You Make Me | Lee Eunhyuk

06, reunite

Jiwon hurried silently through the stairwell, stealing occasional glances behind to ensure she wasn't followed by the man from the seventh floor.

According to the news report, the man didn't exhibit signs of being "infected." No nosebleeds; he simply sat by the seventh-floor door, grinning at the ground. His eerie smile had unsettled Jiwon, but she knew there were scarier things she might encounter. So, she cautiously proceeded up the stairs.

Approaching the twelfth floor, voices echoed.

"Hurry up! "Get away from me!" a man's voice rang out.

"Are you turning into a monster too?" a child's voice trembled.

"Not yet," a male voice responded.

Startled by the child's voice, Jiwon quickened her pace until she saw two children on the staircase, tears in their eyes. Nearby stood a boy, about her age, with dark eyes and a nosebleed - he was infected.

Jiwon dashed towards the children, lifting them up, ready to ascend the stairs, when heavy stomping interrupted. She froze, turning to face the hallway door forced open by a massive arm, crashing down the steps.

"Strength, muscle," the monster muttered, its speech broken.

"Run!" the boy shouted, his eyes suddenly normal and his nosebleed gone.

Though torn, Jiwon fled, carrying the children. As she ran, the infected boy taunted the monster, diverting its attention from them. Jiwon sprinted on, grateful to the infected boy but slowed by the children's weight.

She had seen her brother on the eleventh floor, but she couldn't make it there right now so Jiwon's plan to find him had to wait. Her priority now was to find safety for herself and the children.

Reaching the fourteenth floor, a creature emerged from the hallway, murmuring, "It hurts."

Though they couldn't see the monster, the children sensed danger, tears dampening Jiwon's clothes as they remained silent. Thankfully, the creature turned away, allowing them to proceed.

As tears welled in the younger child's eyes, Jiwon comforted them, assuring their safety. Determined to protect them, she asked where they were planning to go.

"The boy said room 1408," the little girl replied.

"1408. Got it. Let's go," Jiwon said, picking up the children again.

Suddenly, the dreaded muscular monster showed up on the fourteenth floor. Jiwon tightened her grip on the children, rushing upstairs. Though the monster prepared to strike, it was impaled by the blind monster's arm. 

Reaching the fifteenth floor, Jiwon tried every door, but none opened. Panic rose as she realized the monsters were closing in on them. 

Meanwhile, Eunhyuk watched, helpless, as Jiwon struggled with the doors, he could tell she was holding back tears. The sight of the monsters getting closer to her intensified his despair. Would he have to watch his best friend die?

As hope faded, Jiwon prepared to face the monsters, kissing the children's heads before urging them to run down to the fourteenth floor when she gave the signal while she distracted the monsters.

"Okay," the two children responded, their eyes brimming with tears.

But just as the monster loomed scarily close to Jiwon, a woman with a stroller intervened. Jiwon's eyes widened in surprise.

"Miss! Get away!" she shrieked, shielding the children.

"Leave them alone," the woman insisted sternly.

The muscle monster kicked the woman, sending her stroller crashing. Jiwon hurried to help her up, while the children remained behind her. Recognizing the woman's grief, Jiwon's heart went out to her.

As the monster trampled the stroller, the woman bravely faced it, whispering to herself with a serene expression despite the blows. Though distraught, Jiwon knew there was nothing she could do. She grabbed the children's hands and darted around the monster, colliding with another group, including her brother, Jaeheon. Relief flooded Jiwon's expression, mirrored by her brother's.

"Well done, kids! Now step back," the infected boy instructed. Jiwon directed the children to the other side of the corridor, leaving the others to deal with the monster.

"How do we get rid of this thing?" Jaeheon asked.

To everyone's surprise, the woman presumed dead leaped up, sinking her teeth into the monster's neck and clawing its chest.

"Take the children to 1408!" Jaeheon commanded the infected boy.

The boy nodded, dashing to lead the children away.

"You, Jiwon, go!" Jaeheon ordered his sister.

"What?" Jiwon asked, bewildered.

"Go!" he insisted.

"Fine!" she agreed, rushing after the children, casting a worried glance back at her brother.

The four hurried down the stairs to apartment 1408. The boy knocked quietly, and when the door opened, he was met with a gun-like weapon. They slowly made their way in at gunpoint as Jiwon closed the door behind them.

Meanwhile, Eunhyuk let out a sigh of relief as they reached safety, if only temporarily. He rose from his chair, leaving the security room to join the tenants watching the government broadcast.