The next day, everything was going normal as usual while everyone was still afraid of the situation. You washed your face feeling exhausted from all this.
"Is it possible to look myself at a situation like this?" You looked at yourself in mirror for a few seconds frowning what you were seeing. Yourself. After the school situation you had, things weren't the same as before. You tried, but couldn't look at yourself the same anymore.
No harm was done, but words hurt bigger that can stick to you like glue. You sighed as you got out walking as you saw eun-hyuk and hyun-su together alone in a small space.
You hid behind the wall as you didn't want to eavesdrop drop, but at this point curiosity got the best of you.
As you listened to them, it started to bothered you what he was telling you 'Why do you think I took your side? I'll be straightforward. You'll be taking on all the dangerous work from now on. If you don't want to, then I can't help you.'
"So this is what he meant by helping. Already had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy for him." you thought to yourself.
As they talked, the real reason came out in why he wanted to help him and that was to get hyun-su to sacrifice himself to get the old man out of his apartment.
Of course it wasn't part of your business, but you felt awfully bad that eun-hyuk was basically using him even if Hyun-su has absolute no fault of his change of person.
Was it right to eavesdrop? It did disappointed you that eun-hyuk wasn't that perfect role model you thought he was.
Hours later you heard someone saying about someone leaving the doors. You went out to check out to see it was sang wook. You looked next to you as eun hyuk had whispered something to hyun su before he left as well.
You crossed you arms as you looked at him disappointed. "You weren't really on his side, weren't you?"
He looked towards you as your expression didn't change. "If he wants to stay alive, he must help us out in any possible way. He's the only one who's not able to die. I sent him to the old man who helped you guys. If he comes back with him, then a little more trust is added to hyun su"
"If that were really the case, tell me something." You said serious as he gave his attention towards you. "What was the last thing you whispered him before he left."
Eun hyuk wasn't sure if he wanted to tell you. But you looked pretty serious. "We need the old man first and live. I heard there was also kids there. His main focus should be on the goal and not the kids."
"What?" Was it a shock? You were. Leaving kids behind like it's nothing?
"You sent hyun su to get du sik, but leave 2 kids who have no idea why this is happening. Don't you feel guilty? Not one bit?" You rushed passed him as you grabbed a empty backpack as you added weapons in there.
"I don't recommend you going. It's dangerous-"
"Are you going to take the fault if those kids die?" You were by the door as he just stood there with no response.
"That's what I thought. Now thanks to you, I'll probably feel less guilty knowing I'm trying to save other lives unlike you. Just when I thought you were a great leader. Im actually disappointed in you." You said as you walked in.
As you walked in, you looked up seeing all the stairs you were going have to climb up. "This will be a long journey." You took out a rifle you saved for something like this.
You walked up the stairs slowly before hearing something. It sounded like it was slithering. The noise faded behind you. You didn't move for another good 10 seconds before taking another step. 'Must be gone' you thought to yourself as you walked another staircase.
Once again you stopped as you heard the sound again. This time your heart stopped as it felt.... Closer. You felt something weird down your legs. It was sticky. You looked down slowly to see.... What was it exactly? Slime? Saliva? Whatever it was it was starting to feel weird and painful.
Just then you heard the slithering once more, just to realize it was too late not realizing how soft there movements were. You looked back slowly seeing some kind of monster that looked like a snake. Your heartbeat started to beat faster and faster as you realized it had legs and not a tail. Head and body was just like a snake.
The snake started to yell as it was just going in a bite for you, but you managed to quickly run out from it. You grabbed the stair way seeing how big this 'thing' was.
"I guess you must've turn into one." You said seeing it yell more. You only had few floors left to make it to the room, but the problem was not letting it be on the same floor as you. At this point you had no choice to either make it go to a different floor, or either kill it.
What you did notice was how similar it was to a snake. The saliva had felt like it was burning your leg for a good second. That means the bite can be taken more damage.
You looked down to realize it left the burn mark in your leg. You turn around to see the monster yelling once again.
"First and last chance to kill this thing ." You pulled a knife you had as it ran towards you. You ran towards it as well as it tried to grab you, but you managed to slice half of its face.
The monster was now going crazy which was your chance to run upstairs. Soon to talk, the monster had gotten your legs as you slipped downstairs. The saliva was still on the ground causing it to get on your skin. The burn felt horrendously awful that it felt like your skin was melting.
You flipped over to see the monster going towards you for a bite, but you quickly dodged it as you got back up again.
'Half the face was sliced so cutting the whole thing might be the answer to killing it. Only thing is to avoid the fangs.'
Getting your thoughts together, you brought out another knife having two now. You ran towards it once more as you stabbed on right direct to the eye as the other went slicing his neck. It was yelling crazy to the point it started to go everywhere.
Luckily the head had came off, but the body was still moving. You tried walking up the steps, but it didn't go well. The monster had tried pushing everything in its way to where it had pushed you to the edge of the stairway causing you to fall on your knees. You touched your head to see blood.
Walking up the steps, you've finally made it to floor. Finally seeing du sik apartment you felt a great relief coming towards you. You opened the door to see everyone was safe including two new people you didn't recognized.
Everyone had a surprised reaction seeing you. It wasn't that you came that surprised them, but rather the blood dripping down your head, the burn marks that were left behind as well.
"Big sister are you okay?" Su yeong asked as she had a worried expression. "I think I'm fine. Glad to see you guys doing okay." You said as you walked in.
You looked over hyun su as he wondered why you ended up coming. "I ended up eavesdropping on your conversation with eun hyuk earlier. I didn't want them to be left behind."
Your eyes squinted a bit as you started to notice hyun- su looked... awfully weird. It felt like everyone was spinning around you. "Are you okay?" Hyun su asked noticing your expression changing.
"Sorry, I just need to sit for a bit." You said leaning your back to the wall as you closed your eyes.
The girl who was named yuri came towards you as she checked on you and checked your pulse. "She fainted. I think she knew before, that's why she sat down." She looked at the others as they had a worried look.
"Well what a turn. She came for the kids, but ended up fainting. At least she had the courage to make it all the way up here alone." Everyone looked at du sik as he looked away from them.
"How long is she going to stay like that?"su yeong worriedly as yuri started helping your injury. "You can't tell how long Someone is able to wake up once they faint. But if you look at this side of her head, she must've hit something hard to have this bleeding. I'm not sure about the little burn marks she has though. Must've been some kind of monster she bump into. I'll start treating her up right now."
Jae heon help this eye on you as ji-su noticed it. "Don't worry, she's not going to die. You're staring at her hard like snake."
"She's like my little sister. I'm just irritated seeing her like that."
"Is y/n your sister?" Hyun su asked while Jae heon smiled.
"No. She's been in the building for some time alone, so I wanted her to feel less alone by talking to her. Next thing you know she told me that she wished that I was her brother for the fact I alway ask how she's doing and sometimes bring her food and medicine. I told her we can so we're basically 'siblings'. There's many things she's told me that she hasn't told anyone so I'm glad she has that trust in me."
"That must be nice. How nice of you.." Ji su said.
Around 30 minutes had passed by and you were finally able to wake up. You saw everyone talking amount themselves while Yuri noticed you.
"You're awake. I ended up treating your injuries and noticed the one in your head so I put a bandage on it. Also drink this pill, you might have a headache later due to that."
She handled the pill and water to you as you thanked her. "You really didn't have too, but thank you." You smiled to her while she smiled back. "I'm yuri by the way. I didn't get to introduce myself earlier." She took her hand out with a smile as you did the same. "Im y/n."
You got up as you caught everyone attention. "Oh be careful. You just woke up, so there's chances of you still feeling dizzy.
"Sorry did I keep everyone waiting." Jae heon shook his head. "We're just preparing our stuff to leave. Are you feeling better now?"
"Just a bit better thanks to her." Minutes went by as everyone was ready to leave. You held both kids as everyone else got ready.
Thanks to hyun-soo, everyone made it safely down stairs. Little days had passed by as everything went smoothly.
Everyone was safe. Everyone, but having a half monster down stairs locked. "Must be depressing down there alone." You had planned already to visit him for talk, until eun hyuk tapped your shoulder as he leaned towards you.
"Are you planning on going downstairs?"
"If I was, is there a problem?" Of course getting down there would require his permission.
He let you go as he sighed. "Do as you want. He's still dangerous you know, so that be your problem if you get infected. And what do you got in that bag?"
You walked passed him as you headed down. "Don't worry about it. We'll die either way, so I'm fine with what happens to me."
As you saw the door, you took out the key you secretly took from his days ago. You noticed that he had a spare key so why not have one. You opened the door to see him sitting with his knees to his chest.
As he heard the door open, he turned to you seeing you closing it with just the two of you in there.
"Hey" you sat down next to him as you put the bag down.
"hi. Were you allowed to come down here?" He asked as he fixed his seating posture.
"If I wanted to die, yeah. But that doesn't matter. I didn't get the chance to talk to you after the day bringing du sik and the kids down. Oh by the way, I bought some clean towels, water, and food for you." You took out the stuff for him laying it there.
"You don't have to. I'm not hungry-"
"You know these were my part of food, but I saved them for you today, I'll be happy if you just accepted them." Hyun su felt like he was troubling you, but seeing you insist made him feel thankful.
"Oh okay, Thank you." He took a piece of bread as he broke it in half and offered the other half to you. "We can share. It was yours from the beginning."
You got the bread while a smile appeared on you. "Thanks. I actually wanted to check up on you with something."
He looked up to you noticing something. "All this deal you got with eun hyuk, are you really okay with it?"
"It's okay. I have a place to stay as long as I help them."
"Seriously?" You sighed as you took a bite from the bread he gave you.
"Thank you." He said out of the blue, looking at him. "Why?"
"For being thoughtful for me." Of course nothing was much said as he says little phrases.
"It's nothing. I don't like the idea of having you being left out, considering you doing a lot for us. It's the least I can do to repay you for your help." You couldn't help, but smile a bit hearing him thank you.
"By the way the other day..." hyun su spoke as you listened. "You fainted when you came for the 2 kids. Are you okay now?"
You noticed he was a bit curious about the scar on your head and what happened and you told him the whole story.
"Oh. So it's still alive?"
"Probably. I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't kill it. That's means more work for you the next the next time you have to go and look for more stuff. Sorry." You looked down to your hand as hyun lifted his hand slowly towards your head where your scar was.
You felt his touch which had you by surprise, as he awkwardly, but softly caressed it. "You did well. Don't worry, I can kill it for you." You looked to him as your eyes met which felt comforting. You saw a different side of him for a slight second before he pulled his hand away.
"Sorry, that must've been weird..." he looked down quickly. "I- no that's fine."
It was quiet for a moment until you decided to speak. "Hyun su, do you feel comfortable around me. I'm not trying to make it awkward, I just want you to be honest around me if that's fine."
"...I think I am. I do feel comfortable when you talk to me. I don't feel pressured when we talk ."
"Really? I'm glad then. That's all I wanted to hear." You said getting up.
"It's getting pretty late, I'll let you have some good rest now. By the way, I'm here to help you, so don't be afraid to reach out to me if you ever need something. Just hand du sik the note so he can pass it to me. That's our little secret." You smiled which didn't surprise you as he nodded. "Oh Okay thanks." He said softly.
"Good night hyun su." You waved to him before leaving as he awkwardly waved back. "Goodnight y/n."
You closed the door as you walked back to a quiet place to rest. You sat on the stairway for a bit feeling better seeing him.
That was until you remembered what happened. You felt your heart racing a bit as you covered your head. "What was that about. Was he worried about the scar I have. But..." you once again had the idea of him caressing your head.
"I don't want people seeing that side of him. It felt... nice. Good grief." You groaned as you got up and went back up.
Meanwhile hyun su was laying flat in his back as he looked at the hand he caressed you with. He didn't realize he smiled for a slight moment remembering the flustered smile you had on.
"Maybe I should ask for permission next time."
Published: December 18, 2022