PARADOXICAL

Pass, sir ?

Jimin remained with unease in the vehicle. He kept looking from the man to the driver who minded his business, as if to see if there were traces of deceit in their eyes.

The man noticed and sighed. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be long forgotten by now," he said straight faced without looking at him. "So quit the staring and just relax."

"I wish I could," he huffed out. "But you're making it a tad difficult," he finished with a stoic expression.

The man turned to him unfazed. "Find a way to help yourself then, park."

Jimin scowled and looked away. "I don't even know your name--"

"Manager Norman," he interrupted.

Jimin looked at him with a sarcastic grin. "So you work for a company that can pay ten thousand dollars to their employees and not," he stared him down with those teasing eyes. "And yet still work as a manager in a petite coffee shop?" He leaned up against the window feeling most relaxed than before. "Not very likely to happen," he pouted.

The man smiled mockingly. "Let's say I was just hired this one time... and you best be grateful that I was, else... how would you have come across this golden opportunity," his demeanor changed. "You're getting way too loud. Say no more till we get to our destination - and only if you're needed to speak."

Jimin huffed and maintained his position, impatient to arrive their destination - at least to have some fresh air... or keep a good distance between them.

~~~

The long drive soon ended, and by the time they were pulling up, it was in an... unusual place, completely separated from the main city. This time, his attention was more on his surroundings.

"What is this place?" He asked with a slight tone of uncertainty, but tried hard to hide it as the big gates opened for them only after the driver had offered a pass card demanded by the officers

Norman breathed loudly. "Your work place. Time to go."

The driver came out and opened the door for him, while Norman helped himself out.

Jimin swallowed at the sight of the whole place. The amount of security placed at every corner was somewhat alarming, even if they were for safety. The building was tall and enormous, and spread out widely. In some part of it, you could see the lift as it went up and down with people in them. The fences were raised higher and had electric bars protecting it on top. The light in and outside the building pursued any form of darkness that could have been caused by the night.

"You'd want to shut your mouth when you stare... You'd look more better that way," Norman teased.

Jimin swallowed again. "You never said how big."

He shrugged and furrowed with a smirk. "I never said a lot. Come on."

He led him towards and inside the building. It was even more enormous from the inside... though Jimin could feel it in his guts... 'this wasn't normal.'

He clutched to the straps of his school bag, looking the interior over as they went on.

They continued to a lift - like one of those he saw from the outside. It wasn't like any other that he had entered before, it was all... different.

It stopped and they got out again, furthering on. Jimin couldn't keep it together anymore...

"Why is everyone dressed so... weirdly?"

He tisked. "Coats? What is weird about that?"

"I'm just in my first year, I do not know anything about medicine much - did you get me to work as an assistant?" He scrunched. "Why is everyone in a laboratory coat when this doesn't even look like a freaking hospital?"

"Keep it down, boy, you're making noise."

Jimin rolled his eyes and huffed saying nothing else.

They continued until they came to lobby where a lady stood behind a counter. A double door stood in the way of the lobby at the far end a little.

"Pass, sir?"

He brought out a card and showed it to her, then she looked at Jimin. "Pass?--"

"No, he's a volunteer," he cut. She nodded with a slight smile. "Okay."

He nodded and smiled also, then turned to Jimin. "You go on your own from here. They'd tell you what to do first."

"You want to leave me!?"

"I'm sticking around, okay?"

He huffed a little frustrated. "Okay can I have your number?--"

"Ughm Mr, you cannot go in with any belongings... just yourself. You'd have to put out anything with you right at that corner," she pointed to a corner where there seemed to be other stuffs belonging to other people, then turned to him again. "Before you can go in," she smiled.

He scrunched. "Why is that necessary?--"

"Jimin?" Norman tried to call. He cleared his throat. "I'd leave my number with her so when you're done and you're out, you could give me a call, okay?"

He paused before inhaling deeply. "Alright. Don't be far off," he walked over to the corner and ripped himself of any extra belongings before turning around to them and tilting. "Happy?"

Norman smiled. "Go on," he motioned to the double silver door behind him.

Jimin turned around and sighed before taking a few steps close to it. The doors slided open and unhesitatingly, he went in before it shut right after.