SILENCE | ATEEZ

13 | Glimpse Of Truth

The sun shining through the huge glass windows make their way inside the laboratory room, lightening up the gloomy atmosphere of the surrounding. As Hongjoong twirls the contents he mixed into a test tube, his eyes concentrate on the slightest reaction or changes that occur in it. His other hand is holding a pen at the same time, writing down a report that he needs to submit by the end of the day to the president. He let out a sigh as he saw little to no effect on the contents, before finally putting it away in the test tube rack.

These past few days have been extremely confusing for him, and that he realises he needs something to wind down the thoughts that had been occupying his mind. Hongjoong used to find solace and peace whenever he was working in the lab, to the point he spent countless hours trying to figure out other chemical alterations that he has not yet discovered, but now everything becomes weirdly difficult.

His attention span turns shorter as the day goes by and much to his own surprise, he found himself waiting for the clock to reach 1700 hours, the time Seonghwa had told him to clock out. He never really leaves the lab unless he's way too exhausted, but now all he wants is to leave and get back to his little room the president had provided that he called home.

Hongjoong shakes his head, before realising it's already time for him to leave, and quickly moves to empty the test tubes he used and wash it as fast as he could. He then tears off the mask and gloves he was wearing and dumps it into the specialised bin and walks to his locker, before taking off his white lab coat and putting it away inside. His arm reaches for his backpack and he quickly scans his identification card on the scanner, finally making it outside.

His initial intention to get back to his room is suddenly forgotten when Hongjoong turns on the opposite hallway. Hongjoong walks thoroughly while his eyes wander around, fearing as if somebody is watching him.

Though he knows either the president or the other VESTRA board members are watching any of his moves anyway. At least, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he's a bit relieved that Seonghwa had decided to include Saera into the trial. For now, he doesn't have to worry about her, and the things that she is capable of. Hongjoong bites his lips, just the thought of her is making him uncomfortable.

For no apparent reason.

It is true, what she had said to him the other day. He doesn't have any reason to fear Saera for who she is. She is an employer, just like him and she works for VESTRA, also just like him. It is true that she never had anything to do with him, but for unknown reasons, his mind keeps on telling him there's something else going on with her. There is something that he should not interfere with, and somehow it all correlates with her existence here in VESTRA.

Hongjoong too doesn't seem to understand it, as all of these ideas that developed a feeling of fear and resentment towards Saera all came from dreams he has been having ever since. He tries to find motives in the dreams that he had, but no matter what he did, he never found any of his questions answered. He admits that sometimes he does feel a bit of guilt towards her, but he couldn't just push away what he has been feeling.

It is scary. It's a fear he couldn't overcome. A fear that turns into something else that he can't control.

Dreams. That's what has been giving him the ability to express emotions. His dreams were the ones who made him who he is today and truthfully, the thought of it was as stupid as it sounds. It felt like he was living in his dreams and not the reality. As if two worlds are colliding in his mind and he does not know which one is real. But, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, these dreams were the ones which became a source of motivation for him to continue on living.

The dreams itself were like a broken record. It keeps on playing every night when he closes his eyes. The same dream which makes him contemplate the reality of his world, the fear he has towards Saera and the source of motivation towards finding a cure of the virus.