Puzzle

Chapter 20

"How come you don't have to go to school?" Jisung complains to Donghyuck.

"Because I'm suspended." Donghyuck answers with a chuckle.

"Damn. I should've been the one to throw the first punch and get suspended."

Jieun slaps Jisung upside the head making him flinch. "Don't you dare. If you get into another fight any time soon, I'm gonna work you so hard, you'll regret ever thinking of throwing the first punch."

Jisung rubs the back of his head with a pout and walks out the door as the others follow suit.

"See you after school, Jieun noona." Dream says making their way to school.

"So...I guess I'll go to the coffee shop with you."

"Don't force yourself." Jieun says.

"I'm not. I want to go too."

"Suit yourself."

Donghyuck flashes a bright smile before he runs upstairs and returns with his back pack. "I'm ready."

The two enter the car and make their way to the coffee shop. When they arrive, Kun already opened the shop and is preparing the machines.

"Good morning, Kun. You're here early."

"I can't slack off just because we hardly have any customers."

"Right." Jieun chuckles.

Donghyuck went to sit at a corner window seat and pulls out his laptop. Once in a while he will look up from his screen and smile at Jieun, but he is mostly typing away at the laptop in a fast pace.

"Quick, I'm choking! I need mouth to mouth!" Lucas shouts as he bursts through the doors.

"If you were really choking, I doubt you'd be able to speak." Jieun replies.

Lucas smiles. "If I had to choose between breathing or loving you, I'd choose to say "I love you" with my last breath."

"You've said it, now die."

"Brr. How cold. I love it."

Jieun shakes her head and roll her eyes. Suddenly her phone rings. She looks at the caller and sigh.

"Hello?" She answers walking away from the men. After she is done with the call, she returns to the counter. "Um, Kun, I leave the shop in your hands. Have a great day."

"Wait, where are you going?" Lucas asks grabbing a hold of Jieun's wrist.

Jieun pulls alway from him. "Somewhere you're not needed. Hyuck-ah, I'm busy at the moment. You can get home on your own, right?" Donghyuck does not answer and only nods in response. "Good." She turns to Lucas again. "Don't follow me."

Despite what Jieun said, Lucas follows her anyways. Lucas is following behind her, but Jieun was skipping lanes too frequently and at a fast pace, making Lucas lose track of her. He returns to NCT's hideout in defeat.

"What's wrong?" Ten asks.

"I went to visit Jieun today. She got a call and left. I followed her, but then I suddenly lost track of her due to the traffic."

"If you have nothing else to do, go talk to Taeyong and Johnny about future plans of negotiation." Taeil suggests.

"What about you?" Lucas asks.

"That's not my job. My job is to make bombs, ok?" Taeil retorts. "Your job is making big decisions with Taeyong and Johnny."

Lucas groans. "I don't want to. Curse my father for giving me this job."