cherry bomb › nct

42 | her preference

NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
MAD CITY BASE
12:23 PM, WEDNESDAY

3RD PERSONS VIEW。

"Keiko? Are you in here?" Jungwoo hummed and opened the door to her room, peeking from the small gap he created between. Seeing as no one replied, he pushed the door open and welcomed himself in, noticing the girl curled up into a ball as she laid in her bed.

Scrunching his nose, he leaned against the doorway, "You fought with Taeyong again, or?"

A muffled response was what he received, her face buried under the sheets, "I don't know, you tell me."

Jungwoo chuckled and shook his head, "I'm guessing the information Daniel gave you didn't work?" he questioned and she jolted up from her position. Eyes gouging wide as Keiko openly stared at him, "How did you..."

The mafioso only clicked his tongue before smirking widely, arms crossing as he closed his eyes. "I interrogated him- found out he was a hacker... I may have lured him and set up that fake website I told Jeno to make." he shrugs as if it wasn't anything big, but this meant something.

Jungwoo had his own tricks up his sleeve, she didn't know whether he was working with Taeyong or he had his own agendas or even both. The cunning boy who was always praised for his own strategies– perhaps that's why Taeyong never questioned or went against him.

Sharing the same ideals although there might have been drastic changes. "I thought that was enough for Taeyong to stop, oh well, he's Taeyong after all." he chuckled and shakes his head, those words were enough for Keiko to realize that there possibly be a feud between the two mafiosos.

It never really occurred to her that one of them could take them down, after all, she figured that they have a loyalty code going on. Hurt one of them, you get hurt by all. Everyone also seemed to respect each other very well, especially Taeyong, he was like a role model towards them. The way he acted and handled them with ease, no way you would've thought about one of them breaking their loyalty code, or maybe it wasn't because of Taeyong?

Looking at Jungwoo and judging him by his actions, it was either he wanted to provoke his own boss and friend or he wanted something else. That something else could be connected to Dasom, at least that what it seems like.

Jungwoo tousled his dark hair, grunting lowly, "You sure you don't want to eat lunch? I heard you didn't even eat breakfast."

Keiko leaned back onto the headboard, still a bit stubborn from what happened awhile ago, "No thanks."

Shoulders raised up before dropping, he nods and reaches to close the door, "If you need anything- you know what to do." he said before leaving her room.

The soles of his shoe lightly padding against the wooden floors of the mansion, a smirk creeping up his lips as he made his way to the dining hall. Humming to a simple tune he had memorized after repeating the song almost every day, he felt a bit ecstatic yet disappointed.

Disappointed that his plan wouldn't work and ecstatic as he found a new solution to his problem. Upon engaging a conversation with the girl, he had picked up little details that screamed how to win over Yun Keiko.

Walking into the dining hall happily like a skipping child home from school, he made sure to make eye contact with Taeyong who narrowed his eyes at him.

The chances of winning are a bit low, but it's worth a shot, right?

. . .

A couple of hours passed, Keiko couldn't really stand the empty stomach as the urge to eat swerved into her mind. Striding into the kitchen, she rummaged through the cupboards filled with unknown supplies, where is the food?

"Food is over there." a voice behind her spoke, clicking his fingers as he pointed at a tray of a nice served meal under a mesh cloche.

She mumbled a small, "Thanks," not even bothering to check who it was.

Removing the cloche she eyed the food, making sure there were no additives of any sort. Grabbing the juice, she was about to gulp it down when a hand stopped her. Craning her head to the side was Xiaojun with a warning look, "Don't drink that."

She scoffed, "and why?"

Xiaojun snatched the glass away from her grasp, lowering his head down to sniff the juice. Some sort of sterile odor reeking and battling against the heavy smell of orange. Scrunching his nose he went to pour out the juice. "It smells weird."

Keiko feigned a smile, "Right." she jeered and watched Xiaojun pour her a glass of water instead.

"Be grateful you brat, I just saved your ass from getting drugged." he snapped, flicking her forehead making her wince and glare at him.

"I'm a bartender, I am familiar with what spiked drinks smell like." she retorted making him scoff and look away.

"Whatever." he rolls his eyes and leaned against the countertop, "Say, do you have work today?"

Keiko nodded, "Of course I do, why? What do you want?"

Xiaojun hesitated a bit, wondering if she would even be glad to bring him with her. Unfortunately, his lily-livered self pushed away from this opportunity, and instead, he gave it to someone else. Seeing the familiar purple ends, he pointed out, "Uhh– Haechan wants to accompany you– shit." he groaned and facepalmed.

No idea why he was acting like a complete doormat, his heart ached as Donghyuck walked into the scene upon hearing his name. A wide grin on his face, "I heard my name– babe! I'm so sorry about the simple mission that turned out to be not so simple." he sheepishly smiled and went to pinch her cheeks.

Irking by the view, Xiaojun huffed and walked away, cursing himself in silently as he did. "But, I can't accompany her, Xiaojun. I thought they assigned you to do it? I have a mission later." Donghyuck cocked a brow, halting the boy's steps.

A barren look plastered on his face, reaching up to rub his nape, "Oh was I? I thought it was you."

Donghyuck smirked and walked past Xiaojun, whispering softly, "I would like to, but duty calls. Take care of my babe for me instead?" he teased before walking off, waving his hands up in the air. "I'll see you around, Cherrie!"

Heat rushing up to Xiaojun's cheeks as he avoided her directed gaze on him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, "Uhh..."

"You could've just said so," she shrugged and snickered. "Though we do quite fight a lot, I'd still prefer you over that dickhead, Lee Taeyong."

"You do?" he knits his brows together, happy for what she had said before realizing how far he was showing his emotions. He quickly cleared his throat and put on a glare, masking what he had been feeling inside, "Whatever- not that I care." Oh, he does care, too much actually.

"Right," she smirked, "whatever you say, Xiaojun."

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