SILENCE | ATEEZ

8 | Diverge Reality

"Hongjoong, I don't think this is right.." San voices out, his eyes seemingly pleading.

What could've been so bad with the simulation?

"Sorry. It's really not my place to go against their rules," Hongjoong replies as his hands are still working on the wire around San, Elenna can see that he is equally reluctant, as if he was forced to be there. She keeps her eyes on them, observing without uttering anything towards the others.

"You know each other?" Jongho's voice echoes through the room, as he quickly covers his mouth with his palm, "ah, sorry I didn't think my voice would be that loud."

Hongjoong gives him a small smile, before he immediately turn away back to the monitor. Jongho furrowed his eyebrows, sensing something weird within this guy, Hongjoong. He doesn't seem willing, but he doesn't seem like a rebel either. His eyes focus more on him as he moves towards San to switch on the head piece, catching a glimpse of something.

A tattoo on his wrist, seemingly like a symbol of three droplets of water.

His heart beat increasing, as he tries to maintain his eyes on him. Everything this man is doing doesn't seem right, it's as if he's not doing the right thing, a real thing. Something so wicked buried deep within him, that he didn't show out to the world. Jongho feels his heart and mind telling him things that don't even correlate and it messes with his brain. His head throbbing, a sense of empathy suddenly creeps into him as he opens his eyes back again.

Everyone is looking at him, even San.

He then realises he is no longer standing, but crouching on the floor.

"Ah.. what happened?"

His voice turns out raspy, realising his throat going sore, as if he has been screaming.

Elenna rushes to him, helping Jongho to stand on his feet again. She grabs a water bottle from the desk near them, twists the cap open before she asks him to drink it. Jongho did as she asked, and he feels his throat throbbing as water passes through.

"You've been hyperventilating and screaming," she says, concerned all over her eyes, "what is it, Jongho? What did you see?"

Before Jongho gets to reply, Hongjoong's voice reverberates through the room.

"You can have your get to know each other session later but we are about to start San's trial now. It's important to understand what you are doing during these simulator sessions. So please, gather around the chair now."

Letting out a sigh of defeat as Jongho looks at Elenna helplessly, before she moves to help him walk towards all of them again. San closes his eyes as he obeys, discomfort written all over his face. Elenna stands right on the side of his head, Jongho claiming the place beside her. Wooyoung and Mingi stand on the opposite site, their eyes staring at the monitor in front of Hongjoong.

"Simulation one, Choi San, Roll 138. Starting in 3.. 2.. 1..."

_

San blinks his eyes a few times as it adjusts to the bright light shining through the window on his side. He squints, and there he sees the vast light blue sky, similar to paintings that he could sit and appreciate for hours. Taking a deep breath, he stares longer towards the window as he rests his head comfortably on the desk before his hand accidentally pushes a tiny piece of eraser off.

His head shoots up and immediately, looking down below the desk to find the eraser but it is nowhere to be found. Unconsciously his hands run through his hair, frustration creeping up into his heart. The feeling of frustration brings discomfort within his heart as it becomes more intense, with him now already crouching on the ground, eyes wilting over the glossy floor to find the small piece of eraser. San takes a few deep breaths as he keeps on searching for the piece, before his head accidentally hits the surface of his desk.