rider

11

Been a hot minute, I missed you guys!

Juhee felt her mother pull her aside, confused she turned her head to look at her.

"Eomma you don't understand they are members of-"

"A gang— NCT. I know sweetheart." Taehee whispered softly, but Juhee refused to move from in front of her mother.

Taehee sighed locking eyes with Chenle again, reaching into her purse she pulled out her gun. Jaemin pointed his own gun higher. Juhee's breath was stuck in her throat, her eyes landing on the metallic object in her mother's hands. Taehee blinked away her tears as she dropped her gun onto the floor and clicked it towards the boys.

"Please, I'm not here to fight." Taehee looked around before continuing. Desperate seeping through her words, as her eyes shifted from the boys to her daughter. "I need your help." Her voice was softer.

Chenle stepped forward walking towards his sworn enemy.

"Chenle!" Renjun's warning filled voice cautioned him. It was too good to be true. The woman they were given orders to kill, presenting herself in front of them. The boys were weary of trust. Growing up in the dog-eat-dog world, who could blame them, but unlike the rest of the boys Chenle wasn't looking at the older lady, he was looking at the frightened Juhee.

"We can talk." Chenle spoke up from a distance, deciding it would be best to be apart.

"Somewhere private please."

With NCT owning and running Neo City there wasn't a place that the boys didn't know about, finding a private spot in the center of rush hour in such a crowded place would be impossible, but not for them of course. Walking into a random basement, Juhee followed behind everyone still in shock about her mom owning a gun.

'It's probably because we live in Neo City, everyone needs that kind of protection.' Juhee justified.

Jeno sat down across from Taehee with Renjun beside him. The rest of the boys stood behind. Juhee stood by the door, although she felt like she needed a chair, the feeling of nausea coursing through her.

Taehee sighed, looking for her words carefully. Not wanting to reveal too much, but ultimately deciding she needed to just be honest.

"As you know, Ju Yong, Juhee's father, and I are members of the Clan." Taehee fought back her tears. "I am a hundred percent in support of the Clan, I was before I met my husband and I am even to this day, but in the Clan's greed to run down NCT and Neo City, they want some of the powerful family's to unite."

Juhee stared at the back of her mother's head in confusion. She had never heard of "The Clan," was is a church group against gangs? Furrowing her brows she looked around but noticed no one else was confused like her.

"I approved, until my husband offered up our daughter, Juhee." Taehee turned and looked at Juhee who stared back at her as if she had grown another head. "I was supposed to pick Juhee up today and bring her home to meet the boy she will marry."

"Marry? What is it the 19th century?" Renjun scoffed, not caring a bit about the story. "Frankly, why are you wasting our time with this?"

"Because I want you to take Juhee away. Away from us forever."

"Eomma?"

"I made the decision in a split second when she pointed you guys out in the car— I'm desperate." Her voice cracked, her arms shaking as she reached for Jeno's hands on the table. Jeno inched back, but she still managed to grab on.

"Let me get this clear. You want us, you're enemies, to take your daughter away?" Taehee nodded even to her it sounded bizarre, but what choice did she have. Her eyes searched the room and spotted the Chinese boy with black hair standing in the corner. The stoic expression on his face, darkened the room even more.

"Because I believe you'll protect her." She spoke softly, aiming it more towards Chenle. She had heard her daughter talking about him before, she never assumed it would be the gangster Chenle though.

"We're not going to help you."

"I'll take her." Chenle's voice was quiet, but so powerful as it intercepted Renjun's voice. At the silence, he repeated himself "I said, I'll take her. I'll keep her safe."

Chenle wasn't exactly sure where is was coming from. And at first he wasn't even aware that it was him talking. It wasn't until he was met with looks of bewilderment form his friends.

Chenle shrugged, "What better revenge can we take than stealing away Ju Yong's precious daughter?" Renjun shook his head as if Chenle was making him crazy and in reality he kind of was, but seeing that he had already made his mind Renjun nodded in agreement.

"We'll take her."

WHAT ARE YOU'RE THOUGHTS?

UNTIL NEXT TIME! BYEEEE