Chapter 14: Silent Reckoning

As the night settled in, the group found corners in the temporary shelter to rest.

Despite the events, exhaustion crept over them, and sleep became a temporary refuge from the uncertainty of their situation.

Ji-hoon and Mr Park took the first watch, their eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger. The quiet conversations between the rest gradually faded, giving way to the rhythmic sounds of breathing as they dozed off.

In the quietude of the night, Ji-hoon couldn't help but contemplate the events that unfolded. So Mi's possible immunity lingered in his thoughts, adding another layer of mystery to the already uncertain situation they were in.

Ji-hoon found himself lost in thought when Mr Park's voice snapped him back to the present.

"Ji-hoon, everything okay?" Mr Park inquired."

"Yeah, just thinking," Ji-hoon replied absentmindedly.

Mr Park hesitated for a moment before bringing up the topic. "I wanted to ask about when So Mi got bitten."

Ji-hoon raised an eyebrow, "What exactly are you curious about?"

With a thoughtful expression, Mr Park requested, "If you don't mind, could you recount the entire event for me? I'd appreciate it."

Ji-hoon sighed, realizing the significance of the incident. "Sure, let me tell you what happened."

Ji-hoon took a moment to recount the entire event, detailing every aspect of how So Mi got bitten. He explained the precautionary measures they took, including isolating So Mi for a while, but no visible changes occurred.

As Ji-hoon wrapped up the explanation, Mr Park appeared lost in thought, contemplating the information he had just received. Ji-hoon respected the silence and allowed Mr Park to delve into his own analysis of So Mi's unique situation.

As he waited for Mr Park, his mind began to race with questions about the man who attacked So Mi. Was he infected, or was there some other explanation? The idea of So Mi being immune lingered, and the uncertainty about infection being a matter of luck intrigued him.

Ji-hoon wasn't sure of a lot of things her but he wasn't almost completely sure that the man must have been infected. He had seen him earlier on that day when he had helped the others to stop the first infected they had faces and he was just like any other normal person so unless he suddenly decided that he didn't want to hide his weird tendencies again, Ji-hoon couldn't see him attacking and biting So Mi.

With that option out, it could either mean that So Mi was really immune or there was only a chance of getting infected after getting bitten or scratched and she got lucky. It could also be because that special infected couldn't infect others or maybe they could somehow control when they wanted to infect a person, that didn't make sense though when he took into account what the man had said before he left.

So Mi had said that the man had said it was too late for her so he must have really been planning to infect her or maybe he had a special ability that poisoned others and that was what he meant. As he began to make all these weird conjectures, Ji-hoon had to stop himself, it seemed his ideas were getting more ridiculous by the minute, there just wasn't enough information for him to come to any conclusions.

The lack of information reminded him of the man that had apparently saved them earlier. Ji-hoon wandered if he was okay and if he had information on the infected, it might be wise of them to try and meet up with him again, if he really had been stuck outside since the state of Emergency had been declared then he must have information on the infected and other survivors that they might need to get to their destination safely.

Ji-hoon was brought out of his thoughts again as Mr. Park finally seems to be done with his contemplating.

"Do you think she's immune to the infection then?" Mr. Park asks Ji-hoon, breaking the silence.

"That's possible but also unlikely; we can't judge anything yet" Ji-hoon replies making sure to keep an eye out for any movements from outside the building.

"Yeah, you're right, we need more information" Mr. Park said.

Ji-hoon completes his sentence "And I know how we can get it."

"From the man that saved us earlier, right?" Mr. Park asks.

"Yeah, I guess you were also thinking the same thing. We should tell the others about the plan tomorrow and see if we can find him," Ji-hoon says.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Mr. Park agrees as their conversation comes to an end, and they continue with their watch. It quickly comes to an end, and Soo Won and Min Jae take over as they go to sleep.

The sweet comfort of sleep doesn't last long, though, as morning comes, and they're forced to wake up. The dim light filtering through the makeshift shelter gives the surroundings an eerie feeling. Yawns and stretches accompany their rising, a routine born out of necessity.

Gathering around to discuss the plan for the day after cleaning up and eating, Ji-hoon starts the meeting."I think we should find Jae-ho, he might be able to give us the information we need to understand more about the infected" Ji-hoon finishes as he looks around for response.

"How are we going to find him though" Min-ji asks

"We'll look around the area of the supermarket, he might have a shelter hidden somewhere around there and if we don't find him we can continue our Journey towards our destination. What do you all think?" Ji-hoon asks as finishes his explanation.

Everyone seemed to agree with the idea except Miss Kim who speaks up " Won't it be really dangerous since the special infected is around that area? We don't know if we will even find Jae-ho, so is it really worth risking our lives"

"We need the information since we don't know what we might have to face while continuing the journey and we might not meet other survivors as friendly as him so I think we should take this chance" Soo Won speaks up in response to Miss Kim's doubts.

"Soo Won is right, we can also avoid the special infected since we now know about it"

Ji-hoon says adding to what Soo Won had said.

"I'm still not sure if its okay but since you all want to do it, I'll just go along" Miss Kim said coming to a compromise.

With that conclusion and the plan for the day laid down, the group separates to pack their belongings.

Min-jae turns to Ji-hoon as she packs her toothbrush. "Do you really think this Jae-ho guy has the information we need?"

Ji-hoon nods. "He seemed to know a lot about the infected. Plus, he saved us once before. It's worth a shot."

Soo Won interjects, "Just be cautious. We don't know what's out there, and the special infected sounds particularly dangerous."

Mr. Park adds, "Agreed. We should stick together and watch each other's backs."

Min-ji, still uncertain, asks, "But what if we don't find him, and we encounter that special infected? Are we prepared for that?"

Ji-hoon responds, "We'll have to be extra careful and avoid unnecessary risks. If things get too dangerous, we'll reassess our plan."

Miss Kim, though hesitant, acknowledges, "I suppose we don't have many options. Let's just hope this plan works."

With their concerns voiced and a plan in place, the group sets out on their quest to find Jae-ho, gearing up for another day in the post-apocalyptic landscape of Seoul.