𝐱𝐢. 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Hyunsoo opened his eyes. He straightened up on the boxes that he laid on. He looked around confused, scanning the room he was in. The girl was standing in front him with a big smile.

"You really fell," said Eunyoo

"Where am I?" asked the boy with raspy voice

Eunyoo chuckled, "This is the place we all gather around and wait to die"

Hyunsoo turned head to her rapidly, "What about others? Are they alright?"

"They're okay," she said, and the boy sighed in relief, "But she made a lot noise when she got here" he looked at the girl confused, "Soojin. She started to swing her machete in front the people, and acting like crazy chick," Eunyoo laughed

"Why?"

The girl looked at Hyunsoo like as if he was dumb, "What do you think? She was worried, where were you after we brought you here," she sighed, "Gosh, people these days are so blind. But I guess, you're not an asshole if you care about others. You should worry more about yourself"

Hyunsoo looked at her surprised. He didn't know what she meant by that.

"Eunyoo," her brother walked to the room

The girl looked at him and rolled her eyes, "I'm gonna tell her that you woke up"

She left the room, on her way, hitting Eunhyuk with her arm.

"Are you okay?" asked the older boy. Hyunsoo raised his head, "You passed out after falling from 9th floor. You were sleeping for three hours. Golden hour saved you, you know?" he didn't say anything, "Isn't it ironic? Golden hour used to mean that it was the last hour to save someone, you know?" Hyunsoo stayed silent, so Eunhyuk repeated his question, "Are you okay?"

The boy put his hand on the back of the head. He felt blood under his fingers, and when he looked at his hand, it was all red.

"I think I'm okay," he said

"That's good," said Eunhyuk, "It's going to be tough from now"

The doors of the room opened loudly, making both boys look in their direction. Soojin walked inside. She rushed to the Hyunsoo when she noticed him sitting on the boxes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him happy.

The boy was confused, and maybe a bit scared, because this hug was one of the last things he expected. He didn't remembered when was the last time when someone hugged him. This physical contact was something odd, but it was nice. Hyunsoo raised his hand in the air, not sure what to do. The girl let him go, taking a step back. She punched him on the arm, making the boy even more confused, as he put his hand on the arm and hiss quietly.

"What the fuck was that, Hyunsoo," she scoffed, "You scared the shit out of me, don't do it ever again"

"I'm sorry," said the boy, rubbing his arm. The girl had a lot of strength

"But I'm happy that you are alive"

She smiled, and the corner of the boy's lip raised a little. They looked at each other for a while, before Eunhyuk coughed, getting their attention. Soojin blushed.

"We have to decide what to do with you," he said, looking at Hyunsoo

"What do you mean?" Soojin furrowed, "You see that he isn't a monster, so what do you want to do?"

"I'm not the one to decide," said the boy, "To keep the peace, everyone must agree on something. And many people don't want him here"

Soojin clenched her teeth. She looked at Hyunsoo, who stood up.

"It's okay," he said, "I understand"

"But I don't," said the girl, turning back to Eunhyuk, "Maybe if he goes out to people they will see that he won't hurt them"

The boy with glasses nodded his head.

"Come on then"

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

People from the first floor started gathering in one of the rooms, after they were instructed by Eunhyuk. The boy himself walked with Hyunsoo and Soojin, ignoring whispers around them.

Owner of the shop, mr. Kim, walked to them, snorting irritated.

"You're all out of your mind," he said, "You brought a monster in here"

They stopped. Soojin clenched her teeth, holding the machete close to her.

Mr. Kim walked to Hyunsoo, pointing at him the cutter. The girl felt blood boiling in her veins

"Don't you dare turn," he propounded the blade, "Got it? You crazy monster," Hyunsoo
looked at the knife. "Or I'll slice your throat"

"Then I'll slice yours"

Soojin lifted her machete, with the end of it touching the man's chest. With one button, she could electrocute him. The man looked down at the weapon and his face dropped.

"What's wrong?" she asked, making a sad face, "Are you scared, tough man?"

"You little..." he hissed, but the girl pushed her machete a little forward

"Put the knife down," she said

The man's hand was shaking, but he did what he was told to. He was furious, but also scared. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. The man turned around and walked to the room, leaving three people behind. Soojin smiled while Hyunsoo watched her amazed.

"You can't just threat people like that," said Eunhyuk

The girl twisted her head to him, "Some people deserve that. He's lucky that I didn't stab him"

"You're not the one to decide to deserve that, and who doesn't. And you don't need to walk everywhere with that machete"

The girl looked down at her weapon. Maybe it sounds weird, but she got really attached to it. Like it was made just for her.

"Fine," the girl murmured

But she took it to the room anyway. She stopped when she noticed that Hyunsoo didn't walk with them. Soojin turned around.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll stay here," the boy said, "I think it'll be better"

The girl pursed her lips. The boy tried to smile to her, so she would be calm about that. She nodded her head, leaving Hyunsoo outside.

————

"Here," Eunhyuk walked back to the room, putting on the table a small box and crayons, "Everyone please grab a piece of paper. If you think we should expel Hyunsoo, then go ahead and draw a circle. And if you don't think we should, draw an X. The put a paper in the box"

Soojin uncovered her face, that she hide in her hands earlier, sick of people arguing if Hyunsoo should live or not. She stood up from the floor. She didn't like the idea of voting. Nayeon embraced her arm, seeing how nervous she is.

"Obviously, he'll be kick out," said mr. Kim. Soojin clenched her teeth, "Why bother? Raise your hand if you want him out"

He raised his hand, looking at others. How surprised he was, when no one else did that.

He looked at his wife, who sat next to him with her head down, "Raise your hand, you cow"

Soojin felt that soon she might crush her teeth.

"Well, I don't" Eunyoo walked to the room, taking off headphones

"You're way too young to vote," said mr. Kim

"So this is official?" chuckled the girl, "Age doesn't matter"

"How dare you talk back to me," hissed the man, "When an adult speaks, you should listen"

Eunyoo pulled out her hand, and started to showing him fingers, as like in the sign language. Even tho, Soojin didn't know that language, she could figure out what the girl wanted to say, when she put up her middle finger up. The three girls standing in the back, Soojin, Nayeon and Jisu, giggled at the confused man.

"Did you swear at me?" he asked, "If I was your dad, I'd give you a good old-fashioned beating!"

"I didn't" said Eunyoo with a big smile, "I said you're cool"

She pointed at him hand with one finger down, and made a move like a shot from a gun. She walked to the other girls, and Jaeheon, smiling to herself.

"To protect everyone privacy, it must be a secret ballot," said Eunhyuk

"What?" Soojin rolled her eyes. She couldn't even stand the old man's voice anymore, "Why would it be a secret?"

"Because expelling him... would be like taking part in a murder"

Soojin looked around, hoping that the truth he told, will make others think about that longer. She ran through her hair with a hand nervously, her foot was tapping on the floor.
Mr. Kim stood up, scoffing angry.

"Privacy? No way man. I want him out," he raised his hand again, "Hands up! It's not a murder. We're doing this to survive"

    Soojin couldn't listen to the man anymore. And even she was a bit stressed, she walked in the middle of the room.

"And why he can't survive? Because YOU convinced yourself that he is a monster?" she poked the angry man on the forehead, "We literally came down here, after fighting with some of them, and so did Hyunsoo. He didn't hurt anyone. Maybe he is turning, but he's still a human," she turned to other people, "And yes, kicking him out is taking part in murdering an innocent person. So please think about that"

"Aish, you dumb girl! You're messing with their heads, that's what you do," Soojin turned to the man, raising her eyebrows, "He's a monster. We need to get rid of him!" mr. Kim looked at his wife, "You. Raise your hand" the woman looked around scared, "I told you to raise your hand!"

"I think Eunhyuk has a point," the person that said that was the woman who had this little dog, which she didn't let go even for a second. She was everywhere with him, "Isn't it better to protect the privacy of our votes? Last time I checked, we still live in democracy"

"A democracy? The world is ending!"

"Stop calling your wife names, and using profanities," Soojin smirked, happy that someone said that, "It's offensive"

"You cow," hissed the man, "How dare you...."

He raised his hand, putting it in a fist, wanting to hit the woman. Soojin took a step forward, wanting to stop him, but it was another woman's voice what did that.

"Stop it"

   She was wearing gray and orange overall. Her hands were put in the pockets of the pants. She didn't say anything more, but her harsh gaze make the man listen to her. It was Yikyung, the firefighter, that Nayeon told about. Mr. Kim putted down his hand, murmuring something irritated.

    Eunhyuk gave everyone a piece of paper and red crayon. Soojin draw an X, and was the first to put paper in the box, not hiding her vote. She came back to her place, and looked above Nayeon's arm, to see her also drawing an X.

"Don't worry, asshole," the girl murmured, feeling her breath on her skin, "Your friend will be fine"

She smirked, and went to put her vote to the small box. After five minutes, everyone voted. Eunhyuk was taking one paper by paper, writing the score on the blackboard. Soojin's foot was tapping on the floor all the time.

"Eight of us voted yes, and seven voted no," the boy in glasses turned around to the people. Mr. Kim rushed to the table, taking the votes to count them again, because he was that shocked, "If one of the last two ballots is in favor, he'll be kicked out"

Soojin's stomach twisted from nerves.

"Seven people opposed?" murmured mr. Kim, "Are you all crazy!?"

"Opposed"

Eunhyuk raised a hand with the paper with the X wrote on it. Soojin sighed. There was still last vote, that's gonna decide.

"Damn it... It was you," mr. Kim looked at his wife angry. She shook her head. The man walked to the group of survivors and Nayeon, yelling at them, "All the bitches and bastards on his side should be thrown out!"

"Will you calm the fuck down?" hissed irritated Jisu

"Don't get worked up yet," said Eunhyuk, "The last vote here will determine the result"

He took the box in his hands, and took out the last paper. Soojin was biting her thumbnail, almost biting off her whole hand. Her stomach hurt.

    The boy expanded the folded paper. He looked at it for a while and showed to others. It was X and circle.

"Invalid"

   The girl felt better that it wasn't only the circle, but she didn't have any idea what will happen now. Mr. Kim rushed to the boy, taking from him the paper.

"No way. Hey!" he turned around, "Bring that bastard here!"

He said that meaning Hyunsoo.

"Me?" asked some boy

"Yes! We have to get rid of him!"

The boy that was instructed to do that, turned around, wanting to walk away. Soojin lifted her machete, blocking him in the way. The boy flinched, and so did people around him.

"Stay," she murmured, looking at mr. Kim

"Ya! What are you doing, you crazy bitch?" he yelled

Soojin raised her eyebrows, "Crazy bitch? You really wanna start calling the names, you jerk?"

"You are against the result?" asked calmly Eunhyuk

The man turned to him, "What? You don't know the squat. Murder is killing a human being, not killing a giant fucking monster!"

   He turned the table furious. And then the blood started blasting from his nose on the floor. And it was a lot of blood. Soojin's face dropped, as she put down her machete.

"No fucking way," she whispered

"It is because I'm tired!" yelled mr. Kim, but his voice was muffled from the blood that he got in the mouth.

He covered his face, walking forward. People walked away from him, screaming terrified.

   He wanted to leave the room, but someone blocked his way. It was Hyunsoo. He looked down at the bleeding man.

"You better brace yourself," he said. Mr. Kim mumbled something, "The monsters are coming for you"

Soojin smiled amused. The old man started swearing at the boy. Hyunsoo walked pass him, bending to pick the paper with the circle. Soojin stopped smiling.

"Can I cast my vote?" he put it above the box, ready to throw it inside, "If I put this in, he'll be thrown out too, right?"

"Hyunsoo..." Soojin took a step toward him

"Right?" the boy turned his head to the man. His eyes turned black

   Mr. Kim fell on the floor with loud bang. No one moved. Soojin poked him with the end of the machete, but the man didn't react.

"Maybe he's dead?"

Yikyung walked to him, and checked his pulse, "He's alive"

Hyunsoo stood up, putting the paper in his pocket.

"I think there's no reason to cast the last vote," said Eunhyuk, "Much easier would be to lock them, isolated, so even if one of them turn, they won't hurt us. Does everyone agree?"

   No one opposed this time. Soojin felt relived that they're not gonna kick out the boy on the outside, but on the other hand, the idea of locking him in the one room with this man, wasn't the smartest idea.

"Hyunsoo, is that okay?"

He looked at Eunhyuk and nodded his head.