SIGNAL || TWICE

🕰Three🕰

Somi froze in her spot, unable to turn around. Even though the voice didn't sound particularly harsh, it wasn't friendly and inviting either. She just waited for the moment she would be marched down to the Head woman's office, get banned from volunteering here ever again, and be made a fool of in front of Vernon.

"Can she not talk? What's wrong with her?"

"Chaeyoung, shush!"

"But, Jihyo unnie, she's just standing there!"

"Maybe she can't speak Korean," a new girl piped up.

There was movement behind Somi, and she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder and spin her around. She was face-to-face with a girl she's never met before. And not a little girl like all the ones running around in the orphanage at the minute. This one was definitely older than her.

She started speaking to her in a different language, one Somi recognized as Japanese, but she couldn't tell what was being said. She felt like a new animal in the zoo, and her cage mates are trying to welcome her in. She didn't like the feeling at all.

"I...I speak Korean," Somi said softly.

"I knew that!" A shorter girl approached the two. "Mina unnie here is being an idiot and showing off her stupid Japanese skills."

"It's not stupid!" Mina defended.

"It kind of is. Anyways, I'm Chaeyoung. This is Mina. That's Tzuyu"--she pointed to a tall girl in the corner--"she's Sana"--a girl lied on on ottoman, and she waved--"Jungyeon and Nayeon"--two girls by one of the windows waved, respectively--"Dahyun"--one of the two blonde girls that sat by Sana waved, the other following after her--"Momo"--a girl playing with legos nodded--"and our leader, Jihyo."

The final girl bookmarked her page and stood up. Somi watched as she headed towards the three of them, and she noticed a motherly look about her. The way she walks and looks and smiles all screamed "motherly figure". And Somi was sure Jihyo was going to be the one to send her to the office to get banned.

"We didn't think another of us would arrive so soon," Jihyo spoke with a smile.

Another of us? What was she talking about? Somi gave her a confused look, not understanding what was going on. Another Korean? Were all the kids Japanese or Chinese or something?

"You're pretty!" Chaeyoung randomly said.

"Not as pretty as me," Nayeon huffed, but nobody paid attention to her.

"Has she not given you a uniform yet?" Jihyo asked, looking at what Somi was wearing.

"New uniform?" Somi questioned.

"Had they not explained anything to you? Poor girl. Did they find you in the forrest too?"

"I--no. I came in a car."

"Lucky you. We were in a helicopter," Chaeyoung huffed. "And we had to listen to Sana scream the whole time. She's afraid of heights."

Sana awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck and turning red. "Heights scare me."

"Yeah, listening to her screaming 'OH NO, WE'RE GONNA DIE!' is not pleasant at all."

Somi would've laughed, had she not been in a room full of strangers. Strangers that were obviously older than her. Some might've been of age, for all Somi knew. Why were they kept here, away from the little kids? Was this some kind of teenage ward?

"Anyways, what's your name?"

"Somi. Jeon Somi." She was surprised that she spoke without her voice wavering.