Doubler || NCT || Completed

33

"Hey, noona, wake up." Chenle's voice found its way to Yujin's exhausted brain, startling her awake so suddenly that her head that had been resting against her hand slipped, hitting the corner of the kitchen table.

Chenle tried not to laugh.

Yujin rubbed her poor forehead that had met the table rather aggressively. "I'm awake."

She hadn't meant to fall asleep in the kitchen but after sitting down for a minute it just had kind of happened.

"They told me to get you back to the living room", Chenle explained as Yujin stood up and stretched her arms forward, careful not to move her wounded arm too much. Chenle followed her stiff movements with curious eyes before his gaze shifted to the table. "You bloodied our table."

Yujin turned to look at her previous napping spot, cringing at the sight of smeared bloodstains. Her wound wasn't hurting much, so it was mainly annoying that the cut had decided to leak on the table while she slept.

As Yujin hurried to get a tablecloth, Chenle sighed. "I didn't mean that you have to clean it. They need you in the living room."

"Would you rather have bloodstains all over your kitchen?"

While she rinsed the tablecloth, Yujin tried to calm her hammering heart. Since she had fallen asleep, she hadn't had time to be nervous about the meeting which had taken place in the living room. The fact that they'd been discussing her rash actions while she had taken a nap made Yujin's hands sweaty.

When Chenle and Yujin went back to living room, it was quiet. Taeil patted the free spot on the couch next to him, his eyes filled with worry. Yujin sat down obediently, while glancing at the others. Jaemin and Chenle met her eyes while Renjun and Jeno avoided direct eye contact.

Yujin started picking her lower lip with her fingers.

Taeyong cleared his throat. He was the only member left in the video call, Kun and Johnny were gone.

"Don't look so terrified, Yujin-ssi", Taeyong spoke up when he saw how tense Yujin was. She didn't relax. "We discussed the current situation, and while it is dire and your actions were, well, questionable, we try to understand your side of it and we aren't kicking you out."

Yujin exhaled loudly before clamping her mouth shut, embarrassed by her reaction. Clearly Taeyong still had things left to say.

"This was a trap set by this Park Sunyoung person and it's understandable that it's difficult for you to think objectively when it comes to Dalah Café. However, now that your safety is tied together with all of us, it's not okay for you to act recklessly. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Yujin's chin pressed against her chest.

"I know", she said quietly. "I'm really sorry."

"We know that, don't worry!" Taeyong hurried to say. He was probably worried that Yujin would start crying. "This is nothing personal but the thing is that we have to think about everyone's safety. We can't just pack up and leave our lives behind so we need to have security here. Group as big as ours doesn't have room for many thoughtless actions."

The knot in Yujin's stomach tightened. Taeil beside her seemed stiff and his face was void of emotions. He didn't seem to agree with where the verdict was heading.

Air felt heavy in Yujin's lungs.

Even Taeyong was now looking down, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "So, we have decided that while you can stay with the dreamies for now, there won't be room for another mistake like this one. If your presence endangers our collective security in the future, you'll have to find some other place to stay in."