Outbreak || LOONA

18

Yeojin placed the last rock above Hyunjin's grave. They picked normal-sized rocks to make Hyunjin's name.

'김현진'

"Rest well, unnie," she whispered before getting up.

Haseul wiped her own tears and looked away. She tried to hold her tears in, but she just couldn't.

"Hyunjin," she mumbled, her voice trembling.

"You're so unfair," Sooyoung cried out, allowing the tears to flow freely.

"What are we going to tell Heejin now?" She bit her lower lip.

She began to cry even more as she looked over at the twins.

"Please try to calm Yerim a bit," she said. It's dangerous. The girl is already hyperventilating.

Yeojin and Jinsol immediately went to the girl.

"Yerim," Jinsol mumbled, the girl's name, while rubbing her back gently.

"Why? Why did she have to leave us, unnie? " Yerim cries helplessly on Jinsol's chest.

Hyeju watches them. Yerim is struggling to breathe while the others are trying to look tough and some are also crying.

She was so confident in Hyunjin's surviving skills that she didn't think that this moment would come to her. She should've seen it sooner, and she should've teamed up with her sister. She should've gone back for her when they encountered the freaking snake. Maybe Hyunjin would still be alive if she'd just done something.

Hyeju is full of disappointment towards herself and, at the same time, she is full of sorrow. She could've done something better for Hyunjin.

She should've been nicer to her, should've been more affectionate towards her, she should've hugged her when she was still able to hug her back.

"I really miss mom and dad," Hyunjin said, biting on the bread that Hyeju bought for her. They're cutting classes again, and for sure, if Haseul finds out about it, they're dead to her.

"You know what, we should go and study well and get a job after we finish college so mom and dad can come back here already," she added.

"Say that to your failing grades in mathematics," Hyeju chuckled.

"As if you're not failing too" Hyunjin said, and the two laughed in chorus.

Minutes passed and they were still not leaving the rooftop.

"In our next life, what do you want to be?" Hyeju asked, remembering the lesson they had that morning. Their teacher asked them that question, and Hyeju still doesn't have an answer to that.

"I want to be your and Yerim's sister again. I want to be mom and dad's daughter again. I want to be our friends' friend again. I want to be Kim Hyunjin again, Hye. " Hyunjin answered. She put a lot of thought into that question, and she came to the conclusion that she wanted to be her again in her next life. Her life isn't perfect, but the people she has by her side are making her lifetime special.

Hyeju didn't realize how much she means to Hyunjin until that moment when they were talking at the rooftop.

"I can't imagine a life without the two of you." Hyunjin smiled and looked at Hyeju.

"You better start being nice to me before this lifetimes end because we don't know if we will be together in our next lifetime." 

""I know it's cringe, but I'm happy to have you, Kim Hyeju. Let's meet again in another lifetime. "

That day was also the day when the pandemic started.

Hyeju now has an answer to that question, and that is that she wants to be Kim Hyeju again just like Hyunjin wants to be Kim Hyunjin again.

She wiped down her tears and walked towards Yerim. She takes her twin from their friends and hugs her tightly.

"Don't leave me too, Yerim. Please, don't " Hyeju begged, saying she couldn't afford to lose another one of them. She just can't.

"You see what you did?" Jungeun chuckles, caressing Hyunjin's name while her tears fall down freely.

"I thought we were all going to survive, Hyunjin." She whispered.

Jungeun broke down, "You said we will."

Heejin, Jiwoo, and now, Hyunjin...

Jungeun is going to lose it.

Is there really hope for them?

Two of them turned to a zombie and one died already.

Are they going to make it?

It feels like they're a table that's lost one foot and now can't stand up properly.

They went there to find a cure, but ended up losing a friend and a sister.

"Are we going to make it?"

They turned their heads to Jungeun.

"Of course we will-" Jinsol was interrupted when Jungeun spoke again.

"Come on, Sol, face the reality. We're hopeless. Even Hyunjin said that we're all going to survive. Now look at her." Jungeun wiped away her tears.

There was a silence.

"See?" 

"Jungeun, we need to have trust" Kahei said

"If you think that way, do you that'll help us? I know you're hurt, we all are, we lost Hyunjin while Heejin and Jiwoo are not with us, but please don't lose hope for us" she adds

"Let's rest for now, shall we?" Yeojin forced a smile.

"I know we're all tired. We need a rest" the youngest added.

"She's right" Chaewon said, "Let's have some sleep, guys" she sniffs and dry her tears using her shirt.

"Let's take turns, two will stay up to guard us while the others sleep and after two hours two will get up to switch with the first two"

They all agreed though some of them can't sleep knowing the fact that their friend just died while the others fell asleep due to tiredness, both physically and emotionally.

Hyeju and Sooyoung are the ones to guard them. Hyeju lay down beside Yerim and pull the sleeping latter close to her. Hyeju felt Sooyoung's stare so she said, "Don't worry, I won't fell asleep"

Sooyoung replied to her, "I don't mind if you fell asleep, you're tired, I know you need to rest"

Hyeju didn't respond, and just hugged Yerim. They're lying just beside Hyunjin's grave, and Hyeju knows that Yerim chose to lie there on purpose. She knew that Yerim wanted to be close to Hyunjin and she did too.