35 [35] Promise is a promise

It felt almost surreal, walking through the horde of zombies with such eerie ease. They watched me pass with vacant eyes, their hunger rendered docile in my presence. The grotesque faces, once the harbingers of fear, appeared almost pathetic in their ignorance of my living warmth. I navigated through them, my heart pounding, but not in fear. It was a strange sense of exhilaration that filled my chest, a heady mix of adrenaline and relief.

Through the grim spectacle, I spotted the fuel cans lying discarded near the gas station. I hurried towards them, the rhythmic beat of my boots against the asphalt the only sound in the quiet night. Picking up the cans, their cool metal surface covered in a thin layer of dust, I turned back towards the jeep.

Meanwhile, Ms. Yan and Cassidy emerged from the ventilation shaft, their bodies darkened by the grime and dust of the ventilation system. They stumbled towards the jeep, their movements shaky and desperate, yet filled with relief. Cassidy had the keys in her hand, their silver shine glinting in the moonlight as she fumbled with the ignition.

I slipped past the oblivious zombies, my footfalls silent against the deserted stretch of asphalt. As I reached the vehicle, Ms. Yan threw open the back door, her eyes wide with relief as she spotted me.

As we fueled up the jeep's tank, a welcome gurgle breaking the tense silence that had settled between us, I caught the gazes of Ms. Yan and Cassidy in the rear-view mirror. Their eyes held a profound gratitude that no words could sufficiently express.

Ms. Yan was the first to speak. Her voice, usually measured and calm, now trembled with lingering adrenaline and relief. "Thank you, Chang," she said softly, her hand gently touching my arm in a rare display of affection. She didn't need to elaborate; her eyes said it all. I had, once again, saved her life.

Cassidy was next, her voice characteristically loud despite the recent harrowing experience. "Hell, you're a real life superhero, ain't ya?" She slapped my shoulder with a beaming grin, the usual restlessness of her sapphire eyes replaced with a deep-seated respect. "You pulled our asses outta the fire, man. Thank you. Now we need to gtfo here!"

"I couldn't agree more." I said.

Cassidy gunned the engine, the tires screeching against the asphalt as we sped away. The wind whipped through the open window, carrying away the grim memories of the desolate casino as we left the horrors behind.

***

As the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and red, we shared a silent moment of victory, of survival, of gratitude.

"You know what, a promise is a promise. I will be part of your little harem now." Cassidy said with closed eyes and wide smile.

Cassidy's proclamation sliced through the quiet moment, leaving an echoing silence in its wake. She remained as nonchalant as ever, her eyes still closed and an uncontainable grin stretching across her face. I could almost see the pride radiating off her, as if she had just made a heroic declaration.

I blinked, processing her words. The concept seemed alien in our current reality, so removed from survival and focused on something... normal. More than normal. It was intimate, personal, the type of thing that could be laughed about in a coffee shop or whispered about behind lockers in high school. It wasn't something that belonged in our world of broken cities and relentless undead.

But as I glanced over at Ms. Yan, I saw an understanding pass between us. There was a simplicity in Cassidy's proposition, a return to human connection and mundane dreams that grounded us in our humanity despite the horror around us. It reminded us of what we were fighting for, what we were surviving for. We were still people, still allowed to dream and wish for nonsensical things.

"Welcome to the harem, then," I responded, my voice surprisingly steady. The corners of my mouth curled upwards, and I saw a flicker of amusement in Ms. Yan's eyes as she tried to hide her smile behind a hand. Even in the face of a zombie apocalypse, we found a reason to laugh. A reason to hope.

Cassidy's whoop of triumph rang out, shattering the tension in the jeep. "Hell yeah!" she cheered, throwing her hands up in the air. Her blonde hair danced around her shoulders as she moved, reflecting the last rays of the setting sun.

"The wheel Cass!" I yelled.

She quickly placed her hand back on the wheel as the car did a little slither.

"Sorry!" Cass yelped.

"What about you? Ms. Yan?" I grinned.

Her cheeks were already flushed from the whole harem conversation, but my question sent a deeper blush creeping across her face. She stared at me in surprise, her lips slightly parted as if to refute my claim, but no words came out.

"Mr. Chang..." She began, her voice trembling. She still insisted on the formal address, her teacher-student relationship deeply ingrained. It was one of the things that grounded her, gave her a sense of normalcy in this world turned upside down.

"I don't see a teacher and a student. I see a man and a woman, survivors who've been through hell together. And right now, I think that means a lot more than a degree or a job title," I interrupted.

I gazed into her eyes, looking for a sign of understanding or acceptance. But instead, I found a mix of emotions: hesitation, surprise, and something I couldn't quite name.

"You don't have to decide now," I said gently, "But remember, it's a different world out there, Ms. Yan. The old rules, the old expectations... they're all gone. We have to make our own rules now."

She looked at me for a long moment, her dark eyes filled with contemplation. I felt a brief moment of fear that I had pushed her too far, that I had crossed some line.

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice barely audible over the hum of the jeep's engine. "I... I will consider it," she whispered, her gaze falling to her hands in her lap.

A grin spread across my face at her words. It was more than I expected. "Take your time, Ms. Yan," I replied, my heart pounding with anticipation. "We've got all the time in the world."

Cassidy, who had been remarkably silent throughout the conversation, let out a loud whoop from the driver's seat. "That's the spirit, Teach! Let your hair down!"

In the rear-view mirror, I could see Cassidy's bright eyes twinkling with mischief. Ms. Yan let out a small, startled laugh, and just like that, the tension was broken. We returned to our journey, each lost in our own thoughts, each facing the end of the world in our own way. But for the first time since the world fell apart, I felt a strange sort of optimism. Perhaps there was a future worth fighting for, after all.

Q: Do you want a harem?