Chapter Ten

Day 2

A loud bang from afar alerted us all.

I jumped from the tiled chair and looked for the reason of the noise. Jay stood in front of me as if protecting me from any danger, and I didn’t complain.

Whispers echoed the place, talking about what happened or where it happened. When someone appeared from inside the train, holding a bag. It’s the blonde one.

“Where are you going?” (Korean) someone shouted from the crowd to the blonde guy. He looked at us and mocked laughter.

“What do you mean where am I going? I’m getting out of here.” (Korean) He seriously said sending chills up to my spine.

“There’s a way out?!” (Korean) the girls asked, though I didn’t get to understand them, hope is evident in their voices. The guy didn’t even bother answering back before walking away from us, didn’t even looked back.

Some of the girls tried to follow him but another guy, moved to stop them.

“Oh ohhh, girls! I’m Jhope, and I’m your hope!” (Korean) he said joyfully making the girls step back, looking at him confused.

“I know there’s no way out so you don’t have to follow him.” (Korean) he said smiling wildly. As if we’re not even trapped inside a scary tunnel, as if we’re not suffering right now. He’s literally shining.

How can he even smile like that? And what is he saying?

“What are you doing?!” (Korean)

The girl who helped me earlier, Yerin, stepped in front too.

“He’s right, there’s no way out. We rounded every corner of the tunnel and it is blocked with rocks.” (Korean) she grabbed a hand, one from the petite girl still clutching a bag in her arms.

“Everyone, no one is leaving this area. No one wanders around the dark. You understand?” (Korean) she said with authority. She looked like the guy who orders us around from before.

The smiling faced guy spoke again when no one answered her. “Okay! (English) We understand. (Korean)” he clapped twice. “Let’s settle down and try to catch some sleep, shall we?”  he said once again smiling, he’s so bright.

Jay turned to me and pointed at the guy smiling. “That’s JHope, as what he said earlier.” He muttered.

JHope? What a weird name.

“What are they talking earlier?”

“Just some rules to follow. We shouldn’t wander around.” He said again before dragging me off the crowd. We sat on the chair we occupied before and rest my body.

“How is your wound?” I cupped my nape and feel the slightly wet wound. It stings so I flinch. “Aish, don’t touch it.” he retrieved my hand from touching it. “Let me see.” Then he turned me around so my back is facing him and he parted my hair.

“We need to clean it again.” He muttered. “If we don’t treat this properly it might cause infection.”

“You worry so much, how big is it?”

“As big as a man whole.” He teased so I slap his thigh, making him snicker.

“Stop kidding!” I grunt.

“Okay, okay. It’s not that big, but I think it’s deep. It won’t bleed too much if it’s not.”

“Let’s go clean it then.” I said and held his hand. I took the initiative to drag him inside the train, were the water runs perfectly fine. My heart flutters whenever he’s worried. So, even though it almost made me vomit when he mentioned that the wound is deep and bleeding too much, I tried to hide it to convince him that I’m fine with it.

Inside the train was a total mess. The glass windows are completely shattered, bags and things are everywhere, I could even see some rocks, some sides are bent from the outside.

The sight in front of me made me stop and shiver. Another wave of mixed emotions stirred up in my chest.

This is definitely happening.

We made our way towards the toilet room and he moved around, cleaning my wound and putting some ointment I didn’t know where he got from.

When he was finished, I turned around and fixed myself when I saw his left arm, and I gasped. Located just below his forearm is a large wound running from the intersection of his elbows down to his wrist.

I never saw that before.

And the blood already dried and is reddish brown. How could he not say anything to me? I feel so useless.

He must have noticed it and he instantly hid his arm behind his back.

“I’m alright—” the moment I looked at his face, my heart dropped and I started to sob when I saw his cut eyebrows.

“Sowon..” I burst out this time.

“H-how—” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence. How the hell I didn’t notice his wounds? He was so kind to take care of me yet I didn’t even check if he’s okay.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He said almost in a whisper.

I shook my head and reached for his face. He didn’t look away. I parted his hair to reveal the cut on his eyebrow, it’s pretty big but not as large as the cut on his arm.

“I-I’m going to t-tend your wounds.” I stammered and looked for the first aid kit he used earlier in hysterics.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to—”

“No, it’s not okay! I should’ve noticed your wounds! I’m sorry you only looked out for me without giving you a hand in return.”

I tried to grab his arm gently careful not to touch the wound when he retrieved it.

“I don’t mind taking care of you..” he turned to the sink to wash his wound when I started to complain. “You’re under my care so you don’t have to feel burden.”

I stopped. And then he handed me a towel and extended his wounded arm to me. for a second I just stared at him.

“the wound won’t clean itself, you know.” He said and rolled his eyes.

Aish. I jabbed a finger on his side and he flinched.

Then we giggled in low spirit, all energy was drained from our body.  

“Guys! I need a hand!!” (Korean) someone shouted from outsi