neon roses ~ l.mh • h.js

capitolo dieci: assonnato

How could this have happened to me?

I was so close. We were all so close.

If it wasn't for that damn snake, I wouldn't be here right now. We wouldn't have lost all of our progress.

...

The tracker. I need to find the tracker. Subject 19, he had a tracker. I need to find him. I can't lose everything I worked so hard for.

🌙

Jisung arrived at the dorm late, yet again. And Minho was waiting for him, yet again. He was working late on his homework and decided to stay up until Jisung came back. Just out of curiosity again, of course. No other reason. Only this time he wasn't going to stay silent. He sat cross-legged on his bed with his laptop and a few notebooks in front of him. The sound of the door clicking open made Minho's head turn to the direction of the noise and the two made eye contact, one more surprised than the other.

"Oh—I thought you'd be asleep." Jisung said, closing the door behind him, and walking to set his bag of clothes down by his suitcase.

"Had a lot of homework. Why were you out so late?" Minho rested his head on his hands.

"Straight to the point, huh?" Jisung paused to giggle at his own joke before continuing, "I work two jobs Monday through Thursday."

"When would you have time to work on homework, then?" Minno tilted his head in curiosity. Jisung internally cooed at this.

"I usually dedicate Fridays to getting the work done before it's due, or pulling all nighters if necessary. But I haven't been assigned long homework assignments yet so I haven't needed to do that."

"When do you get good sleep then?"

"On the weekends."

"That's unhealthy." Minho frowned.

"Well, I can't exactly afford to be healthy." Jisung shrugged, picking out a plain white t-shirt and gray sweatpants from his suitcase and bringing them to the bathroom to change, leaving Minho alone with his thoughts. He was undoubtedly concerned for the younger, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Even if he could, it wasn't his business to get in the middle.

Few minutes later Jisung returned from the bathroom. He walked over to his bed and sat down calmly while rubbing his eye with his fist.

"I'm surprised you didn't throw yourself at your bed this time." Minho said as he cleared the school supplies from his bed, getting comfy under the covers.

"I'm too tired to do that." Jisung flopped over on his side, snuggling up to his pillow. You could already tell he was a bit out of it at this point.

"Okay, then. Goodnight."

"Night, hyungie." Minho froze at the nickname, feeling his cheeks heat up. He probably shouldn't think much of it because Jisung was half asleep but he couldn't suppress the small smile that grew on his face.

🌙

"Subject 52 and Subject 19. Are you ready?"

Jisung shakily exhaled through his mouth, positioning his feet wider apart and raising his arms in fists, staring down the man 10 feet across from him who was in a copied position, one of the facility workers unstrapping the muzzle over the man's face before backing away and into the spectator room.