CH 46

The people remaining all arrived just yesterday and didn’t even know which floor we were on. Unlike the well-lit top floor, the lower floors were all covered in darkness. A flashlight was an essential item in such a place.

Seoyoon glanced up at the ceiling lights anxiously. He must have imagined the light on the top floor going out. If this floor were to be submerged in darkness as well, the flashlights would be the only sources of light. Seoyoon swallowed nervously. “…Then I’ll leave it to you two.”

“I want to go down with you too. Since just two people is dangerous too.” Hyehyun furrowed his brows and rushed to raise his hand. As if appealing to a crowd, he pulled my arm as he continued, “I’m Haeseo’s manager. Isn’t it better for him to go with me? Or that person, what was his name again? Ah, right, you can go with Seohang. You guys are in a group together, right?”

What was this, a middle schooler’s fight for sitting next to a friend on the bus?

I was about to give caution to Hyehyun by calling out his name, but I shut my mouth upon hearing Woorim’s reply.

“If two people without a flashlight go with me, it’ll be tough for me.” There was a hint of taunting laughter in his voice. Flicking on his light and teasingly shining it in Hyehyun’s face, Woorim continued, “Or you can borrow someone else’s flashlight and follow along.”

Hyehyun’s face grew stiff. He looked around, but because of what Woorim said earlier, nobody willingly stepped forth to lend him their light. Seoyoon probably wasn’t the only one who imagined this floor blacking out. Woorim pointed the light to the floor as if saying, “See?”

His next target was Seohang. “You, do you want to go downstairs with me?”

Seohang knitted his brows in displeasure. “If you want to go down, don’t drag me in and go downstairs alone.”

Woorim and Seohang’s relationship was bad.

Woorim must have expected that reaction from Seohang because he shrugged with a satisfied face. Of course. The ones who witnessed Seohang and Woorim bicker since before arriving at the island didn’t question this.

Finally, Woorim looked at Hyehyun and grinned. “You don’t even have a flashlight, so I don’t see why you should follow. Well, if you have a really good reason to go down, I can consider it.”

Hyehyun clammed up. His lips closed in a twisted line, and I was sure that inside his lips, he was grinding his teeth viciously. I glanced at Hyehyun, who was glaring at Woorim ferociously, then turned my head back to Woorim.

What a sharp tongue. He really must have not become an idol by only working hard.

He would consider taking Hyehyun down if he needed to go down.

There couldn’t have been more effective words to finely scratch at the pride of someone like Hyehyun. Plus, it was a situation where everyone was focused on Woorim’s words. It was hard for Hyehyun to say that he had a good reason to go. One careless mistake and he would immediately become suspicious.

“He’s right. You should stay here. We might as well try opening the rest of the doors. We need someone with some muscle.” Hyehyun’s situation was only exacerbated since Seogeung also agreed.

Eventually, Hyehyun ground his teeth and reluctantly said, “I get it. Haeseo, I’ll wait here, so be careful.” He glanced at Woorim and added quietly, “If it gets dangerous, just come back upstairs.”

Hyehyun’s hand finally came off. I brushed off the place he gripped thoroughly. Otherwise, I felt like the putrid smell that was on him would rub onto me.

* * *

We found a clean, summer blanket and brought it downstairs with us. It was thin and light. When we wrapped it up, it was as small as a pillow, so it wasn’t difficult to carry down. Woorim was holding the light, so I had to carry the sheets. I didn’t know what went through Woorim’s head when he saw the rolled-up sheets because he grinned slightly. “You’re cute.”

Watching our steps, we climbed downstairs. I quietly whispered as we went down, “Your personality is a lot more twisted than I thought.”

“Who, me?” Woorim turned back as if my comment was news to him. I said carefully, in case anyone else could hear, “Hyehyun, that jerk. He’s probably super angry right now.”

“That’s unexpected. You didn’t seem to like him much,” Woorim shrugged and mumbled. He was right, so I shut up.

Woorim seemed to have ticked off Hyehyun on purpose. It hadn’t been very long since we first met, so I hadn’t figured out his personality fully yet. However, I had the impression that Woorim could have persuaded Hyehyun a bit more mildly.