NCT : The Dream Lab

XXXV : Fire Truck.

Stage 3 : Mirage phase.

Location : City 127.

Taeyong must have accidentally dozed off in the auditorium.

At this time of the day, he kind of expected to be completely on his own in the Neozone since all his companions were busy with their work day. However, once more, something strange was happening : he didn't wake up at the place he used to wake up in before the whole 7th sense ordeal. Instead, he was standing in the corridor of a very modern building. The surfaces were impossibly polished, white and shiny to the point that he was almost afraid to ruin it by walking with his shoes on.

There was music playing faintly in the background. It caught his attention. Intrigued, he followed the sound until he glimpsed a half-opened door. The young man discreetly peaked through the gap, a bit worried that it could be a trap from whatever could ruin his creation again.

The room was an immense studio with professional equipment and an impressive window pane that gave a very unique view over the roofs of the City 127. The sky was light blue. It enhanced the beauty of every building and every tree he designed.

The young man didn't linger on this great occasion to admire his work and instead, directed his curious look towards the very graceful silhouette of another young man dancing as if it was his last. He executed complicated pirouettes without showing the slightest sign of effort. He was barely sweating. He moved with such ease that it looked like the music was playing to match his dance and not the opposite. His hair was partially covering his forehead and bounced freely as he brilliantly made a jump so technical it looked inhumane, and his eyebrows were slightly frowned by concentration.

The stranger was wearing shorts, socks and a plain t-shirt, nothing too fancy. It matched the overall atmosphere of the building.

Taeyong was so entranced by this odd choreography that he didn't immediately notice the eyes of the boy settled on him. When he did however, it felt like his soul was entirely exposed. The stare of the stranger was very sweet and benevolent yet it penetrated Taeyong's core like no one ever managed to.

-Hello ? he said.

His voice was deeper than expected. Taeyong shuddered, uncertain about how he should feel about being discovered. Was he supposed to witness this in the first place ? How come there was someone in the Neozone that wasn't a secondary human nor had their own glass cage in the temple ? The other looked quite used to the environment, unlike Chittaphon who looked terrified and completely out of it when they first met. That meant that the stranger must have arrived sometime sooner, probably during the Neos' unpleasant stay at the temple.

The student stared at him with his mouth hanging for a few awkward seconds before he stuttered confusedly.

-Uhm... Hello. Who... May I... uhm ask who you are ?

-My name is WInwin, the stranger revealed as he bowed. And you ?

-Taeyong. How long have you been there ?

-Some nights. I hope it doesn't disturb you that I practice here. I didn't know there was someone else around apart from those weird masked humans.

-You didn't empathize with me.

With his unfriendly tone, Taeyong's remark sounded quite rude but the student was too busy wrapping his head around the fact that there was probably a breach in the Empathy system to care.

Winwin looked a bit thrown off.

-Maybe we can empathize now. Dancing is an amazing way to do so, he offered gently.