: Invisible Walls
The next day, tension hung over the bunker like a dense fog. The survivors avoided Min-jun, casting sideways, suspicious glances. It felt as though the air itself compressed around him. He could feel their distrust like invisible walls, impossible to break. Every movement, every glance — a test. Even So-hyun, walking beside him, felt those unseen barriers pressing against him, and his heart raced with each step.
Dr. Yoon watched them from afar, arms crossed. In her eyes was a mixture of disappointment, fatigue, and warning. She knew something was forming between them — a bond difficult to understand and even harder to control.
"So-hyun, I need to speak with you," she said when Min-jun stepped away from the lab briefly. Her voice was quiet, but there was steel in it that demanded attention.
So-hyun approached, fingers unconsciously clutching the Stella crystal ring. He tried to calm his racing heart, but his body betrayed him: rapid breaths, chest tight with a weight he couldn't shake.
"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound calm.
"I saw the way you look at him," Yoon said, her eyes piercing, seeing past the mask of caution. "You're risking everything. He's not one of us. He's an outsider."
So-hyun felt his chest constrict. Every word struck like cold iron. Yet, within his heart, a stronger feeling awoke — the pull toward Min-jun, his presence, his breathing nearby.
"He saved my life," So-hyun said firmly, his voice trembling despite his resolve. "We need him."
"You need him," Yoon replied, lips pressed tight to hide her worry. "But he cannot replace your Min-jun."
So-hyun closed his eyes for a moment. Her words were a warning, but also a confirmation of what he already felt. He knew Min-jun could not be the one he had lost, yet the emotions drawing him to this man were real. His gaze fell once more on Min-jun's bracelet, softly glowing, and the Stella crystal responding with warmth at every movement nearby.
He remembered how Min-jun had saved him during the excursions, how his hands held him when darkness felt impenetrable. Now, here in this tight world of ruins and fear, every touch from Min-jun felt like a confirmation that they were not alone.
"I know," So-hyun whispered, barely audible, "that this is wrong. I know you're an outsider. But… I can't ignore this feeling."
Yoon looked at him and understood that now was not the time for advice. She saw not fear, but determination, how So-hyun balanced between past and present, loss and hope.
So-hyun returned to Min-jun, each step feeling like an approach toward the inevitable. Even among these invisible walls of distrust, he felt that their bond was stronger than any fear. And though Yoon's words lingered in his mind, his heart heard only one thing: Min-jun's presence gave him strength, warmth, and a sense of safety he hadn't felt since losing his true Min-jun.