The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 14. Flashing Lights 🖤

"And what will you do if you win?" The interviewer's voice recited in an accent Sicheng didn't recognize. Chenle smiled sweetly and looked into the camera, propping his head up on his palms endearingly.

"I don't really know, but I'll have more than enough time to think about it after the Games, y'know?" Chenle's smile was bright, but his eyes didn't smile with him. "For now, I'll just try my best!" He winked at a camera and the crowd clapped.

Renjun scoffed beside him, rolling his eyes. The boy's long hair was pulled into a nice bun on the top of his head with bangs on either side of his face, revealing his annoyed expression.

Sicheng looked at him, but didn't say anything -he only looked back at the screen as Yeonjun busied himself with applying more blush onto Renjun.

"Ugh! My poor Binnie is sick! I wonder if he's watching from home... goodness, I hope he is!" The man murmured, daintily dusting a faint rosy color onto an irritated Renjun's nose. "Gosh, I hope it isn't anything serious like my little Taehyun..."

There were claps again from the screen and Sicheng paid attention again, Chenle apparently shaking the interviewer's hand and smiling all the while, waving to the cameras and retreating backstage.

The next person was in a slick black suit like Chenle was, his tall physique filling out the suit quite nicely. The long seam running down his trousers was bejeweled and he wore elaborate earrings and necklaces adorned with gems, just like Chenle had.

Sicheng looked at Johnny and frowned. He had an awful little pit in his stomach that he couldn't shake, but god, did Johnny make it worse.

"And what will you do if you win?" The interviewer asked, per routine.

Johnny only reclined in his chair, seemingly unbothered. His hands rested behind his head and he smirked knowingly. "It isn't a question of 'if', is it. It's 'when'. When I do win, I think I'd like to become a Peacekeeper."

There were claps on the screen and another scoff from Renjun. Sicheng half-listened to the rest of the interview, only noting how he seemed thrive off of the attention and seemed cocky. Unbothered and laid back.

He practically blinked and the next tribute was onstage in a flash. Sicheng remembers him; Lucas, the charming muscle-pig. His hair was slicked back nicely and he wore an expensive robe with dress pants, topless chest slightly exposed, but he still reminded Sicheng of the futility of putting a puppy in expensive clothing; It was still an rambunctious puppy in the end, one who still wouldn't know when to sit down and shut up.

"And what will you-"

"I'LL BE THE RICHEST MAN IN DISTRICT TWO! YEAH!" Lucas exclaimed with excitement, practically leaping out of his chair. "AND I'LL, UH TRAIN THE NEW GENERATION WITH ALL I'VE GOT!"

The interviewer looked taken aback, eyes widened as Lucas sat back down in his seat. "Oh my gosh! Someone's excited, isn't he? The Games are tomorrow, not today!"

Sicheng kind of laughed at that. Lucas really was like a puppy in expensive clothing, so excited and loyal, but albeit... unintelligent.

"If his arms weren't humongous, he'd have absolutely no chance in hell." Renjun observed, Sicheng nodding wordlessly. There was a squeal and Yeonjun turned Renjun around in his chair, the two brothers now matching almost completely apart from Sicheng's eyebrow slit.

"Isn't he so wonderfully pretty, Sichengie?" Yeonjun asked, cooing as the youngest swatted him away.

"Yeah. You look really nice, Jun." Sicheng agreed, giving a comforting smile and thumbs up to Renjun, who only huffed and turned away.