when in time, nct dream

chapter thirty-six

"Whores," Nayeon cursed, scoffing as she took a seat back down next to her laughing boyfriend.

Jeno wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leaning back with one leg crossed over the other as he watched Chenle put down his mike to cheer, starring at his and Jisung's score that showed nearly twenty points higher than Nayeon and Jiyoung's.

Nayeon pouted as she leaned into Jeno's arm, "they're too cute to be mad at," she muttered. Jeno smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"You're tired aren't you?" He asked, hearing the girl's regular yawn. All he got in return was a small nod, Nayeon wrapping her arms around his waist as she snuggled in closer.

"It's nearly midnight, time to leave?" Hyuna asked, raising herself up off the couch. Donghyuck yawned from her side, letting his upper body fall into the place Hyuna was sitting in moments ago.

The others agreed, each of them cleaning up their spaces as they got ready to leave.

They each conversed as they walked outside, everyone getting into different cars as most split up. Mark, Yiren, Renjun, Sooyoung, Jaemin, and Jiyoung opting to spend the night at Renjun and Jaemin's house. Donghyuck and Hyuna decided to go off and do their own thing together where Chenle and Jisung returned to their own homes. Jeno and Nayeon decided to go to the boy's house for another sleepover.

"You think they'll move into their own house soon?"

Jiyoung hummed from Jaemin's side as they walked into his bedroom, subconsciously locking the door behind them. "They practically spend every night together but with their training, I'd probably say they'll wait a bit," Jiyoung thought out loud.

Jaemin nodded, grabbing a towel from his dresser and walking towards his bathroom. "I'm gonna get in the shower, can you put my phone on the charger?"

Jiyoung nodded, catching the phone Jaemin tossed towards her and sliding over to his side of the bed, connecting it to the white electrical cord.

She yawned, returning to her side of the bed. "Should I sleep now or wait," she asked herself, staring up at the ceiling.

She waited a bit before deciding to stay up a little longer, making herself comfortable under the thick blanket and grabbing her phone.

She winced seeing the illuminated white light, the darkness inside the room contrasting to that of her phone.

As she waited for her boyfriend to return, she felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, her mouth becoming dry as she closed in on sleeping.

Just as her phone began sliding out of her hand, she heard a ding from Jaemin's phone, awakening her. Too tired to process much, she wiped her eyes, sitting up, and grabbing the boy's phone.

MESSAGE now
Unknown
sweet dreams darling

Jiyoung yawned, opening the phone and going to the messages with the Unknown number contact. Reading over the messages, a feeling began burning in her gut.

"Are you-" Jaemin's words cut off when he saw Jiyoung reading over messages, his heartbeat suddenly increasing. "L-Look, this random number messaged me earlier and I-"

Jiyoung looked up at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to sit beside her on the bed. "I figured that out myself, dummy. I'm more worried about the fact that you and I have both gotten texts in the last few days trying to somehow break us up. Plus those messages Yiren and Sooyoung got earlier."

Jaemin exhaled, his body relaxing as he watched Jiyoung compared their messages. "Are the numbers the same?"

Jiyoung shook her head, "not at all."

The two went quiet as they studied the messages, trying to find or see some clue that would help them find the perpetrator.

"Do you think we should take it to be looked into?" Jaemin asked. Jiyoung seemed to hesitate, unsure if she wanted the people they work with to know so much about their personal lives, especially when the public eye is on them at all times.

"If one more of us gets a message like this, I say we do but for now what do you think? I'm really okay with either," Jiyoung shrugged.

Jaemin shook his head no, messing with his wet hair. Jiyoung took notice, outstretching her arm above his head. Her fingertips pulled away from Jaemin's head, retracting the water and she moved it over to one of the small plants on the bedside table.

"Alright, get clothed so we can go to bed," she told Jaemin, pushing his chest only strong enough to lightly knock him back.

Jaemin laughed, "why? What if I want to-"

Jiyoung pretended to yawn, hiding her smile as she turned away from the boy and laid back on the bed, snuggling into the blankets.

so anyways ✋🏽👀