CHAMPION | NCT

o11

C H A P T E R
E L E V E N

Upon arriving at the Capital Dome, I curled my nose at the place's unfathomable scent. Not that it's filled with stench, no, it was quite the opposite.

The whole place smelt like daydreams and nightmares combined. The air reeked of the smell of metal and fireworks. The fragnance of entrancing perfume of women in ivory starlike gowns travelled in the air, along with the scent of dry paint and clay.

The boys were already out of the car in a second, doing minor neck stretches here and there.

Hendery was obviously trying to act cool in front of every women who passed by, leaning his back on the car's head as if he owned the vehicle. I bet that with that face of his, cars were just an addition to steal girls' hearts. They'll fall on their knees just by looking at his charming eyes and mischievous smirk.

Meanwhile, Taeil was showing Renjun and Jeno around. I could hear him advising the young ones, telling them the do's and don'ts inside the Captal.

I hoped they didn't forgot that they just left a lady whose gown was heavier than her own body inside a car without assistance.

Gladly, one of them didn't. Unlike Hendery, his attention wasn't on other girls here but me.

Ten opened the car's door to my seat while wearing a feline smile on his face, offering me his hand.

I put my hands on top of his and let him assist me.

I picked up my skirt and felt my legs emit a tingling sensation when the plastered feathers on my gown brushed across my bare skin.

"New gloves, eh?" Ten observed, eyeing Yuta's gift.

"Yeah," the mere thought of Yuta and the warmth of his lips made my skin crawl.

But those were just kisses, no special meaning behind it. I wasn't in my right mind yesterday. As for Yuta, I knew it wasn't a big deal to him. Just another girl that he kissed - out of lust and loneliness - during that formidable night.

I must stop thinking about it. I shouldn't be distracted. It was I who won last night, not him. It was I who was supposed to hold him captive by my kiss and not the other way around.

That evening's events were nothing but a game. A part of the role I needed to fulfill.

As we headed closer to the Dome's gate, I glanced behind me to study other people's dresses.

My face blanched. "My dress is out of place."

Ten examined me for the nth time today. "The unique, the better."

Then there was a smooth tap on my shoulder. Hendery.

Like Ten and the rest of the Neon holders, he wore a close-fitting and long-sleeved white polo shirt.

"Relax, Dong," he said with an abusing smirk placed on his pastel lips. "You look like the only water lily in a still lake."

"Hey," Ten cocked his head. "Smooth talking with Sooji is like having a death sentence."

"Really?" Hendery flashed me an amused look. "He often does that to you, though?" he added, referring to Ten.

"I murdered him many times already," I smiled at him. "In my head."