ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ . ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ¹

XVI. ᴀʀᴀᴄʜɴᴏɪᴅ?

Sung-hyo pulled out her knife and Sang-wook held his hammer up, both ready for if they'd need to use it.

The monster started running towards them... 

And was then hit by a car, sending him flying into a wall nearby.

Jae-heon emerged from the back seats, helping to get everyone into the vehicle quickly. 

Hyun-su ended up slumping against Sung-hyo, but the girl only half-noticed. He'd slumped against her sometimes while they were on their apartment runs. This wasn't any different... right?

So why could she feel her cheeks burning? 

Ji-ji spotted that Eun-hyeok was in the driver's seat, causing him to ask a question he felt didn't really need to be asked in their situation. "Do you have a license?"

"I passed the written test," Eun-hyeok answered.

"And the driving test?" Ji-ji asked.

The car stalled, answering Ji-ji's question. "Move, I'm swapping with you."

Eun-hyeok moved out the driver's door and into the back seat while Ji-ji climbed over and into the driver's seat.

"You don't have a license either!" Sung-hyo pointed out.

"I passed my test, though," Ji-ji remarked. "But maybe hold onto something..."

Sung-hyo felt Hyun-su grab onto her waist, as he was still half-lying down and was slumped against her. This time, the girl tried not to... was the emotions she was feeling right now a fluster?

The car began to drive really fast, occasionally and narrowly missing the other cars. Sung-hyo's free hand ended up grabbing the headrest closest to her as they made a hard left.

A loud thump came from the roof of the car. It was then that Sung-hyo realised that the speedy monster wasn't the only one down in the garage. There were multiple, and they were all trying to get into the car.

One of the monsters suddenly reached into the car and grabbed Ji-su's hair, beginning to slowly try and pull her out of the car as the girl screamed and tried hitting the monster with her bat.

Jae-heon moved over to help, pulling out his sword. "I'm sorry, Ji-su."

He then moved his sword towards Ji-su's hair and cut it, freeing her from the monster's grasp. Moments after she was back in the car, another monster appeared by the window, making Ji-su swing her bat at it and pushing it off the car. 

Sung-hyo spotted a monster trying to get through a hole it had made in the top of the car. Grabbing her knife, the girl stabbed it in the face, immediately pulling the weapon out and then stabbing it again.

While all the chaos was happening behind him, Ji-ji tried to keep his eyes on where he was driving, even as more monsters started breaking through all the windows, trying to get in the car. 

Eventually, the car crashed, stopping. Sung-hyo would've gone flying forwards if she still hadn't been holding onto the back of the headrest.

Sang-wook was the first one out of the car, using his hammer to crush a monster in front of him. Eun-hyeok, Ji-su and Ji-ji were the next people to leave, all taking down more of the monsters with their own weapons. Jae-heon stayed with the kids, giving them extra protection as Sung-hyo helped Hyun-su out of the car, who was a little more awake now.

ᶠYͧoͨᵏu

The group all ran up the stairs and back to the first floor, but they soon realised how bad things had become up there as well.

A spider-like monster was being held in the air, burning and screaming. Just as the monster cut away the rope holding it up and fell to the floor, the group reached the tenants.

Sung-hyo and Ji-ji ran over to Du-sik, helping him to move away from the monster more quicker. "Are you okay?"

Du-sik nodded his answer just as the sound of electricity filled the air.

Sung-hyo turned to the noise, finding Hyun-su stabbing his weapon into the monster. The monster screamed at the pain voting through him, his sharp legs stabbing into Hyun-su again and again.

Sung-hyo grabbed her knife, ready to run over when she felt someone pull her back.

"Let go," Sung-hyo said, trying to shake them off. When they didn't, Sung-hyo fought harder. "Let go! I have to help him!"

"No, you don't," Ji-ji replied. "You're at a higher chance of getting hurt than he is."

Despite how much Sung-hyo wished she could break free from her brother and help Hyun-su, she knew that Ji-ji had always been much stronger than her, so trying to break free from him was pointless, even as she watched Hyun-su continue fighting the spider-like creature.

Scared tears fell down her face as the monster seemed to take the upper hand, pushing Hyun-su backwards and onto the ground. 

Hyun-su could survive a lot... but what about this much?

The pair were behind a square area with plants on top of it which were covering them. No one dared to go take a closer look, just watching as the monster spasmed and shook and Hyun-su didn't move.

Eventually, the monster stopped. Stopped screeching. Stopped moving.

It collapsed, dead.

Just then, Hyun-su lifted the monster off him and shoved it onto the ground next to him. He slowly stood up, using his weapon to support him. His eyes slowly changed from the piercing black colour to his familiar brown eyes.

Sung-hyo broke free from her brother, running over to Hyun-su and immediately wrapping her arms around him. Still holding onto his weapon and supporting himself upwards, Hyun-su hugged her back, his free hand wrapping around her back and his face resting on her shoulder.

Neither of them moved at all, thankful the other was okay.

After a few moments, Sung-hyo moved so she was supporting Hyun-su. He hissed every time he put pressure on his right ankle. She ignored all the tenants watching them, her only focus becoming Hyun-su.

"Is it broken?" Sung-hyo asked.

"Just twisted, I think," Hyun-su replied. "I'll be okay in a bit, don't worry."

"But I do..." Sung-hyo admitted.

Sung-hyo started helping Hyun-su get back to the quarantine room, even with the nagging distaste in her saying to bring Hyun-su anywhere but that prison of a room.

Just as they reached the door, a voice spoke up.

"Hyun-su..."

The pair stopped and turned, seeing that all the tenants were standing in the hallway with them. Some looked scared. Others looked worried.

But the rest... the rest of them looked guilty, including Ji-eun, who was the one that had spoken up.

"Sorry," she said. "We made things more difficult for you."

Neither Hyun-su nor Sung-hyo said anything, not knowing where this was going.

Eun-hyeok stepped forwards, looking right at Hyun-su. "You can choose this time."

Hyun-su looked down at Sung-hyo, who was smiling at Eun-hyeok. He'd finally understood what Sung-hyo had been talking about. Sung-hyo turned to Hyun-su, seeing that the boy was looking at her.

"Your choice," she whispered.

Hyun-su made that choice very quickly. He turned around and shut the door to the quarantine room. 

Sung-hyo stayed smiling, glad things seemed to be looking up... at last.