No POV

Dreamies leave the next morning with Jieun tailing them. They walk farther and farther to a more and more isolated place entering a large high class building. The building read: Neo Culture Technology.

"What the ?" Jieun whispers to herself. She enter through the front door and walk towards the receptionist desk.

"Who are you looking for?" The lady ask.

"Uh." She hesitate. "P-Park Jisung."

"The newbie?" The receptionist said. "They're in a meeting with the boss right now so if you can retu-"

"What floor?" Jieun cut her off.

"Like, I said, they're in a mee-"

"Listen Hana-ssi." Jieun said, reading the name tag, her aura turning ice cold. "For three months now my boys have come home injured. I'm not in a good mood right now. Do you want me to kill you in your sleep?" Chills run down Hana's back. Jieun smiles, her bright personality back in place. "Please, just tell me which floor they're on."

"T-top floor. Top floor. Door to the left." She stutters out.

"Thank you." Jieun said walking over to the elevator. She presses for the top floor. As soon as the doors open, she heads to the meeting room onto her left as told.

Man POV

In the middle of the meeting, the door slams open.

"Dreamies!" A lady shouts. "Home. Now."

My eyes flicker to Dream. They all cower in her presence. I raise my brow in amusement.

"Home. Now." She repeats. Dream all nudge each other urging the other to leave. The six stands up and walk towards her.

"Hold on." Taeyong hyung speaks out making Dream stop in their tracks. "We're in the middle of a meeting."

"Do I look like I care?" She said. I whistle at her bravery. "Let's go." She said leading the Dreamers out.

"We're just gonna let them go?" Jungwoo asks.

"Was that their guardian?" Ten asks.

"Most likely." Doyoung relies.

". What do we do now?" Yuta asks.

"What's wrong, Mark?" Taeyong questions.

"I think know her?" Mark answers unsure of himself. "I feel like I've seen her before? Somewhere? I don't recall."

Jieun POV

"You guys skipped school for this?" I lecture the boys at home. "That company? Really?"

"It's a good company." Renjun said.

"A company that sacrifices your safety?"

"The hyungs care about us a lot." Chenle said.

"You think I don't?" I shout. "Don't work there. Can't you guys work with a normal job."

"That company is norm-"

"The mafia is not normal!" I cut Jeno off. "What the hell are you guys thinking affiliating yourself with the mafia?!"

"Wha-" Shock fill their faces. "How?"

"You guys should not work with them anymore." 
Without a word, Jisung runs upstairs and the others follow. I sit on the couch and let out a sigh. I shake my head and prepare food for the boys.

"Dreamies." I call out to them when I am done. "Dinner is ready." Silence. "Dreamies?" I walk upstairs and knock on their door. "Dreamies?" I call out once more. I open their door and the room was empty with their window open, the curtain fluttering from the wind. "."

Man POV

The boys run up to us at our meeting spot. "We're here." They huff out. We hand them ear pieces and weapons. We all ready ourself for the mission.

After we successfully finish the mission, we all went to our hide out. WinWin helps patch up anyone who got injured during the mission.

"Are you guys hungry?" Taeyong asks us.

"Yes." Everyone nod. Taeyong reheats the food in the fridge. We all start to dig in and see Dream eating as fast as they could.

"Slow down or you'll get indigestion." Jaehyun warns.

"Can't. We have to get home soon." Jisung said.

"Mm, especially since Jieun noona knows we are affiliated with the mafia. Well, you guys."

"What?" Taeyong said making the room fall silent. The other Dreamies attack Chenle for his loose mouth. "She knows? Does she know anything about us?"

Dream all look at each other then shrug. "We don't know. Honest." Renjun assures us.

"This is honestly the first time the word 'mafia' came out of Jieun noona's mouth." Haechan said.

"We're done. We have to get back before Jieun noona kills us. Bye." The boys rush out the door.

Jieun POV

The boys slowly creep through the window, one by one. I flicker the light on and they all fall down in shock from being caught.

"Dinner is cold." I said.

"Noona-"

"I can't believe you guys snuck out."

"I can explain." Jaemin said.

"No need to explain. You are affiliated with the mafia. There's only so much you can do. I can figure out which one it is." They all look down in shame. "More injuries, I see. Is this your hyung's way of caring for you? By putting you in danger?"

"You don't understand." Renjun said.

I scoff. "Please enlighten me."

"They take care of us." Jeno starts.

"They buy us food." Chenle comments.

"They give us shelter." Renjun adds.

"They treat us very well." Haechan nods.

"They talk to us. They comfort us. They console us. Sometimes they even spoil us." Jisung said.

"I guess I don't do that for you."

"You do noona, it's just-"

"Go to sleep." I cut Jisung off. "You have school tomorrow. Please don't skip again."

Jisung POV

We all tuck ourselves in bed after Jieun noona left.

"She's gonna cry." Renjun whispers in the dark.

"We should go to class tomorrow."

"I agree with Jeno." Jaemin said.

"The hyungs need us."

Haechan sighs. "Jisung, they also want us to graduate."

"We should listen to Jieun noona. After all, she's taking care of all of us. Plus, she's our legal guardian. She's the boss." Chenle said.

"Yeah. The hyungs also told us to stay in school too." Jeno adds.

"...Fine."

*************************************************

Just like Jieun noona and the hyungs wanted, we attended school for the whole day. After school, we rush to the company as fast as we can.

"Hyung, we're here." Haechan announces our presence.

"Have a seat." Taeyong hyung said. We all sit down with them. We talk about territory expansion, people to keep an eye out for and some business deals that will happen. Halfway through strategy planning, the door bursts open.

"I'm here to take my boys home." Jieun noona spoke up.

The six of us let out a sigh grabbing our school bags. We give the hyungs apologetic looks trudging out the door.

"Can you not come and interrupt the meetings?" I ask in the car.

"Can you quit the mafia?"

"No!"

"Then no."

"Noona!" I yell. "They are more than 'mafia' members to us. They're family!"

"Am I not your family?!" Jieun shouts back at me, parking the car in front of the house. "From what I remember, you and I share parents. Also, I raised the six of you for eight years! Am I not family?!"

"They raised us too!" I exclaim getting out of the car. "They fed us and clothed us."

"How long? How long were they taking care of you?! Do you know that they are threatening your safety?!"

"You don't understand!" I scream entering the house and running up to the bedroom.

"Yah!" Jaemin runs up to me. "Why did you yell at Jieun noona like that?"

"She's just worried for you. For us." Jeno adds.

"She worked really hard to support us these past eight years. And she's still working hard." Renjun states.

"You should respect her for that." Chenle said.

"I do. I just don't want her all up in our business. If she keeps showing up at the company, she will be the one in danger."

"That's true." Haechan nods agreeing with me.

Areum POV

Jieun is sitting at a corner table looking out the window and she lets out an irritated sigh.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

"Dreamies are involved with the mafia."

I gasp with wide eyes. "No way. Not them."

"I know. I wish it wasn't true either."

"We need to get them out."

"They don't want to. They won't listen to me."

"Who are they affiliated with?" I ask. Cling. Cling.

Jieun and I turn towards the door. "Them." Four men dressed in black walks in. The first one I notice has bright red hair and sharp features. We make eye contact before he breaks it turning to look at Jieun. The second male is tall with red hair that isn't quite as bright at the first male. The third one is also a tall male and has brown hair with a smile on his face. The last one has honey blonde hair with his eyes furrowed.

(A/n: honey blonde. Is that even a color? 😂 meh. I at describing.)

"Park Jieun." The bright red head said.

"What." Jieun deadpan. They both stare each other down.

"Jieun." I interject handing her two coffee holders. "Why don't you deliver this, yeah?"

"Mm." She nods and walks out with the bright red head following her.

"Oh-" the other three males block me.

"Sorry baby girl. Taeyong hyung needs to talk to your friend." The brown haired male said. "My name is Lucas. What's your name, beautiful?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Areum." I nod and look out the window over their shoulders. I hope everything will be alright.

Jieun POV

"Look, Jieun-ssi." He was the first one to speak up while we walk towards the destination. "My name is Lee Taeyong. About the boys, can you refrain from picking them up all the time from the company?"

"Can you refrain from including my boys in your mission and prevent them from anymore injuries?"

"That's not really my choice. They volunteer most of the time. They said they need money."

"And you just let them help you? Really?!" I shout. "You're a really crappy leader, you know that? How can you put my Dreamy babies in danger?!" His eyes widen in shock.

"Dream are our babies too. They're the youngest of the bunch and we're attached to them too. We love them too. But they want to help us. What can we do?"

"How about saying no?! They don't need the money. I'm supporting them!"

"Dream wants to support you too. That's what they told me, told NCT, before they joined. They just wanted money to support their noona that they love."

"What kind of idiot names the company after their own mafia group? You are literally putting Dreamies in danger. Honestly, I don't want this for them." I said. "I don't want them to stray off the wrong path."

"How do you know this is the wrong path?"

I open my mouth to reply but got interrupted.

"Jieun noona." I turn to the source of the voice. He eyes Taeyong. "Well, if is isn't Taeyong."

Taeyong scoffs. "Woozi."

"Woozi-ah. I brought the coffee you guys ordered." I gave the coffee holders to him. "You guys only order eight? I'm surprised."

"The other five aren't here today. You two know each other, noona?"

"No, I don't know him personally."

"I see." Woozi said. "Well, sorry we have you ladies deliver it all the time. We don't know where your coffee shop is.

"It's fine. My coffee shop is hard to find."

"Anyways, thanks for the coffee." Woozi said and enter his company.

"You know them?!" Taeyong growls. "How?"

"Seungcheol is a friend from college. We studied IT together. Though he dropped IT and pursued business instead."

"They are-"

"Don't speak so loud." I said making my way back to the cafe.

"They are our enemies." Taeyong hiss at me.

"I know."

Taeyong stops in his tracks. "You...know?" His eyes widen in shock as if realization just hit him. "I bet you told their group all about us. You're a traitor." He runs off.

"How am I a traitor when I'm not on your side?" I mumble to myself with a roll of my eyes and continue to head towards the shop. "Weirdo."

"What happened?" Areum asks when I enter the shop.

"What do you mean?"

"They got a phone call from Taeyong and rushed out."

"Who knows?" I shrug sitting down at the usual seat.

"What did you and Taeyong talk about?"

"Obviously about Dreamies." I look out the window. "Woozi came to fetch the coffee and Taeyong wants to know how I know Seventeen."

"Did you tell him the truth?"

"Half of it."

"Half a truth is a whole lie."

"I did tell him the truth, ok? Just not all of it."

"What did you tell him exactly?" Areum asks.

"Seubgcheol and I met in college and had IT classes together but he switched to business."

"Ok, so you didn't tell him that you two dated?"

"They don't need to know that. I broke up with Seungcheol already anyways. It's been five years."

"Why did you break up with him anyways? Plus, what if he's still in love with you?"

"He's not. He can't be."

"You never know. What if he wants to get back together?"

"The answer is no. I can't put Dreamies in danger."

"Being so protective. It's not like we can change the past." Areum shakes her head. "One day, our past is gonna come back and slap us across the face. Really en hard."

"I know that. I'm a bad person after all." I said and we go on about our day.

When I return home, Dreamies were sitting around and playing card games. They're rowdy and playful as usual but something feels off.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing." They shake their head.

I stare down a certain someone making him fidget in his seat. "Chenle."

"The hyungs don't trust you." He said immediately.

There was a knock on the door. Jaemin opens the door and in walks Taeyong with some of their members.

"Let's go boys." Taeyong orders. They run up to their room and came down with suitcases.

"Woah, hold up! You're taking my Dreamy babies away from me?" I ask.

"I'll be blunt. I don't trust you." Taeyong said. "Dream being with you...it's nothing but danger. I will protect them."

"No. No! You're the idiot who named your stupid fake company after your mafia group. You're the one endangering them."

"Let's go."

"You can't take my babies away."

"Let's go." Taeyong repeats. Dreamies leave to put their luggage inside the van and run back towards me for a hug.

"I'm sorry noona." Jisung said. "But I have to go. It's for the best. I love you." The other Dreamies also run over and pull me into a hug.

"We love you." They chorus.

"Dream." Taeyong calls out and they let go of me.

"Bye noona." They wave at me. "We love you!" They shout once more before the van speeds up and disappears into the distance.