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CA-23: ARCHIVES[10.03.2015]
The 'official' training room was located underground; far from the school's gym area (although it technically looked the same and had the same purpose, with the exception of age demographic).
Green and blue mattresses were laid out, and windows are laying barely above the ground, casting dark black one-sided mirrors. Defeated groans and loud thuds echoed against the white walls, where a maroon-haired girl laid exhausted in defeat. She looked above to see her opponent, and couldn't help but held a scoff when the standing girl chuckled.
"Tired already, Hani?"
"In your dreams, Jaekyung," Hani rolled her eyes, and pulled the hand Jaekyung lend her. The latter snorted.
"Nice try, but I'm imagining a reality from that. Speaking of which, when would you go to the field training session?"
"Until my schedule says so, duh," Hani rolled her eyes. Both of them had casual clothes at hand, a towel, and duffel bags slung over their head. Somewhere on the left side, a few metres closer, is the bathroom. And then...
"And when is that, smart-?" Jaekyung cackled.
"Until I'm done being called at the school counselor's office, Song Hyosung seemed to be keen of a say," Hani shook her head. Somewhere over the second floor, two steps off the elevator and at the northeast of their location. The sun loomed over the east, although she remembered well the last time she came here, it was very, very dark.
"Mmh, good luck," Jaekyung hummed. "She's kind of scary."
"I've met her quite a few times, but she's okay."
"Yeah, but who knows if we both broke the curfew and she asked you?"
"Then she would've called you too. Relax, it's probably about Luhan." Hani hummed, flipping her judo wear into the duffel. Luhan was recently captured a few days ago, although he was still under questioning and Mark's team may have slipped some of his minions by accident. Which probably means double work for everyone.
"Anyways, I need to go. See ya."
"Have fun!" Jaekyung lazily shouts as Hani rushed out.
"Good morning, Miss Song," Agitated voice apparent when she pushed the door quick, Hani was greeted with the strong smell of coffee winding up wispy puffs off smoke at the white cup, mahogany table laying with thick books, crusted with yellow pages.
"Morning, Miss Kang," Hyosung gently stood up from her place, the sound of clicking of her black pumps echoed against the white tiles. Looking up to her, she saw the young woman and bowed.
"I apologize for being late," Hani panted. What should've been minutes earlier stretched a little too long, Hani bit her lips.
"Well, you aren't anymore, that's the most important part, as I still needed both of you to talk with." Hyosung nodded, turning her head towards one of the bookshelves at the left. Hani immediately noticed a figure had been reading a book, and turned around at immediate.
"Kang Hani and Lee Wooyoung, please sit down." Hyosung directed her at two leather sofas in front of the psychologist's table. Some photographs were scattered at the white walls. Most were of students, although Hani could recognize the presence of uniforms and high-class dinners photos. Hyosung looked too different between now and then.
"Thank you so much for letting some of your time off here, and I hope you would appreciate the newest operation for both of you to join."
Hani and Wooyoung remained silent even after Hyosung had talked. Wooyoung took a good look at Hani, and said nothing else. Hani could feel he had a rather unwelcoming vibe, but when he glanced at her, his eyes looked calmer than the hostility he had.
"What kind of operation?" Hani asked.
"Crackdown of Yang Jungyoon's death and two more missing children of high-rank officials," Hyosung said, unfazed.
"Was this officially recognized by Johak?" Wooyoung turned, his face still showing a slight doubt.
"Within one team, yes, but it's not a public outing." Hani began to frown. Socializing are never her strength points, and within a group of strangers at that. Work doubles up when nobody could work together, and something told her that Hyosung wasn't getting that role either.
After a brief moment, Wooyoung stammered. "Let's take it this way. You picked at least six or seven," Wooyoung's fingers formed the number seven.
"And counting the fact that Johak is keeping this close to you, means that the operation is no simple one day raid attack or investigation. And counting that there are a coverage of problems for this investigation, you would need people for different roles," Hyosung nodded, and Hani raised her eyebrows with Wooyoung's sudden outburst. That's a rare one.
"Which means there are another group of strangers, correct?" Hyosung nodded again.
"And by counting the odds, how many of them are going to work together? In a matter of a few weeks, just enough to cover for everything?"
"If you felt like it wasn't a consideration, this is the reason we recruited you," Hyosung said, her eyes rather tired.
Silence befell on them again for a few minutes, as Wooyoung crossed his arms, Hyosung gently folded her files, and Hani awkwardly twiddling with her thumbs. Under casual circumstances, she would've loved to poke Wooyoung a good fun or two, but he seemed less in a mood and she knew well what powers the two oldest had in the room.
"We need a good leader who would keep this together. A few weeks wouldn't hurt when someone could keep a straight eye on the single project. And if you felt like it wouldn't suit you, you had all the options,"
Hyosung's tone seemed calm and straight to the point, but Hani could hear the underlying threat under it. She could only wonder about her work days of doing it alone—possibility unlkely, since there are similar stacks of folder and a black bag was left at her left—along with dealing with possibilities of a breakdown. Getting rid of those who can't get along would be the best for everyone, maybe.
"I never said I didn't suit, it was an analysis," Wooyoung said.
Hyosung was ready to open again, when she closes it. "It shouldn't matter, either way. If we had a coherent grip on one team, things should be going smoother. And whether they were experienced or not, they had the choice to do it or deny it."
"How many are there?" Hani asked, trying to break the tension. Her palms are sweating, and her eyes are twitching a temptation to blast out the door, probably go to the canteen two storeys below, and do nothing but desperate on erasing her memories.
"So far, four." Hyosung walked up again from the couches, and sipped in her coffee. A pertaining tension wasn't lost on the three, so she knew.
"I am joining, then." Hani said. Hyosung nodded in confirmation, and wrote up something on the papers.
"Why?" Wooyoung asked. Hani knew he was still doubtful, although his questions sounded less judging and more of a genuine curiosity. Hyosung caught up with his voice, which seemed laced with concern than when he talked to her.
"I know you're thinking I hate people," Hani sighed at him. "But this project could be changing a lot of things. And I am an agent. Or an operative, whatever. But only continuous training and not being put in field... you know I need a job and not just training continuously. I need something to change. You know that well, do you?"
Wooyoung looked slightly taken, almost in awe, but nevertheless, quiet. Only after a moment later, he faced Hyosung, and said, "Put my name in your list. I may not know what really is going to happen, but in case something falls apart, I don't want anyone to be hurt."
When he'd said 'hurt', his face turned to Hani, and she felt slightly uncomfortable, but she could see his warm eyes looking at her. She knew he was keen on doing this, not only because he's been out of operation for weeks, like her, but the weight of responsibility is always bigger.
notes : congratulations to kang hani of ohlovi and lee wooyoung of you-gave-us-a-galaxy! i hope this is good :( i had a pretty bleak week of realizing my scores are dropping fast (but hey, at least it's over for now) man i hope i did the characters and my horrible writing some justice here.
p.s. listen to monsta x's ex girl and support their comeback on may 18th!
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