Phantom City. | Yang Jungwon x Reader

2: The Boy with The Notebook

I let out a sigh, taking a look at the corkboard full of memories before deciding to just walk away. I can't stay here forever. I should probably start finding new places even if I'll have to do it all by myself. As I turned around, I was suddenly taken back by what I saw.

There was a boy, sitting on the floor, resting his back on one of the lockers. Who is this guy? Why is he here? I have to hide.

I turned my back at him immediately as I headed my way in the opposite direction. I didn't want to talk to him. What if he's dangerous? What if he's just like one of those guys but disguised as someone around my age? There's no way I'll ever let myself get caught.

I hid in a different classroom, gulping before I blocked the door with the many dusty chairs. I was afraid of getting myself lured into a trap. I'm not a kid anymore. Therefore, I shouldn't be gullible.

I made sure that no noise came out of my mouth nor the room, hiding behind a wall under a large window as I hoped that the boy didn't hear a single thing. Well, that's a little impossible, considering the creaking sounds of the door and the chairs I've pulled out from their places.

Then, I heard echoes of footsteps. Damn it. I should've just run away instead of hiding.

"... If you're hiding from me, just don't.", a male voice erupted from the silence. I still didn't talk back to him, though. I could still see his shadow from the window above me, standing right behind me as I kept myself silent. The boy lets out a sigh, looking down to his notebook as he scribbles on the page for a bit before walking away.

That's it? That's all he wanted to do? I mean, I don't want to feel underwhelmed after all of that but I kinda am.

I stood up from my hiding spot, facing the halls outside as I saw him staring into my eyes, sitting on the floor next to the classroom. The thought of me running away from him showed up in my head, causing me to crouch down once again. My heart was beating quicker than before. This was how scared I was when I saw how he... left.

"Wait for me.", he said.

I was sitting on the floor, nodding as I watched him leave the house. It was just a normal day for us where Heeseung would go somewhere and buy food from the farmers in exchange for extra labor. I have no idea if he had a good experience there or a bad one but he always came home with a smile on his face, ready to sit next to me on the floor to fold paper cranes before we prepare dinner together.

Heeseung had the dream of being a singer only for all of it to come crashing down because of that one afternoon on March 22, 2524.

I've torn a lot of pages from my primary school books to my parents' old business files such as their portfolios from sixteen years ago just so I could fold a thousand paper cranes with my brother. But I couldn't do that anymore with him. Today marks our separation: February 9, 2530.

I was close to sleeping it away until that same annoying boy with the notebook knocked on the door once again. When will he stop bombarding me? Isn't it obvious that I don't want to be somehow associated with him? This world is already without trust and none of the people outside of this fucking place knows about it. No one.

Not one single person defended us, the non-lab rats, from that damned experiment. Those consent forms my parents received? They didn't even think twice about agreeing to what that company offered yet here I am, having my family taken away from me again.

"Go away!", I yelled from the classroom, rolling my eyes. He's never going to stop, isn't he? I'm already having a hard time trying to accept that my brother is being used in a failed science experiment and this guy wouldn't stop knocking on the door. Do I open it and tell him to get lost? Or do I just ignore him until he stops?

My gut is telling me to tell him to get lost.

I got up from the floor, taking away the stacks of chairs from the handle as I opened the door without hesitation. He was still scribbling in his notebook, staring at me with nothing but curiosity in his eyes. I raise an eyebrow at him, trying to come off as intimidating even if I'm shorter than him.

"Hi.", he greets me with a smile.
"Get lost.", I say back through gritted teeth before attempting to shut the door.

Well, I didn't say that I succeeded in that.

"Wait a second, I'm not done yet.", he says sharply almost as if he's warning me, slightly opening the door as I furrow my brows even more. What the hell does this guy want? I just want to live my life alone. Can he please just stop bothering me? Damn it. I couldn't even think of how I'm going to save my family from whatever is in that laboratory. I don't even know where the laboratory is.

And this boy in front of me with the notebook has to be part of my problems? I can't deal with more of this.

"What do you want?", I asked aggressively, not wanting to seem friendly. If I seem friendly, then I'll be seen as someone vulnerable and that's not what I need to get my family back. "I've been here for a week already and I just saw you today.", he replied as I scoffed. A week earlier than I am? Huh, that's weird and I don't believe it.

"Look, Mister, if you're distracted with the fact that I'm here, then leave.", I said, kicking the door as it caused a loud bang in the halls. I watched the boy walk away with the same notebook in his hands. I didn't care if I was being rude towards him. I don't know him, not even his name so why should I care? He's nothing but a stranger.

And I should remain the same.

I sat in my spot once again, crossing my arms as I noticed that the sun was finally going down.

Great. Now, I have to stay the night here with some persistent weird kid? Perfect.

As I started to fall asleep, I felt my stomach rumble. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and lunch. If I didn't run away, Heeseung and I would've eaten dinner together but here I am without someone beside me. Well, I wasn't technically alone but do I really want to get to know that kid? Absolutely not.

I started to hear knocks on the window as I rubbed the blur off of my eyes, getting up from the floor to see the kid once again.

"Hungry?", his voice was muffled but I could still understand him. He has a sandwich in his hands wrapped in tissue paper. I hate to admit it but maybe I am starving already. I knew that I couldn't return to the farm because those lab rats probably took the farmers from the fields, too.

So I have no choice.

I stared at the boy for a bit before nodding as he made his way inside of the room. I kept myself away from him, sitting at the corner as I adjusted the hood of my jacket over my head to cover half of my face. I didn't want to get into something dangerous even if I'm already running in the wild.

"Here, you can have this.", he offers the sandwich, extending his arm towards me as I snatch it away from his hands. I munched on the sandwich, trying to know if there's some weird flavor in it. Well, fortunately, it didn't taste weird.

"I made it... I don't know if we'll be friends after this but it's just you and me in this place.", he says, shrugging as if he's uncertain. Maybe he is or maybe he's not. I don't know him.

"My name is Jungwon, by the way.", his hand reaches out to me as I ignore it. There are more things I should pay attention to than this. "Thanks for the sandwich.", I muttered, not looking at him as I watched the way he took his hand back. The boy gets up from the floor, making his way to the door as he turns around to look at me once again.

"Well, if you need help, you can always count on me.", he says before walking away as I roll my eyes.

I'd rather die than be involved in what could possibly take more lives.