"I wonder what you can see at the end of this crossroad
I wonder what you can see when you pass this obstacle
It feels good just taking this first rough step
That dream that's far away keeps on getting closer"
-Switch by NCT 127
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"So, where's the boss? He called us here, didn't he?" Yuta asked as he picked at his teeth with a fork.
The members of NCT 127 were lounging around in their boss' kitchen, waiting for the man himself to arrive along with Taeyong. They had all been staying at the estate due to the abnormal circumstances surrounding the situation.
"Taeyong and Jaehyun are still disusing things in his studies. They should be here shortly," Taeil explained.
"Yeah well I bet they must have a lot to discuss after what happened last night," Doyoung scoffed.
"Doyoung, don't," Taeil warned.
"What happened last night?" Mark asked.
"Look, I don't know what happened exactly, but after I left the basement that night. I decided to turn in for the night, but I got thirsty, so I came down here to get a glass of water," Doyoung started going over the events of the previous night.
"So, all of a sudden, I hear Taeyong yell, likely really yell so I figure that they started the interrogations. Next thing I know, Jaehyun yells 'Get off of me!' so I grab a knife from the drawer and run down there, only to see that Taeyong was trying to rip the boss off of the girl who was clearly passed out. I drop my knife and rush over to help Tae because obviously he must have had a good reason to be pulling him off the girl, right?"
Johnny, Yuta, Mark nod while Taeil sighs.
"So, after we manage to get him away from the girl, who at this point wasn't even in the chair anymore because it was smashed up around her, Taeyong looks at me and is just like 'Leave, now.' So, I follow instructions and come back upstairs, but I can still hear Jaehyun and Taeyong yelling at each other."
"Damn dude," Mark said in disbelief.
"Yeah," Doyoung finished.
Everyone stared down at their feet.
"Taeil is that true?" Mark asked.
"It doesn't matter. We're just here to follow orders. No point in talking about the events that occurred last night, so let's stay focused," Taeil lectured.
"Wow. Even the boss-man can get emotional," Yuta commented leaning back in his chair.
"Yuta, it's his sister. Obviously, he's going to react.... atypically," Taeil shot Yuta a glare.
"You know, if he isn't going to tell us everything that's going on, then what's the point of us having to stay here?" Yuta continued. "I mean I'm sure I'm not the only one here who is missing out on some action, since I'm sure the boss wouldn't approve of me inviting any girls to stay with me in one of his guest rooms."
Taeil sighed.
"That's the point of this meeting Yuta," Taeil reported. "I have all the details here. We're just waiting for the boss."
Taeil lifted up a tan colored folder for all of the members to see.
When Yuta tried to grab at the folder, Taeil slapped his hand away.
"Ouch!" Yuta feigned offense as he held his slapped hand with the other.
After watching Taeil roll his eyes Yuta turned in his swivel bar chair to face Johnny who was much quieter than usual, staring at his hands resting on the counter.
"What about you? What's wrong? Struggling with your newfound sexual identity?" Yuta taunted as he poked Johnny with the fork that he had been picking his teeth with.
"Dude!" Johnny slapped the fork away, sending it flying towards Doyoung, who gave no reaction when it hit his forehead, falling to his feet.
"Wow man! The Madam must have left an impression on you!" Yuta continued.
"Shut up man! I'm serious," Johnny warned.
"Aww come on. No need to feel shy," Yuta taunted. "Look guys! He's in love!"
Johnny burst out of his chair and slammed his fist on the counter in front of Yuta.
"Are you sure you wanna keep talking? Because if I were you, I would shut the fuck up!" Johnny boomed.
Yuta lifted up his hands in surrender then made a zipping motion in front of his mouth.
Johnny sat back down; face reddened with anger.
"Well now that that's over," Taeil remarked as he turned towards Mark who was sitting on another counter eating a popsicle.
"Umm Mark?"
"Yeah?" Mark looked over at Taeil.
"Do you maybe wanna throw that away since we're about to start the meeting?"
"But it's the last watermelon flavored one and I just opened it." Mark whined.
The frustration on Taeil's face became extremely apparent as he facepalmed.
Doyoung walked over to Mark, who looked at him in confusion. Doyoung then proceeded to slap the popsicle out of Mark's hand, causing it to land on the floor.
"Problem solved," Doyoung stated as he lazily examined his fingernails.
"That wasn't necessary Doyoung. Mark? Don't you dare continue eating that popsicle!" Taeil warned, which caused Mark who had picked up the floor popsicle to groan and throw it in a nearby trash can.
"How did I end up here?" Taeil mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Yuta asked, flashing an innocent looking smile.
<><><><><><><>
"Well at least you got some sleep Jae, even though you basically drank until you passed out," Taeyong commented as he walked over to Jaehyun, who was sitting on the side of his bed, still wearing the suit from two nights ago.
"Here, take this," Taeyong handed Jaehyun a glass of water and an Advil.
Jaehyun groaned, but accepted the pain killer, downing the water in one go.
"You went too far last night," Taeyong lectured the mafia leader. Despite their relationship often appearing to be strictly professional, Taeyong was actually Jaehyun's closest friend, which allowed for him to challenge the man without fear, something the others could only dream of.
Jaehyun remained silent, rubbing at his temples in a vain attempt to ease his hangover.
"Jae? Are you listening? You did some serious damage to that girl. I mean for all we now, she could have had no idea that she was aiding a murder."
"No idea?!" Jaehyun suddenly bellowed. "Anyone who voluntarily works with Lucas knows what they're getting in to."
"But we don't know what happened yet. We don't know how big a role she played. For all we kno-"
"I don't care what role she played! All I know is that she helped kill Ji-eun, my fucking sister Tae!" Jaehyun interrupted, throwing the water glass at the wall, causing it to shatter.
Taeyong just stared at his friend and boss.
"What?" the pink haired man demanded.
Taeyong sat down on the bed next to Jaehyun, resting a hand on the younger's back.
"We all miss IU, Jae. She was kind, intelligent, and like an older sister to all of us, but what happened isn't your fault. You can't keep blami-"
"You're right Tae. It isn't my fault." Jaehyun stood up from the bed and walked over to his desk.
Jaehyun turned the laptop towards Taeyong. revealing basement security footage of Y/N and Winwin.
"It's hers, and that fucking bastard's!" Jaehyun pushed the laptop off of his desk along with the various pens and knickknacks that had adorned the surface moments ago.
The room was silent until Jaehyun turned back toward his red-haired friend.
"I'm ready to proceed with the meeting."
"Jae, you don't have to fore yourself. I can't present the-"
"No," Jaehyun asserted sternly.
"I have to be the one who fronts this mission. I need to be the one who... who..." Jaehyun's voice falters slightly.
"I understand, sir," Taeyong looked Jaehyun in the eyes, and Jaehyun held his gaze for a long silence, until Taeyong nodded and Jaehyun nodded back.
Although neither said anything, they both understood each other, a secret language that could only be understood by life-long friends.
<><><><><><>
"Oh my GOD. I'm so bored!" Yuta howled as the rest of his colleagues remained silent.
Yuta turned back to Johnny again and opened his mouth to speak.
"Don't," Johnny warned, not allowing Yuta the chance to speak.
"You didn't even know what I was-"
"I said don't," Johnny fumed.
Yuta swivels bac in his chair to face forward, but it isn't long before he becomes antsy again.
Yuta glances up at Doyoung who is glaring down at his phone.
A devious smirk finds its way onto Yuta's face as he reaches to grab a fork from the drawer on the opposite side on the counter.
Yuta grabs the base of the fork with one hands and starts to bend it back with the other. He lets go and launches the fork in Doyoung's direction. Doyoung jerks his head to the side, successfully dodging the fork while giving no attention to the person who launched it. The fork flew across the room and landed at the feet of Jaehyun, who had just entered the room with Taeyong.
Everyone in the room stood up.
Jaehyun just stared at the fork on the ground.
"I'm sorry, sir," Yuta whimpered.
Jaehyun picked up the fork and examined it.
Yuta was frozen. He normally wasn't this way with the mob boss, but after hearing about the man's actions last night, he was more than wary.
Jaehyun looked up at Yuta and approached the man, fork in hand.
Everyone in the room watched the scene unfold, praying that nobody would have to treat Yuta for having a fork embedded in his jugular.
Jaehyun lifted the fork up to Yuta's face and sighed.
"I can't believe my best sniper can't even hit a man with a fucking fork." Jaehyun threw the fork into the sink behind Yuta. "Gather around the table everyone."
Yuta let out the breath he was holding in and Taeyong gave him a pat on the back.
They all moved from the kitchen to the dining room table. They rarely ever had meetings in Jaehyun's home, but the table was more than long enough to accommodate the large group.