"Why exactly have we not thought of that?"
Jisung scratched his head as he furrowed his brows.
"Perhaps…we just got too used to this worry-free life."
To Dodak, this apocalypse did feel like a vacation. A break from school, examinations, family and societal pressure. But now he was revitalised. He was ready to fight for what he loved.
"Shouldn't we get some people along with us? It's dangerous if it's just the two of us."
"Who in their right mind would risk leaving this place?"
Jisung tried to argue back, but after thinking for a while, he could not name a single person. He pondered for a moment before his eyes brightened and radiated a beaming glow.
"You really think she will come?"
Dodak could only scoff at Jisung's ludicrous idea. The woman would never agree to leave with them.
~~~
"I'll admit my mistake just this once…"
Jisung had requested for 5 minutes alone with the woman. The two talked in a corner for a while, where Song Jiwoo's perfectly poised posture slanted into one of curiosity and her eyes widened in amusement. Clutching her belly and laughing, her face was plastered with a wide smile. Soon after, she nodded, lightly smacking Jisung's arm.
"What the hell… I knew you were smooth but I didn't think you were this smooth…"
Jisung tossed his imaginary long hair back, giving a sassy side eye to Dodak.
"She said we should inform Park Baesu first though. He is technically the leader. Perhaps he could provide us with some useful intel."
Dodak did not question why exactly they saw him as their leader, but that was out of his range of things to care about.
"Sure."
~~~
"So, the star of Seoul University is bringing…two powerless individuals to scout the perimeter of the school? What a joke."
Park Baesu merely scoffed at the proposition.
The trio merely remained silent as they stared intently at him, their gazes unwavering.
"You weren't joking."
"No we're not."
Jisung's face had shifted to one of nonchalance. He muttered under his breath towards the other two.
"Why did we even agree to tell this guy? He's nothing but a nuisance. Forget supplies, he probably won't even give us a warm 'good luck!'."
Park Baesu merely stared at Song Jiwoo for a long time, his violet nails gently combing his wolf-cut. He narrowed his eyes, his scheming eyes concealed behind his signature purple eyeliner.
Dodak then slowly advanced towards Park Baesu.
He was inches away from the beautiful man and could smell his perfume. It was sweet and addictive, erotic and seductive. The scent somehow enhanced his sultry eyes, highlighting the purple hue of his eyeshadow. He batted his lashes at calculated intervals, staring upwards at Dodak.
Leaning in beside his ear, he whispered.
Park Baesu stepped back from the former and his pretty eyes were now leering at him, full of disdain.
"You fucker. Sure then, leave. You're all dead weight anyways."
Dodak grinned at him coyly before turning and walking out of the room.
"Don't miss me too much, Park Baesu."
~~~
"You're…leaving?"
Before leaving, Dodak had stopped at one last place.
The girl's smooth forehead wrinkled as worry lines formed and her eyebrows furrowed into a slight frown.
"Yes. There's no point staying here and waiting for help to come. If the military was really coming, they would have arrived days ago. We're alone now."
"But still, it's dangerous to go out there with just you three. I'll tag along."
"Then what about all these people?"
Dodak gestured towards the people decorated in bandages around them.
"You're needed here."
He smiled warmly and patted her shoulder. Park Yerin's eyes were on the verge of tearing as she started sniffing.
"You'll miss me only because no one is gonna get you root beer anymore."
The teary Park Yerin started chuckling through her tears, a tensed smile forming on her face.
"Please be safe."
~~~
The air outside the library was fresh. The four, large walls of the dome were safe and reassuring, but they were like cage walls. They inhibited ambition and desire, dampened willpower and resilience and bred cowardice. Those walls confined what people could really become, coercing them to be like mice, always hiding in fear.
The trio were walking in silence after leaving the dome, reminiscing about the peace and beauty they had lost. The campus had been practically abandoned for almost a week. The grass was about to be overgrown, the birds wandered around freely, and the air was fresh with no pollution by cigarette smoke. Nature was taking back what was originally hers.
"We should check what's at the border of the school. It's been ages and help is still not here."
Jisung had broken the sacred silence of the atmosphere with a suggestion. The other two nodded and started heading towards their destination - the entrance of the school.
The silence that followed was loud. The sounds of their footsteps echoed as no one said anything. The birds chirped mockingly at the unfolding scene.
"So… how was your day?"
Jisung's attempt at breaking the silence was rather pathetic but applaudable. This foolishness caused Song Jiwoo to chuckle softly.
"What do you two think of this whole thing?"
Song Jiwoo seemingly acknowledged his piteous effort and proposed a more thought-provoking question, as expected of someone like her.
"I'm unsure of how to feel man. Part of me feels distraught and anxious about the future, but part of me likes the freedom of this too."
"Valid response. I, too, feel this way. It's frankly puzzling."
Jisung perked his eyebrow upon the unexpected response.
"You, the famous Song Jiwoo, are enjoying this apocalypse rather than despising it? Shouldn't you be concerned about your dance concerts and what not?"
"I am worried. But it's good to take a breather every once in a while, no?"
The two had trailed off in front of Dodak, deep in their conversation. The latter had taken a step back from the emotional talk and adopted a back row seat.
"So, what exactly is making you puzzled?"
"I should be devastated that my future is potentially ruined, but I really don't feel any sadness. In fact, I feel…free."
From the back, Dodak realised that Song Jiwoo looked different somehow. Her perfectly upright posture was no longer present and was instead replaced with a more natural curve. Her hair no longer beamed and had a radiant shine. The prominent, yellow glow around her seemed to have adjusted to a more natural intensity. For once, Song Jiwoo looked…normal.
"It's important to listen to your heart. Maybe it's just telling you that you needed a break. We all get burnouts once in a while, don't we?"
Jisung patted her gently on her shoulder, giving her his signature heartwarming smile.
"I'm here for you man. If you need to rant you can always find me."
Her naturally wavy hair flowed against the wind as she smiled radiantly at Jisung. She laughed as the wind carried away the echoes of her laughter while Jisung chuckled back at her.
The two walked ahead before Dodak into the shadows of the buildings, the trampled flowers and debris encasing them as they were hidden by the darkness.
~~
They walked till the edge of the campus, where the glass greenhouses were erected. The greenhouses were surprisingly flourishing with life, with an assortment of vegetables and fruits being grown in them. The summer heat blasted down from above, lighting the area up with a vibrant glow.
Pomegranates decorated the leaves of the plants, painting the greenhouses with a bloody, red hue. The area was blossoming.
"Time for the big reveal. Let's leave this place."
As Jisung stepped forward to the main road, a barrier materialised before their eyes and blocked his way. Hexagonal patterns decorated the translucent barrier, making it evident that there was no way out. The outside world was still very much visible, but not accessible.
He took a few steps back and readied himself, dashing forward and executing a swift punch at the barrier. He followed up with a barrage of jabs and swings but to no avail.
"Let me try."
Song Jiwoo stepped forward as a bright, yellow glow formed around her hand and extended out. She readied herself and slashed, her energy blade dissolving upon contact with the barrier. She unleashed a few more slashes and cuts but they proved futile. Whenever she attacked the barrier, the energy constructs dissipated, reforming only when away from the barrier.
"This can't be possible. It's like a fluid that repels my energy."
Dodak shrugged.
"Well, you can manifest energy into constructs. Nothing's too extraordinary to be impossible anymore."
He proceeded to walk closer to the barrier and examine it, slowly touching it with his finger. He concentrated and blew, letting the green mist flow out from his mouth and collide with the hexagonal patterns. Upon contact, the barrier sizzled and steamed, creating a steaming wall of fog, but it showed no signs of dissolving.
"Since when could you produce so much poison?"
Dodak turned his head and winked at Jisung, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.
"Let's just say I've been practising. But I don't think this did anything either."
The two slowly stepped back, their heads tilting up and tracing the cloud of green poison. It stretched up and up, going to unreachable heights and beyond. The wall of fog then traced back inwards, the steam revealing the dome-like structure of the barrier.
As they stared in horror at the dome that encased them, the realisation dawned upon them.
"We're trapped. And there's no way out of this place."