Note:

Hello, everyone. It's been a long, long time since this fic got updated. Nearly three years actually since we began this fic in early 2019. NCT and the fandom have grown and developed so much since Empathy era. We have so many amazing members, sub-units, storylines, and a wonderful ever-growing discography. Trends, slangs, theories, etc. have changed and evolved as well. We too have grown a bit (we hope) and it was (still is) mostly uni and adulting (and a pandemic!) that kept us away from updating this sooner but we always wanted one day to come back to it and finish it, especially for the lovely and kind people who still read it and comment and message to say that they are waiting. We're so sorry it took ages but we promise, this fic will be updated regularly and be completed soon (2-3 updates, probably).

Before you delve into this, just a short notice, if you're reading this is 2022, that this fic is very much in a specific time frame, a particular NCT era, (the overall series, of which this is the third book, is based on Empathy era and mostly NCT 2018). The basic time frame for this story, Lockscreen, is roughly end of December, 2018, to the first week of January, 2019. A really different time from now. WayV was just about to debut then (look how far our brilliant cuties have come!). We had just welcomed three new members!! We never thought that there would be a pandemic. Yeah, you get the flow. So, while reading new updates, please keep in mind that this fic still very much belongs to a time gone by and, even though, we would love to reference and update stuff that has happened since then, it wouldn't make sense within the time frame of the story. So, it picks off right where the previous chapter stopped, a fine-ish day in the first week of January, 2019, Seoul.

Thank you for still reading, if you're here, and this is literally our first update in years, so please be kind, we will love you forever!

Chapter 8

"Hello, Ten?" Jaehyun's voice was low through the phone. "Is Winwin with you all because—"

"Yes, he's here," Ten whispered into the phone. "He came just a few minutes ago looking like Count Dracula and damn what the hell happened? He's locked himself in Kun's room and we're all clamouring outside. All we've got is I want to sleep, I hate you all."

"Yuta and him happened, that's what. Haechan and I were just playing Fornite and Johnny came all frantic into our room because apparently Winwin is missing and Yuta is with Taeyong right now. Ten, he really needs to..."

"I know, but he hasn't ever been really good at the whole talking-about-his-feelings kind of thing, right? But I don't understand. Did Yuta say something wrong to him? After all this time I would have thought something good would happen if Yuta and him happened."

Jaehyun said something to someone at his hand. "Wait a sec, Ten."

Ten could hear people talking in the background and he recognized Johnny's voice. The phone line crackled slightly and then, it was Johnny on the phone. "Ten, he's there with you all?"

"Yes, yes, he is here."

"Phew, thank god. I've been so worried. Taeil's run off somewhere too and Taeyong is taking care of Yuta. I nearly called the police."

"Johnny, love, breathe. It's okay. Winwin is here and we'll figure it out at our end. You take care of Yuta and Taeil probably will be home soon...wait, Doyoung says Taeil has made a sketchy friend at the grocery store and he's for sure with him, eating some free ramen."

"Oh, I hope that's true. Does he—wait, what's Doyoung doing there?"

"Okay, so I was going to keep this for later but you won't believe Doyoung and Kun were in the same room when Winwin came and it was so—ow, ow, Doyoung stop hitting me. Johnny, Doyoung says he's going to get Taeil so you don't have to worry. I'm going to have to go now because both of them are shouting at me."

Johnny sat back with a sigh of relief. "I really didn't sign up for this."

-

Kun looked at his bedroom door and sighed. "I really didn't sign up for this." He knocked on the door. "Alright, Sicheng, you have to open the door now. More than thirty minutes of sulking just gets embarrassing later, believe me, I know." He gestured to Ten and the Dreamies to go their respective rooms.

Doyoung, meanwhile, gave him an awkward wave before leaving through the front door.

Kun tried again to get Winwin to answer. "You don't need to talk but you can listen, right? Please? I went through a really bad break-up and parts of it made to stan twitter, Doyoung even got pulled up by management because of it...my point is, you can't be having a more embarrassing time than me."

He heard a small laugh. The door opened slightly and Winwin looked around suspiciously. "Okay, the Doyoung part was funny."

Kun made a face. "I feel indebted to him for life. And I can't look him in the eye!"

Winwin let the door stay slightly open as he disappeared back into the room.

Kun followed a bit tentatively. "I can't believe you locked me out my own room," he said with humour.

"You're going to move out soon to the WayV dorm too. Jisung said this room belongs to him now," Winwin replied, flopping into the bed easily.

"He wishes," Kun said, scrunching his nose. "I will organise a small Hunger Games for earning this room. Nothing less. I papered the walls myself, you know?"

Winwin watched him as he sat beside him on the bed. His voice was soft with understanding. "You're going to miss this place."

"A lot happened in my life while here," Kun almost whispered.

Winwin groaned. "Please don't tell me you brought your ex here!"

Kun looked scandalized. "Sicheng! There are kids here. I would never." A pause. "I went to his place."

There was silence and, then, they both started laughing.

"But I am so excited about our dorm. Our unit. Us," Kun finally said, his eyes shining with pride and happiness. "Sometimes, I can't sleep thinking about it."

Winwin was about to throw in a joke but instead he found himself saying, "When I think about WayV, and us, all of the members, I feel this—I don't know—an inexplicable amount of energy. Like I could do anything."

Kun bumped their shoulders. "Because you can. And I'm so proud of you. Everyone is."

"Not everyone." Winwin scoffed.

Kun disagreed. "Everyone."

Winwin put his face in his hands and groaned. "I was horrible to him today." He clutched at Kun's arm. "Do