• cards | nct 2018 •

eleven || interruptions

A/N: a slightly shorter chapter :)

"would you like to have some of your questions answered?" she says with a mysterious smile.

mark stares at her in wonder, and it probably took longer than expected since she tilted her head to the side.

"mark?"

he blinks out of his trance, and opens his mouth to speak.

"i have many ques–"

the door crashes open with a loud thud. likely startled, hye ji's natural reaction was to cling to something for protection.

it was a habit of hers. ever since she was young.

mark and hye ji both snapped their heads to the door in surprise.

"did you SEE that? he was totally taken aback, dumbfounded! our prank is the absolute best!" donghyuk speaks in a loud voice as soon as he enters. mark relaxes.

the other members of ace enter rowdily. the door slams behind them.

"can you guys enter more quietly?" mark sighs in defeat.

the six other boys look to mark.

"yes, hyung. sorry." chenle nods.

"wait, this is not the time to apologise!" jaemin exclaims.

"do you guys not see that girl there?" jaemin yells, jabbing a finger at hye ji.

there was a few seconds of silence as their eyes dart between the two of them.

"no way, mark hyung! is she your girlfriend?" jeno suggests with a dramatic look on his face.

"girlfriend? what? no!" he widens his eyes a hurriedly denies.

"then why is she clinging to you?" jeno questions.

puzzled, i look to hye ji. it was true, she was clinging to me.

as if just only noticing what she's done, she swiftly pulls away, acting ignorant.

sighing internally, he wonders how the atmosphere could change so quickly.

mark decides to speak up for himself since hye ji was keeping quiet.

"look, she's not my girlfriend...she's our new team member." he explains, and looks of realisation flashes across their features.

"oh, of course! it would make no sense that mark has a girlfriend..." donghyuk laughs, and i glare at him.

"shut up, lee donghyuk."

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"you have failed me, taeyong. i had high expectations for you."

i press my lips into a thin line. "i apologise, sir."

"what took you so long to report to me right after the mission i gave you regarding the science centre?"

"i was...researching, sir." i licked my dry lips.

"...were you? well then, what did you find out?"

"the shards you wanted us to get from the centre. they weren't there at the location, sir." i tell him, waiting nervously for his reply.

"...oh?"

i took that as an okay to continue speaking.

"i went to research, and i found out that the centre was planning to auction it in a few days. that's why it wasn't in the exhibition." i explain, and surprisingly, i hear a chuckle from the other side of the curtain.

"that's interesting...well, you know what to do, taeyong. we need that shard. do not disappoint me this time."

"yes, sir. i understand."

"very good. you may leave."

taeyong lifts himself up from the ground and bows. he turns on his heels and exits the room, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.

inside the room, their 'master' remains.

a voice starts to speak behind the translucent curtains.

"i can see it...it's going to be so interesting," he says with a light hearted laugh. "i wonder how things will play out?"

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