NCT : The Dream Lab

XXXIII : The 7th Sense

Seoul, South Korea. 2016.

Taeil didn't expect Doyoung to step into his restaurant today. As he was displaying various plates on his clients' table, the singer patted his shoulder with a gloomy look that indicated something was wrong.

Naturally, the waiter guided him to the pantry where they could discuss privately.

-Sooo ! How was your time in the Neozone ? Taeil asked a bit too enthusiastically.

Doyoung's forehead was wrinkled with worry.

-Not very pleasant, I must say. I think something is going on between Jaehyun and Chittaphon. Some sort of rivalry.

Taeil rolled his eyes.

-Jaehyun is rivals with anyone Taeyong openly likes anyway, it's not surprising.

Doyoung nodded approvingly to this statement. He totally agreed but somehow, he had the hunch that the problem between Jaehyun and Ten was deeper than this.

-Moon, I'm afraid I shouldn't have gone to the Neozone. We are in danger.

Taeil's smile instantaneously fell down.

-The Neos are exchanging their glass cages in the temple. I've been in Taeyong's and that's one creepy crap, I assure you. You live their most awful moment as if you were them, so realistically...

-Do you also have a glass cage even though you empathized without the opium ?

-That's the problem. I do have one. And inside it, there is the moment I killed Jinseo's murderer. As soon as the others step into it, they will know about my crime.

Taeil took a few steps backwards, mouth hanging open in realization. Doyoung's breath hitched as he swallowed back his tears.

-Listen... we can't predict their reaction. Maybe they will understand.

Doyoung laughed bitterly.

-That's naïve. They will kick me out.

-They can't. Even if you're expelled from the lab, they can't technically kick you out of the Neozone. You will always be there. They can force you to take the Jalja serum until the day you die, but that's the worst that could happen. In fact, it would not even happen because we do have a weapon against them.

Doyoung raised an interrogative eyebrow.

-Do we ?

-My advice to you is to create a new melody. And make use of it wisely.

Once more, Doyoung was stunned by Taeil's cold-blooded side. One could say the waiter was not afraid of the dark. Not afraid to consider the most gruesome solutions. Solutions so gruesome the singer wouldn't even allow himself to think about them.

-So... you are suggesting that I should torture them in their dreams ?

-If they don't give us a choice.

-Us ?

-That's our secret. As long as I am not in the Neozone myself, we will pretend that I didn't participate in the crime. I will defend you tooth and nail and, according to the evolution of our situation, we will consider revealing my implication.

Taeil barely had time to finish his sentence that Doyoung was engulfing him into a tight, immensely grateful embrace.

***

Stage 4 : Empathy Phase

Location : City 127

The atmosphere was cold. Everyone was tense and wary, suspicious that other scary secrets remained between them. And there were.