Overdrive | NCT ✅

19. Can cupboards be romantic?

We somehow manage to sneak Sungjoo back out again. Turns out sneaking in is harder than sneaking out. We don't spot Taeil again, which is a good thing, and we manage to dump Sungjoo in his bed. However, when I get home, Taeil's waiting for me. 

"Why were you and Lucas running away from me dragging a suspiciously heavy golf bag?" he asks as soon as I walk through the door. 

"We murdered someone and decided to get rid of the body," I say smoothly, and Taeil raises an eyebrow at me. 

"I don't know whether to believe that or not," he mutters. 

"Are you crazy? Of course we didn't murder anyone. I was messing with you for God's sake," I lie, acting offended. 

Taeil narrows his eyes at me. 

"I can't tell if you're lying," he mutters. 

"I'm not," I say. 

"Okay, then what were the two of you doing with a heavy golf bag?" 

"Ah. Well, that's a funny story. You know how you're not allowed to take out weapons without permission? Well, we snuck them out and then we had to sneak them back in," 

"Why were you sneaking them out in the first place?" Taeil asks, and I hesitated. 

"Jieun," Taeil says warningly. 

"Fine. We wanted to make a tower outta guns," I lie, not being able to think of anything better. 

"What? Out of all the lies you could've come up with, you come up with that lame excuse?" Taeil asks, and I stare at him. 

"Eh. I'm not bothered anymore. I don't really care what you two were doing and I'm not sure I really wanna know," he adds, shrugging. 

"Please don't tell anyone else," I say. 

"Don't worry. I'll keep my lips sealed," he says, and I breathe out a sigh of relief.

***

"I don't need a piggyback!" I say obstinately.

"Jieun, you sprained your ankle and you can just about stand up, I'm not gonna let you walk all the way to the twenty-ninth floor. Get on my back," Jeno says stubbornly.

"People are gonna stare," I mutter, climbing onto his back.

"Who cares. You should be glad I'm not taking you back home," he says, standing up straight.

I wrap my arms around his neck as he walks into the lift, and I press the right button for him so he doesn't drop me. I hope Lucas doesn't see me like this. I don't want him to get the wrong idea.

"You're so clumsy, you're always hurting yourself. What is wrong with you?" he asks.

"I'm tryna figure out that question myself," I mutter.

The lift doors open and he walks towards the Staff Only door. I reach out and key in the passcode, and Jeno walks into the hallway behind it, spinning around. I yell and hold on tighter around his neck.

"Stop, I'm gonna fall!" I yell, and Jeno laughs.

"Do you think I'd drop you?" he asks, laughing and I laugh with him.

"You never know," I say teasingly as he walks up the stairs.

He stops at the top and everybody stares at us - when I say everybody, I mean every single NCT member plus Rose.

"I told you they were dating," Renjun says triumphantly, and I glare at him.

I get down from Jeno's back, careful not to put too much weight on my injured foot.