Dinner went just as expected, with uncomfortable small talk and contrasting personalities. Jiwon, though, was content with even a little moment of tranquilly. Jiwon also mentioned the first-floor survivor group, which made her brother and Jisu consider going down there for protection.
After supper, everyone dispersed across the space to sleep, and she saw herself returning to the wall that had been her source of solace for the previous several hours. Hyunsoo joined her and took a seat next to her. Jisu was getting ready to assume first watch while the two made an effort to sleep.
Jiwon remembered what Hyunsoo had said during the meal as a result of the silence. He had murmured, almost as if it meant nothing to him, "If I turn into a monster, please kill me." Yet his anxious eyes revealed his true expression.
Jisu's baseball bat skidded on the floor as she passed Jiwon and Hyunsoo, causing Hyunsoo to open his eyes. Jiwon thought that now was as good a moment as any to finally talk about the fact that she had been infected.
She turned to the boy and said in a low voice, "Hyunsoo."
"Yes?" Answering, Hyunsoo turned to face Jiwon, his motions now appearing less anxious than normal.
She stated, "I don't want to hurt anyone, so if I begin to turn into a monster, I want you to kill me."
Before responding, Hyunsoo nodded. "Same for you, kill me if I turn into a monster, please."
Despite the absurd circumstance that was occurring, she responded, "Got it.""
"Did you see yourself too?" While turning his gaze away from the girl, Hyunsoo asked.
Jiwon was initially perplexed until realizing he must be referring to the entity she saw while experiencing a nosebleed."
"Yeah, I did. It also showed me memories I wanted to forget and offered to do it." She laughed as she turned to face Hyunsoo. "Sounds quite good actually."
He firmly turned back to the girl and stated, "Don't listen to it. I think that's how I haven't turned into a monster yet."
"Okay, got it. Are you going to go downstairs tomorrow?" Jiwon inquired.
He replied, returning to his worried mood, "I don't know."
Jiwon gave him a pat on the back and then yawned, saying, "Hey, that's okay, don't worry about it."
She tilted her head back and adjusted herself till she felt at ease.
She muttered, "Goodnight, Hyunsoo."
He responded, "Goodnight," also laying his head back.
Jiwon was able to persuade her brother to let her sleep close to Hyunsoo since she slept quite light and would wake up right away if anything happened. Jaeheon was unaware that his younger sister had gotten infected, therefore he didn't understand at all why Jiwon was not threatened by Hyunsoo.
So, Jiwon shut her eyes and let her mind take her on a thought journey. She actually came to terms with the fact that she was dying during this time of solitude and that, in her estimation, her days were numbered unless a treatment could be discovered. As soon as she understood she was dying, she realized she wouldn't miss anybody when she was gone because she would be dead, but she would be sorry to leave behind her brother, Eunhyuk, Eun, and even her parents. Despite what her parents had done, she had hoped that one day she would recover and be able to communicate with them once more. However, it seemed that day will never come. As she pondered the imagined future that she and Eunhyuk had discussed, she noticed that her eyes were beginning to burn. Jiwon would become a well-known Kumdo champion and establish her own Martial Arts Studio while Eunhyuk would grow up and become a successful doctor. The two possessed strong wills and were adamant about achieving their goals, but at the moment, Jiwon's world was unravelling.
The girl heard whispered murmurs nearby as she fell asleep with tears threatening to form in her eyes.
The faint buzz of the continuously operating surveillance cameras startled Eunhyuk's slumber as morning approached. To make sure nothing had changed while he had slept, he glanced at each camera. He was able to exhale in relief that the survivors from upstairs had remained in the same room. He then left to check on Eun and the barricades.
The tenants were dispersed across the area; some were arguing while others were just sitting still. Everyone who wanted food had to pay for it since the old man who ran the convenience shop in the lobby had locked himself inside. Although Eunhyuk would be shocked by the man's selfishness, it was really expected behaviour at this point. The group had also gained a new member throughout the course of the previous night but owing to his damaged face and suspiciously eerie energy, Eunhyuk had fast concerns about him. Sangwook was seated next to Eun, who was one of the individuals sitting by herself. It appeared that the two were at least cordial enough to avoid biting each other's heads off. His exchange with Eun was similarly brief, as it typically is.
He approached her and said, "Good morning, Eun."
Now that he could see her face, he asked, "Are you okay? " She appeared irritated, but that was how she always appeared.
She stood up and proceeded to go past the boy, saying, "I'm fine.
Eunhyuk sighed and looked at Sangwook who nodded at him. Eunhyuk then walked back to watch the security cameras. He nearly forgot that Eun wasn't quite as nice to him without Jiwon around, he also realized how much more anxious he had been. He couldn't rely on any of the tenants since everyone down here acted more like children than adults.
The microphone system started blaring music as he walked to the room full of security cameras. He would have access to the building's microphone system today and could use it to alert any survivors who weren't aware of their group's location on the main floor to come downstairs and join them. He quickly started using the switchboard to access the microphone, sighing that it was taking longer than he wanted. It reminded him how Jiwon was always more adept at utilizing technology. He eventually managed to get it to work and began speaking into the microphone, failing to realize that a determined mother was tearing down the front barricade.
"Survivors in the building, take any food, medicine, and weapons you have and come to the first floor. The first floor is quite safe for now and it'll be safer to stay together. We survivors must stick together."
"Is there really no way I can persuade you not to go?" Eunhyuk inquired.
"Sorry, but no," the girl answered emphatically.
As Jiwon said bye to Sangwook and Eun, Eunhyuk remained stuck in his mind. He was confident she would return because she had to. She gave him a kind grin as she walked through and shut the door. She had no idea that the boy was not at all comforted by that grin. No matter how many breaths he took, it appeared as though a weight had been placed on his chest and he couldn't get rid of it.
"Please come down. Please. I repeat–." As he tried to continue speaking, static took over the mic before it turned off.
When Eunhyuk finally heard the disturbance near the main entrance, he immediately hurried to investigate. When he arrived, the mother who was waiting for her daughter was desperately attempting to exit through the gradually rising shutters. Two men restrained her. Eunhyuk was filled with anxiety and frustration.
Before they could react, he exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing!?"
The woman said her daughter was there and showed her phone to Eunhyuk. He paid her no mind.
She screamed loudly as he said, "Lower the shutters."
Eunhyuk was startled to see a little girl in a school uniform sprinting towards the building as the shutters fully opened. She stumbled and fell to the ground as the fear persisted. In order to avoid entering an unknown environment beyond the building, the group could only stand and observe. Eunhyuk stood still, unsure of what to do. Although the young girl was present, it seemed impossible that she could survive outside at night when so many creatures were out and about.
After a hard week of nonstop schoolwork, Jiwon and Eunhyuk played "World of Apocalypse" in a PC cafe.
"Hey! You left him!" Eunhyuk commented as their characters fled from a pack of monsters devouring another player.
Jiwon waited until their characters were safe before responding.
She winked at him and said, "See, I did it for the greater good."
"But—" Eunhyuk began, trying to form a rebuttal.
"Hey, our characters are still alive, right? That's what matters." She said, turning to her computer screen and continuing to play.
"Right", he said with a small smile before getting back to the game.
To get the woman's daughter would be too dangerous. Eunhyuk stayed put in his spot. As soon as he made up his mind, the young soldier rushed outside in the direction of the girl. However, as soon as he approached the girl, the monster's appendage they had previously seen pierced both his and the girl's chest, killing them. The group witnessed more innocent people being killed by the frightening monsters outside. The entire group watched in disbelief as the corpse of the young man was hurled and the body of the young girl was raised into the air.
Before speaking, the unidentified man walked close to Eunhyuk.
"He could still be alive."
Eunhyuk suddenly moved, stating, "No," and blocking the door with a large locker since he knew he wouldn't have time to lower the shutters. As soon as he was done, the monster's appendage protruded from the locker and thrashed around close to Eunhyuk's face, halting his breathing. The shutters then abruptly started to close, forcing the monster's appendage to flail around more violently and nick Eunhyuk's cheek while spattering blood on his face.
He had just started to catch his breath when the upset woman went up to him and hit him in the chest, accusing him of being responsible for her daughter's death.
"She died because of you! She cried out, "You killed her!"
As the woman screamed, Eunhyuk stood motionless.
[author's note]
Hello readers! Sorry, Eunhyuk and Jiwon haven't been together for a while but I can assure you that they will be soon! Anyway, hope you're all having a nice day!
- Anise :)