Part 1

The prison yard was quiet except for the occasional sound of birds chirping and walkers groaning in the distance. Everyone was busy with their chores: Glenn and Maggie were reinforcing the fences, Rick and Daryl were sorting through weapons, and Carol was tending to the garden.

The peace was suddenly interrupted by a cheerful hum. Song Jihyo walked into the yard with a spring in her step, her ponytail bouncing and a bright smile on her face. She was carrying a basket of flowers she had picked from the field just outside the gates.

“Good morning, everyone!” Jihyo chirped, her voice full of energy.

The group paused, their work forgotten for a moment as they stared at her.

“Morning?” Daryl muttered, squinting at the sky. “It’s damn near noon.”

“That’s just Jihyo,” Glenn said with a chuckle. “She’s… always like this.”

“Like what?” Carol asked, glancing at the actress as she began arranging flowers in a makeshift vase.

“Happy,” Glenn said simply, shaking his head in disbelief. “Even now.”

Rick crossed his arms, his face a mixture of confusion and admiration. “How can she be so upbeat in all this?”

“I know, right?” Tara said, sitting down with a bottle of water. “She’s like a ray of sunshine in a zombie apocalypse. It’s weird.”

“It’s annoying,” Daryl grumbled, though there was no real malice in his voice.

Jihyo seemed oblivious to the group’s comments as she skipped over to Abraham and handed him a flower. “For you, Sergeant Abraham,” she said with a wink.

Abraham raised an eyebrow but took the flower, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Well, I’ll be damned. A flower in the apocalypse. Thanks, Sunshine.”

Jihyo beamed at the nickname. “You’re welcome! See? Even in the darkest times, we can find little bits of beauty.”

Sasha, sitting nearby and cleaning her rifle, shook her head with a small laugh. “You’re something else, Jihyo.”

Jihyo spun around to face her. “Thank you! I take that as a compliment.”

Rosita leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “You’re not scared at all? About… everything?”

“Oh, I get scared,” Jihyo admitted, her smile faltering for a brief moment before returning. “But being scared doesn’t help. So I try to focus on the good things instead.”

Merle sauntered over, a cigarette dangling from his lips. “You’re too happy for your own good, sweetheart. This world’s gonna eat you alive.”

Jihyo tilted her head, her expression suddenly serious. “Maybe. But until then, I’m going to live the way I want to. And that means being happy.”

Sophia, who had been quietly listening from the steps, finally spoke up. “I like her. She makes me feel… not so scared.”

Jihyo’s smile softened as she walked over and knelt in front of the girl. “That’s the spirit. We can’t let fear take over, okay? We’re stronger than that.”

T-Dog, who had been watching from the sidelines, nodded approvingly. “She’s got a point. It’s nice to have someone who reminds us there’s still good in the world.”

“Good?” Shane snorted from where he was leaning against the fence. “Good doesn’t keep you alive.”

“Maybe not,” Jihyo said, standing up and turning to face him. “But it keeps us human.”

The group fell silent at her words, each of them reflecting on what she had said. Even Shane seemed to have no retort.

Jihyo clapped her hands together, breaking the tension. “Alright, enough serious talk. Who wants to help me bake some bread? I found some yeast in the storage room, and I think we can make it work!”

“Bread?” Eugene asked, perking up. “Actual bread?”

“Yes, Eugene! Bread! Come on, it’ll be fun!”

As Jihyo bounced toward the kitchen, a reluctant but genuine wave of smiles spread through the group. Even in the apocalypse, her happy-go-lucky attitude was contagious.

“She’s a damn miracle,” Abraham said under his breath, shaking his head.

“Or a damn lunatic,” Daryl muttered, but for once, there was a small grin on his face.

Whatever the case, the group couldn’t deny that Song Jihyo’s light-hearted energy was exactly what they needed to keep going.