The dizzying sound of Yuta's rapid heartbeat filled his ears, and he could feel blood rushing to his head as he tried his best to calm his nerves down. He was terrified for WinWin. What if those gang scum had committed any irreversible damage to him? What if Yuta and the others arrived too late? Would Yuta be able to live with himself if tonight was WinWin's last night alive? The worrisome thoughts made him even more panicked, and he urged the pilot to fly faster, going on and on about how every second counted and there was absolutely no time to waste when the love of his life faced grave danger.

"We'll make it in time," reassured Johnny, "We're going to save him."

"Besides, worrying about it like this won't do any good," Doyoung pointed out, a dark expression in his emerald green eyes. He smoothed back his jet-black hair with one hand while he chewed his bottom lip. "Let's go over our tactics again."

The fighters talked through their plan one last time before their private jet landed in China. Each of them was geared up with necessary protection and body armor as well as the deadliest and most accurate guns. Jeno readjusted his black leather gloves that were decorated with sharp silver spikes to pack a nasty punch. Every fiber of muscle within Jeno's body burned with the desire to tear those Seventeen members into pieces. He was hyped up for the fight and eager for the bloodshed to begin.

They neared the abandoned warehouse, where WinWin had been taken to by the Seventeen members after he'd met with the Chinese president and some important politicians and together they had discussed what favors they owed NCT. Yuta, Johnny, Doyoung, Ten, Lucas, and Jeno climbed down the rope ladder slung from the private jet. The six of them were now on the rooftop of the building.

"You guys ready?" Johnny asked as they aimed their guns.

"I'm more ready now than I've ever been before," Yuta replied, his facial features twisted with rage. "Let's go in."

They strode down the flight of steps that led off the rooftop and back inside the building, and barged inside without any hesitation, having fought countless battles before this and they had won every time. Johnny was certain that they would taste the sweetness of victory again tonight. The trio kicked down the door on the ninth story, the door to the conference room where the Seventeen guys were holding WinWin hostage. Inside, it was dimly lit, and several chairs had been knocked over to the floor. Seventeen members Joshua, DK, Mingyu, Jun, Minghao, and Vernon were all sitting or standing on top of the long conference table, armed with butcher knives and guns, as they taunted WinWin and aimed right at his head. WinWin was tied up in a bundle of rope, his hands and feet bound tightly, and his mouth was gagged with a piece of black fabric. He had suffered bullets to his right side and left leg. Blood soaked his clothes and pooled onto the floor around him.

The sight made Yuta gasp in horror at what Seventeen had done to his love. Chills slithered down his spine, making goosebumps rise on his arms. "WinWin," he croaked.

"Drop your weapons! Put your hands above your head where I can see them!" Johnny yelled.

The NCT fighters had surrounded the Seventeen fighters, each of them aiming at their heads. Yuta aimed his gun directly at Vernon, who was the closest to WinWin. "Let WinWin go, or we shoot, and Seventeen will only have one fighter left- Wonwoo, who Haechan beat to a pulp. Your gang will be utterly defenseless without fighters and entirely exposed, giving our mafia the perfect opportunity to completely crush Seventeen once and for all."

Joshua scowled. "You don't have the guts to kill all six of us."

"Try me," Yuta threatened in a low voice that shook with fury, "You kidnapped my lover and held him hostage. Nobody messes with my WinWin. I will destroy you, and not only you, I'll hunt down all of your loved ones and ruin them as well if you don't release WinWin right this instant."

The Seventeen fighters immediately dropped their weapons, letting their knives and guns clutter to the hardwood floor in a mess, and they threw their hands up above their heads. Johnny commanded Vernon to untie WinWin, never peeling his eyes off Vernon as he did so, his gun still aiming at Vernon's head. WinWin was finally released from his bindings, but he still couldn't move an inch. Yuta rushed over and swept him up into his arms, kissing both of his cheeks and promising WinWin that everything was going to be okay.

"Go, get him to the jet," Johnny urged Yuta. "We'll be there soon."

Yuta nodded and ran as quickly as he possibly could while carrying WinWin.

Lucas grinned, his shotgun pointed at Minghao. "Six against one, seriously? You cowards must have been really afraid of WinWin if you needed six people just to capture him."

"I find it even more pathetic," added Ten with a smirk on his face, "That Haechan beat up Wonwoo, arguably your best fighter, and sent him to the hospital. Honestly, if your best fighter is that weak, then I seriously doubt the rest of your abilities.”

"And we heard that your mafia made a deal with Stray Kids," said Mingyu. "Have you really become that desperate that you would be willing to take in your enemies and make them one of you?" His dark eyes glinted with disgust and contempt.

"They actually have talent, unlike you lot," Doyoung spit, his voice dripping with venom. "And they're not heartless monsters like you, either. They're willing to cooperate with us and allow our trainers to teach them and sharpen their skills. Who's on your side?"

Minghao gave a dark smile. "BlackPink."

Ten rolled his eyes. "I bet BlackPink isn't tougher than Stray Kids."

 "Speaking of BlackPink, Doyoungie, aren't you friends with Jisoo?" taunted Vernon, running his hands through his blond hair, his vivid green eyes sparkling with curiosity and amusement. "She also was your childhood neighbor, right? Rumor has it she's your ex-girlfriend, but that the two of you ended on good terms and remain friends even now. It's pretty interesting to me how she chose us over your mafia. In fact, she even offered to help me ou-"

"Don't talk about Jisoo," Doyoung growled. "Don't you dare say her name." 

Vernon laughed; it was a hideous, bitter sound that made Lucas flinch. "Ooh, fiesty. Does your boyfriend know that you still care about Jisoo? Oh, wait, rumor also has it that Jungwoo doesn't have a single loyal bone in his body when it comes to romantic relationships. Is that one true too?"

"Shut up!" Lucas roared. "You don't even know our Jungwoo. He's the most caring and fluffiest guy you'll ever meet. Mingyu should know that. Mingyu and Jungwoo grew up in the same foster home and they lived there together until Jungwoo auditioned to become a NCT trainee."

Mingyu turned his head away to the side and avoided their stares. He relived his past for a moment, the memories flooding his mind again and making him feel guilty and weak. 

Jun narrowed his eyes. "You've saved WinWin and accomplished your role of being heroes for the day, so why don't you run along now?"

"You guys are nothing more than the filthiest scum out there," Jeno hissed. "You lack respect for the most powerful mafia in the world. Without us, there would never be any Seventeen. You would just be specks of dust floating in the air. We control everything. We rule Neo City. We founded it. We worked harder than anyone to get to the top, to get to where we are today. Seventeen will always be below NCT. If you don't respect us, you don't live."

Without any warning, Jeno fired at DK, sending him collapsing to the floor while the other Seventeen fighters scrambled to reach their weapons.

Vernon moved impossibly fast and wrapped his hands around Jeno’s throat, squeezing the life out of him. “Why, you little-”

Vernon was cut off by a powerful punch to the face from Jeno’s dangerously spiked glove, and he stumbled backwards, blood welling up from the deep cuts on his face and making him cry out in pain.

“Let’s go!” Doyoung shouted as he tugged on Jeno’s sleeve.

“I’ll finish this bastard right here!” Jeno screamed, tackling Vernon to the floor. His right fist connected with Vernon’s face again and again, the wet smacking sound filling his ears, the smell of blood driving him into a wild frenzy. Doyoung and Johnny finally managed to pull Jeno off Vernon and force him out the door while expertly dodging Seventeen’s spray of bullets.

The NCT fighters continued to sprint in a zigzag formation all the way across the rooftop of the warehouse and swiftly climbed the ladder that was swinging from the private jet and lifted themselves up and inside to safety, while Seventeen had made it to the rooftop and began firing at their jet. But then the jet was moving further away from the warehouse and higher up into the night sky before disappearing entirely behind the smoky clouds.

 

 

WinWin lay on the examination table in the makeshift hospital room that they had built inside the NCT mansion, one hand gripping Yuta's hand tightly, the other clenching around the cold plastic sheet beneath him. His eyes were shut against the blinding overhead lights, and he bit his lip so hard he tasted blood on the tip of his tongue. As much as he tried to contain his pained moans, they kept escaping his mouth, his voice trembling in both pain and fear. Kun was treating his injuries with Renjun glued to his side, eager to do anything to help. They removed the bullet pieces from WinWin’s wounds, stitched up his gaping wounds, and gave him strong painkillers to relieve him of his excruciating pain. Once Kun and Renjun had cleaned and disinfected everything, they kneeled beside WinWin and comforted him.

"Thank you, Kun," WinWin whispered in Chinese, his voice trembling. "Renjun, thank you as well. You two saved my life."

"We're family, Sicheng," Kun responded back in Mandarin. His hand fluttered softly against WinWin's cheek. "And family never gets left behind."

Renjun's eyes filled up with tears. "But please be more careful next time. I get worried sick every time you set off on one of your missions. You're the most badass ninja in the world, but you're still only human, and your wounds prove it, WinWin. I never want to see you hurt like this again."

"Language," warned Kun, but he cracked a faint smile at Renjun's caring words.

The three of them carried on their conservation in Mandarin Chinese, while Yuta remained sitting there in the chair next to the examination table, still holding onto WinWin's cold hand. He did feel a pang of jealousy whenever the other Chinese members conversed with WinWin in their native language, only because he didn't understand much Chinese, and lacked the time to learn more due to their busy schedules. He understood that the Chinese line's friendship was very precious and unbreakable, and he admired it, but a part of him also wished that he understood everything they said to each other. Yuta also felt regretful that he was the only Japanese member in NCT, because he longed to speak to another member in fluent Japanese just as much as he missed Japan and wanted to go back. It had only been a few months since his last visit to Osaka. He and WinWin had gone there together as they had many times before that as well, and it had been a nice, peaceful break, far away from the usual chaos that engulfed the mafia. It was Yuta's honest dream that he and WinWin get married someday in his hometown Osaka, surrounded by all of the other NCT members and any of their living blood relatives.

A pained whimper from WinWin broke Yuta right out of his daydreaming. "What is it, my love? Do you need more medicine?"

"No, I just...I-I just need you." WinWin's eyes were open and gazing at Yuta with love and sadness.

"Oh, of course. You must be exhausted. Shall I carry you to our room?"

WinWin nodded and shyly thanked Kun and Renjun again for saving his life, before Yuta carefully lifted his boyfriend up into his arms. He carried him upstairs and to their bedroom in the comfortable silence that passed between the two of them, WinWin burying his face in Yuta's neck. He finally laid him down upon their traditional Chinese bed and tucked him into the red silk comforter before crawling into bed beside WinWin. The room was dimly lit with only one cherry blossom lamp glowing in the darkness, and the window curtains had been drawn shut to block out the daylight.

"My heart felt like it was gonna burst from panic and terror when I heard that you were in danger," Yuta whispered into WinWin's ear, breaking the silence. "I'm so glad that you're okay. You know I couldn’t ever live without you."

"I know," WinWin murmured, his back facing Yuta, and his eyes closed again. "I'm really sorry that you had to go through that because of me. And not just today, but every time I go out on a mission, I know what I put you through. I'm so sorry, Yuta..."

Yuta wrapped his arms around WinWin and leaned his face against his neck. "No, why are you sorry? I'm sorry that I wasn't there by your side in the first place. I should've protected you. Even if you're a ninja, I'm still a fighter, and I'll fight to the death to protect the one I love."

"I know that, too. That's exactly what you did today, and I'm so grateful. You fought for me. You saved me." WinWin reached down to intertwine his fingers through Yuta's, savoring this moment right here with the love of his life. "You're the only medicine I need."

"I love you, Sicheng."

"I love you so much, Yuta."

Yuta's lips pressed one last kiss to WinWin's neck before the two of them drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

 

 

Jungwoo laid his head on Doyoung’s lap upon their shared king-sized bed and hugged his Snoopy plushie closer to his chest. Doyoung Jungwoo’s navy colored hair softly, his fingers caressing and massaging his scalp. Sunlight filtered in from the windows in their bedroom, the rays of light hitting their faces. Jungwoo closed his eyes, savoring the warmth and sunshine. The sun rarely ever shined in Neo City, so whenever it did, that day was rendered as a day of good luck and blessings.

“I was thinking…,” Jungwoo started hesitantly, unsure of the right words to use.

“Hmm?” mumbled Doyoung, leaning closer to place a kiss upon his boyfriend’s soft cheek. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Well, I-I was just thinking…Lucas is really nice, isn’t he?”

Doyoung chuckled. “Sure, sure, Lucas is a really funny guy, and he’s super talented at fighting. He’s like a little brother to me, or maybe even what I imagine as my son. He’s a crack head, but I love him.”

Jungwoo laughed nervously. “O-oh right, he is sort of like a little kid at times, I guess,” he agreed, but it only made what he was going to say next even more awkward and unexpected. “But Doyoung, I meant, like, lately I’ve been spending more time with him, and we’ve been connecting over a lot of shared interests and stuff. We’ve always been somewhat close, since we officially joined NCT at the same time along with Kun, so our trio has always been tight. The three of us would wonder when we would get to be official mafia members and complete our training period. These days especially, Lucas keeps drawing me in…” he glanced up at Doyoung to check his expression.

His expression was unreadable, a perfect poker face, but the tone of his voice suddenly grew distant and cold and his fingers froze in Jungwoo’s hair. “Jungwoo, are you saying...that you have feelings for Lucas?”

“I-I’m not sure what is it about him, I think I’m just attracted to his crazy fun vibe a-and he’s always been visually attractive, you know?” stuttered Jungwoo, becoming even more of a hot and embarrassed mess. He felt like he was melting under Doyoung’s calculating gaze. “Oh gosh, Doyoung, please don’t be mad. I just wanted to be honest with you because I don’t want you to get hurt later on.”

“Why? What do you plan on doing later on?” Doyoung narrowed his eyes.

“I want to bring Lucas into our relationship,” blurted Jungwoo, before realizing what he had said aloud and covering his mouth with his hands in horror. “No, I meant…”

Doyoung was completely silent for a long moment. He was the type of person that had a lot of different behaviors for different moods. His behavior when he got angry differed from when he was just being stubborn or whiny. It was true, he was a diva like Haechan, but his attitude when he was angry terrified Jungwoo because it was unlike any of his other behaviors. Doyoung would grow distant, cold, and calculating, and his perfect poker face never shattered on the surface the entire time his anger burned red hot. Even if he was silent and then exploded into a ball of emotion and said what he wanted to say, he would go back to sulking and treating Jungwoo like some stranger. He would act quiet and reserved for days afterwards, and his silence would speak for miles. That silence, as deep as the sea itself, made Jungwoo panic and caused his gut to twist into tight knots of anxiety.

“Doyoung?” he prodded. “Doyoung, please say something. Anything.”

“You want to bring Lucas into our relationship? But why? What do I lack? What does he have that I don’t? Don’t I keep you satisfied? Are you not happy with just me anymore?”

“I am happy with you, Doyoung, please believe me. Trust in me. But you know my nature. I’m a natural flirt, and I like to flirt with everyone, even Taeil.”

“I know, and I’ve always hated it.” Doyoung ran his hands through his black hair, the navy blue highlights gleaming in the golden sunlight.

Jungwoo tried to reach for his hand but he pulled back sharply. “I love you, but I have feelings for Lucas, too,” said Jungwoo. “There’s no need for me to choose between the two of you, is there? What if the three of us can be happy together? You may end up liking him too. He could spice things up and make everything even more exciting. You won’t know if you don’t try.”

“I don’t want to try! I don’t want to think about Lucas right now. I just want you all to myself. I never say anything when you flirt with the other members, but this is crossing the line, Jungwoo. There’s no space for Lucas in my heart. There can only be you.” Doyoung gripped Jungwoo’s shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. “Even when I think about it a thousand times over, you are the only person for me. So don’t do this, please.”

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t just erase my feelings for Lucas. He’s actually a really sweet guy, and he makes me laugh every day.” Jungwoo slipped out of Doyoung’s grasp, climbed off of the bed, and slowly walked over to the bedroom door, his footsteps heavy and reluctant. “I do hope you change your mind and decide to give Lucas a chance, because I’m not leaving you, Doyoung. In the end, if you still don’t feel comfortable growing closer with Lucas, then I’ll drop the matter and forget about him, okay?”

Doyoung nodded. “You better stick to your promise, then.”

Jungwoo let out a sigh. “I’ll see you later.”

 

 

“So why are you here, exactly? I still don’t get it.” Chenle crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, blocking Hyunjin and Felix’s path. Renjun and Jisung flanked him on either side, their intimidating expressions mirroring Chenle’s.

Felix narrowed his eyes, bravely meeting Chenle’s gaze. “Taeyong chose us to stay here while the mafia and gang wars rage on. If Stray Kids stays loyal to NCT throughout the entire thing, Stray Kids will merge with NCT. We’ll leave our gang name behind and become part of your mafia.”

“So you’re hostages, then? I mean, for the time-being,” Renjun said slyly. “As long as you two are here, the rest of Stray Kids wouldn’t dare be disloyal to our mafia. Because they know that if they act up, you and your pretty friend here will get cut up into tiny little pieces.” He shared a satisfied smile with Jisung. “That’s the idea, isn’t it, Jisung?”

“That’s right, Ren,” Jisung replied, a smirk plastered onto his face as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “And it works both ways, really. If these two boys act up, the deal gets broken off, and Stray Kids will never become part of NCT. And we all know there’s no way poor Stray Kids can survive for very long without our help.”

“Aren’t we just so generous? Especially our leader Taeyong. He has such a soft heart, he’ll make room for just about anyone in there,” Chenle snickered.

“Hey!” called Jeno, his voice ringing out through the hallways and the sound of his quick footsteps reaching Renjun’s bedroom, where they boys were gathered. Jeno shoved past Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung, and stood between them and Hyunjin and Felix. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked the three NCT boys. “Hyunjin and Felix are our guests. Taeyong specifically chose them because he saw something special within them, a spark, a flame of hope, talent, and power, the things our very mafia are built upon. From this moment on, we treat them like they’re already NCT members, do you understand?”

The other three quickly nodded. Jeno smiled, satisfied with their obedience. “And Renjun, I’m really disappointed in your behavior. I’m used to Chenle and Jisung being little devils since they’re always mischievous and playful. But you, you’re a healer like Kun. You should know better than to partake in their games.”

Renjun lowered his head in shame and mumbled a sheepish apology to Hyunjin and Felix before scurrying out of the room.

Jaemin rushed in and immediately went over to the two Stray Kids members. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?” he asked them, placing a hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder.

Hyunjin shook his head, a rosy blush coloring his cheeks. “N-no, we’re okay. Thank you.”

“Sorry, I haven’t properly introduced myself yet, have I?” Jaemin beamed at them with his trademark smile, flashing his pearly white teeth. “I’m Na Jaemin, and I’m one of NCT’s trainers, along with Mark. We teach trainees- unofficial members who haven’t yet been officially initiated as NCT members- valuable skills that they’ll need to be part of our mafia, both physical and cognitive skills. I’ll be teaching you physical skills while Mark teaches you cognitive skills. Trainees don’t typically live here at the NCT mansion, so this will be a new and interesting experience.”

“Speaking of Mark, where is he, anyway?” wondered Jeno. “I haven’t seen much of him lately…”

“He’s been taking care of Haechan. Tzuyu was in Taiwan visiting her family for a week, but she should be flying back in today.”

“Who’s Tzuyu?” Felix wanted to know. “I thought NCT didn’t have any female members.”

Jaemin burst into laughter. “We don’t have any female members. Tzuyu is a normal Neo City citizen or NCTzen as we call it. She’s Haechan’s girlfriend. They’ve been dating for over a year now.”

“Wow, NCT is super busy, so I just assumed that none of you had any time to date…” Hyunjin’s face was as red as a tomato.

“We are super busy, but we still make time for relationships. After all, the mafia lifestyle is rough and dangerous. Tomorrow is never promised. So, we try to live everyday like it’s our last, and what good is life without the sweetness of love?” Jaemin giggled and pulled Jeno close to him.

“Ahhh…,” said Felix slowly with a smile, “You two are a couple? That’s really cute.”

“Yep, Jeno the fighter is my boyfriend. We’ve been together for four years which makes us the longest-running couple in NCT. I asked him out while we were still trainees.”

Now it was Jeno’s turn to blush. He playfully smacked Jaemin’s arm. “Hey, I was planning on asking you out pretty soon too. You just beat me to it.”

“He’s still salty that I asked him out, not the other way around,” laughed Jaemin.

Hyunjin was captivated by their beauty. He noticed that whenever Jeno smiled, his smile reached his eyes and hence he had an eye smile. Hyunjin found it adorable, and he also liked how friendly and easygoing Jaemin was, even with strangers like himself. He could feel his face burning with his own shyness.

“So, who else is together in NCT?” Felix wiggled his eyebrows. “Come on, spill, I wanna know everything!”

“Well, there’s Ten and Taeyong, the power couple in NCT. They’ve been a couple since their trainee days as well, and just like Jeno and I, they became official members on the same day. Their bond is unlike anything else I’ve ever witnessed,” gushed Jaemin. “Honestly, they’re more than soulmates. It’s like they can read each other’s minds and-”

“Honey, we’re soulmates too, aren’t we?” Jeno looked up at him cutely.

“Of course we are. You’re my other half.” Jaemin chuckled and ruffled Jeno’s hair. “Anyways, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, another couple is Doyoung and Jungwoo. They’ve been together for a year and a half. Everybody suspected they were dating back when Jungwoo was still a trainee, because he would always visit Doyoung here at the mansion and bring him the prettiest flowers and the sweetest gifts he could find. But they only went public with their relationship after Jungwoo was officially initiated as a NCT member.”

“Don’t forget about Yuta and WinWin,” Jeno chimed in. “They recently had their one-year anniversary, and their birthdays are very close together, so it’s always been a tradition of ours to celebrate their birthdays as a joint celebration. Yuta had a crush on WinWin ever since he laid eyes upon him, but WinWin played hard to get for a long time before finally accepting Yuta’s hundredth confession.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened. “Hundredth confession? Wow, WinWin really did play hard to get,” he giggled, his ice blue eyes gleaming with surprise and joy.

“Our boss Taeil also played a direct role in why WinWin took so long to accept Yuta. Everybody around here knows that Taeil has a super soft spot for WinWin, and even Yuta knows, but don’t ever mention it around Yuta. He’s extremely possessive of his boyfriend.”

“Extremely,” added Jaemin. “At first, I suspected Yuta was yandere.”

“But anyways, what about Stray Kids? Are there any couples within your gang?”

Felix nodded, his long, silver earrings dangling from the motion. “Just one- Han and Minho, and honestly, they would be hard to live up to. I suppose that’s why they’re the only couple so far. Han is extra cheesy and makes Minho flustered even though Han is two years younger.”

The four of them laughed together and continued their gossiping for hours, quickly connecting over similar interests and hobbies, and so Felix and Hyunjin had successfully made their first real friends in NCT. It was the beautiful start to a friendship that would continue to blossom like the spring flowers.

 

 

Tzuyu checked her reflection in her bathroom mirror once more before leaving her apartment. Her sleek black curls framed her pale face perfectly, but the dark green ombre could easily be missed if one didn’t look closely. She had donned a black satin dress and wore pearls around her neck and wrist to give off an elegant flair. Her burgundy lipstick made her lips appear fuller, and her cheeks had been faintly dusted with a red blush to make her appearance more youthful and fresh. She wanted to look perfect for her boyfriend, because she had been away in Taiwan for a week and had missed him dearly. Tzuyu placed Haechan’s gift in her designer handbag and set off on her way to the NCT mansion.

She rang the doorbell twice and patiently waited for someone to open the door. She knew how loud the mansion always was, with eighteen boys running around here and there, so the sound of the doorbell could be easily missed. She was about to ring again when the double doors swung open to reveal Huang Renjun. He looked even thinner than just a week ago, and his chocolate brown hair complimented his pale blue eyes and ivory skin nicely.

“Hi, Renjun!” Tzuyu squealed in Mandarin Chinese, squeezing him in a tight hug. “How have you been?”

“Hey, Tzuyu, I’m doing well. How was Taiwan? Is your family doing alright?”

“They’re great; everyone’s just busy in work. And Taiwan was wonderful as always.” She smiled warmly at him.

“Please, come inside,” said Renjun, stepping aside so she could enter and locking the door behind her. “Haechan’s in his room with Mark.”

Tzuyu stepped out of her high heels and began making her way over to his room when Renjun suddenly called out her name, making her curiously turn around. “What’s up?”

“He’s…he’s not doing too well. I hope you won’t be angry with me for not telling you sooner, I just didn’t want to spoil your vacation.”

Her heart began racing in her chest. “Why, what’s happened to my Haechannie?”

He cleared his throat, avoiding her burning gaze. “…I think you should just go see for yourself, Tzuyu. I’m really sorry.”

She ran to Haechan’s bedroom and barged in without hesitation, hurrying straight over to the bed where her boyfriend was lying down, Mark sitting by his feet and massaging them gently. “Haechan?” she gasped, taking in the sight of him. He looked pale and sickly, with sweat making his caramel brown strands of hair stick to his forehead, and his lips were dry and cracked, dried blood sitting on his lower lip. It was obvious that he was weak and in a lot of pain just from his facial expression. “What happened to you? Tell me!”

Haechan smiled and brushed his hand against Tzuyu’s cheek. His touch was ice-cold on her skin, but she didn’t flinch. “I’m glad to see you too, my beautiful princess.”

Tzuyu shot Mark an exasperated look. “Mark, tell me right this instant what happened to my boyfriend or I swear to-”

“Wonwoo of Seventeen dared to mess with you just before you left for Taiwan, so Haechan beat him to a pulp and landed him in the hospital,” Mark replied, cutting her off. “As punishment, Ten was ordered to whip Haechan eighteen times. However, Kun and Renjun have been treating his wounds very carefully, and he’s safe in their care. He’s healing quicker than expected.”

Her eyes were wide in shock and fear, and she leaned her head down on Haechan’s chest and cried. “How can Taeil be so cruel to order this type of punishment on you? This is just crossing the line!”

Haechan her hair softly. “I’m okay, Tzuyu, don’t worry about me. After all, I finally get to rest and take time off work, and Mark massages my feet all day and gets me anything I need, so I’m good, really.” He kissed her forehead. “How was Taiwan?”

“It was lovely,” she sniffed, and reached down in her handbag to fish out his present. “Here, I got you something.”

His eyes lit up with excitement as he accepted the wrapped gift. “Ooh, I love Taiwanese stuff.” Haechan carefully unwrapped it to reveal a collection of Taiwanese sweets and snacks. “Ah, food, my favorite present! Thanks, babe.” He kissed Tzuyu and held her in his arms for a long time, cherishing this moment because he had longed to feel her touch ever since she had left for Taiwan. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you even more. Next time, let’s visit Taiwan together, okay? My parents are dying to meet you.”

He smiled. “Yes, princess, next time we’ll go together.”

 

 

Ten sat on his bed; the black silk comforter pulled up to his chest, while he petted YangYang’s head and affectionately scratched behind his cat’s pointy ears. YangYang meowed softly and Ten’s arm. “You’re my good boy, aren’t you, YangYang? Yes, you are,” Ten cooed.

As soon as the bedroom door opened and Taeyong walked in, Ten shot him a look of disdain. “What were you thinking, bringing those Stray Kids filth here to our holy mansion?”

“Holy?” Taeyong chuckled nervously. “Oh, come on, babe, the deal works great for both sides. Stray Kids members will get to survive in the long-run and we get more members, meaning our size will expand, which is just what we need in times of war. Trust me on this, okay? The planners and I thought this out very carefully, and we brought their two most valuable and popular members. Not to mention, Hyunjin is extremely sweet and Felix is the funniest guy you’ll ever meet. They’re really talented and promising.”

“And if they betray us, what happens then?” snarled Ten, still petting YangYang.

“Then the deal gets broken off, what else would happen? But I’m convinced that those two will stay loyal to us. After all, they’re doing this to make their futures brighter. Why would they wish to destroy their own futures? Why would they turn their backs on all of the treasures and riches our mafia lifestyle is filled with? We offer them things nobody else can.”

“They’ll never be one of us.”

“Why not?”

“Because they were one of them first,” Ten growled, red hot fury raging in his eyes that looked like deep black holes.

Taeyong let out an exasperated sigh and collapsed next to Ten on their bed, closing his eyes. “Let’s discuss this tomorrow morning.”

“Let’s discuss this now.”

Taeyong’s eyes flew open at the attitude that dripped from Ten’s voice. It irritated him to no end. “Ten, you lead me here, within the confines of this space,” he said pointedly, gesturing around them at their dark bedroom. “Once we leave this room, I lead you, because I’m NCT’s leader. That’s how this works. Don’t ever question my leadership,” he threatened. He knew how to be scary when he wanted to be. “I only answer to Taeil.”

Ten suddenly lied down and wrapped his arms around Taeyong, inching closer to his body. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in his ear. “I shouldn’t have been like that. I don’t know what gets into my head sometimes. You know I have a short temper.”

“It’s fine, but please don’t do that again. It makes me self-conscious.” Taeyong’s voice was barely audible now, and even though Ten couldn’t see it because Taeyong’s back was turned to him, he knew that Taeyong’s bottom lip was probably quivering as he tried to hold back his tears.

“Tae?” he asked softly, intertwining his fingers through Taeyong’s. “Are you still mad at me, baby?”

“No, I’m sleepy.”

Ten began leaving a trail of kisses all the way down Taeyong’s body, eager to please him now that he regretted trying to question his leadership decisions. He knew he couldn’t stay mad at him for long; Taeyong was too forgiving and soft.

“W-what are you doing?” Taeyong’s head shot up from his pillow to meet Ten’s burning gaze. “Ten…”

“Shh,” he whispered, running a hand over Taeyong’s thigh, “Let me make it up to you, baby.”

Taeyong didn’t refuse his offer.