The library was by far the most depressing thing Dodak had seen all day.
It almost resembled what a regular day on campus would look like. Students around tables, chatting away. People wandering around the library, looking at books on the shelves.
However, the effect of the apocalypse was undeniable. Everyone's faces were plagued with anxiety and fatigue. The usual girls that were caked with makeup had their beautiful faces ruined, with mascara stains trailing down their face. The jocks that were usually loud and rowdy had gone silent and their hands were clasped together around their faces in despair.
"Well, it might be safe, but it definitely is much more solemn here..."
"The morale of the area is not high, but that's to be expected."
Song Jiwoo replied, gesturing for Jisung and Dodak to follow her. She brought the two to the mini cafeteria, which had now been converted into a food storage. It was evident that everyone present had contributed their food to the place, as various foods and drinks that were not usually served here were placed at the counter top.
"Rations are strictly split amongst everyone equally. Don't try anything funny."
A muscular, tall male stood at the side of the counter top, his brown eyes piercing directly into Dodak's soul. He was ruggedly handsome, with fierce features that made him give off a menacing aura. He was definitely a good fit for the guardian of the food reserve.
Song Jiwoo then guided them to the rest area of the library, where the ground was covered with mats. It had been repurposed into a makeshift infirmary, where injured personnel were treated and left to rest. Several of the medical school students who were still in their scrubs had now taken on the roles of caretakers, running around to treat wounds and provide aid.
Amongst them, one of the medical students stood out. A girl of a petite stature with innocent features stood at the middle, but what made her so apparent was her command presence. She was like the commander of a battalion, where her every instruction was made clear to her team of doctors. They followed her every order, fetching medicine and bandages and bringing them to each respective patient. Somehow, she was managing to juggle approximately 10 patients at once, being able to prescribe and treat each one effectively, all the while holding a can of root beer in her hand.
The last area of the safe zone was the planning room, which was located on the second floor, where useful things like maps, torchlights and batteries were kept. On the main board was a map of the entire campus, with small scribbles and markings here and there. In the corner of the room, a long piece of parchment hung from the ceiling to the ground.
At the centre of the room stood a pretty, slender man who was busy analysing the maps. The black wolf cut was tainted with highlights of purple and strands of hair were placed strategically on his shoulder, perpetuating the illusion that his hair was deceptively longer than it was. His eyes were decorated with a purple eyeshadow and accentuated with eyeliner, crafting a sexy and sultry look, complimenting his tie dye shirt that was concocted with a mixture of purple and black. Dodak was distracted ever so often by the sound of clicking that echoed throughout the room whenever his violet nails collided.
He looked up upon noticing the entry of the trio and smiled. His smile was warm and approachable as he extended his arms out in a welcome gesture.
"And our star has returned back safely. How was your scouting mission Jiwoo?"
He strutted forward and clasped Song Jiwoo's hand between his, once again displaying his heartwarming smile. That smile was just like Jisung's smile, a kind, understanding smile that did not require you to speak. One that was inviting, like it knew everything you had to say, like it had been with you throughout your tough journey, ready to let you break down without judgement. It was a heavenly smile.
"It went well, Baesu. I managed to rescue two more people. This block of the campus should now be free of survivors."
"What about food or supplies?"
Song Jiwoo replied with a shake of her head.
While she was evidently joyous that two more innocents had been rescued, Baesu's welcoming posture seemed to falter ever so slightly. His face twitched and mangled his heartwarming smile for just a moment before it went back to its original form.
He turned to face the duo, presenting his warm smile as he questioned them.
"Do you two have any powers?"
"Actually-"
"No, we do not. But we can help out in other ways."
Before Jisung could speak, Dodak had cut him off and replied in his stead.
Ever since he had entered the room, he felt a tickling sensation on his skin, causing goose bumps to form and making him put his guard up. He was not one to act irrationally, but the day had already proved that mystical forces were in play. It would be wise to follow his instincts as well.
"Very well, it's not like super powered individuals were common in the first place. Jiwoo, please allocate them an area to rest."
He turned back to the big map and started annotating, signalling that it was time for the trio to leave the room.
~~~
"I hope this place is enough for you two. If you have any troubles, don't hesitate to find me."
Song Jiwoo smiled pleasantly as she left, leaving the two in a corner of the library. She had also given the duo a sleeping bag, a torchlight and a few bottles of water.
It had been a long day. The two were exhausted but they had so much to discuss.
"I'll go first. Why did you lie about your powers? It could be used for the greater good of this place."
Jisung stared intently into Dodak's eyes, his caramel eyes shining against the reflection of the torchlight.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me anyways."
A moment of profound silence followed. Neither Dodak nor Jisung said a word for a while.
"You really think so? You think I wouldn't trust you, even if you told me to jump into a fire?"
His beautiful, caramel eyes were still shining, but the source of the shine was now a single, plump tear droplet.
"Woah, shit, I'm sorry. Please don't cry. I never wanted to make you cry. I'll tell you everything, alright. Just don't cry."
Dodak's counselling just made Jisung tear up even more. The latter turned his back on Dodak, snuggling himself to sleep in the sleeping bag.
Normally, Dodak would have left someone crying alone as he had zero comforting skills. But this was Jisung, his best friend, and he was the cause of his breakdown. Also because there was only one sleeping bag and he did not want to sleep on the cold, hard ground. But his friend was the obvious priority…
Dodak approached with caution, plopping himself down behind Jisung's head.
"Hey… You know I didn't mean it that way. I know you trust me, I just… I don't know how to describe it. I don't want you to think I'm crazy."
Jisung's body remained motionless, but his irregular sniffing made it known that he was not asleep.
"It's just like a sixth sense or something. It felt…ominous."
"You could have just said that."
Jisung had turned around to face Dodak, revealing his handsome face that was messed up by his crying. However, under the soft glare of the torchlight, he was handsome regardless. It was times like this that made Jisung look more human, more regular, more approachable.
"I'm sorry. I truly am. Don't be mad."
Dodak smiled softly at Jisung, slowly stroking his hair back behind his forehead. Jisung snuggled into Dodak's lap, looking up at him from below.
"Then promise me, no more secrets. We'll tell each other everything."
"...Sure."
"You should go to sleep."
Jisung grinned at Dodak before nodding his head, wiggling back into his comfy spot to rest.
"Good night Jisung."
"Good night Dodak."