NCT : The Dream Lab

I : The Origins of NCT 127

Hello hellooo ! As I mentioned already, this story is inspired from NCT's actual storyline. Of course, there will be a lot of fillers coming straight from my imagination (otherwise I wouldn't get much satisfaction out of it as an author 😉) but I will do my best to stick to it.
I will obviously include all the NCT members in the story, but they won't all have the same importance and won't appear all at once for the sake of the plot.
I also want to mention that English isn't my mother language (French is) so feel free to respectfully point out my mistakes as it will help me improve my skills !
I hope you will enjoy this !

🌹🌹🌹

Seoul, South Korea. 2016.

Taeyong put the last soapy plate on the counter and sighed heavily while cutting the water. His hands were all slippery with soap but he didn't dry them. Instead, he finally let the weakness in his knees take over and let himself slide on the tiles of the desert kitchen of the restaurant, his wet hands still hovering over the sink. There wasn't a single soul around, as usual. He always left the place late because he was the one doing all the cleaning and washing-up.

The sound of the drops falling one by one from his fingers against the stainless steel seemed amplified by the deafening silence. Then, he put his forehead against the cupboard under the sink, fighting his soaring tears.

He felt exhausted.

Paying his tuition fees for university was becoming harder day by day, even with the help of his family. Despite his hard work, the owner of the restaurant would dismiss him sooner or later because he was struggling financially too, and after... Taeyong would probably have no other choice but halt his architecture studies and find one or two full-time jobs.

He sometimes played music in cafes and sang quite well, to the point that certain clients advised him to audition for an agency. He had never considered this option seriously because he didn't identify much with the celebrities he saw on TV but maybe one day, when he'll have nothing to lose anymore...

The young man bumped his forehead a few times against the furniture before standing up to finish his work as soon as possible. He yearned for a good night of sleep.

As usual, he carefully checked that all the lights were turned off and the door shut before leaving, hands casually shoved in the pockets of his coat and cheeks flushed by the cold. This was his favorite moment of the day - or at least the only one he didn't downright disliked - : walking all alone in the streets of his hometown, among the distant noises of drunkards wreaking havoc in another neighborhood, some stray cats fighting in a corner and the Han River flowing, unbothered by anything that would ever happen. At times, Taeyong even voluntarily made a detour so his mind could be at peace a little longer. But not this day, he was too sleepy to even think straight.

As he walked alongside the river bank, a faint cry was heard. He didn't mind at first, but the more he went ahead, the louder it got. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the creature emitting those sounds. His heart started beating faster.

Some kind of low wall separated the park and the footpath from the riverbank, which was one or two meters lower. He easily climbed over it and immediately noticed a small puppy in the water, struggling to keep its tiny head out of the water. The tide seemed very strong but Taeyong couldn't imagine himself getting home leaving this adorable puppy to die.

He reached the riverbank as fast as he could, almost twisting his ankle once or twice in the process and took his clothes and shoes off in a hurry.

The dog was at least one meter away, clinging to a rock that slightly stuck out of the water. Actually, clinging wasn't the right word : it was just implacably stuck to its side by the tide.

This scene truly broke Taeyong's heart, so without giving this a second thought, he dipped his feet in the water.

It was freezing cold. He felt like he was being stabbed by hundreds of sharp knives at the same time but nonetheless, he painfully advanced until his torso was half immersed. The tide was stronger than he thought and his limbs were already getting numb from the cold. He panicked.

The young man finally reached for the puppy and hugged it against the part of his chest that wasn't wet yet, hoping that it would warm the little one. He remained like this a short instant, feeling the other's hitched breaths and frantic heartbeats.

He made a few tedious steps towards the riverbank where his clothes were scattered but all of a sudden, he slipped on the river bottom, cut his foot sole on something unknown and disappeared under the surface.

The surprise didn't even allow him to hold his breath, so he instantly suffocated. Overwhelmed by fear, he still cared about his companion and used his remaining strength to raise his arms as high as he could so the puppy could still breathe. Unable to swim with both his hands taken, he wiggled his legs deliriously without much result. By sheer chance, he managed to briefly emerge his head, long enough to spot his pile of clothes farther and farther away from him. It frustrated him so much : the land seemed so close but he still wasn't able to reach it. He let out a howl of rage. Out of despair, Taeyong threw the crying puppy towards the riverside. The poor animal landed quite violently on the floor but didn't pass out and gathered all its will to bark loudly and look out for him who was now inexorably drifting away.

It was like all the fatigue he had accumulated since he was born struck him all at once.

The last thing he sees before passing out is his blueish hand falling back into the water.

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The first chapter already ends on a dramatic note. ⊙.☉
I hope you like it ! Don't hesitate to express your reactions, theories and opinions !