8. Gym teacher

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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Mr. Kang looked at Jin-soo, who held a huge knife in his hand. "What are you doing with that knife?" he asked, his tone a mix of concern and fear.

"It's for self-defense," Jin-soo replied, slipping the knife back into his pocket. He glanced at Gyeong-su, who was still catching his breath.

Gyeong-su stepped forward, his voice shaky. "Mr. Kang, are you okay? Have you been bitten?"

Mr. Kang shook his head, looking grim but relieved. "No, I haven't been bitten. I'm alright for now."

Jin-soo nodded and addressed the group, his voice steady. "Everyone, we need to resume barricading the doors. But leave the sliding door unbarricaded. It could be our escape route if the zombies manage to break through the windows. Just place some curtain bars to prevent it from opening easily. In an emergency, we can remove them quickly."

Mr. Kang, recognizing the urgency and the soundness of Jin-soo's plan, took charge. "You heard him! Let's do as Jin-soo suggested. Move!"

With the gym teacher's authoritative tone spurring them into action, everyone got back to work. Desks, chairs, and any heavy items were pushed against the doors, creating a more formidable barrier.

As Jin-soo was placing a particularly heavy desk against one of the doors, Nam-ra approached him. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Thanks for standing up for me earlier."

Jin-soo paused, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he replied, "I didn't do it for you." His tone was calm but firm.

A small, fleeting smile appeared on Nam-ra's face, quickly replaced by her usual indifferent expression. "Thanks anyway," she said quietly and returned to her task.

The group worked together efficiently, each contributing to the makeshift barricade. The tension in the room was palpable, but there was also a sense of camaraderie forming. They were in this together, and their survival depended on their cooperation and determination.

In the midst of completing the barricading, I-sak noticed a bite mark on Mr. Kang's face and quickly approached On-jo, whispering urgently in her ear. On-jo was stunned, her eyes widening as she took in the news. She approached Mr. Kang cautiously, keeping enough distance between them.

"Mr. Kang, were you bitten?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Mr. Kang shook his head vigorously. "No, I haven't been bitten," he replied, but his tone was less convincing than before.

On-jo's eyes narrowed as she pressed further. "What about the bite mark on your arm?"

Her voice, now louder and filled with concern, captured everyone's attention. They all turned to look at Mr. Kang, who instinctively tried to hide the bite mark on his arm. His face twisted in anger as he cursed under his breath. "It's nothing! Get back to work!"

I-sak's face flushed with fear and anger. "Get out of the room!" she shouted, her voice trembling.

Mr. Kang's face turned a deep shade of red as he became furious. He started towards I-sak, his movements aggressive and threatening. Jin-soo and Su-hyeok exchanged a quick glance, understanding the imminent danger. They both stepped forward to intercept Mr. Kang, who was now dangerously close to I-sak.

Jin-soo retrieved his knife swiftly and faced Mr. Kang. "Mr. Kang please leave," he spoke, his voice filled with underlying tension.

Mr. Kang glared at him, his eyes wild. "Are you threatening me, Jin-soo?" he spat out, but seeing Jin-soo's firm stance and the knife in his hand, he hesitated and took a step back. Just as everyone thought the situation might de-escalate, Mr. Kang lunged suddenly at Jin-soo's knife, a desperate and wild move. Jin-soo, fully alert, dodged the lunge and struck Mr. Kang's head with his fist, sending him sprawling to the floor, groaning in pain.

"Go outside!" Jin-soo urged again, his voice growing more insistent, but Mr. Kang didn't respond. Instead, his body began twitching uncontrollably, his legs and arms jerking wildly. His eyes rolled back, and with a sudden, guttural scream, he jumped at Jin-soo.

"Jin-soo!" Su-hyeok shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Jin-soo dodged Mr. Kang's lunge by a hair's breadth and kicked him towards the door. Mr. Kang got up again, but now his face and eyes were bloodied, resembling the zombies outside. Any semblance of humanity in his eyes was gone, replaced by the vacant, ravenous stare of the infected.

Jin-soo hesitated no more. As Mr. Kang ran towards Su-hyeok, Jin-soo swiftly approached from the side and, with a decisive swing of his knife, cut off Mr. Kang's neck. Mr. Kang fell to the ground again, twitching and convulsing. Just to be sure, Jin-soo, his face a mask of disgust and horror, hacked at him again until the body stopped moving.

When he was done, Jin-soo's face turned pale. He walked to the window, his steps unsteady, feeling an urge to vomit. Although he had killed zombies earlier, it had always been in the heat of the moment, with no time to process his actions. Now, looking at Mr. Kang—a man he had killed—he couldn't hold back the wave of nausea that overtook him.

The room was silent, the gravity of what had just happened sinking in. The group, though shaken, knew they had no time to dwell on it. They had to finish the barricade and ensure their survival.

Su-hyeok, trying to steady his own nerves, stepped up to Jin-soo, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We had no choice," he said, trying to offer some comfort.

Jin-soo nodded, looking out of the window, his urge to vomit slowly going away. "I know," he replied, his voice raw with emotion. "But it doesn't make it any easier."

Na-yeon suddenly screamed, "He killed Mr. Kang!" Her face was full of horror and disgust.

Something snapped in I-sak. She approached Na-yeon and slapped her hard across the face. "What do you want him to do?" I-sak's s voice was a low, fierce whisper. "Leave him alive and let him turn all of us into zombies? And for God's sake, stop shouting!" She was breathing heavily, her eyes locked on Na-yeon with a mix of anger and desperation.

Na-yeon was too panicked to register the slap and whatever I-sak was saying. Her eyes were wide, and she seemed on the verge of another outburst. However, her scream had already done enough damage. The sound echoed through the building, attracting zombies who started banging on the door with renewed fervor.

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