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Aiko
Aiko had been informed earlier that her friends had cleared the infection testing and were safe. Relieved, she changed into the clothes provided for her—a pair of white pants and a cozy sweater. It was surreal, the normalcy of the outfit starkly contrasting with the chaos they'd been through. She still couldn't shake the oddness of it all, but knowing her friends were okay gave her some peace.
She made her way down the sleek hallways of Genetech's facility, the bright, sterile lights reflecting off the polished floors. Every step felt heavy, but her heart lifted at the thought of seeing her friends again. The sight of them together was what had kept her going through the long hours of uncertainty.
Finally, she reached the door to the common room where they had been brought after their tests. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
Inside, her friends were scattered around the room, lounging in comfortable chairs, still marveling at their unexpected luxury. Ni-ki was the first to see her.
"Aiko!" he shouted, jumping up and rushing toward her with a grin on his face. "You're okay!"
In an instant, the others followed. Sunghoon, Jake, Sunoo, Jay, Jungwon, and Heeseung all turned, faces lighting up when they saw her. Heeseung, though he was trying to play it cool, had an unmistakable look of relief in his eyes.
"Aiko!" Sunoo exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug. "Finally! You had us worried for a minute there."
Jake stepped forward, a smile stretching across his face. "Good to see you're alright. You had us wondering where you were."
Aiko smiled, feeling the warmth of her friends surrounding her. "I'm fine," she assured them, though the uncertainty of what her mother had told her still lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn't bring herself to worry them with her doubts—not yet, at least.
Sunghoon looked at her with a lopsided grin. "You came back looking all clean and fresh. You didn't forget about us peasants, did you?"
Aiko chuckled softly, brushing off her pants. "You guys look better than I remember. Guess the apocalypse hasn't been that bad for you, huh?"
Heeseung, who had been standing quietly at the back, finally stepped forward. His gaze softened as it landed on her. "I'm glad you're safe." There was something deeper in his tone, something only she could sense, but he masked it quickly. "Where have you been?"
Aiko paused, her thoughts briefly drifting to the strange reunion she'd had with her mother. She couldn't explain what felt wrong about it, not yet. Instead, she took a deep breath and put on a brave face for her friends.
"I was with my mom," she began, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "She's here. She's alive. And... she said we're safe now."
A murmur went through the group, everyone exchanging glances.
"Your mom?" Jungwon asked, raising an eyebrow. "She works here?"
Aiko nodded, feeling the weight of their expectant stares. "Yeah. She's a scientist here. She's been working at Genetech for years, and she said everything's going to be fine now. We're safe."
There was a pause, a ripple of mixed emotions passing through her friends.
"That's great, Aiko," Jake said, though his voice had a slight hesitation to it, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. "Really, that's good news."
Sunghoon folded his arms, glancing around. "Safe? Here? Are you sure about that? I mean, this place is nice and all, but something feels... off."
Aiko bit her lip, knowing what Sunghoon meant. She had felt it too, that creeping sense of unease. But her mother had assured her everything was under control, that they were doing everything they could to stop the Neomorphs and fix the world. She wanted to believe her, needed to believe her.
Heeseung, who had been watching her closely, stepped forward again. "What did your mom say, exactly?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge of protectiveness there.
Aiko met his gaze, feeling a rush of comfort in his presence. He always made her feel grounded. "She said they're running tests, making sure none of us are infected. It's just precautionary. After that, we can stay here, and they'll help us survive until this is all over."
There was a long silence as everyone processed her words.
"Well, that's... something," Sunoo finally said, though there was a trace of doubt in his voice.
Ni-ki, ever the optimist, shrugged. "At least we're not out there with the Neomorphs anymore. I say we take the win."
Jake nodded slowly, his arms crossed. "Yeah, it's better than fighting those things every day. I mean, it's weird, but we'll figure it out. We always do."
Heeseung didn't say anything, but Aiko could feel his unease. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him everything would be fine, but she wasn't sure if she believed it herself. Her mother had been... different. There was something in her eyes, something she hadn't seen before. But maybe it was just the stress of everything.
Aiko sighed softly, brushing a hand through her hair. "We're together, and that's what matters. We'll figure it out as we go."
Jungwon leaned back against the wall, arms folded over his chest. "Yeah. And if anything goes wrong, we'll deal with it. Like always."
Heeseung looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, the door to the common room opened again. A guard stepped inside, looking at them with a neutral expression.
"Dr. Sato will be here shortly," he said. "In the meantime, you're free to explore the facility. Your keycards will give you access to most areas. Stay within the permitted zones, and you'll be fine."
As the guard left, the group exchanged another round of uneasy glances.
"So... we're just free to wander around?" Jay asked, looking skeptical. "That doesn't sound shady at all."
Sunghoon chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, we've got keycards. It's basically like being on vacation."
Ni-ki grinned. "Right? Let's just enjoy it while we can. Maybe we'll find something cool."
Aiko smiled softly, appreciating their attempts to lift the tension. But even as her friends joked around, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. Something big. And whether her mother was a part of it, or simply caught up in it, remained to be seen.
Heeseung lingered a moment longer, his eyes on Aiko. "Just... be careful," he said softly, so only she could hear.
"I will," she replied, her heart feeling heavy with unspoken worry. "We'll figure this out together."
Heeseung gave a small nod, his gaze holding hers for just a moment longer before he turned back to the group.
As they made plans to explore the facility, Aiko felt a deep sense of gratitude for her friends. No matter what was coming, they were in it together. And for now, that was all she needed to hold on to.
