The Hidden Card || NCT MAFIA

Chapter thirty: Learn from your mistakes

Iseul sat on her bed, a faint smile on her lips. After the weird interaction between Jeno and the others earlier, she had decided to text Chaewon, who seemed to be the only one able to make her forget about the mafia guys she now lived with.

She cared about them, there was no denying it, and she knew -even though they didn't always show it explicitly- that they cared about her too. However, a part of her still felt left out.

Iseul wasn't oblivious. She had noticed how conversations suddenly stopped when she entered a room, only to start again once she was out. She had noticed how they would whisper when she was near, and how some of them left without a word, thinking she didn't see. She had noticed how they would come home early in the morning, some of their faces covered in bruises, or how hey would limp.

She wasn't stupid, and the fact that they seemed to think she was blind to what was happening around her hurt her feelings even more.

Iseul knew they were only being protective of her, that they simply didn't want her to be in danger more than she already was for being associated with them. She didn't know the details of course, they would never let her know about their whereabouts, but she knew they had a lot of powerful enemies.

At first, she didn't mind being kept way from all the danger of the mafia life, but she was getting tired of it, now. She wished they would trust her.

"Iseul?"

Taeyong's voice made her jump a little, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she raised her head. The mafia leader was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed on his chest.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in?" he politely requested.

She scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes, "Since when do you ask?"

Taeyong's ears turned red for a second, his mind drifting off to when he had once barged in her room without knocking -yet again- and had found Iseul wearing nothing but a towel.

Her soft laugh brought him back to reality, and he cleared his throat. It seemed she knew exactly what he was thinking about, but she chose not to comment about it, which he was grateful for.

Taeyong walked in, making sure to close the door behind him. The last thing he wanted was for one of the members to interrupt him again.

"I needed to talk to you."

Iseul observed his face closely, trying to detect any feeling. She found none. Taeyong's face was unexpressive and she gently pat the bed next to her, inviting him to take a seat.

The man sat, and he tried to ignore the warm feeling that spread through his veins. The same thing happened every time he was close to her. He couldn't believe someone could have so much power over him, and she didn't even seem aware of it.

"Things have been hard, lately," he began, and Iseul put away her phone, giving him all her attention. "I know I kept you away from a lot of things, and that you feel excluded. I want to apologize for that."

It was still strange for Iseul to hear Taeyong apologize. She wasn't used to it, but she was proud of him for it. She let him continue.

"First, I want you to know that everything I did, it was to keep you safe. I obviously chose the wrong way to do it, I realize this now."

"You mean Kun was done with your bullshit and told you to come clean," she interrupted, unable to stop herself. She had said it in a playful tone, but Taeyong kept a straight face.

"Yeah," he admitted, a hurt expression on his face. "Apparently I'm not even able to call myself out on my own crap," he sighed. "Look, I'm trying to be better, but it's hard. But I'm trying, I swear. Which is why I'm here."

Iseul was touched by Taeyong's words, and she looked at him expectantly.

"I want to ask you what you want," he spoke, looking at her straight in the eye. "Since the very first moment you put a foot in our house and lives, I've been controlling everything. All the time. And look where that got us..." he whispered the last sentence, looking away.

"So, now, I want to know what you want. This is your life, and I can't keep making decisions without consulting you first anymore. Not when they affect you too, at least."

Iseul didn't know what to say; she was at a loss of words.
The Taeyong she had first met when she got taken here for the first time had become a whole other person, and she was proud of him for that. He had learned from his mistakes. Taeyong really was trying. That's all she needed to know.

"I want to be a part of it," she finally spoke. "Completely."

Taeyong frowned.

"A part of our family?" he asked. "Sweetheart, you already are," he whispered, his voice gentler than ever before.
He raised a hand, softly cupping Iseul's face as he soothingly rubbed his thumb on her cheek. She almost melted under his touch, liking the warm feeling of his skin on hers, and she closed her eyes for a second.

She grabbed his large hand in her small one, opening her eyes to look at him, "No, a part of NCT."

—-
Our girl's finally gonna become part of that gaaang. Watch her become the badass we know she is.