Waterfalls || Yeonbin

chapter 8: protect

Continuing on November 20, 1939

My four colleagues were discussing and trying to figure out today's settings still when Yeonjun walked inside. I looked at my watch; twenty-one thirty-seven. His meeting must've been a bit grueling since he was rubbing his eyes, looking much more fatigued than earlier. And he said it was only going to be an hour, but it turned out to be two. Everyone went silent when he walked inside, saying small 'hellos' to everyone, including me.

He stood in the center of the room, looking at Hugh as he put down his piece of chalk, "How've you all done today?"

Hugh brought a hand up, anxiously rubbing his nape as he said, "We're struggling a bit, to be honest."

Yeonjun sighed and turned his head, looking at everyone as he said, "Everyone front and center, please."

The four of us hesitated for a moment before getting up from our desk chairs and walking over to Hugh to stand by the chalkboard. I reached down and grabbed my suspenders, which I had previously taken off while I was sitting, and put them back over my shoulders. I held my hands in front of me, my right over my left as we lined up in front of Yeonjun. I placed myself on the end next to John, still keeping a good distance in between us.

Yeonjun took a breath, looking at each of us before saying, "It is my understanding that you five have not gotten much of anywhere in the two months you have been assigned to this project, correct?"

Everyone nodded except for me. I personally thought I was getting somewhere with my design and hopefully I will hear back from Churchill soon, "Then it seems like you need to come up with a different approach to the task at hand, because whatever you're currently doing isn't going so well for you all."

We were all silent as he took a moment to add, "Soobin, actually mentioned an idea he had in October about making a machine—"

"It's bullocks. Maybe we'd be getting somewhere if he would help us." George said, interrupting Yeonjun in the middle of speaking. I perked up a bit when Yeonjun said my name, but now he looked really pissed off once George spoke over him.

Yeonjun clenched his jaw as he slowly stepped closer to George, grinding his teeth as he said, "Was I done speaking?..." Glaring at George while he desperately tried to avoid his eyes, "I didn't think so... Next time you interrupt me, I will ask you to leave. Do I make myself clear?"

George quietly nodded before Yeonjun backed away, going to the same spot he was at before, "As I was saying, Soobin had an idea to build a machine that would inevitably figure out the day's settings for Enigma. Now, I also heard that some of you didn't fancy the idea when he brought it to light, and I would like to know why..." Everyone was silent for a moment before Yeonjun said, "Hugh, as team leader, I would like an explanation, please."

Hugh cleared his throat, looking around the room for a few seconds before saying, "When Soobin presented the idea to us, we had a vote to see whether we should view it further. The vote ended in a two-two draw, so we just thought that we would go back to how we were already doing things."

Yeonjun scrunched his eyebrows, "I'm no mathematician, but two plus two equals four, and I see five of you in this room."

Charles scoffed, "Soobin's vote doesn't count—"

Yeonjun raised his hand, stopping him from talking, "Are you the one who has the floor right now?..." Yeonjun quickly looked at each of us before adding, "Nobody speaks unless you have the floor. And if any of you are immature and start talking over your colleagues, you will leave. End of story..." Everyone nodded, heads hung low as we felt small. His meeting must've made him irritated because he's not normally like this, "Hugh, please continue."