Eccedentesiast |NCT MARK LEE| ✔

Chapter 11: Nepenthe

A/N
4300 words - hoo boy it's gonna be a longass ride.

|Nepenthe|

(Noun) - Something that makes you forget about your grief and suffering

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"YO! ANYONE THERE?!" Minji asked at the top of her voice, throwing open the door with an exasperated Jaemin telling her to quieten down behind her. Thankfully, there was not a single customer in sight since it was currently the workers' lunch break and the café had yet to open up for the afternoon shift.

A scarlet-haired man situated behind the counter was counting the dollar bills and coins in his hand when the abrupt yell forcefully dragged him out of his focused state. He whirled around with a questioning gaze and his brows arched high until they disappeared beneath his unruly red bangs.

"Minji! Glad to see you again!" Taeyong greeted the dark-haired girl amiably with a warm grin gracing his sharp features upon recognition.

"Glad to be back, Taeyong-oppa," Minji quipped fondly with a blithe grin stretching from ear to ear.

"The others are at the back so come on, they have been dying to see you again," said the older lad, taking off his custom-made apron with the utmost care before beckoning Minji with a wave of his hand. He then sauntered towards the back of the coffee shop where the lounge area was.

"Everyone missed you," Jaemin whispered to her once Taeyong was out of earshot, "especially our tsundere manager. He was scared out of his wits when he heard from Jaehyun-hyung you got into some kind of accident. He said he couldn't bear losing one of his best workers."

Minji bit back a laugh. "That sounds like Taeyong-oppa for sure."

Jaemin grinned but it faded away as quickly as it had appeared and was replaced with a sombre expression.

"What happened to you though? I was worried sick when I didn't hear anything from you for two days."

Minji ruffled his hair in a playful manner while smiling tenderly at the boy who whined about his efforts spent on styling his hair going to waste. She truly appreciated the concern everyone had expressed for her and it stirred a tingly feeling in her chest that loosened the tense knot of anxiety inside of her.

"As I said earlier on, everything will be explained in due time. Let's have everyone in the same room first so I don't need to repeat myself. Have patience, youngling," Minji chortled jokingly and turned away, causing Jaemin's face to contort into a half-hearted scowl.

"I'm only one year younger than you, noona," he pointed out unnecessarily, tailing after Minji who had already skipped her way past the counter and down the short hallway to the lounge area.

Unthinkingly, a wide smile formed on Jaemin's lips at the sight of a deliriously elated Minji. It was a rarity to see her openly smiling without a care in the world so something fortunate must have transpired.