dissident ｡ nct

9.6｡

–Part 9.6–

Rooftop Chats

"There's a sky full of stars and yet you're staring at me."

—Emiko—

With the rocky inner body of a mountain, stone walls lined with accents of sheet metal, dim streams of lights against the wall seams, and the faint sound of distantly clanking pipes—the hallways at Dauntless were a dark maze that little to no one wanted to navigate at night.

For me though, the labyrinth ran a permanent course through my brain, etched into me no differently than a fingerprint. The route to Jaemin's dorm from my own was part of that internal map—a habitual path I often took out of boredom or with the intent of dragging him out by the shirt collar.

Those were somewhat my intentions now—with my boots unlaced, lightly clicking against the hard floors, my breath stifled in hopes of maintaining my silence, and my heartbeat pulsing against the faraway murmurs of guards down the hall. That same silence continued as people in each passing dorm slumbered on, light snores seeping through their doors.

I had tossed and turned repeatedly in my own bed for several hours, the attempt proving futile as my thoughts only raged on.

Staring out the single slit of a window on the wall, I realized that I had to get out.

Inhale the cool air that settled over the city at night. To witness the skyline with its glimmering lights and the forever dormant nightlife. Just anything at all to soothe my head.

But I also needed someone to accompany me. And Jaemin was—in all honesty—the only option.

And that need brought me to standing just outside the black door of his dormitory. I knocked softly at first, not wanting to alert any guards roaming the halls, but when I was met with no response, I knocked a bit louder. The only sound that traveled through the door was a soft hum of acknowledgement, I couldn't be sure it wasn't the wind.

Nonetheless, taking that as a signal, I nudged the frame inwards to reveal the landscape of his dorm. It was square like all the other single rooms, with minimal furniture, all black with small accents of gray, and a coarse carpet that scuffed the bottoms of your feet. Jaemin's room wasn't clean by any means, but the small handful of shirts and socks across the floor was nothing compared to Jeno's room—a floor practically buried beneath stray clothing.

I peered into the dorm slowly, eyes drinking in the warm glow of Jaemin's bedside lamp. He was sprawled out over his covers as he stared up at the gray ceiling, his face stoic and seemingly distant, the corners of his lips softly pulled into a frown. It was an uncharacteristic look he'd sported for the past few days—a glum quality I couldn't source the cause of.

I didn't understand why, nor could I find a reason for his apparent shift in demeanor. It started slowly, with him seeming disinterested in training, to him disappearing at random times throughout the day, to our conversations shortening down to nothing more than small talk and hello's. Partially, his behavior was the reason I lugged myself up here.