𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝔹𝔸ℂ𝕂 ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔼 ||𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋||

Chapter - 28

The meeting room's atmosphere quivered with an unspoken tension as the students gathered for their fifth voting session. Yeon-hwa, choosing to be a silent observer, positioned herself discreetly in a corner beside Il-ha. The subtle hum of anticipation hung in the air as Yu-jeong and Jang-soo distributed the ballots and pens.

"I know that some of you are still confused. Write 'O' if you think we should stay here on our own and 'X' if you want to go home," Yu-jeong addressed the room.

A subtle flicker of uncertainty crossed Yeon-hwa's eyes as they traversed the room. Hee-rak and Soon-yi hurriedly entered, their urgency fueled by the want of going back home. They just hoped for the results to be in their favor.

"Everyone's submitting 'X', right?" Soon-yi asked, her eyes sweeping across the room.

"We should go home, without some obnoxious jerk, that is," Jun-hee's gaze bore into Young-soo, disdain dripping from her words.

Amidst the rustle of paper and the faint scratching of pens, the room became a canvas of subtle influences - glances exchanged, some bribery in attempts to tip the scales in favor of individual desires. Yeon-hwa, with a shake of her head, resisted the unspoken attempts to sway the collective decision, silently casting her own ballot.

"Aren't we done?" Soon-yi asked, her nerves getting the best of her.

Jang-soo intervened with a gentle reminder, "Think carefully before you decide."

"What for? What is this? A presidential election?" Hee-rak retorted, walking over to the ballot box to cast his vote.

The room fell into a brief hush as the last few ballots found their place. Soon-yi, the final participant, clasped her hands in a silent plea for a decision that aligned with her yearning to return home.

As all the ballots settled into the box, an anxious hush enveloped the room. Soo-cheol and Yu-jeong unfolded the ballots, and Jang-soo meticulously inscribed the results onto the board.

So far, the tally, revealed with a careful flourish, balanced at 9 votes to stay and 8 votes to leave. Three ballots are yet to be opened to decide their next move.

Yu-jeong unfolded the next ballot. Leave. The students who had voted to leave cheered in delight. Two ballots remained.

The next ballot was unfolded. Stay. Now, the tally is balanced at 10 votes to stay and 9 votes to leave.

Holding the last ballot in her hands, Yu-jeong looked at her classmates. "This is the final ballot," she announced, her voice carrying the weight of their collective fate. Time seemed to slow down as they all held their breaths, awaiting the final results.

"Wait! What if this draws? What do we do then?" Ha-na interrupted with a question that hung in the air like a lingering doubt.

"Let's first see the results and then decide," Bo-ra said from the sidelines.

Presenting the final ballot, Yu-jeong revealed the last ballot. Stay. The majority had chosen to stay.

Disappointment rippled through those who had yearned for an escape, Soon-yi's hopeful plea left hanging in the air.

"Respect their opinion," Yu-jeong urged, her words attempting to diffuse the brewing tension. "We can't yell at them for not agreeing with us."

Hee-rak, frustrated and seemingly unwilling to accept defeat, started yelling, "Darn it! Again? Why? Why is this happening every time? Who voted to stay?"

"We can't control how others vote. Respect their choice," Yu-jeong repeated, but Hee-rak wasn't ready to back down.

"Darn it! I never liked that we had to vote to decide what to do!" He started throwing a fit.