aurum | ko kyung-jun

[9]

Moments later, the class was gathered in a circle. Mi-Sun was seated on some chairs they had found, Na-Hee next to her, as the girls quietly conversed about the situation in the cafeteria.

Her attention was soon averted by the notorious trio walking into the auditorium. She frowned as she noticed Jin-Ha's injured cheek.

That wasn't there before, right?

Her eyes shifted over to Kyung-Jun, who was watching her already. The two maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Mi-Sun felt a tap on her shoulder.

Breaking eye contact with the taller boy, she looks back at her friend next to her.

"Everything good?"

Mi-Sun smiles back at her friend, even though the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, let's talk about this later."

She checks her phone.

10:42

Jun-Hee starts talking as the last three join the circle. "The reason we gathered everyone isn't to choose who to vote for. It's to convince you not to vote at all."

Mi-Sun was surprised at his idea, her eyes shifting to Yoon-Seo and Jung-Won beside the handsome boy.

"If we vote, someone will die, no matter what. But if no one votes, everyone will live."

Mi-Sun couldn't help but quietly murmur to herself, "That doesn't sound right, though?"

She thinks back to the rules she had memorized at this point. Isn't voting a mandatory rule?

Wouldn't there be consequences for breaking the rules? Like there was for crossing the boundary?

Na-Hee shifts back to look at her friend, a equally concerned frown on her face.

Their silent conversation is broken when Kyung-Jun, of all people, starts defending the class president.

"You guys are fucking noisy. The class president is saying something right for once." He rolls his eyes in annoyance and slams a yellow bucket into the middle of the circle. "Why aren't you all cooperating? You need to hand in your phones so no one can vote. Everyone better hand their phones in."

He turns towards Hyun-Ho, who was standing beside Mi-Sun, a dark look on his face, "You better listen while I'm nice."

Mi-Sun stared at the side of his face as he went around with the bucket in his hand, collecting the phones. Confusion gripped her as she watched him not only agree with Jun-Hee but actually support him.

What is this idiot up to again?

He quickly found himself in front of her as she hesitated. Her phone in her hands, held above the bucket, Mi-Sun looked into his eyes, searching for an answer, but he only averted his eyes, gesturing for her to drop her phone.

Mi-Sun sighed as she did as she was expected and turned back to Na-Hee, who shifted to lay her head on Mi-Sun's shoulder. Her short-haired friend wrapped her arms around the worried girl's arm.

"Don't worry, it will be okay."

Mi-Sun could only lay her head on her friend's as they let the last hour silently pass.

One minute left to vote.

Mi-Sun nervously gulped as Seung-Bin voiced her concerns: "Hey, class president! Are you sure we're okay?"

"Let's wait for now; it's just not even midnight yet."

Time seemed to pass slower than usual as the clock approached midnight. The auditorium was now painted in silence, the only source of sound coming from within their chests.