Doubler || NCT || Completed

30

Yujin's initial reaction would've been to run away but she knew that it wouldn't have solved anything. Most likely it would've made everything worse, since it would've drawn everyone's attention to the seemingly light conversation she was having with the customer.

She was supposed to act like the older woman's words didn't affect her. She was supposed to laugh it off, do her best to dissolve any suspicions the woman had, and then move onto her actual job.

A memory of the dimly lit, noisy room and too many people lurking around her with smiles too similar to the one on the older woman's face flashed through her mind. When she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Cold shivers ran across her body, making her too aware of her limbs and breathing. The harvest mouse was working its way around her human side, trying to get her to run and transform. Despite the fear the harvest mouse felt, it wanted to shield her with all of its weak being and its panic made Yujin dizzy.

"I hope that you're feeling better already", the woman continued after the silence between them started to grow awkward.

Yujin remained speechless, frozen in the spot. She hoped that someone - an officer, an employee, anyone - would cut in soon and let her get away.

"Your condition seemed rather serious", the damned woman was still speaking. Yujin didn't understand what she was doing and could barely keep up with the words coming out of her mouth. "Luckily, you seem to be feeling better now. It would've been upsetting, had something more serious happened to you."

Yujin stared at the woman with blank eyes. She was trying to force her brain to process the woman's words, to figure out why she was still speaking and staring at her so intently. It was obvious that she wanted something but Yujin's brain was unwilling to understand the situation.

"And if something had gone wrong, what would have happened to your poor dog?"

"No", the word slipped out of Yujin's mouth instinctively, without letting her consider whether speaking was wise or not.

The older woman's words mirrored Yujin's most recent nightmare, the one where everyone had died. That specific nightmare, as well as the things that her mother had said to her in it, was nothing but a fragment of her warped imagination, but it had struck a chord.

"The rest of them will die just like your father did. While trying to protect something that's not worth it."

Yujin could take whatever that woman would say about her. She could threaten her with those sharp smiles and knowing words all she wanted, but she wasn't allowed to speak about Jeno. Yujin didn't want her to even think about him.

The fierceness of the sudden emotion burned through Yujin's body, pulling her back to the surface and starling her with its strength. She hadn't known that she'd be able feel so protective about someone who wasn't her family member.

When the woman heard defiance in Yujin's voice, her eyes flickered.

The panic in Yujin's body kicked onto the next gear.

By letting her emotions show, she had just stepped even further into the trap, hadn't she?

"I - I meant that I'm feeling better now so you shouldn't think about any of it", Yujin managed to stammer, though it probably was pointless by now.

The older woman smiled like a shard of glass and pulled out a business card, offering it to Yujin.

"I apologize for rambling even before introducing myself", she said when Yujin took the card cautiously, fearing that it could somehow hurt her. "I'm Park Sunyoung, nice to meet you!"