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"We do not accept defeat."

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"Welcome home, young masters." The maids bowed down upon the entrance of three cousins. The oldest Lee grunted, almost shoving his bag onto the marbled floor out of annoyance, his stressed gaze locking with Haechan's unbothered one.

Jeno sighed, bowing back to the maids politely, dismissing them. He turns back to his relatives, giving them that deadpanned look. "Alright, alright. Enough of the family reunion—"

"What's wrong, Mark-hyung? Afraid to lose again?" Haechan taunted, a dark look to overtake his once calm expression.

Mark gritted his teeth, fists clenched tight as he glared at the younger. "What the hell was that back there? Are you really that confident you'd win every single game?"

Haechan rolled his eyes, walking past both of them. He settled by the couch in the living room of their family's main estate. He tilted his head back, feeling Mark's gaze still marked on him. "We were just having fun, Mark. What's wrong with that?"

He then scoffed. "Besides, are you really gonna let them trample our family name like that?"

"Did you even know what Na said?"

Jeno sighed, looking around for the remote, wanting to mute out his cousin's quarrel. He had enough of them bickering. It's been so long since they've seen Haechan really active but this, suddenly transferring to their school? They had no idea what went into their relative's minds, more importantly, their family head, but this wasn't what they expected when they heard Haechan was to be disciplined.

Haechan squinted his eyes at Mark, still waiting for an answer but it never came. "Yah, I'm asking nicely here. Did you hear what Na said?"

He scoffed again when Mark didn't say a word. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glared at his older cousin. "You're pathetic!"

Mark gritted his teeth, facing the younger boy with a strong glare. "Watch your mouth, Haechan. I don't know what you did to him but you better shut the fuck up or I'll skin you alive."

Small cackles left Haechan lips that gradually turned into maniacal laughter with a satanic grin spreading across his face. He was daring Mark with that look on his face. "Don't forget, Mark-hyung. You lost to me. You're in the pits of misery with billions of debts to pay, I don't know why you think you're so high."

"Honestly, it's such a shame to be related to you. All you did was throw our family name down the bottom line. You ruined things so bad that even—what's that president's name again? Seo Narae? Yeah? Her. Even your own friend neglected you."

"Shut the fuck up, I swear to God, Lee Donghyuck."

Haechan took a step close making Mark back away a few steps, feeling threatened. "Oh? Is Markie pooh scared? The person you are trying to contact is currently and will always be unavailable." His voice drops an octave lower and his fave reverted back to his usual unbothered expression. He grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "I should probably not leave my bag anywhere, who knows," he looked at Mark disgustingly, "A thief might steal my money to pay his debts."

Jeno rolled his eyes, glancing over at the eldest with a frown. "Haechan, just leave. Please?"

Haechan rolled his eyes, walking up the stairs with a smirk. "Was just about to."

When the boy was already out of the area, Mark couldn't help but drop to his knees. Annoyance was clear in his expressions, his knuckles turning white at how tight he kept clenching his fists. Gritting his teeth, it took him a lot of self-control to prevent himself from throwing a punch or two at his cousin's face. Maybe he won't even just throw a punch, maybe grab a vase and smack it on his head too. But Mark couldn't do that. Not that he wasn't allowed, but regarding his position, Haechan was just now far from his reach.

"Just let it go, hyung." Jeno stated followed by a short sigh. His back reclined onto the couch, eyes fixated on the television. "You know his way with things. What he wants is what he gets."

"It wasn't like that before. He wasn't like that before."

"I know. We both do, hyung."

"Yeah well, we can't just let him have his way! He can't just overtake everything!"

Jeno yawned, waving Mark away. "The plan is to reclaim our spot. We need our family to get back on the Decem Gens."

Mark suddenly felt a heavy weight being shifted onto his shoulders. Ever since the gamble he had with Haechan, it seemed like everything went downhill from there. Their matriarch no longer looked at Mark with such honor and pride. It hurt him so much to be neglected the moment he wasn't able to impress them.

To be in the Decem Gens was what every family clan strived for. The opportunities and the power it came with was everything.

"And you know," Jeno chuckled a bit, knowing well that what he was stating was just pure facts and they won't be able to deny it. "Haechan will be really helpful with that. Just- imagine it, Hyung. If he manages to beat Narae, damn, applause for that one."

The older Lee let go of his clenched fists, tilting his head back so that it rests against the wall he slid back on. Mark could feel the jealousy burn in him. He wanted to be the one that takes the spot. He wanted to be the Lee that everyone looked up at. He wanted the praise and attention he would received when he manages to beat the president.

And so he tried.

And he failed.

Receiving the opposite of what he wanted.

He could hear their family head's words ring in his ears loud and clear. It was taunting him day and night that if he wasn't careful, maybe he's the next one to go crazy.

Jeno realizes the silence he was given and peered behind him, seeing Mark in a distressed state made him take back everything he had just said. Jeno scratches the back of his head, resting his chin on the couch's back rest. "Hyung, it's just a what if. You know how meticulous and cunning Narae is."

"No. We don't know how meticulous and cunning Seo is."

"Hyung, we've—"

"We knew her, Jeno. This isn't the same person we met." Mark gulped, his mind recalling every single day that had passed, each day he talked to Narae was different. "The person I gambled that day wasn't the same person we met back then."

"How can you be so sure—"

"I know her! Well, I knew her. People wear masks, Jeno. We don't know her true personality, her true self. What if everything was just a staged act so that the Seo's could keep their position."

Jeno pursed his lips shut. Mark somewhat made a point there. These families will do anything to stay in the Decem Gens. It was the line of the ten most powerful families that controlled over many in different aspects. They had the privilege which makes them more frightening.

"The nine families revolves around the Seo's, Hyung. Ilseong is basically every Seo's starting point." Jeno stated, craning his head towards the television when Mark began to stand up.

"I know. Which is why every representatives goal is to snatch that Presidential spot from her."

Jeno hesitated a bit with his words though questioned Mark with it anyway. "Do you- Do you imagine Haechan winning over Narae?"

Mark sighed deeply, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. But no matter who wins, I still hate both of them."

"I didn't take you to hate Seo."

"You know what she did."

"She could've done it for a reason."

"I hate her."

Hate her, huh? What is he talking about?

"I'm not sure, but I don't really care." Haechan muttered, his back pressed against the wall as he continued to listen to his cousin's conversation. When they began to talk about non-important things, that was Haechan's cue to go.

Aren't you a little bit curious?

"No." Haechan snorted. "He can lose a hundred of times for all I care."

"Donghyuck? Is that you? Who are you talking to?"

Haechan froze for split-second, hearing the faint sound of the door closing made him stand up straight. Eyebrows furrowed, he slowly craned his head to the right and saw the Lee's family head.

"N-Noona." He bows his head down curtly.

"Ahh, wasn't your first day today? How did it go?"

"It was okay. I gambled with Na Jaemin. He lost."

"Have you tried gambling with someone in the Student Council?"

Haechan shook his head, a small smile on his face. "No. At least not yet."

"You better make that Seo pay."

"I will, noona. I'll do anything for you. Anything." The boy grinned back at their family head.

"That's what I like to hear. Go ahead, get some plenty of rest. Have you been feeling weird lately? Any... switches? Or just sudden, you know."

"Don't worry about me, noona. I've got everything under control." And without another word, he walks away, heading quickly into his room.

When he got inside, he locks the door behind him and he throws his back onto the side. Loosening his tie, clenching his jaw, he stared at his reflection through the mirror.

"We'll do anything," he repeated.

Anything to take your place.

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DECEM GENS - 10 most powerful family clans
* inside Ilseong Academy, it is common that those who have a position in the Student Council is apart of the Decem Gens *