Enemies - Zhong Chenle

¹⁴

"Taeyong!" Jaerin's excited voice rang through the house as she stepped in with her brother following behind her.

"Hi Jaerin," Taeyong peeked out from his kitchen to greet them. The younger quickly approached him and hugged him, earning a chuckle from him as well as a grumble from the other male.

"Why did I not receive greetings like this," Jaehyun pouted at her as she stuck her tongue out.

"You pushed me away, unlike Tae, he let me."

Jaehyun held his hands up, acting as if he wanted to smack her head as she ducked behind Taeyong, pulling him with her.

Taeyong chuckled at their childish bickering, moving around the kitchen with Jaerin stuck to him. "Okay okay, the food is done."

Jaerin quickly let go of him and helped him collect some plates. They settled down on the couch with their food while Jaehyun went to take a bath since he just finished his practice before fetching the girl to Taeyong's house for a sleepover.

"Jaerin, your favourite dish," Taeyong smiled at the girl as he filled her plates with the food he cooked, returning the pan to the kitchen before sitting beside Jaerin and dive into his meal.

"See, Taeyong is the best." With that remark, Jaerin sped away from the couch with the freshly showered Jaehyun chasing behind her, the towel in his hands as he attempted to catch her, while Taeyong sat at the couch snapping pictures of them and sending it to the group chat.

The tall male managed to trapped her between the towel and his arms as he tickled her. The girl squirmed as she bursted into laughter at the ticklish feeling.
"You little rascal."

The doorbell rang and Jaehyun let her go while he went to open it, inviting the rest of them to settle in as they chatted.

"Doyoung hyung, Jungwoo."

The two looked up from the board game they were playing to the male as Jaehyun gestured for them to follow. He strode up to Taeyong's room where the older was talking with Jaerin, leaving the two to follow after. They looked at each other in worry, following the male to Taeyong's room as Jungwoo peeked his head in from the door cautiously.

"Doyoung, Jungwoo, come sit," Taeyong invited when they entered his room. The two obeyed and sat on his bed beside Jaehyun and Jaerin, waiting for Taeyong to speak.

"So," Taeyong started, glancing at Doyoung and Jungwoo, before going to Jaerin. "I know both of you wouldn't like to talk about this, but we might have something you guys wouldn't be pleased about."

The two looked at him in worry as Jaerin sat there confused. "What things?"

"Do you guys want to talk about it? You know..." Taeyong made some gestures and looked at the two Kim's. They hesitantly nodded.

"Maybe this would help." Doyoung breathed as he began to replay the scene in his head.

Flashback

The young boy walked along the lane, eating his ice-cream he bought with his parents' consent. He watched the kids playing at the playground and decided to sit at one of the swings while enjoying the evening.

A boy that looked a few years younger came running up to him when he saw him. He stood beside the swing, looking at the ice-cream on the elder's hand. The older one noticed him staring and glanced at his ice-cream.

"You want?" the 7 years old asked. The kid nodded, still staring at the ice-cream stick on his hands. Doyoung held a hand out to him, "I'll buy one for you."

The younger's eyes lit up as he looked up at him. "Really?"

Doyoung nodded. The younger one connected their hands as Doyoung led him to the ice-cream truck, ordering another one for him.

"Here you go," he handed him after paying as they went back to the playground. The kids there had lessened and they sat side by side on the swing, silently eating their ice-creams.

"My name is Doyoung." The older said as he looked over to the younger that had already stared up at him with his puppy eyes. "How about you?"

"Jungwoo," the younger replied.

"Shit," the older cursed, breaking the silence as he held his head. Jungwoo widened his eyes when he looked over at the older, seeing his face scrunched in pain. He quickly approached him in panic.

"Hyung, hyung?" he called out. Doyoung cried in pain as he felt his head hurting and spinning. His mind blacking constantly, the ringing in his ears blocked out Jungwoo's calls for him. He heard a cry, but he didn't have the energy to see who it was. He was already falling in and out of consciousness. 

Jungwoo held onto Doyoung, feeling his head spinning. He was scared, very scared. He felt Doyoung's weight became heavier on his arms as he felt himself slowly blacking out. In his blurred vision, he saw a silhouette approaching them. He felt something poking at the side of his neck before he fully passed out.

"Hyung, hyung, please wake up," he heard a distant cry and felt his body getting shaken by someone. He forced his eyes to open, blinking to adjust in the darkness. He felt a figure beside him as he moved to sit up. His head was still dizzy and his throat dry.

"...Jungwoo?"

"Hyung, I'm scared." Jungwoo cried as he held onto his arms. Doyoung tried to calm him down as he scanned the area. The door seems to be locked with double locks, no windows, nothing. They were on the cold dusty floor and Doyoung never once felt so dirty in his life.

Doyoung hushed down Jungwoo when he heard footsteps outside, he motioned Jungwoo to stay beside him as he scooted closer to the door, trying to listen to the conversation.

"Sir, what do we do with these two kids?" a feminine voice asked.

"Mr. Zhong, how about I bring it to my side so you won't get caught and could focus on the company?" another voice asked.

"Are you underestimating me?" the one Doyoung assumed to be Mr. Zhong asked as the footsteps stopped.

Doyoung quickly brought Jungwoo to scoot back to their original position and told the younger to pretend to be still knocked out. They listened as the door swung open with a loud bang, Jungwoo lightly flinching but didn't dare to move further.

"Why aren't they awake?" the voice of Mr. Zhong asked.

"I don't know."

The sound of the slap echoed in the dark room, "Didn't I tell you not to make the same mistake again?"

"Sorry sir."

"Bring them to the basement, plug in all the wires and start as soon as they wake up."

"Yes sir."

The door was closed again as the three left. Doyoung sat up, eyes wide at what he had heard. Jungwoo was beyond afraid, he hung onto Doyoung, trembling.

"Hyung, I want to go home."

"We will...soon."

Umm, ok...