Purple Scent

Ch. 18: The Cure

The stroll of the guys were surprisingly full of chatter. What surprised me was, Jaehwa has been talking much more than when he was just with me. Or was I just overthinking? Well, he's more comfortable and close with the other guys.

"Do you want to switch weapon?", Yul asked Yowoo, and the latter just gave him a teasing look. I mentally laughed at how Yul looked a bit scared when he asked that.

"Why, Yul? You're not comfortable with that sword?", Yowoo asked him in the most teasing way.

Yul just glared at him, "This brat. I'm just concerned you might not be able to handle that metal bar.", he said and ignored the younger, who was just laughing at his lame reason. I found that interaction cute.

"We're here.", Doyun said. He sounded like he came here before.

"Have you been here?", Heeshik asked.

Doyun just shrugged and replied, "I just had a hunch. Based on the exterior and state of this establishment, it looked like there might be something here.", he explained and once again went inside. This kid has no fear. Is that burning determination in his eyes? Damn.

"Let's just go.", Jaehwa walked after Doyun, as the others followed behind, too. I tried not to make sound or anything as I follow behind them. I do look like a curious or nosy cat, but I am just here to find something.

I just realize something when I thought about these guys' plan about hunting them. During the times when we're attack, there's this familiar face that I keep seeing. Their face looked like human since they have been one, but there's this one guy that I keep seeing during the attacks.

I don't want to conclude about it yet, but I want to know with my own eyes.

The location of the establishment—which looked like an old factory—was somewhere I haven't been, so I am not really sure if there's anything here.

The old decaying sacks of oatmeal is evident from the place, so maybe this is some factory that produces oatmeal or wheat.

"There’s something here.", Yowoo said from one of the rooms. His voice were a bit muffled but is enough for us to hear.

They went inside a wide room, with ruined tables and chairs, and probably a machine—which looked like one of those that were used to pack products— and again, some decaying oatmeal and wheat.

"Can we still take this, though?", Yul asked as he took some bags of wheat and oatmeal.

Heeshik went to look over the label and he shook his head, "I think, not. It has expired over a year ago.", he said and threw it away.

"Why don't we take some tools and use it as weapon?", Doyun asked. Wow, I never knew Doyun was this practical about weapons.

Jaehwa shrugged, "Don't ask us. You are more capable of any weapons around.", he said and roamed around. I carefully hid on some random open room, since Jaehwa had started walking outside.

I looked behind me when I smelled an awful scent—that awful scent I know—and covered my mouth, as I carefully went out.

"Geuhan—", I covered Yul's mouth and glared at him, plus putting my index finger on my lips to emphasize my message.

"There's a group of Violet Harpies at that room.", I whisper and pointed towards the room I got out from. "There's many of them. Like, that much we saw back at my basement.", I whispered once again.

Doyun was eager for some action, he even tried to convince me to fight them all. I am that itchy for action, too. But not now. This will create bigger problem and w just moved out. It's hard and tiring to plan another place to stay over and over. In the end, we decided back at our current place to discuss.

Doyun was kind of sulking, saying he nearly had those harpies on his fingertips. I don't really understand this guy. It looked like he's holding grudge against them. It sounds like he was eager to kill all of them, but why? I want to ask him but I dismissed that thought. I thought maybe I should understand him for that and ask him later.

"How they are so many of them?", Yul asked no one in particular.

Jaehwa answered, "Yul, imagine fifty-plus percent of the world population got infected by a zombie-like virus. Do you really expect to run around some place and find normal ones instead of them? That's just rare.", he said and shrugged.

"Speaking of normal, it's been a while since I saw normal people besides us.", Heeshik managed to tell his random thoughts. Doyun playfully added, "Yeah, I'm quite sick of seeing your faces.", which made the other guys glare at him.

"But you know, when we passed by that room with sleeping harpies, I saw this familiar-looking harpy.", Yowoo said and my ears perked with the mention of the same thought as mine. "Did you notice that, too?", Yowoo asked me when he noticed I paid attention to him.

"Yes. I am actually not sure about it, but we should discuss about it later.", I said and just in cue, we arrived at the place we were staying.

"Geuhan, Geuhan. I have good news!", Dad welcomed us in more enthusiastic and cheerful voice he'd ever be. I said, "But before that, I want to say something first, Dad.", he nodded before I gathered the other guys.

"So, I followed these guys from their 'hunt', to confirm something, and coming there really brought me a confirmation.", I paused and unconsciously glanced at the sleeping Coco. I added, "I think there's this one harpy that leads the others. And wherever we moved, he was there. I find it alarming, since I have a hunch they are tracking or following us. That's why we should plan something.", I said and they were a bit shock with the piece of information.

"That news was just right in time, dear. We could plan out things easily now.", Dad smiled, which made me raise an eyebrow at him. What could that be?

"Soobok, Kahee and I found something—the cure.", he said and I was frozen at my spot. The cure? I know Soobok know about it, but I am not sure about it.

"Soobok, Kahee, and I worked out to find about the cure, and we were out of things to do that in a short time, but we found something more efficient, and more easier.", he said. Why does he keep pausing instead of just saying his point?

"That kid and you; both of you were the cure."