SRW | Chapter 16

Lee Hyunwoo, who had actively moved people from the gymnasium, was tormented by guilt, believing his wrong choices had led to many deaths. Every time he briefly closed his eyes, he dreamed of the dead blaming him. In just a few days, his cheeks became noticeably hollow. Though Kang Deokho comforted him saying it wasn’t his fault, it didn’t resonate. He thought it would have been less painful if he had died there too.

Hyunwoo raised his head and looked around at the people. In the depressed atmosphere, only two people remained the same as usual: Kim Jaeyoung, who had maintained astonishing calm since the gymnasium, and… Sun Eunsoo, who seemed to be hiding something. Eunsoo yawned loudly as if very bored by the current situation. Even back during their physical education class fight, he had seemed strange, but now it was even more so.

Eunsoo particularly looked after Jaeyoung. Remembering how desperately he protected Jaeyoung as if his own life depended on it, it was hard to think of them as just friends. Hyunwoo, Deokho, and Hanbit had survived by sticking close behind Jaeyoung while escaping to the cafeteria. No one brought up Eunsoo’s strange power because they owed their lives to that ability.

But Hyunwoo had many things he wanted to ask him.

‘What do you know, sunbaenim?’

While tactless Deokho seemed to interpret Eunsoo’s eccentric behavior in a strange way, Hyunwoo believed he was hiding a big secret. Even amidst suffocating guilt and fear, Hyunwoo didn’t stop observing Eunsoo.

“Having a hard time?”

“Ah… I’m okay.”

“Just endure a little longer.”

…Endure a little longer? Endure for what? Is there any way other than all dying together? The observation that began in his dark mind ultimately grew seeds of doubt. Hyunwoo sensitively absorbed every word Eunsoo said. But outwardly, he showed no sign and kept his mouth shut. Eunsoo was the only one here who could fight the monsters. If Eunsoo changed his mind, everyone here could die in an instant. Before the Days of Darkness, rumors had circulated that Eunsoo put a friend in a vegetative state and covered it up with money. Hyunwoo couldn’t trust Eunsoo.

“Hyunwoo-hyung, where are you going?”

While trying to organize his thoughts alone in the empty student cafeteria, Oh Hanbit stopped him. First-year Hanbit, though seventeen, still had baby fat making him look like a middle schooler. Having done track in middle school, he had kept up well without falling behind on the way to the cafeteria. A very admirable kid.

“I just need some air. I’m going to the student cafeteria.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No, I’ll be back in ten minutes. Rest.”

Leaving Hanbit behind, Hyunwoo exited the staff cafeteria. Though newspapers were plastered over the windows, the red light outside seeped in. Perhaps having gotten used to the dark, the dim interior was now more visible. Hyunwoo sat on a chair and blankly stared at the moonlight filtering through. Then suddenly, a question arose about the red moon that had appeared.

‘Why is that yellow moon floating all day beside the red one? Does that mean the other side of Earth has no moon at all? The news on the first day said it was a global phenomenon…’

As if he was entranced, Hyunwoo stood and looked up at the sky through a gap not covered by newspaper. Two moons were visible. The red moon. And beside it, the yellow moon.

“…Huh?”

The yellow moon looked bigger than before. Though still much smaller than the red one, Hyunwoo, more observant than others, noticed the change and widened his eyes.

“…Why did the yellow moon get bigger?”

Thump.

Like everyone else, Hyunwoo had initially thought the yellow moon was just an ordinary full moon that had always been there. But looking closely, its surface differed from Earth’s moon. It rather resembled Mercury.

“That’s… not a moon?”

Thump. Thump.

His heart pounded as if about to burst. Hyunwoo placed a palm on his left chest, feeling his heartbeat. What started as small thumps later became loud BANG. BANG. BANG. Feeling an intense pain as if something was piercing his brain, Hyunwoo collapsed face-first on the spot.

“Huk…! Huk…! Save… me…”

Save me…

Before he could even scream, tears streamed from Hyunwoo’s eyes as he fell.

“…Hyunwoo-hyung? Hyunwoo-hyung!”

When Hyunwoo didn’t return for a long time, Hanbit came looking and found him collapsed under the window. Tearfully calling others, they carried the unconscious Hyunwoo back to the staff cafeteria.

Hours later, Hyunwoo opened his eyes. Deokho was wiping his face with a wet cloth. When their eyes met, Deokho unknowingly shouted loudly.

“Hyunwoo! Are you okay?!”

“Deok…ho. Be… quiet.”

People crowded around asking what happened, but Hyunwoo vaguely blamed it on extreme stress. He didn’t want to cause panic by mentioning the growing moon yet. He planned to talk after verifying again.

“We were really worried.”

“Yeah, you’ve been having nightmares and not eating well…”

“Times like these require stronger resolve.”

“We don’t have medicine, so you can’t afford to get sick.”

“……”

Something strange happened.

As people around him spoke one by one, O and X marks began floating above their heads. Above Kim Boksoon’s head was an O, above Nam Jinsu’s an X, above Deokho and Hanbit’s heads Os, and above Eunsoo’s head… an X.

‘…Have I finally gone mad?’

Hyunwoo blinked rapidly. He couldn’t understand what the O and X marks above people’s heads meant. Telling everyone he needed more rest, he closed his eyes again. When they dispersed, he peeked through narrowed eyes at their heads.

“Jaeyoung-ah. Remember second year? When we studied in the library. Back then you…”

Above Yeonha’s head: O.

“Yeah. I remember.”

Above Jaeyoung’s head: X.

“Hehe… Hehehe… I’ll kill them all…”

Above Sooyeon’s head: O.

“…Hey, Bear. Can we switch seats?”

Above Eunsoo’s head, unlike before, was now an O.

“No. That sunbaenim scares me…”

Above Deokho’s head: O.

What could this possibly mean? Thinking he needed to see the moon again, Hyunwoo slowly got up and noticed changes in his body. It felt lighter, more powerful. Assuming he just felt better after proper sleep, he walked toward the door when he tripped over a student’s leg. As he grabbed the wall to steady himself…CRACK. The wall cracked, cement dust raining down.

“What the—”

Hyunwoo’s body stiffened. Yeonha, suddenly covered in cement dust, looked up at him irritably.

“Ah, what the hell!”

“Why did the wall… Sorry. The wall suddenly…”

“Whoa, the wall cracked. What did you do?”

“…I didn’t do anything. Just touched it and… must be weak here.”

At the mention of weak walls, a startled Yeonha moved away. Separated from Jaeyoung, Yeonha pouted. Jaeyoung expressionlessly gathered the fallen cement dust, then sat beneath the cracked wall.

“Sunbaenim. This wall’s weak. Better sit elsewhere.”

“It’s fine. I like it.”

A circle floated above Jaeyoung’s head. Staring puzzled at this, Hyunwoo apologized once more before opening the door. Eunsoo then stood up to follow him.

Hyunwoo walked toward the window. Seeing the moon again might provide answers.

“Hey.”

Then someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. Turning dazedly, he saw Eunsoo looking down at him with those characteristically rebellious eyes.

“Ah… Eunsoo-sunbaenim.”

“You need to control your strength.”

Eunsoo grinned, dragging two chairs haphazardly left in the corner. Sitting as prompted, Hyunwoo glanced at the O above Eunsoo’s head. He wanted to tell Eunsoo about the moon. That it… might not be a moon.

“Sunbaenim, the moon…”

“Moon?”

“The yellow moon… it got bigger.”

“Ahh. Really? The yellow moon?”

Even at this, Eunsoo didn’t bother looking outside. The O above his head disappeared, replaced by an X. Could it be…?

“Sunbaenim, you know something, don’t you?”

Hyunwoo decided to test this strange hallucination. He brought up things Eunsoo would find hard to answer.

“The signal flares those clubroom guys threw at us. Deokho had one too. He refused to say who gave it to him.”

“……”

“The compound bows, even guns in the clubroom… why would those be in school? Almost like… someone knew this would happen.”

“Maybe… there was some kind of military otaku club?”

“No such club exists.”

“Aha.”

“And the power you have, sunbaenim… I can’t wrap my head around it. How could someone have that kind of ability? If you know something, please tell me. Please…”