T H I E F || NCT ✔️

Chapter 25

The girls looked at each other before shaking their heads as a no.

I grunted in frustration and started to ask everyone who I passed by.

At this point, I was feeling restless. I had this bad feeling in my gut and I didn't know why but I had to find Hendery.

He was acting weird, especially the time when the Jennie incident happened. Since then I haven't really talked to him or asked him what happened that night.

He looked like he was under the influence of someone, or something. As if he was doing something involuntarily.

"Did you see Hendery somewhere?" I asked the three girls.

One of them nodded.

The other two and I looked at her.

"Where?"

"We did?"

"Where did you last see him?" I asked.

"Didn't you guys remember? The time when we were passing by the Astronomy Tower, he was going up there. He was going up the stairs to the tower."

I wasted no time and stormed off to the Astronomy Tower.

I climbed up the stairs, gasping for air.

I couldn't wait, I didn't know why I just had to see him as soon as possible.

As I was on top of the staircase, I saw him. Looking out of the view of the Lotus City, better than what you could see from the maze garden.

But he was standing on the railing.

"Hendery," I said, my voice was shaking.

He didn't respond. I didn't think he noticed my presence either.

"Hendery," I raised my voice a bit.

What is he doing standing on the railings?

"Hendery! What are you doing? Is this some kind of a training?"

He still wasn't responding.

"Yah! Hendery!" I tried again calling for his attention. This time angrier than I intended it to be.

Very slowly, he turned his head to see me. His eyes widened in shock. "Juli?"

"What are you doing? I came looking for you because—" I stopped myself, "can you get down from there please?"

"No—no. I—"

"Hendery please. Get down."

I started to walk closer to him but he held out his hand to stop me.

"No! Don't come."

"Hendery what the fuck are you doing?"

I was desperate to give him some sense, to make him listen. He looked so distraught and confused.

"Hendery... don't... don't do this. This is never the way. I'm here, tell me what's going on. Get down from there and let's go to the garden. Just tell me, and we can go figure this out okay?"

"It doesn't matter, nothing matters anymore. It's— I can't... you... ugh!!" He held his head and shuffled his hair in frustration.

"You matter, Hendery. You matter alot. You matter so much to me. Without you, I wouldn't even be here. I believe in you, you can get through this. This is not worth it. You don't have to do this."

"You don't understand, Juli. I'm in a nightmare that has been going on... forever. I can't ever wake up."

"Then help me understand. Let me help you. Please, Hendery. I'm begging you. Don't do this. I can't..." I fought my sob to speak, I breathed in. "I can't loose you too. I can't. Please don't. Please. Please. Please don't. Please..."