SURVIVE

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE HARDBOUND BOOK

“What the hell happened to you?” Minnie said, tugging Yuqi’s arm and making her sit on the stool, then tending on her wound.

“I think someone who is part of the people behind all this is with us here, or even worse; that person might have been with us ever since day one, at my apartment, earning our trust and then striking when we are most vulnerable.” Yuqi said, while Minnie only listened at that part of information, probably thinking of something.

“Me and Soojin wouldn’t be here that much for a week during training, so you guys better be up on your feet. If what you say is true, then that person would be waiting for a chance to strike and possibly kill us so we wouldn’t be able to find the answer to everything that has been going on.” Minnie said, Yuqi nodding at that.

“Do you have any people that are suspicious?” Yuqi said, as Minnie sighed, finishing treatment of Yuqi’s wound and bandaging it, then sitting on a stool across from her in the infirmary.

“I am doubting Song Jin for beating up Soojin, but I think he wouldn’t do anything this extreme. People who do these kinds of things aren’t human anymore, they’re monsters.” Minnie said, Yuqi sighing at that.

“But we don’t know if he’s really on our side, Minnie—”

“And what if it’s Soojin who isn’t on our side, and it’s Song Jin who’s doing us a favor by doing all that?” Minnie said, Yuqi’s point broken by that.

“But why…? After helping us, he would turn on us and cause all our deaths? If it was me, I would have murdered everyone in their sleep the first night at the apartment.” Yuqi said, making the man chuckle at that.

“But we don’t know her enough, so I’m doubting her, Song Jin and that man Miyeon found when we were at the hospital.” Minnie said, Yuqi widening her eyes at that.

“Rin Hayano? I haven’t seen him around that much ever since we arrived here. It’s like he disappeared or something.” Yuqi said, as Minnie nodded at that.

“And most of all, that leader who recruited my little sister into becoming one of them. IT’s like he knew beforehand that all this would happen, which was why he built this place even before the virus was released in Seoul.” Minnie said, Yuqi sighing at that.

“Too many suspects, I don’t like the sound of this.” Yuqi said, as Minnie sighed at that.

“Anyways… I’m with one of the suspects tomorrow up until next week, so I could see if he does anything funny or anything strange. Soyeon could monitor the leader of this place, Miyeon could talk with that Rin guy since he only talks to her, and… who would walk with Song Jin?” Minnie said, as Yuqi thought of something for a moment, then her eyes lit bright—

“What? Me? I’m a great musician, but I’m a horrible actor! Must be the reason why the drama I starred in flopped so bad—”

“Jaechan, we’re getting distracted here. You’re the only one who can be with him without him having doubts, since you both are at the same initiation. Yuqi would raise suspicion since he always sees the two of us talking together, and everyone’s already doing something so you would be the only choice left. But are you really on our side, or…” Minnie trailed off, as Jaechan widened his eyes and nodded frantically at what Minnie had said?

“Yes, of course! But I’m scared. If he’s who you guys really think he is, then I’m in huge trouble if he finds out that I’m tailing him or something. Plus, I don’t know him that much either, since I’m just an ex—” Jaechan noticed Yuqi’s stares and stopped himself from speaking even more, Minnie only chuckling at that.

“He wouldn’t dig his grave deeper by avoiding you, Jaechan. Please, do me a favor and tail him while I’m gone?” Minnie said, as Jaechan sighed and nodded.

“Alright. But you’ve got to bail me out when things get worse, alright?” Jaechan said, as Minnie nodded, patting the man’s shoulder and left, Jaechan sighing as he then walked towards the dinner hall, wanting to have a meal—

“Hey, Jaechan.” A voice said, startling the man as he widened his eyes, seeing Song Jin leaning onto the nearby wall, smiling at him as he awkwardly smiled back.

“Hey, hyung… what are you doing here?” Jaechan said, as Song Jin chuckled, then glared at him.

“Don’t even think of tailing me, alright?” Song Jin said, as Jaechan widened his eyes, realizing that the man was listening along in their conversation.

“What? No, I’m not! I just told them that so they would lay off my back, hyung. Don’t worry, I’m on your side.” Jaechan said, as Song Jin raised a brow.

“You just said you were on their side, don’t even try to fool me.” Song Jin said, as the man chuckled, looking at him with the fiercest stare, making Song Jin widen his eyes at that.

“So, you believe all that, huh? Makes me the better liar of the two of us, isn’t it?” Jaechan said, casually putting his hands in his pockets, hoping that the man would take his bluff—

“Certainly, then. I want you to do me a favor, if you really are on my side, Jaechan.” Song Jin said, as Jaechan raised his brow, wondering what that is.

Jaechan widened his eyes as Song Jin pulled a book out of his jacket, Jaechan recognizing it as the book that Yuqi stole from the hospital, and the one he heard to be the one Yuqi was finding earlier, before she got attacked by the undead that was found in her room.

“Put this back in Yuqi’s room, under the bed, if you so want to prove that you are on my side. Trust me, I will know if you do not do this task. Under no circumstance should you open the book, alright? If you don’t do this thing that I want you to do…” Song Jin trailed off, a mischievous grin on his face as he brought out a revolver, Jaechan noticing that it had specks of blood in it.

“What, you will drive a bullet in my head? I know the drill, you snake. One book coming up.” Jaechan said, taking the book from the man, then making his way towards the dormitories, his hands shaking as he went and walked across the hallways, some of the older women nodding at him while the others gave him strange looks.

He stopped in front of Yuqi’s room, finding Yuqi sleeping in the bed, a bandage on her cheek with some trace of blood. He knelt down in front of her, nudging her awake, then dropping the book in front of her.

“This might kill me, but… Song Jin hyung has your book. When Minnie finished talking to me earlier about the plan of the two of you, he suddenly appeared, and I was forced to say that I was on his side so he would let me off. I didn’t expect that he would have to send me here to put this book back under the bed, and if I will not do it, he’s going to put a bullet in my head.” Jaechan said, Yuqi widening her eyes at that as she nodded, acknowledging that piece of information.

“Put it under the bed, and go. I’ll take care of the rest; at least we know who the bad person is.” Yuqi said, as Jaechan nodded, putting the book under the bed and leaving, Yuqi sighing as she grabbed the book from under the bed.

Her fingers touched the embossed letters of the research, about to flip the book—

“Don’t.” a voice said, as a woman went in the room, bearing a device that seemed to glow red and beep furiously, the girl snatching the hardbound book away from Yuqi, throwing it down the ground and bringing out her gun, much to Yuqi’s shock, and began to fire onto the book, emptying a whole mag with the empty bullets clinking down the ground.

Yuqi widened her eyes as she saw the blood coming out of the book, the lady then flipping the book open, revealing a mass of flesh in the middle of the book, sprayed with the bullets and unmoving.

“What… What the hell was that?” Yuqi said, bringing out her pen and prodding onto the mass of flesh, widening her eyes as she found it slowly turning to ash, and into dust, fluttering away from them, the blood also turning to only dirt.

“It’s a parasite that infects the host and turns them into the undead immediately, or worse… mutated monsters who wouldn’t back down from just a single shot.” The lady said, as Yuqi widened her eyes, horrified.

“Then… If I opened the book—”

“If you had opened the book before I could stop you, then the parasite would have latched into your flesh and disappeared underneath your skin, slowly infecting you at any time.” The lady said, Yuqi dropping down the ground as she kicked the book away, its contents barely readable from the bullets that was fired onto it.

“How… How did you know that…?” Yuqi said, the lady smiling and bringing out a modified device that let out a series of small beeps, its light flashing green.

“This is something we use when we go outside the walls. It’s a tracker for those little ones, and they let out loud beeps when a parasite is nearby. When your friend passed me bringing that book earlier, the alarm was triggered, and I figured out something was wrong, especially when I stepped inside your room. I had to stop you before you turned into an undead because of that.” The lady said, as Yuqi nodded, closing the book, then noticing a device on its spine, damaged by the bullets.

“Thank you…” Yuqi said, breathless, as the lady nodded, letting out a smile on her lips.

“You’re the new doctor, right? I was the doctor here before I wanted to quit and just go outside the walls, for a change. What’s your name, by the way?” the lady said, as Yuqi nodded at her then smiled.

“My name is Song Yuqi. What’s yours?” Yuqi said, as the lady smiled and nodded, shaking her hand.

“I am Seo Minji, Yuqi-ssi… But you can call me Jiu.” The girl said, with a wide smile.

“I already gave her the book, hyung. Surely that proves my allegiance to you, doesn’t it?” Jaechan said, shaking the dust off his shoes as he looked at Song Jin, who had a contented smile on his face.

“Very well. Surely you didn’t open the book, did you not?” Song Jin said, his hand poised over the revolver, ready to bring it out and fire onto the man in front of him.

“I didn’t, alright? Besides, the book smelled strange, of rot and blood. It’s disgusting, and I had to go out of there at once.” Jaechan said, as Song Jin chuckled and nodded, approving of the man before him.

“Very well. You may go now, Jaechan-ssi.” Song Jin said, as Jaechan sighed and left, hoping that everything was alright—

Jaechan widened his eyes as he saw Minnie rushing out of the dormitories with an angry look on her face, storming towards him.

“What the hell did you do?!” Minnie said, winking at him in a split second and then punching him square in the jaw, making Jaechan stagger back and fall down the ground, his hand going up to his jaw, stinging with pain.

“Did you know that the book you brought almost killed Yuqi? You’re the one who stole it, didn’t you?” Minnie said, the fierce tone scaring Jaechan as he managed to get up and spit the blood off from his mouth, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the stinging pain on his jaw.

“Whatever.” Jaechan said, winking back at a split second, then walking away, back into the dorms, knowing that someone was watching the whole event.

Jaechan went straight into the infirmary, smiling as he saw Shuhua and Miyeon there, but the effort made his jaw sting with pain again.

“Yah, your jaw is turning purple! What happened to you, did someone hurt you?”  Miyeon said, making him sit down the stool and treat his wounds, Jaechan smiling at that.

“Minnie was the one who punched me earlier, before I went here.” Jaechan said, as Miyeon widened her eyes, and Jaechan could see that the girl was getting angry at what he just said.

“What?! That jerk—”

“Don’t worry, it’s all a plan. It was unexpected, but I managed to receive her strong punch pretty well—”

A hand suddenly knocked on his head, Miyeon glaring at the newcomer as Minnie chuckled, nodding at Jaechan who had an ice pack up his jaw, reducing the swelling and the bruising of his newly attained injury.

“How’s that? Is my punch strong?” Minnie said, chuckling, Jaechan chuckling as well but the effort made him frown instantly, groaning with pain.

“What really happened with Yuqi noona? I was hesitating to bring the book there, because it smelled strange and disgusting.” Jaechan said, catching a can of soda from the man and drinking it, Minnie sighing as the playfulness disappeared from her face.

“The book you brought, according to a lady who helped Yuqi earlier, had this mass of flesh on the middle page. She said it would latch onto the host and infect it straight on, or turn it into a mutant version of the present undead that we are currently facing. Yuqi’s having it rough here, I’m not surprised if she wants to leave this place at once.” Minnie said, as Jaechan nodded, partly guilty for he was the one who brought the book there.

“Soyeon cannot know about this; she’ll get angry that Yuqi keeps getting attacked from nowhere.” Minnie said, scratching her nape in frustration as the others nodded at that.

“But why Yuqi unnie of all people?”  Miyeon said, as Minnie sighed, having a guess about what has been happening to the doctor.

“Remember that she was one of the two people who worked in Song Medical University before the pandemic started, so she is in danger from the people who are behind all of this. Chan also worked there, right? And look where he is; dead.” Minnie said, as the others sighed, acknowledging that.

“Then we have to protect her the most. What about the book? What happened to it?” Jaechan said, Minnie bringing out a piece of the damaged device that came from the book, the one that Yuqi found earlier.

“What… Is that what I think it is?” Shuhua said, as she picked up the damaged device from Minnie’s fingers, examining it.

“A tracking device. Shuhua, you were right about the things that you hypothesized about the book. It looks like the ones behind this put that in the library on purpose, put an alarm to make it seem like the real one, and used the tracker inside it to track where we are.” Minnie said, as the others widened their eyes.

“Then doesn’t it mean that we aren’t safe here anymore? We just arrived here!”  Miyeon said.

“Well… we could have at least two options here, I believe.” Minnie said, as the others raised their brows at that, ready to listen to what Minnie had to say.

“It’s either we go out of this place already and go back to the city, but we wouldn’t be safe there, I know that at least. We have to find a safe place away from here, because it is the last place the device tracked us in before it went dark, so I’m sure that they know we’re here.” Minnie said, dropping the device down the ground and crushing it with the heel of her boot, destroying it completely.

“And the other?”  Miyeon said, as Minnie nodded at her.

“We stay here, believing that they would think that we would get out of this place already since we found out that they had been tracking us. Staying here would be the safest option against the undead, but not from the people who want to find us and possible kill us.” Minnie said, trying to think of other options than that, but nothing comes up in her mind.

“Wouldn’t that be too risky? Besides, we could still find new places to go to. This isn’t the only place to house refugees from the pandemic, right?” Shuhua said, as Minnie nodded at that.

“It’s nearly night, I think we have a curfew near the hour. Best to eat before the officers take their grudges and beat us up.” Jaechan said, getting up and taking the ice compress with him to Miyeon’s bidding, the others also disappearing out, leaving only Miyeon and Minnie inside.

“You think its best that we stay here? I feel like Soyeon doesn’t want to go anymore, since she got reinstated earlier.” Minnie said, Miyeon widening her eyes.

“What are you suggesting, that we let your sister stay here and leave without her knowing? That is crazy! She’s your sister, Minnie—”

“Of course, I’m not leaving without her! I just don’t know if going here is the right choice, with Yuqi almost getting killed twice and me practically forced to go outside the walls again tomorrow. I’m willing to fight and leave this place and face whoever it is that is behind everything, but I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right choice.” Minnie said, Miyeon holding her hand.

She tugged her in one swift motion and pulled her in for a kiss, swift and certain, pulling away immediately as she smiled, holding her hand tight and kissing her forehead.

“We don’t know if what you’re doing is right and wrong, but I know you are doing it for the sake of the people that you love, Minnie.”  Miyeon said, Minnie nodding at that and hugging her tight, smiling.

“Let’s have dinner then, I heard the dinner’s especially delicious today.”  Miyeon said, Minnie nodding as the two of them left the infirmary together, hand in hand.

“Jealous, are we?” a voice said, startling Rin Hayano as he nodded at the man, who chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder, the two of them watching the couple disappear into the dinner hall.

“What?  You’re talking nonsense, Soojin -ah.” Rin said, putting his hands on his pockets as he chuckled, shaking his head at Soojin, who only chuckled at that.

“Don’t even think of pursuing Miyeon anymore, or you’ll be met with Minnie’s fists.” Soojin said jokingly, nodding at Rin as he left, probably going to the dinner hall as well.

“Don’t you want to have her for yourself, Rin?” a voice said, Rin’s eyes looking at him, contemplating.

“Of course, … Yes, I do…” he said, in a trance as he stared at the man before him.

“Then do as I say.”