Part 1

The group had been on the move for days, scavenging what they could from abandoned stores, navigating through overgrown roads, and keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of danger. It had been another long day when they found themselves at the edge of a clearing, a thick mist settling over the woods.

Daryl led the way, as always, his crossbow aimed ahead while Rick, Carl, and the others followed closely behind.

“I don’t like the look of this,” Daryl muttered, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

“Don’t jinx us,” Shane said, eyeing the trees. “It’s just some damn fog. There’s no reason to freak out.”

“Keep your guard up,” Rick reminded him, his voice serious. “It’s always quiet before a storm.”

But as they moved further into the clearing, something caught Carl’s attention.

“Dad, look!” Carl pointed to a figure standing near a fallen tree, partially hidden in the mist.

Everyone turned in the direction Carl was pointing, eyes narrowing to get a better look. The figure was tall and slender, standing motionless in the center of the clearing. The fog was thick, but there was something distinctly odd about the silhouette.

“Is that…?” Maggie trailed off, her voice uncertain.

As the group drew closer, the shape became clearer. The figure was wearing a stunning white dress—no, not just a dress, but a full-on wedding gown. Lace, satin, and tulle, a stark contrast against the dirt and desolation of the world around them.

“Who the hell is this?” Merle muttered under his breath, clearly thrown off by the unexpected sight.

The woman stood there in complete silence, her back to them, completely unaware of their presence.

“What is she doing out here?” Glenn whispered. “In that… dress?”

Daryl’s grip tightened on his crossbow, his eyes scanning for any signs of danger. “I don’t know, but we better find out.”

They approached slowly, the woman still unmoving, her veil blowing lightly in the breeze. As they got closer, she finally turned to face them, her expression unreadable.

Her face was pale, eyes wide but strangely calm. The woman’s long hair fell loosely around her shoulders, her makeup untouched by the harsh reality of the apocalypse.

“Uh… excuse me,” Rick called out cautiously. “Are you alright?”

For a moment, the woman didn’t respond. She simply stared at them, blinking slowly.

“I… I’m fine,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “I’m just waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Shane asked, stepping forward with a frown.

“For him,” she said, her eyes distant, as though she was lost in her thoughts. “I’m waiting for my wedding.”

The group exchanged confused looks.

“Wedding?” Carol asked gently, stepping closer. “Honey, the world’s changed. Ain’t no weddings anymore.”

The woman’s lips trembled slightly, as if she was struggling to process the reality around her. “But… I was supposed to marry today. He was supposed to be here.”

Her voice cracked, and a hint of desperation crept in. The group stood still, unsure of how to respond.

“Look, we’re not here to hurt you,” Rick said, his tone calm but firm. “We’re just trying to survive. You should come with us.”

The woman shook her head slowly. “No… I have to stay here. He’s coming. He promised me.”

“Lady,” Merle began, his voice dripping with annoyance, “you’re wastin’ time. Ain’t nobody coming. Ain’t no wedding happening.”

“Merle, enough,” Rick snapped, glaring at him before turning back to the woman. “Come on. We can help you. You can’t stay out here by yourself in that dress.”

But the woman was shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes. “I can’t leave. I have to wait for him. It’s the most important day of my life.”

The group stood in stunned silence, unsure how to approach her. Her delusion was heartbreaking, but it was also unsettling.

“She’s in shock,” Maggie said softly. “She’s clearly been through something.”

Daryl stepped forward, his voice softer than usual. “What’s your name?”

She blinked, as if just now remembering the question. “Jihyo,” she whispered. “My name is Song Jihyo.”

The name didn’t mean anything to the group, and they exchanged puzzled glances.

“You don’t have to wait here alone,” Carl said quietly, looking at her with a mix of compassion and concern.

“I’m not alone,” she whispered, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I have him. He promised me.”

Rick sighed, a sense of helplessness settling in. “Alright, we’ll stay here with you for now. But you can’t keep waiting in this place. We’ve got to move.”

Jihyo looked at him with wide, wet eyes, her face so vulnerable. “I don’t want to leave… please.”

“Alright,” Rick said, his tone softening as he stepped closer. “But you need to come with us. You can’t stay out here in that dress, not in this world.”

The woman nodded, still clutching the hem of her wedding gown. As they moved away from the clearing, the group couldn’t help but feel the weight of the loss she was experiencing. They didn’t know who she was before the apocalypse, but in that moment, they all saw the stark contrast between the world she longed for and the harsh reality they had to live in.

“Poor girl,” Carol said, her voice heavy with sympathy.

“I don’t know what happened to her, but this ain’t it,” Rick said, his voice quiet.

Jihyo kept her gaze on the ground, seemingly lost in her thoughts, her fingers brushing over the fabric of her dress as though searching for a memory she couldn’t quite grasp.

In a world where everything had fallen apart, Jihyo was still clinging to the only piece of her past she had left—her wedding dress, the memory of the life she once dreamed of.

End of Part 1