"Sieun look! I found some backpacks!"
I exclaim, grabbing a few in my arms while walking over to him.
"We should bring some stuff back for the others too!"
"Yeah.." He nods and continues searching through the shelfs.
Is he still mad at me?
I decide to let him be for now and put the bags on the floor, taking one for myself and one for Sieun to fill up. I walk over to him and hold the bag out to him.
"Even if you dont like me, and you dont have to. We both want to survive, so please let's just work together for now."
Just take the damn bag already.
He hesitantly takes the bag, slipping his arms into the straps.
"This doesn't mean I like you."
"I know I was a dick for hitting you, I panicked, though that isn't an excuse for what I did. I just want to survive like you. I'm scared too Sieun."
"Chase.." He sighs. "I'm sorry too for only thinking about myself."
"So.. we cool now?"
He nods in response.
I laugh softly.
"Now let's survive this fucking apocalypse together!!" I put my arm around his shoulders.
"Yeah, let's do it." He's starting to get more comfortable around me, even cracking a small smile.
**
"Chase! I need help carrying this!"
"Coming!" I put my bag down and catch his bag before it drops. The sound of metals hitting eachother can be heard from his bag. "Damn you got alot of stuff."
He nods with a smile. "I want to give them to Alex."
"Oh? Got a crush on green eyes?"
He tries to skip my question, failing miserably, his face flushed. "J-just carry the bag for now, I'll take it back after."
"Changing subjects now huh? Not so subtle as you think Sieun." I let a sly smile play on my lips.
"N-no! Shut up!!"
'I'm gonna tell her." I tease, an empty threat.
"Don't!! Please."
"I won't, if you tell me the whole crush thing."
"No!!...Ok. fine." He gives in surprisingly fast.
"Well go on." I dump our stuff on the floor then sit down crossed legged, patting beside me for him to sit.
He looks at my hand and sits down slowly.
"Well, I've liked Alex since year 10."
"Last year? She's been a loner since year 7. Only now she talks to us."
"Yeah.. but that's what made her so cool to me."
"You basically fell for a girl you never talked to, ever?"
"No!! I have talked to her.. Though she probably doesn't remember."
"Get to the point dude. Just say everything at once, I dont judge fellow comrades in love." I give him a thumbs up.
"Okay. In autumn term, year 10 she stood up to some people who were picking on me, and the leader of them was Hanna. They were kicking me around and making fun of my timid behaviour, saying how I relied on Hyun all the time, until Alex pulled Hanna back. I don't know what happened next because I blacked out, but I do know that Hanna stopped because of Alex standing up for me. Since then no one made fun of me. "
"So she stood up for you and that made you fall helplessly in love with her?"
"Something like that." He looks at the floor fidgeting with his hands, his face a faint pink.
"No wonder you've also been keeping distance from Hanna."
"Yeah.. but I'm scared"
"Of Hanna?"
"No, of Hanna getting closer to Alex."
"Normally I'd say don't sit and watch it happen but were in a damn apocalypse, so even if you hate her we all need to get along, I'm sure Alex knows this, and that's why she's acting all friendly with us, including Hanna." Though she's probably irritated by all of us.
"Yeah.. Guess your right. I'll try and stop being scared, for Alex."
"If your little crush helps you stop being so scared. Go for it!"
He nods, getting courage and standing up, holding his bag despite the weight, and wears it.
"I'll protect Alex!" He says confidently like a lovesick fool.
"Not sure she will need it but you keep trying!" Poor guy. He's gonna get heartbroken.
I stand up aswell picking my racket up and sliding my bag on.
"You got the weapons?"
"Yup. What did you get?"
"Supplies."
"I hope Alex will be proud." He sighs dreamily.
"Dude, you better not be like this around her then."
"What do you mean?"
"Like." I gesture to his stance, knees touching and hand covering his mouth, barely covering his red face. "How do you expect to protect her when your acting like this? Plus so far you've been scared all the time. You won't be able to win her over like this." Not like you have a chance anyways.
"S-so how do I change?" He fidgets with his fingers again.
"Well women love a strong man, a dependable one who can give them all their needs." Doubt Alex would care about a man in the first place.
He mutters my words back to him self. "Strong and dependable.."
A shriek comes. Making Sieun fly straight into my arms, his tough act gone.
"W-w-what was that?!?" He quivers.
"What happened to being strong?" I tease making him immediately back away from me, straightening up.
"A-anyways. We should c-check it out." His voice wavers despite trying to act brave.
"It came from the front I'm pretty sure." The front?
The realisation hits me at my own words.
"Fuck! Yunjin!!" Before I could think further my body already runs down the aisles.
"Chase! Wait for me!!" He pants "Im scared.." He mumbles to himself before pushing him self to run after me.
I continue running, my fingers gripping the racket tighter. Was that Yunjin who screamed? No no. She would never. She's too much of a stubborn bitch to show fear.
"Ack-"
I run into something strong but also soft. I look up slowly.
"Hyun?"
He looks back at me with urgency.
"Chase! Good your here, but dont stop running!" Hanna looks back at me while she runs her self, looking desperate. Makes sense, Yunjin is her best friend. Yeah I'll leave it to her.. Yunjin doesn't need me.
Fuck! Snap out of your depressive shit and go.
I continue running, leaving Hyun behind, though he doesn't follow. I forget about him and focus on helping Yunjin. Helping Ashlyn. Helping friends.
Hanna gets lost from my sight. Shit she runs fast.