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DEITY
INT. SI-WOOS HOUSE-OUTSIDE

INT. SI-WOOS HOUSE-OUTSIDE

...

Finally, with a deep sigh, he sat beside the fresh mound, his mind racing. "I can't believe I tripped and fell," he said aloud, what would come next? Would there be anyone else to join them in this desolate world? The only sounds were the distant rumbles of the earth, a mournful lullaby for the dead. The silence was deafening, a stark contrast to the cacophony of screams and destruction that had just passed. He felt the warmth of the day retreating, leaving behind a chill that seemed to seep into his very soul. The mask around his face had become a prison, trapping his grief and the last remnants of his humanity.

As the sun disappeared, painting the sky in hues of red and orange, Si-woo's thoughts grew more frantic. The wound on his cheek was now a throbbing reminder of his own mortality. He knew that in this harsh world, even a small cut could mean the difference between life and death. "I need to treat this soon," he thought.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. The little girl with cream hair, Ha-Yoon, approached him tentatively, the first aid kit in her tiny hands. He watched as she kneeled beside him, her eyes darting from his injury to the medical supplies and back again. Her movements were deliberate and focused.

"You shouldn't leave a wound like that uncovered," she said, her voice small but firm. "It'll get infected."

Si-woo nodded, too exhausted to argue. The little girl with cream hair. She had been following him from a distance, watching as he stumbled through the wreckage of their neighborhood in the convenience store. Despite the horrors she had witnessed, she had not lost the spark of humanity that seemed to have abandoned him.

"My mother taught me," Ha-Yoon said, her voice small but firm as she tore open a pack of antiseptic wipes. "It's important to clean wounds quickly. Otherwise, they get infected."

Si-woo nodded wearily, his eyes never leaving hers. Her voice was a beacon in the desolate wasteland that had become their lives. He watched as she carefully dabbed at the gash on his cheek, her hands steady despite their tremble. The sting was sharp, but it brought a twisted sense of relief, a reminder that he was still alive, still capable of feeling pain.

"My name is Ha-Yoon," she said, her voice barely audible over the whisper of the evening breeze. "What's yours?"

Si-woo took a deep breath, the air tasting bitter and metallic. "I'm Si-woo," he murmured, his voice raw from screaming and crying.

She gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the face she recognized the voice from school. "You're a boy?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and relief.

"Don't feel bad, though. People often mistake me for a girl." He managed a small smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the heaviness that hung in the air.

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"Your pink hair makes you look like a girl, you know that?" Ha-Yoon quipped, her eyes glancing up from her task to meet his.

Si-woo couldn't help but laugh despite the pain. "Very funny," he said, his voice muffled by the mask. "I wasn't trying to be funny," she protested. "Why don't you just dye your hair back to its original color?"

He sighed, pulling the mask down. "I was born with this hair," he said. "Can you please hurry? I'm getting tired and-" "Don't rush me," Ha-Yoon says interruptingly "I'm almost done."

"You're lucky," Ha-Yoon said, her voice shaky. "The wound isn't too deep. But you still need to keep it clean."

Si-woo nodded again, feeling the warmth of the setting sun on his face for the first time in what felt like forever. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the dusty air. It tasted bitter, but it was a taste of freedom from the suffocating mask.

After a few moments, she applied the band-aid with a soft pat. "There," she said, her voice gentle. "It'll be okay."

Si-woo looked at her, his eyes red-rimmed and swollen. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. Ha-Yoon nodded, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the gravity of their situation pressing down on them like a heavyweight.

Sitting beside the dirt mound, putting the mask in his pocket finally, Si-Woo spoke up. "Where are your parents? I can bury them too if you want me to."

Tears welled in Ha-Yoon's eyes as she whispered, "They're already buried." The words hung in the air like a mournful echo.

Si-Woo's heart ached for her, knowing the pain of loss all too well. Standing up Si-Woo says "My mom used to say God created us so we could be brothers and sisters to each other," he offered, trying to console her. "It seems like we're both orphans now. It's going to be my job as Big Brother to take care of us."

"When did-" Ha-Yoon says angrily before cutting herself off. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "it's just..." Her voice trailed off as she choked back a sob.

Si-Woo reached out and patted her head. "It's okay, I get it," he said, his voice gentle. "We're all we've got now."

They sat in silence for a while longer, the sounds of the dying town the only thing breaking the quiet. The air was still thick with dust, but the pain in Si-woo's cheek was a constant reminder of the reality of their situation. Finally, Si-Woo spoke up. "We should get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Ha-Yoon nodded, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "But where will we go?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I have nowhere left."

Si-Woo turns facing Ha-Yoon with his house behind him, "There are parts of my house that are still fine for us to sleep in. I'll sleep in my older brothers' room" says Si-woo "While you can have my old room" No" Ha-Yoon says interrupting him. "Huh," he said but Ha-Yoon didn't respond. "Well, my brother's bed is big enough for the both of us if you want to sleep together."

Ha-Yoon's eyes widened at the suggestion. The air was heavy with unspoken words and unanswered questions. Her mind raced, trying to understand the implications of what he was saying. But she remained silent, her thoughts tangled in a web of fear, confusion, and the overwhelming sense of loss.

Si-woo, understanding her silence, took it as agreement. "Okay," he said, "Let's go. We'll take care of our personal business, and then we can get some rest." He began to walk back towards his house.