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He leaned over, dropping his head onto the shoulder of his little brother. “I’m worried about you,” he said to the open air. “You’re not eating enough.”
The wind flutters lightly over the two of him. It’s been kind of nice having so much space to themselves. Silent and peaceful. The type of peace that used to give him the heebie-jeebies now gives him gratitude that they lived another day. His brother grunted. They were the only things making sound. There wasn't a single peep for at least 10 miles or so.
“It’s so cold, I think winter’s approaching soon,” Han Yoojin said again, after a pause. With a shudder, he shuffled closer to Han Yoohyun, trying to collect some heat (just like they used to during the months where their parents went off on some amazing vacation and forgot to pay the heating bills). His brother wrapped an arm around him, letting him squeeze in.
“We probably have enough food to last us until the snow thaws,” he sighed. He should at least go pick some berries and whatever herbs he could find, before the snow sets in and all things die again. Through trial and error, he has gotten used to knowing where to look when it comes to edible harvests. But truly, he wasn’t all that picky anyways; being so was a death sentence. Unfortunately, his brother was a bit more particular about his meals so there’s more planning but there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his little brother.
Turning his face up to look at Han Yoohyun (its a little hard getting used to looking up at his brother but he’ll manage) he huffed, “but I’m really worried, you know!! The other day, you were looking a little green.” He paused, staring at Han Yoohyun’s half opened eyes.
Somedays, his little brother struggles to swallow anything, he becomes more twitchy, a little more cold. On those days, Han Yoojin knows to go to the back and collect his medicine, letting him have some as a reward for going so long without needing his remedy. They’ve been trying to stretch the periods between Han Yoohyun’s absolute need for his medicine, as a way to try to elongate their leftovers. And it’s been working! However, it definitely won’t be enough to last the full winter period.
It was still so cold.
Sighing, he got up from sitting on the patio and walked back into their house. Han Yoohyun followed.
Packing up a small pocket knife, some old snack bars and an axe on his belt, Han Yoojin donned his jacket under his sweater.
“Han Yoohyun, I’m off to see if I can gather any more berries before they die,” he told his brother one last time before heading out the door. “Make sure to stay here and protect the house, okay?”
Han Yoojin unfailingly made sure to say the last sentence as a good luck charm before he leaves. Anything routine helps to settle his worried mind.
He tread the same path as always, the path that was as maximized as possible, created to avoid any large crowds or troubles. The path ensured that he would come across all the necessary staples. It was safe, it was familiar.
As he crept down to gather up some elderberries, a small sound came from the shrubs. Startled, his hands hastened to the knife. What was going on? Han Yoojin was pretty sure that there hasn’t been a living thing in 12 kilometers.
Pushing the branches away with his other hand, he pointed his knife towards the source of the sound. He stepped closer, shoulders tensed and grip tight. Whatever creature it was– it made another sound. Before crawling out. Crawling out–
Crawling out and rolling to a stop in front of Han Yoojin’s foot.
It was filthy. Like a mud-swallowed creature.
He frowned and slinked closer to it as it squirmed and wriggled.
Even with how dirty it was, he could make out the shape of a pair of ears, a nuzzle and a tail. A cat? Or a dog? How strange. How would a baby cat get all the way here? And where was the mother? Stranger and stranger. If it’s crying like that, then the mothers must’ve been missing for a while now. And with the impending cold to come, life will be much harder for this baby.
Hearing the wails of a creature just trying to live in a world they didn’t ask to be born in, Han Yoojin felt sympathetic to its woes. Seeing it scratch at his boots, he dropped his knife back into its pocket and snatched the cat (?), and stuffed it into his jacket.
“Don’t worry, Han Yoohyun and I will take care of you,” he patted the kitty, as it squirmed some more before seemingly giving up. He went on to finish the rest of the patrol, treating the kitty to some fruits before heading towards the path of home.
As he got near the house, maybe just a while off, he heard a thump ring out across the landscape. Shoot shoot–
He broke off into a run, clenching the cat close to his pounding heart. He slammed the door open to the vision of his brother clamping the neck of some man on the floor. Blood splatters across the room. Damn, it was going to be hard to clean all of this up, blood dried down to a horrible colour that was impossible to get rid of.
“Han Yoohyun! Let go of that man!” Han Yoojin hastened over to his brother’s side, gently pushing him away from the recent corpus. He took out the kitten and handed it off to his brother, who tilted his head in bemusement.
Han Yoojn grabbed the arms of the corpus and began dragging it to the back of the house to be managed later. He needed to clean up the blood first! He has around 30 minutes to clean it all before it melts and becomes one with the furniture, walls and Han Yoohyun’s clothing.
“Great job on protecting the house, Han Yoohyun!” while he wasn’t keen on finding corpses most of the time when he arrived home from his trips, it was better than finding an intruder inside their house, and his brother murdered.
After he wiped down the house again, he turned to see his brother still having a deadlock with the cat (?). Sighing, he moved to take the grimy cat (?) from his brother’s hands. Looks like his brother’s clothes are going to have to stay that colour now.
“Han Yoohyun, I found this kitty while berry picking today, it was looking a little sad so I decided to take it home,” he said to his brother.
Turning to the cat (?), he told it, “Kitty, this is Han Yoohyun, your bigger brother, I hope you guys get along.”
The cat yipped, his little brother grunted. Han Yoojin nodded. “Wonderful.”
The kitty turned out to be a baby fox after layers and layers of grime came off of its pelt. Bright orange and sweet, it liked to follow Han Yoojin around the house, often hissing at Han Yoohyun whenever he came close. Nowadays, his lap is a constant battle between the fox and his brother.
Today, Han Yoojin was in a pretty happy mode, things have been going surprisingly well. There was enough food to last them through the winter. He’s been getting constant sleep too, with the warmth of the fox curled around him doing wonders. Sometimes the fox was out to hunt as well, such as today. To celebrate some alone time, he decided to have some bread that he got last time he went to the nearest town.
Too bad good things never last. Hearing a knock from the door, he held back a sigh, then he went to Han Yoohyun, “There’s another visitor, follow the plan.” His brother nodded and went to the furthest room in the house and locked the door. He hated doing this, truly, but this was for Han Yoohyun’s safety.
Before walking over to the door, he grabbed the small knife. Might as well get this over with, so he can get back to his bread. He swung open the door.
Of course it was Yoo Myeongwoo. An old friend from the town.
“Hey, Yoo Myeongwoo, how are you,” Han Yoojin smiled.
Yoo Myeongwoo shuffled his feet before sheepishly smiled at him. “Hey, Han Yoojin… Small old, you know.”
“Uh uh, sounds about right. You want to come in for a chat?” they have spontaneous meet ups sometimes, Yoo Myeongwoo was as much an outcast as Han Yoojin and he lives on the outcast of the village.
“Oh, I’m good, thank you.” His friend replied before his face contoured into a grim look. The look of someone who was about to absolutely ruin Han Yoojin’s day. Great.
“I just wanted to let you know that people downtown are getting suspicious of you and that brother of yours. There’s been rumours of sightings of your brother attacking so
me outsiders.” Yoo Myeongwoo softened out. “They might come up soon, I just wanted to tell you in case, you know… might want to run…”
No. no. no…
They have been so good at staying on the low in this town. They picked the furthest house, kept to themselves. Hunted and gathered for their own food and never bothered anyone. Why has it always come to this?
“Thank you, Yoo Myeongwoo. I guess this is good bye.” he murmured.
His friend smiled sadly at him, “I’ll miss our talks, and good luck out there, I heard there’s a town in the East that might take… zombies too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you again, make sure to take care of yourself, okay?” Han Yoojin said as he shoo
ink Yoo Myeongwoo’s hand for, what probably is, the last time. He closed the door, locked it and dashed to where Han Yoohyun was. He slammed the door wide open.
“What were you thinking, Han Yoohyun!? I know outsiders might be better than the town people but I truly thought you were getting better!!” he snarled at Han Yoohyun.
His brother growled back. God, Han Yoojin can’t take it anymore. Everything’s driving him mad. The people insisting that Han Yoohyun’s sick. The monthly corpses, the blood-tinted walls. The shrinking food supplies. The upcoming winter. The damn fox. The lack of winter clothes. And the damn fact that his brother won’t talk with him!
“Speak won’t you!! I’m sick of this cold shoulder! Just stop being so immature, grow up a little!!” alone his voice crescendoed. The only sound filling up this damn damn silence. He's sick of it!
Han Yoohyun’s face crumbled, like a sand castle against the inevitable force of a wave. His hands wobblily reached out towards Han Yoojin. Like a kid begging to be held high up again in their parent’s arms. To see from their perspective once more.
Fuck. fuck. “I’m sorry, Han Yoohyun.” He takes his little brother into his arms, the musk of the undead and dried blood fills his nose.
“I didn’t mean it.”
“I’m sorry, it's not your fault. I know. I know.”
It’s his fault. Han Yoohyun pushed him away from a mob of zombies. Taking a bite meant for Han Yoojin. He saw the passing of someone who was supposed to outlive himself. A parent at his kid’s funeral. Then he saw him rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes. Han Yoohyun may be a little different now, a little hungrier, a little colder. But it's still him. His little brother. His sweet darling little brother. A fool really, the pair of them. And what parent would abandon their child?
Han Yoojin released Han Yoohyun and turned back to his bread. Ashes filled his mouth as Han Yoohyun staggered behind him.