1996 | Y.Jw

| 2.11 |

Not one word had been exchanged between Jungwon and I after we had left the drive-in movie last night. The only thing we really said to each other was small murmurs of 'good night'.

Once again Jungwon had prepared breakfast for both of us, which we ate in silence for today. The only sound that interrupted us was a small series of knocks on the door.

"I'll check," Jungwon excused before hurriedly getting up from his chair and rushing to look out through the window of the door, "Ji?"

"Mhm?" I hummed as he slowly looked over at me.

"Can I get you to hide somewhere?" he questioned and I raised both my eyebrows at him, "I think they're someone from the lab..."

"But what if they're gonna take you with them?" I immediately questioned as I grabbed my breakfast plate, ready to rush to a hideout.

Jungwon sighed before pursing his lips and pointing over towards a small closet, signalling I could hide in there if I wanted to be able to see him. I quickly got up and rushed into the closet, crouching down with my breakfast as Jungwon opened the door.

"Can I help you?" Jungwon questioned in a calm manner while I tried to stay equally as calm as he sounded.

"You know why I'm here number 9," the sigh came from a man, "we've gotten news of subject 18, 3 and 10 have escaped from the labratory in Maine and we need to assure you aren't hiding them."

"They escaped?" Jungwon questioned, sounding slightly surprised while I attempted to slowly lock the closet door in case they had to search the house.

"You know our deal 9," the man calmly pointed out, "any of you boys are hiding the girls or helped them escape, you will be taken back to the lab along with them and your representative families will be remmoved."

"We don't have our skills anymore," Jungwon remarked, only getting a snort in return.

"You're not considering how you can be used for testing with the girls," the man reminded, "I'm gonna have to search the house, if I find any trace of her since last I searched you know it'll have consequences. You still have her clothes and other things?"

"Yeah," Jungwon hummed, "I can't really let go of it."

"You should learn to," the man commented as I heard the front door open, "maybe we should get mr. Peterson out here for you to talk to."

"I'd rather die," Jungwon remarked as heavy footsteps began wandering around the house.

I sat in silence trying to keep calm, my breath hitching in my throat as the handle to the closet turned down. At least I had managed to lock the closet.

"What's in here?" the man questioned, "it wasn't locked last time."

"Soomin moved out to college not so long ago, it's some of her belongings she didn't take with her. Mom and dad are trying to earn enough money to renovate her room into an office, I think," Jungwon immediately excused.

"But why lock it?" the man continued.

"I don't know, mom and dad did it," Jungwon excused and the man hummed before I luckily heard him continue on through the house.

It felt like an eternity before I could hear their footsteps returning towards where I sat once again.

They talked quietly enough for me to barely be able to hear what they were saying, only making me more paranoid. Even when the front door opened and closed I didn't move one inch. I just sat still and waited.

"Ji?" Jungwon's voice called out and I immediately unlocked the door and opened it immediately, "it's alright. He didn't find anything suspicious."

"Are you sure?" I questioned and he imediately nodded in return, "and he's not coming back any time soon?"

"Not for what I know," he shook his heda quietly," I can't be a hundred percent sure."

I quietly nodded and stood up, slowly walking out of my hiding spot still with my breakfast in hand as I rushed back to the kitchen and placed the plate down.

"We should probably warn the others soon," Jungwon excused as he walked back into the kitchen after me and ran a hand over my hair, "are you feeling alright today?"

"Better than you," I hummed making him frown at me, "I suppose you're more affected by last night than I am, by how you reacted."

"Hm," he hummed quietly as a frown lingered on his face, "I'll call Riki, we're gonna go to Jake's house after eating. We have to figure something out... you girls can't keep hiding," he muttered and picked at his lips, "you shouldn't have come here... it's too dangerous and high risk for you..."

"Oh... I'm sorry," I muttered quietly and refrained from my food, looking at it quietly before getting up from the table.

I placed my dishes in the sink before quietly moving to the bedroom to change into some proper clothes. Jungwon had found some of Soomin's old summer clothes for me to use, resulting in me having a pair of denim shorts and a few t-shirts to wear during the summer.

"Ji, I didn't mean..." Jungwon trailed off as he rushed into the bedroom while I looped my belt through the beltloops of my shorts.

"It's fine," I muttered quietly, "I understand," I assured with a small smile, "let's just go whenever you're ready."

Hesitantly he ripped his eyes away from me to go change as well, while I sat back down on the bed to tie up my boots. I guess they were a bit too hot for this time of the year, but I didn't have any other shoes.

Even when we got in the car it was way too quiet. The passenger's seat was still pulled all the way back from last night's events, and I had to pull it back up once again to sit properly. I suppose I didn't mind doing it last night when we drove home.

"You called Soomin's parents for mom and dad," I remarked as the morning finally processed in my mind.

"They're the closest to it, that I have," he shrugged casually, holding tightly onto the steering wheel before making a turn, "it's not like I'll ever see my parents... no matter how much I want to. I think they made it quite clear that they had killed my parents, back in December."

I hummed quietly as he awkwardly scratched the side of his nose before sighing and loosening his grip on the steering wheel.