BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF HUMANITY: THE ZOMBIE WITHIN

As soon as Su-yeong and the boy jumped into the bus, the atmosphere inside was tense, charged with the urgency of their escape. The door had barely slammed shut behind them when the boy shouted, "Dong-hyun! Drive, drive!" His voice was edged with desperation, and there was no time to lose. The zombies were already swarming around the bus, their decayed hands slapping against the metal sides, their moans reverberating through the air like a chilling chorus.

Dong-hyun, the boy at the driver’s seat, didn’t hesitate. He turned the key with a practiced motion, the old engine groaning before it finally roared to life. His foot slammed down on the gas pedal, and the bus lurched forward, tires screeching as they fought for traction on the blood-slick pavement. The force of the acceleration knocked Su-yeong back into her seat, her body still trembling with fear and adrenaline.

With a sickening crunch, the bus plowed through the horde of zombies, the heavy vehicle sending bodies flying as it barreled forward. The sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing was almost unbearable, but Su-yeong forced herself to keep her eyes open, to focus on the fact that they were getting away. The bus swerved slightly as it cleared the last of the undead, the road ahead blessedly clear of obstacles for the moment.

Finally, as the bus picked up speed and left the carnage behind, Su-yeong allowed herself to slump in her seat. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving as she tried to calm her racing heart. She had survived. The realization washed over her in waves, almost too overwhelming to process. All those days of isolation, of hiding and barely holding onto hope, had led to this moment. She wasn’t alone anymore. She had made it.

The boy who had saved her, the one with the bow and arrows, stood in the aisle in front of her, his expression softer now that the immediate danger had passed. He offered her a small, reassuring smile. "I’m Hamin," he introduced himself, his voice steady, though still tinged with the adrenaline of the chase.

Su-yeong nodded, finding her voice after a moment. "I’m Su-yeong," she replied, her voice shaky but filled with relief. Her eyes met his, and she could see the same exhaustion and determination reflected back at her. They had both been through so much, and somehow, they had found each other in this nightmare.

Hamin nodded in acknowledgment before stepping aside to give her some space, but the introductions weren’t over yet. From the back of the bus, a female student who had been sitting quietly now spoke up. She was wiping a shovel with a stained handkerchief, the pinkish hue suggesting it had seen more than its share of battle. The girl had a fierce, confident look about her, her eyes sharp and assessing as they took in Su-yeong.

"Awesome. A girl," she remarked with a half-smile, her voice laced with approval. "I’m Nam Ah-rim." She offered Su-yeong a brief nod, the kind of nod that one warrior might give to another after surviving a battle.

Su-yeong managed a small smile in return, grateful to be among people who didn’t treat her like a burden but as someone who had fought her way to survival just like they had.

"And I’m Kang Dong-hyun," the driver said, his voice coming from the front of the bus. He glanced at Su-yeong through the rearview mirror, offering her a quick, reassuring smile before focusing back on the road ahead. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white with tension, but there was a calm confidence about him. He had been through this before—he knew how to navigate the chaos.

"Hello. I’m Lim Tae-oh," another voice chimed in. Su-yeong turned to see a boy sitting on the seat opposite hers. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were alert, constantly scanning the windows as if ready for anything. He gave her a quick nod, his expression friendly but serious.

"And I’m Jung Da-hye," said the girl sitting behind Su-yeong. Her voice was warm, almost maternal, as she reached forward to pat Su-yeong on the back. "Good job sticking it out on your own, girl. You seem super strong."

The simple words of encouragement brought tears to Su-yeong’s eyes, but this time they weren’t born of fear or despair. They were tears of gratitude, of relief, and of something she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever—hope. She smiled at Da-hye, feeling the weight of loneliness lift ever so slightly from her shoulders. These people, strangers just moments ago, were now her lifeline. They were all survivors, bound together by the shared horror of the world they now lived in.

As the bus roared down the desolate road, leaving the school—and the terror it held—behind, Su-yeong let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, they could survive this together. The nightmarish world outside was still out there, filled with unimaginable dangers, but for the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel so alone. And that, she realized, was more powerful than anything else she could have hoped for.

The present
April 2023
The convenience store

Back in the present, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Su-yeong’s voice, usually steady, now trembled as she spoke, eyes downcast, unable to meet the gazes of those around her.

“I thought we could survive on our own,” she began, her voice barely more than a whisper, but in the silence of the room, every word carried weight. “But I was wrong. Me and Hamin got separated from the rest of the group while trying to fight off a huge horde of zombies. It felt hopeless—no matter what we did, they just kept coming, and there was no escape. I didn’t know what to do. I felt weak, powerless, like everything we had fought for was crumbling around us.”

She paused, her breath hitching as she struggled to find the right words. The memory of that day was still vivid, a nightmare she couldn’t escape from. “Then a stupid idea came into my head,” she continued, her voice cracking slightly. “I thought that maybe if I could become as strong as the zombies, nothing would be able to stop me from saving Hamin, at least.”

Eunhye and Yuri exchanged bewildered glances, trying to process what they were hearing. Su-yeong’s words were like pieces of a puzzle they hadn’t even known existed, and with each sentence, the picture was becoming clearer—and far more terrifying.

“This was originally Hamin’s idea,” Su-yeong admitted, her voice laced with guilt. “Turning into a zombie, I mean. He suggested it the first time we found ourselves in a desperate situation. He thought that if he became one of them, he could protect us from the inside, so to speak. But I refused. It sounded insane—why would anyone willingly become a monster?”

She clenched her fists, the memory of that decision still fresh in her mind. “But the second time, when we were surrounded and there was no way out, I—” Her voice faltered, the weight of what she was about to confess pressing down on her. “I jumped into the horde. I didn’t mean to… it wasn’t some heroic act. We were surrounded, there was no escape, and I panicked. I thought I could maybe survive it if I just… gave in.”

She paused, the room hanging on her every word. “Hamin tried to save me. He grabbed my hand, tried to pull me back, but it was too late. I was already bitten. But instead of feeling the pain, the fear, I felt… stronger. Better, even. I was still me, but not at the same time. And in that moment, I… I turned on Hamin. I didn’t mean to, but the instinct was too strong. I bit him.”

She finally lifted her gaze, looking at Eunhye and Yuri, whose faces were painted with a mixture of horror and disbelief. The truth hung heavy in the air between them, a reality far darker than anything they had imagined.

“I infected him,” Su-yeong said, her voice breaking with the weight of her confession. “I turned him into what I had become, and in that moment, everything changed. We were no longer just survivors—we were part of the very thing we had been running from.”

Eunhye and Yuri stood in stunned silence, their minds reeling as they tried to process the bombshell that had just been dropped on them. This wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about something far more complex and dangerous.

Yon, Eugene, and Hailey remained silent, their faces set in grim lines. They had already known this story, had already come to terms with the reality of what Su-yeong and Hamin had become. But for Eunhye and Yuri, this was a shock, a revelation that shifted their entire understanding of the group dynamic.

Eunhye finally found her voice, though it was shaky and uncertain. “You… you turned into a zombie, on purpose?” she asked, struggling to comprehend. “And you turned Hamin, too?”

Su-yeong nodded, unable to meet her eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. But I… I wasn’t strong enough to resist. And Hamin… he was just trying to save me.”

Yuri took a step back, her face pale, as the full impact of Su-yeong’s words hit her. The fear and uncertainty that had been gnawing at the back of her mind now surged to the forefront. “So… you’re both…” Her voice trailed off, the words too terrifying to say out loud.

“Yes,” Su-yeong whispered. “We’re both infected. We’re zombies, but we’re still us. We’re not mindless… but we’re not the same either.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of the truth pressing down on them all. They were no longer just a group of survivors—three of them were something else entirely, something that blurred the lines between friend and foe.