cherry bomb › nct

28 | back to work

NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
MAD CITY BASE
9:23 AM, MONDAY

3RD PERSONS VIEW。

"Ugh, what do they want now," Jisung grunted as he read the new threat one out of many rival gangs sent them. "I thought we already eliminated around half of the Nightwalkers?"

Taeyong shook his head, "Those were official Nightwalkers, more like associates."

Chenle hummed, spinning around his own office chair as they were having a meeting in the Dream unit office. "Say, Taeyong-hyung?"

"Yes, Chenle?"

"About Keiko–" his words got cut off easily when the door to Dream's office bursted open revealing Keiko all dressed up in a nice fit. "speaking of." he grumbled, looking away in pure annoyance.

"Kei-noona!" Jisung waved at her with a smile, "What are you doing here? And... you're dressed up...?"

She locked eyes with Taeyong who only shook his head. "No." her shoulders slumped at his words, as her eye twitched.

"I need to go to work, Taeyong." she crossed her arms, displeased that she wasn't allowed to leave their base.

Taeyong ignored her as Chenle only sniggered. Keiko's nose crinkled, a frown forming on her lips, "Wow, you're seriously going to ignore me?"

"He seems like it." Jeno chuckled, peaking over from his computer screen.

Renjun figured around the Rubik's Cube he was solving. The blonde boy was waiting for Taeyong's orders to come through, he had been itching to shoot a gun for a few days. "How about you come with me, Cherrie? I'll let you shoot some targets?" he offered.

Keiko shot him a fake smile, "I'd rather shoot you instead."

Donghyuck whistled, "You're so hot, babe." he murmured making the girl squint her eyes at him to which he only smirked at.

"Just let her go to work, hyung." Jisung stated as tossed the file towards Chenle who caught it seamlessly.

Taeyong raised a brow, finally looking at her after ignoring her for a few minutes, "Hmm... I guess you can go, if you let one of us come with you."

Deadpanning, she pursed her lips together. A part of her wanted to disagree with his newly brought up condition, but the other part of her also wanted to go back to her bar. To her, it's where she really felt like being herself.

"Fine..." she sighed before raising a finger, "but don't mess with me– and that's final." she said before leaving the unit office.

Taeyong glanced at the boys, "What?"

"Do you want me to go with her?" Jaemin offered and the older shook his head, declining him.

— • • • —

"I swear– you better not run away the moment you have a chance to." Mark pointed out as they entered his black Tesla roadster. Keiko gave him a smug grin, implying that he shouldn't expect anything from her. "Wipe that fucking grin off your face." he sneered before starting up the car.

"Drive safely, please." Yangyang reminded as Mark chuckled, "No promises."

The drive to Pandora's Box was filled with a lot of arguing. Both weren't that fond of each other and that made things harder for them to cooperate.

"Just park over there!" Keiko exclaimed while Mark threw his hands up, flailing it, "Where the fuck is even Pandora's Box?!"

"Idiot, you've been there already!"

"Oh, I have?" he cocked a brow while Keiko just sighed deeply, preventing herself from strangling the mafioso beside her.

Keiko stepped out of the car, scratching her head as she waited for the boy to get out. "Can't you move any faster?"

"Can't you calm down?" Mark questioned as he locked the car, wearing his shades as his tucked his hands into his black jean's pocket.

"Are you seriously going to wear that?" she questions, pointing a finger at his sunglasses.

"What?" he shrugs before posing, "Don't I look cool?"

Keiko blinked, "Whatever, let's go."

The two made their way down the slope, Mark noticing every single detail about the decorations. "Oh, they're already here." she noted as she pushed the door open.

"Who?"

"My co-workers." she simply said as they entered the bar.

"Keiko!" the boy yelled upon seeing the silver haired girl. Running towards her, Reiji easily engulfed her petite figure into a bear hug.

Mark, who stood behind her, coughed, earning Reiji's attention. The bartender raised a brow, "And you are? Wait– I remember you! You were one of those mafias!"

The boy raised a brow, "No shit I am." he said smugly before freely roaming around Pandora's Box.

The apprentice stepped out of the employee room, eventually noticing the new presence inside the bar. "Uhh... I'm glad you're back, Keiko, but who the hell is he?" Daniel grunts, jabbing a thumb towards the brown haired boy who sat by one of the tables.

Keiko sighed as she rolled up the sleeves to her red polo uniform, "Hmm, I don't know."

"I heard that!" Mark uttered loudly and she rolled her eyes.

"Like what Reiji said, a member of some mafia shit."

Reiji had a scowl on his face as he continued to wipe the tables with a white cloth, "So? What is he doing the fuck with you?"

"She's my girlfriend." Mark quipped earning a glare from the girl. "Just kidding..." he giggled, whipping out a knife from his leather jacket.

Daniel flinched, "Where the hell– you need to get him out of here!"

"No can do, Daniel." Mark shook his head, a playful smirk casted on his lips. "Think of me as someone who's here to watch over Keiko? Eh, sounds boring but I do my job." he shrugs leaning back onto the leather backrest.

Keiko ran a hand over her face, "Can't you all just shut up?" she spat out making the three boys shut their mouths closed instantly.

The mafioso only chuckled, as he watched the girl work her way behind the bar counter. "What a badass girl."

— • • • —