14th Death - French Family

It was a rainy afternoon, and Jiho and Eunhee were huddled under the small awning outside the convenience store. They were in middle school, and had just finished a long day of exams. The rain poured down in thick sheets, making the world beyond them a blur of gray and white.

"Are you okay, Jiho?" Eunhee questioned as she looked at him.

"Huh? Y-yeah... I mean, it's raining... You know I hate the rain." Jiho murmured, snapping his head to her.

"I know, but that isn't what's bothering you. I can tell."

"How...?" Jiho said as he pulled his head back a bit, "Are you stalking me?"

"N-NO! OF COURSE NOT, DUMMY!!" She pouted as she hit his arm lightly.

Jiho let out a soft chuckle, with Eunhee letting out a frustrated hum as she pouted.

"... I just know." She continued, her tone serious. "I won't tell you how, but it's your face. That's all I'll say about it."

"Oh, come on, tell me!" Jiho replied, his curiousity piqued.

"NO~. You were just being mean to me, so I won't. I'm angry now." She said as she looked away.

"Well, FINE! I know you're not angry, and that you're not saying anything because you just love it when everyone bow for you like a know-it-all princess!" Jiho blurted.

"HOW RUDE!! NOW, I'M ACTUALLY ANGRY!" She spat out.

"BE ANGRY, THEN!" Jiho spat back, and the two looked away, folding their arms with a decisive "Hmph."

After a few seconds of silence, Eunhee let out, "So...? What happened? If you tell me, I won't be angry anymore."

"... Had a fight with my dad on the phone. I didn't want to come his house today, and it got him mad." Jiho said, sighing, "He never really cared about me coming to visit him a few years ago... I wonder what happened... Guess he thinks I'm a bad kid now...?" Jiho said, his voice trailing off as he looked down.

"You're not bad, Jiho!" She defiantly argued, "I love my mom much more than my dad too!" She said, almost enthusiastically so.

"Well, your dad is..." Jiho started, only to cut himself off as he looked at her attentive gaze.

"..."

"..."

"... Never mind." He said, looking away once more.

"No, say it." Eunhee insisted.

"I won't."

"Why not?" She challenged, "Say what you wanted to say."

"NO!" He argued.

"Why not, then!?" She pressed.

"Because I know that will make you angry. I don't even need to see your face."

"And it's cool with just me being angry right now... So... Sorry." He replied silently.

Eunhee then gasped lightly at his words, feeling her anger dissipate and flow out into the rain.

"Hey, Jiho." Eunhee said as she tapped his shoulder lightly, turning his attention back at her.

"What if... What if one day we don't understand each other like this anymore? What if something really bad happens?" She murmured.

"What does THAT mean!?" Jiho said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"JUST ANSWER!" She insisted, slamming her fists against her thighs, startling Jiho; causing him to pull himself back a bit.

"Hmm..." Jiho hummed as he pursed his lips

"I mean, we fight a lot..." Jiho muttered, "But that's why we have Daniel. He always makes peace... So if we don't understand each other anymore and don't know what to do we'll just ask him." He said confidently.

"Oh... You think we should?" She muttered.

"Yeah. If we can't understand each other, just ask Daniel." He echoed himself, "He's really reliable, after all; and he's my best friend!" Jiho replied with a smile.

"Oh, so he knows me better than you do?" She challenged quietly.

"N-NO!" Jiho jumped, stuttering with a small flinch, his eyes almost on full alert as he looked at her.

Eunhee then chuckled as she looked at his flustered reaction.

Jiho then blushed as he turned his eyes away.

"S-shut up..." He murmured as Eunhee looked at him, grinning in silent satisfaction.

"I just... Trust him. So I'm just saying if you trust me, you can trust him..." Jiho said.

"If there's something you feel like you can't say to me, just tell him; and he'll help you." Jiho added.

"Because he's the best guy ever."

---------------------------------------

Jiho splashed more water from the sink onto his face, trying to wash away the memories.

"Man, I'm such an idiot," he muttered, watching the zombie blood swirl down the drain.

[Ah, already accepting your limits so soon after your transformation... I'm so proud. <3 But on a more serious note, can you listen for second? I have something important—]< strong>

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Jiho snapped, waving the message prompt away. He leaned heavily on the sink, his brows knitting together in frustration.

'If only younger me knew: "A shoulder to cry on becomes a dick to ride on."' he thought bitterly as he stared at his reflection. 'He'd never have said those words.'

His teeth clenched, anger building.

'Don't play dumb, you knew that saying even back then! You knew it a few hours ago, but you'd still answer her the same way if she asked again.' His fists tightened as he glared at himself in the mirror.

'You backstabbing motherfucker... WHY!?' His mind spiraled back to the memory of Daniel and Eunhee's unspoken connection, their subtle glances, the public display of affection. He replayed the moment when he'd asked if they slept well, how Eunhee looked embarrassed, sneaking a glance at Daniel, brushing it off as nerves about the day ahead.

With a crack, Jiho slammed his fist against the sink, a fracture appearing in the ceramic. 'Those bastards probably had sex that day too...'

[Oof, really didn't like that sink, huh?] The message flashed as soon as the sink cracked.

'... And they did it behind my back? Are you fucking serious!?' Jiho slumped over, curling in on himself, forehead pressed against his arms as he leaned on the sink.

[Come on, did you hurt your hand or something?] The message popped up with a chime but faded when Jiho didn't respond, his head still bowed.

[Boyo, this is getting absurd... I really need to tell you something...]

His thoughts drifted to how many girlfriends Daniel had over the years, the ease with which he drew them in.

And now... 'Eunhee.'

'So she's just another one,' he thought, fists trembling with renewed tension.

'She'll go to Daniel like all the other girls. Because that's all she ever was...' The realization cut deep as he remembered the smiles, the secrets they'd shared, the comfort he felt whenever he was with her.

'... Just a chick. Nothing more... Just like I was just Jiho...' The words tasted bitter, and his anger began to falter, cracking under the weight of doubt. 'I guess... I just wasn't good enough for her...'

The thought hit harder than he expected, lodging itself deep, twisting like a knife he couldn't pull out. He tried to shove it aside, but it clung to him. 'Am I... am I getting this wrong...? This is Eunhee... She... She must've seen something in him... something she never saw in me...'

His chest tightened, 'Something that made her trust him, fall for him like that...' The image of them together seared into his mind. 'Hold him like that... let him hold her like that...'

'I guess... I just wasn't worth her time.'

For a moment, everything seemed to stop. Silence. Then, the flicker of anger reignited, sharper now. His gaze hardened as he stared into the mirror, fists tightening once again, as if drawing strength from the fragments of his rage.

'But you made one more error, Daniel,' he thought, fire returning to his eyes. His fists pulsed with renewed energy.

[Whoa, who broke your heart, boyo?] The message popped up as Jiho stared at his reflection.

"You slapped me," he blurted, touching his cheek where Daniel had slapped him.

[... I DIDN'T THOUGH!? MAYBE I SHOULD TRY, SINCE YOU'RE WORRYING ME..!]

"And right now... I'm strong," he continued, tightening his fist.

[... Alright. You do you. You obviously have some issues, boyo. When you're ready to talk, I'll be (unfortunately) here; acting as your comical relief in the meantime.] The message flashed as Jiho ignored it.

'And in this world where there are no rules anymore... No... M-mom to stop me...' His eyes momentarily contorted in sadness, '... and definitely no more friends to hold me back... I can break your jaw like it was cardboard, if you're not already dead.' He prepared his fist to strike the mirror.

"Prepare yourself...!! You motherfucke—"

"Monsieur?" The door suddenly snapped open, a mature voice calling out. Jiho immediately lowered his fist just before it connected with the mirror.

"Ahem, we heard quite a jarring noise and thought something had happened..." Marcel said in Korean, his eyes scanning the room, quickly noticing the cracked ceramic surface beside Jiho.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his tone gentle but cautious.

Jiho's eyes snapped to the crack, and he instinctively placed his palm over it. "Yeah. I'll come out in a bit... I slipped on something," he muttered, his voice low and raspy as he stared down at the sink.

[HIS OWN BRAINS, BUTLER.]

"Very well. Take your time," Marcel replied softly, closing the door behind him.

'Damn old fart, interrupting me like that...' Jiho clicked his tongue, frustrated by the intrusion as he glared at his reflection in the mirror—pristine, yet mocking.

"... Get yourself together." He exhaled deeply, trying to ground himself.

[Difficulty: Impossible] The message flickered before his eyes.

'There will be bigger mirrors to break in the future, I bet...' He thought, the rush of bashing zombie skulls surging back into his mind. '... While I'm at it, there'll be more heads to crush.'

He ran a hand over his face and chest, feeling his pulse thumping steadily beneath his skin.

'... My heart's still beating. Aside from my face, everything feels normal. Except... I really wanna kill some fucking zombies right now...' His teeth clenched as he tore his gaze from the mirror, moving toward the exit of the bathroom. 'Sentient Zombie, my ass.' He internally dissed the message prompt.

A message floated just behind him:

[ZOMBIFICATION: 0.016%]

'... At least my eyes are back to normal. I can blend in with humans again,' he mused, feeling a faint sense of relief. 'As for them, I'll just ditch them and go hunt some more zombies. I'm not babysitting strangers out of the goodness of my heart. If my best friend could betray me, what's stopping these two?'

The bitter thought clung to him as he reached for the door. He hadn't even finished it when—

A pair of palms clasped his arms, lifting them upward with almost too much enthusiasm, cutting off his line of thought.

"What the—"

"Lady Amélie, s'il vous plaît, ne dérangez pas ce jeune homme!" Marcel called out worriedly, his voice urging her to step back from Jiho.

Jiho quickly lifted his gaze, noticing the young lady standing just an inch away from him. She was gently holding his hands together, a huge smile lighting up her face as she stared directly into his eyes. Her striking blue eyes glowed with an almost ethereal intensity, framed by smooth, flowing blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She was dressed in elegant, fancy clothing—her attire almost too pristine for the chaotic world they were in, making her seem out of place, like a noble from another era.

"W-wha..." Jiho's eyes widened as he met her gaze, her voice cutting through his confusion.

"Merci beaucoup de nous avoir sauvés!" Amélie exclaimed, practically trembling with excitement.

[OOOOOOOH, LOOKIE HERE, Boyo! I didn't know you had it in you!]

'W-what is she...?' Jiho's thoughts scrambled. 'I know "merci beaucoup" means thanks in French... Is she thanking me?' He glanced down at her hands, noting how boldly and unapologetically she clasped his. Her fingers were delicate, yet her grip was surprisingly firm, the contrast between her refined appearance and her excitement leaving him even more flustered.

'But... she's way too close!' His heart raced, struggling to process the closeness. 'Is this how foreigners greet each other?' A blush crept onto his cheeks.

"I, uh... I don't speak French," Jiho stammered, turning his eyes away in embarrassment. "I know the first part is a thank you, but... I didn't come here to save you. Like I said, I thought you were someone else and just happened to pass by..." His voice trembled slightly.

'Damn it, stop shaking! You just killed a bunch of zombies, Jiho! You swore you'd be bolder from now on! Just tell her off...!' He steeled himself, looking back at Amélie—only to find his resolve immediately crumbling.

'Tsche, she's blinding me... Is she prettier than Eunh—' He thought, his blush deepening as he averted his eyes again. Her glowing blue eyes and golden hair seemed to almost radiate, making her presence overwhelming. Suddenly, an unwelcome memory flashed before his eyes.

"Ah, Jiho, I did my hair today... Did that excite you?" Eunhee teased.

"N-NO... Who'd get excited over that..." Jiho muttered, turning away bashfully.

"Sheesh, I got excited. That's a good hairdo, Eunhee," Daniel chimed in with a whistle.

"See, at least Daniel speaks his mind!" Eunhee said, playfully arguing.

Jiho's teeth clenched at the memory. Anger rose from deep within him, spreading like wildfire.

"LET GO OF ME!" Jiho growled, shoving Amélie away with sudden force. He violently shook his head, eyes squeezed shut, as if trying to block out the memory.

"Ah!" Amélie gasped, stumbling slightly as she regained her balance, her expression shifting to one of concern.

"Lady Amélie...!" Marcel called out, rising from the sofa despite the pain radiating from his dislocated shoulder, which had been injured only minutes ago.

Jiho's eyes narrowed, glaring at Amélie as his mind replaced her with Eunhee's image. 'I'm not excited... I'll NEVER be excited over you again... You're just... just another girl in the crowd. Just a bitch,' he thought bitterly.

His fists clenched tighter as the painful memories resurfaced. 'You could've at least told me you were dating him,' he thought, anger bubbling beneath the surface. 'Told me you had a thing for him this whole time, instead of... Instead of...!!'

The image of Eunhee smiling and acting as if everything was normal flashed in his mind, twisting the knife deeper. His brows furrowed, and he looked down, fists trembling by his sides.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, neither side knowing how to proceed. Jiho finally broke the stillness with a deep breath.

"...Just tell me what you need, and we'll be on our merry way," he muttered, refusing to meet Amélie's eyes as he directed his words toward Marcel.

"... Very well, young man," the butler replied in Korean, his voice steady despite his pain. "Let us talk."