Stronger || NCT mafia au

Chapter 19 "you're ready"

"I might not know what the actual exams are, but I do know that you're going to want all of your strength and I will not allow you to waste it on more practice tomorrow." She says sternly, looking from boy to boy as they nod their heads.

"You probably won't see me tomorrow, we're giving you a study hall to review for your exams. The training center will be locked, so don't even try to come and practice. I'll close up here, go and grab some food." She says turning away from them.

"Jihyun?"

"Yes Jisung?"

"can we have one last hug?"

She turns around to face the boys, shy smiles on their faces. She walks up to them, opening her arms and they engulf one another in a group hug. Jihyun feels something in her chest, a lightness, a happiness, that she hasn't felt in years.

She knows the NCT members all love her and make her feel happy but this is different. These boys are different. They didn't grow up with her. They don't know all she's gone through and they don't know her as the carefree girl she used to be. They like her for who she is right now, and she never realized what a big deal that was to her.

They pull away from each other, big smiles on their faces as she takes a minute to look at each of them.

"I'll see you guys in two days. Take care of yourselves and study hard. Good luck." she smiles at them.

They all turn to grab their bags and walk out of the training center. Jihyun turns back to the equipment, shutting everything down as she hears the training center door close.

She's putting away the last of the knives when she hears the doors open again. She looks up to see a familiar figure walking towards her.

"Jeno? What's up, is everything ok?" She asks, the boy walking towards her with concern on his face.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I came back but I didn't know where to go." he says, his eyes flicking back and fourth.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Jihyun. and I don't know who else to talk to or what else to do about it."

She gestures for him to sit beside her on a bench. Taking a seat, she takes one of his hands in hers, her other hand reassuringly rubbing his back.

"Talk to me Jeno, I'm here to listen."

"it's just... I don't know. It's just real now. The final sort always seemed so far away and I was always so confident. I've been near the top of every sort, so I never had a reason to worry. But then everyone started getting better, stronger, faster, and soon everyone was like me. Even Jaemin started to beat me, and I know that's because of you, but still." He lets out a sigh, gripping her hand tighter for comfort.

"I just don't want all of this to end." She stares at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"All this" he says, gesturing to the training session around him. "The classes, the training, the friends....working with you." she feels her cheeks heat up slightly at the last part as he continues.

"I don't have a family, both of my parents were shot and killed when I was little. I've never had a place to belong. I lived my life fighting on the streets, thats why I tried out to be a trainee. I figured that I didn't have anything to lose and I would at least have a place to stay." she looked at him with pity. Despite having gone through many things, she'd always been part of a well off family.

"I never thought that I would end up liking this. But Jihyun, when we fought that first session, you and I working together, it was the first time ever I didn't feel alone. I'm so used to fighting alone with no one guarding my back. But for the first time, that day, you had my back. and training with you and these guys made me realize what it's like to be in a team. To belong. Sure, we might not be superheros who go out and save lives, but it still feels like family." She nodded at him, relating to his words more than she thought possible.

"I've never really cared if I lived or died, but now that I've felt that, I'm so terrified to lose it." He lets out a shaky breath. She grabs his hands in hers, feeling him trembling.

"Jeno, I know the feeling. Even with a dysfunctional family, you'd still do anything to protect it." she breathes out, thinking of her boys while Jeno nodded his head.

"Look, I can't guarantee that you'll live, but I can tell you that you are more than ready. You're one of the strongest and most skilled trainees that I've ever seen." She let out a deep breath.

"I can guarantee you that I want you on my team. And I always get what I want." she smiles at him.

"You just need to go out there and do your best, because your best is more than good enough, and I can promise you that I won't let you, or any of the other boys, be unfairly eliminated." His shoulder's relax at her words. Even though she wasn't promising to save him, she was doing enough to make him feel calm.

He pulled her into a hug. Burying his head into her neck as he wrapped his muscular arms around her thin waist, gripping onto her tightly but carefully, as if he was scared to break her.

"You have no idea how grateful I am to have met you Jihyun, you're one of a kind." he says to her. She feels her whole face burn red at his words, her heartbeat so loud in her ears that she's sure he can hear it.

"I never knew how important friends were until I met you guys, Jeno. I wouldn't trade it for the world." she says quietly, feeling his grip on her tighten.

In that moment, he felt something he'd never felt before. His heart started racing, his stomach felt like it was doing flips and his whole body was tingling. He thought he must be going crazy but in that moment, he knew he had to live. He would do whatever it took to be able see her. to hug her. to protect her.

what he didn't know was, she was starting to feel the same way about them. And it scared her.

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Oop things are getting interesting now...
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