SILENCE | ATEEZ

11 | Recruits/Rebels

"Guys, there's another person!" she shouts, alarming the others that seemingly got so lost in their laughter, which quickly dies down right after. "Come here and see!"

"Are you sure it's a person and not something else?" Jongho asks, immediately going after her, as Wooyoung follows suit.

"Yeah it's a person. A girl," she replies, her eyes moving around the bed, searching for anything about the person. Wooyoung and Jongho arrive by her side but they seem not to have any idea either about the girl, shaking their heads as they stare at the sleeping figure. All of them stay quiet on their spots, until Mingi comes to their side, his hand flying over to cover his mouth.

"Oh what in the world.." he breathes, as the others look at him quizzically. A slight memory greets his mind, a memory of his first day in VESTRA.

"You know her?" San asks, worry etching across his face.

"She was the one who administered my first injection. Ah, fuck I swear I remember her name.." Mingi bites his lips as he tries to think harder, trying to remember her name, before suddenly screams his lungs out.

"I REMEMBER!"

Wooyoung hand quickly finds its way to Mingi's head, slapping him. Mingi yelps, glaring at him as he threatens to slap him back.

"Her name is Ko Saera. She was one of them. One of VESTRA."

The sudden click on the opposite door makes them turn around quickly, realising the door is opening. They half expect Hongjoong to make his way back, but instead a familiar tall figure appears from the back of the door, still in his soldier suit. All eyes are on him as he makes his way inside, walking slowly towards the bed where they are standing around.

All of them didn't dare to say anything or even move from their places as they watch him click onto something, a button on the monitor as it let out a beeping sound. He then turn around to look at the girl on the bed, monitoring any signs of facial movements. They wait for anything to happen, and suddenly, her eyes slowly open, squinting towards the harsh light cascading upon her.

Jongho pushes away Wooyoung as he takes a step closer to the bed, staring at the girl as she moves slightly, raising one of her fingers. He gives her a look before he pulls the wires attached to her hands, out of impulsiveness. The others let out a gasp as Jongho throws the wires away and turns towards the soldier, his face red with unknown anger creeping up in him.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks, glaring at the soldier as he is still monitoring the vital information of the girl. His heart burns as he receives no response from him, raising his voice as he repeats his question.

"I'm asking you a question."

"Did you forget the only rule I talked about when you're speaking with me?" he replies calmly, eyes shifting towards Jongho, "speak like that to me again, you'll not like the consequences of it."

Arin steps forward amidst the rising tension between Jongho and the soldier, picking up the wires that Jongho had thrown away on the floor. She thinks for a minute, as she hands the wires towards the soldier.

"Yunho, isn't it?" she utters slowly, "do whatever you do her on Yeosang too, wake him up from his slumber."

Yunho faces Arin as he throws her a weird look, not expecting her to say something like that. Arin shrugs, and doesn't seem fazed by his sudden confusion with her statement. She points to Yeosang's bed where he is still sleeping soundly, fixing her eyes on the soldier.

"Well, you said don't ask you questions. You never said anything about speaking to you in general. So, please, can you just revive our dead friend right there? Don't get me wrong if only I can do it myself I would gladly do but yeah I don't want to kill him so—"

"You talk too much," Yunho comments, before he willingly walk away to Yeosang's bed. The others exchange looks with each other, wondering if Arin really did make the soldier listen to her. Mingi raises a thumbs up towards Arin as all of them move back towards Yeosang's bed.

Yunho clicks on the same settings he did on Saera as he monitors Yeosang's vital, "from now on, all of you will be a team. Including that girl over there"

San's eyes widen as he sees Yeosang's eyes moving, slowly opening. He feels like he hasn't seen him for years, and finally he has a reason to step down from being a leader. San quickly grips his hand as Yeosang lets out a cough, while the others watch them with some sort of relief settle in their heart. At least all of them manage to get back together with each other, and survive this far. However, the sense of relief doesn't stay as Yunho continues to talk.

"You still have one more quarter to complete your training. Though others have ten members, the authority decides your team will only consist of nine."

San is the first one to refute back, as he feels the unfair treatment being used against them, "that's not fair."

"Trust me, it's more than fair. Just put up with it, only for the one last quarter," Yunho replies, settling down on the seat beside Yeosang's bed. "You will understand why, but just not now."

"Wait, nine you said?" Mingi utters as he counts something with his fingers, "but we are only eight including Saera?"

"Are you seriously that dumb?"

Mingi lets out a sharp breath as he throws him a dissatisfied look, "you don't have to be so rude?"

"I'll be joining you for the last quarter. I'll only say this once but, anything.. anything that happens during the quarter, no matter what happens all of us need to survive. There's no way to end it other than winning."

"End what exactly? All you ever did is ask us to do things for you and now what do you expect us to trust you so easily?" Arin interferes, crossing her arms as she walks closer towards Saera's bed on the other side. "And how do we even know if this.. woman is going to be useful to our team? I mean I can see you providing benefits given you're a soldier but what does a woman who only knows how to hide behind those curtains like a coward will do any good to us?"

Yunho doesn't seem fazed by Arin's comments, instead he gives her a small smile, the corner of his lips slightly raised as it sends random shivers down her spine. Arin glares at him as she taps on her shoes repeatedly, waiting for his response.

"Think about it, 'woman'. Maybe because she's been hiding behind those curtains will make her more resourceful when it comes to finding out what's actually behind those curtains. Other newbies would not have any chance to know a thing." Yunho utters, his hand making its way through his hair, brushing it backwards. "Now, is that clear to everyone?"

"I think we should trust him. He's right about Saera bringing advantage for us anyway. Plus, it's better to have more people fighting on our side," San voices out as the others look at him, before slowly nodding.

Except for Jongho.

Each of them shifts uncomfortably in their spots, silently exchanging looks through their eyes that speaks volumes of their true feelings. Though it's hard to admit it out, they know everything the soldier had said is true. Having both Saera and Yunho in the team, who are somewhat veterans in VESTRA will give them more chances of winning. The sudden silence revolving them gives a sense of hope in their hearts, as it desperately hangs on.

"We leave as soon as Yeosang and Saera fully regain their consciousness."