𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬

"SCARS ARE MEMORIES OF OUR PAST WOUNDS. THEY CAN'T BE REMOVED,
THE PAST WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US."

—

3 r d p e r s o n s v i e w

darkness.

cold.

pain.

loneliness.

the sound of rapid typing, finger clicking on the mouse as the eyes go from one computer to another. her own self getting absorbed within the codes.

"oi, weijung?"

no reply.

the girl furrowed her brows as she stood by the doorway, her eyes scanning around the dark room. she sighed heavily, gaze falling onto the girl seated in the middle amongst the computers.

"weijung, it's already six am! i bet you haven't even slept yet!?" she scolded, walking towards the girl and prying her off the desk, but it was no use.

the girl couldn't hear a thing.

"you just finished a case yesterday– what are you even doing?" her eyes traced along the computers, growing wide upon the research, "h-hanyul?! what– why? why are you.." she sputtered, shaking the girl's body.

weijung only furrowed her brows and kept doing her work, leaving her friend deadpanning.

"ahhh, you're in your little dark world again, aren't you?"

"alright fine, i'll give you ten minutes, then we'll talk." she sighed and walked out of the dorm room.

meanwhile, weijung was having a battle with herself in her mind.

codes surrounding her. 1's and 0's in the color green floating everywhere.

"what?" weijung murmured, her eyes blinking as she stared afar at herself. she stepped closer, seeing herself too immersed in her research again. "hanyul academy? isn't that the school minyoung keeps talking about? ahh... the infamous secret society." she utters as she stared at the screen.

"i'm doing it again, i shouldn't have closed the lights. darkness is taking over me when i do." weijung sighed, taking a note of that. "loneliness is so painful."

"alright xing weijung, enough~" she said to herself.

weijung blinked, her fingers slowing down, her back slumping as her eyes burned from hours boring itself onto the screens. she glided her swivel chair back, leaning back as she sighed.

"i wasn't able to rest again, wasn't i?" weijung chuckled and looked at the time.

"bingo~"

weijung snapped her head towards the door to find her friend standing there. "oh, minyoung!" she smiled, waving at her.

minyoung irked as her eyes twitched at weijung's state. "y-you look like a zombie from being sleep deprived." she sighed and flicked the light switch on.

weijung winced and covered her eyes, the light blinding her for a bit. "i left my self with the lights off again, didn't i?" she said sheepishly as minyoung glared at her.

"didn't i tell you to stop leaving yourself in the darkness? how would you be able to overcome loneliness if you even abandon yourself." minyoung nags as she sat on weijung's tidy bed. weijung never really bothered to sleep on her bed that's why it was always neat.

weijung pursed her lips, rubbing her nape as she sends a cheeky grin, "but aren't i the best when i'm in the dark?"

minyoung scrunches her nose, shaking her head, "you're killing yourself when you're in the dark, weijung."

"it's only a few hours—"

"ouch! don't hit me!" weijung yelped, getting cut off by minyoung's palm.

"you call twelve hours a few hours!?"

weijung shrugs, "i took twelve hours in the dark? i thought it was just twelve minutes..."

minyoung sneered and facepalmed, "why are you even researching about my old school?"

weijung raised a brow, "i was?" her head craned towards her set up, "....oh i was..." she chuckled shortly.

"xing weijung probably is up to something." she shrugs and stood up to start stretching.

"sometimes i wonder, are you sure you're not– um... you don't have any mental—"

weijung cuts her off immediately, "i don't." her face going serious, scaring minyoung a bit. weijung grabbed a jacket and wore it quickly before rummaging through her drawers, "just kidding!" she grins.

"doctors said i do, they scold me for isolating my self. it's okay, i'm used to it."

minyoung huffed, "you don't drink medicine, do you?"

weijung scoffed, "medicine can't cure me. i'm already trapped."

"anyways~" she clasped her hands together, "i overheard the director that i'm going to be part of an exchange program."

minyoung nearly choked on air, "exchange? you mean– you would be attending h-hanyul?"

weijung hummed, "i've already found out things about the school, well, just basic stuff."

she turned to look at minyoung, "why are you so nervous about it? i know you know hanyul, is there something you're not telling me?"

minyoung flinched, shaking her head vigorously, "no. i mean, yeah no. hanyul is just... a dangerous school that's all."

"more dangerous than myself in the dark?" weijung jokes as she placed the packet of antidepressants back into the drawer, gulping down her glass of water afterwards.

minyoung crosses her arms, "i'd be careful if i were you. you can't trust anyone at the school but yourself."

a loud laugh emitted from weijung, "i don'r even trust myself."

cackling, her face held a ridiculed expression, "oh well, no one knows me better than me anyways."

minyoung scoffed, "what are you even talking about, jung?"

"maybe i'll learn a thing or two during my time in hanyul academy?"

minyoung pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing, "it would be better if you found light in that dark world of yours."

weijung stopped laughing, feeling her heart clench at minyoung's words. "my mother was my light..."

minyoung tilts her head, noticing that she had hit a sensitive topic, she frowns and stands up to hug her friend. "your mother would be proud of you if you let yourself free again."

weijung avoided the girl's gaze, "trapping myself was the only way in order to survive."

"survive? from what?" minyoung cocked a brow.

"myself. i don't know how long it would take for myself to kill me," weijung muttered, "people always leave me. eunji... mom... the light of life in me left me too. i don't know what's keeping me going."

minyoung hummed, "do you wanna know?"

weijung eyes her, curious.

"yourself."

—