wake up. | nct/wayv

06

LEVEL SIX : TAKE OFF

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THE HIGHWAY

JISUNG AND JENO

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> the hyenas had followed him into the next location, and unfortunately into the next level as well. jisung stood beside jeno, their hands tightly gripping their own weapons. they both had guns, but jeno was the only one shooting.

"jisung..." jeno could barely glance at him as hyenas around him waited to pounce. "what are you doing?!"

"i-i-" jisung stuttered. he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. how was jeno doing it so easily when he'd never been in a game before?

JISUNG GAINED PRECISION (5MIN)

> "do you know how to shoot!?" jeno asked. he dodged a hyena that tried to jump at him like it was just a ball in gym class. "i don't think my gun will last forever..."

jisung shook his head. he swallowed hard and watched as jeno lifted his arms to guide him. "aim," he said. "be secure."

how could he be secure in a situation like this?

"agh-!" jeno pulled them back as a jaw full of jagged teeth snapped at their hands. jisung stumbled and fell to the ground next to the road. a vehicle sped past him, blowing his hair and the fabric of his clothes to the side.

"you have perfect aim for five minutes," jeno told him from a distance. "better use it while you still have it."

jisung looked behind him. the highway was packed with moving cars, yet no one seemed to be driving them. it was like the machines had a mind of their own, and jisung suddenly remembered the concept of being in a subconscious realm. maybe none of it was real, none of it would hurt him.

there was a flash before his eyes. the face of a man he couldn't quite name, and an empty, sunlit room. there was a large mirror behind the man, but their reflections could not be seen.

"jisung, i have good news..."

he couldn't tell if the voice was real or in his head. he felt another gust of wind, heard another blare of a car horn. the man vanished and he stood alone in the room.

"JISUNG!"

he blinked and he was at the highway again. he was still on the ground, blinking widely at jeno sitting atop a hyena that was abnormally large.

jisung closed his eyes when jeno shot it. he peeked to see jeno stepping towards him.

"this is how it's done. don't ever hesitate."

jeno extended his hand for jisung to take. he pulled himself up and observed their empty surroundings. it was obvious he didn't belong there. thrown on a battlefield as soon as his life was going to begin, jisung was uncertain about his future and about winning. he absolutely could not win, not when there were others who were more experienced and competitive. but... trying was all that mattered, right?