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Aiko & Heeseung
They finally reached a safe corridor, the sounds of the neomorphs growing fainter behind them. Aiko was silent, her face pale and streaked with tears as she leaned against the wall.
Heeseung knelt in front of her, his hands gripping her shoulders gently. "Aiko, look at me," he said softly.
She didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the floor.
"Aiko, we have to keep moving," Heeseung said, his voice breaking slightly. "I know this is—"
"Don't," she whispered, cutting him off. Her voice was hollow, her eyes red and swollen.
Heeseung's hands tightened slightly on her shoulders. "I know how much this hurts. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love, but you have to keep going. For her. For everyone."
Aiko's jaw clenched, fresh tears spilling from her eyes. "She didn't deserve that," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "I hated her, but she didn't deserve to die like that."
"No one does," Heeseung said softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles as he took her hands in his. "But she gave us a chance to finish this. Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing."
Aiko looked at him, her lip quivering as fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know if I can do this," she said, her voice barely audible.
"You can," Heeseung said firmly, his gaze steady. "You're stronger than you think."
Aiko stared at him for a long moment before nodding slowly. Her hand tightened around his, and for the first time since her mother's death, she felt a flicker of resolve.
"I'll finish this," she whispered, her voice trembling but determined.
Heeseung nodded, his expression softening. "We'll finish it together."
She leaned into him, her forehead resting against his as a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Don't leave me, Heeseung," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't lose you too."
"You won't," he promised, his lips brushing against her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."
And for the briefest moment, in the midst of all the chaos and loss, the two of them found solace in each other.
The van was a heavy silence of mourning and exhaustion, broken only by the rumbling of the engine and the occasional scrape of debris under the tires. Heeseung and Aiko were squeezed into the back corner, the furthest from the others. Jake gripped the steering wheel up front, his face a mask of forced focus, while Sunoo and Sunghoon sat in tense, quiet shock, their weapons cradled in their laps.
Jay leaned against the window, his jaw set, but his eyes kept darting toward Aiko and Heeseung, concern flickering across his face.
Aiko sat stiffly by the window, her eyes blank and distant, staring into the blackened night. The tears that had streaked down her face earlier had stopped, but her lips were trembling, her breathing shallow and uneven.
