new covers!

Y'ALL MAKE ME SO ENERGETIC— like seriously my notifs blew up and i was like... bEt you didn't see that coming
\(//∇//)\

BTW HAHAHAHA THE BOOK COVER ON KILLERKILLER's WEBSITE WAS REPORTED BY WATTPAD IM– they said it was unsafe and dangerous...

weeelll killer IS dangerous

bTw LETS ME REAL NCT DREAM IN THIS COMEBACK IS GONNA BE THE DEATH OF US

—

"WHAT GAME ARE YOU PLAYING,
BETTER NOT BE LIFE OR DEATH."

—

FAIR, DAY 3
JULY 11, 2018
11:50 PM

z h o n g c h e n l e

i sighed as i ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. i had finished all my paperwork and jaemin said i should rest for now. i couldn't really keep calm with what's happening.

it's true. i'm a traitor and weijung knows that. i didn't really do anything other than choose what i thought was right, now i regret everything. hyeri was sticking to me like glue while her petty friends keep on working behind our backs, making sure that dream teams suspecting me as a traitor and i can't even do anything about it.

i was told to choose between two, dream team or weijung. it was a tough decision but, i knew very well i had to choose dream team, that's what my instinct says.

i don't know how long it would take for killer to find out, that i've been working with weijung for awhile now ever since i got targeted. not gonna lie, weijung's looks could also deceive and fool anyone.

her plan is dangerous, i don't even want to think about it when the final day has arrived. taeyong also agreed to help us. all she said she needs to do for it to work, follow killers plans. go exactly where the book says and then by the end, trick the killer.

so that's what were going to do, faking like we've been caught in a maze by killer.

i sat by the bench as i waited for her to arrive. i shouldn't really be doing this, i hate that i have to be with her, but i can't back out now.

"that's odd, you haven't been complaining lately, are you starting to warm up to me, lele?" an annoying voice stated making me roll my eyes.

"for the nth time already, don't call me lele, hyeri." i grunt and glared at the girl who sat beside me.

"dream team's gonna end right now." she smirks making me slightly confused.

i know she's going to do something that would make my club members go berserk, but i don't really know when and what.

"wait, what do you even mean?"

"all you have to do is keep that pretty mouth of yours shut and everything would go smoothly as planned."

i immediately scoot away from her, "what are you even talking ab—"

"shhh," she places a finger over my mouth, glancing to the side, "they're coming. act nice."

i look behind her and saw some of my club members probably on their way back to the headquarters. i began to grew nervous as i curled my fingers into a fist.

i felt hyeri's hand grip onto my wrist as she leaned close, anger rose inside me yet i couldn't do anything about it. one wrong move and i'll be dead. everyone would be dead.

she clears her throat, grinning at me devilishly, "yah! chenle! i told you to give me more of dream team's important files! remember our deal with killer?" she began to blabber things out loud making me alarmed.

i wasn't expecting that.

"you should have just let me in the headquarters when we had the chance to! you're such a lame partner—"

her words got cut off when nayoung came storming in front of us. "what was that!?" she raises her voice, glaring at both of us.

"i-i can explain—" i was again cut off when hyeri placed her hand above my mouth.

"secrets aren't supposed to be exposed to people like them, chenle."

i grit my teeth in frustration, she's practically ruining my friendship with them. but then again, this was what i chose anyways. it's all my fault.

"chenle!?" jeno huffs.

"so you really are the traitor, huh?" donghyuck scoffed, looking deeply into my scared eyes.

if only they knew.

i looked down and avoided their piercing gazes. i felt my heart clench as i faced the truth that i messed up.

"i'm sorry–"

"gosh, who would've thought chenle would betray you all?" hyeri giggles as i felt her eyes on me.

"you didn't just betray dream team, chenle." jaemin crosses his arms in front of his chest as i looked up at them, "you betrayed a family. you betrayed weijung."

i couldn't help but stifle a laugh. betrayed weijung? i would never. i would never betray my friends, but with the choice given, even choosing my friends required me to become a traitor just to protect them.

all i wanted was to keep dream team safe, even if that meant choosing them over someone i love dearly.

"how could you?" heeyeon was on the brink of crying. she was always the softest members and i knew this would hurt her so bad.

"i'm sorry, hyung." i mutter as i locked eyes with mark. his eyes displayed a mix of emotions. i could tell how heartbroken he felt after knowing i was a traitor.

i could hear hyeri laughing, "that's right. blame him. dream teams going to go down, even your trump card, lee weijung."

"it's ironic isn't it? she's helping you yet you don't even notice she's the one who needs help." hyeri smiled at them, "game's over, dreamers."

"and what do you know? you're just a transfer student." mark scoffs.

"i'm a transfer, yet you trust someone who's an exchange. why do you even think she's here in the first place? she was brought here to help, but what is she doing? she's making everyone suffer under killer's hands."

hyeri then stands up after letting go of my wrist, "my part has been done, let's see how you would escape killer's games." she chuckles before starting to walk.

after a few minutes she stops and turns around, "one shouldn't betray his friends, right chenle?" she giggles before skipping off.

i was left with the dream team alone. i was honestly scared. but what shocked me was when mark hugged me all of a sudden.

"you're being used, aren't you?" i heard him whisper.

"w-wha—"

"listen. i don't know what's going on with you and weijung but we're here to help. taeyong told me."

my eyes widened as he tightened the hug, "just go with the flow, i bet someone's watching." he whispered before letting go of me.

"what a shame, chenle. i thought you were trustworthy enough." he scoffs.

he's acting, isn't he?

i was out of words to even talk, this drained me too much.

"don't worry, you're still apart of dream team, but listen here, we won't let you and your new friends get in our way."

and with that, mark leans closely, "that should do the trick."

he then steps back and walks away, the others trailing behind him as they gave me a look of disbelief and disappointment.

i watch as they disappear upon entering the building. i pressed my lips into a thin line, "well that was quite a show."

i turn around and saw yerin, i groan, "what do you want now?"

"i can't believe you're still apart of dream team after we literally used you and came you off as a traitor. what some trust mark has for you." she rolled her eyes, "your role has ended, chenle. you've managed to save dream team, yet you're no longer worthy of their trust."

i chuckled bitterly, looking down at my shoes, "i know that." bitch, you're the one who doesn't know anything about our plan.

"all that's left to do is kill that love one of yours—"

"you wouldn't dare." i spat, glaring at her.

"you know that she's in danger, yet you still chose dream team. i guess you don't love her that much."

"i love her as much as i love my friends. you know that."

"oh i know, chenle. but let's face the fact you won't be able to save her. all she has is herself."

"get lost." i turned away from her. "why are you even on killer's side? you're the actual traitor here, not me."

i glanced over my shoulder and saw yerin frozen in her spot, i snickered and faced her, "cat got your tongue?"

"more like eunji got my tongue." she murmured making me cock an eyebrow at her.

"huh?"

she shakes her head, "mark's smarter than we all think."

"what are you even saying?"

she crosses her arms, "i know he has a way, i know dream teams on to something."

"and what are you going to do about it? expose us to killer?"

she shrugs, "maybe, maybe not." she then walks away, "figure that yourself."

i made my way back to the headquarters, only to find them waiting for me to arrive. i sigh upon closing the door, leaning back onto it as i faced them, "what?"

"you keep making the wrong choices, don't you? you know that, chenle." renjun sighed and gave me an unimpressed face.

"i don't understand, i'm a traitor, aren't you supposed to kick me out now?" i raised a brow.

mark hums, "you heard what i said earlier. i know you were being used. it's obvious."

"what's killer's plans?"

i was baffled and tried to maintain my composure but with everything happening all at once i just couldn't. "i'm probably gonna get killed anyways—" i mutter, "she's using me to distract dream team, once you're all caught up with me being a traitor, our bond would loosen and would cause some trust issues, with that said, it would be the perfect opportunity to attack someone we're not laying our eyes upon."

"and that is?" jaemin raises a brow.

i gestured to everyone in the room, "the missing one in the room. xing weijung."

—

cherries 🍒? anyone???

-jibin