So this is anger?

 

The stature of greatness, birds chirping in the distance as if they’ve been trained in a operatic harmony. Perfect, like something from a Disney movie. A clear sky with no darkness; a castle of sorts, had they known they’d end up here, wasn’t likely. Something was off about the world and how it looked like it was preserved. Like fruit at the grocery store, bright and glossy on the outside but rotten to the core on the inside.

 

Students, matching in uniforms but different in thought. Sooyoung, she looked towards the lush gardens as if she’d seen something of great importance. Maybe she has, for all they’d know the garden was off limits. Ever since the incident the prestigious school become even ten folds more. Five becoming four.

 

The teacher says,

“It’s so we can get the very best out of you.”

 

But Sooyoung says,

“It’s so we are trapped.”

 

Maybe she’s right, but they aren’t trapped in somewhere bad were they?

 

Besides almost anyone would follow Sooyoung‘s words. Like Sooyoung gazed at the window with such importance, Jiwoo does the same. She looks deeply at Sooyoung as if she was her savior. The one to give her water when thirsty. The one to hold her close when she’d been falling. So she sat on her right with her hand anxiously trying to figure out its place. Was it in her own lap or Sooyoungs? 

 

That left the unnatural blonde, sitting to Sooyoung’s left with legs crossed, her body physically closer to the duo but eyes glued on Hyejoo’s. They looked like a rip off plastics, or more like heathers. 

 

“Jiwoo-ah, do you see that?”

 

Jiwoo was puzzled as she leaned into Sooyoung’s side while peering out into the garden,

“No, Sooyoung.”

 

Sooyoung extended her hand towards the worn metal gate,

“The gates are open....”

 

It was true the gates where open, large and heavy gates that enclosed them from the outside world. The only place Sooyoung desperately wanted to go to in the whole school. Sooyoung bit her lip and she slumped into her chair, Jiwoo followed in suite. Even though both knew it was against the rules. However, both remained pouting while Chaewon stayed the same. Legs crossed with perfect posture,

“You think it’s a way out?”

 

They tried whispering but in the large room their voices echoed through the tall ceilings. Hyejoo mimicked Chaewon’s posture as she filled in the assignment, the whole reason they were alone in the first place. Otherwise they would be supervised by the trident professor. Hyejoo’s hand shook as she bit her lip , her face red as they spoke louder,

“Could you either speak later or not in front of me?”

 

Her words were sharp and low, contrasting greatly with Jiwoo’s loud and girlie one,

“Oh sorry Hyejoo.....”

 

She turned to Sooyoung and every sign of empathy was thrown out the window. Jiwoo was currently playing the ‘lets-see-how-close-I-can-get-to-Sooyoung’s-face-until-she-takes-the-hint.’ 

 

With a soft smile Chaewon shifted herself to face Hyejooo completely, not without Sooyoung’s skeptic look and something more, maybe...fear? 

 

Hyejoo smirked at the brunette’s hesitation, her mind floating deeper only to be fished out by Chaewon’s soft voice,

“Hyejoo.....could I borrow your notes?”

 

Hyejoo looked down at her notes, she’d mindless scribbled some hateful words towards Sooyoung but she still passed it over immediately to Chaewon. It was an odd sensation she only experienced with her it-

“Is this Sooyoung?”

 

Chaewon was holding the paper up distracting Hyejoo from her thoughts,

“Ah yeah.....I couldn’t focus with her talking.”

 

Chaewon laughed at the cartoon devil Sooyoung,

“‘I’m a loser’ how adult of you.”

 

Hyejoo kept her expression stoic,

“Yeah very, Are you done with it? I need to finish.”

 

Hyejoo internal cringed at how rude she sounded. Chaewon’s face fell as she just passed it back and shifted her body towards Sooyoung again.

 

Hyejoo wondered what it is about Sooyoung that was so attracting, she’s like a siren but uglier. Hyejoo’s thoughts got more malicious as she was treated like a ghost, and maybe she was. 

 

A ghost of her former self mixed with her teenage angst.

 

-

 

The dull nightlight illuminated the three girls that sat on the dorm floor. Two bunk beds held four masses but only one of a person.  Hyejoo seemed to sleep peacefully in her top bunk. The rest sat in silence. Sooyoung glances around the room and stood, Jiwoo followed immediately. The two stood looking at Chaewon’s fearful features. Sooyoung s her arm around Jiwoo’s side subtly guiding her to the closed door. Chaewon bit her lip as Sooyoung was leaving, as they left Hyejoo shifted to face Chaewon,

“Hey...Chaewon.”

 

Chaewon snapped to face Hyejoo, 

“Oh..hey...”

 

Hyejoo sat up and patted the empty space to her right,

“You don’t need to go tonight....”

 

Chaewon sat next to Hyejoo leaving some space,

“Hyejoo.....we need to leave.”

 

Hyejoo looked puzzled, her eyes puffy with sleep,

“We?”

 

Chaewon nodded and placed her hand to Hyejoo’s chest,

“Us, me and you, we have to leave. Together.”

 

Hyejoo pouted,

“I don’t want to leave what I know. It’s so nice here.”

 

Chaewon sighed,

“Hyejoo, promise me to look.”

 

Hyejoo furrowed her eyebrows deeper,

“Look?”

 

“Look.”

 

Chaewon let out a nervous sigh as she approached the door,

“Just...don’t tell on us.”

 

That’s all she said as she exited the room, leaving Hyejoo alone. 

 

-

So Hyejoo looked, she looked at the birds, the professor, and the stunning interior of the school. Everything was so perfect what was there to look for? Hyejoo tried asking Chaewon what to look for with the only response being,

“You’ll know when you see it.”

 

So Hyejoo took a stroll in the garden and she looked.

 

Hyejoo ran towards the safety of the school. She looked and regretted it deeply. Whatever Sooyoung or Yves was planning she didn’t want any part of it.

 

She flung the doors open and ran into a shocked Chaewon,

“Hyejoo what happened?”

 

“I-I looked....”

 

Chaewon’s eyes went wide,

“So you see them too? The glitches?”

 

“What glitches?! I saw Sooyoung and Jiwoo! But they weren’t- I don’t know what I saw but I didn’t like it!”

 

Hyejoo took off running as Chaewon called after her,

“Wait Hyejoo! What did you see!”