CHAPTER 09

INTRODUCING

[M] [TW]

A press conference was scheduled to take place the following day, and Taeyong was beyond nervous. Jaehyun guaranteed him that he was not obligated to answer any question. He was going to sit there and allow the media to take photos of him. The thought terrified Taeyong. He was not used to this kind of attention, but Jaehyun's assurance lessened the nervousness but not quite.

It was about lunchtime when the intercom in Jaehyun's office rang. Someone named Winwin was downstairs looking for his brothers. It was Saturday, so Haechan was in the office, and Winwin just stayed at home.

Taeyong, who was in the office waiting for his boss to finish his paperwork, stood and was about to excuse himself when Jaehyun told him that Winwin was being escorted to the office. Haechan was also called to come to the office. 

When Winwin entered, looking for his brothers, his eyes roamed, and he saw Jaehyun. He gave his greetings. He smiled when he spotted Taeyong and Haechan on the sofa.

"What brings you here, Mr. Lee?" Jaehyun asked.

Winwin bowed and looked at his brother, "I just want to give this to my brothers," he said while passing the said container containing lunch to Haechan.

"Hyung, you cooked for us?" 

"Ah…" Winwin scratched his nape and smiled. "I don't have anything to do, so I decided to cook."

"Thank you, Winwin." Taeyong gave him a grateful smile. It was the first time Winwin made an effort. It was probably to make it up to the lost times he spent moping with non-sense rebellion.

Winwin nodded and immediately said goodbye. It was unusual for him to be sent directly to the CEO's office to give his brothers lunch. He went out of the office only to bumped into a man on his way to the elevator.

The visitor almost face-planted on the cold floor, but strong arms instantly prevented his fall. Their eyes met, and Winwin fought the urge to cringe. The scene was too cringe-worthy for him to swallow, not to mention the big creepy smile on the man's face in front of him. The smile was too big. Winwin thought it could split the man's face in half. Good thing the guy had beautiful teeth.

"And who is this fine specimen here?" The man started, and Winwin rolled his eyes, almost.

"Ah… I'm sorry. I did not see you coming. I have to go." Winwin tried to get away from the creepy man in front of him. Keyword: tried.

Already captured by Winwin's charm, without the latter even aware of it, the man offered his hand to him and waited for the reluctant Winwin to take it before he introduced himself. 

"I'm Nakamoto Yuta, the Finance Head of the NCT Corporation. What a pleasant surprise to see someone as pretty as you here."

Again, Winwin did everything he could to stop his fist from landing straight to this Yuta's face. Reminding himself that the man in front of him was one of his brothers' bosses, he held himself and gave Yuta a forced smile to force so the finance head can get the message. "It's nice to meet you. I should go," he said and retracted his handfast as if Yuta has a contagious disease. 

"But you haven't told me your name yet." Yuta tried to grab his wrist, but Winwin is faster than him, and the younger bolted into about to close the elevator. He reminded himself not to deliver lunch to his brothers again. He was going to leave it at the reception.

Winwin thought that it was the first and the last time he will see the creepy guy, but he just met Nakamoto Yuta, the man who didn't give up that easily and Winwin just caught his eyes.

***

Hundreds of reports gathered at the entrance of the NCT tower. It was the day of the press conference. Despite it being announced, only a certain number of reporters were given passes to enter. Many of them were left, which resulted in security guards trying their best to block all entrances to the tower.

The press conference was being held at the auditorium of the said tower. Armed with massive cameras and microphones with the name of the company they represent, the reporters waited for the main man. Their cameras were ready to capture every detail of Mystic Man and made sure nothing would be left undocumented. There was a 10 feet distance between the reporters and the stage, where tables and chairs for three were neatly arranged. The event would last for 30 minutes, so everyone in that room readied their questions and hoping that their name will be called. Jaehyun wanted it to be that way.

Five minutes later, right on time, the vice president of NCT Corp., Seo Johnny, entered the auditorium, followed by the CEO, Jung Jaehyun. The reporters were still calm when the two men entered. Still, when they noticed that Mystic Man was behind the CEO in his famous black hoodie, an apocalypse happened in that room.

Camerapersons stepped in front of the three men and captured every angle of their subject, Mystic Man. Five security guards immediately circled the men, making an impenetrable human wall. As if it isn't enough, Jaehyun put his arm around Taeyong's shoulder and gently guided his head to his chest. The gesture protected him from the harsh flashes of the cameras and hands from nowhere wanting to touch him. 

That moment, Jaehyun was tempted to stop the press conference and bring the shivering guy in his chest back to the safety of his office. If it weren't for Johnny's strong-arm backing him up, he would have turned away. To hell with the reporters, Taeyong was not a celebrity they can feast on.

The three men finally made it to the stage, and everyone inside that room calmed down. Taeyong sat in the middle of his two bosses, Jaehyun to his left and Johnny. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was fuming on the inside. It was the first time something like it happen to the company, and they knew that the reporters in front of them are not even interested in the game. They were there because Taeyong became sensational. After all, his appearance is extraordinary. No one was ready for it.

Taeyong, on the other hand, was shaking. His hands became clammy and cold, that he tugged to his hoodie to bent his nervousness. He was used to people taking his pictures but not in this setting. He could almost see the cameras as bazookas ready to fire at him. Jaehyun and Johnny oriented him, so his face remained calm even if he was aching to run out from the room on the inside. As expected, gasps were heard when the reporters saw him and proved that he was honest and not a product of a wild imagination that came to life graphically. Like his character in the game, Against the Gods, his power was to beat his opponent by paralyzing them with his luminous eyes and mystical face. Everyone in that room except for the few that have seen him before stopped moving and just took their time staring at him. How Johnny and Jaehyun wished that Mystic Man was real at that moment.

Taeyong, not used to the attention, looked down so the hoodie can cover his face. The curse was lifted the moment he did it, and questions began firing at them. He was surprised when Jaehyun's right hand managed to find his clammy one under the table while answering one of the reporters' questions. Realizing he needed the support, Taeyong didn't refuse and held it tightly, soft squeezes calming him down.

To the reports' dismays, every question, even directed to Taeyong, was answered by Johnny and Jaehyun. No personal questions were entertained, and Mystic Man remained nameless to everyone. Jaehyun smirked at his victory. 

The press conference ended with personal questions left unanswered. Jaehyun and Johnny wondered if articles about the games will be released because all the questions thrown at them were about Taeyong's personal life. They left the auditorium the same way as they entered, but this time Jaehyun held his hand and didn't let go.

***

"You did a good job. Those reporters won't disturb you again. I'll make sure of that." Jaehyun said as they arrived at his office, this time, no more holding hands.

"But I didn't do anything at all." Taeyong countered. 

Johnny agreed. "That's the point. You could've answered those questions they purposely threw at you, but you did a great job of just smiling at them." Johnny then looked at Jaehyun with a teasing smile. "And rest assured that our boss here will make sure that they won't disturb you again just like what he said."

Taeyong smiled at them. "Thank you."

"Now, all we have to do now is to choose collectors' items where we will put your face in, as Mystic Man, of course."

Jaehyun nodded and added, "You'll get to choose what items you would like us to release."

Taeyong got excited at the thought and gave them a huge smile this time.

"Ohh…. where are my sunglasses. Are your eyes still in good condition, boss?" Johnny whispered and earned a smack from Jaehyun.

***

Later that night, Johnny laid into his bed, dead tired with all the work he did and the press conference he attended. He moaned the moment his touch the mattress. The softness was giving him the comfort he needed. He was almost ready to succumb to sleep when he heard someone talk.

"I think you should change that mattress tomorrow. I don't like it."

Johnny lifted his head and looked for the source of the voice. With droopy eyes, he smiled when he found his lover leaning at the door with his arms crossed and a visible pout.

"And why is that?" He asked, tiredness visible with his voice.

"It's making you moan!"

Johnny laughed heartily and gestured for his lover to join him on the bed. He extended his left arm so his lover could use it as a pillow. "I didn't know you are very jealous."

Slightly irritated, the smaller guy joined Johnny in bed and used his offered arm as a pillow. The bigger guy then turned his lover's body, chin resting on top of his lover's head as he pulled him into a warm embrace. 

"I should only be the one making you moan."

"And you never fail, every time, Ten."

"You want me to make you moan right now?" Ten excitedly asked and started to kiss Johnny's neck, but he received a chuckle and a tight hug as an answer and stopped him from continuing.

"Let's just sleep tonight." Johnny's answered earned him a frown from Ten, although the big guy doesn't see it.

"Are you rejecting me now, Seo Johnny?" Of course, Ten will be insulted, making his lover cry his name in ecstasy and vice versa was what he lived for since he met the man.

Johnny kissed the top of his head as he hugged him tightly. "My work got the best of me today, and I don't want to give anything but the best, so let's just sleep for tonight, and I promise you once I get my energy back, I will give you what you deserve, my love."

Ten, satisfied with the answer, he heard, smiled, and finally hugged his love back, and soon enough, they both fell asleep.

"You better."

***

"You think you are mighty now that you are working at my brothers' company, huh?" Mark gave the guy on the floor another kick in the gut. "You can brag all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you're still filthy, you !" Mark screamed in anger.

Haechan screeched in pain as he received every blow that came from Mark's rage. He was already on the bathroom floor. His clothes were already dirty and tattered, his face decorated with bruises and blood from cuts. It was almost evening, so students were almost nowhere to be found. Haechan was about to go to the school when he was suddenly pushed into an empty bathroom. The rest was blurry because of the beatings he received.

"I-I didn't tell anyone." Haechan tried to reason out as tears filled his eyes. 

Mark was about to punch one more time when one of his friends named Lucas stopped him.

"Bro, stop it. I think Haechan already got the point. Leave him alone already." Lucas said as he held his friend's fist. 

Fortunately for Haechan, Mark listened and went out of the bathroom and left him crawling on the floor, alone. The perks of having only two friends. Jungwoo and Yeri left early that day because they needed to do something, and the timing was perfect for Mark. 

It took Haechan an hour before he reached his home. He didn't bother to go to NCT because his body did not allow him to, and with his looks, his boss might ask questions, and he didn't want that to happen. He already got weird looks in the subway on his way home. Many gave him worried eyes, but none of them offered to help.

'Like Winwin, Haechan finally accepted that he wouldn't be able to complete his requirements for his scholarship, and the burden of his studies will be carried once again by his brother Taeyong. 

Winwin gasped when he saw the state Haechan was in when he opened their door. Their eldest wasn't home yet, and Winwin had to carry Haechan, whose knees already gave up and fell on the floor. The older couldn't catch him but slump down beside his brother and hugged Haechan for dear life.

"Who did this?" He asked, suppressing his anger so Haechan won't be too scared. 

Haechan didn't answer and just cried in his brother's chest. Both of them were still on the floor when Taeyong arrived and saw Haechan's state.
 

aejae22
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I finally revealed 1 couple, 1 soon to be and new characters. Though I know some of you got it already.
More of them in the coming chapters.
The drama will finally start.