contains: caffeine

chapter 3 - hacking and honey processing

hacking (verb):

the gaining of unauthorized access to data in a system or computer.

honey processing (verb):

a method of processing coffee beans where the mucilage is removed partly, leaving a sweet, fruity flavor.

sana entered the busy italian restaurant, the scent of roasted garlic and fresh bread wafting through the air. her friends had insisted she eat with them, and somehow, she'd been persuaded—though she wasn't sure what she was more nervous about: facing her friends or facing the man from the café again.

the restaurant was crowded, with families and groups of friends enjoying the evening. sana scanned the room, quickly spotting her friends at a large table near the back. momo waved enthusiastically when she saw her.

"there you are!" momo greeted her, pulling out the empty chair next to her. "i was about to eat your alfredo, so glad you're here."

sana took a seat, her eyes glancing around the table at the familiar faces. mina was texting on her phone, chaeyoung was chatting animatedly with tzuyu, and jihyo was giving her a warm smile.

"you okay?" jihyo asked, noticing the slightly distracted look on sana's face.

"yeah, just tired," sana replied, forcing a smile. "long day."

"you've been saying that a lot lately," momo pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "something's going on."

"it's nothing," sana said quickly, not wanting to spill her worries. "really, everything's fine."

jeongyeon had had enough.

"okay, spill," jeongyeon said suddenly, setting down her fork. her sharp eyes narrowed at sana. "you've been weirdly quiet all evening. what's up?"

"yeah, you're usually the loudest one here," chaeyoung chimed in, her mouth half-full of pasta.

sana hesitated, glancing around the table. she wasn't sure how much to share, but the weight of her discovery had been pressing on her all day.

"there was this guy at the café yesterday," she began, her voice low. immediately, the table went silent, all eyes on her.

chaeyoung remembered who sana was talking about "you mean the guy who you called rude?"

"yeah. he was... off. and he left behind this notebook. i looked at it, and there were names in it—names of people who've been... silenced? i dont know."

"silenced?" mina repeated, her tone skeptical. "What is that supposed to mean?

"i kinda get it," sana said, leaning in, "maybe like people who disappeared or got in trouble after exposing things they weren't supposed to."

"and you're sure about this?" jihyo asked, her brow furrowed.

sana nodded. "one of the names was lee sunwoo, the journalist who vanished after that big corruption exposé."

"this is serious," tzuyu said, her voice unusually firm. "who was the guy?"

"i don't know," sana admitted. "but he was dressed like some high-ranking official or something."

jeongyeon tapped her fingers on the table "describe him."

sana recounted the man's appearance—the sharp navy suit, the gold watch, the calculating look in his eyes. jeongyeon's expression shifted as if a puzzle piece had clicked into place.

"i think i know who you're talking about," she said, pulling out her phone. after a quick search, she turned the screen toward sana. "does he look like this?"

sana stared at the image, her stomach sinking. it was him. the man from the café.

"who is he?" nayeon asked, leaning over to see the screen.