"You haven't had water since the apocalypse, huh?" Sunghoon asked after the formal introductions. When he and Chris had come upstairs, they'd found everyone crowded around the sink, gulping down tap water like they hadn't tasted it in days. Alaija nodded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yeah. We'd been trapped in the nurse's office lounge practically since it started. Even if there was water nearby, we couldn't risk leaving—walking too far meant battling a walker. We weren't about to gamble with our lives."Across the room, Minghao brushed his teeth in silence, foam sliding down the sink. His eyes flicked sideways, landing squarely on Nayeon."So you left the nurse's office alone, right?" Sunghoon asked, already knowing the answer. Nayeon hesitated, then gave a small, guilty nod."I did. But I was—""Why?" he snapped, cutting her off before she could sugarcoat it.
Nayeon blinked, then squared her shoulders, forcing a smile that didn't belong in the room. "Because I thought maybe—maybe there was something out there we hadn't tried yet. Supplies, an exit, something. You don't know until you check. Maybe I could've found something that saved us."Her words hung in the air, flimsy, desperate. Nobody bought it. Chris's jaw tightened. He slammed his hand against the counter, making everyone flinch.
"Do you hear yourself? You nearly got us killed because you were curious? That's not survival, Nayeon—that's selfish. You want to play hero, but all you did was make us targets!"Nayeon's face flushed. She shot up to her feet, voice rising to match his. "Don't talk to me like I don't care! I was trying "Who the hell are you yelling at?" Anyia cut in sharply, stepping into Nayeon's space so fast it nearly knocked her backward. Her eyes burned into her, voice dripping venom. "Because if you've forgotten, we could've left you out there. Alone. We should have left you out there. You don't drag a group into danger over your stupidity and then raise your voice at us like you're the victim."The room fell tense, everyone holding their breath, waiting to see who would back down first.
"You realize we had a buddy system for a reason," Alaija said, her voice trembling with restrained fury. "To make sure no one went alone. To make sure no one was unprotected. What if you hadn't made it back?"She yanked Anyia by the arm, pulling her out of Nayeon's face before things turned physical. But Nayeon didn't back down. Her pride towered over her guilt, burning hotter with every accusation. She straightened her shoulders, eyes flashing. "Are you serious right now? You think you get to lecture me?" She laughed bitterly, the sound sharp and ugly. "I'm your teacher. I've lived longer, I've worked harder, and I've seen more than you can even imagine. And you dare talk to me like I'm some deadweight? If it weren't for me, none of you! Not a single one of you insulter brats would have made it. You'd have all died locked out of the nurses' office!"The room froze. No one moved."You wouldn't have lasted a day without me keeping you alive," she pressed, her voice rising
"I've carried this group while you all whined about being tired, or scared, or hungry. And now you want to stand there and tell me what's right and wrong? You're pathetic."Anyia ripped against Alaija's hold, eyes blazing. "Who the hell are you yelling at? We carried this group while you corwarded away. You want to be some hero, but you're really just a bitch. You went exploring and nearly got yourself killed, having to run back to the nurse's office. We're good people; we could've let you face your consequences, but we didn't. Be grateful," she hissed, leaning forward, ready to snap. "Because we could've left you out there. And maybe we should have. You put us all at risk, you're just a liability."
Nayeon's lips curled into a sneer. "A liability? You think any of you would've survived this long without me? Please. Without me, you're just scared little kids hiding behind locked doors, praying someone stronger will do the hard work for you."Her words cut deep. The silence that followed was thick with fury, betrayal, and the pounding knowledge that too much noise was spilling into the night. Outside, something distant snarled, and the group stiffened all at once. Inside the dorm, though, the real threat was still standing in the room with them.
Alaija stepped forward, releasing Anyia as her blood boiled. Her voice cracked sharp as glass. "You think being older makes you untouchable? You think being our teacher means you can risk our lives and spit in our faces? You're not above us, Nayeon. Not here. Not in this world."The room went dead still.
Nayeon's pride snapped like brittle wood. Her hand lashed out, cracking across Alaija's cheek. The sound was deafening. Before anyone could react, Mahiko shot forward, fury blazing in his eyes. He struck Nayeon across the face, hard enough to send her stumbling, surprising everyone, especially Alaija, since Mahiko was the calmest of the two. Nayeon snarled, her own rage unchained, and slapped him back with all her strength. That was enough to send Anyia over the edge. She launched herself at Nayeon, fists flying, shoving her to the floor as the others scrambled to pull her off. Anyia's knuckles split skin, each punch fueled by all the frustration and fear they'd bottled up since the apocalypse began. "Anyia! Stop!" Chris shouted, dragging her back
Nayeon's pride wouldn't let her fold. She shoved hard, nails clawing down Alaija's arm as she lunged at Alaija instead, leaving angry red trails. With a guttural scream, she swung wildly, her palm smacking across Alaija's temple, then a desperate fist driving into her stomach. The two crashed to the floor, rolling, clawing, fists flying in a blur. Alaija caught Nayeon by the hair, yanking her head back before slamming a fist into her nose. Blood spattered the floor. Nayeon screamed, thrashing, her legs kicking into Alaija's side. The dorm room shook with chaos—shouts of "Stop!" blending with the scrape of furniture, the dull thud-thud-thud of fists meeting flesh. It wasn't just a fight. It was everything they'd all been holding in—fear, resentment, rage—exploding in the ugliest way possible. Alaija's fist cracked against Nayeon's nose again, blood spraying across her knuckles. Nayeon howled, shoving wildly, but Alaija slammed her back down, straddling her hips and raining punches into her face and chest.
Each blow landed with a sickening smack, raw fury behind every swing."Say it now!" Alaija roared. "Say you're better than us! Say you don't need us!" Her fists didn't stop, pounding into Nayeon's ribs until her breath came in ragged gasps."Enough!" Minghao shouted, grabbing Alaija by the shoulder, but she ripped free, snarling, eyes wild. Nayeon clawed at Alaija's face, nails raking across her cheek, drawing thin lines of blood. With a burst of rage, she rolled, flipping Alaija onto her back, and drove her forearm across her throat, pressing down hard.
"You little brat!" Nayeon spat, her own blood dripping down onto Alaija's face. "I should've left you to rot!"Alaija gagged, vision spotting, but her hands scrabbled until she caught the edge of Nayeon's hair. With a sharp yank, she pulled hard, forcing Nayeon's head back, then slammed her knee into her stomach. Nayeon lurched forward, choking. Mahiko was on them in seconds, prying at Nayeon's arm. "Get the hell off my sister!" he roared, dragging her up, but she lashed out, spitting blood, throwing her elbow into his jaw.
It took both Sunghoon and Chris to rip them apart. Chris hooked his arms under Alaija's and lifted her clean off the floor, carrying her across the room as she thrashed in his grip, teeth bared, fists still swinging at the air. Sunghoon wrestled Nayeon into the hallway, half-dragging, half-carrying her into an open dorm, her curses echoing down the corridor.
Chris pressed Alaija firmly into the corner, his voice low but urgent. "It's okay—breathe. Breathe, Alaija." She jerked against his hold, chest heaving, eyes blazing like fire refusing to die down.
Mahiko rushed over, his own face drawn tight with rage and worry. He cupped his sister's chin, tilting her face up despite her resistance. His thumb brushed near her split lip, his eyes tracing the angry scratches carved down her cheek. Blood smeared along her jawline.
"Look at me," Mahiko ordered, his voice sharp. "You're bleeding."
Alaija tried to push forward again, but Chris's grip tightened. The whole room buzzed with tension, everyone on edge, breaths heavy in the silence that followed the chaos—silence broken only by the faint, eerie groans drifting from outside the dorm windows, causing everyone to freeze.