ɢᴜɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏꜱᴇꜱ | 𝙽𝙲𝚃 𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚊𝚞!

18. 5

Well, it's good while it lasted.

I look around the guest room one last time after I've finished folding the blankets I used. I was done packing my clothes into a spare duffle bag Renjun had found in the store — which is dusty and worn out but I can manage.

"So, nai, as I was saying, I'm going to buy groceries. You don't need to wait for us okay?" Renjun rambles to his granny, "Just eat without us, we might go watch a movie after we're done anyways." He looks at her worriedly.

Granny turns with a teasing smile, "You can just say you two are going on a date, junjun."

Renjun opens his mouth to retort but decides against it. He will just have to take on the excuse and play along with it to avoid further explanation.

Renjun sighs, "Nai, just promise me you'll be fine on your own." His brows knits together casting a pleading look at the old lady.

Granny ruffles his hair and chuckles, "What's gotten into you? Of course I'll be fine, don't worry." She proceeds to peg the laundry on the clothesline.

"Call me if something happens okay?"

Granny sends him a curt nod indicating she will.

"We're gonna go now." Renjun said to cue me before we leave.

I approach granny and clasp her hands in mine, "I've folded the clothes and plucked the weeds up the roof so you can get enough rest for today," I smile warmly, "And junjun watered the plants for you too."

Renjun groans hearing his nickname from me which only made me grin more.

"Oh honey, you don't have to do that," she smiles and squeeze my hands, "but thank you," she said.

I nod and was about to let go but granny pulls me into a hug, "Please stay by his side, watch over him when I'm not there. I know everything," she whispers.

My eyes widen but I tried not to make it obvious considering Renjun is right beside us.

"Let's go." Renjun said and waves at granny. I follow him shortly after glancing once more at granny who mouthed 'stay safe' to which I just give her a reassuring smile.

I hop inside the car. Our bags were already placed on the backseat early so granny won't be suspicious. But that's not the case anymore, she knows and made me promise her to take care of this shorty beside me. Does he knows that she knows? If she knows why didn't she stop him? If she knows why didn't she help me? If she knows ... why did she still let him go?

So many questions all trapped inside my head. Too many was left unanswered. Even I don't know the answer to my own question: why did I not fight back when I have the chance?

Well, to be fair I did technically escape but not fight. Am I really not capable of taking care of myself? I should've listened to dad when he said it's dangerous to go out that afternoon. Now look what I've got myself into. Just a weak little girl with nowhere to run. Maybe Renjun is right after all. This is not the kind of adventure that I want to experience.

I sigh. Whatever, what's done is done. There's no going back now.

"You good?" Renjun asks me while his eyes is trained on the road.

I hum in response, too lazy to talk.

"Well, I'm telling you now that we're heading to our second base." He drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he looks at signboards for directions occasionally.

"You haven't tell me why we have to move early." I turn my head towards him, demanding for an explanation.

He sighs, "We're in trouble."

"You already said that."

Renjun casts a look at me and I did the same thing to him.

"Fine, since you insisted," he leans casually on his seat, "the polices found me."

"That's great then that means they know that I'm—"

"I said me, not you." He interjects.

I scoff, "It's not like they don't know you're part of the gang, they know you Renjun don't flatter yourself." I wave my hand, disregarding him completely.

"Yes, of course they know me. They just don't know where I was staying. Until today." He stops the car upon seeing the light flashing red.

"You're with them in the house. How do they not know that?" I furrow my brows.

Renjun chuckles while shaking his head, "You don't know who you're talking to, Song Heejun."

"You're Huang Renjun. Same age as Haechan — 20, and you're part of ... a mafia gang."

"See you don't even know what our gang is called."

"You guys never told me."

"And that's for your own good."

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

He stares at me for a second before hitting the road again once the light turns green.

"Our second base, Neo Tech."

My mouth gapes open, "B-but isn't that where NCT do all their dirty work?" I whisper the gang's name, "You know, the most notorious mafia gang of all. You're not gonna sell me to them are you? Please don't! I heard that they invaded Pentagon last week and ..." the word trails off my mouth.

And that's when I realised what I've said. All the memories from these past few days came flooding at me as I tried to recall where I've heard it from.

"Johnny, my man!" He cheered happily and pats his back. Johnny also did the same thing to him with a happy smile as they hug.

"When did you arrive? I thought the mission won't settle until tomorrow?" Yuta asked after they let go.

"Just now," Johnny replies to the first question, "The mission ended earlier than we all expected. Seems like Pentagon was a lot easier target than we thought." He laughs as he answered.

Wait.

"Song Heejun."

I froze in my spot when I heard my name.

Taeil, who has been eyeing me warily, look up to the person behind me and pulled away.

"Taeyong." He said in acknowledgement.

"Taeil," Taeyong replied, "How's the mission?" He asked.

Taeil's sudden change in his demeanour, from intimidating to polite, surprises me, making me wonder, who is this Taeyong guy?

"Pentagon is a lot to handle with just us four," Taeil said and continues, "but not a few guns and bullets couldn't tackle." He smirks.

Renjun stays silent.

"Hold on a damn minute. Y'all are NCT?!"

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Forgot to include that miss protagonist doesn't know what their gang is 😬 but y'all notice how she only calls them mafia gang tho so 🤡

i apologise 😭🔪