Apocalypse: Apparently, I Can See Zombies

Chapter 9- You’re Not Real

"Obviously I saw Seong, and that teacher is..."

The door was pulled open and Jin-woo stepped to the side as the girl hurriedly left the room with her head down.

Soon, the teacher came out to stand in front of Jin-woo, a rolled-up attendance book in hand and a dark look on his face.

He silently stood there looking at Jin-woo for a moment before asking.

"What's your name and class?"

"Don't say anything! This adulterer and pedo doesn't recognize you, if he does our school life is really done for!" Seong immediately yelled.

Seeing Jin-woo's silence, the teacher's hand tightened around the folded attendance book, and with a whack, he hit Jin-woo over the head.

"You're not answering a teacher when you've been asked a question? Are kids nowadays so disrespectful to us teachers? Huh? Answer me!"

Whack... Whack...

Jin-woo had his head lowered as he silently accepted the hits, but his hands gripped the bottom of the boxes he was holding.

"This damn old thing!" Seong yelled angrily and glared at the teacher.

After slapping Jin-woo consecutively a few times, the teacher suddenly grabbed Jin-woo's face and lifted it.

"Look at me you little brat."

The teacher's eyes were wide with a threatening look in them.

"Don't you dare mention this to anyone, do you understand me?"

While being forcefully backed up against the wall, Jin-woo stared at this teacher with a passive expression on his face. His eyes then happened to glance at the name tag on his shirt that said 'Teacher Park.'

Seo-Joon's father.

Not getting a response from him, a frustrated expression appeared on Teacher Park's face, and he squeezed harder leaving red marks on Jin-woo's cheeks. Especially from his wedding ring on his finger.

However, someone suddenly called from a distance.

"Is something wrong here?"

Both Jin-woo and Teacher Park turned to see a middle-aged man in a white coat walking towards them.

Teacher Park let go of Jin-woo with a frown.

"Jin-woo, are you okay?"

Jin-woo slowly nodded. After seeing this, the man then turned to Teacher Park and said with a frown.

"Teacher Park, this is no way to treat students. If I see something like this happen again, I'll have to report you."

However, Teacher Park wasn't listening to him. His ears perked up at hearing Jin-woo's name.

Sighing, Jin-woo then reached into his pocket and took out the small clear bag with his pill medication. After he took the pill with some of the water from the sink, Seong behind him faded in and out for a brief moment before his body stabilized.

Without opening his eyes, Jin-woo asked.

"Are you still there?"

"You tell me Jin."

Hearing Seong's voice immediately respond, Jin-woo covered his face with his hands completely defeated.

"Why are you still here, why won't you just go away."

"That's no way to treat your best friend, Jin."

Jin-woo turned and angrily yelled at Seong.

"No, you're not! What did you find out that day when we were at the library that made you so excited? Why did you keep telling me in the car to wait until we got home for you to tell me? If you can answer this then I'll believe you're real!"

Seong looked at Jin-woo who looked agitated and was on the verge of crying. He hesitated. After a moment he slowly said.

"I don't know, I can't remember."

"No, just stop. It's not that you can't remember, it's because I don't know. Seong died last year and I'm only seeing you because my brain's messed up. I might react to your presence but you're not real."

Jin-woo suddenly walked over to Seong and grabbed his hand. He then lifted it up and turned to the mirror over the sinks.

The image of himself weirdly holding nothing but empty air could be seen.

"See? Nothing. I can feel your hand, your warmth, but you aren't real."

"Ahh!"

Jin-woo squeezed Seong's hand causing him to release a yelp, but that was just part of his hallucination as well. Perhaps deep down his brain wanted Seong to be real despite everything he said.

Jin-woo looked at Seong's face and felt a stabbing pain in his heart making him lower his head.

"I'm going crazy talking to myself. You're not real, but why do I wish you were? Instead of you, I wish the real Seong was here."

Overcome with emotion, Jin-woo felt his eyes sting and tears began to form in them.

Seong looked at Jin-woo, a sad expression appearing on his face.

"Jin, I really wish I was."

"I said shut up! Don't talk-"

Before Jin-woo could finish his words, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open hard causing it to slam against the door stopper.

"Oh look! It's the school's freak!"

As bad timing would have it, Seo-joon and his crew just walked in.