we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part sixty-three

But nothing happens, because she no longer has her power.

"Do up the knots tight," Dr. Oh commands coldly, looking on as the guards comply. "The girl will definitely cause trouble later."

"So..." Mrs. Yu clears her throat. "What will we do? Shoot her?"

"Maybe," he hums. "But we have to be getting back. Leave them here for now."

Juno speaks up then. "I'm not letting you get away with this," she says defiantly.

"Oh?" He raises a brow. "How?" Dr. Oh smiles when she doesn't answer. "I see."

"Even if you somehow manage to resurrect your daughter and granddaughter, they will forever hate you after everything you've done," Juno spits.

Dr. Oh's eyes darken. "Shut up, kid."

"You think finding the 'cure' to death will make you some kind of martyr?" She's on a roll now, talking fast. "All it makes you is a fucking monster! So many children have died because of you! What is wrong with you?"

He shrugs. "I did what I had to."

"You didn't have to manufacture that pill. You didn't have to freeze your loved ones. You didn't have to dig yourself further into this hole and ruin the lives of innocent teenagers!" She pauses, out of breath. "At any point, you could've just stopped."

"But I didn't." Dr. Oh spreads his arms out. "So what now?"

"Turn yourself in. Apologize officially, dissolve the testing-"

Dr. Oh barks out a laugh. "I don't even know why I'm entertaining this." He turns around to the other adults in the room. "Let's go."

"You're sick," Juno says, because what else does she have to lose? "And you're scared. You're scared because you know nobody will mourn you when you're gone-"

Dr. Oh strikes the butt of the gun across Juno's head, and she crumples into a heap. Haechan blanches. Dr. Oh calmly slides the weapon into his jacket and nods at him. "Don't cause trouble, and you won't end up like her. We'll be back soon."

▸

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

Juno's eyes flutter open slowly, and she raises her head to look around. For a moment, she can't remember where she is or what's going on, but then she sees Haechan sitting on the floor by her right side, hands and feet bound together, and it all comes rushing back. Juno's head throbs painfully, and she starts to lift a hand up to it, but her arms are tied too.

Haechan is watching her carefully. "You okay?"

"Fine." Juno's eyes narrow on him now, checking for any signs of injury. "What about you?"

"Fine," he parrots, still eyeing her. "You kind of went off back there."

Juno sighs. "And all it got us was tied up." She frowns. "Do you think they're going to kill us?"

"I don't think so." Then he shrugs, channeling some bravado into his voice. "I don't know, but after surviving this long already, I'm pretty feeling confident."

"Great for you," Juno drawls, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"Yes," Haechan agrees. "But just in case these actually are my last few moments on earth..."

She cocks a brow, entirely unprepared for what he says next.

"I think I might be in love with you."

Juno blinks dumbly. "Huh?"