Chapter 15: House of Children.

Still lying flat on his back Doyoung with his mouth agape letting air rush down his lungs and his hand clenching over his chest, where his beating heart ramp against his cage he tries to relax by taking slow breath but when he heard the afternoon bell chiming throughout town he couldn't help but laugh giving him hard time to breathe again. 

he had won the stupid chase that Taeyeon betted them in doing and he won even though he was on the disadvantage side. hearing the frustrated grunts from the younger. Doyoung turns his head to see Jeno angrily punching the ground.

"a little longer I could have won!" he hissed glaring to Doyoung who scuffs at the boy.

getting up Doyoung squeezes the excess water from his shirt and looks down to younger who was dusting off the dirt off his pants but still grumbling over his defeat. Rolling his eyes Doyoung grab Jeno arm tugging him a little “ come on time to go back” he says Jeno scowled before angrily pulling his arm off.

“let go! just because you caught me doesn’t mean my friends are!” Jeno spat to Doyoung as they turn heading back to the starting point.

as they arrived Jeno was shocked to see jaemin and Renjun already there with stamps on their faces. “What! you guys got captured!?” he shouted running up to jaemin who was still partially covered in white powder nodded his head and the smaller boy next to him, Renjun looked away with a guilt look on his face.

“were just that good kid” Jaehyung smiled but notice how wet Doyoung was but before he could ask the latter shook his head muttering a low.“ don’t even ask”. squeezing more water out of his coat. Jeno sighed as he turns back to the nobles waiting.

“we won so are going to take us to her?” Taeyeon spoke as he walks closer to Jeno who huffed and grumpily started leading them away.

 he could easily run away and not hold the end of his deal but he wasn’t like that he was a man of word and he will hold it true which Taeyeon and the others admire for a boy living in the streets.

Jeno along with his friends leads the group to their hideout in the lower areas of the village where the poor usually lives.

the lower areas were very much different from the upper area the contrast was almost too surreal for the young nobles to believe, the buildings were old and broken and some were reusing old scrap of wood to hold and cover holes and pillars and there was trash everywhere but it was the strong scent of sewer was the most distinct. Doyoung was disgusted by the poisonous air but the kids were didn't seem to mind.

“how are you not affected by this stench?” he asked Jaemin who snorts in response “ if you grew up here the smell becomes accustomed to you,” he said as they continue down a narrow path. That had weeds growing out of the stone cracks.

“did all of you grew up here?” Jaehyun asked looking around the sad place where thin women carry babies in their arms.

“not all of us”  Renjun answered he looking up them and pointed to Jeno leading ahead of the group.

“Jeno didn’t grow up here like Jaemin and I he was abandoned here when he was 4 … he doesn’t their names but he knows their faces,” he tells them.

“doesn’t he try looking for them?” Jaehyun asked Renjun shook his head.

 “ well he use to but not anymore he has more priorities” Jaehyun frowned

 “ what priorities?”

“keeping our group of alive” Jaemin answer as he runs ahead with Renjun following after him.  Doyoung and the others followed the children into a clearing where you can see sitting in the middle of tall blades of grass was an abandoned home with broken windows and shutters but in it loud shouting and cheering came and smaller children appeared running out of the house greeting Jeno and the others as they arrived.

“Jeno!” a younger boy shouts as he runs out hugging the other who smiled,

 “ Jisung how are things?” he asked. Jinsung a small young boy smiled. similar to Jeno, Jisung was very malnourished and was very small for a boy his age.

 “ everything alright” he chimed soon the big smile on his face drops when he saw Doyoung and others standing behind them.

“who are they?” he asked Jeno looks back to them scratching his neck awkwardly as he didn't know their names.

“I’m Taeyeon, That’s Doyoung and Jaehyun…were acquaintances with your leader Jeno” Taeyeon spoke stepping forward next to him.

Jeno grimly look at him before turning back to everyone with a big smile 

“any way they're here looking for baby Amy … is she well?” he asked. Jisung staring at Taeyeon before he looks to Jeno nodding. Jeno looks to Taeyeon and the others cueing them to follow him inside.

Jaehyun was appalled by how awful the living condition was inside. food crumbs everywhere and cracks on the floor that looks it could collapse any second and rats peeping out of the holes in the wall.

Jeno leads them up to an old creaking stair where on the second floor of the house more children were staying, one room had mostly toddlers and girls playing in it and another was a room full of beds and cushion where little ones sleep.

“what are all these children doing here?” Jaehyun asked as walk over a makeshift crib where a baby sleeps the little one was very thin and looked very weak which concern jaehyun greatly.

“these are all abandoned babies and kids ” one girl spoke as she walks up to jaehyun just like the rest she wore old dirty clothes that covered in holes and patches. And she was thin and small but looked older due to here dark and sunken complexion

“Jeno found all these kids and brought them here to call home” she added looking to jeno whose attention was on a toddler hugging his leg.

"what really he did?" Doyoung eyes widen amaze by the boy's kindness the girl nodded proudly. 

“so all of you don’t have parents…even this little one?” Jaehyun muttered looking back to the girl who shook her head sadly. His heart ached at such a young age these children should be at school enjoying their lives not suffering like this.

“ when no one took them you took them and made a family of your own” Taeyeon mused walking over to Jeno who look up him and was surprised when the latter hands ruffled his black hair.

“You have heart of gold Jeno not just anyone can do what you did for this children, truly you will be blessed one day" he complimented. Jeno blushed and pushes his hand off his head its been a long time since someone had sincerely complimented him.

“shut up..anyway Kho wheres the Amy?” he asked. the little girl known as Kho turns and points to the last crib of the room. Jaehyun was first to walk over and looks over to see a small chubby baby with pinkish skin sleeping she clearly stands out from the other children in the room.

“she finally asleep?” Jeno whispered as walks over to see. “ yes… but the poor thing cried herself to sleep” Kho frown worried over the baby.

“she been crying?” Doyoung spoke checking the baby making certain she was the same baby in the painting they saw.

“yes..ever since that night” Jeno says looking down like he was hiding something and Taeyeon notice it right away so he grabs the boy attention.

“do you have a room where we can privatel