Til Death Do Us Part / LEE TAEYONG ✓

Yeji Knows Best

That stupid girl...  If Taeyong hadn't caught her before she hit the floor, she would have gotten a concussion.

Now, Mingyue was just in the other room, sleeping off whatever had been in that spiked drink the guy had given her, and he was stuck waiting in the hallway while Chaeryeong, Itzy's healer, took care of her.  Yeji was off to make good on her promise to research The Dreamcatchers (even while slightly tipsy) and Ryujin and Heejin were still clubbing even though it was almost 4:00 AM.  He knew Yuna was investigating a case in Once City and wouldn't be back for a few months, so he didn't have anyone to talk to.

All of this was happening while Taeyong sat in a cold, hard folding chair in front of Mingyue's room.  Clearly it wasn't uncomfortable enough because Taeyong still managed to doze off.

Someone woke him up with a sharp, "Taeyong!"

Taeyong woke up with a start to find Yeji's face an inch away from his.  "Whoa.  I'm awake."

Yeji stepped back and Taeyong noticed her deep frown and her still rosy cheeks.  Clearly, there was still some alcohol in her system.

"There's something you should know, Taeyong."

Immediately, Taeyong jumped out of his chair.  "Is it Mingyue?  What happened?"

Yeji gave him a funny look.  "Mingyue's fine.  She's sleeping, not dying.  It's about your members.  I reached out to them like you asked."

"Oh."  Right, my members.  Taeyong felt a little frustrated with himself.  "Of course.  How are they?"

"They say it's safe for you to come back and turn your phone tracker on.  They've managed to calm the police down, but the Phantoms are still trying to find you."  Yeji crossed her arms.  "Apparently, Yuta and Haechan are taking charge while you're gone and they're actually planning a mission right now."

Taeyong nodded.  "Sure.  I trust them."

"If you say so," Yeji said, skeptically.  "Personally, I'd never let anyone else run Itzy while I'm gone."

"Well, you only have four other specialists and you haven't even known them that long.  Wait until you reach a decade, then you'll see.  Your members will grow more and more responsible over time."

Yeji didn't seem convinced.  "Anyway, Haechan said to tell you that they found a lead on The Dreamcatchers and they're authorizing Jaehyun and one of your allies to take on a mission.  They haven't quite figured out which ally yet, though."  [oop- teaser!]

"Sounds good."

"Taeyong," Yeji said, sounding exasperated, "you're really okay with this?"

Taeyong put up a hand.  "Look, I really do trust them."

"Like you trust Mingyue?" Yeji demanded, abruptly.  "I see the way you look at her... and the way she looks at you.  She's like a lost puppy and you look like a block of stone.  What did you do to her?"

"You know how dangerous it is for innocent people to get messed up by mafias," Taeyong argued.  "I've only saved her from inevitable pain."

"She's only innocent so far because you refuse to train her."  Yeji flipped her hair.  "If she'd been in my city, I would have recruited her.  Did you not see on the cameras how she managed to escape from her bonds when Heejin kidnapped her?"

"She doesn't need that kind of encouragement.  I wanted to discourage her from even thinking about mafia training."

"What she needs is you, in any way, shape, or form."  Yeji dropped her voice.  "Listen, I know what a girl needs and your girl has been abandoned by just about everyone in her life.  You know this!  Her parents don't care about her, her staff have their own separate lives, and she has no one else to turn to.  The last thing she needs is you to give up on her."

Taeyong couldn't respond.

"I can see how crushed she is," Yeji continued, "and for no reason at all.  You like her, and she likes you.  What's the big deal if you're together?  Besides, you might need a partner in the future.  You've been running The Dragons by yourself nonstop for over a decade.  Give yourself a break."

As much as this was giving him hope, he really couldn't.  Not only was it against his policies, it was still incredibly dangerous.

"Thank you for the advice, fellow mafia boss," Taeyong said, in as business-like of a voice as he could muster with such a close acquaintance.  "I will keep it in mind."

"No, for real," Yeji said, not willing to drop the subject.  "What happens if you die alone?  Wouldn't you regret making her believe you didn't love her for the rest of her life?"

"You really are a strong leader," Taeyong said, trying hard not to listen to a word she was saying.  He began walking backwards down the hallway towards his room.  "I think Mingyue and I should start packing for the trip home."

Before he escaped earshot, Yeji called, "Just tell her the truth!  She deserves that much at least!"

Maybe she has a point, agreed the nagging voice in the back of his head.

Taeyong thought back to the club.

"I thought we were friends, but you haven't been nice at all!  You're so cold, Lee Taeyong!"

It was true.  He'd tried distancing himself from her, as much as it hurt him.  He hadn't told her how amazing she'd looked last night: the way her eyes had sparkled... that smile he'd missed for so long... how cute she was when she could barely see straight...

He had wanted to tell her how amazing she looked in that sapphire blue dress that brought a pinkish glow to her face.  It had been so short.  He'd suppressed his desire to cover her legs with his jacket.  She certainly would have hated him if he'd whispered in her ear, "I want you to save that for me and me only."

So he'd controlled himself.

But maybe it was time to stop.  He suddenly realized how tired he was, tired of controlling himself from doing what he really wanted to do over and over again.

Tonight, when they were on the road, he would tell her for real and he would hope she didn't hate him as much as she'd said.

[The climax is coming... just a warning in case you haven't been paying attention ( > 〰 < )・°☆]

- 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥

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