11: Hypercube (II)

     "Get the off," Jooheon grunted as he shoved the guy off him.

He ruffled his hair and stood up, staring at Suzy who stared back at him. With a small scoff, he walked toward Suzy as she backed away to the corner of the cube. This entire situation scared her, because this was what could happen during the real game; she could be stuck with Jooheon and Zico probably wouldn't even blink an eye.

"Long time no see," he smirked.

"Get away from me," Suzy gasped and curled up next to Zico who only sighed and shifted away from Suzy.

"Come on," he chuckled. "We're friends now, aren't we?"

"Friends?" she spat. "You tried to me Jooheon."

"Ooh," he hissed and made a face. "I'm hurt Suzy, I thought we were friends?"

"Shut up," Zico said with his eyes closed. "I'm trying to sleep here."

Jooheon walked over to Zico and kicked his foot, spitting on his shoe. Zico sighed and slowly opened his eyes, staring at Jooheon who sniggered as he slipped out a cigarette and began smoking it.

Suzy coughed as the smoke emanated the room.

"Turn that off," Zico said quietly.

Jooheon scoffed and continued smoking, exhaling the smoke into Zico's face.

Zico took off the shoe that Jooheon spat on and threw it right at the center of his face, watching as the shoe slipped off and left a red mark on his face. Suzy snickered as Zico gave Jooheon a deathly glare and returned to his sleep.

"You ing son of a -" he ran and stopped, grabbing Suzy instead of Zico.

Zico opened his eyes and watched as Jooheon tighted his arm around her neck, sticking the cigarette close to her cheek. Suzy could already feel the burning heat as she closed her eyes and bit her lips, trying to endure the heat.

"After all these years," he said in annoyance. "You can't come up with better ways to annoy me."

"I'll burn this ," Jooheon screamed as he stuck the cigarette closer to her neck.

Zico sighed and cracked his neck, slowly standing up. He took off his black cap and threw it on the floor, slowly walking toward Jooheon who stood there with his eyes shaking in uncertainty.

Zico stood infront of Jooheon, staring at him blankly.

"Go ahead," Zico said.

"I'll really do it," Jooheon breathed heavily.

"Then do it," Zico gestured. "What's stopping you?"

     Zico watched as Jooheon's hands trembled, the cigarette just inches away from Suzy's face. He stared at Suzy who closed her eyes and hyperventilated, trying to withstand the heat that was emanating from the cigar.

Zico sighed and picked up his cap, touching against the crease.

     He threw the cap over Jooheon's hand and smashed his arm down with his leg, pressing him against the floor. He shook the cigarette off his hat and stepped on the cigarette, killing the light. He knelt down and watched as Jooheon gasped in pain from the arm that Zico was twisting and pressing down on.

"You know," Zico whispered. "Next time you say you'll do something, please.. actually do it."

Zico released and sighed, throwing his cap to the corner.

Jooheon screamed in pain as he clutched his swollen arm and pulled himself toward his friend.

     Zico sighed and touched the small door on the side wall, crawling through the door. He stuck his foot inbetween the door for Suzy to climb through and sat in the corner, dozing off like he did before.

Suzy sat awkwardly as she glanced at Zico who closed his eyes. 

"Thanks," Suzy muttered awkwardly.

"If you're thankful, be quiet."

"But shouldn't we try to find a way out of here at least..?" Suzy looked around the cube.

"They're going to open all the entrances after the time is over," Zico held up the watch on his wrist. "We can just wait until then."

"But still this is training-"

Zico opened his eyes in irritation and glared at Suzy.

"You," Zico said blatantly. "Say my name."

"Zico..?"

"The other one."

Suzy bit her lips and stared at Zico.

"How did you know?" he opened his eyes and stared at Suzy who stared right back at him.

"When I saw you," Suzy paused. "It just came to me. It was like.. I'd known you before."

"It's something I've never told anyone," he stared into her eyes. "What are you?"

"You mean you've been pretending not to remember?"

Zico was silent.

"Why would you do that?"

"Is it a habit of yours to investigate people all the time?" He glared at her. 

"Why are you getting all riled up again?"

     Before Zico could say another word, a loud buzz came from the box as the lights flickered on and off once followed by a growing resonance of buzzing. Suzy looked around in panic, watching a small glass particle formed in the center of the room and began spinning, growing bigger as it spun.

Zico stood up and pushed Suzy against the corner of the wall, fully covering her body in his.

"Don't move and don't say a single word." he whispered as he stared at the glass piece with his peripheral view.

     Suzy watched through the small gap between Zico's arm and saw the glass piece that had grown into a huge fractal. It spun around the room slowly as if it was searching for something to kill. Suzy bit her lips as the fractal spun inside itself, making a disgusting figure that almost made Suzy wince.

She buried her face inside Zico's chest and closed her eyes, trying to think of the happiest moments of her life.

This moment was scaring her, and she wanted to escape.

She could hear the sharp whirring of the fractal right infront of her as the sound grew louder and louder, almost piercing her ears.

     Suzy went silent as she could hear Zico's fast heartbeat through his chest and breathed quietly.

It was a weird sensation, because she thought Zico didn't have a heart.

Zico breathed out heavily as he stepped back a little, Suzy tightly in his embrace.

The fractal was gone but Zico's tension still seemed to remain.

He looked down at Suzy whose eyes were tightly shut in fear, unable to make a single movement.

"It's over," he murmured. "Open your eyes."

She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, and then up at Zico.

He stared down at her with a look she had never seen before.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, looking into her eyes softly.

     Suzy's heart pounded a little as she noticed the very small gap between her and Zico as he looked down into her face. He was a completely different person to what he was a few minutes ago; she could see the fear and sincerity in his eyes.

     Suzy nodded awkwardly and he released, softly shoving her away from him. He cleared his throat in awkwardness and wiped the sweat off his head, leaning against a wall to relieve his nervousness.

Suzy watched in awe as Zico tried to calm down his heart.

She had never expected this side of Zico; he always seemed like the type to be ready for almost anything.

     But more than anything, she had never seen the gentle side of Zico before. It was almost as if she was looking a a new person. The Zico she knew was so rough and abrupt, there was no way he could possess a ginger side to himself.

"Zico, your back-" Suzy gasped as she rushed over to Zico whose jacket had been ripped apart with bloody scars around his back.

"I'm fine-" he slapped her hand away. 

"You're not fine," Suzy pushed him back.

"I said-"

"Stop saying you're fine Taewoon," Suzy said firmly. "You're clearly hurt, and you're not moving anymore."

Zico stared at Suzy and his heart began palpitating as he saw Seyoung in her, again. 

"Are you okay Taewoon?" Seyoung rushed over to Zico who fell from the rock-climbing wall.

     Zico had severly bruised his arm and it was bleeding from scraping across the rough floor. He smiled as he watched Seyoung run around trying to find a first aid kit. It made his heart beat to know that in the rough Rubicon, there was someone who genuinly cared for him.

"I'm fine Noona," she refused and tried to stand up, falling back down.

"Stop saying you're fine Taewoon," Seyoung said firmly. "You're clearly hurt, and you're not moving anywhere."

He watched as Seyoung opened the first aid kit and began wiping the blood off his arm, applying medication to his scar.

Zico grinned and tucked her hair behind her ears, glancing at her beautiful side profile.

"Are you smiling?" Seyoung asked with a face.

"It feels so good,"

"You just screwed your arm," Seyoung snorted. "What's so good about that?"

"You're caring for me. It feels good."

Seyoung glanced at Zico and laughed, ruffling his hair.

     He watched as Suzy took off her jacket and wiped the blood off his back, wrapping it around his back. 

She glanced around and sighed, sitting in the corner.

"We'll just wait here until the time is over." Suzy shrugged. "You're not going anywhere. "

Zico nodded silently, sitting in his spot.

Zico felt funny; the fractal was gone but his heart wouldn't stop beating.