"Why does the color red affect the infected people so much?"
Each one of us was only give one chance to answer. Each competitors wore a calculated expression, formulating their answers inside their brain.
One of us raised his hand in the air.
"Yes!" Johnny was high-spirited today. Maybe he himself was also curious of the answer.
The competitor, who was the one who only returned my smile earlier, opened his mouth. "Red is a strong color. Fierce, even. And infected people's cells are weaker. They have less defending layer in their eyes. So for instance they stare at the color, it penetrates the layer and gives them headaches."
"Wonderfully put answer!" Johnny exclaimed. "I wonder if that's the real explanation though," Johnny glanced at Yuta's father and his son. "Our Illustrious Distingué here told me he will first hear all of our eight competitor's responses. And by then, will the winner be announced."
So I was right. Yuta's father does know. Yuta, however, looked confused as I watched him lean near his father and whisper something to his ear.
Another competitor tried to answer. Then another. And another.
When it was Xiao Jun's turn, I was twice attentive.
"Red reminds infected people the color of blood, the color of their fate, the color of death. I believe it bothers them, Your Distingué, since the virus deals with not only the physical condition of the infected but also their mentality."
"That sounds credible and likely to be true," Johnny answered.
It did. But I don't think that he got it right. Because when I glanced at Nakamoto Taka, he didn't show any signs of glee or surprise. Or maybe he's just good at hiding his emotions.
All of a sudden, the memory I had in my childhood howled for me.
One daybreak when I was nine.
Red. Red. The word was tugging at a past memory. Snowy field. Basket and knots. Coffees and rivers. Then Baba's face.
"Hopefully no human saw you take them...?"
Take what?
Then the voice of a child, me.
"Apples. I came here to pick apples."
A pair of brown eyes. Seven colors. A small he. "The color of that fruits is sacred." More memories, more words, more clues. "The sunlight passes through the droplets of water." Then a memory of my feet, moving into the snow. An image of a basketful of apples. Dewdrops. Rainbow. "Just a wolf...." I heard my own voice tighten. "How? How does it do that?" Cruel eyes, a boy not from town. "The less it bends," a pale finger pointed towards the river, "the more it travels . . . "
The flashback ended by the whip of Johnny's voice.
"Now we only have one contestant left to answer," he said and the crowd waited for me.
My jaw hang open, my gown felt heavier and my gloves absorbed more and more heat - as the meaning registered.
Could it be the answer?
I swallowed a lump in my throat. It might be, I have a chance to win. The ones who studied the VS were scientists, not psychologists. Hence, it would be wiser if I answer with scientific facts.
"Red is always on top," my voice hitched. Like the rainbow. "Therefore, it makes them have higher wavelengths. So for instance," I cleared my throat. "When an infected person lies their eyes on the color red, it's the color that stood most to their vision. It bounces back to their sight, reflecting it to their eyes. The less it bends, the more it travels. This is where the trick comes, Your Distingué," my forehead's starting to sweat. "It disrupts their Neowaves. And I believe that Neowaves explain a lot of things. It is a person's consciousness and mentality. So as the color bends and travels to the eyes of the infected, then it troubles them and cause a disturb in their Neowaves, their head. It's like crushing their skull and penetrating their brain," I sighed deeply and added, "That's all."
A short moment of silence.
I slowly clenched and unclenched my fists.
Oh god.
The side of Yuta's lips twitched upward. Whether it's because I got it right or wrong - it didn't matter.
"Very well," Johnny said. "It seems like we are done listening to all of the contestants' answers. Your Distingué?" he turned his body to face Yuta's father. "Will you bring the honor of announcing the winner?"
My body tensed. I can't believe that ten-years long training I had will result to this. Did it bear a fruit? Or will I get the answer wrong- putting all my efforts in vain?
Just as Yuta's father stood up, an additional person was escorted to the seat next to Yuta's.
The crowd's eyes were on the newcomer.
I almost gasped, eyes widening and jaw tightening.
It's not his mother. It's not one of the bosses. It's not anyone I wanted to stand there at the viewing deck with a pack of wolves.
Jaemin.
I couldn't withstand the sight. I just couldn't. I never met him at all, I barely know him. But the hatred and anger I felt in my chest was real.
Not against Jaemin, but against the men who made him like this.
So my hunch was correct. The president wished to publicize his fake son. But for what reason?
If I had the power, I would head straight to that damn deck and pull Jaemin out of that godforsaken cage.
His face never displayed emotions. He took the seat next to Yuta and I resisted the urge to scream. Get out. Flee from this place. Yuta, get him out of there!
But I doubt Yuta knew what was going on. For him, Jaemin was just a stranger.
My thoughts were partially interrupted when the deep and hard voice of Yuta's father blanketed the whole Dome.
He greeted everyone merrily. I wanted to bid farewell and just make an end of this mess. He said everyone from the contestans provided wise answer. I wanted to laugh and say that all of the people here are foolish, blinded humans. Then finally, the silliest of them of all, he said there's a feast later for the new Champion.
I call for destruction.
I didn't want to listen to his chains of flourished speeches - all of them were far from reality.
I glanced at Jaemin. He reminded me of myself. Forced to become someone else. Wore tainted masks. Caged by the leash of devils.
I wanted to throw up. It's disgusting. All the things I'd been through - I couldn't bear the fact that a young boy like him got to experience all of it.
It's much worse than being infected.
The infected people got reasons to be weak. They had excuses not to be a part of this or a part of that. But we -
we are damned.
We can't be weak. We can't say no. We can't defy . . .
"....ladies and gentlemen - " I drew my attention back to the speaker whom I almost forgot was right there. "I am honored to say that one of the contestants got the right answer to one of the city's greatest mystery. Everyone, allow me to welcome Dong Sooji, aged 20 and is a Neon holder, as the Capital's new Champion!"
What?
No, no, no.
Why am I digging deeper to the piths of hell?
Now's the time to break my vow.
Now's the time to voice out.
Fool. There's no point in running away. You're already a part of this mess - a part of this endless game. And it will only be "game over" once you perfected the right move and destroy the enemies. Everyone's relying on you....you...you.
Your real family is waiting for you outside these walls. Your old friends from home shouldn't forget you once existed. Your comrades trust you. You have what it takes to discover the cure for the virus.
I couldn't form any words, couldn't smile, couldn't breathe.
I couldn't feel my legs, too, but they still strided with smooth motions as they moved forward towards the deck to receive my price. They felt like plastics. Breakable. Just one snap of my bones and I'd fall to the ground.
The flashes of the camera sickened me; the applause and jeers of the crowd deafened me. I wondered if Sicheng's also clapping, if he's proud of what I've become.
Four faces greeted me when I stepped on the highest platform. One from Jaemin, one from Johnny, one from the Capital's ruler and then one from its inheritor.
Yuta was the one carrying the medal.
I paled even more.
He moved closer to me and I wished I could just vanish.
I wore a stone face, to show him that I wasn't happy and that this is not a choice I made. That to serve him is not my own will.
He stepped closer until the tips of our shoes touched each other.
"Congratulations, Soo," he spoke with distracting gentleness.
Then he pinned the m̶e̶d̶a̶l̶ curse on my chest.
I kept my chin raised high but the truth was I was so close to shattering.
Then without hesitation, Yuta took my hand in his and kissed the back of it in front of everyone inside the Dome--- in front of his father and my brother and Ten and every being in this place.
I shivered and dropped my hand to my side and exhaled a fortifying breath and he looked at me with a confused look as if to ask why, as if to say aren't you happy, as if to decipher what's frightening me.
But before he could ask anything, the chandeliers inside the Dome flickered as one and went out.
Author's note:
Continue scrolling for the next chapter 😌😘 (yes it's a double update)💜
Btw is the schedule of my updates (only on friday-sunday) making your forget about the recent events in the previous chapters? Or is it okay? Can you still be able to recall them or is the "five-days no update" making you forgot about what happened?