PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

XVI. Eva Is Attracted To Kenji For 2.7 Seconds

Chapter Sixteen: Eva Is Attracted To Kenji For 2.7 Seconds

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"Keep going! Come on!"

"Guys!"

Kenji turned, and byproduct Eva, to see Yasmina collapsed a couple dozen feet back.

Eva tapped Kenji's shoulder, mumbling, "Put me down."

Kenji obliged. Eva fell forward onto her hands. Bile rose in her throat, spewing from her lips. Surprisingly soft hands pulled her hair back as she groaned for the millionth time. She sat back on her feet, sighing.

"Oh, that's gross." Eva could imagine Kenji making a face. Slowly, he asked, "Are you... okay?"

Eva's eyes fell shut, tired. "I think I'm dying," She muttered.

Kenji chuckled nervously. "Brooklynn just thinks you have a concussion..."

"God, this sucks."

"I— I'm s..."

Eva shook her head, reopening her eyes. She spotted Yasmina, still on the ground. Sammy and Brooklynn were by her side.

Brooklynn asked, "How are you even walking?"

"I'm highly motivated," she replied. "I got this." Yasmina took a step on her bad ankle, immediately collapsing.

"She can't keep up like this. What do we do?" Sammy said.

"We can't stop, so, we'll make a stretcher, maybe? Or maybe there's a shortcut, or... The tunnels! Kenji!"

"Kenj," Eva breathed as she turned to stare at the boy holding her hair back. She nodded to Darius, who ran up to them eagerly.

She closed her eyes to keep the world from spinning.

"Kenji! The maintenance tunnels. There has to be one that leads to the docks, right? Kenji, right?"

"Y-yeah. Um, okay, I'll lead the way."

He helped Eva to her feet, then half squated so Eva could get back on his back. Eyes narrowed, she climbed on, hands wrapped around his chest, head against his back, eyelids fluttering shut.

Kenji led the way to a tunnel entrance, everyone walking in strained silence.

Darius entered the manhole cover first, and then Brooklynn, Sammy, Yasmina.

Kenji offered a hand to Eva as she slowly ascended the ladder. She peered up from the third rung, eyes narrowed. "You know you're still my mortal enemy, right?"

Kenji chuckled.

"I'm serious."

"Okay, Evangeline."

"We get out, we go back home, we go back to hating each other."

Kenji's eyebrows furrowed together. "You think I hate you?"

Eva pursed her lips. "Don't you?"

Doesn't he? Always fighting back with her, always arguing? And she knows she's not the easiest person to get on with, and her hatred after The Incident was fueling a fire in her, but? But, but, but?

"Guys, come on!" Darius shouted up to them.

Kenji didn't say anything, so neither did Eva. She climbed down the ladder, hand resting against a pipe in the wall as Kenji slid down after her.