Four Seasons: Winter Finale Part 1
AN: Oh it's been a long time...I stopped writing because I was having a rough time. I'm hoping for better times and started again. I hope you enjoy this sorry for the extremely long wait. Let's finish this journey together.
Winter Finale: Part 1
Minho hated the supervised visits. He missed the time when he and Kibum could be alone together. Kibum was pale from being kept inside. He was still thin despite that he should be getting regular meals. Minho’s fingers itched to hold Kibum’s. There were a lot of things he wanted to say but couldn’t.
“How is Taemin?”
“He’s doing good,” Minho smiled, “He’s so awkward around the officials but they seem to like him. You know he’s been here the longest but Jonghyun is better at Japanese than him.”
“What about you?”
“I’m still squandering. It’s hard for me to pick up.” He glanced at the guard outside the door, “Can they hear us?”
Kibum sighed but smiled, “For the millionth time if they bugged this room, I sure as hell wouldn’t know. I mean I ask for a different location every time because I’m always cooped up in the lab or in the apartment. Our visits are the only real time I can get out.” He frowned, “Its so weird. When we were cooped up in that little attic I thought we were the luckiest people on the planet. Now I can’t stand it.”
Kibum’s foot nudged his and Minho trapped it between his own with a tight lipped smiled, “It’s winter again.”
“Just barely,” He nodded, “You know when we were in that inn with the soldiers...and I said something that I didn’t mean. ”
“I know,” he tapped his fingers nervously against the table, he bit his lip, “Maybe we can walk and talk?”
Kibum looked down, “The guards have to follow us.”
“I don’t mind if you don’t.”
The way Kibum smiles when Minho takes his hand makes up for the looks the guards are giving them a thousand fold.
“I know I already asked,” Kibum started leaning onto Minho’s shoulder, “I know I always ask but how is everyone really?”
Minho squeezed his hand. “Yooguennie asks about you everytime we get to see him. Taemin is upset he can’t see you but he does everything he can to not show it. Jonghyun made a list of things he wants to do when you can come back. Jinki-hyung, he doesn’t let anyone call him that except us. He goes by Onew now; I think he might do that until you can be with us again.”
“And you?”
Minho grinned, “I wanna kiss you.”
“Moron,” Kibum blushed pushing him away.
“Hey you asked.”
Kibum ignored him, “I asked to dye my hair and they said I could. They say yes to almost everything--well almost. The next time you see me I’ll be a cute blond you know. Savour my natural hair cuteness while you can.”
They shared a good laugh that turned into a comfortable quiet. Minho could tell by how the guards glanced at their watches, he was almost out of time. He stared at Kibum as they walked down the hall, another growth spurt. His shoulders were broader, he was a little taller, in the moment Minho tried to imagine them in the world before. They could’ve been classmates goofing off and roaming the halls together between classes.
“I’m going to request it again.”
Minho blinked, “Huh?”
“Don’t space out you idiot, I said I’m going to request it again.” Kibum’s expression became firm. “I decided. I’ll keep requesting it until they say yes. We should be able to live together.”
“It won’t cause trouble?”
“Well,” He sighed, “I’m the only one that can do it. They’d just ignore you all if you asked. I complete everything they ask, you know they make me run for some of their tests.”
“Run? Run!” Minho put on a shocked face, “How could they? Those monsters!”
“Shut up!” He pouted, “You know I hate running. It’s bad enough they’re treating me like a prisoner and lab pet but to make me run on top of all that.”
Minho smiled bitterly, “Yeah you must hate that the most.”
“No,” Kibum shook his head, “I hate not being able to kiss you the most. I hate not being able to sleep beside you and feel safe. I hate not being able to talk to you late at night when I can’t sleep and I hate not being able to look at your suffering face when you have to wake up. I hate-”
Kibum’s lips were warm and felt almost too familiar like they had kissed just the day before instead of months ago. Minho knew that there would be consequences but being tased hadn’t crossed his mind.
Jinki-hyung met him in the detention center to claim him. “What happened?”
“I kissed him.”
The slap to his shoulder was harder than he expected. “About time you two really made up.”
Minho did his best not to smile until they’d left the building. It was good having someone to talk to about Kibum. Somehow Jinki had known for a long time, when Minho asked how he’d just smiled and said, “You two bicker like you’re married.”
“So what penalty did they give you?”
“I lost visit for the next two week. I’m back to table visits only,” Minho frowned, “They probably would’ve done worse but Kibum probably threw a tantrum about them tasing me.”
“They tased you?”
“Yeah I think I shocked one the guards too much so he shocked me. His partner scolded him before the detention team came to collect me. Kibum’s face turned so red,” Minho explained.
Jinki opened his mouth to retort but a ringer cut him off. It startled Minho, “A handphone?”
“Yeah,” Jinki smiled, “They’ve given one to all the medical staff. It’s just for alerts though. I have to head back to the hospital. I might not be home until morning so don’t wait up.”
Minho nodded but it dampened his mood even more, “Ok.”
“Straight home, no more trouble.” Jinki slapped his shoulder again, “You probably made Kibum really happy today.”
Minho smiled, “Thanks hyung.”
When Minho made it back to the apartment Taemin and Jonghyun were there. “If it isn’t the criminal?”
“What did you do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Uh-huh,” Taemin rolled his eyes, “How’s the lab rat?”
Minho frowned, “Don’t call him that.”
“That’s what the high ups call him, the nice ones call him the key or the cure.” Taemin shrugged, “Because I speak clumsy Japanese they think I’m too stupid to know what they’re saying.”
“He’s your hyung,” Jonghyun replied, “So you don’t call him that.”
“My hyung huh?” Taemin scoffed, “I’ve only seen him once since he got here.”
Minho walked to sit beside Taemin, “He’s still requesting. They keep rejecting him but he said he won’t stop. He worries about you the most you know.”
“Worries, yeah I guess now that we’re in such a dangerous environment.” He leaned against Minho, “People are always the most dangerous. I can’t believe we thought this place would be safe.”
“Hey now, sure it’s not what we thought it would be but we get three full meals a day. We live in a nice apartment. Showers, baths, we can shower everyday and we can get full nights of sleep. We even get to sleep in on Saturdays.” Jonghyun began, “We have to count up the positives. Back then we were always getting separated for one reason or another. I was always afraid I’d find one of you dead or worse turned. We might be apart now but Minho gets to visit him every week. He writes us letters all the time. I’m finally able to sleep more than three hours without being drugged or injured because I know that I don’t need to be on watch anymore. That feels good, so don’t try to take that away. We deserve to be able to rest.”
“I just want to see him hyung.” Taemin mumbled, “I just want to say hello and to see if he’s okay.”
“We all do Taeminnie,” Jonghyun grinned, “That’s why I sucked up to some bureaucrats and got us visitation passes. We can even take Yoogeunnie.”
Minho and Taemin wore the same surprised expression. “Really?”
“I played guitar and sang for the chief of security’s daughter’s birthday dinner. I dropped the hint to her and he’s a fool for his daughter,” He grinned, “I wanted to wait until Jinki-hyung was here too.”
“How did you even get the chance to make that happen?” Minho asked.
“I got a little promotion.” He threw up a v, “I assist work of the officers vehicles now. He caught me fiddling around during my break and asked me. Apparently there aren’t a lot of guitar playing, good looking guys left to sing to his daughter anymore.”
“So they’re real.”
“Yup all confirmed. I mean its supervised and they get to pick the date and location but we’ll all be together,” Jonghyun smiled.
“That’s amazing!” Minho beamed, “You’re amazing hyung!”
“I know, I know when’s Jinki-hyung getting back?”
“He said not to wait up. He’s so over worked.” Minho commented.
“Yeah but he’s the reason we get to live in this nice place. Doctors get way better living assignments than other professions.” Taemin said, “I would’ve had to stay at the orphanage.”
Jonghyun nodded, “Yeah well it’s not like I expected this to be a vacation but we get beds and hot showers so it’s better. ”
Minho gives him a small smile, “Yeah it’s better.”
Dinner is quiet. Lately it’s just been the three of them and even though it’s been a couple months now it still feels awkward to eat a meal without Kibum and Jinki. Taemin is having the opposite problem of getting use to them after being separated for a long time.
“You know right after you and Key-hyung rescued us. He caught us fresh fish,” Taemin smiled picking at his food, “You know that was probably the best meal in my life. I knew it then that even though everyone else had died it was okay because I had you.” He shrugged, “Now there’s no dead around and we’re safe mostly but it doesn’t feel okay.”
Minho nodded, “Yeah I know what you mean.”
“We have to stay positive.” Jonghyun patted his shoulder, “They won’t keep him after they’ve found that cure. Then he’ll come live a boring life with us.”
They have to wait a month to visit and Minho’s requests for visits before the group visit are denied. Three days before they visit Key, there’s a lock down. A minor outbreak, it happens anytime someone isn’t doing what they are supposed to do. Today it happens at the school where Minho works. There aren’t any soldiers stationed there so Minho takes things into his own hands with a broken mop handle. There’s only seven corpses. For some reason even when he has killed one in months it seems too easy. It seems like nothing that should’ve caused a panic. The soldiers meet him as he and the janitor are loading the bodies for incineration.
“Who did this?”
Minho shrugs when the janitor points to him, “There were only seven.”
Just like that Minho has a job change. Everyone is at dinner to hear the news.
“A soldier, they should’ve given you that job in the first place.” Jonghyun grumbled. “Not that the whole PE teacher/coach thing didn’t suit you too.”
“They probably just lost a lot of people overseas and need to send more if they’re taking new domestic soldiers.” Taemin sighed, “I guess that’s why I’m being ran around by those assholes. All this time and more than half of them have probably never killed a corpse.”
“Yeah I’ve been hearing similar news in the hospital. I don’t think Australia is going very well. They’re having problems with the refugees.” Jinki sighed, “Of course they would, they aren’t just readily agreeing to handing over their country to Japan.”
“Not much of a choice for most places,” Jonghyun added, “They must have more refugees than other places. They cleared Indonesia in a month. Philippines didn’t give them much trouble either.”
“The rumors about the US probably don’t help.” Jinki shrugged, “Australia has a large non-Asian population too. A lot of people think that’s causing a lot of problems too. The Japanese are making them feel like second class citizens.”
“Well that’s what we are now. Those other countries swore allegiance to Japan. This is their new empire.” Taemin shrugged, “Who knows what will happen if they actually find a cure.”
“You mean when,” Jonghyun corrected.
“It can take years to create a cure for a disease right? Who’s to say that the lead scientist doctor or whatever doesn’t die first. Who’s to say the genius they need to crack it isn’t already dead. I mean it’s been months but they haven’t really shown signs of having a cure. If anything I think it’s just a race to get there first with all the rumors,” Taemin continued, “Maybe the rumors are true and the US is constructing their own cure. If they get there first would Japan even continue looking for the cure or just work with the US.”
“That could be true but I don’t think the rumors about the US holdup.” Minho began, “I mean they only started after Australia. I think it’s a way for them to gain a little power in negotiations.”
“It’d be a good move but at the moment Japan has eyes on New Zealand too. They’ll completely pack up and head there instead.” Jinki sighed, “They have other places in the pacific islands they’d take, now that they’ve taken and stabilized all the islands in Southeast Asia. They’ve only been at it for eight months. A year from now who knows what they’ll be able to do.”
“A year from now all the survivors in Australia could be dead.” Taemin commented.
“Before it gets that bad they’ll find a way to get Japan’s help.” Jonghyun frowned, “They’ll be desperate then and they’ll give in even if it means just killing the ones who oppose.”
Their conversation is cut short by the doorbell. They share a look. It’s after curfew so it’s not a civilian.
Jinki stands up to answer it. They wait just a few feet behind him. He opens the door to two soldiers and two familiar faces. “Good evening Captain, how can I help you?”
“It’s Colonel now. Thanks to that mission I was quickly promoted.” He responded, “Sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. We are here to collect you. If you would please follow us without any trouble.”
“May I ask what this is about?” Jinki is already putting his shoes on. It’s a show of compliance he expects the others to follow. Jonghyun and Minho take his lead but he has to look back to get Taemin moving.
“It’s classified.” The medic replied, “It’ll be explained to you once we’ve taken you where you need to be.”
It’s quiet and tense. The Colonel’s easy smile seems unnerving. “I heard you’ve become a soldier.”
Minho nodded and he went on, “I’d wish you luck with your training, but I have a feeling it’ll be a piece of cake for you. I expect you’ll rise rank quickly with your experience. I suspect the next time I see you, you’ll be E-4, E-5 already. In fact I should have you start preparing for an officer’s test right away.”
Minho didn’t know what to say so he only nodded again. They’re escorted to a conference room in the building where the lab. Minho is anxious just knowing he might be in the same building as Kibum. The medic and the colonel waited with them until a man entered.
The colonel greeted him with a bow and handshake. They all stood and bowed politely.
The man speaks in Korean surprising them. “I’ll introduce myself. My name is Lee Yoohwan, or as I’m more well known by Akiyama Haruto. I am the ambassador representing Korean peoples in this regime.”
Jinki starts, “It’s very nice to meet you sir. I’m--”
He walks to his seat cutting him off, “No need for that I’ve read your dossiers. I’m here concerning Project Key.”
They return to their seats. It’s the first time Minho has ever heard of an Ambassador on the behalf of Korean people but he obviously had a lot of power to even know about Kibum.
Jinki spoke for them, “Has something happened?”
“We are having issues with cooperation,” He began, “You could say we’re losing ground. Sadly Key-ssi doesn’t seem to care much for the success of the project nor does he care for what this project means to the Korean citizens under this regime.” He sighed, “There are a lot of things at stake with this project but Key-ssi is stubborn. He’s offered his compliance in exchange for a new living situation. He’d like for you all to live together. We’d like you to reject his offer.”
“Why?” Jinki asked, “Would it make such an impact on the research if we lived together?”
“Not in particular no, but he’s putting people in a difficult position with these tantrums.” The ambassador went on, “If we give into these demands who knows what he’ll ask for next. He seems to think he has an advantage over the Japanese government.”
“Well you did drag us out here because he had a tantrum. I wouldn’t exactly call him powerless.” Jinki smiled. “Besides Key is the stubborn type. He won’t drop the issue just because we tell him to, if anything it might make him more rebellious.”
“Then do you have a suggestion.”
“Ask Key for a compromise,” Jinki suggested with a shrug. “I don’t think it will work but I think it’s your only option.”
“You don’t think it will work?”
“Key has a way of getting what he wants.” Jinki supplied, “It’s something I think is quite scary.”
The colonel took a seat, “That, I can certainly agree with.”
“Do you have a suggestion Yunho-ssi?”
“More like a warning, if Key-ah finds out about this meeting he will be very upset.” He smiled, “You know how upset children misbehave. Trust me you haven’t seen the worst of his tantrums.”
“Really now you make it seem like it could get much worse,” The ambassador sighed, “They’ve been held back in research so many times. The doctor in charge of the project is going mad at how slow they’re able to progress.”
“Well at least no one’s dead.” Taemin remarked with a shrug, “or turned, so it’s not that bad.”
“If someone were to die, I will personally see that he is punished on behalf of the Japanese government. If someone were to die the consequences would affect all the Korean peoples under this regime.” The ambassador replied, “So it’s in your best interest to have your friend cooperate as well.”
“If something happened to one of us the project would be over,” Jonghyun shared in a move that wasn’t like him. “He’s one of those brats that will hold his breath until he passes out if you try to take a toy from him.”
“We’re getting nowhere,” The medic began taking a seat beside the colonel, “Right now it’s just exchanging threats. We all know that’s not in any of our best interests. Let’s get back to the real issue, the Japanese government does not want Key-ssi to feel like he has an edge. It’s too late for that, he already knows he has that. They airdropped a squad of the finest to get him out of a danger zone. He knows he’s priceless goods. So how do we get out of this with the least amount of damage and the most advantages for the inevitable next time?”
“You let us live with him and Minho-hyung will just talk him out of crazy stuff before it even becomes a problem for you to discuss?” Taemin suggested rather hopefully.
“The council won’t approve of that.” The ambassador replied.
“Well what about Minho and Taemin,” Jonghyun sighed, “Half right, that’s a compromise.”
“Taemin is a minor. Minho is not qualified to be his guardian and Key-ssi cannot be a guardian. ”
“Oh that’s right qualified to survive hordes of corpses, roving bandits, murderers and rapists but not old enough to live with their junior who survived the same thing but can’t live on his own.” Jonghyun scoffed, “How could I have forgotten?”
“What happened on the mainland has nothing to do with this situation.”
“You’re wrong,” Minho finally spoke, “It has everything to do with it. There’s a reason Key is acting out. There’s a reason he’s not participating. He’s not eating right or sleeping either. It has everything to do with what happened over there. You and that council don’t understand because you don’t have a clue of what’s over there. You don’t know what it can do to people, good people and we,” He stopped taking a breath trying to keep his composure, “We were lucky. We were lucky we found each other because you can’t be out there alone. You just can’t and sure we aren’t over there anymore but this place has more dangers.”
“Dangers?” He rolled his eyes, “This is the safest place in the world right now.”
“People, living people have never stopped being the most dangerous thing.” Minho answered, “And right now he’s separated from the only people he knows and surrounded people. He’d feel more at ease in a crowd of a thousand corpses than where he is now.”
“Look if it were up to me I’d just let you live together but it’s not in my hands,” He sighed loosening his tie, “However Key’s actions have real consequences that will affect the future of Korean people in this regime. My only purpose is to ensure the safety and happiness of Korean people under the Japanese government. Unfortunately it’s all linked to that kid now.”
“That’s right he’s a kid.” Onew began, “He’s still a kid. He’s acting out because he’s terrified and it will get worse. So you’ll have to tell the council that’s there’s nothing we can do if they aren’t willing to compromise.”
“We still are just circling around,” The medic sighed, “What are our options? We can ask the Japanese government to compromise with his demands. They are likely to reject. We could threaten him but that will only make things much worse. We’ve already brought them here why not try to ask him directly to compromise.”
The ambassador took the phone, “I will see if that’s a viable option.”
They were on opposite sides of the table and there were four guards inside the room. Kibum was in a wheelchair and looked ill.
“Why did they drag you out so late?”
“It’s fine hyung,” Taemin started looking worried, “Are you ok?”
Kibum smiled, “Now I am it’s so nice to see you.”
Minho’s expression mimicked Taemin’s, “We should do this another time it’s obvious you need to rest.”
“I’m fine.” He looked to Onew, “Why did they bring you here?”
“They want you to stop being a spoiled brat.” He answered.
He scoffed, “Well I don’t know how to be anything else.”
“We told them that.” Jinki smiled, “But could you try a little.”
“I need to see and know.” Kibum responded glaring at the table, “It’s important.”
“They don’t understand that, they’ve had a lot of privileges.” Jonghyun sighed, “But we can’t just cause problems. There are a lot of good people here and if we piss off the people in charge they’ll have to suffer for it too.”
“They don’t want to compromise. They don’t want to give you anything. They just want you to be an obedient little lab rat and they’re holding every Korean person as hostage until you agree.” Jinki continued, “It’s not just us five anymore.”
“If I had known it would be like this I would’ve never gone to the beach.”
“You would have died.” Taemin stated.
“It would’ve been better than this,” Kibum snapped, “My body but it’s not mine, my blood but it’s not mine. Those people in that lab, they’re just like the corpses huddling around hoping to feed off me. Blood tests and biopsies and scans, it never fucking ends. They don’t know how to fix this but they don’t want to admit that maybe there isn’t a cure. Maybe this world is exactly what we deserve.” He swayed in his seat, “It’s cold. I want to be in my attic.”
“You’re not in any condition to talk right now,” Onew sighed, “We’ll have try this another time.”
“There won’t be another time.” Kibum scoffed, he stood but it was shaky, “I don’t want to see you anymore. There are you satisfied?” He walked toward the door with careful steps. “I’m giving them what they want.”
“I miss the attic too.”
“Shut up Minho.”
“You said we had to do whatever it takes to survive.”
“I am dying here!” He yelled falling to his knees, “Don’t you get it. Are you stupid? I’m dying. They only sent you here hoping you’d inspire me to keep going but I’m tired. I’m done surviving. I’m done and I’m ready for this mess to be over. I just, I just wanted to see you before it’s over. I want to be able to say goodbye. That’s the only thing better about this place but they won’t let me have even th-. ”
He was cut off coughing and then muffled as he coughed into his palm. Jinki and Minho both rushed forward stopped by the guard aiming a gun at him. The other two covered Taemin and Jonghyun while the last stood by Kibum.
“He needs a doctor.” Jinki started, “He’s obviously sick.”
Kibum’s cough ceased and his bloodied hand fell. He mumbled something they couldn’t hear, the guard kneeled to check him then a curdling yell, as Kibum bit into his neck. The four of them attacked while the guards were distracted. Minho wondered why it still felt so easy when they had been here for months. They had numbers on their side as the ambassador and colonel sat outside the room and Kibum currently had a guard in his teeth. The guard was yelling profanities in Japanese, holding his hands to his wound and scurrying away. Taemin and Jonghyun held the two guards at gunpoint on the opposite side of Key. Minho held a gun to the other but Jinki nudged him toward Key.
“Get Kibum.”
Minho moved Kibum was crawling toward the panicked guard, mumbling. He kneeled down taking Kibum’s under his shoulders pulling him up to look him in the eyes, “Kibum? Kibum?”
His right eye had flecks of red and yellow now. It was like the moment they had found him on that beach. “Minho?” He let out a shaky breath, he was almost sure Kibum had turned, “Minho I’m so hungry.”
“I know.” He bit his lip, “I know. I’ll find something for you don’t worry. You’re sick, you need to rest.”
He smiled lips, teeth, chin all covered in blood and then he fainted. Minho was relieved but the man with the bite had stopped yelling. He lunged toward Minho but a bullet from Taemin’s gun ended him before he could get to him. He turned to the door to see the captain and Ambassador with more soldiers.
“Hand over your weapons.” He held his gun toward Minho, “I won’t say it again.”
Jinki was the first to back away from the guard. He moved to where Minho and Kibum were before placing the gun down and sliding his weapon across the floor. Taemin and Jonghyun followed his lead until they are all kneeled together around Kibum unarmed.
“Get the body to incineration.” He ordered. “Take them into custody, contact the project Key doctors, get them down here with a bed now. Get the surveillance video from this room.” He looked to the Ambassador, “I urge to to get a meeting started now.”
The last Minho saw of Kibum was him being loaded onto a bed and an IV being placed in his arm. They were taken to a bare room and locked inside.
“Was he-Did he turn?” Jonghyun asked after a long silence. “He bit that guy and he turned just like that but Kibum wasn’t was he?”
Minho shrugged, “He recognized me. He said my name. If he had turned he would’ve tried to bite me, not talk to me. His other eye wasn’t normal anymore though. He said he was hungry.”
“Shit,” Jonghyun cursed, “Shit, shit, shit, shit, what the hell did they do to him. He was fine for months before we got here.”
“They’ve either made his immune system weaker or the virus stronger.” Jinki commented. “If he was able to completely recover from turning back in that officetel there’s no way he’d regress this much here without interference.”
“But why would they do that?” Jonghyun asked, “What about a cure?”
“They’re working on what happens after the cure.” Taemin answered aloud more to himself than to the others, “They’re making ensuring Japan stays the big power even after all the mess is over.”
“Then they already have a cure or they’re close.” Jinki explained, “First worse case scenario is that they’re experimenting with the virus to create a bioweapon to keep themselves in power when they use the cure to take over. Second worse case is that they’re failing to create a cure and the virus is evolving within Kibum which means that the virus could evolve in one of the corpses or even other people. It could mean like the flu they are more than two strains but several strains that are constantly evolving to survive. That is if it’s evolving naturally and not to do with whatever experiments they’ve been doing.”
“Damn,” Jonghyun frowned, “Doesn’t sound like we got any options about any of this. We also have no clue if Kibum is going to be ok or how long they’re going to keep us here or if they’re going to kill us.”
“It’s not safe here.” Minho sighed, “You were right from the beginning Taemin. We should’ve all just stayed together.
The door opened hours later it was the colonel. “Get up, I’m here to escort you.”
They were taken to another meeting room where the ambassador was waiting for them. They sat and waited for him to begin. “After a long discussion, it has been decided that you will live with Key-ssi as it seems you’re most capable of handling him should events go sour. I trust you understand what that means.”
“I’ll need a report on his current condition.” Jinki declared, “We all need phones, we need a phone in the apartment, and we don’t want surveillance outside of the open living space.”
“I will have you a report today. However you will have to give me time with the phones, there will be one inside the apartment. Key-ssi’s room will have surveillance but your private rooms will not.” He remarked, “You need to pack your things right away. You are being excused from your duties, with the exception of you Onew-ssi. I’m sure you understand we have a short supply of doctors. We simply can’t afford to retire you. Of course you are being excused for the day. I’m sure you all need to rest and have a meal after you’ve settled into your new place. There’s an escort waiting for you and you’ll be briefed on other details at before Key-ssi is discharged.”
Packing didn’t take long at all, none of them had made this apartment their home. The had only clothes and few other provisions worthy of taking with them. Onew who had rarely been there had things already packed from particularly rough times when he’d spend two or three nights at the hospital.
“Why does this feel like a bad move?” Jonghyun sighed.
“Because it is.” Taemin scoffed, “They’re probably hoping he kind of turns kills us and turns back somehow so they won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
“Kibum isn’t going to turn.” Minho stated, “If you could keep him from turning back in that officetel there’s no way he’d turn here. Not if he’s with us.”
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in a comment below see you in the final chapter.
Winter Finale: Part 1
Minho hated the supervised visits. He missed the time when he and Kibum could be alone together. Kibum was pale from being kept inside. He was still thin despite that he should be getting regular meals. Minho’s fingers itched to hold Kibum’s. There were a lot of things he wanted to say but couldn’t.
“How is Taemin?”
“He’s doing good,” Minho smiled, “He’s so awkward around the officials but they seem to like him. You know he’s been here the longest but Jonghyun is better at Japanese than him.”
“What about you?”
“I’m still squandering. It’s hard for me to pick up.” He glanced at the guard outside the door, “Can they hear us?”
Kibum sighed but smiled, “For the millionth time if they bugged this room, I sure as hell wouldn’t know. I mean I ask for a different location every time because I’m always cooped up in the lab or in the apartment. Our visits are the only real time I can get out.” He frowned, “Its so weird. When we were cooped up in that little attic I thought we were the luckiest people on the planet. Now I can’t stand it.”
Kibum’s foot nudged his and Minho trapped it between his own with a tight lipped smiled, “It’s winter again.”
“Just barely,” He nodded, “You know when we were in that inn with the soldiers...and I said something that I didn’t mean. ”
“I know,” he tapped his fingers nervously against the table, he bit his lip, “Maybe we can walk and talk?”
Kibum looked down, “The guards have to follow us.”
“I don’t mind if you don’t.”
The way Kibum smiles when Minho takes his hand makes up for the looks the guards are giving them a thousand fold.
“I know I already asked,” Kibum started leaning onto Minho’s shoulder, “I know I always ask but how is everyone really?”
Minho squeezed his hand. “Yooguennie asks about you everytime we get to see him. Taemin is upset he can’t see you but he does everything he can to not show it. Jonghyun made a list of things he wants to do when you can come back. Jinki-hyung, he doesn’t let anyone call him that except us. He goes by Onew now; I think he might do that until you can be with us again.”
“And you?”
Minho grinned, “I wanna kiss you.”
“Moron,” Kibum blushed pushing him away.
“Hey you asked.”
Kibum ignored him, “I asked to dye my hair and they said I could. They say yes to almost everything--well almost. The next time you see me I’ll be a cute blond you know. Savour my natural hair cuteness while you can.”
They shared a good laugh that turned into a comfortable quiet. Minho could tell by how the guards glanced at their watches, he was almost out of time. He stared at Kibum as they walked down the hall, another growth spurt. His shoulders were broader, he was a little taller, in the moment Minho tried to imagine them in the world before. They could’ve been classmates goofing off and roaming the halls together between classes.
“I’m going to request it again.”
Minho blinked, “Huh?”
“Don’t space out you idiot, I said I’m going to request it again.” Kibum’s expression became firm. “I decided. I’ll keep requesting it until they say yes. We should be able to live together.”
“It won’t cause trouble?”
“Well,” He sighed, “I’m the only one that can do it. They’d just ignore you all if you asked. I complete everything they ask, you know they make me run for some of their tests.”
“Run? Run!” Minho put on a shocked face, “How could they? Those monsters!”
“Shut up!” He pouted, “You know I hate running. It’s bad enough they’re treating me like a prisoner and lab pet but to make me run on top of all that.”
Minho smiled bitterly, “Yeah you must hate that the most.”
“No,” Kibum shook his head, “I hate not being able to kiss you the most. I hate not being able to sleep beside you and feel safe. I hate not being able to talk to you late at night when I can’t sleep and I hate not being able to look at your suffering face when you have to wake up. I hate-”
Kibum’s lips were warm and felt almost too familiar like they had kissed just the day before instead of months ago. Minho knew that there would be consequences but being tased hadn’t crossed his mind.
Jinki-hyung met him in the detention center to claim him. “What happened?”
“I kissed him.”
The slap to his shoulder was harder than he expected. “About time you two really made up.”
Minho did his best not to smile until they’d left the building. It was good having someone to talk to about Kibum. Somehow Jinki had known for a long time, when Minho asked how he’d just smiled and said, “You two bicker like you’re married.”
“So what penalty did they give you?”
“I lost visit for the next two week. I’m back to table visits only,” Minho frowned, “They probably would’ve done worse but Kibum probably threw a tantrum about them tasing me.”
“They tased you?”
“Yeah I think I shocked one the guards too much so he shocked me. His partner scolded him before the detention team came to collect me. Kibum’s face turned so red,” Minho explained.
Jinki opened his mouth to retort but a ringer cut him off. It startled Minho, “A handphone?”
“Yeah,” Jinki smiled, “They’ve given one to all the medical staff. It’s just for alerts though. I have to head back to the hospital. I might not be home until morning so don’t wait up.”
Minho nodded but it dampened his mood even more, “Ok.”
“Straight home, no more trouble.” Jinki slapped his shoulder again, “You probably made Kibum really happy today.”
Minho smiled, “Thanks hyung.”
When Minho made it back to the apartment Taemin and Jonghyun were there. “If it isn’t the criminal?”
“What did you do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Uh-huh,” Taemin rolled his eyes, “How’s the lab rat?”
Minho frowned, “Don’t call him that.”
“That’s what the high ups call him, the nice ones call him the key or the cure.” Taemin shrugged, “Because I speak clumsy Japanese they think I’m too stupid to know what they’re saying.”
“He’s your hyung,” Jonghyun replied, “So you don’t call him that.”
“My hyung huh?” Taemin scoffed, “I’ve only seen him once since he got here.”
Minho walked to sit beside Taemin, “He’s still requesting. They keep rejecting him but he said he won’t stop. He worries about you the most you know.”
“Worries, yeah I guess now that we’re in such a dangerous environment.” He leaned against Minho, “People are always the most dangerous. I can’t believe we thought this place would be safe.”
“Hey now, sure it’s not what we thought it would be but we get three full meals a day. We live in a nice apartment. Showers, baths, we can shower everyday and we can get full nights of sleep. We even get to sleep in on Saturdays.” Jonghyun began, “We have to count up the positives. Back then we were always getting separated for one reason or another. I was always afraid I’d find one of you dead or worse turned. We might be apart now but Minho gets to visit him every week. He writes us letters all the time. I’m finally able to sleep more than three hours without being drugged or injured because I know that I don’t need to be on watch anymore. That feels good, so don’t try to take that away. We deserve to be able to rest.”
“I just want to see him hyung.” Taemin mumbled, “I just want to say hello and to see if he’s okay.”
“We all do Taeminnie,” Jonghyun grinned, “That’s why I sucked up to some bureaucrats and got us visitation passes. We can even take Yoogeunnie.”
Minho and Taemin wore the same surprised expression. “Really?”
“I played guitar and sang for the chief of security’s daughter’s birthday dinner. I dropped the hint to her and he’s a fool for his daughter,” He grinned, “I wanted to wait until Jinki-hyung was here too.”
“How did you even get the chance to make that happen?” Minho asked.
“I got a little promotion.” He threw up a v, “I assist work of the officers vehicles now. He caught me fiddling around during my break and asked me. Apparently there aren’t a lot of guitar playing, good looking guys left to sing to his daughter anymore.”
“So they’re real.”
“Yup all confirmed. I mean its supervised and they get to pick the date and location but we’ll all be together,” Jonghyun smiled.
“That’s amazing!” Minho beamed, “You’re amazing hyung!”
“I know, I know when’s Jinki-hyung getting back?”
“He said not to wait up. He’s so over worked.” Minho commented.
“Yeah but he’s the reason we get to live in this nice place. Doctors get way better living assignments than other professions.” Taemin said, “I would’ve had to stay at the orphanage.”
Jonghyun nodded, “Yeah well it’s not like I expected this to be a vacation but we get beds and hot showers so it’s better. ”
Minho gives him a small smile, “Yeah it’s better.”
Dinner is quiet. Lately it’s just been the three of them and even though it’s been a couple months now it still feels awkward to eat a meal without Kibum and Jinki. Taemin is having the opposite problem of getting use to them after being separated for a long time.
“You know right after you and Key-hyung rescued us. He caught us fresh fish,” Taemin smiled picking at his food, “You know that was probably the best meal in my life. I knew it then that even though everyone else had died it was okay because I had you.” He shrugged, “Now there’s no dead around and we’re safe mostly but it doesn’t feel okay.”
Minho nodded, “Yeah I know what you mean.”
“We have to stay positive.” Jonghyun patted his shoulder, “They won’t keep him after they’ve found that cure. Then he’ll come live a boring life with us.”
They have to wait a month to visit and Minho’s requests for visits before the group visit are denied. Three days before they visit Key, there’s a lock down. A minor outbreak, it happens anytime someone isn’t doing what they are supposed to do. Today it happens at the school where Minho works. There aren’t any soldiers stationed there so Minho takes things into his own hands with a broken mop handle. There’s only seven corpses. For some reason even when he has killed one in months it seems too easy. It seems like nothing that should’ve caused a panic. The soldiers meet him as he and the janitor are loading the bodies for incineration.
“Who did this?”
Minho shrugs when the janitor points to him, “There were only seven.”
Just like that Minho has a job change. Everyone is at dinner to hear the news.
“A soldier, they should’ve given you that job in the first place.” Jonghyun grumbled. “Not that the whole PE teacher/coach thing didn’t suit you too.”
“They probably just lost a lot of people overseas and need to send more if they’re taking new domestic soldiers.” Taemin sighed, “I guess that’s why I’m being ran around by those assholes. All this time and more than half of them have probably never killed a corpse.”
“Yeah I’ve been hearing similar news in the hospital. I don’t think Australia is going very well. They’re having problems with the refugees.” Jinki sighed, “Of course they would, they aren’t just readily agreeing to handing over their country to Japan.”
“Not much of a choice for most places,” Jonghyun added, “They must have more refugees than other places. They cleared Indonesia in a month. Philippines didn’t give them much trouble either.”
“The rumors about the US probably don’t help.” Jinki shrugged, “Australia has a large non-Asian population too. A lot of people think that’s causing a lot of problems too. The Japanese are making them feel like second class citizens.”
“Well that’s what we are now. Those other countries swore allegiance to Japan. This is their new empire.” Taemin shrugged, “Who knows what will happen if they actually find a cure.”
“You mean when,” Jonghyun corrected.
“It can take years to create a cure for a disease right? Who’s to say that the lead scientist doctor or whatever doesn’t die first. Who’s to say the genius they need to crack it isn’t already dead. I mean it’s been months but they haven’t really shown signs of having a cure. If anything I think it’s just a race to get there first with all the rumors,” Taemin continued, “Maybe the rumors are true and the US is constructing their own cure. If they get there first would Japan even continue looking for the cure or just work with the US.”
“That could be true but I don’t think the rumors about the US holdup.” Minho began, “I mean they only started after Australia. I think it’s a way for them to gain a little power in negotiations.”
“It’d be a good move but at the moment Japan has eyes on New Zealand too. They’ll completely pack up and head there instead.” Jinki sighed, “They have other places in the pacific islands they’d take, now that they’ve taken and stabilized all the islands in Southeast Asia. They’ve only been at it for eight months. A year from now who knows what they’ll be able to do.”
“A year from now all the survivors in Australia could be dead.” Taemin commented.
“Before it gets that bad they’ll find a way to get Japan’s help.” Jonghyun frowned, “They’ll be desperate then and they’ll give in even if it means just killing the ones who oppose.”
Their conversation is cut short by the doorbell. They share a look. It’s after curfew so it’s not a civilian.
Jinki stands up to answer it. They wait just a few feet behind him. He opens the door to two soldiers and two familiar faces. “Good evening Captain, how can I help you?”
“It’s Colonel now. Thanks to that mission I was quickly promoted.” He responded, “Sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. We are here to collect you. If you would please follow us without any trouble.”
“May I ask what this is about?” Jinki is already putting his shoes on. It’s a show of compliance he expects the others to follow. Jonghyun and Minho take his lead but he has to look back to get Taemin moving.
“It’s classified.” The medic replied, “It’ll be explained to you once we’ve taken you where you need to be.”
It’s quiet and tense. The Colonel’s easy smile seems unnerving. “I heard you’ve become a soldier.”
Minho nodded and he went on, “I’d wish you luck with your training, but I have a feeling it’ll be a piece of cake for you. I expect you’ll rise rank quickly with your experience. I suspect the next time I see you, you’ll be E-4, E-5 already. In fact I should have you start preparing for an officer’s test right away.”
Minho didn’t know what to say so he only nodded again. They’re escorted to a conference room in the building where the lab. Minho is anxious just knowing he might be in the same building as Kibum. The medic and the colonel waited with them until a man entered.
The colonel greeted him with a bow and handshake. They all stood and bowed politely.
The man speaks in Korean surprising them. “I’ll introduce myself. My name is Lee Yoohwan, or as I’m more well known by Akiyama Haruto. I am the ambassador representing Korean peoples in this regime.”
Jinki starts, “It’s very nice to meet you sir. I’m--”
He walks to his seat cutting him off, “No need for that I’ve read your dossiers. I’m here concerning Project Key.”
They return to their seats. It’s the first time Minho has ever heard of an Ambassador on the behalf of Korean people but he obviously had a lot of power to even know about Kibum.
Jinki spoke for them, “Has something happened?”
“We are having issues with cooperation,” He began, “You could say we’re losing ground. Sadly Key-ssi doesn’t seem to care much for the success of the project nor does he care for what this project means to the Korean citizens under this regime.” He sighed, “There are a lot of things at stake with this project but Key-ssi is stubborn. He’s offered his compliance in exchange for a new living situation. He’d like for you all to live together. We’d like you to reject his offer.”
“Why?” Jinki asked, “Would it make such an impact on the research if we lived together?”
“Not in particular no, but he’s putting people in a difficult position with these tantrums.” The ambassador went on, “If we give into these demands who knows what he’ll ask for next. He seems to think he has an advantage over the Japanese government.”
“Well you did drag us out here because he had a tantrum. I wouldn’t exactly call him powerless.” Jinki smiled. “Besides Key is the stubborn type. He won’t drop the issue just because we tell him to, if anything it might make him more rebellious.”
“Then do you have a suggestion.”
“Ask Key for a compromise,” Jinki suggested with a shrug. “I don’t think it will work but I think it’s your only option.”
“You don’t think it will work?”
“Key has a way of getting what he wants.” Jinki supplied, “It’s something I think is quite scary.”
The colonel took a seat, “That, I can certainly agree with.”
“Do you have a suggestion Yunho-ssi?”
“More like a warning, if Key-ah finds out about this meeting he will be very upset.” He smiled, “You know how upset children misbehave. Trust me you haven’t seen the worst of his tantrums.”
“Really now you make it seem like it could get much worse,” The ambassador sighed, “They’ve been held back in research so many times. The doctor in charge of the project is going mad at how slow they’re able to progress.”
“Well at least no one’s dead.” Taemin remarked with a shrug, “or turned, so it’s not that bad.”
“If someone were to die, I will personally see that he is punished on behalf of the Japanese government. If someone were to die the consequences would affect all the Korean peoples under this regime.” The ambassador replied, “So it’s in your best interest to have your friend cooperate as well.”
“If something happened to one of us the project would be over,” Jonghyun shared in a move that wasn’t like him. “He’s one of those brats that will hold his breath until he passes out if you try to take a toy from him.”
“We’re getting nowhere,” The medic began taking a seat beside the colonel, “Right now it’s just exchanging threats. We all know that’s not in any of our best interests. Let’s get back to the real issue, the Japanese government does not want Key-ssi to feel like he has an edge. It’s too late for that, he already knows he has that. They airdropped a squad of the finest to get him out of a danger zone. He knows he’s priceless goods. So how do we get out of this with the least amount of damage and the most advantages for the inevitable next time?”
“You let us live with him and Minho-hyung will just talk him out of crazy stuff before it even becomes a problem for you to discuss?” Taemin suggested rather hopefully.
“The council won’t approve of that.” The ambassador replied.
“Well what about Minho and Taemin,” Jonghyun sighed, “Half right, that’s a compromise.”
“Taemin is a minor. Minho is not qualified to be his guardian and Key-ssi cannot be a guardian. ”
“Oh that’s right qualified to survive hordes of corpses, roving bandits, murderers and rapists but not old enough to live with their junior who survived the same thing but can’t live on his own.” Jonghyun scoffed, “How could I have forgotten?”
“What happened on the mainland has nothing to do with this situation.”
“You’re wrong,” Minho finally spoke, “It has everything to do with it. There’s a reason Key is acting out. There’s a reason he’s not participating. He’s not eating right or sleeping either. It has everything to do with what happened over there. You and that council don’t understand because you don’t have a clue of what’s over there. You don’t know what it can do to people, good people and we,” He stopped taking a breath trying to keep his composure, “We were lucky. We were lucky we found each other because you can’t be out there alone. You just can’t and sure we aren’t over there anymore but this place has more dangers.”
“Dangers?” He rolled his eyes, “This is the safest place in the world right now.”
“People, living people have never stopped being the most dangerous thing.” Minho answered, “And right now he’s separated from the only people he knows and surrounded people. He’d feel more at ease in a crowd of a thousand corpses than where he is now.”
“Look if it were up to me I’d just let you live together but it’s not in my hands,” He sighed loosening his tie, “However Key’s actions have real consequences that will affect the future of Korean people in this regime. My only purpose is to ensure the safety and happiness of Korean people under the Japanese government. Unfortunately it’s all linked to that kid now.”
“That’s right he’s a kid.” Onew began, “He’s still a kid. He’s acting out because he’s terrified and it will get worse. So you’ll have to tell the council that’s there’s nothing we can do if they aren’t willing to compromise.”
“We still are just circling around,” The medic sighed, “What are our options? We can ask the Japanese government to compromise with his demands. They are likely to reject. We could threaten him but that will only make things much worse. We’ve already brought them here why not try to ask him directly to compromise.”
The ambassador took the phone, “I will see if that’s a viable option.”
They were on opposite sides of the table and there were four guards inside the room. Kibum was in a wheelchair and looked ill.
“Why did they drag you out so late?”
“It’s fine hyung,” Taemin started looking worried, “Are you ok?”
Kibum smiled, “Now I am it’s so nice to see you.”
Minho’s expression mimicked Taemin’s, “We should do this another time it’s obvious you need to rest.”
“I’m fine.” He looked to Onew, “Why did they bring you here?”
“They want you to stop being a spoiled brat.” He answered.
He scoffed, “Well I don’t know how to be anything else.”
“We told them that.” Jinki smiled, “But could you try a little.”
“I need to see and know.” Kibum responded glaring at the table, “It’s important.”
“They don’t understand that, they’ve had a lot of privileges.” Jonghyun sighed, “But we can’t just cause problems. There are a lot of good people here and if we piss off the people in charge they’ll have to suffer for it too.”
“They don’t want to compromise. They don’t want to give you anything. They just want you to be an obedient little lab rat and they’re holding every Korean person as hostage until you agree.” Jinki continued, “It’s not just us five anymore.”
“If I had known it would be like this I would’ve never gone to the beach.”
“You would have died.” Taemin stated.
“It would’ve been better than this,” Kibum snapped, “My body but it’s not mine, my blood but it’s not mine. Those people in that lab, they’re just like the corpses huddling around hoping to feed off me. Blood tests and biopsies and scans, it never fucking ends. They don’t know how to fix this but they don’t want to admit that maybe there isn’t a cure. Maybe this world is exactly what we deserve.” He swayed in his seat, “It’s cold. I want to be in my attic.”
“You’re not in any condition to talk right now,” Onew sighed, “We’ll have try this another time.”
“There won’t be another time.” Kibum scoffed, he stood but it was shaky, “I don’t want to see you anymore. There are you satisfied?” He walked toward the door with careful steps. “I’m giving them what they want.”
“I miss the attic too.”
“Shut up Minho.”
“You said we had to do whatever it takes to survive.”
“I am dying here!” He yelled falling to his knees, “Don’t you get it. Are you stupid? I’m dying. They only sent you here hoping you’d inspire me to keep going but I’m tired. I’m done surviving. I’m done and I’m ready for this mess to be over. I just, I just wanted to see you before it’s over. I want to be able to say goodbye. That’s the only thing better about this place but they won’t let me have even th-. ”
He was cut off coughing and then muffled as he coughed into his palm. Jinki and Minho both rushed forward stopped by the guard aiming a gun at him. The other two covered Taemin and Jonghyun while the last stood by Kibum.
“He needs a doctor.” Jinki started, “He’s obviously sick.”
Kibum’s cough ceased and his bloodied hand fell. He mumbled something they couldn’t hear, the guard kneeled to check him then a curdling yell, as Kibum bit into his neck. The four of them attacked while the guards were distracted. Minho wondered why it still felt so easy when they had been here for months. They had numbers on their side as the ambassador and colonel sat outside the room and Kibum currently had a guard in his teeth. The guard was yelling profanities in Japanese, holding his hands to his wound and scurrying away. Taemin and Jonghyun held the two guards at gunpoint on the opposite side of Key. Minho held a gun to the other but Jinki nudged him toward Key.
“Get Kibum.”
Minho moved Kibum was crawling toward the panicked guard, mumbling. He kneeled down taking Kibum’s under his shoulders pulling him up to look him in the eyes, “Kibum? Kibum?”
His right eye had flecks of red and yellow now. It was like the moment they had found him on that beach. “Minho?” He let out a shaky breath, he was almost sure Kibum had turned, “Minho I’m so hungry.”
“I know.” He bit his lip, “I know. I’ll find something for you don’t worry. You’re sick, you need to rest.”
He smiled lips, teeth, chin all covered in blood and then he fainted. Minho was relieved but the man with the bite had stopped yelling. He lunged toward Minho but a bullet from Taemin’s gun ended him before he could get to him. He turned to the door to see the captain and Ambassador with more soldiers.
“Hand over your weapons.” He held his gun toward Minho, “I won’t say it again.”
Jinki was the first to back away from the guard. He moved to where Minho and Kibum were before placing the gun down and sliding his weapon across the floor. Taemin and Jonghyun followed his lead until they are all kneeled together around Kibum unarmed.
“Get the body to incineration.” He ordered. “Take them into custody, contact the project Key doctors, get them down here with a bed now. Get the surveillance video from this room.” He looked to the Ambassador, “I urge to to get a meeting started now.”
The last Minho saw of Kibum was him being loaded onto a bed and an IV being placed in his arm. They were taken to a bare room and locked inside.
“Was he-Did he turn?” Jonghyun asked after a long silence. “He bit that guy and he turned just like that but Kibum wasn’t was he?”
Minho shrugged, “He recognized me. He said my name. If he had turned he would’ve tried to bite me, not talk to me. His other eye wasn’t normal anymore though. He said he was hungry.”
“Shit,” Jonghyun cursed, “Shit, shit, shit, shit, what the hell did they do to him. He was fine for months before we got here.”
“They’ve either made his immune system weaker or the virus stronger.” Jinki commented. “If he was able to completely recover from turning back in that officetel there’s no way he’d regress this much here without interference.”
“But why would they do that?” Jonghyun asked, “What about a cure?”
“They’re working on what happens after the cure.” Taemin answered aloud more to himself than to the others, “They’re making ensuring Japan stays the big power even after all the mess is over.”
“Then they already have a cure or they’re close.” Jinki explained, “First worse case scenario is that they’re experimenting with the virus to create a bioweapon to keep themselves in power when they use the cure to take over. Second worse case is that they’re failing to create a cure and the virus is evolving within Kibum which means that the virus could evolve in one of the corpses or even other people. It could mean like the flu they are more than two strains but several strains that are constantly evolving to survive. That is if it’s evolving naturally and not to do with whatever experiments they’ve been doing.”
“Damn,” Jonghyun frowned, “Doesn’t sound like we got any options about any of this. We also have no clue if Kibum is going to be ok or how long they’re going to keep us here or if they’re going to kill us.”
“It’s not safe here.” Minho sighed, “You were right from the beginning Taemin. We should’ve all just stayed together.
The door opened hours later it was the colonel. “Get up, I’m here to escort you.”
They were taken to another meeting room where the ambassador was waiting for them. They sat and waited for him to begin. “After a long discussion, it has been decided that you will live with Key-ssi as it seems you’re most capable of handling him should events go sour. I trust you understand what that means.”
“I’ll need a report on his current condition.” Jinki declared, “We all need phones, we need a phone in the apartment, and we don’t want surveillance outside of the open living space.”
“I will have you a report today. However you will have to give me time with the phones, there will be one inside the apartment. Key-ssi’s room will have surveillance but your private rooms will not.” He remarked, “You need to pack your things right away. You are being excused from your duties, with the exception of you Onew-ssi. I’m sure you understand we have a short supply of doctors. We simply can’t afford to retire you. Of course you are being excused for the day. I’m sure you all need to rest and have a meal after you’ve settled into your new place. There’s an escort waiting for you and you’ll be briefed on other details at before Key-ssi is discharged.”
Packing didn’t take long at all, none of them had made this apartment their home. The had only clothes and few other provisions worthy of taking with them. Onew who had rarely been there had things already packed from particularly rough times when he’d spend two or three nights at the hospital.
“Why does this feel like a bad move?” Jonghyun sighed.
“Because it is.” Taemin scoffed, “They’re probably hoping he kind of turns kills us and turns back somehow so they won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
“Kibum isn’t going to turn.” Minho stated, “If you could keep him from turning back in that officetel there’s no way he’d turn here. Not if he’s with us.”
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in a comment below see you in the final chapter.