Holding On [Nine Percent/ Idol Producer]

Chapter Four.

“Survival?” Justin looks at Nessa, eyebrows frowned.

Nessa blinks twice before looking away from him and staring at her food. “Let's eat.”

“No. Tell me what you're hinting at.”

“I'm hinting at the fact that it's dangerous and you should stop whatever you're planning to do.”

“I ain't planning anything. I'm here because I was appointed and to work.”

“I know you're not here for that.”

How do you know it?  “Keep assuming shit up.”

“I'm not assuming.”

“My sister is in the goddamn prison and I don't have anything to do with her. That murder incident was associated with her, not me. And I don't give a flying fuck about it. Summit is reputed and pays well, and that's what I'm here for.” Justin's nails dig too much into one of his hands from holding it too hard as he finishes the sentence, without letting her see the vulnerability in his posture.

“Well,” Nessa settles back, shrugging, “okay. You didn't have to go that hard on the language.”

Justin can not stop stressing over the fact that the lunch was a bad idea.

--

Ziyi steps out of the car before Jiayi puts her heels on, walking to her side and opening her door.

“Jiayi,” he crouches down and places his hands over her feet, taking off one of the heels that she managed to wear, “are you worried?”

She closes her eyes as he takes her hands in his, massaging to release the tension, “it's okay,” he stops for a moment before continuing, “just, be safe, alright? I don't want anything to happen to you.”

“Don't get involved in this mess, Ziyi,” she says lowly, “please.”

Ziyi doesn't reply.

“Does Xukun know?” she asks when he remains silent for moments unusually long.

“He knows that Justin is her brother,” Ziyi closes his eyes and lets out a sigh.

“Does he know about you?”

“No.”

Jiayi hold his face in her hands, “Please, be safe.”

Ziyi opens his eyes, placing his hand against Jiayi's hand over his cheek, and nods. “We should get back.”

Ziyi says he has somewhere else to belong at, Jiayi doesn't question him as she simply nods before putting on her heels, opening her hair and placing the pen back on the dashboard.

Xingjie sees that Jiayi is back in her cubicle, following which he quickly gathers his report and walks over to her. She asks where Justin is after he places the report on her desk, getting an answer of uncertainty, that he is not really sure where -or what- Justin might be at.

Her left hand makes way to the back of her neck, as she nods and asks Xingjie to get back to his desk, which he does as asked.

“Justin,” after some ten minutes or something, the said boy makes an appearance in front of Xingjie, “Dong Jiayi was looking for you.”

“For me?” Justin frowns while arranging the report, hands working in a rush.

“No, like, she was asking where you were,” Xingjie says with a shrug.

“She probably wanted the report,” Justin ends the conversation as he walks to Jiayi's cubicle.

Justin knocks on the side of her cubicle before leaning in, “I brought the report.”