Scattered Memories

02.02 Funny Mistake

Finally leaving the room, Luka walked towards the frosted glass door and opened it again. The two, who were still fascinated by the room earlier, also walked to the frosted glass door with excitement shown on their faces as they were anticipating it'll be another interesting room just like the one from earlier.

However, their excitement toned down a bit when they saw someone inside. There, they saw a slightly petite young woman whose back was turned in on them. She's wearing the institution's lab coat and a bouffant cap together with blue hand gloves examining microorganism-like things on a compound microscope.

"Oh, What a surprise to see you here." Luka stated as she moved behind the two interns who were just standing near the frosted glass door again.

The young woman whom they saw inside inspecting microorganisms turned around and looked up to them with a displeased mood visible on her face. Although she's wearing a face mask, they could still see her golden sunrise-like seething eyes.

"What. Did you think I'll just be holed up in my own lab? Seriously, all people here in the institute's so stupid except…" The young woman replied as her tone of voice gradually lowered down and it became hard to comprehend what she's saying now.

The two interns who were with them stayed silent and the excitement that they're feeling earlier turned into a fretting one real quick when they saw the young woman's eyes looking at them.

Luka laughed at her reaction and said,

"Fine, okay. No need to be so mean, geez.."

The young woman looked at Luka and rolled her eyes at her. She then looked at the two again with her eyes as though she was judging them.

That made the two feel sheepish and lowered their heads a bit trying to avoid the young woman's judging eyes.

Luka then noticed that the two were being uncomfortable from her gaze, thus she decided to introduce the two to the young woman so the tension could lower down a bit.

"Ah, here's the two interns we'll be having. This is Hugo Scintilla and Psyche Reinherz." As Luka's introducing the two, the young woman started to remove her bouffant cap first, then her face mask and her hand gloves fully revealing her features.

"And this young woman here's one of the nine scientists in our institution, Quincy Sokolov." Luka gestured her hand pointing to Quincy.

Hugo raised his head facing the young woman now. She's still looking at them with her criticizing eyes and now with her arms crossed in front of her chest, still observing them. Psyche also lifted her head up now, also looking at Quincy.

Wow, she has a Regina George vibe around her.

Now that the hindrance that was covering her face was removed, the two had a full view of her points.

Her long eyelashes impeccably matched with her fuming golden sunrise optics and fawn eyebrows. She also had a small face, proportioned to her small height and petite figure. Her meandering glazed ginger curls foamed luxuriously on her back and arms covering the upper part of her body. There were loose bangs all over her forehead and face though it didn't hindrances her eyesight. Her white with black dapples dress, silvery flat mary jane and porcelain skin undeniably made her look like a living doll.

She could be an angel, if it weren't for her attitude.

"Hmm.. So these are the two.." Quincy said, halting her talk while still judging the two.

"Looks like pieces of trash are here to make a mess." She continued her talk earlier. Consequently after saying that, she started storing back the things she used and put the microorganisms in a freezer at the very end of the room.

On the other hand, flabbergasted by what Quincy said, Hugo and Psyche were just standing there, stunned by what their senior said at the front together with Luka who's slightly bent and trying hard not letting a laugh escape her lips by covering her mouth with her right hand and her other hand on her belly .

Moments later, Quincy was done cleaning the things she used and looked at the three of them who were still standing near the glass door.

"What are you three still standing there like statues? You're gonna tour this place, right? Then get your asses moving!" Quincy exclaimed while rolling her eyes out of irritation.

Psyche bit her lower lip, lowering her head as she thought of what to do in this situation, again. Why are all the people here in the institution so scary? Are all of them like this? If it's like that then I just wanna go home..! Psyche's shedding tears in her mind and thoughts start to seep out of her.

"God, why the hell did I even throw myself in this crappy institution. Researching things isn't even my thing." Quincy added again, as she styled her hair and applied a light makeup on her face preparing to leave.

"My business is done here. I'm out." Quincy said and stormed out of the room.

Few moments after Quincy left the room, a burst of laughter was heard all over the room. It was Luka's. The laugh she was trying hard to stop finally escaped her lips.

Hugo and Psyche looked at their senior with a dumbfounded look, they didn't know what was funny about the whole encounter with their other senior, Quincy Sokolov.

Luka was still laughing– even holding her belly as if it was the funniest scenario in her whole existence. Eventually, she calmed down but was still giggling and wiping her tears caused by laughing too hard.

"Help yourselves.. just.. don't break.. anything, alright?" She was stuttering as she looked at the two interns who were staring at her embarrassingly. Yet Luka didn't mind, for all she thought about in that moment was how hilarious Quincy's reaction every time she opened her mouth and spouted s**t about everybody.

And as if on cue, the two snapped gazing at their senior and helped themselves in the laboratory. The laboratory was huge. Approximately about two large rooms combined. Cabinteries were full of lab equipment and books, right and left. There was even a freezer room inside the lab, where they store psychrophiles and other chemical liquids that can only be used if they're stored in low temperature areas. And most of all, there's the monogram of the institution. It was a massive one, located at the very end of the room. near the freezer room.

The two youth couldn't help but ask questions again, as they were fascinated by how massive, and well-equipped the institution is given that this is the smallest division out of the three. And Luka, as their senior who's responsible for them, answered it with joy.

"Ms. Goverteas, did you.. take your degree at our University?" Hugo asked, out of the blue while looking at the books on the shelves. He then looked at their senior, waiting for it to answer his question. Psyche looked at Hugo after he heard what he just asked, and then looked at Luka with curiosity now brimming on her.

His deep oceanic orb stared at her emerald green with anticipation and idiosyncrasy, Without flicking their eyes, both didn't let go of each other's gaze. It was as if they're having an unannounced contest. Luka kept her genuine smile and without breaking their mutual contact, she answered,

"No. No I did not." It was firm, and was full of confidence like what you'll hear in a persuasive speech.

Hugo, still looking at their senior, first broke their eye contact and laughed it off as if nothing happened, "Oh, okay. I'm sorry if it's out of the blue."

"It's fine, Hugo. Now that you mentioned it, I kinda miss my old school." Luka said, while stretching her arms high up, it looks like she's tired answering her juniors' questions––or not exactly, her meeting Hugo's gaze made her feel tired as if she was being drowned by his oceanic eyes, either way is it, she just felt exhausted and the day isn't even done yet.

Psyche didn't know what happened to the both of them after what happened. But it didn't matter as she was suddenly interested in where her senior went and got her degree.

"Oh, then what univer–" Psyche's question was interrupted by Luka suddenly speaking.

"Look at the time, it seems we'll have to cut our first half of our tour here. You two, wanna join me to eat at the cafeteria? That's also part of the tour, I guess, since it's inside the institution." She was looking at the clock located at the top of the frosted glass and didn't notice Psyche's question.

"Hm? So, you two wanna join me?" She asked once again.

Hugo gladly accepted her senior's invitation and so was Psyche. Though she was a bit dejected about her unnoticed question, she just disregarded it and went together with them freely.

On their way to the cafeteria, Hugo and Psyche talked about their school, things they wanted to do in the facility and other random things, well it was mostly just Psyche talking and Hugo laughing together with Luka who was blissfully listening to her juniors' absurd stories.

The three of them were now finally at the front of the institution's cafeteria, however their lighthearted conversation turned into a surprise real quick when the two saw their senior who filled them up earlier in the orientation, laughing, and talking to someone with such joy visible in his face. His hair was a bit different to the other one, but their features were exactly the same. From eyes to beauty marks, it was placed accurately.

The man who had the same face as the fellow earlier at the orientation noticed the three of them and waved with a big smile on his face. Luka also waved at him and the one he is with. She then walked straight up to their seats and started having small talk with them.

The two were still baffled by what they saw, nevertheless they followed their senior when they saw her gesturing to come where she was.

Ah! Maybe he changed his attitude because he was guilty for being mean to us earlier? But wait, it can't be.. No, that's just weird. Yeah, maybe he changed his attitude towards us because he was mean earlier!

Psyche, who thought that it's the same senior, lightened up and quickly picked up her pace.

When the two finally reached their seniors' seats, Luka wrapped her arms on Hugo's and Psyche's shoulders as she introduced them once again.

"You know the two of them already, right? The newbies."

The one seated beside the young man who looks like their senior at the orientation earlier spoke, "Yeah we know. But they don't know us."

"That's why I'm introducing them to you two. Anyways, the young man on my right is Hugo Scintilla, and on my left, Psyche Reinherz… They're from NC University."

The two seated seniors were silenced upon hearing what university they came from. They made the same reaction like Luka before, however their expression was quite pleasant than Luka's.

"Please guide us, seniors." Despite the reaction they showed, the two didn't forget to pay respect to their seniors and even bowed their heads.

Psyche didn't expect that Luka would mention their university after what happened. She was sighing heavily multiple times in her head, Once again. What the hell's wrong if we're from NC University? Is there some kind of bad blood between them? But our professor recommended us exclusively to this institution! Or that's what he said…

"Ahh, is that so? Well, you should get your meal first then you can sit and talk with us." The young man who was with them earlier that changed his attitude spoke and gave them a candid smile.

Luka removed her arms around their shoulder and exclaimed, "Yes!! Oh God I forgot about our lunch. Come, let's get our meals first and then have a little chat with them before we continue our tour again."

Hugo and Psyche bowed once again and immediately followed Luka to the counter to order food.

"Did you hear? They're from NC University…"

"Dimwit, of course I heard. What's the use of these little things attached at the side of my head then? But yeah, wow… I bet they don't know any of it."

"Uh-huh. They looked so clueless when I saw them earlier at the lobby."

After ordering and getting their meal at the counter, they got back where their two seniors were. Before they could even put their trays at the table, the young man who was with them at the orientation spoke and started to have conversations with them. Psyche's facing the person who was beside the young man who was with them in the orientation. And now that she looked at her closely, Uwah, what a tense aura she has around.

The young fellow who's facing Psyche felt that the newbie was staring at them. They catched Psyche's gaze, making the latter return her eyes back to her food and jumped into the others' conversation.

Well, sh*t that's embarrassing. But man, her face… Feels like I witnessed a gorgeous demon ascending from hell.

Meanwhile the corner of the young fellow's lip slowly rose up when she saw how Psyche reacted when she suddenly met her gaze.

Psyche wanted to look one more time at the young fellow but was reluctant by what happened earlier. Though she thought of one way to look at her again, this time, it's not as embarrassing as before. Psyche's eyes were still looking at the others, but her focus and attention was surely not in their conversations nor to them. Her attention's still at the person sitting in front of her. Although she isn't looking directly at her, she can still see her fully from her peripheral vision.

Her onyx tousled pixie hair was tied up in a high tail, swaying together with her gracefully as she moved. An obvious color of metal gray was present on some parts of her body—from the strands down to her clothes and face. It's as if she didn't care about her appeal to people.

Psyche was still staring at her—well, secretly staring, until she heard the young man who was with them at the orientation talk about the 'history' of the institution.

"Kinda obvious that this facility's kinda old right? You can see quite clearly even from the lobby. Well, that's because it really is. It's the first facility of the AR Institution. It started as an independent institution—until now, but time passed and they started building the first and second divisions and gradually forgot about this facility. It was closed for a few years 'till the institution's acting-supervisor opened it once again, he said he doesn't want the facility to turn into something nature would devour in time."

Filled with curiosity and mysteries, Psyche started listening eagerly to the young man as he continued to talk about the institution and deliberately shifted her attention from the person who's in front of her to the young man who's now talking.

"We started as five scientists, including the acting-supervisor. It was fun. We always do experiments and inventions day and night without having the government order us what to do. Everyday was full of freedom.

And by time, we sometimes accept the public or the government's offers if it's fun to do. Also, we were having one intern per year. Not until things happened.. But that's in the past now, it's already fine."

Tsk. Psyche was kinda dismayed as the young man didn't talk about what happened a few years ago. However that disappointment turned into inquisitiveness.

"But why are you only telling us that now? Not at the orientation earlier?"

Flabbergasted by what she asked, the young man stopped his talk and looked at Psyche with an astonished look on his face. The same goes to Luka, and the person sitting beside him. Hugo snickered, stopping himself from laughing as he began to understand what's happening.

"What?" The young man asked.

"What?" Psyche returned the question asked.

Seconds passed by, and a sudden strike of realization came onto them like lightning, except for Psyche who was still waiting for an answer.

The young man then bursted out laughing and even clapping his hands in amusement. Luka's also now laughing adorably and the person who was in front of her, is also laughing uncontrollably. Their laughter filled the whole cafeteria. It's as if they already heard the funniest joke they could in this lifetime.

Psyche's now baffled by the sudden laughter she received as an answer. She looked at Hugo for an answer but was just staring at her, quietly laughing. She then looked at Luka, hoping to have an answer to her question, but all she saw was her, being busy laughing together with her two seniors. Her thoughts were in a knot and were dispersed all over the place. Did I miss something? Is there something wrong with my question? What? I just asked why he didn't tell us earlier at the orientation..

"What the f*ck are you babbling there, Ms. Reinherz?"

A familiar voice was heard in the middle of their laughter. Psyche's eyes widened and her face started to heat up. Surprised by what she just saw. She then placed her hand on her lips covering it that turned into an 'O'.

Tearing up, the young man spoke once again, this time he stood by the familiar voice Psyche heard and wrapped his arms around his shoulder,

"We're twins."