MIKAMI FAMILY MANSION
9:23 PM, SATURDAY

3RD PERSONS VIEW。

"They have taken Keiko." Hansuke mumbled as he sat in front of his other distant relatives.

Keishin let out a deep sigh, massaging his temples, "That bastard– Lee Taeyong!"

"I don't get what's the point of you playing this gamble, Keishin."

"Ojiisan–"

"Yes. We must not lose against a Lee heir, but still Keishin! You could lose Keiko for eternity."

"Like I care for he—"

"Mikami Keishin! I certainly did not raise you to become so selfish! She is your daughter!" Mikami Eiichi's voice hollered at his son. A cold aura surround him as he stood up, his legs barely even keeping him still, "Keiko is a Mikami– she will always be a Mikami whether you like it or not!"

"We already sold her, Ojiisan! She's– we shouldn't even be meddling with her life! Heck, I'm only doing this for the sake of the Mikami's."

Eiichi shook his head and sat back down, glaring at his son with those dark eyes, "You're not doing this for the sake of the Mikami Empire. You're doing this for the sake of yourself. To satisfy your pride– to prove Taeyong's father that you're not giving up."

Keishin grunted and looked away, as much as he wanted to retort and fight back, it was all true. Mikami Keishin, who was once friends with Lee Taehui, was eaten by his own gluttony. He wanted to be the best– and he did. Unfortunately, even if he was the best, his best was still not everything.

"You were friends Keishin!"

Keishin stifled a laugh, "Friends? We were never friends."

Eiichi nodded his head, acknowledging his son's choice of words. "I don't know where the old Mikami Keishin went. You're just someone who had been feeding off of greed. You're not a Mikami, you're not even my son."

"If you fail to win this gamble... you have no rights to call yourself a Mikami."

.    .     .

NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
MAD CITY BASE
10:54 PM, SATURDAY

3RD PERSONS VIEW。

"Mon Cherie, what are you doing here?" the classy Underboss questioned the girl as he leaned against the cold railings of the mansion's balcony. Keiko yawned, "Just thinking if it was a good time to jump... nothing special." she joked staring off at the facility they were in.

Jaehyun chuckled lightly, "I'll have to stop you when you do decide to jump, hmm?"

"Why so?" she glances at him, raising a brow.

"You're the very prize we can have when we win the game, you can't just die on us, Cherrie."

Keiko laughed and pushed herself up the balcony, her legs dangling high off the ground as she sat on the railings, "Watch me."

As she was about to jump, Jaehyun wrapped his arm around her chest, pulling her back as she fell onto his chest. Her eyes wide, she took little breaths. Keiko reached to touch his arm in which he tightened, securing her spot in between his chest and his arms, "I told you, Cherrie. I will stop you."

Jaehyun lifted her up and placed her back on the balcony. He patted her head as he looked away to take a sip from his wine glass. "Quite impressed you had the guts to do that. What if I didn't stop you? You would end up dead wouldn't you?"

Keiko scoffed, "I'd rather be than being trapped in this place."

Jaehyun hummed, "You're not trapped, Keiko."

"Then will you let me out?"

"When we win, I promise you, I will take you out." he replied nonchalantly.

"When you do win, in which you will not." she crossed her arms and leaned back onto the railing. Jaehyun laughed at her statement, smashing the wine glass onto the floor, startling her a bit.

He inched closer to her, the scent of red wine reeking from him, "We will. This is NCT, Keiko. We're going to rule the world."

Keiko stepped back and shoved him away, "Whatever. I'm going to go to bed."

"Not going to eat dinner with everyone?"

"If you don't want me to end up killing someone then yeah, no."

Jaehyun chuckled and nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow at the gamble, Cherrie."

"You too... Jaehyun." she muttered and walked away.

She didn't know if Jaehyun didn't notice or he just didn't point out, but her heart was beating uncontrollably fast the moment she decided to jump off the railing. Keiko had no idea what came into her mind that made her do such a dangerous act, maybe the thought of Jaehyun stopping her made her do it, but what gives? What if Jaehyun didn't actually stop her.

But then again, it's the least she cared for.

"Oh? Keiko? Where are you going?" Donghyuck tilts his head as he just got out from his bedroom which was a few doors far from Keiko's room.

The girl lazily pointed at the door by the end of the hallway, "Sleep."

Donghyuck pouted, "You won't have dinner with us?"

She faked a smile, "No, thank you."

He sighed and passed her, "I guess there will be no point in forcing you."

"By the way, I'm really sorry for using drugs on you..." he sheepishly said as the girl just plainly shook her head.

Keiko didn't care about it at all, it's not like she could do anything about it. Everything was already done, in just a few hours, she'd either be owned by them or they will be owned by her. Thinking about it, what would she do having Taeyong's life wrapped around her little finger? Absolutely nothing.

If the Mikami's happen to win the game, she'd not do anything to change his life. After all, she didn't want anyone to suffer the same thing she did, which was losing his own control over his life.

Donghyuck tilted back his head, eyeing the mind drifted girl. He sighed and tapped her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie. "Babe, get some sleep."

She hissed at him and started walking again, "Don't call me that."

A smirk crept up the boy's lips, "Baby, I won't stop."

"That's not how it goes, Hyuck."

The boy's heart lightened after hearing him shorten his name. A wide grin spread across his face, "Hey! You called me 'Hyuck'!"

Keiko stopped and turned to look at him, "You like that?"

He nodded and she shrugged, "I guess I'll call you that sometimes then."

"Good night!"

Keiko kept silent as she entered her room. Closing the door, she immediately ran to plop her self on the soft bed. "Will we win tomorrow?" she thought aloud, looking up at the plain ceiling.

Stifling her laugh, "As if."

—