MIKAMI CROWN CLUB
JAPAN BRANCH
12:07 AM, SATURDAY

"Ah, how lovely." Taehui spat out his words like venom. His eyes darkened upon seeing Keiko, wriggling out of his guard's grip.

"Don't fucking touch me." She snapped, turning around quickly to throw a punch square up into his jaw.

A sound of a gun clicking as she froze in her spot, feeling something cold and metallic pointed directly onto her temple. She took a side glance, seeing Taehui pressing the tip of his gun's barrel onto her temple firmly.

Keiko bitterly chuckled, "If you want me dead then fucking shoot me already. What's stopping you?"

"I invited you to settle our family feud- not to capture my granddaughter." Eiichi uttered out, placing down his empty glass. A glare cutting through Taehui's gaze, knuckles turning white from the pressure exerted as he clenched the glass.

Taehui tilts his head cockily, an amused scoff leaving his lips, "Oh? Don't give me that family bullshit. Last time I know you let your son sell her away. Didn't even bother stopping him, only yelled at him- like that's gonna help."

Eiichi was left silent, caught off guard, having no other words to retort back. It was true, he was there, but he never held his son back – and that was his mistake.

Taehui raised a brow, "Hmm? I'm correct."

"You see that, Keiko? He never really cares for you- it's all just lies. If he did care for you, he would've at least stopped your father from selling you away, but he didn't." Taehui pointed out, reaching out to stroke Keiko's hair resulting in the latter to swat his hand away immediately.

"Like you are any different." Keiko seethed, hatred burning in her eyes the longer she stared at Taehui. "The reason why Taeyong left your company was because you did nothing but treat him like a slave. He's your fucking son. And now, he's all successful with his mafia, secret business and stocked money, you come to him- almost begging him to come back to your company."

"I don't see the problem in that."

"No, I know for a fact that you are scared of him. You know how smart he is and his ways of handling people. That's why he's better than you." Keiko shook her head, crossing her arms as her eyes traveled across the room, seeing how trashed it looked.

"He cares about his people- he cares about his friends."

The attendees were mostly gone, either got shot or had fled out once they had heard the gunshots from earlier. People were screaming, afraid of what had happened, but to some, it was normal. Parties that consisted of mainly criminals, businessman, associates, and others who worked underground never really ended nicely.

There is always, always, someone who's going to end up hurt.

Tension filled the atmosphere, some lights flickered nonstop, some had been accidentally shot from the open crossfire. Windows were smashed, blood spills here and there. But what Keiko noticed, was most of NCT stationed in different parts of the room, their gun held up to either Taehui's men or Taehui himself.

"Father, I suggest you let go of Keiko right now before my men shoot you to death." Taeyong's deep voice cut through the thick heavy atmosphere, breaking away Taehui's attention from Eiichi.

Taehui rolled his eyes, "You do know I have a gun pointed directly on her head- you shoot me, I shoot her."

Keiko laughed, "Oh you won't shoot me." She said before elbowing the male hard in the guts, ducking down as he had let fired an aimless bullet. Just with that one hit, it sent his men and Taeyong's men at war. Charging at each other, fist fights and gun control.

Keiko kicked his shin, letting him groan and nearly crouch down, his grip around the gun loosening. She took this chance, snatching the gun away from his grasp and cocking it up.

Taehui yelped, feeling a bullet pierce into his shoulder. With hooded eyes, he took shallow breaths, looking up at the girl, "Fucking bitch did you shoot me!?"

"Hey oldie! Don't blame it on Cherrie! That was all me." Hendery voice yelled clearly, waving down at them as he had position himself up in the ballroom's mezzanine.

"Henderson! Nice aim, sniper."

"I told you not to call me that Keiko!"

However, being called Henderson was the least of Hendery's concern. Horror had flashed into his eyes the moment he noticed where Keiko was pointing the tip of the gun at.

Keiko pursed her lips shut, the suddenly adrenaline rush through her veins made her feel alive. Aware of how the gun pointed directly to herself, she backed away, easily gaining their attention.

Eiichi's eyes widened, "Cherrie..."

Taehui scoffed in disbelief, "What are you doing? Pointing a gun at yourself?"

Well it stopped the crossfire. Keiko thought to herself, shrugging her shoulders as she eyed him.

"Now, I've got your attention." She pulls out the gun's cylinder, taking out a few bullets before placing it down carefully on the ground.

"Keiko what are you—"

She takes two bullets, randomly placing loading it in before spinning it and a loud click sound as she forcefully shut the cylinder. A smile pricked her lips as she cocked the gun towards Taehui, "How about we play that Russian Roulette now?"

.          .           .

"Dude, are you seeing this?" Donghyuck nudged Renjun who docked down beside him.

"What? It's nothing interesting."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, a playful grin plastered on his face as they watched the scene unfold in front of them. "Babe looks so hot."

"I thought you were over her?"

"Can't I crush? I mean, look at her! Isn't she just- ugh hot."

Renjun scrunched his nose, "Whipped." He muttered before focusing back onto the scene.

"Oh honey, I know you won't actually shoot me, you're not a cold blooded killer." Taehui shook his head, doubting Keiko's actions.

Keiko raised a brow, promptly pulling the trigger back, letting a loud snap come from the gun itself. "Try me."

Taehui sniggered, raising both of his arms, grabbing the cocktail that was offered to him awhile ago. "How about I negotiate you some things Keiko? Work for me—"

"She will never be your slave!" Jaehyun cut him off, making him hiss. "I'm not talking to you."

"As I was saying," Taehui looked back at Keiko, "you can be the best bartender ever. You'll be free from this mafia world they pulled you in, you can even start life anew."

Keiko remained silent, her grip around the gun tightening. Her mind was like a whirlwind of thoughts, coming up of different solutions and consequences in the actions she was about to take right now. Her gaze went past through Eiichi, noticing someone waving at her.

Brows furrowed in confusion, she recognizes Daniel and Reiji behind the bar, pointing at a glass shot they were holding up then at Taehui.

Something in her clicked, "Russian Roulette with shots then."

Laughing out loud, mostly leaving Taehui baffled. She grinned widely, "Man, I love my friends."

Taehui scrunched his nose, "Oh yeah? After one literally is a traitor?"

Keiko smirked, "I may not be a cold blooded killer to shoot you, but I am a bartender."

"And like I said, Taehui." She gestured to the glass he took a large gulp of, "If you don't wanna play Russian Roulette with your gun, why not play Russian Roulette with the shots?"

His eyes shot open in panic, vision blurring as he breathed heavily. Chest going up and down fast, the beat of his heart faster than ever. Sweat beads trickled down his forehead, the gag reflex coming. He dropped to his knees, "Y-You poisoned—"

Keiko shook her head, pointing over to the bar where Reiji and Daniel raised their glasses. "Now that's Highway To Hell for you."

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thank you for 90k! ❤️ :))