In the hotel bathroom, thick steam filled the air. The bathhouse was warm and heavy with the sll of soap, mixed with faint traces of disinfectant that could not fully wash away the mory of blood and decay.
The four won soaked together in the large tiled bath. Their shoulders slowly relaxed as the heat seeped into their tired bodies, easing the tension they had carried for so long.
"Why is the stench so hard to get rid of?" Hae-in groaned, scrubbing her arms again. She twisted slightly and looked over her shoulder. "Claire, can you help wash my back?"
Claire nodded and moved behind her. She was the last female student with Hae-in and Na-rin. She had long brown hair and an athletic build. Her face was calm, her eyes quiet and observant as always. She took the cloth and gently washed Hae-in’s back.
"Is your leg okay?" Claire asked.
"It still stings," Hae-in replied softly, "but I think it’s getting better." Her cheeks turned faintly red as she lowered her voice. "After all... Mister carried the whole ti."
Her thoughts drifted back to when she fell. In that mont, she had truly believed she was going to die. That they would leave her behind. It was not because the others were cruel. It was simply how things were now. She had seen it happen many tis inside the school.
She had tried to accept it. Tried to believe she was ready to die.
But she wasn’t.
And neither was he. He had not said much. He never did. Yet his actions spoke louder than words. He had turned back without hesitation, carrying her when it was dangerous, when it made escape harder.
The warm water rippled softly around them as Hae-in closed her eyes, letting the steam blur her thoughts. Ever since the outbreak, she felt sothing close to safety, and sothing else she could not na.
"Mm." Claire nodded slowly. It truly was a miracle they had made it out alive. Not that they hadn’t tried before he appeared, many attempts had ended in failure, and too many had paid with their lives.
"He’s saved us more tis than I can count... but I don’t even know his na. Did he ever tell you?"
Na-rin froze mid-motion, hands paused in the water. Elaine, sitting across the bath, also slowed. Neither looked over, but both ears perked, listening curiously.
"Ah..." Hae-in blinked, a small frown forming. Realization hit her. "I don’t know either."
Claire went silent, the quiet stretching between them.
Na-rin and Elaine exchanged a quick glance, their faces faintly flushed.
"...We don’t even know his na," Elaine murmured.
"...I guess not," Na-rin added softly.
It was embarrassing, in a way. But the truth was, they had only t him last night, and yet it sohow felt like they had known him much longer.
Hae-in tried to break the tension with a small smile. "It’s alright. We can just ask him. He’s serious a lot of the ti, but I think he’s... a kind man."
Then her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you think... he’s single?"
Her words were soft, but clear enough that all of them heard.
"Hae-in!" Elaine exclaid, nearly spitting water in surprise. "Why are you asking that? You’re way too young for dating!"
"What? I’m already eighteen," Hae-in shot back, cheeks puffed in protest. "And what’s wrong with being curious? It’s not like we’re going to date him if he was."
"Now you’re talking about dating," Elaine scolded, flustered. "I told you, you’re still too young for that."
"That’s unfair," Hae-in pouted, crossing her arms. Then she tilted her head, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wait a minute... Miss Elaine..."
"What now?" Elaine asked, trying to keep her calm face, though a hint of pink touched her cheeks. ’That can’t be right, we just t him,’ she thought.
Hae-in leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "Aren’t you curious about him too? Mister... he’s kind of good-looking. Do you think he has a girlfriend?"
Elaine’s eyes widened, and she sputtered. "Enough! Just ask him yourself if you want to know!"
Hae-in frowned then turned to Na-rin. "How about you, Na-rin? What do you think about him?"
Na-rin tilted her head slightly, her voice calm. "Why does my opinion matter?"
"Oh, co on. Just take a guess."
Na-rin hesitated for a mont, then spoke slowly, carefully choosing her words. "He’s young... maybe mid-twenties. He doesn’t talk much, but he watches everything. He’s decisive... and athletic. When he’s fighting the infected, I can see fear in his eyes too, like he’s already accepted the worst outco... but he acts anyway."
Her words drifted on, longer than usual, as if she couldn’t stop analyzing him. She trailed off, realizing she had been talking more than she intended, even going off-topic.
A brief silence filled the bathhouse. Hae-in and Elaine’s eyes were fixed on her, wide with surprise.
"Wow," Hae-in said finally. "Na-rin... have you actually been watching him that closely?"
Na-rin stiffened, the warmth creeping up her cheeks. "What? No... I just... notice things," she muttered, turning her face away. "I... I... forget it." She paused, swallowing, her hands fidgeting with the water. She seed like she wanted to explain herself, but she wasn’t used to talking like this. Instead, she stayed quiet, letting the others interpret her however they wanted.
Hae-in and Elaine kept their eyes on her for a few more seconds, curiosity still sparkling, but neither pressed further.
After a beat, Hae-in shook her head and forced a small smile, letting the tension slide away. "Anyway, let’s talk about sothing else," she said, splashing water lightly. She launched into chatter about trivial things, how uncomfortable the bath tiles were, how sticky the soap felt, even the weird sll lingering in the room.
The conversation shifted, casual and safe, the awkward mont fading into the warm steam of the bath. Na-rin sank slightly, glad to escape the spotlight, though a faint, unspoken thought lingered, her words had revealed more than she intended.
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