||ᴄʀɪᴍsᴏɴ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs|| ᴘᴏɴᴅᴘʜᴜᴡɪɴ ғғ

4

FLASHBACK

Three Years Ago...

In the dimly lit private conference room, Pond sat at the head of the table, the low hum of computers creating a backdrop of tension. Joong, Dunk, Gemini, and Joe surrounded him, their attention fixed on the screen as Gemini’s fingers flew over the keyboard, attempting to hack into an enemy website. Frustration etched across his face, he let out a groan.

“It’s so difficult... this site is locked tight,” Gemini sighed, exasperated.

Pond leaned back in his chair, exuding an air of calm amid the rising tension. His gaze remained trained on the screen, quiet and intense. Beside him, Joe shifted restlessly, glancing between his friend and the monitor, his fingers tapping impatiently on the table.

“Come on, Gem. Don’t tell me a genius like you is stumped,” Joe teased, a grin spreading across his face.

Before Gemini could respond, a familiar ping echoed through the room—a sound unique to their private system, reserved for only the most critical of messages. Instantly, all eyes snapped to the screen, a shared understanding passing among them.

“Gem, quickly! Open it! See what TangWinnie has sent us this time!” Dunk urged, excitement bubbling in his voice.

With renewed urgency, Gemini opened the file, his expression shifting from frustration to shock.

“This… this is exactly what we’ve been trying to get!” he exclaimed, his voice rising. “All the enemy’s dealings, laid out right here! They were planning to trap us in today’s deal, but now we know everything.”

The others leaned in, their astonishment mirroring Gemini’s as they absorbed the information. It was a treasure trove of intelligence, delivered by the enigmatic hacker, TangWinnie, who had repeatedly come through in their moments of need. Each time TangWinnie had breached their seemingly impenetrable system, he provided invaluable information, but everytime, a message accompanied it.

“‘Please be safe, and careful...’” Gemini read aloud, the warmth of those simple words resonating in the room.

Joe leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he caught the nuance in the message. His gaze darted to Pond, who was absorbed in the screen, his expression inscrutable.

“Aww, look at that, Pond. Seems like someone out there really cares about you,” Joe quipped, the teasing lilt in his voice making the others stifle their smiles. Only Joe had the audacity to poke fun at Pond, and he relished the moment.

“Should we start calling TangWinnie your secret admirer now? What do you think?” he continued, his tone mockingly concerned.

Pond shot him a glare, though it lacked any real malice. Inside, a familiar warmth bloomed in his chest, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time, stirred by the hacker’s concern.

“Shut up, idiot,” Pond retorted, attempting to mask his fluster with annoyance.

Joe chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter, but Pond was determined to steer the conversation back to business. Clearing his throat, he adopted a more serious tone.

“Focus. Take the information and mark a new plan immediately. And remember, no one outside this room should know about this. Understood?” His sharp command snapped everyone back to the task at hand.

Nodding in unison, Joong, Dunk, Gemini, and Joe quickly refocused, diving into their preparations for the next steps of their plan. Yet, as they busied themselves with strategy, Pond couldn’t shake the stirring sensation in his chest—a faint echo of something he had long buried, ignited by the hacker’s heartfelt words.