♥︎ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 27♥︎

𝐿 𝑂 𝑉 𝐸❦⊹܀𝑆𝐼𝐶𝐾❦⊹

ೄྀ𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄ೄྀ____

⊹܀☙❦☙܀܀💌🌹ೄྀ𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍ೄྀᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ ᴛᴇɴ

𝐈t was finally morning, and the sun shone through the tiny window above as Na-hee stared into the nothingness. She seemed to be the first one awake this time, still feeling the weight of Wu-jin's words from the night before.

Cheong-san blinked awake, taking in his surroundings. The sorrow from yesterday lingered on his face.

Na-hee set her gaze on Cheong-san, her heart aching for him. She carefully moved to his side and slowly seated herself next to him, her presence a quiet comfort.

Cheong-san looked at her, his eyes reflecting a mix of admiration and an unsettling obsession.

After a moment of silence, Cheong-san let out a low sigh, his breath heavy with unspoken thoughts. "I thought about it all night long." he tells, his voice tinged with hesitation. "How do I live? What do I do?" His voice trailed off, barely above a whisper, as if he feared the answer.

Na-hee turned to him, her expression softening. "Cheong-san. she said gently, her voice steady despite the atmosphere around them. "I know you feel lost. We all do sometimes. But you don't have to figure it out alone. I'll help you." She reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, unaware of the storm brewing within him.

Cheong-san stared at her, feeling reassured by her words as a glimmer of hope lit up his eyes. But that hope quickly twisted into something darker as he focused on her hand resting on his shoulder. The warmth radiating from her touch sent a shiver down his spine, igniting a possessive urge within him.

Na-hee met his gaze and let out a small smile. "We have a lot to talk about, you know? Let's give it time." she said, nodding and giving him a warm smile, blissfully unaware of the intensity of his feelings.

Cheong-san slowly nodded at her words, but a slight smile masked the turmoil within him. "I want to say something." he began, his voice steady yet filled with an unsettling intensity.

Na-hee turned to him, her curiosity piqued. "But I'll say it tomorrow." he added, a hint of mystery in his tone, as if he were guarding a secret that could change everything.

"Alright. Just take it slowly, Cheong-san. " Na-hee reassured him, her eyes filled with understanding. Cheong-san nodded, admiration shining in his gaze.

Lee Cheong-san was determined. He didn't want anyone he loved to get hurt, he would do whatever it took to keep Na-hee safe from harm, even if it meant eliminating anyone who dared to come between them.

After all, love was a powerful force, and he would stop at nothing to ensure that Na-hee remained his forever.

Everyone slowly woke up, some of them seating themselves in a circle. Na-hee remained next to Cheong-san, who seemed lost in thought, his expression a mix of concern and seemingly lost when it comes to Na-hee.

The others looked at Nam-ra, who was gazing up at the closed window with a blank expression that worried some of them. Her stillness was unsettling, and the tension in the air thickened.

"What is it?" Su-hyeok asked curiously, leaning forward. "Do you see something?" he added, his voice laced with concern.

"The smell is getting stronger." Nam-ra replied in her usual calm tone, her eyes still fixed on the window.

Dae-su then sniffed the air, checking himself for any unusual scents. "I can't really smell anything." he said, shrugging as he looked around at the others.

"I think they're all coming this way." Nam-ra told them, turning to face the group. "The smell is really strong." She then sat beside them on the ground, her demeanor unsettlingly composed.

"What kind of smell is it?" Na-hee asked Nam-ra softly, her voice barely above a whisper, hoping for reassurance.

"We can't really figure it out since we're not like her." Hyo-ryung whispered lowly to Na-hee, both girls glancing at Nam-ra with a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"It doesn't really matter since we're all trapped here for good now. There's no way to get out." Joon-yeong said, his voice heavy with resignation.

"Please don't say that." Hyo-ryung urged him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Well, we're screwed." Joon-yeong replied, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Shit, let them kill us if they want." Dae-su said, standing up with a sigh, his frustration boiling over.

"Don't think negatively!" Gyeong-su told the two in annoyance, trying to rally the group's spirits.

"Ha-ri, you didn't fail the preliminaries, did you?" Wu-jin asked his sister, curiosity evident in his voice, eager to shift the focus away from their grim situation.

"No, I did really well." Ha-ri responded, her tone brightening slightly.

"Your tournament, what happened? Why did you come to school?" Wu-jin continued to ask, his questions flowing with genuine interest. There was a moment of silence before Mi-jin broke it with a teasing tone.

Wu-jin would find a way to look at Na-hee whenever he could, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable, as if she were under a spotlight.

"Hey, you're her brother" Mi-jin teased Wu-jin, a playful smirk on her face.

"Yeah, I am" he replied truthfully, a hint of pride in his voice.

"She got a perfect score, so she made it to nationals. I saw her." Mi-jin told him, her tone filled with annoyance as if she were tired of his obliviousness.

Wu-jin felt a smile spread across his face. "Really?" he asked his sister happily, his excitement palpable.

"Mhmm, it's true." Ha-ri replied, her smile matching his.

"That's amazing! Did Mom and Dad not know?" Wu-jin trailed off, his mind racing with thoughts of their parents' reactions.

"Bro, how could they know now? Look around." Mi-jin said, gesturing dramatically to their chaotic surroundings. "She jumped out of the archery bus and ran to the school to find you." She turned to Wu-jin, her expression serious. "Kid, you better be good to her." she finished with a tsk sound at the end. "And to me too. she added with a proud smile.

Wu-jin leaned towards his sister to whisper, "Who is she? Why does she keep talking for you?" Ha-ri turned her head towards Mi-jin, a hint of confusion crossing her face.

"She's my friend." Ha-ri said, and Mi-jin's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"Hell yeah, we're freaking besties." she trailed off, her enthusiasm infectious.

Ha-ri then stopped, shaking her head at Mi-jin, and turned to look at Na-hee, who was silently observing the commotion with curiosity.

"Hey, you're Kim Na-hee, right?" Ha-ri asked, her voice a tease as she mentioned Na-hee. The others turned to look at her, and Na-hee raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by the sudden attention.

"Y-yes, I'm Na-hee." she greeted formally, letting out a small smile to ease the tension. Ha-ri nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she pointed at Wu-jin, who was sitting next to her.

"Did you know my brother has a big crush on you?" she blurted out, her tone teasing yet sincere, causing a ripple of surprise and silence among the group.

"Oh, really?" Na-hee let out awkwardly, trying to keep her cool as she gazed at Jang Ha-ri. Her heart raced as she felt the weight of Wu-jin's stare on her, she quickly averted her eyes.

Of course, she knew it. Na-hee just didn't want to make things awkward for anyone involved.

"That's a surprise!" Hyo-ryung exclaimed, playfully smacking the back of Dae-su, who was sitting down on the ground casually with them, arm crossed.

"Surprise? It was obvious." Dae-su replied bluntly. Hyo-ryung responded by giving him another playful slap on the back.

"Sis!" Wu-jin called out to his sister, his tone a mix of exasperation and concern. Ha-ri simply waved him off, a mischievous smile on her face as she seemed to enjoy in the unfolding drama.

"Definitely not a surprise." Joon-yeong chimed in, his face remaining neutral. He locked eyes with Wu-jin, the tension between them noticeable, as if they were silently threatening each other.

"Aisshh, when did these kids start having a love story before me?" Mi-jin commented, crossing her arms and pouting. She watched the scene unfold with a mix of envy and amusement.

Suddenly, Dae-su walked slowly in front of Ha-ri, and everyone turned to look at him with curiosity. "Oh, you scared me! What's your deal?" Wu-jin exclaimed, his body shaking from Dae-su's sudden appearance.

Dae-su cleared his throat before he began to speak, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "I..." he started, hesitating as he gathered his thoughts.

"You...?" Min-ji prompted, leaning forward with interest.

"I think you're the perfect girl," Dae-su confessed, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"What? You freak!" Wu-jin exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief. Dae-su had captured the attention of everyone in the room, and they turned their heads toward him, intrigued. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" Wu-jin asked again, trying to stop Dae-su from making a fool of himself.

"I watched you when you were shooting your arrows. I saw you train every morning." Dae-su continued, his voice steadying as he spoke. Min-ji stared at him, her expression shifting from surprise to amusement. "I went to every tournament and cheered for you. I even caught myself yelling 'copper beauty' a few times. I have really liked you for many years."

Gyeong-su shook his head in disbelief. "No way am I witnessing this." he whispered to himself, letting out a snicker as he tried to process the scene unfolding before him.

Dae-su's confession hung in the air, thick with tension. Wu-jin quickly covered his sister's ears with his hands, embarrassed by Dae-su's sudden confesssion. The room fell silent, with only Dae-su's voice breaking the stillness as everyone listened intently.

"Now, I want to be a man, not just a fan." Min-ji smiled at Ha-ri, trying not to laugh. "I'm going to die anyway. I just want to say what I feel first."

After Dae-su finished speaking, Wu-jin slowly removed his hands from his sister's ears, while Ha-ri maintained a straight face, her expression unreadable. The silence in the room left everyone puzzled.

"This is amazing." Min-ji said, her tone dripping with mockery.

"You're Dae-su, right?" Ha-ri began, her brow raised. "The one who calls my brother brother-in-law?" Dae-su smiled, relief washing over him.

"Yes, so you knew." he replied, his voice filled with hope."Brother-in-law, did you tell her?" Dae-su asked, glancing at Wu-jin.

"I might have." Wu-jin replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Ha-ri offered her hand toward Dae-su, a playful glint in her eyes.

Dae-su brushed his hands on his pants to dry the sweat and carefully pulled Ha-ri up so she stood in front of him.

"Does confessing feel cathartic?" Ha-ri asked Dae-su, her tone teasing.

"Yes." Dae-su replied truthfully, his heart racing.

"Then you're okay with dying, right?"

"Yes."

"What? Now?"

Without warning, Ha-ri punched Dae-su in the stomach, kicked him with her knees, and slapped the back of his head. Dae-su knelt down in pain, groaning from the impact.

"This is great." Gyeong-su added, unable to contain his laughter. Na-hee felt the corners of her lips curve into a smile as she tried to cover it, her worries momentarily forgotten.

"You asshole. I'm pissed off and needed to vent." Ha-ri said, glaring at Dae-su.

"Wu-jin, stop her!" Dae-su pleaded, slowly crawling away from Ha-ri, who was clearly furious.

"Ha-ri!" Wu-jin tried to intervene, but she wouldn't let him.

"Hey! Come here!" Ha-ri commanded Dae-su, her voice firm.

"Sorry! I was wrong!" Dae-su replied, panic evident in his eyes.

"You're dead." Ha-ri threatened, her expression fierce.

As Na-hee watched the scene unfold, a small smile appeared on her face. Dae-su's desperate attempts to crawl away from an angry Ha-ri made her chuckle. Even though her mind was filled with worries, she managed to set those thoughts aside for a moment.

On-jo looked at Na-hee, feeling her lips curl into a smile when she saw Na-hee smile back. She pondered in her mind how she wanted the courage to talk to Na-hee and admit her feelings, unaware that Na-hee already knew.

On-jo wasn't naive, she knew she wasn't the only one who had eyes on Na-hee. As she glanced at some of the others, she could sense their deepest desires, hidden beneath the surface.

On-jo's thoughts were interrupted when Ha-ri and Dae-su pulled her back to reality, the chaos around her demanding her attention. "I said I really like you!" Dae-su shouted as he hid behind a barricade, looking both determined and embarrassed.

"Get over here, dear husband." Ha-ri taunted, her eyes shining with mischief as she tried to get over the barricade, inching closer to Dae-su.

"Hey!" Wu-jin yelled toward the two in disbelief, shaking his head.

Having had enough, Ha-ri quickly grabbed a ball and threw it at Dae-su angrily. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, eyes wide as he barely dodged the first throw.

"Get over here, you punk!" Ha-ri shouted, her voice fierce as she continued to throw more at him.

"He needs a good beating." Wu-jin added, grinning as he watched the chaos unfold.

"Look at him dodging!" Min-ji laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement as Dae-su ducked his head to the side to avoid what Ha-ri had thrown at him.

"Come here! Gonna get you, asshole!" Ha-ri shouted, determination etched on her face.

"Stop it, stop it!" Dae-su pleaded, his heart racing as he tried to evade her relentless throws.

"Only if you come here!" Ha-ri called out, her voice playful yet firm.

"Jeez, I like this." Joon-yeong chimed in, unable to hide his amusement at the spectacle before him.

Su-hyeok stood up from his spot on the floor, gripping a basketball tightly in his hand before placing it back on the cart with a determined look. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

He grabbed the cart and began shaking it violently, his mind racing as he searched for a solution to their dire situation.

Joon-yeong, noticing Su-hyeok's sudden movements, stood up beside him, a puzzled expression on his face as everyone else looked on in confusion at this unexpected action.

"What are you doing?" Joon-yeong asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Su-hyeok turned to face him, his eyes bright with possibility. "Can we move this? Do you think it's possible?" he replied, his voice filled with urgency.

Now, everyone's eyes turned to him, curiosity replacing their confusion. Even Na-hee, who had been lost in her own world, suddenly snapped back to reality.

Dae-su, who had been hiding in the corner, peeked his head out to see what was happening. Wu-jin and Joon-yeong quickly joined Su-hyeok to check the cages.

"We can tie all the carts in a circle, then we can use them as shields," Su-hyeok suggested to everyone, his voice steady and confident.

Na-hee nodded slowly, a slight smile creeping onto her face. "Yeah, let's do what Su-hyeok said. The carts are movable too, so we can create some sort of wall" she said, making eye contact with Joon-yeong, who seemed to be warming up to the idea.

"What's that?" Dae-su asked, his voice laced with curiosity. Na-hee blinked at him, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"We can arrange the carts to create a protective circular barrier." she explained as she stood up alongside the others to observe the carts.

In no time, everyone quickly helped each other to form the barrier. "We need strings or something to tie them together." Joon-yeong instructed, his voice steady amidst the rising tension.

As they complied, they gathered whatever materials they could find, working together to create the circular barricade. Everyone contributed to the effort, whether by holding the carts in place or searching for anything that could serve as a tie. as they all focused on making the plan work.

Of course, amidst the chaos, some were trying to gain Na-hee's attention, but they were always interrupted by someone.

"Hey, there's no way this is going to work." Min-ji said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in annoyance. She made her way to the other carts. "We should flip them over completely so that we can hide underneath." she suggested, gesturing as she opened the lid of one cart.

"No, we should stand them up." Wu-jin replied, trying to keep his tone calm despite the rising tension in the air.

"Yeah, zombies sure can't climb that." Min-ji added, clearly mocking Wu-jin's suggestion.

"That's enough." Wu-jin sighed in disbelief, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"It's too short if we close the lids. Unless you want us crawling? Pulling rank right now?" Joon-yeong interjected, his voice rising slightly as he stepped forward. He opened the lid again, but Min-ji slammed it closed with a determined look.

"Say it to my face!" Min-ji argued, her eyes narrowing as she challenged him.

"If you don't like it, make your own." Joon-yeong replied, crossing his arms defiantly.

Min-ji scoffed at him, her frustration boiling over. She stepped closer, playfully punching his shoulder, a mix of annoyance and jest in her gesture. "There." she said, a smirk on her face.

Na-hee raised her brows at them, trying to understand the tension brewing between them.

"Oh shit, are you crazy?" Wu-jin exclaimed, as he rushed towards Joon-yeong. "What's wrong with you?"

Wu-jin looked at his sister, his expression serious. "Sis, stop her." he said to Ha-ri, concern evident in his voice.

"Come on. Say that again." Min-ji challenged Joon-yeong in frustration, her fists clenched tightly.

"Do everyone a favor and stay out of our way." Joon-yeong replied to Min-ji as the tension quickly escalated in the cramped space.

"Hey, you." she said, pushing his shoulder with force. She was about to touch his head in a teasing, but Joon-yeong stopped her just in time. In response, Min-ji kicked his leg, making Joon-yeong grunt in pain.

"Shithead!" he exclaimed, glaring at her.

Min-ji's anger grew, her eyes narrowing further. "Shithead? What the hell?" she repeated in disbelief, clearly insulted by his words. Su-hyeok stood in the middle, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Stop it." Su-hyeok told Min-ji firmly. "Joon-yeong, you too."

Joon-yeong looked at Su-hyeok, frustration evident in his expression. "Who is hell is she to tell us we have to redo it?" he said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Who the hell am i? Your fuckinf nightmare." Min-ji responded, her tone sharp as they continued to argue.

Su-hyeok turned to look at Min-ji. "You're coming with us, right?" he asked, trying to keep the peace.

Min-ji turned her head to look at Su-hyeok, her expression softening slightly. "You're the ones coming with me." she answered defiantly.

Su-hyeok turned his head again to look at Joon-yeong. "You're not just going to leave them here, right?" he said, his voice filled with concern.

"I wish, but no." Joon-yeong answered sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"We're going together anyway. Why fight now, huh?" Su-hyeok told the two, hoping to bring a sense of unity back to the group.

"Just do as I say unless you want to die out there. Which you might." Min-ji warned them, her voice sharp and filled with urgency.

"We're trying to make it that high so we don't die out there." Joon-yeong argued, his frustration evident as he gestured towards the makeshift barricade they were trying to build.

"Enough already." Su-hyeok interjected, his tone firm. "We can't lose anyone else. We shouldn't waste energy fighting among ourselves."

"I'm not fighting to die. I'm fighting because I want to live." Joon-yeong added, his eyes blazing with determination.

"Then do as I say." Min-ji snapped back at him, her patience wearing thin. There was a brief silence, the tension thick in the air, until Joon-yeong spoke up again.

"Unless we split up. Problem solved." He turned on his heel and angrily rushed away from the two.After Joon-yeong walked away, Min-ji yelled out to him in frustration.

Na-hee stared at them, exhaling a heavy sigh of disbelief. "No one is splitting up." she declared, placing a hand on her forehead as a headache began to form.

Min-ji turned to her, her expression fierce. "Then do as I say! We won't die if we follow my plan." she insisted, her tone unwavering.

Na-hee shut her eyes for a moment, feeling the world spin around her. After a few deep breaths, she opened them again, her resolve strengthening. "Rethink your decisions. We won't know what will happen, there could be consequences to your actions." Na-hee warned them, her voice steady.

She made eye contact with Nam-ra, who seemed equally annoyed by the escalating situation. Na-hee smiled at Nam-ra, a silent communication passing between them.

Nam-ra, agreeing with Na-hee, pushed a cart out of the way to get everyone's attention. The group turned their heads towards her, curiosity piqued. "We'll vote on it." Nam-ra announced, her tone blank but authoritative.

"You are?" Min-ji asked, her voice trailing off in surprise. Nam-ra turned her head towards Min-ji, her expression serious. "Class president." she blurted out, asserting her authority.

As they instructed everyone to settle down, Nam-ra held Na-hee's hand, leading her further in front of the others. -like they are going to be the leader of the conflicting situation.

The group watched them closely as Nam-ra stood confidently while Na-hee leaned against the wall, trying to gather her thoughts.

"One. Split up." Nam-ra began, leaning against the wall beside Na-hee. Everyone looked at each other, and after a moment of hesitation, no one raised their hands.

"Two. Stay together." Nam-ra continued. Almost instantly, all of them raised their hands in agreement. Nam-ra nodded, pleased with the overwhelming response.

"Okay, we voted to stay together then." Nam-ra stated, her voice steady.

"Is it a smart decision to follow the majority on matters of life and death?" Dae-su asked, a hint of skepticism in his tone. "What if we collectively decide to do the wrong thing?"

"You know, there's such a thing as collective intelligence." Hyo-ryung replied, trying to defend the group's choice.

"There are too many unintelligent people here." Dae-su retorted, glancing pointedly at Min-ji. "You can't create intelligence with a bunch of idiots."

Hyo-ryung looked at him, her expression challenging. "So then, what do you suggest?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Dae-su, I think it's better to let Nam-ra and Na-hee control the situation." Gyeong-su chimed in, moving closer to Dae-su and wrapping his arms around him in a comforting gesture.

"Fuck! How the hell did you guys survive up to now?" Min-ji responded, hiding her hands in her pockets as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Sorry, but can you mind your own business? You started the fight, now we're voting." Dae-su told Min-ji, his voice rising slightly. Gyeong-su quickly turned dae-su's head away from Mi-jin's direction to prevent him from saying anything more.

Min-ji shot a glance at Ha-ri in response to Dae-su's words. "Give me an arrow so I can stab him." she added, her frustration palpable.

"Anyway, let's move on now." Na-hee said, cutting through the tension that had built up between the two.

After that, everyone paid close attention. "One. We make the outside higher." Nam-ra continued, her voice steady as she laid out the choices. Joon-yeong, Su-hyeok, On-jo, Cheong-san, Gyeong-su, and Dae-su quickly raised their hands in agreement.

"Two. We fold the lids and make a box." Nam-ra proposed, glancing around the group. After a moment of deliberation, Min-ji, Hyo-ryung, Ha-ri, and Wu-jin raised their hands in favor of that option.

Dae-su looked at Wu-jin in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowing. "What the hell? I thought you were with us." he exclaimed, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I changed my mind." Wu-jin replied calmly, shrugging slightly as if it were no big deal.

Nam-ra took a deep breath, trying to maintain order amidst the chaos. "So that's it. Option one received the majority vote, so let's make the walls high." Na-hee announced, looking around as some members of the group nodded in agreement. Min-ji's gaze shifted between the two, her expression serious.

"Wait. Your votes." she said, cutting through the tension that had built up. "What about your votes?"

Everyone turned their attention to the two leaders. Nam-ra looked at Na-hee beside her, waiting for her answer. "I choose option one." Na-hee declared, her voice clear and confident. Nam-ra nodded in support.

"Me too." she added, also choosing option one.

Min-ji sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. "Aw shit, I thought they would choose option two." she muttered, disappointment creeping into her tone.

"Okay, let's do it." Su-hyeok said, rallying the group.

"Okay, but don't resent me when the zombies climb over and kill us all." Min-ji warned, her voice laced with sarcasm. Joon-yeong shot her a look.

"Don't worry, I'll take the front and any blame. You hold back." Joon-yeong said as he walked away, determination etched on his face.

"Oh, what an asshole, shit." Min-ji commented, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why are people so rude these days?" she asked Ha-ri, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

"And you're not?" Ha-ri responded, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Min-ji, a hint of amusement in her eyes despite the tension.

After a while of preparing, Dae-su stumbled upon a chocolate bar, which Na-hee promptly denied, not in the mood to feel any hunger. Dae-su, however, greedily devoured the remaining chocolate, leaving nothing for Joon-yeong.

The others were busy preparing as Na-hee stood there, lost in her thoughts, her mind racing with worry. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her arm as Cheong-san pulled her close.

Na-hee looked up at him, confusion and a rush of heat flooding her cheeks as they stood almost an inch apart, their breaths mingling in the tense air.

"Na-hee." Cheong-san murmured, his voice low and intimate. "Put this on." He helped her with a makeshift protective gear, his fingers brushing against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

"This will keep you safe." he assured her, his gaze intense and unwavering. Na-hee's heart fluttered at his concern, a smile breaking through her initial confusion.

"Thank you, Cheong-san." she whispered, her voice soft as they stood locked in each other's gaze. In that moment, the world around them faded away.

"You're in my veins it's driving me fucking mad Na-hee." Cheong-san whispered, his words laced with an intensity that made her heart race. Just as Cheong-san was about to lean in closer, they were interrupted by Su-hyeok and On-jo.

"You guys are ready?" Su-hyeok asked, his tone serious as he noticed the two seemingly lost in each other's eyes. He stepped forward, placing his hands possessively on Na-hee's waist, leaning in closer to her ear.

"I'm going to have you in the end, you know?" His words sent a thrill through Na-hee, making her blush deepen as she felt a mix of nervousness and fear.

"Know what? I'm ready." Na-hee replied, trying to shake off the dizzying effect of Su-hyeok's words. She slipped away from his hold, her heart pounding as she walked over to the others, but not without glancing back at Cheong-san, who watched her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

On-jo stared at the two boys, jealousy boiling within her as she rolled her eyes at their antics.

Na-hee on the other hand, let out a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she couldn't utter a single word but Na-hee resolved to protect herself, no matter the cost.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when Gyeong-su hugged her from behind, startling her. "You scared me, Gyeong-su!" Na-hee scolded him playfully, her heart still racing from the surprise.

"Sorry, Na-hee! You looked out of it, I just wanted to make you happy." he said, letting out a warm smile that reached his eyes. But there was something more beneath the surface an intensity that made her feel both comforted and slightly uneasy.

What's with the sudden attention?

"I appreciate it, Gyeong-su." Na-hee replied, offering him a small, genuine smile in return. But as she looked into his eyes, she caught a glimpse of something darker, as if Gyeong-su's eyes were soulless, not like before.

"Hey, Gyeong-su, you'll squish Na-hee to death." Joon-yeong teased, his tone light but his gaze sharp as he donned his protective gear. There was an underlying tension in his voice, a hint of jealousy.

"You're just jealous." Gyeong-su shot back, his smirk widening as he turned his attention back to Na-hee. "Be obsessed with me, and watch me do things for you." he told her jokingly, but the way he said it felt almost like a promise, a promise that made Na-hee's stomach twist.

Na-hee let out a small laugh, trying to brush off the strange feeling. "Hey, Gyeong-su, put on some protective gear!" she called out, her voice filled with concern.

"Okay! Because you told me to." Gyeong-su replied happily, Dae-su shook his head at Gyeong-su's eagerness, a mixture of amusement and unease in his expression.

"Jeez, why is he so in love?" he muttered under his breath, glancing at Gyeong-su with a hint of suspicion.

"In love?" Na-hee echoed, a small smile gracing her lips, but her heart raced at the thought. "Didn't you just confess to Wu-jin's sister?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Na-hee!" Dae-su exclaimed, his cheeks flushing as he pouted playfully. But as he looked between Gyeong-su and Joon-yeong, he couldn't shake the feeling that both of them were hiding something beneath their charming exteriors.

⊹܀☙❦☙܀܀

I'm literally giggling and swinging my feet like a child while writing this chapter. Teeheee ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)