"Lee Jeno" Mino's voice echoes as almost everyone held their breath "Is it just me or does he look familiar?" he turns to s.

"Now that you've mentioned it, he does look like someone" Seunghoon squints.

"Right? Who is this kid noona?" Mino asks the lady boss whom was silent the whole time.

"Hmm?" Sunmi hums nonchalantly as she spared a glance at the leader of NCT whom looks at her hopefully. She then smirks before looking at the new boy. Jeno was standing tall but Sunmi could tell he was scared out of his wits.

"I have never seen him my life" she answers coolly while sipping her own drink.

Taeyong sighs inwardly. She kept her word as promised.

"Huh? Okay then. It's obvious he's underage. I mean look at him. He's practically still a baby" Mino cackles.

"I'm 17 and a junior in SM High" Jeno declares boldly.

"He's dead" Johnny muttered under his breath but was nudged in the rib by Yuta.

"SM high" Mino repeated with wonder "Ahh I see he's your hoobae. What's this? A new recruitment perhaps?" he beams.

"No. It's nothing like that. He's just a dear hoobae of mine" Taeil interjects "You see, Jeno is one of my class presidents in his grade. And I brought him here as a treat"

Taeyong looks at the elder, suprised at his lie.

"And it's actually time for him to go home so I should take him back now" Taeil stands. 

"A-ah" Mino tsks making the latter to pause "Not so fast. I believe he has a few words to say to me don't you squirt?" he smirks facing the younger. 

Jeno blinks before turning to the side to see both Taeyong and Taeil shaking their heads subtly telling him no. But as Jeno faced back in front and locks eyes with his noona he grits his jaw. Jennie looks frightened but he didn't know that she was actually frightened for his safety more than of her own.

Holding his head up high, Jeno takes a step forward and starts walking to the other side of the dance floor. Yuta and Johnny was about to follow, when Mino raised a hand warning them to not move. Both boys turned to their leader whom was gritting his jaw hard. And could only watch as the junior stands in front of the YG clan.

"What was that you said earlier kid?" Mino simpered with glee. 

Jeno fidgets slightly before curling his fingers in fists by his side. 

"I-I said" he gulps "Don't touch her" he glares. 

Mino stares in surprise before bursting into loud obnoxious laughter and soon joined by the whole clan of boys. Even Sunmi was hiding her chuckle behind her hand. 

"Man, do you see those eyes? I'm getting chills" Mino guffaws wiping a stray tear "Hyung, do you have anything on him?" he turns to the eldest among them. 

"Almost. I just need...a picture.." Jinwoo states as he snaps a photo of the younger with his iPad.

Jeno blinks at the flash and shakes his head from the temporary blindness. When he lifts his head up he sees his noona looking at him with so much concern that he wanted to hold her hand and tell her that it's okay. He's okay.

Then all of a sudden, a phone ringing could be heard throughout the club.

"Eonnie" Rambo calls as she holds out a phone in her hand. 

With an arch eyebrow, she accepts the phone and waits for the other end to start talking. Listening, her eyes snap towards NCT before glancing to the boy in the middle. Without a word,  she passes the phone back to Lisa and stands up from the couch. 

"Excuse me boys. I'll be right back" she smiles before sauntering off towards her office with Rambo in tow.

The boys merely nods as she walks past them. Taeyong took the chance to whisper to Taeil and inform him of the next move. With a nod, Taeil stands up immediately catching the other groups' attention.

"Excuse me. I need to use the restroom" Taeil excuses himself and disappears to the back where the restrooms are. 

All eyes were on the latter before Jiwoo gave a cheer saying that the results are finally in. 

"Here let me see" Mino orders accepting the iPad in his hand. 

The male starts scrolling as he reads Jeno's profile out loud. 

"Lee Jeno. Son of Lee Jae Yong and Shin Ye Jin. Both are chefs?" Mino perks raising an eyebrow to the younger.

Jeno blinks. That's not true. Both his parents are renowned inventors. That's why they always fly to Japan so much. The company that owns them is there. 

"An only child. No siblings. Interesting. Aand a class president for 3 consecutive years" Mino kept reading, thoroughly impressed "Also the star center of the SM high junior soccer team. Not bad"

Mino lifts his head from looking at the iPad in his hands and looks in front only to catch Jeno looking at his girl. Raising an eyebrow, he turns to Jennie who immediately turns away from the younger and looked at the direction of Beauty and Princess instead. He turned back to look at the junior in front of him and the latter is still staring longingly at Gucci. Amused, he pulled Jennie closer by the waist and started sniffing her hair. 

Eyes wide Jeno could only stare as Jennie shuts her eyes in disgusts not fighting back. Mino stops and turns smirking tauntingly at the younger.

"She's really pretty isn't she?" he taunts.

Jeno could only glare as he squeezes his fists hard, absolutely furious. Mino's grin grew wider at the younger's reaction. As Jeno was about to make a move, he was immediately held back by none other than Taeyong. Jeno blinks at the tall sunbae. Taeyong glares at the younger one more time before turning to face the front.

"I think that should be enough. It's getting late. We should get him home" Taeyong strictly state.

Mino raised an eyebrow and smirks "My, my, Taeyong ssi. You were never this protective when I called out to your new recruits before" he says as he sits up straight and pushes Gucci off his lap to get a better view.

Jeno watches as his noona was pushed away and was about to leave for her girls when she was blocked by the iKON boys. Jennie glared at both Yuhyeong and Junhoe towering over her. Without a choice she turned back to face in front and locked eyes with the younger once more.

"He's not joining NCT. Jeno is just a dear hoobae of us. Nothing else" Taeyong firmly says.

"Then I still see no reason why we can't get to know him better. Right boys?" he asks earning cheers of agreements from the boys behind him.

"That won't be necessary. Rest assured you'll never see him again" Taeyong claims before grabbing Jeno and passed him to Johnny to head back to their side.

Then Taeil came back and signaled his leader discreetly. Nodding, Taeyong announces that they're leaving. As NCT started moving and heads for the exit, Jeno tries to look over his shoulder to see his noona when all of a sudden gunshots could be heard and every one froze.

"I guess the seniority has finally gotten to your head dear Taeyong ssi" Mino sang menacingly as he drops his hand from pointing the ceiling to his side, still holding onto his pistol.

Jeno's eyes widen. It was the second time he's seen a gun in real life. The last time he saw one was his Donghae hyung's and it was at the station where he would hang out sometimes after school. But it was his first time hearing one being shot. And that made him tremble slightly.

"Get behind us" Yuta orders before all of NCT surrounded the junior protectively.

"You're breaking the rules mister" Taeyong smirks