district 17 | svt

ID NUMBER 11

And hiding my real hair with a wig.

I turned away from the screen and looked directly at the Head Council member, his cold, empty smile sending shivers up my spine. I subconsciously began to back away as my legs began to shake with fear, causing me to lose my balance and collapse onto the floor. He walked closer to me until our faces were only inches apart. He quickly grabbed me by the hair and pulled it, my wig coming off just like it did in the video. I felt my real hair fall onto my shoulders, my long brown locks being revealed to the entire Head Council.

"We would have given you some grace for all the minor inconveniences you've caused," He said with an evil smile, "but you know, you've crossed the line—one too many times."

He whipped out a knife, causing me to flinch at the sight of the blade. Suddenly he grabbed me by the hair once again, pulling on my locks which caused me to yelp in pain as I stood back up. I closed my eyes, ready to embrace the impact of being stabbed or impaled. However, instead of a painful pang in the gut, I heard a quick shinnggg! I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze moving down to the floor. I gasped at the sight of my brown hair lying on the ground. I immediately touched the back of my head, feeling how short and uneven it had become.

"Bring the guard in," the council member said, a smile no longer on his face.

A door opened, one that just appeared out of the wall, and in stepped a young boy around my age. He had pure black hair, big eyes, and naturally pouty lips. His body was buff, but even when dressed in the bulky uniform his physique seemed so tiny when he folded his hands and bowed towards the Head Council.

"Seungcheol," the council members said, grabbing me by the arm and throwing me at the guard, "take him to the Confinement Floor, and keep him there til further notice."

Seungcheol only nodded, also grabbing me forcefully and locking my arms behind my back. I tried to wriggle myself free, but his grip was too strong. The guard dragged me towards the hidden entrance to a secret hallway and down to the end where there was an elevator. The door slowly slid closed, and the last thing I saw from that room was the Head Council member who cut my hair, giving me that evil, cold grin.

When the door closed shut, the guard let out a sigh and let go of my wrists. I tried to turn back and run towards the door; but he quickly grabbed my arm once more, not as forceful, but strong enough to stop me from running.

"There's not point in going back," he told me, "they won't let you back in. The only way to unlock that entrance is from the other side"

"That's stupid!" I snapped, whipping my head around to look back at him, "if there isn't a way to unlock it from here, that means you'd be stuck here too."

He looked at me, sorrow growing in his eyes and a small grin forming on his face.

"Exactly," he chuckled bitterly.

He let go of my arm and reached for my hand; only this time, he was gently holding it.

"The only place you'll be safe is in a cell on the Confinement Floor," he explained, "if you try to escape here and go back out there, you'd be eliminated on the spot, no matter who's watching."

He began to walk me down the long lonely hallway, still holding onto my hand. He didn't speak the entire way; even when we reached the end of the hallway and into an elevator, he spoke not a single word. He stayed silent as the elevator went down and stopped at the Confinement Floor. No words came out of his mouth as he guided me through the endless halls of prison cells that had been hidden underneath the very society we lived in.

The entire time, his grip around my hand felt gentle, yet desperate; as if holding my hand gave him some sort of comfort.

We finally stopped at Cell No. 1, where he pressed a few buttons and a hidden entrance opened up. He turned towards me and looked down at our hands, slowly letting go of mine. I looked up at him, not really sure what to think of him. The expression on his face seemed sad, devastating even; but he still tried to hide it with a comforting smile.

"I don't know how long you'll be in here," he finally said, "But you'll be staying in this cell. It's the District's orders."

"Do I even have a choice?" I asked sarcastically.

Seungcheol only shook his head, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to me.

When we made eye contact, I started to feel pity for the other. As I began to examine all of his features, I noticed how dreadful he looked. His skin was pale; he looked tired, like he was working all the time with not a lot of rest. His eyes were full of distress and fatigue, like they were reaching out to me for help.

"I'll come by tomorrow to fix your haircut," he offered shyly, smirking a little bit.

"How do I know I can trust you with that?" I teased.

"I don't really trust myself either," he admitted, chuckling to himself, making me smile a little.

"Sure," I said, "Tomorrow. Come by and give me a haircut."

He smiled, his tired expression disappearing a little. I smiled back at him and stepped into my cell. He locked up the entrance so that I wasn't able to get out. I reached out to him, pressing my hands against the glass. Then he tapped a few buttons and waved goodbye as the glass suddenly turned into a mirror, and the only thing I would see was my reflection.

I turned around to look at my cell. It was bland— nothing but a white bed and a small bathroom, along with a few extra sets of clothes. I walked over to where the clothes had been placed and grabbed a shirt from the pile, holding it out so I could examine it carefully. The shirt looked like it could be a perfect fit, which made me chuckle sarcastically. It seemed like this had been prepared for me before I even knew about my imprisonment. I walked over to the bed and sat down, my knees automatically curling up to my chest. It was quiet; not even the sound of a ticking clock echoed in the room. Then it hit me.

I was all alone.

And no one even knew I disappeared.

I suddenly burst into tears, hugging my knees even tighter. I was separated from society, from training, and from my best friend, Jisoo. I started to wonder if he even noticed I went missing. Did he know I was here? Did he even know this place existed? I touched my hair, the uneven cut strands itching my neck. The long hair that took years to grow was cut off within seconds. My chance of becoming Captain of the DPO was now down the drain. My whole life was ruined, and I couldn't do anything about it.

Fast forward in time, and here I am.

Still sitting on the same bed, no one except my reflection as company.

Hi, my name is Jeonghan.

I'm the prisoner who's been occupying Cell No. 1 for the past six years.

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