"Since we've been assigned into the same condo, let's just assume the organization wants us to be together as a group." Thus proposed Miguel. It's not a flawed assumption, Sung thought to himself.

  Yoko tried to sneak back to her room, but her conscience seems to have gotten the better of her, and she sits back down.

  Jones slumped deeper into the sofa.

  The girl, now leaning against the wall, just beat her high score. She fisted the air before starting another new game.

  Miguel looked at Sung, Sung shrugged. He didn't really mind being in a group with them, and even though the walls seem a bit thick between them right now, that's how groups usually start out, Sung reasoned.

  Everyone will eventually get along together.

  Miguel eventually elected himself leader of this group with technically no oppositions - no support either, though.

  Silence ensued.

  "Well if there's nothing left to be done here, I'll be going back. Cya." Yoko finally mustered up the courage to get up and leave the common room, with the girl who was leaning against the wall tailing her. The door slid shut behind them.

  Sung was instantly reminded of the times the boys and girls just separated into their own respective groups at the start of every new semester. With Miguel, Jones and himself left in the room, Sung glanced at Miguel, maybe hoping that this self-appointed leader would think of something to narrow this gap before it becomes too wide to put back together.

  But Miguel just sat there, slouched forward while twiddling his thumbs. Clearly, he too hoped someone else would just fish them out of these still waters. So much for being the de facto captain of this group.

  It's up to Sung now, then. Being the only other adult left in the room (Sung assumed that Jones was probably just a child.), the responsibility of trying to break the ice naturally shifted from Miguel to him.

  "So..." Sung started. All eyes are on him now. "What say we go on a stroll around the compound?"

  "What for?" Asked Jones.

  "Well- no reason in particular." Sung glanced at Miguel again, hoping to see at least some resemblance of wanting to help. Yet again was Miguel fiddling with his hands. "I just thought it'd be nice to go familiarize ourselves with this compound, since we're going to be spending the rest of our days here."

  Jones hesitated for a bit, before reluctantly agreeing. He hopped off the sofa, straightened himself, and walked over to the main door.

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  "You coming Miguel?" Sung hollered over at the doorway.

  "Wha- I- N- Sigh... sure."

  The corridors outside of the doorway were bustling with activity. Housekeepers ran around with their carts filled with bedsheets and detergent and whatnot, late clones rushed by them, weary but ecstatic parties recounted their encounters out there in the battlefields. They stood out like a sore thumb.

  "So... Jones, was it? What brings you here?" Sung tried to go with the atmosphere. Jones just stared back at him. No luck, I guess. Sung shrugged, no point to push further I suppose. Just as Sung was about to change topics though, Jones blurted his answer out, "shit dad."

  "Must've been tough, I know how it's like to live with bad parents." Miguel let out a long sigh. "They drag you down, belittle you, make you feel worthless, until one day you stumble out of their household and, whaddya know, you're worthless." He chuckled painfully. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

  Miguel and Jones turned to stare at Sung in unison.

  "What?" Sung made an attempt to ignore their intense stares, but he eventually caved.

  "You ain't seriously keeping your mouth shut about yourself after asking us about ourselves, are ya?" Miguel taunted, Jones nodded in agreement.

  "I don't remember asking you though." Sung retorted, but seeing how Jones and Miguel aren't letting it go, he had no choice but to comply.

  Not the whole truth though, just to be safe.

  "I lived on the streets, and one day I just had enough. Satisfied?" Miguel definitely wasn't, as he let out an audible "tsk" before backing down. Jones though, continued to stare daggers at Sung.

  "Liar! Liar liar pants on fire~" Jones teased Sung while pulling a face. Kids... Sung sighed. Then again, a little more can't hurt.

  "Alright, I was a researcher, but my partner bailed on me and left with my stuff, so I turned to the streets for 5 years." Sung had hoped that this would quell the kid's curiosity, but it seemed to have the opposite effect instead. Even Miguel was visibly more interested. "I'm not saying anything more." Sung defended himself.

  Their walk was subsequently plagued with Miguel and Jones egging on Sung tor reveal more about himself.

  As the trio walked over to the food stalls (everything you need can be found within the complex), Jones darted off towards the hot dog stand. Sung, being the 30-something year old man he is, thought that he'd pretend to be cool for once and told Jones that food's on him.

  But when he checked his bank balance - 6 cents. He ain't paying for nothing with that amount. Sung sheepishly minimized the bank balance window. A job, he will be needing a job around here.

  "Das ist nicht gut." Said Miguel over his shoulder, in a terrible German accent. "Wouldn'ta promised anything if I were you." Sung thought that there'd be some starting cash thrown into all their accounts, evidently not.

  Once again, the past comes back to bite Sung. Even in a different environment, he is still flat broke. He'd almost forgotten that, just yesterday, he was sleeping under some cardboard, rummaging through dumpsters while scraping pennies together for stamps.

  And what a long day this is. New bedroom, new surroundings, new people to have to bond with, none of which Sung had the spare time to actually take in and process. All he did was to go with the flow, now he's got the dudes together already. Maybe this isn't so bad after all.

  "We can go and enroll ourselves into a field experiment later I guess, but we'll have to get through the lassies first." Right, the lads might've gotten closer right now, but the girls've still locked themselves in their own rooms. That is something they have to solve when they get back to the common room. Nonetheless, Sung sent Yoko a message to notify them.

  But, right now, let's just put it on the back burner and enjoy it a bit.

  Sung watched as Jones burnt his mouth on a hot dog fresh off the grill.

  For the first time in 5 years, he's spending Christmas with someone.