✓ ! MAFIA AU ! Don't lose your heart to a Dragon. You might never get it back. If you do, you'll find that there are scars that don't heal, wounds that fester and spread infection. Once you're deep in the Underworld where mafias reign, you can n...
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Everyone treated me like I was an egg on a cliff, about to fall off and smash with every breath of wind.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" echoed from mouth to mouth.
I wished they'd stop reminding me that I wasn't fine. "I'm fine."
Taeyong, at least, didn't treat me like I was fragile. He got straight to business once everyone (except Ten) on our mission was sitting around the dining hall table. "Good job to everyone. That was a risky operation and you are all safe. Doyoung is getting the theater cleaned up and keeping the police at bay. Ten was shot in the arm, but he has a high chance of recovery. Other than that, we have two Phantom members dead. That is two too many. I want explanations for these."
Yuta chanced a glance at me, and responded, "The... civilian distraction not only distracted the Phantoms, but also us. This is not an excuse, but our guard was down. It made us hesitate, allowing Ten to be shot and for some of the Phantoms to begin targeting us. We fired out of self-defense."
"So you weren't going to defend my employees at all," I accused. "They were innocent and you didn't even think to protect them. You were saving yourselves more than them."
"Mingyue-"
I cut Yuta off. "You should have jumped to their defense right away! They didn't have weapons and they were willing to be your distraction! Why-"
"Enough, Mingyue!"
Taeyong's voice exploded, stopping me in my tracks. His face was no longer calm, but deadly serious.
I forced myself not to cower under his knife-sharp glare. I was right, he was wrong.
"It is true that The Dragons' performance was far from satisfactory today," Taeyong said. "We allowed four people to die and we take full responsibility. However, you aren't in a stable mindset right now. If you want to stay for the rest of the debriefing, I'd rather you not scold my members, since I will be doing it later anyway, and far more effectively at that. Please trust that we really do feel sorry for your losses, but now is not the time to dwell on them."
I shut my mouth and crossed my arms, trying not to cry again. I felt like a child being told by a grown up that I would understand when I was "grown up."
"I just wanted to tell you all that besides the Phantom members who revealed themselves were all identified to be audience members. Among the staff, we don't have much more than various leads. Another plan will be hatched, and-"
"When can I leave?" I asked, as petulant as the child he clearly thought I was.
Taeyong spread his hands. "Anytime. I will not trap you here."
"I don't mean the house," I said. "I mean the mission."
"Anytime," Taeyong repeated, "but we will continue to operate without your knowledge."
