoo offers his?”

The unexpected defender was Haena. Jiwoo stared at her in surprise as she scowled.

“Why do you live your life without saying what needs to be said? What did you do wrong? If they say something, tell them it’s nonsense. Why are you agreeing that you’re clueless?”

She started quiet but grew louder with every word. And of course, Jisoo, who somehow always heard insults directed at her, stormed forward, face burning red.

“Kim Haena, are you trying to pick a fight?”

“Oh, did my voice reach you? Congratulations on your excellent hearing.”

“Haena, stop…”

They looked ready to grab each other’s hair. Kim Min quickly grabbed Haena’s arm.

“Sunbae, I’m sorry. Haena didn’t mean to insult you. We were just talking among ourselves…”

Han Min stepped in too, offering a gentle smile as he tried to block them.

“Move. I’m talking to her. Haena, go on. Sly? Did you just say everything that came to mind?”

Jisoo shoved Han Min aside roughly. He stumbled back, face flushing with humiliation as Kim Min caught him.

“I wasn’t done. You didn’t know? You’re famous for acting cute around guys. You ignore girl juniors and classmates but flock to handsome guys and cling to them.”

Today truly was a bizarre day. Normal life collapsed in moments. Laughing with friends earlier, now they were monsters. Hours ago she’d spoken with some of them, and now they were biting necks with ecstatic shrieks.

Outside the bus, their monster friends swarmed. And only a handful of students remained alive. Pushed to their limits, everything boiled over. When Jisoo picked a fight, Haena couldn’t hold back. She forgot entirely that she had started insulting Jisoo first.

“You, damn…”

Jisoo had been about to spit out a curse, but she bit down hard on her lip instead. It was because she felt a gaze drilling into her back. Kim Yoon was watching.

But swallowing the insult only made her chest burn with humiliation and anger. She clenched her fists, shaking with fury, and that was when things spiraled into true chaos.

“…Ah.”

Kyungtae, who had barely escaped from the bus and was panting harshly, suddenly shoved himself between them. His bloodstained hand smacked the back of Haena’s head. With such merciless force, her head snapped downward toward the ground.

No one could understand what had just happened. The violence was as sudden and senseless as the entire situation itself.

“Haena!”

Kim Min cried out in alarm. Han Min rushed in too, shielding Haena from Kyungtae.

“Sunbae, what are you doing?!”

Kim Min’s anger finally burst. He’d hated Kyungtae from the start, and Kyungtae was also the one who slammed the bus door shut in their faces despite seeing them running toward him.

To Kim Min, a man hitting a woman was unimaginable. Even if Haena had snapped at Jisoo, one year apart in age wasn’t enough to justify seniority anymore. Some of their classmates who had repeated a year spoke casually even with second-year students. The age difference only felt big in the artificial boundaries of college life.

“Ha… look at you brats. Must think your sunbae looks pathetic, huh?”

But Kyungtae was far more drunk on hierarchy than Kim Min imagined. And the girl Haena had argued with was the same Jisoo he had always liked. In his eyes, Haena and the two Mins had crossed an unforgivable line. When Kim Min glared at him, he raised a hand toward the boy’s face.

With a sharp crack, Kim Min’s head jerked violently to the left. Every survivor on the bus roof turned toward them. Kim Min cupped his reddening cheek, he had never even been hit by his own parents. His eyes hardened. When he glared at Kyungtae, the man snorted arrogantly.

“Feeling wronged? Quit acting all tough, you little shit.”

Kyungtae poked the spot he had just slapped with his index finger. Every time he jabbed, Kim Min’s face jerked aside.

Kim Min trembled, fists clenched. He had never fought anyone in his life, but enduring humiliation like this made him feel like a coward. His tightly wound fist swung toward Kyungtae’s face. Another dull thud echoed.

“You little…!”

Being hit in front of Jisoo made Kyungtae’s eyes roll back with rage. He lunged at Kim Min. But this time, Kim Min fought back. The two grabbed each other’s collars and threw wild punches.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Kyak! Kak!”

The uproar on the bus roof made the monsters surrounding the bus scream in response. Ayoung covered her ears and shut her eyes.

“P-Please, stop already…”

It had barely been minutes since they had escaped the bus filled with friends and seniors turning into monsters. She couldn’t understand how, when they should be working together to survive, people were choosing to fight.

‘What do we do…’

Jiwoo stamped his feet anxiously. He knew he needed to stop them, but the moment he hesitated, the chaos spread. The fight between Kyungtae and Kim Min grew until Han Min, Haena, and even Jisoo got dragged in, turning it into a full brawl.

“Let go of my friend!”

“Agh! Fuck! I’ll kill you all!”

“Kill who, you pathetic bastard?!”

“Did you say that to me? Seriously?!”

Maybe it was because they thought the monsters couldn’t climb up onto the roof.

The kids forgot their fear entirely as they punched, clawed, and grabbed each other’s hair. The bus rocked dangerously from side to side. The monsters, agitated by the noise, slammed themselves against the bus, reaching upward with frantic hands.

“Hey! Don’t push! Stop pushing!”

In the chaos, Kyungtae’s body was shoved straight toward the edge of the bus. A monster leaning out of the broken window below reached a hand up toward his head.

Feeling death creeping up his neck, Kyungtae shoved his palm into Kim Min’s face. Kim Min hesitated. Honestly, out of everyone, he wouldn’t mind if Kyungtae died.

Even if he lived, Kyungtae would only cause trouble, bullying freshmen, starting fights, making everything worse. But the moment he thought such a thing, Kim Min froze in horror.

Had his heart become monstrous too?

His grip on Kyungtae’s collar weakened. And in that instant, Kyungtae twisted their positions.

“W-Wait…”

Now on his back just like Kyungtae had been, Kim Min gasped.

“Kyaaaak…!”

Hands reached up from below, brushing through his hair. A cold shiver raced down his spine. Unlike Kim Min, Kyungtae didn’t hesitate, he shoved Kim Min downward mercilessly.

“You bastard! Han Min, pull him!”

Haena released Jisoo’s hair and grabbed Kyungtae’s arm, yanking backward. Han Min grabbed the other arm. Jisoo, wincing at her aching scalp, ran her fingers through her hair, several strands ripped out from the roots scattered into the air.

“Die, you little shit…”

Kyungtae, completely unhinged, kept pushing Kim Min toward the monster’s open jaws despite Haena and Han Min hanging onto him.

“Sunbae! Please stop…!”

Jiwoo hurried to help them. Both arms were already held by Haena and Han Min, so Jiwoo grabbed Kyungtae around the waist…

“Everyone move.”

Kim Yoon stepped forward at last. His low voice made Jiwoo instantly step aside. Han Min let go next, and Haena snapped out of her rage, patting Kim Yoon’s shoulder before releasing him.

“What the hell now?!”

Despite Haena and Han Min pulling, Kyungtae had refused to budge, but the moment Kim Yoon grabbed him, his body lifted effortlessly. Kyungtae’s eyes darted wildly, he’d been so close to pushing Kim Min to his death that he screamed in frustration.

“Kyungtae, it’s me. I think you’re just too worked up right now.”

Kim Yoon soothed him with a calm smile, raising his empty hands exaggeratedly to show he meant no harm.

“You again? Fuck, do you have it out for me or what?! Why the hell do you butt into everything I do?!”

Realizing it was Kim Yoon who stopped him, Kyungtae shouted louder. His neck veins bulged from the strain. The horde of zombies surrounding the bus screamed even louder in response.

Yet Kim Yoon’s small smile didn’t budge. Night had long fallen, but their eyes had adjusted enough to see each other decently. With a worried look, Kim Yoon raised his voice.

“But Kyungtae… why are your eyes so red? Do they hurt?”

“What…? What bullshit is that?!”

Kyungtae snapped, but Kim Yoon’s refusal to engage only spiked his pent-up inferiority. He grabbed Kim Yoon by the collar, forcing him to tilt his head back because of their height difference.

Kim Yoon stared down at him with a grave expression. Just receiving that gaze made Kyungtae grind his teeth hard enough to crack.

“Your eyes are red…? Kim Kyungtae, seriously? They’re really red?”

Someone else reacted to that. Jisoo, who had been glaring at Haena while fixing her hair, froze.

“Jisoo? What’s wrong?”

Yejin approached and grabbed her arm as Jisoo stumbled back in fear.

“Yujin was like that too… Before she started biting people, her eyes went red first…”

“Is that true?”

“Why would I lie right now?”

Seeing Yejin’s doubtful expression, Jisoo shook her off irritably.

“Yoon, Kyungtae’s in danger. Get away from him. I remember it clearly because I was sitting near Yujin. She kept rubbing her eyes and someone even lent her eye drops. Not long after, she suddenly turned and bit the kid next to her, right in the neck…”

Jisoo covered her mouth, gagging at the memory. Even though she hadn’t eaten anything, her stomach heaved. The moment Yujin buried her face into that delicate neck, blood had burst out like a balloon filled with red water.

That was when the nightmare began.

“Hey, Lee Jisoo. Are you insane? Are you saying I’m the same as those monster bastards? Are you out of your mind?”

As the atmosphere shifted, Kyungtae finally loosened the hand gripping Kim Yoon’s collar. Blood smeared across the stretched neckline caught Kim Yoon’s eye, his gaze turned cold. He swallowed the sigh rising up and pulled the handkerchief from his pocket.

Wiping it didn’t remove the stain already embedded in the fabric, but it was better than letting it sit.

“You saw it too. You saw what Lee Yujin did! Can you guarantee you won’t suddenly turn into a monster like her?”

Jisoo raised her voice even more when Kyungtae shouted at her. In truth, it was too dark to clearly see how red Kyungtae’s eyes really were. But Kim Yoon had seen him up close.

“And you think just because your face is a little pretty, you can say whatever you want…”

“You sick freak. I never liked you. You always stared at my chest and legs like some pervert.”

“What?”

The nature of the fight shifted entirely. Kim Yoon glanced once at the two loudly advertising themselves to the monsters and coolly turned his back.

“Dohoon.”

“H-huh?”

Dohoon knew someone should break up the fight, but he’d been too scared of getting dragged in himself. And when Kim Yoon suddenly called him, he jolted in fright.

“That part about Yujin’s eyes turning red before she changed… it’s bothering me. Do you have anything like rope?”

“Rope? Why…?”

Kim Yoon didn’t answer with words. He only jerked his chin toward Kyungtae. Kyungtae was shouting wildly, watching not just Jisoo but the freshman group he had fought earlier shrink away from him.

“It might be good to calm him down. There’s no guarantee those monsters are only down there.”

“…You’re right.”

Dohoon had hesitated at the idea of tying someone up. But after hearing Kim Yoon’s next words, his face went pale. The emergency alerts earlier had already made it clear that this nightmare wasn’t limited to the bus.

From the videos spreading online, disaster had begun everywhere. The police and 119 weren’t answering any calls. They were stranded on the bus roof in the cold.

No one knew how long they could last up here. With the fear of someone turning at any moment, letting Kyungtae wander freely felt unbearable.

And they couldn’t just throw an unturned person off the bus either. For now, the best option was what Kim Yoon suggested, restraining him.

“W-wait a minute!”

Dohoon hurried toward the others, asking quietly if anyone had something to use as a rope. Of course, no one carried rope. But someone did have something that could work.

“…I have something.”

Jiwoo pulled a roll of box tape out of his bag. Dohoon gave him a puzzled look, as if asking why that would be in a student’s bag. Jiwoo’s cheeks warmed as he mumbled an explanation.

“This… it’s good for taking lint off my clothes.”

Jiwoo’s wardrobe was full of neutral colors. Even now he wore a black hoodie. The pajamas he brought were also black. Black clothes were comfortable and easy to match, but every bit of lint showed clearly.

Lint rollers existed, but Jiwoo preferred box tape. He had tossed it into his bag without thinking, and now it was unexpectedly useful. Dohoon returned to Kim Yoon with the tape.

“Yoon, this could work instead of rope.”

“Yeah. Pretty useful, actually.”

Rolling the tape between his fingers, Kim Yoon faintly smiled. He suddenly pictured Jiwoo throwing a vitamin drink at a zombie. For someone he usually found frustrating, Jiwoo had proven surprisingly helpful.

“What’s that in your hand?”

Kim Yoon gripped the tape and walked toward Kyungtae. Dohoon followed nervously at his side. Everyone remembered what would happen once Dohoon had asked for something to tie someone with, so the only one confused by the situation was Kyungtae himself.

“Fuck, why are you coming over here?!”

Sensing danger, Kyungtae stumbled backward.

“Kihyaaak!”

But they were on top of the bus. He quickly ended up backed to the rear edge. When he turned his head, monsters were reaching for him, shrieking below. Their red eyes were unnervingly clear even in the dark.

“Kyungtae, I’m sorry, but we need to tie your hands, feet, and mouth until we confirm you’re not turning. You were sitting in the front bus with Jisoo, right? They said Yujin’s eyes were bloodshot before she changed. Your eyes look exactly like that.”

In truth, Kyungtae’s whites were more bloodshot than usual, but everyone else’s eyes were also a bit red. It was cold, dry, and they had been screaming for their lives. But once the label of “dangerous” stuck to Kyungtae, no one examined themselves, they only feared him.

“Are you all insane?! Do I look like those monster bastards? Look closely! I’m perfectly fine!”

There was no way he would quietly allow himself to be tied up. Kyungtae pointed at the monsters, desperate. But the others only stared with cold expressions.

If it had been anyone else, perhaps someone might have stepped in to defend them. But this was the result of his own actions. Realizing he had no allies here, Kyungtae clenched his fist and swung at Kim Yoon and Dohoon.

“Agh! Get away! Get away from me!”

They weren’t trying to kill him, only restrain him with tape, yet Kyungtae panicked. Dohoon stumbled backward. Then something cold landed on his face, making him jerk his head up.

“…Snow.”

Against the pitch-black sky, thick snowflakes drifted down. If they had reached the pension on schedule, everyone would have run around happily like puppies, enjoying the snowfall.

By now they would have finished dinner and be tipsy on alcohol from the student council’s games.

But now, the falling snow only worsened an already desperate situation. Snow melted instantly upon touching their heads and clothes. The flakes that didn’t land on people hit the bus roof, spreading cold water across the metal.

“Fuck! Kim Yoon! Don’t come any closer! One more step and I’ll kill you!”

Snow clumped on his eyelashes, obscuring his sight. Kyungtae blinked rapidly, thrusting a fist forward. Kim Yoon dodged easily and ignored his threat, stepping forward again.

“Uaaagh!”

Kyungtae couldn’t keep his footing on the bus’s wet, slick surface and lost his balance. His body toppled forward and slid, his lower half slipping off the bus in an instant.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Krrrk! Kak! Kak!”

The moment fresh prey appeared before them, the monsters latched onto Kyungtae’s legs. Clawing at the bus surface until his nails nearly tore, Kyungtae lifted his head. His eyes flushed red. Never once had he imagined he’d die such a pathetic death.

“S-save me…”

He was so terrified that he begged for his life from Kim Yoon, the very person he had always treated with resentment and spite. Kim Yoon knelt on one knee and grabbed both of his arms as if granting the man’s wish.

Relief lasted only a second. Kyungtae screamed as a horrid pain tore through his thighs and calves.

“Aaaagh! Agh! F-fuck…!”

Before he could be pulled back onto the roof, the monsters tore into his flesh. Blood soaked through his pants in an instant.

Kyungtae thrashed desperately, trying to escape, but the monsters that had tasted fresh blood only bit down harder. Even as he watched a classmate die in real time, Kim Yoon’s eyes remained emotionless.

Had anyone else been able to see his face, he would have forced some expression of regret. But the only one who could see him now was Kyungtae. Realizing this, Kim Yoon’s long eyes slowly curved.

“Kh… you… fuck… Kim Yoon… kgh…”

Anyone could tell he was smiling, smiling like he found this fun. Seeing Kim Yoon grin widely as he died, Kyungtae grabbed his arm with all the strength he had left. Tears slid down his face along with his labored breath. He wanted to live. But his grip was weakening. He wanted to drag Kim Yoon down with him, even in death, but the smiling face before him blurred away.

“Yoon, it’s already too late…”

Dohoon spoke softly, sensing that Kim Yoon couldn’t bring himself to let go of Kyungtae. Everyone who had been bitten ended up turning into a monster.

“Krrk… khk… krkk…”

Kyungtae let out a twisted sound as his head jerked sideways. His neck cracked loudly as it twisted. Only after seeing black veins sprout across his face did Kim Yoon finally loosen his grip.

The change after being bitten happened alarmingly fast. A thought crossed Kim Yoon’s mind. If Yujin was the first-generation infected, those bitten by her were second-generation. The ones bitten by them would become third-generation.

The further down the chain, the faster the transformation seemed to be. It was only a guess, but still.

“Kyaaaaagh…!”

Even as he fell, Kyungtae reached toward Kim Yoon. Kim Yoon looked down at him and silently mouthed:

‘Goodbye. And thanks for dying like this.’

Whether Kyungtae understood him in his monstrous state didn’t matter. What mattered was that Kim Yoon felt a small knot of irritation in his chest loosen, just a bit.

His heart thumped pleasantly. He hadn’t killed the guy himself, but getting rid of someone who annoyed him was something he hadn’t enjoyed in a long time. Lately, he’d only been suppressing his urges.

The dam finally cracked, and the things that had been festering inside him seeped out. If he stayed still, he felt like laughter would spill from his lips, so he clenched his teeth hard enough for his jaw to bulge.

Voices murmured behind him. He felt like someone dragged him back from a comfortable dream. Kim Yoon sank down onto the bus roof and lowered his head. He wasn’t ready yet to pretend to be devastated in front of everyone else. Just a little longer, he wanted to savor the satisfaction of watching Kyungtae die.

“Hey, is Kim Kyungtae really dead?”

“…Serves him right.”

When Kim Yoon stayed quiet after Kyungtae’s death, unease spread through the group. Feeling their glances, Jisoo lifted her chin stiffly.

Kim Min rubbed the cheek Kyungtae had slapped and let out a heavy sigh. One of the few who had made it safely onto the bus roof had now turned into a monster. Even if he had been disliked by everyone, the death of someone familiar was still a shock to kids their age.

‘What do I do… He looks so heartbroken…’

Jiwoo worried only about Kim Yoon from beginning to end. He wanted to approach him but didn’t dare, so he only clasped his frozen hands together tightly.

Even after a long time, Kim Yoon still didn’t move. The others sensed something was off. The first to approach him was Dohoon. He rested a hand on Kim Yoon’s shoulder. Feeling him flinch, Dohoon’s expression darkened.

“…You know it wasn’t your fault. It was an accident. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

If he had gone toward Kyungtae instead of Kim Yoon, then he would be the one broken and shaken right now. He felt guilty for letting Kim Yoon take on something that should’ve been his burden.

Even with the monsters howling below, Dohoon’s gaze stayed fixed on Kim Yoon’s bowed head. Because of that, he didn’t realize that the trembling of Kim Yoon’s shoulders wasn’t from sadness, it was from suppressed laughter.

“Kim Yoon, you’re not… crying, are you?”

Dohoon mistook the trembling for tears and grew worried. At his words, Kim Yoon forced himself to stop laughing. A few teardrops clung to the corners of his eyes, thankfully. His reddened eyes from the strain would help the lie, too. He could easily claim he held back tears.

Just as he steadied his expression and began to lift his head…

Wiiiiiing… Wiiiing…

A foreign siren cut through the space where only monster cries and tense breathing had existed.

It was loud enough to swallow every other sound. Everyone jerked upright in shock. It was a sound they’d heard sometimes living in the city. A sound they had desperately hoped to hear when they dialed 112.