Bada felt detached. Everything that had been happening felt too fictional. Too unreal. Too much like a figment of her imagination. But the threat was all too real. The bloodied handkerchief and crimson envelope that lay on the table were reminders of that.

She looked around at the six boys as they sat in her room, all of whom looked as terrified and confused as she felt.

"Guys. We need to decide on what to do." Jinwoo broke the silence, looking at each of them while speaking.

"Well it's obvious, isn't it? We should stop looking." Myungjun said, his face being more serious than Bada had ever seen him.

"No. Hyung how can we just ignore everything that's happening? We can't just turn a blind eye to what's going on here." Bin objected with a frown on his face.

"Well I want to bloody live! I don't want to die." Myungjun snapped, making Bin look at him with wide eyes, face full of disbelief.

"I agree with Myungjun hyung. I don't think we should keep looking." said Eunwoo quietly, making Bada stiffen up beside him.

"Someone died. We can't just ignore that." She said quietly and Eunwoo's head snapped towards her, as if she had betrayed him.

"Exactly! Someone died! And if we don't stop, it will be us next! Don't you see, Bada? We could pretend we know nothing and live peacefully here. We could grow old together." Eunwoo said almost deliriously, making Bada flinch and shrink back from him.

"I agree with Bada noona. This is not something we can just ignore." Sanha said, biting his lip with a shake of his head and Minhyuk nodded in agreement.

"I'd rather look and die than do nothing about it." Minhyuk said with confidence, making Myungjun shake his head at him.

"Let's take a vote. Those want to look can keep looking while the rest can stop. Okay? All in favour of continuing to look, raise your hands." Jinwoo said, and everyone except Eunwoo and Myungjun raised their hands.

"Okay then. The five of us will meet here after roughly one hour according to the clocks in our rooms. Freshen up, rest and we'll plan out what to do next then." He said curtly, giving the group a nod before walking out, everyone except Bada and Eunwoo leaving behind him. She could see Myungjun, who looked pissed off, almost stomping out.

Bada sighed and put her head in her hands, not wanting to have the conversation that she knew was coming.

"Bada, please. Let's stop, hm? I don't want to lose you again. I can't lose you again." Eunwoo said softly, making her look at him, only to find him already looking at her.

"Please. Please don't make me choose between you and my morals, Eunwoo. Please don't do that to me." She said, her voice almost a whisper.

"Bada, we'll all die. We're not responsible for finding out what's happening and preventing it." He pleaded, making her shake her head.

"Someone died. A person. A person who had faith that I would save her. A person I could have saved. I am sure there are more people trapped, who are still alive. I have to try and save them. I have to." She said, resolute in her decision.

She saw him get up and almost thought he was leaving, until he picked up a candelabra from the table and threw it across the room and against a wall, making her flinch. She could feel the hot prickle of tears at the back of her eyes but urged herself to calm down.

Deep breaths. In and out.

Just like her therapist had taught her, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing instead of the fuming boy in front of her. She was not going to cry. Not again.

"Why can't you understand? Do you not love me? Did you find someone else while I was here? Is that why you're so desperate to get out of here? That's it, isn't it? You've changed, found someone better, probably." He was yelling now, pacing around the room while running his hands through his hair. Every word he spoke felt like a stab in the chest to her and she could feel herself getting exhausted.

"I'm not the one who has changed." She said quietly, making him stop dead in his tracks and face her.

He started to apologise and reached out to her, making her flinch. He saw the minute movement and withdrew his hand, face contorted in apology and pain.

"You don't– You don't think I'd hurt you, do you? You know I wouldn't. I would never do that." He sounded desperate now, almost begging her to agree.

"I don't even know who you are anymore." She saw his face contort in hurt as he took a step backward, almost as if her words had pushed him.

"Bada, I–" he started but she inhaled a sharp breath and cut him off, shooting him a look of resignation.

"Please just leave, Eunwoo. Please, I'm begging you." She said, and saw him look at her one last time with sadness  before he turned around and walked out, never turning back.

She heard his footsteps fading away and let the tears slip down. She felt lonely. So, so lonely. She didn't know what to do anymore.

As she felt her chest constrict with heavy sobs just waiting to burst out, she knew there was only one person she could go to now, who would help her and listen to her without any judgements; who would give her the advice she really needed at the moment.

She wiped her tears on her sleeve and got up with shaky legs. That's what she would do. She would take it one step at a time. Yes, that is what she would do.

So, with a newly held resolve, she walked to his door. She clenched her trembling fingers into a fist.

And then she knocked.

//

a bit of a dramatic chapter, isn't it? I believe every story needs a pinch of drama, no matter what genre, because it makes it more real, makes the characters seem more human for me.

In the next chapter, we're going to see some planning! Finally, some plot development! Hope you guys liked this one! I'll try and post the next one as soon as possible.

ciao x