Astronomy // Duty After School

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

Up in the Seolbonggwan building, the kids stared at the main building and the Cells flooding toward it in horror. Some girls held hands, anxiously waiting on their classmates and silently wondering how they would be able to cross the lot to reach the meetup building.

"Shit. How many are there exactly?" Deok-jung mumbled.

"Why are there so many?" Ha-na whispered.

"More are coming," So-yun said, horrified.

"Where is everyone else?" Ha-na asked, finally addressing the question on everyone else's mind. Alarmed and worried looks were exchanged. Half the platoon was missing, meaning they had to be on opposite sides of the battleground.
Ae-seol kept her hands over her mouth as dozens of Cells climbed over and around the car she and Yeong-shin had taken cover in. The Cells headed through the door the two had slid up and went up the staircase directly inside. It was only after they confirmed that there was no more movement that Ae-seol and Yeong-shin took the risk of getting out.

"Let's go," Yeong-shin whispered. They set down their guns and hopped up to bring the door down.

"Shit, shit, shit," Wu-taek hissed as he and Yeong-hun jogged through the short corridor from behind the building they previously hid behind. The two boys were constantly checking over their shoulders, taking things slow under the small chance (Y/n) would be able to catch up. The four kids jumped out of their skins upon seeing each other.

"Yeong-hun, Wu-taek," Yeong-shin whispered in greeting.

"Where's (Y/n)?" Ae-seol immediately asked. Wu-taek pressed his lips together, telling her and Yeong-shin all they needed to know.

"Inside?" Yeong-shin gaped. Yeong-hun grimly held up the pin that would have prevented the door from locking internally. Spotting the radio attached to Yeong-shin's vest, Yeong-hun quickly put it to use, deciding that informing (Y/n) that her exit was locked would be more important than potentially revealing her location. "Hey, (Y/n), your exit might be locked."

"...What?" (Y/n) asked over the radios, horrified.

"We'll explain once you're at the Seolbonggwan building," Yeong-hun said. "Just be prepared to use a window."

"Sobong (Y/n), what're you still doing inside?" Won-bin whisper-shouted sternly.

"Sleeping! What do you think?" (Y/n) snarked, her voice high from panic. Yeong-shin looked around the area.

"We have to go," Yeong-shin said. "We can guide her with a map or something." Yeong-hun nodded in agreement. Ae-seol was far too reluctant to leave her best friend behind, but agreed that guiding her out was the only thing they could do.

Relief flooded (Y/n) and Chun-ho from different parts of the school as they finished the wiring. (Y/n) buckled her helmet again and grabbed her gun, ready to get out and return to the Seolbonggwan building. She knew by now that the area would be flooded with Cells so she quickly darted into the nearest classroom and the first makeup bag she spotted to look for a mirror. She found one attached to a bronzer kit and deemed it good enough to peek around corners with. She quickly entered the staircase, looking around wildly for any Cells that may have infiltrated the stairwell. She reached the door and frantically pushed on it, but the handle wouldn't budge. Knowing better than to try and run for the main entrance, she instead cautiously entered the first-floor hallway and darted right into the first room she saw, looking for a window. She grimaced upon finding out she had entered a lecture hall, meaning the window were really high up without a means of accessing them due to there being no second floor.
Chun-ho snatched up his gun, quite livid there was still a member of his platoon still in the building. He started heading downstairs, ultimately concluding that (Y/n) would be on the first floor, looking for a means of escape. He faltered, however, and listened to the distant shrieking the Cells produced. He heard a noise similar to glass shattering and thought better by leaning over the railing and looking down. He gritted his teeth and headed back onto the floor he was previously on. He took off running to the nearest fire escape.