Within Us. ➛️️ SWEET HOME

Chapter 12

 
 
"Mom…"

"I shouldn't have agreed when you said you wanted to be a doctor," her mother pursed he lips as she continued to move and tidy her daughter's room as much as she could, "Why don't you give time to yourself? Sometimes you should go out and enjoy with your friends too."

"Friends?" She asked, her voice a bit sore, so she coughed in order to soothe it.

Her mother awed, "You're still sleepy?"

Minseo frowned as she continued to stare into her mother's eyes. They looked so real, so alive.
And they shined just like they did when her mother looked at her for the last time–

"It's afternoon, Minseo. You should really go out for a while to get some air," her mother suggested as she turned around to exit Minseo's room. "Come out, you should go pick up Woomin from his van stop."

She followed her mother out, frowning for the nth time in the while, "Woomin," she repeated the name, more like a question.

Haemi stopped in her tracks, eyes landing on the wall clock in their lounge, still the same clock. "Oh my, your brother will be there in no time. You should go get him, quickly."

She looked at her mother and nodded swiftly before jogging to get to the door, wearing her slippers as she made her way out.
The neighborhood was also the same…

She let her feet guide her to wherever the van stop was. Her mind only filled with questions and curiosity as she looked here and there, anywhere but straight to where she was going.
Everything's the same.

She stopped not far from her house near a turning point and not even a minute later, a yellow bus stopped right in front of her.

"Noona!" a young, seven year old boy came running down the bus and excitedly hugged his sister's legs. The bus continuing its journey, leaving the pair alone.

The boy looked up with a pout, as if giving his sister a kiss, and supported his chin on Minseo's leg. He looked so much like her father, and somewhat herself too.
He was, her brother, Woomin.
Adorable, and small, and probably affectionate too.

"Woomin-ah," she unconsciously smiled, taking the bag her brother was giving to her, reflexively, and wore it over her shoulder, "How was your day?"

"Good," he skipped over the side path, Minseo tightly holding his small hand, "I made a new friend today!" he replied excitedly, looking up to see his sister's proud smile.

"Really? That amazing," she nodded and looked ahead, smiling fondly as she walked towards her house.
So it was all just a dream? A nightmare to be specific.
What a terrifyingly long nightmare it was. So real and–

"Hey you,"

Minseo heard someone and looked down at Woomin, "What happened?"

"Huh?" He looked up, still springing on the path and shook his head, "Nothing".

Minseo frowned again as she glanced everywhere. There was no one else besides the pair of siblings.
The voice sounded so familiar but it was definitely not Woomin's.

"Come on!"

She head it again and her steps fastened once her house came in her sight.

"Noona?" Woomin asked as he noticed the sudden swiftness in his sister's steps.

She looked down, her face covered with concern, "Woomin-ah, we should return home quickly, right?"

"Wake up, Minseo.
And, you."

She heard again and even though she was running, her house was moving further and further than her.
She slowly realized that no one was anymore holding onto her hand, no weight on her shoulder.

And as a sudden jerk followed in her body, she sucked in her breath and her eyes reopened.
But this time, she was somewhere she had claimed to be a nightmare.

"What the–!"

As Minseo snapped open her eyes, they landed on Eunyu's standing figure and she followed her gaze.

Hyunsoo was sweating and shivering as he remained unconscious.
Just like he did when they were with Jisu.

Minseo immediately stood up, her chair dragging a bit and startled Eunyu, "You shouldn't have slept," she sounded annoyed and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," Minseo muttered, wondering why she suddenly fell asleep. Or did she actually…–
    She move to Hyunsoo and bent down to gently place a hand over his head, when he suddenly opened his eyes.

When they both started to look at each other with wide eyes, Minseo backed away instantly, landing on her butt.

"You really fell, huh?" Eunyu broke the awkwardness and scoffed, looking directly at the boy, "When I told you not to die here, I meant the whole building."

Hyunsoo glaced everywhere, observing his surrounding, "Where am I?"

"The gaming center–"

Eunyu interrupted Minseo, "The place where everyone gathered to die."

He immediately turned to Minseo, "What about the other two?"

"They're safe."

Hyunsoo sighed in relief, glad no one else was hurt.

"I guess you aren't as shitty as I thought." Eunyu commented and she looked at him, "Worry about yourself, not them."

Hyunsoo looked up, "huh?"

"Eunyu," another voice entered the room and Eunyu rolled her eyes again, bumping into her brother as she left.

Minseo, who was still on the ground, looked up and her eyes met Eunhyuk's.
She awkwardly looked elsewhere and stood up. Still feeling uneasy for crying in front of him like that, before.

He then diverted his gaze from Minseo to Hyunsoo, "Your fine." Hyunsoo looked at him, "You fell from 9th floor but woke up in 3 hours. Maybe the golden hour saved you."

Golden hour…
Is it really that powerful?

Hyunsoo slowly lowered his gaze as Eunhyuk continued, "Isn't it ironic? The golden hour used to mean the last hour to save someone, now it means the only time to destroy someone."

His words sounded harsh to Minseo even though he was speaking to Hyunsoo, calmly.

"How do you feel?" Eunhyuk asked him.

Hyunsoo touched his head, his hand covered with blood as he brought it to the front.
Minseo inaudibly gasping at the sight.

"I think I'm fine," he replied, sounding confused at his own statement.

"Good," Eunhyuk nodded, "Because things will though outside this room."