The Red Thread of Fate || Wen Junhui

➶ four ➴

"Now get your asses into the kitchen and help Mingyu set the table!"

I've sat in the darkness of one of the bedrooms for at least an hour, listening to Sungcheol chastise Seventeen. From the two bunk beds pressed against the wall, I chose to sit on the bottom bunk of the second one. It is further away from the door and somewhat further from Sungcheol's yelling.

The walls here are so paper thin, that even though I was three rooms away from him, it felt like he was standing right in front of me and harshly scolding me with the others.

First he complained about the piss poor cleaning job. For at least fifteen minutes, he went on about how the dust bunnies were so big that every time he breathed he was afraid that he'd choke.

The second thing he yelled at them for was the way they reacted to me. Apparently the most natural and common reactions to a Rogue Soldier doesn't slide with Sungcheol. He said as long as I was staying with them, they would treat me with the utmost respect. They would treat me like one of their own, inhuman strength and wolffish teeth aside.

Sungcheol's final round of shouting—I was pretty amazed that he hadn't lost his voice yet—was towards Junhui. During those heavenly minutes, I smiled and even giggled sometimes to what Sungcheol said.

"I'll advise you now to stop acting like a stuck-up punk." Sungcheol snarled. "She's a new member of our team, not to mention a lady! She needs to be treated as such!"

I bit down on my tongue to refrain from laughing. A lady? What a fucking joke.

"She is not a dog or the Government's mutt. Never say those words again or so God help me, I'll kick your scrawny ass back to Shenzhen."

In that moment, there is nothing I wouldn't have given to see the look on Junhui's face.

Unlike the others, Junhui occasionally tried to argue back with him. I couldn't actually hear him since his remarks were meek, but I knew by the pauses Sungcheol took.

I sigh and plop down onto the wooly blanket. I didn't feel it at first from all the excitement, but now that I've calmed down, I'm so unbelievably hungry. My stomach roars, just as unsure as me when trying to recall the last meal I ate.

A gentle knock causes me to immediately sit up.

"Can I come in?" Jisoo asks.

"Yeah."

Jisoo opens the door, letting in a dim streak of light from the light bulbs outside. He doesn't bother to hit the light switch and sits down next to me.

"How are you feeling?"

I shrug. "Is Sungcheol still angry?"

"Sungcheol's sort of calmed down now, but I won't say he's extremely angry," he chuckles.

I furrow my eyebrows. "That...is kind of relieving? I guess? I mean I'm alright, but the last thing I need today is for him to yell at me."

We sit in silence for a minute. I stare unblinking at the dark ground, thoughts of Junhui filling my head yet again. They bother me so much that I can't help but asking:

"Are you going to send me back?"

"Send you back?" I can hear the surprise in his voice as he turns to face me. "And why would we do that?"

"Well, I did just try to attack one of your members. Plus, the others really don't like me."

Jisoo rests his arms on his knees and slumps forwards. "I wouldn't worry about him. Junhui's a twat. He's had that coming for awhile. As for the others," he pats my back, "They'll warm up to you. It might seem like they won't, but just give them time."