Moments | Sweet Home

Chapter 8

The gangster had killed someone. Now the majority of the tenants were just as scared of him as they were of the people turning into the monsters.

Yeonha had found out from Jae Heon that the gangster had done it because he had been hired to. The person had killed a man's daughter, and it turned out several other children too.
Yeonha didn't blame the gangster, death was well deserved for a person like that.

Besides, in a way she sort of owed the gangster for both keeping her secret and helping her keep it, so the least she could do was not hate him.

Hyuk had created a set of rules for the tenants to follow to keep everyone safe. Yeonha became nervous as soon as he announced them to everyone. 

Some of the rules she was okay with, like rationing their meals and following a buddy system, but there were two that she did not like.

Everyday at 8pm their temperatures would be checked. That was the one that stressed her out the most.

One of the symptoms of monetarization was a lower than average body temperature. Considering, Yeonha's monstrous affliction brought  a dramatic decrease in body temperature that not even Hyun or any other monsters seemed to have had, she knew that as soon as the thermometer was put in her ear, then her secret would become known. 

How was she supposed to get around it?

That was when the gangster, had helped her out.  She wondered if he had done it on purpose leaving a lighter in her line of sight, it was almost as if it was intentional, since he didn't usually leave his belongings behind and he must have known after Hyuk's rules why Yeonha was visibly distressed. 

Some others had noticed it too, and when Jae Heon had asked her if everything was alright she had just said she felt sorry for Hyun, having to be locked up.

He nodded in agreement and patted her shoulder.

Yeonha glanced around to make sure no eyes were on her as she waited to be called in for her temperature reading. She flicked the lighter and held the flame as close as was comfortable to hear ear, warming it up as best she could hoping it would produce a normal reading.

The gangster walked out the door, and she quickly pulled the lighter away from her ear.

He said nothing and walked past her as Yuri called her name. Not even asking for his lighter back. 

Yeonha took a deep breath and entered.

Please work. Please work.

She chanted, closing her eyes.

The thermometer touched her ear and then beeped.

"Hm." Yuri made a noise that caused Yeonha to tense.

"You're a little warm, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, umm I guess okay? I haven't really been sleeping." She shrugs and scratches her head. 

"Well try to get some rest, and let me know if you develop any fever symptoms. The last thing we need is for someone to get sick."

Yeonha nods and makes a quick escape, not wanting a further interrogation.

When she leaves she joins Jisu and Jae Heon. The three had decided to be a trio when Hyuk had announced his buddy system. They were the easiest option for her since the two were probably the closest to friends she had in this apartment building. There was Hyuk and Hyun too but they were different. 

Hyun had a sort of kinship with her since they were both turning into monsters, they both understood each other. He had also saved her from being mauled by a monster so there was that too.

She didn't really know what her and Hyuk were, they were classmates once, she'd had a onesided crush on him, but honestly she wasn't even sure if he remembered that was her. They were on friendly terms sure, but were they friends?

"Do we really need to lock Hyun up in there?" Jisu complains, huffing as she dropped her bat and sat down. "It's not fair."

Yeonha and Jae Heon joined her on the ground.

"I know." Yeonha agrees, tucking her knees under her chin. "I wouldn't be able to do it, locked up in there, all alone with nothing but my thoughts." She shakes her head and shivers as she starts to imagine. If she were locked up too there was no way she'd be able to last long. "It'd make me feel more like a monster." 

She glances to the barricaded arcade door.

Hyun really was a lot stronger than she realised, having to deal with such darkness and loneliness. She almost felt guilty for concealing the fact she was turning too, that she could walk about and distract herself with people and things and he had no one to listen or talk to but the monster in his head trying to tempt him.

"It must really feel like torture." She mumbles sadly.

Eun Hyuk approaches them. "I was thinking we should do a drill, get everyone to practice what to do if someone turns into a monster or a monster slips through. I could use some help in getting things set up."

Jisu agrees to be the monster rather quickly and excitedly.

Jae Heon agreed to help set up the net to capture the monster and headed over to Dusik Han to receive instruction on the mechanics of it.

"How can I help?" Yeonha turns to Hyuk and asks.

"You can rest. Yuri mentioned you were running a slight fever."

"I feel fine." She argues, but Hyuk is persistent.

"Perhaps now, but if you get sick then you'll be of no use. "

"You should follow your own instructions too." Yeonha clucks her tongue, rolling her eyes too.

"You look better without those dark circles." She teases.

With narrowed eyes Eun Yoo who had been loitering nearby glares at Yeonha. She squeezes her way between the two.

"You heard my brother, you're not useful so you can leave."

"Sure." Yeonha laughs and then leaves.

After the test drill, Yeonha follows Jisu to the restrooms to help her clean up.

"If I hadn't already known you would have had me fooled." She says as she hands Jisu some tissue to plug her bloody nose. "You should've been an actress. I would have watched your movies."

Jisu laughs.

Eun Yoo strolls into the restroom. She doesn't give Yeonha any attention at all and turns to Jisu.

"You look better as a monster."

"Is that your dream? Why do your work so hard."

Jisu is unphased by the girl, knowing fine well she was trying to bait her into an argument or something.