: A Kiss in the Shadows
The howl of the zombies shattered the silence. In an instant, Min-jun shoved So-hyun behind a crumbling wall. Three figures with hollow eyes and torn bodies lunged at them. Two shots rang out — two corpses dropped. The third leapt at So-hyun, but Min-jun shoved it aside, slamming it against the wall. So-hyun's hand shot forward, his knife plunging deep into the creature's skull.
They froze, breath ragged, eyes locking in the dim light.
"Run!" Min-jun barked, seizing So-hyun's hand. They sprinted toward the ruins, ducking into a narrow passage. Darkness closed around them, the distant hum of the Echo reverberating like a pulse in the air.
Min-jun pressed So-hyun against the wall, their bodies nearly merging in the shadows. He felt the tremor in So-hyun's frame, the heat of his body, the sharp rhythm of his fear. So-hyun's gaze met his — eyes filled with recognition, pain, and something new… a fragile hope.
"You saved me," So-hyun whispered, fingers clutching Min-jun's jacket.
Min-jun leaned closer, his hand brushing So-hyun's cheek, wiping away the trace of tears. Their breath mingled. His lips hovered, then touched — tentative, feather-light, before deepening slowly, deliberately. The kiss trembled with loss and with the fragile birth of trust. So-hyun responded, his arms circling Min-jun's shoulders, pulling him closer. Every movement spoke like a whisper, a vow — that even in chaos, they would find each other again.
The Stella crystals flared, casting light across their faces, as though affirming the bond between them. They pulled apart, breathing hard, eyes tangled in confusion and quiet desire.
"This… it's wrong," So-hyun whispered, his voice trembling. "You're not him."
"And you're not him," Min-jun answered, his voice rough, firm. "But you're here. And that means something."
Their hands still touched. The hum of the Echo deepened, as if the world itself sensed the boundary they had crossed — from pain toward the fragile possibility of trust and closeness.