A small hole had been carved into the wall.
The fork Darin held was bent, its handle twisted from hours of scraping against concrete.
Dust coated her fingers.
Two slender hands pressed against the cracked surface as she leaned closer to the opening she had forced through.
Darin lowered her eye to the hole.
For a moment she expected something.
Another room.
The outside world.
Even another wall.
Anything.
Instead, a metal tunnel ran behind the wall.
Large ventilation ducts passed through it, industrial filters humming quietly as air moved through the system.
Darin frowned.
She slowly pulled back, staring at the wall.
A breath escaped her chest.
It almost broke into a sob.
The dismantled fork slipped from her fingers and clattered softly as it joined the others behind the toilet.
Her knees gave out.
She sank to the floor and covered her dusty face with both hands.
Where the hell am I?
Slowly, she lowered them again.
Her head tilted toward the bathroom ceiling.
Creak…
The faint sound of the main door opening reached her through the wall.
Darin's head snapped toward it.
Her body leaned forward instinctively.
What the…
Sugar's earlier than usual?
She immediately stood up, quickly splashed water on her hands and face.
Knock. Knock.
"Wait!" Darin shouted. "I'm almost done!"
The door opened.
It wasn't Sugar.
A man with a slouched posture stood in the doorway.
His eyes landed on Darin.
She had dropped onto the toilet, pants down in panic when the door opened.
Darin immediately covered her face while pulling one arm across her lap.
"O-oh, sorry!" the man blurted, quickly shutting the door.
Silence returned to the room.
Darin stared at the door.
Who was that guy?
…
Darin opened the door slightly and peeked out.
The slouched man sat on her bed.
He was rapidly typing on the tablet Sugar had left behind.
His fingers moved so quickly across the screen they almost blurred.
Darin studied him quietly.
He was a pale young man wearing the same attire Sugar wore, a dark coat over a suit. But unlike her, his clothes looked untidy and half-wrinkled. One side of his hair was overly messy while the other had been awkwardly flattened.
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes.
He looked exhausted.
Every few seconds his eyes flicked nervously toward the door before returning to the tablet.
Darin leaned her head lightly against the doorframe, watching him.
She replayed the moment from earlier in her mind.
The way he panicked.
The way he immediately shut the door.
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
He's a gullible type…
Her lips pressed together in thought.
Maybe I could use him.
Darin let out a quiet breath through her mouth, her fingers curling into a fist at her side. She straightened just enough to look unsure, letting the slightest tremor in her posture show.
Then she opened the door.
The man's head flicked toward her, eyes narrowing for a split second before returning to the tablet. He set it down carefully, as if even a small movement might topple his concentration.
"I… u-um…" Darin's voice came out softer than she intended, "What are you… doing in my room?"
His eyes flicked up once before dropping again.
A hand ran awkwardly through his messy hair.
"Sugar's absent," he said quietly. "I'm here as the replacement."
Perfect, If I ask the right questions… Just enough to make him talk, I'll get the information I need.
She stepped inside, slowly, letting the door click shut behind her.
"Of course," she murmured softly. "I just… wanted to see what you were doing."
Darin walked shyly toward the bed, shoulders slightly hunched, eyes downcast. She sat beside him, close enough to brush the edge of his arm.
His gaze flicked to the floor in front of him, avoiding her entirely, yet she could feel the tension in the way his shoulders stiffened. She let her fingers rest lightly on her lap, outwardly small and passive.
Darin tilted her head slightly.
"You type really fast," she said quietly.
The man finally glanced at her, as if noticing for the first time how close she was sitting.
"It's part of my job."
"Oh."
She leaned a little closer.
"What job is it?"
The man's gaze dropped back to the tablet.
"…Technology."
Darin's smile almost faded.
That wasn't very helpful…
She forced it back anyway, stretching it into a wider grin.
"Really? I used to do that too."
The man finally looked directly at her.
They held eye contact for a moment too long.
"You may not notice this," he said slowly, "but you've learned a lot from Sugar."
Her smile disappeared.
"E-eh?"
The man suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The one with the health band.
He lifted it slightly, turning her hand toward the light.
Darin followed his gaze.
Dust clung faintly to the side of the band.
Her stomach dropped.
For the briefest moment the softness vanished from her face. The shy smile, the lowered eyes, the hesitant posture, all of it felt useless now.
The man released her wrist.
You are such an idiot, Darin…
She forced her hands back into her lap, folding tightly against the dirt on the band.
Her mind began racing.
All that work and effort… gone because of one single mistake.
Silence settled heavily in the room as she closed her eyelids.
So this is it…
He leaned back slightly, studying her with tired eyes.
Darin avoided his gaze, her thoughts spiraled quickly.
Brother… I'm sorry.
"One question." He said.
Darin looked up slowly.
His expression didn't change.
"I'll tell you what I know."
Her brow tightened slightly.
One question…?
The words didn't feel like a negotiation.
They sounded like a final courtesy.
Like the kind offered to death row inmates.
Darin's fingers curled tighter against her band.
"Is my brother, Chae Kangwoo, safe somewhere?"