Alone | NCT

Chapter 9

It was finally the Friday of the initiation mission. Doyoung was in the command room, making the necessary preparations when Jungwoo and Sejung entered.

"Excited to babysit?" Doyoung asked the two as they picked up their earpiece, contacts and microphone. This allowed Doyoung to be able to see and hear everything they did. Sejung shook her head in response while Jungwoo shrugged.

"I'm too scared of Minjee doing something stupid." Sejung replied as she placed the items in her pocket. The mentors had to brief their mentees prior to their mission so they didn't want them to know that they were going out as well.

"Keep in mind Minjee doesn't know you're following her so she'll probably think more before she acts." Doyoung told her.

"I don't know, she could also not think at all." Sejung said.

"Tsk, you're so negative." Doyoung commented as Sejung rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, not everyone can have Renjun as a mentee." Sejung replied before walking away. Naeun and Minjee had arrived, meaning that Jungwoo and Sejung had to give them last minute coaching before Taeyong explained the mission.

A moment later, Taeyong and Kun entered, Kun holding a tray with their equipment. Doyoung watched as the two girls were given their mission before heading to the weapons area. Once they were ready, their two Taeyong allowed the two girls to leave. Naeun opened a faerie door and they stepped through, disappearing from base.

"Okay, let's get both of you on here." Doyoung said, starting up the control table. Once Jungwoo and Sejung had their equipment on, Doyoung pulled up the cameras in their contacts onto the screen.

"Is it just you two?" Kun asked, looking at them.

"Jaehyun was supposed to come too, maybe he forgot?" Jungwoo said as Taeyong shook his head. A moment later, Jaehyun strolled in, his eyes red and puffy.

"You're late." Taeyong said as Jaehyun got his equipment ready.

"I got held back at the Academy." Jaehyun replied as he put his contacts in. Doyoung was sure everyone in the room knew he was lying. Jaehyun nodded to Jungwoo, signalling that he was ready to go.

Jungwoo opened a faerie door, the three of them walking in, making their way to the Underground City.

...

Jimin watched from the window as Jaemin and Haechan duelled in the large simulation room. The technology of the room allowed holographic landscapes to be projected and to react according to their movements. The two of them couldn't see their friends outside but everyone on the outside could perfectly what was happening inside.

"Pretty cool, eh?" Jisung said as he leaned on the ledge beside her. Jimin nodded as she watched two balls of fire grow in Haechan's hands.

"Yeah." Jimin replied as she watched Jaemin effortlessly dodge the throws, using his speed to hold Haechan in a choke hold. She was impressed by her brother's strength.

"Dumb move." Rena said from behind them, confusing Jimin. Jimin turned to face her but Rena turned her back to look at them. The way Jaemin held Haechan gave him the perfect opportunity to attack Jaemin's legs, making him release hold of Haechan. Once Haechan was released, he changed into his phoenix form, flying to the other side of them room.

Jimin heard Jaemin's friends laugh as Jaemin threw his hands up, his mouth moving to the word what? When Haechan returned to his human form, he gave Jaemin a smirk before throwing his hands out, trapping Jaemin in a ring of fire.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jimin asked as she leaned closer to the window. The smoke from the fire had began filling the room, making it difficult to see.

"Yeah, they'll be fine." Renjun reassured her as she continued watching. Once Haechan had realized that he couldn't see a thing, he extinguished the fire. The second the fire was extinguished, a blur ran across the room and before you knew it, Haechan was lying on his back, groaning in pain while Jaemin laughed beside him.

"Aw man, Haechan smoked the room again!" The group turned to see Lucas standing behind them with Yuri, Xiaojun, and Hendery.

"Are they almost done?" Yuri asked, as she approached the window, looking inside.

"Yeah, they should be coming now." Jeno told them as they watched Jaemin help Haechan up. Hendery made his way to the water station, throwing Xiaojun a bottle of water as Haechan and Jaemin walked out of the room.

"You make my life so difficult." Xiaojun said as he passed the phoenix. Haechan patted Xiaojun on the back as he entered the room, pouring the water in his hands so he could clear the smoke.

"Thanks hyung." Haechan said as he closed the door for Hendery.

The juniors were not impressed so Haechan and Jaemin did some aegyo to make them smile.

"Okay, you two can stop now." Yuri said as Lucas and Hendery lied on the floor laughing while Renjun and Jeno held each other, pretending to gag. Jaemin and Haechan immediately stopped, the group of them laughing.

"Sometimes its hard to believe that Haechan didn't do the initiation mission either." Jimin said as she stood beside Jisung. Jisung gave the girl a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, we all have good and bad days." Jisung told her before ruffling her hair.

...

"So what's the real reason why you were late?" Sejung asked Jaehyun as they sat on the edge of the rooftop. They were on a buidling right outside of the Cerberus, making sure no one strange was entering the night club. It was Jungwoo's turn to go around the perimeter, leaving the two alone.

"That was my real reason." Jaehyun insisted, looking away. Sejung sighed as she already knew the reason. She reached into her pocket, turning off her microphone.

"So you weren't in your office crying while staring at the picture of you and Sora?" Sejung said, surprising Jaehyun. He quickly turned his microphone off as well.

"How did you-"

"I went to see Johnny a few times right after school. You should close your door properly if you don't want people to hear." Sejung told him. Jaehyun looked down at the ground, his fingers laced together as he swung his feet.

"I miss her too sometimes." Sejung continued. Sora was one of her closest friends, both at the academy and agency. The two girls often gossiped late into the night in each other's rooms. Sejung turned her head to see Jaehyun staring blankly at the ground.

"You know, when she first liked you, I was the first one she told." Sejung said, trying to fill the silence.

"I told her that she should just tell you straight up, but she was too chicken so she waited for you to confess, even though she liked you for so long." Sejung noticed a smile creep up on Jaehyun's face at her words.

"She talked about you too." Jaehyun said softly. Sejung's eyes widened, half surprised by the words he said, half surprised by him speaking.

"She said you were stubborn. Always so focused on school and the agency, never spending time having fun." Jaehyun continued.

"I mean, she's not wrong." Sejung admitted.

"Sometimes I forget that I wasn't the only person in her life and that I'm not the only person that misses her." Jaehyun confessed. Sejung slowly nodded her head.

"That's only natural. You probably spent the most time with her out of all of us." Sejung told him.

"Thanks for the talk." Jaehyun said, standing up as he turned his microphone back on. Sejung followed him doing the same as she spotted Jungwoo returning.

"Anytime." Sejung replied as Jungwoo reached their sides. The three of them watched as Minjee walked out of the club, the target holding her hand as she lead him to a nearby alleyway.

"Well, this is where the fun begins." Jaehyun said, crossing his arms over his chest as the Minjee kicked the sprite to the ground.

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Hello beautiful people of the world :)