𝐱. 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫

The next day, Soojin and Hyunsoo were leaning on the same floor, with their heads tilted in each other's direction. The girl was the first one to open her eyes. She looked around, hearing a quiet crack in her neck. The woman with the trolley was making the food for breakfast, while Jisu was cleaning her bat
Soojin tapped Hyunsoo on the arm, waking him up.

   The waltz music started playing in the whole building. People looked around confused. The woman put the food on the table.

"Survivors, the first floor is now safe," the man's voice sounded from the speakers, "Come to the first floor. We'll be safer together" Everyone looked at each other, "We survivors must stick together. Please come down"

   The last words were quieter, it sounded like it was something personal. The music stopped playing.

"Then, I guess we have a plan what to do next" Soojin stood up, looking at Jisu and Jaeheon

"You think that was a real announcement?" asked Dusik

The girl furrowed, "You think it's not? I mean, I don't know..."

Jisu took her bat, and swung it on her arm, "I think that we can't just sit here, waiting for the rescue. We need to do something. I can go"

"I'll go too," Soojin took her machete

Girls looked at others in the room. Hyunsoo looked at brunette worried. Jaeheon went for his sword. All three of them started to packing their backpacks. The woman with trolley, asked them to eat something, so they quickly did that, wanting to leave already.

"You can't really trust that announcement," said Dusik, when three of them were ready to go, "Are you gonna be okay?"

"We'll be okay, sir," said Soojin, trying not to stare at Hyunsoo, who stood with kids, "We need to do something"

"Thank you for giving me this," said Jaeheon, looking at the shield that the man gave him, "May God bless you for all you've done for us"

"I like Budhha"

When the man said that, the awkward silence occurred. Soojin looked at Jisu, trying not to laugh, and the girl also tried to stop the smirk, when they saw Jaehon's confused face.

"We're gonna make sure to come back for you and get you all," said Jisu

The man on the wheelchair sighed, "Don't promise me anything you can't keep. I think... I should say farewell to you" he waved his hand

"You know..." started Jisu, "Someone once said to me, even complete darkness disappears with the faintest light"

Soojin looked at the girl.

"Is that person is still alive?"

"I'm not sure," Jisu smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile

"So...." everyone looked at Hyunsoo. He turned around, and picked his backpack and spear, "Can I go with you?"

Soojin smiled. She waited for him to say that.

"Sure. The more of us, the merrier"

"Okay then go. Go," Dusik waved his hand, "All of you go!"

Hyunsoo walked to others. Jisu put her hand on the handle, when Yeongsu grabbed Soojin's hand. The girl turned to him surprised.

"You will come back, okay?" he asked, looking at Hyunsoo and her. Soojin squatted to him.

"Okay," the little boy pulled out hands, giving her his dinosaur toy, The girl shook her head, "Oh no, you don't need to give me that. I think he needs to stay with you, right? If anything happens, you need to have your dinosaur with you. I can lose him on accident"

Yeongsu nodded his head. He put his small hand around girl's neck, hugging her. She was a bit surprised, but she also hugged the boy.

"Thank you so much for saving us," Suyeong bowed to them

"You're welcome," Hyunsoo smiled

The boy let go Soojin. She brushed his hair, making it a bit messy.

"Come on, we better be going" said Jaeheon

Soojin stood up, and walked back to the others. Jisu opened the door, and four of them left the apartment 1408. The kids waved to them as goodbye.

      They were walking down through the staircase, without meeting any monsters. But just in case, they all held their weapons, ready to fight. They were on the 9th floor when they saw a laying man on the threshold. The surrounding floor were covered in blood stains.

"It's a person," said Jisu. She walked to the man, and touched his neck, "He's still warm. Hasn't been dead for long"

Soojin pursed her lips, and took a step closer. Jisu put a hand to the dead man's pocket, and took out a candy bar. She threw it to Hyunsoo, who almost drop it. He looked at her surprised.

"Put it back if you don't want it," said the girl

"You're cold"

Soojin twisted her head to him.

"So what if I am? I do worse to survive," murmured Jisu, "And I suggest you to do the same"

Hyunsoo looked at her for a while, and then put the candy bar in his pocket. Jaeheon stood up, "Let's go" he said, passing the three of the

Jisu followed him, and so did Soojin, tapping the boy on his arm. He stood there for a few seconds, and then turned to others. No one expected a monster to hit him.

   The loud sound, like a whip strike, make them turn around, to only see Hyunsoo falling behind the railing, down the staircase.

"Hyunsoo!"

Three of them rushed to the railing, just to see the boy collapsing on the floor. Soojin screamed terrified. Her whole body started shaking, as she saw big blood stain appearing around the boy. She started running down the stairs, Jisu and Jaeheon behind her.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Hyunsoo fell on his knees in front the three pictures of his family. He was sobbing loudly, with his head down. He felt pain in his whole body, and in his hand, when he hit the ground.

"Why did you leave me alone?" he cried. His voice was raspy, and he felt dizzy, "Why did you do that? Why?"

He cried, gripping his fingers on a mat made of straw. The group of people appeared behind him. The boy started hearing voices, in his head, like an echo.

"IS HE DEAD?"

"NO. I THOUGHT HE'D DIE. DO YOU KNOW HIM?"

"I DON'T THINK SO"

"DON'T GO NEAR HIM"

Hyunsoo raised his head, looking around confused. His eyes turned black. He was hearing more voices, at the same time.

"WE CAN'T LEAVE THE INFECTED HERE"

"TAKE THE MONSTER OUT"

Someone grabbed Hyunsoo by his arms, pulling him down to the floor. The boy tried to let go of the grip, but he couldn't. He started screaming, frustrated. One word was howling in his head.

MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER.
MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER.
MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER. MONSTER.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Soojin ran to the first floor, Jisu and Jaeheon appeared behind her after a few seconds. She was breathing heavily, running all the way here, while the others tried keep pace with her, but she was too fast. The girl looked around the lobby. There were people in there, who took a step back when the new guests appeared, with their big weapons.

"Where did you take him?" she said without any greeting or whatever they expected

The staircase was empty, leaving only a big stain of blood. It took them about ten minutes to get to the first floor. From the people that stood in the lobby, no one said anything.

"Hey!" the girl pointed with her machete at people, who took another step back, and then she pointed at the staircase, "I asked what did you do to the guy that fell there?"

From behind the people walked the boy, with glasses on his nose. He stood in front the people, walking to the girl. She had to rise her head a little to look at him.

"Can you put down your weapon?" he asked, looking at her machete, "They are scared, so please calm down"

Soojin pursed the lips, and looked at people behind him. They looked afraid of her, since she acted so crazy, yelling at them, and swinging a machete in their direction. She did what the boy said.

"You are the leader her?" asked the girl, biting her cheek from the inside

"My name is Eunhyuk. What's yours?"

He looked at the two other people behind the girl. They put down their weapons, walking closer to the boy.

"My name is Jaeheon, and this is Jisu," he tilted his head to the girl next to him

Eunhyuk looked down at the brunette girl in front him. She pursed her lips.

"I'm Soojin," she started tapping on the floor with her foot nervously, "And the boy that fell down the stairs is with us, so can you please tell me what did you do to him?"

Eunhyuk took a deep breath, "He is infected, so we needed to isolate him from others"

Another people came to lobby. Brunette furrowed. If they knew that he is infected, it's nothing good.

"We should isolate them too!" yelled some man in the crowd, "They are probably infected!"

Soojin looked at him. It was owner of a small shop that he runs with his wife, mr. Kim. He has always been a motherfucker to others.

"Ya!" it was Jisu who raised her voice this time, "We are not infected. And Hyunsoo isn't dangerous, there's no need to lock him"

Soojin looked at her and smiled gratefully.

"He's a monster!" yelled the same man, "He can turn after a second and kill of us!"

Soojin gripped her hand on the handle of the machete.

"Can you shut up already?" said someone

Soojin knew that voice very well. She twisted her head to Nayeon, who had her hands put in the pockets of red sweatpants. Brunette sighed in relief, seeing her friend alive.

"Nayeon"

The girl gave her a big smile, while Soojin walked to her. She hugged the black haired girl tightly, breathing deeply.

"Shit, I thought you died," whispered Soojin

"Yeah, you wish" scoffed Nayeon, but she closed her eyes, feeling her friend's hair on her cheek. She squeezed her body, and after a second she let her go. Black haired looked at Eunhyuk, "They deserve some rest. They are survivors after all," she turned to the crowd, "Ya! Stop staring, they're not infected, so you don't have to be scared"

   Some people leave the crowd, but some still stayed and watched them. The group of survivors, with Eunhyuk and Nayeon, walked away from them.

"Are you guys hungry?" Nayeon said quietly to three of the new guests, embracing Soojin with her arm, "We can find something for you to eat. But there are some problems with reserves. We have to share it between all the people, but soon we gonna be out"

"You don't have to say that," murmured Eunhyuk

"No, we ate breakfast," said Soojin. She took off her backpack, and opened it, showing them contest, "We brought food. It's not a lot, but it's something"

"That's good," said Eunhyuk adjusting his glasses, "Did you meet other people by any chance?"

"Actually, we left on the 14th floor two persons with two kids," said Jaeheon, "We promised them to come back"

The boy nodded his head, thinking about something.

"Well, we can take care of it later," he finally said, "Nayeon is right, you should all rest for now"

He turned around to walk away, but he was stopped by Soojin.

"Where is Hyunsoo?" she asked, "I know he is isolated, but there? Which room?"

"He is unconscious anyway..."

"I asked which room he is in," said Soojin decisively

Eunhyuk looked at her, biting his cheek from inside. Nayeon helped him, putting her hand on girl's arm, seeing that she worry very much, so she wanted her to stay calm.

"When he'll wake up, you gonna be the first one to know," she said with a smile. Eunhyuk nodded his head, but Soojin couldn't understand why they won't let her go to him, "Come on, we have to talk about a lot of things"