Amidst the chaos, Leo managed to crawl over to Mina, crouching beside her. His face was slick with sweat, but his eyes remained focused. "We need to get out of here," Leo said, his voice firm yet calm. "Follow me and stay low. Don't let yourself be seen."
Mina nodded, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She felt her body trembling, but she tried to control her breathing.
They crawled across the floor, avoiding shards of glass and bullets flying overhead. Mina could feel the cold marble beneath her palms, and every second stretched like an eternity filled with tension.
As they made their way toward the exit, Mina almost fell, her legs shaking uncontrollably. Leo quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her up, but before they could take another step, a loud explosion echoed outside, making the entire building shudder violently.
Mina fell back to the floor, clutching Leo's shoulder to steady herself.
"Argh!" Mina winced in pain as her knee slammed against the floor.
She ran behind Leo, struggling to keep up with his rapid pace despite her trembling limbs from the earlier gunfire.
As they neared the exit, gunfire erupted again, and this time it was closer than before.
Mina tried to quicken her pace, but suddenly she felt a searing pain in her thigh. She gasped, losing her balance and crashing to the floor.
Mina groaned in agony, staring at her thigh, which was now bleeding. Blood seeped out, soaking into the fabric of her evening gown.
"I… I've been shot!" Mina screamed hysterically, feeling the heat from the open wound. Her hands trembled as she touched the blood flowing freely.
"I'm really shot!" she cried out, panic in her eyes and breath coming in quick gasps. "This is a real gun, with real bullets!"
Leo immediately turned around, seeing Mina sprawled on the floor with a gunshot wound in her thigh. His expression shifted from calm to a mix of irritation and concern.
"Of course!" Leo snapped as he knelt beside her. "Did you think this was a game?!" As he spoke, Leo quickly pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and tied it around Mina's thigh, just above the wound, to staunch the bleeding.
"Am I going to die? Am I going to die?!" Mina babbled in panic, her voice shaking as she grasped Leo's arm. "Oh God, it hurts so much! Am I going to die like this?"
"Be quiet, Mina!" Leo urged, trying to remain calm, though his mind was split between keeping her alive and fighting off the approaching attackers.
Leo's hands worked quickly to press the handkerchief tightly, ensuring it was tight enough to reduce the blood flow.
"You're not going to die if you stay calm and don't panic."
Mina moaned, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh crap, am I really going to die like this? I'm still a virgin!" She wailed in desperation, the pain mixing with overwhelming fear.
Leo, who was busy repositioning himself to shoot from a safer angle, suddenly froze at Mina's outburst.
He turned to her with a puzzled expression, clearly distracted by her unexpected confession. "Huh? You're still a virgin?" he asked, half in disbelief, though his gaze remained alert.
"Of course!" Mina snapped, annoyed, though her face was still contorted in pain. "Do you think I'm joking?!"
Leo fell silent for a moment, almost forgetting the perilous situation they were in. He glanced at Mina briefly, weighing the seriousness of her condition. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-two," Mina answered quickly, though she was still shaken by pain and fear. Her mind was racing, struggling to focus on anything other than the wound in her thigh.
Leo furrowed his brow, refocusing on shooting at the encroaching enemy. "Huh? What have you been doing for twenty-two years that you're still a virgin?" he asked, half complaining and half curious, peeking out from behind the table that served as their cover.
Mina glared at Leo, then impulsively flicked his forehead without thinking.
"Ow! How rude! Of course I've been busy making money while studying! I haven't had time for dating!"
Leo paused for a moment, feeling the light slap from Mina, which was not hard enough to hurt but surprising nonetheless.
He looked at Mina with a mixed expression—part annoyance, part confusion, and maybe just a hint of amusement.
But in an instant, Mina regretted it when she saw Leo's gaze sharpen into something frightening. The look was like a knife piercing her soul, and Mina felt her heart nearly stop.
"Don't ever do that again," Leo's voice was low and deep, almost hissing, sending chills down Mina's spine.
Mina fell silent, her fear escalating—not just because of the dangerous situation around them, but because of Leo as well.
She nodded slowly, realizing she had made a mistake. She tried to calm herself, even though the pain in her thigh continued to torment her.
Leo redirected his attention back to the attackers, focusing intently on keeping them alive. He shot with precision, making sure that every bullet fired wasn't wasted.
Meanwhile, Mina attempted to take a deep breath, trying to ease the unbearable pain. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, and she began to feel dizzy from blood loss.
"Leo, I… I feel dizzy," Mina said softly, her voice growing weaker. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
Leo glanced at her, his eyes showing clear concern despite his efforts to hide it. "Hang in there, Mina. I'm going to get you out of here. Don't die on me yet."
Mina nodded weakly, even as her vision began to blur. She fought to stay conscious with every ounce of strength she had left.
Leo refocused on the attackers, shooting quickly and skillfully, trying to protect Mina while searching for an escape route.
After a while, the gunfire from the attackers began to dwindle. Leo realized they had a chance to flee. He quickly grabbed Mina, pulling her up even though she could barely stand. Mina groaned in pain as her weight pressed against her injured leg, but Leo supported her expertly.
"Hold on tight," Leo said, his voice firm yet caring. "We're getting out of here now."
Mina concentrated, gripping Leo as tightly as she could. They moved swiftly toward the exit, even as Mina stumbled and struggled against the pain.
Leo fired a few more shots to cover their movement, ensuring no one was following them.
When they finally made it outside, Leo immediately searched for a safe place. He found a relatively hidden alley and carefully lowered Mina down there. She slumped weakly, her face pale and her body trembling violently.
"I'll go get help," Leo spoke quickly as he searched for his phone. "We need to get out of here, and you need a doctor."
Mina nodded faintly, her vision beginning to fade. "Leo… don't leave me. I… I'm really scared."
Leo paused for a moment, looking down at Mina, who lay weakly. "Don't talk too much. Save your strength," he said gently, though his tone still sounded like a command.