No Time For Weakness

Y/N washed her face and looked up at the mirror in the bathroom. Her eyes were red. She tried her best to control her tears but it...well, emotions can't be shut down like that right? When she finally came to terms with the fact that now she had no means to contact her parents or how they might be..dead, she concentrated on her image on the mirror. She muttered looking herself in the mirror, "I can't give up that easily. Mom would want me safe."

Hanging on to the little string of hope, she walked out and noticed some people looking inside the room they previously locked the thug in. "What...What happened?" she asked.

"Uh...Sangwook escaped after beating Seokhyeon down," Byeongil said.

"What was he doing there in the first place?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

The people looked at her uncomfortably as she deduced the only possible answer. They tried to kill him, of course. "You guys really thought Mr. Kim was enough to kill someone who probably has more experience in hurting people?" Everyone started blabbering in their defense at the same time when they got interrupted.

"Everyone gather in the security room. We are having a meeting," Yikyung informed and walked away.

Y/N sighed and went in the security room, observing all the people sitting with dull faces. Of course, she was one of them too. Feeling a pair of eyes on herself, she quietly went in and sat on the bed waiting for someone to speak up.

"Let's live together in one place before the rescue team comes," Yikyung said, "We are safe together."

"Where will we go?" the guy with glasses asked.

"The daycare center. It's relatively safe because it's far from the entrance. It will also be safe to sleep there instead of here," Eunhyuk said. He looked at Y/N, who was sitting quietly with her face resting on her hands and quite evidently, avoiding his eyes. Someone who never left a moment slide to look at him was now...afraid to look at him.

Afraid of what though?

"I won't allow it," Jin-ok walked in and stood before him, "No."

"Who are you to say no?" Byeongil asked.

"She's the director of daycare," Hyein answered.

"Scumbags," Jin-ok shouted, "Pieces of shit! You ignored me even when I begged! You're all shameless!"

"Your daughter probably needs someone's help too," Yikyung said, eyes full of sympathy.

"That's why I'm saying I'll go. Let me go. You can do whatever you want after I leave!" Jin-ok pleaded, looking at Eunhyuk with eyes full of tears.

He remained unwavered though, and asked the most factual questions, "What about you? Are you okay with dying? Do you have a plan? There's no internet or phone service. How can you be sure where she is?"

"Still-"

"First, you have to live. Otherwise you won't be able to find or see your daughter."

The military man, Lee Su-ung offered her some water, "Please calm down and help us. I'll be sure to help you later." Jin-ok looked at him with irritation and smacked the water bottle away, leaving the room hastily.

Everyone started leaving the room one by one. Y/N sighed and got up, still avoiding his eyes. She wanted to go away. There was something about his gaze. The way he talked felt like he knew every little thing about her. It was uncomfortable. She felt....vulnerable around him. It was one thing to have a stupid little crush on this man. But it was another thing to know that he knows exactly what she is like and it wouldn't take much time for him to find her weakness and exploit it. She hated this.

Feeling weak.

As she walked towards the exit, she felt his eyes following all of her body movements. But before she could walk away alone into her safe little space, Y/N felt a tug on her wrist. She looked at Eunhyuk's hand stopping her from moving any further.

He shifted his other hand, and gave her something. Oh...yeah..her mobile. Slowly she looked up at his eyes. Well there was it again. Those eyes that made her feel vulnerable. "Avoiding isn't going to help you grow stronger. We don't have time to be weak."

His words stung. Why was he...why did he feel so different now? What happened to the Eunhyuk she liked so much?

Almost in a defense, she replied back, "Oh of course you know that. It's not like you live in this crappy building voluntarily. Eunyu is reckless because you alone are not enough to stop her."

Eunhyuk's eyes widened for a moment but went back to usual. He observed her expression again. There it was.

She felt scared. Like...a cornered wild animal. If he stepped in any further than this, he knew she would blow up and isolate herself completely. Snatching her hands away, she stormed out of the room.

[ TIME SKIP ]

Now this felt...embarrassing. She didn't know what to do next. Sure, she would be on her toes around Eunhyuk for now but Y/N knew that eventually she has to face him. Besides, he just tried to help her didn't he? Yes, in his own...mean way he tried to tell her to be strong.

She walked out of the stall of the bathroom and went towards the basin to wash her face when the lights went out. She gasped and looked around. Quickly, she washed her face and went outside. The whole building was dark. It wasn't just the bathroom, the electricity went off in the whole building.

All the other people were gathered in the daycare center. She was about to join them but stopped looking at the control room. Eunhyuk was walking out.

"Sorry," she said as soon as he stepped out of the room. He stared at her figure quietly as she continued, "I crossed...the line back then. So I'm sorry." Ofcourse, she was expecting an apology in return but Eunhyuk just nodded his head and changed the conversation.

"Do you know where Yikyung is?" he asked.

"Uh..yes I think I saw her in the supermarket," she replied.

He started going towards the supermarket, as she watched him leave her alone. Y/N sighed and was about to turn when she noticed him stop by his steps and look at her sideways. She looked at his fingers which were clenching and unclenching every passing second.

Her eyes went back to his face again and she asked, "Can I..join you?"

"Hm," he replied.

This felt way too awkward. She knew there was probably no reason for her to be friendly with him all over again but...there was something about him. Something that was pulling her towards the boy. She wanted to be wary of him considering how he talked to everyone in the building but she often didn't realize just how much she felt comfortable around him.

As they reached the supermarket, Y/N saw Seokhyeon standing nervously along with his scared wife; and Yikyung.

"Can you be in the management room? I need to check the electrical room. I saw some places with lights on outside. A blackout would affect the whole district," Eunhyuk said to her.

"Only this building is experiencing issues," Yikyung said.

"I'll find out when I go to the electrical room," he said and then looked at the fridges lined up, "That's all the food we have, so we have to hurry."

"What?!" Seokhyeon immediately started talking with his annoying voice, "Hey, do you think this all belongs to you? Don't be ridiculous!"

"We won't have anything if everything melts. If we hand out-" his wife started to reason but got shut down by him again.

"I'll go," Yikyung said, ignoring the couple and went on taking everything she needed from the market.

Y/N glared at the middle-aged man and walked out along with Eunhyuk and Yikyung. He handed her a walkie talkie and said, "Be careful." She stared at it and left after a moment.

"Are you sure...she should do this alone?" Y/N asked, "I know she's probably the most capable out of all of us but...maybe someone should have assisted her."

"No, she can do this alone. She's probably trained for it. Why?" he turned to face her, "Do you want to join her?"

"I can-"

"No, time is running short." he interrupted before she could finish her sentence and started walking back to the control room.

Y/N sighed and looked back at the path where Yikyung disappeared. "I told you there isn't much time," she heard Eunhyuk call her standing in front of the supermarket.

Oh right.

She flushed at his comment and watched him. He was waiting for her, wasn't he? She didn't know what to think of his weird attitude. He was mean but he was also caring. Maybe it was the danger in the atmosphere that was making her think more than what it was. Yes, maybe he would say this to anyone in the building. Maybe she was following him around to forget about what just happened. He was.. somehow able to numb the pain of losing her parents. Y/N knew that he was a means of blocking out all of those thoughts in her head.

"Coming," she smiled and started walking towards him slowly when she felt it. Felt her...clothes slowly turning wet and....red. Her eyes widened as she slowed down her pace.

Blood.