Nari's p.o.v.
"What the hell did you just say?"
Startled, the man backed up a few steps. "I... I said hey," he said slowly, hands held up in a placating gesture.
Heart thumping, Nari shook her head. "No, you idiot. After that. You called me... "
His face flashed with unexpected joy and melancholy. Eyes suddenly moist, he gave her a faint smile.
"I called you sis," he whispered. "Sister. My sister."
Nari's lips wobbled, tears filling her eyes as she tried to process what he was saying.
"No," she shook her head again, violently. "No, my brother's gone. He left after our parents died and he - no."
He edged closer to her, coming around the desk. Nari stumbled away from the chair, tripping over one of the legs and crashing down on the floor.
"Oh my - are you alright?" he asked from where he was, not wanting to scare the girl even more. Her head moved back and forth as she tried to scoot away - no, she wasn't.
Hesitant, he crouched, looking at her intently, pleadingly. "Nari, it's me. Your brother, Taeyong, it's me, I'm here. I brought you home, I - "
The man had to stop, his developing sobs causing him to break off. He brought a hand up to his mouth, chest shuddering as his choking cries filled the room. Eyes red, he begged her. "P-please believe m-me. I'm so s-sorry, I'm - "
He crawled forward a bit more, and the light from the ceiling hit his face. And suddenly, she knew him.
She knew the curve of his mouth and the slant of his nose, the glimmer in his eyes and the way his hair fell. It couldn't be, not possibly, but it was. Her brother, her protector, her best friend.
Nari's tears finally fell, and a sob broke in her chest. In vain, she wiped at her face, trying to get a clear view of him again. Struggling for air, she gasped, trying to make herself speak.
"Yongie?"
Taeyong's head jerked up, her old childhood name for him sending memories clamouring in his mind, pushing him even further over the edge. He nodded, tears carving tracks down his face, and laughed brokenly.
"It's me, Nari-bear, it's me, I'm here."
That name obliterated all the resolve she had left in her, and Nari broke down, her sobs causing her throat to be scraped raw. With no warning, she crawled to her brother on hands and knees. His arms opened for her to fall in to, and their tears mixed together as they sat on the floor, rocking slowly and tasting salt.
The tender moment was shattered like fragile glass when Nari punched him in the chest, hard.
Taeyong gasped through his emotion, clutching the sore spot, but not releasing his grip on her. Again, Nari socked him with all her might.
"How could you?" she accused him, her chest ripping apart as she let all her grief and anger out. "You left me, we lost mom and dad, and when I needed you, you just left me. Like a bag of garbage on the back doorstep. You left me with him."
Nari pulled back, her skin stained with tears and flushed red with rage. "Did you know?" she shouted. "How he beat me? Our uncle? I stayed away from home as much as I could, avoiding him, but at the end of every day I had new marks that could be claimed by him."
She was so drained, so tired. Was this even real? Was she even alive anymore? If she was, what was the point? Her brother had betrayed her, allowed her to go through so much, she was a gang member for being nice to someone, and she, most importantly, didn't truly belong anywhere. Sure, Stray Kids were kind, they took her in, but in reality, she wasn't really like them at all. She was just hiding, cowering behind them.
If you don't have a home, then what's the point.
Suddenly she was being crushed, surrounded by strong arms. Taeyong settled his chin on her head, letting his silent tears drip down onto her.
"Nari, I'm so sorry. I know that no matter how many times I say that, it won't make up for what I've done, and it won't make you forgive me. But you should know, I... "
Voice shaking, he tightened his grip even more. "I had no idea that bastard was abusing you. I thought it would be better for you to live normally than drag you into this with me... and it was stupid, completely selfish of me. You're right, I abandoned you when you needed me, but I was destroyed when we lost them. Leaving was my way of coping, I guess."
Her breathing had returned to normal, and she was beyond livid, but Nari squeezed her brother back. It had been too long since she'd been with someone who was her real family, and in spite of what he'd done, she still loved him.
"But why a gang?" she sniffled, pulling back from the embrace and brushing the salty liquid off her skin. Taeyong chuckled and leaned back on his hands, red-rimmed eyes creasing.
"There's a lot we need to talk about."
° ° °
"Right now we're in the gang's shared home, this is not our headquarters," Taeyong explained as they strolled down a hallway.
"Oh and, um, sorry about the blindfold and the rope. It was primarily for show, but the others got carried away," he apologized with an eye roll. Nari took a moment to reply, dazzled by the gorgeous interior of the building. It was aged like Stray Kids' house, but the aesthetic was very gothic, a Victorian aura radiating from every crevice.
"Who were you putting on a show for?" she asked cluelessly.
"For any members of Stray Kids who were still awake, we don't want them to know why we wanted you."
Ah, of course. That made sense, obviously. Who would want their enemy to know every move they were making? Oh, wait.
"T-taeyong, I'm a member," Nari stuttered. Her brother sighed and dropped his head.
"I know, but it's okay, I can refute their claim, since I'm your family and I run a mafia myself."
Her fingers brushed over her tattoo, and she felt the ghost of Hyunjin's lips running over it, tasting it. Shivering, Nari shook her head.
"I - I don't want you to."
He halted, almost falling over as he spun around. "Why? You have no need for them now, you barely know them! Why would you... " he trailed off, noticing her expression. Wincing, he nodded.
"I see. You're actually friends with them."
She swallowed hard, fiddling with her hands. "Yes, and I'm really sorry. It's just, they were the first people who accepted me since mom and dad, besides Ji - "
Her voice caught on her friend's name, and she stopped, her breath shuddering. "I-I mean, I made a commitment to that gang, a promise, and to go back on people I trust, people I care about... it's wrong, and I can't."
Taeyong was silent, chewing his lip thoughtfully. Finally, he grinned a little. "You know, I wasn't going to have you join NCT, I never wanted that life for you. I just wanted you here, to know you were safe. I wanted to get you away from Stray Kids, or any gang, who wanted your loyalty. That's why I hated them, and was so adamant about finding you. I didn't want any of this for you."
He stepped closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But it's ultimately your choice, if you really trust them. I don't."
Nari giggled at his "threatening" comment. "I really trust them," she assured. He heaved a sheepish sigh.
"Well, I guess we need to set up a little meeting then, hm?"
She nodded her assent as they continued to tour the house. Then a thought hit her.
"Jisoo," Nari murmured. "She... works for you, doesn't she?"
Taeyong muttered a curse. "Uh, yeah, she does." He avoided his sister's eyes. "She's currently being reassigned, since you're here now."
Eyes stinging, Nari laughed mirthlessly. "She was never really my friend. She only pretended so she could spy on me for you," she said, the truth dawning on her. "Ah, I get it, you didn't want me to know where you had gone, but you wanted to keep tabs on me. But if Jisoo was reporting back to you, why didn't she tell you about our uncle?"
Taeyong narrowed his eyes. "I've been wondering the same thing."
He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'd rather finish explaining when your gang gets here. Since they'll be responsible for you, they need to know everything about your past, our past. Can you get in touch with them?"
Her phone was still in her pocket she realized. She pulled it out and unlocked it, holding it up to her ear as she walked a few steps away for some privacy.
"Yeah, I'll just be a second."