Code 9 ↬ [ P.SH ]

Chapter 44:

Haneul sprinted to where her gut told her to. She felt the wind pick up her hair, she felt the cold wind blow on her cheeks. She didn't care about anything. The adrenaline on her veins was telling her to go save her friends.

Second by second, she felt her heart beat faster and faster. It was like she was running out of time.

Her ears are ringing, her hands are shaking, her feet paced as fast as they could. She didn't know where she's headed, but she had the intention to at least save them.

The fact that they rarely used their abilities made her mind go crazy. The few times they did  use their ability, it always resulted into a chaos, — so she avoided it.

She turned into one corner, her feet almost slipping. She panted as she reached a dead end.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed. Her lungs are desperately trying to get oxygen from all the running she did.

While she was calming down, she looked around the area. Her eyes trailed to the ceiling, the walls, the floor. She narrowed her orbs.

"Isn't it a bit too unusual for this area to be this clean-"

A noise cut her off. She snapped her head to the sound. Chills sprung up her spine. She tried her best to identify where it came from.

"Who's there?" she positioned her arms protectively.

Another noise, wait- more like a voice.

Her eyes almost jumped out when she realized who it was. "Yunho!" she shouted. She whipped her head back and forth trying to locate the boy.

"Yunho, where are you? Try to make more noise," she spoke, hoping that she can finally get to him.

A loud muffled voice was heard on her right. She ran, her lips forming a small smile.

Well, that smile didn't last long. She saw him tied up with tape on his mouth. Mr. Seo was smiling like a maniac beside him. She saw that Yunho had a bomb, ready to explode anytime.

"Yunho." her eyes were glassy. He looked so pitful, so sad, so helpless, it almost made her cry.

"Ah, there you are. My lovely Haneul." Mr. Seo came up to the girl. He went closer, touching her shoulders.

Haneul slapped the hand away and glared with such hatred, "Don't call me that. You sick bastard," she was mad. She was mad that she can't think of anything to help him, she was mad that she and her friends were at this state, she was mad that she let Yunho be in this state, she was mad at herself.

"Don't cry now. There's still a lot to take in, doll." Mr. Seo cackled. He went back to Yunho, showing the remaining time to the girl.

1:29

Haneul almost fainted at the spot. She hurriedly walked to her friend but was stopped by the older.

"Uh-uh. Take one more step or I'll blow this whole place, including you and your friends." Mr. Seo threatened. Well, the place was going to blow up anyways.

Haneul stopped her tracks. She saw a figure behind Seo. It made her relieved.

San signalled for her to keep quiet.

"What are you gonna do again?" she provoked. "I said, I'm gonna blow this place-"

He can't continue his words when a sharp weapon was pushed through his abdomen.

"Say that one more time." San spat.

Mr. Seo's body went limp and fell to the ground with a thud. Blood was all over him and the floor.