The Infected ⬩ (G)I-DLE

Ten

"Finally, we're back!" Minnie beamed, her eyes also smiling brightly.

"Did you get the fence?" Yuqi scampered to the door, greeting the metal wirings. Soyeon snorted at the taller girl, and she slammed the door shut. Pulling the lock and securing the barricade, she plopped onto the stuffy couch.

"Seriously, you don't miss me?" Soyeon joked, her mouth twisting into a slight smirk. "Yuqi-yah!" She shouted. Yuqi didn't bother to look back at the smaller. "Aishhh..."

"Soojin-unnie!" Shuhua broke the silence and looked up at Soojin, making eye contact with her. She could see the small black pupils dilating as Shuhua was trapped in the lost galaxy of Soojin's sharp gaze. So beautiful...she thought. Soojin coughed.

"What do you want?" Soojin glanced at Shuhua and then moved onto Miyeon and then back to Shuhua. The small switch in glance caused Shuhua to glare at Miyeon.

"What..?" Miyeon chuckled nervously, still being penetrated by Shuhua's glare. She shrunk under the younger's snipe.

"GUYS-!" Yuqi shouted, unexpectedly. She bounced up and down with the metal wiring in her hand. The tarnished metal and the sound of scratching. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Yuqi quickly bent the wires, testing the sturdiness. It didn't bend. She squealed louder.

"Alright, alright. Can't you just tell us what you want?" Soyeon complained. She was growing impatient really fast, not that Soyeon had great patience anyways.

"WE CAN FINALLY SET THIS UP!" Yuqi started to run around the small hut, her fast legs carrying her to the kitchen. "WE NEED POLES TO WRAP THESE AROUND!" The sound of cans clattering against the floor and cupboards opening reverberated from the kitchen. Minnie giggled, her eyes still bright and beaming.

"Babo," she pressed a finger against her scarlet lips. "Should I tell her that this is my home?"

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"Arghh," Minnie grunted, dirt caking her face as she pounded a hammer against the dirt. Securing the pole into the floor, she patted more fertile dirt into the hole. "I should have told her before. Who knew that Yuqi was such a dominating little kid." She complained. Soyeon grumbled, running around quickly wrapping the wires around the poles.

"I know right! I shouldn't have complained." Her tiny frame was making it harder to move faster. Still, Soyeon reluctantly agreed when she was put on duty to set up the fencing. The heavy wires and the repetitive, annoying pounding of metal made the work much more infuriating.

"So anyways!" Minnie yelled across the front lawn. The fresh patchy grass had already died. Only dead yellow weed remained. The dark blood, too, of course. "Don't you like Yuqi? I can see the way you're looking at her?" Within a short amount of time, Soyeon had found out that she was closer to Minnie than Soojin. Minnie had always joked around and complained about the same things she did, Soojin was more cold towards her–everyone.

"W-what?" Soyeon stuttered, she paused with the wire. It dropped onto the dry landscaping. "W-what do y-you mean..?" Soyeon laughed nervously, her laughs echoed hoarsely through the atmosphere.

"Seriously? You make it so oblivious." Minnie smiled, she heaved a breath and patted the last patch of dirt into the hole. Shaking the pole, Minnie felt that it was sturdy. "You there?"

"Y-yeah, let me wrap up the fence!" Soyeon sprinted fast and wired the metal into the poles. She dusted her palms. Minnie sat on the side of the hut, her legs craned and her back resting against the smooth wood. She patted a hand on the area next to her, indicating Soyeon. As Soyeon sat down, Minnie started to blast her with questions.

"Did you ever see her at NIA?" Soyeon chuckled, fidgeting with her fingers. She started to stare deeply into her fingernails.

"Yuqi? I heard of her a lot." Soyeon answered, softly. "I don't know this feeling, though. Like, you know. Each time I see her, I want to impress her in some sort of way. I don't know. I just feel this weird feeling, you know what I mean." She rushed her words, it spilling out from her mouth. Soyeon slammed her head against her palms. What are you doing, Soyeon? Yah! She reflected, embarrassed with the sudden confession.

"Wish you luck!" Minnie stood up, assuring Soyeon with a warm smile. "We should get inside, it's getting late."

"Later?" Soyeon asked, stretching her legs before standing up. Minnie nodded, opening the small door. She could already see Shuhua and Yuqi sleeping on the blood-stained couch. The sky was already dark, the stars glimmering as they were painted across the darkness. The moon shone brightly. Yet, they were never safe.

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"I miss my family," Miyeon sniffled. She dabbed her tears with the back of her pale hand. Soojin sighed, her breath was heavy.

"I miss my family, too." She had to agree, the longing for the comfort only her parents knew. "I wonder what happened to them..." The thought was always lingering, everywhere Soojin went. The worry, the ache of knowing whether they were alive or not. "What if they...turn into one of them?" She whispered, blinking rapidly. Tears were forming, but Soojin didn't want to cry. She had to live.

"I hope they're okay..." The tears started to wet the soil, Miyeon could help but let out a loud sniffle. She hiccuped, trying to smear all of her wet tears away.