CHAMPION | NCT

o37

C H A P T E R
T H I R T Y - S E V E N

The noise of the shower from the bathroom hammered my ears. Yuta didn't even had seconds thoughts of using my room to take a bath. Oh, the nerve.

While I was waiting for him, I was skimming through the files. There were hundreds of codes written on it, but none made sense. I saw the bosses' names plenty of times too. But, again, nothing made sense.

I had thought of my previous hometown. Hendery's words barged inside my head.

There are cyborgs roaming around the village. And you let that happen!

In order to win, we must keep our enemies close. You're the one who said that to me years ago, Dong.

Uncle. Your father. He treated me like I was his own son.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Hendery also mentioned that he's working for the president. I couldn't help but to think that everything's connected.

I bit my lower lip and continued browsing the files.

Come on, come on. There's got to be something in here.

Then I realized it's pointless. If Jeena was really alive, she would have been able to decipher these files better than I do. Afterall, these are her parents'.

Then my thought flew to Lee Taeyong. The red brat. Is he even on our side? I hope that he's not manipulating Kwon Jeena. Heavens knows what he's planning.

In the middle of having deep thoughts, I failed to notice that Yuta had gone out of the bathroom. The sweet and powerful scent from earlier diminished. He was wearing a new set of robe.

"Thank you for letting me use the bathroom," he said idlely and walked towards a certain part of my room near the window.

"Doesn't your room have one?" I asked, slowly and subtlely closing the journal shut and sliding it below one of my pillows.

"Not as pretty as yours," he said. "They treat you like a queen here."

"So you're planning to use my bathroom every single time?"

"That depends."

I just sighed. "Look, the others would wonder why you're always in my room."

"So what? Let them think whatever they wish. You're my Champion."

"You say that so easily."

He glanced over at me. "Are you humiliated by that idea?"

"Oh, Yuta. Just cut it out, will you? Go back to your room before the kids find out that you're here," I scanned him from head to toe. "And just gotten out of bath, seriously?"

"You can't make me leave this room. Unless you're going to kick me out," he looked at me again. "Are you going to kick me out?" he smirked.

"I would if I find it necessary."

"That's not the answer I've been expecting."

I just sighed inwardly. "Yuta?"

"What?"

"I really want to talk with you for a long time, be with you," I inhaled. "But you know that's not how it works. You know that we need to leave each other's side sooner. Look, I'm going back to the city tomorrow. And you're staying here again."