Apocalypse: Apparently, I Can See Zombies

Jin-woo lay on his back at the back of the cafeteria, the doors to the back rooms were to his right while the entrance to the cafeteria was to his left. He had his hands folded on his stomach while he stared up at the blurry ceiling above.

The cafeteria was dark with the only source of light being the moonlight that filtered through the rows of windows going across the top of the wall, which was across from Jin-woo. The moonlight shone on him as a result, however, he didn't mind.

Despite the little light in the cafeteria, the students who had taken up different sleeping areas hadn't settled down yet and were still muttering to each other.

Jin-woo was alone in this area, and with the muttering of the students filling the cafeteria as a cover, he asked Seong, who was resting his head on his stomach, a question.

"So, are you ready to talk? Why didn't you tell me Ye-jun was provoking you?"

Seong paused looking at the moon through the windows to respond.

"I didn't think it mattered whether he was provoking me or not, he's been like that since we've met."

Jin-woo picked up on the meaning behind the latter part of Seong's sentence, and his voice rose slightly as he asked.

"Wait, don't tell me you two were secretly friends before we met as well?"

Seong scoffed upon hearing that and then explained.

"Nothing of the sort, it's just that my father is distant cousins with his mother, and they keep in touch. We met for the first time when I was six during a family gathering my parents organized. He didn't like me as soon as we met."

"Why was that?"

Jin-woo asked curiously, and Seong answered.

"It's because he has an abysmal amount of inferiority complex. You know how I have a photographic memory?"

"Hm."

Jin-woo made a noise of agreement before Seong began retelling past events.

"Well, back then my mom would always show off to the other parents by giving me a random coordinate and then have me recite the country located there. But Ye-jun's inferiority complex kicked in after all the parents at the gathering started praising me and he smacked my juice cup to the ground when I was trying to make friends with him."

Even though Jin-woo thought that sounded rather childish, he also felt it indicated that Ye-jun was never a good person even when he was younger.

Seong then continued in a suppressed tone.

"Initially, I didn't care about his petty provocations. I had already memorized the textbooks that were thrown away, and I could just retake an exam if he stole the test papers. However, he went too far when he tried to get to me through you."

Jin-woo stayed silent for a moment then said softly.

"I always thought you fought Joon, but when I asked you never told me. What exactly happened at that time?"

After a pause, Seong decided to finally explain what had happened those years ago.

"When I was going to meet up with Joon at the back of the school, I happened to walk past that bastard in the hallway. I don't know why, maybe it was because of the way he glared at me, or maybe I was just sensitive due to the rumors going around about you, but a lot of things clicked when I saw him at that time.

Like how he was able to enter my locker despite how many times I changed my passwords, or how his father was the CEO of a medium-sized security company that has contracts with multiple businesses and schools, including ours."

Jin-woo's eyes widen slightly in realization, which Seong confirmed in his next words.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"In that split second, I realized that he was the one who sneaked into your locker and switched your medication. He must have done it by finding a flaw in the lockers' source code from his father's company, and then deleted the evidence of him doing it by hacking into the school's security system, which his father's company also installed."

There was anger in Seong's voice, but he suddenly paused and then said regretfully.

"I'm sorry Jin. It's because I ignored him that he eventually went after you."

Jin-woo suddenly smiled in response. He then lifted his hand and rubbed Seong's hair while saying.

"What's there to be sorry about? Didn't you protect me by beating up that bastard when you found out? He only decided to jump around now because you're gone."

Seong's eyes narrowed before he explained.

"Actually, that's not entirely the reason he stopped. Even when I threatened to ruin his life and destroy his father's company by revealing what he did, he just laughed. Only when I started choking him and threatening to kill him that he got scared."

Upon hearing this, Jin-woo's hand rubbing Seong's head paused. He then recalled that Seo-joon said Seong was going too far when he saw them fighting.

"Seong, were you actually going to kill him?"

Jin-woo turned to look at Seong as he asked this, and in response, Seong turned to look at him with a smile before saying.

"A hundred percent."

Jin-woo frowned. He lightly slapped Seong's forehead and said

"What were you thinking doing something like that? If you were sent to a juvenile center, what would your parents think?"

Still smiling, Seong casually responded.

"I was thinking clearly. After I killed him, I would have gathered evidence of him bullying me, as well as evidence that he tried to harm you by switching your medication. With my dad pulling some strings with the prosecution office in addition to this, the case would have likely been dismissed as self-defense or I'd only gotten a few months of probation."

Jin-woo stared at Seong speechlessly, not knowing how to respond.

"It's because that bastard knew this and that I would truly kill him that he backed off."

Jin-woo didn't respond for a long time and only patted Seong's forehead. In truth, he couldn't reprimand his best friend, because he too had shot at Ye-jun and almost committed murder.

"Hm, you're really cold."

Jin-woo suddenly said while rubbing Seong's forehead. Even though he had a few heat packets in his jacket, he still felt a frigid sensation seeping into his jacket from Seong's head.

"Remember my soul is in the same state as I was when I died, it was winter then. Wait, that's right, now it's your turn. Why am I affecting you so much?"

Seong suddenly looked at Jin-woo worriedly.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I'm getting more familiar with my abilities. That foreign feeling of having them is getting fainter."

Seong went into deep thought for a moment then said.

"If that's the case-- that it's because your abilities are fully manifesting-- then does that mean I'll become flesh and blood?"

After a pause, Jin-woo responded.

"Maybe you'll become like that only when interacting with me. After all, there's still no one who can see, touch, or hear you besides me."

Suddenly, after Jin-woo said that a voice echoed out from someone approaching.

"Freak, what are you mumbling about to yourself in the dark?"