Train to Neocity

001

"Jaemin hyung..." Chenle groaned in his sleep, wrestling against his blankets in discomfort.

"No!" his eyes burst open as he found himself jolting upright in his bed with his heart pounding in his chest.

He looked up to find his own hand reaching out in front of him. Resting his arm, he released a light sigh of relief before drinking in the new environment.

The room was that of a child's: a bunk bed on each side of the room and a desk in one of the corners in the room. Chenle had never encountered a room like this before.

Where was he?

A sharp stinging pain embraced his lower abdomen as he attempted to climb out of bed.

"Ah, shit," he winced, clutching at the bandaged wound. Only then had the reality truly sunk in; all that had occurred the day before was real.

With hand pressing tightly against his injury, he limped his way to the door, rattling the knob in frustration. He had been locked in. With a huff of irritation, he wandered to the desk and ruffled through the many pens and papers to find a 'key'. A paperclip. Strategically shaping the paperclip, he expertly picked the lock and stepped out the room.

What lay beyond the door bedazzled Chenle. The house was large and spacious. Sparkling chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, golden trims along each wall, carpets and curtains made of the finest materials. Two giggling children captured Chenle's attention; they continued to have fun without the slightest acknowledgement towards Chenle's looming presence. With all Chenle had seen, this was the last thing he expected to encounter.

"Oh goodey," a foreign accent sounded from behind Chenle spoke, "You're up,"

Chenle craned his neck to observe the stranger. A young man- presumably around his age. Chiseled features which complemented his overall fresh and bubbly vibe.

"Forgive us for lockin' the door on ya," the young man smiled, "Pa said 'twas for security measures... But it's all good, right?" he questioned as his eyes flitted over Chenle's features. Chenle did nothing but stare in intrigue at this man. He didn't appear to be a threat but how had he ended up in this mans home?

"Ah, a man o' few words I presume," the young man pondered. "My English name's Ethan but my family here calls me Dohyun. It's nice to meet someone around my age," he introduced himself before wagging his finger, gesturing Chenle to follow him down the stairs.

"Dohyun, huh," Chenle mumbled, testing the name on his lips,

"Ah, so he does speak- oh, almost forgot to mention: Minrui- your girlfriend's in one of the other rooms," Chenle's eyes shot up as soons as the name 'Minrui' hit his eardrums, "She's got a high fever so we thought it'd be best for her to rest and recover. No fret though! She'll be fine," he reassured cheerfully, taking a seat on the couch.

"She's not my- girlfriend," Chenle reluctantly corrected, "And my name's Chenle."

"Oh 'scuse me. I just assumed y'all were together judging by how you was callin' out for her when we put you in that room," Dohyun cleared his throat. "But go on, tell me 'bout yourself, Chenle."

"Dohyun-ah," they were interrupted before Chenle even had the chance to speak "Are you scaring off our guests again?"

"No sir," Dohyun replied giddily, licking his lips and bouncing to his feet as the scent of fresh oven baked wafted its way into the air around them, "Is Meemaw in the kitchen?"

As soon as the man nodded his head, Dohyun had already started gleefully skipping to the kitchen. The young man sighed, shaking his head and turning his attention to Chenle.