Mr. No || NCT || Completed

66 - Where Renjun walks the walk

Chaewon's fingers tightened around Renjun's hand but he refused to break his eye contact with Mr. Yun.

"No." Chaewon grabbed Renjun's arm with her free hand as if that would stop him from accepting his fate. "Don't say that! They can't do this!"

Renjun swallowed. The urgency in Chaewon's voice pierced his heart but he didn't have a choice.

"I will cooperate only as long as you do nothing to Chaewon or my pack." Even though he was the one speaking, the robotic sound of his voice sounded unfamiliar. He kept his eyes away from Chaewon because he knew that he couldn't handle her anxiety if he faced it.

They had been so close to winning. The cure was supposed to be his ticket to freedom from the arranged marriage, and it was supposed to be the key for him to hold onto Chaewon and never let go. Now none of their struggles mattered.

Hearing what he said, Chaewon started shaking her head and tattempted to shield him with her body by stepping in front of him while pushing him back the same way he had done to her earlier. "Don't try me", she warned Mr. Yun and Dr. An. "You saw what I'm like when I get angry." Her shoulders and voice were shaking.

Compared to the fiery rage of the Xiezhi, Chaewon's own anger was more humane but nonetheless intimidating. The wolf could almost see the shadow of the lion lingering around her fury, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Dr. An had clasped her hands together. "Chaewon, let's be mature about this. I'm sure that you're upset about the outcome but you shouldn't burden Renjun when he's trying to behave responsibly to help you."

"Stop wasting everyone's time with that bullshit", Chaewon snapped at the doctor. "Why are you even here? Now we all know that the Yuns are power-hungry idiots who are more than ready to murder and threaten people just for the sake of some dumb Council seat but what are you getting out of this? Were you in need of some cash or something?" Her voice dripped with disdain. "I bet that you aren't even a real doctor."

Dr. An shrugged. "My motivations don't really matter. Today our focus should be on returning people to their rightful places; Renjun returns to where he belongs whereas you," Dr. An paused to look at Chaewon like she was assessing a piece of chewing gum stuck on someone's hair. "You can go back home, knowing that even though this battle was never meant for you, you did put up a good fight."

"Says the bitch who doesn't even do any of the actual fighting", Chaewon spat at her. Now it was Renjun's turn to hold onto her arm, just in case. While he was worried about getting her out of the museum and somewhere far away from Mr. Yun and Dr. An, Renjun couldn't help feeling warm when he saw how fiercely Chaewon was trying to protect him even though he knew that it wouldn't change the course of the events.

Mr. Yun tutted at Chaewon's animosity. "It is thanks to Dr. An that you are left alive tonight, Ms. Song. That wouldn't have been the case if she hadn't reminded me that you are more useful when you're not dead."

It was odd to hear him speak so casually about ending Chaewon's life but his words were a stark enough reminder for Renjun of the severity of the situation.

"I already told you my terms, didn't I?" he spoke up before Chaewon could start snapping at Mr. Yun next and possibly make the man reconsider his decision to let her live. "I will play along if you stay away from my pack and Chaewon."

Mr. Yun was starting to get annoyed by Renjun's repetitive demands. "Yes, that's what we are planning to do, boy." His eyes drifted to Chaewon. "It is a pity to leave such a mystery behind but I guess that it's fair for me to have to pay a price of some kind. Perhaps I can find another one of your kind in China."

Chaewon stopped breathing and Renjun tugged her arm, worried that she would lash out. Mr. Yun's words reminded him of his grandmother's words about the rumors of Xiezhis hiding somewhere in China and how, if the rumors were true, it was likely that they were hiding from the world on purpose. He could only hope that his grandmother would find a way to contact Chaewon and tell her what she had told Renjun earlier.