NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
11:21 AM, THURSDAY

3RD PERSONS VIEW。

"Donghyuck?" the girl furrows her brows as the purple-dyed-haired boy peeked through the tiny gap between the door and the doorway. A mischievous smile on his lips before opening the door fully, "Good morning, babe!"

"What do you need, hm?" she qualms, fixing her bed as she was done getting ready.

Donghyuck hugs her from the back, startling her a bit, "How about we do something for fun?" he suggests with a wide grin plastered on his face.

Keiko spun around and faced the boy, "Fun? What kind of fun?"

"Something that includes the use of knives?" he tilts his head, still, he had that huge grin as he imagined his marvelous plan.

The two ended up by the upper levels of the indoor training area as Donghyuck held onto her hand as he guided her around, "You see that?" he questioned, pointing down at the combat area. Currently, Hendery and Jaemin were having a hand to hand combat.

"Mhm." she nodded as Donghyuck set knives onto her palm, "We're going to shoot them."

Yangyang, who stood afar, noticed them and jogged towards them, noticing the knives in their hands he smirked, "Are you doing what I'm thinking?"

Donghyuck nodded, "Definitely, wanna join? Wait- is that even a question? Of course, you'll join." he tossed Yangyang some knives to which he caught successfully without any cuts.

"Is there anything I need to avoid?" she inquires and they shook their head, looking down at her, "Nope. They can handle it- besides, it's not like they could kill you anyways."

Donghyuck winked at her, "We got you."

Keiko chuckles and darted her eyes on the two boys, "This won't end well." she mumbles before throwing the small knife and it happened to hit the ground, in the middle of the two boys.

Alarmed, they perked up, displeased to see the three brats, "What the hell?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Hyung!" Hendery whined, looking at Jaehyun who just shrugged, chuckling. "Just go with it." he replies making Jaemin groan, "You're lucky I'm nice, Lee Haechan."

Hendery and Jaemin made an effort to deflect the rain of knives as they continued their combat.

"Fuck!" Hendery cried out as the rapier nearly struck him, "KEIKO DID YOU THROW THAT?!" he eyed the girl from the top who giggled, bobbing her head, "Sorry, babe."

"Babe?!" they all yelled out and shot her a look. Donghyuck pouted, "Cherrie!"

"Sorry, Hyuck." she threw a peace sign at the younger boy.

Donghyuck huffed and hurled a blade at Hendery, "Are you blushing?!" he yelled whilst Hendery hissed, "No way!"

Rolling his eyes he flung out more daggers at Hendery making the boy yelp and sprint away, "Fuck off, Haechan!"

Keiko pinched Donghyuck's cheek compelling him to stop throwing any more knives at the poor Hendery, "I think he gets it now, Hyuck."

"Babe, I love it when you call me 'Hyuck' but it's better if you call me 'babe' as well," he explained with an annoyed face before patting the top of her head.

Jaemin panted, crouching down as he hoisted both of his hands in surrender, "Please, stop now- I don't think I can go on any longer."

Hendery scowled, pointing at the three of them, "Do you want to kill me?!"

"Maybe~" they replied nonchalantly.

. . .

"Wasn't that fun?" Donghyuck asked her as they went to the garage where Renjun was waiting.

"You're gonna come with us?" Renjun raised a brow, feeling all good after a day of rest. Technically, Kun didn't allow him to go but he insisted, saying that it was his duty after handing his task to someone else.

Keiko eyed his clothed side, pointing a finger, "How's your shot?"

Renjun shrugs, "I'm used to it. Not that it is a big deal anyways."

Donghyuck smirked, "That's why I am coming, to make sure you don't end up limping your way home if ever you reopened your wound."

Renjun gritted his teeth, a bitter look rests on his face as he huffed, pressing the key remote to unlock the car, "Let's just go."

Keiko glanced back, seeing Yuta starting at her. Once he noticed her eyes on him he smiled widely, waving at her before winking, "Stay safe." he bids.

Renjun peered out the window, "Yeah, at least we won't kiss her and act drunk!"

"Maybe I will," Donghyuck hummed, hopping onto his motorcycle. "Want to ride with me, babe?"

Before Keiko could even reply, Renjun beat her to it, "No. She's riding in the car."

"But I'll drive safe!"

Renjun shook his head and honked the car loudly, "Keiko-noona, you wouldn't want to die right?"

"If dying meant freeing me from this place, then maybe I would." she reasoned before entering Renjun's car, "But I love my bar so much that I can't leave it behind."

Donghyuck sighed, "I wish I was Pandora's Box."

Yuta pushed a button and the vast metal gates opened up, "More like you wish you were me."

"Shut up, hyung." Donghyuck snarled before drifting off.

During the ride, Renjun kept his eyes focused on the road, going neither fast nor slow. Surprisingly, he drove safely unlike the others who liked going fast- especially Yangyang.

You may see him as a nice boy, but looks can be deceiving. That boy owns the road, no matter who races him, he happens to end up winning. Because of that, Taeyong had appointed him as the supplier and the best drivers as he knew how to handle the roads.

"So, Renjun–"

"Don't talk to me."

Keiko was taken aback at first before sneering, "I'm trying to be nice."

"So am I."

"I just wanted to know if—"

"If?"

"What do you think of me?"

Stifling a laugh, Renjun gave off a look of disbelief, "Noona, you seem someone who's independent, honestly, you're cool." finally, entering the city he stopped when the stoplight turned red. "But I'm warning you, we're not who you think we are. We may be giving you enough freedom–"

"I get it. You always get what you want, everyone's manipulative and shit. I know." she scoffs, "But can I escape? No. You have at least three highly trained hackers to track my location down, have a street racer that can drive you anywhere, have different assassins planted on any building you wanted and you practically own the underground tunnels that cover every part of South Korea."

"If not, Taeyong probably even has connections outside of Korea- so where am I supposed to go? I can escape, but not alive."

Renjun's grip around the steering wheel tightened, knuckles turning snow-white as he chuckled, "You know us so well, noona. Why can't you just join us."

"If that's your way in earning my trust, then no. I'd rather not." she shakes her head and snatched a lollipop from the candy stash Renjun has inside one of the cup holders.

"So, what did my grandfather offer to Taeyong?"

The mafioso stiffened, his eye caught a glimpse of the silver-hair who had the cherry-flavored lollipop plopped in her mouth. A smirk on her lips, "Come on, don't act like you know nothing. Aren't you like a strategist? You're practically as smart as that Consigliere."

Renjun sighed deeply, "You better stop digging deeper into our lives, Keiko. You won't get anything."

"Like I would let myself become blind towards these matters, Renjun." she pulled the lollipop out, both brows raised as she leaned back, "Taeyong already made it clear that he made a deal with my grandfather."

"A deal to protect you."

"Protect me or use me? Come on, spill the tea."

"Shut up, Yun Keiko."

"Telling more won't hurt you."

"But it will hurt you."

"It doesn't matter anymore." she frowns, propping the lollipop back into her mouth, feeling disheartened by what has happened in a span of a few months.

"Cherrie, always remember, you're the cherry on top." her grandfather's voice rang in her head as she gazed out the window, nostalgia blazing in her heart.

Will I be able to escape them? She thought hard before swallowing the forming lump in her throat.
No.

But will that stop me? With a bitter smile, Definitely no.

—

hM what should happen next :0