lee sooman was swinging on his office chair, his phone stuck to one ear, and a pissed expression obvious on his face. it was the fourth time this morning that he had tried calling nct, and they still weren't answering the phone.

"useless gang! they can't even answer simple phone calls!" he groaned as nobody responded.

he threw his device on his desk, focusing on his paperwork.

minutes after, his phone rang.

"nct already pissed me off, now who dares disturbing me?!" he yelled grabbing the phone, and answering quickly at the contact appearing on the screen.

"yah! took you long enough!"

"i'm sorry sir, i couldn't respond before." taeyong's voice said on the phone.

"yes, yes, keep your excuses to yourself. i pay you a lot for doing a job, and part of it is answering my calls immediately." he said sternly.

"sorry sir, it won't happen aga-"

"of course, it won't. our contract is coming to an end."

"how so?"

"bring me the boy back. i want him back. and please, take big measures to bring him to me safely on this friday at midnight, behind the centre-town supermarket."

taeyong didn't answer right away.

"understood?" sooman asked.

"hum, yes sir. friday, midnight, centre-town supermarket."

"good. bring him safely." the man said before hanging up.

he breathed peacefully, closing his eyes for a moment. after a second, he dialled another number on his phone, raising it to his ear shortly after.

the person answered almost instantly.

"yes sir?"

"ah! good to know you answer right away when i call..."

XXXXXXXXXX

taeyong rushed to the living room. as wayv had come back from their mission in the night, they were telling the rest of the members about what happened sprawled out on the different couches of the room.

taeyong grabbed jaehyun's arm, pulling him towards his room. the boy who was peacefully listening to the story of his gang members followed his leader without complaints. both entered the room, taeyong locking the door behind them.

"i thought we had agreed not to do anything when other members were in the house?" jaehyun said, eying his leader suspiciously.

taeyong slapped his forehead. "that's not why i brought you here..."

"o-oh... sorry. what is it then?"

taeyong approached the other. "he wants him back." he whisper-shouted.

"who want who back?" jaehyun questioned, sitting on taeyong's bed.

"lee sooman. he wants donghyuck back."

"oh... did he tell you when?"

taeyong nodded. "this friday at midnight."

jaehyun thought for a second. "i don't see what's bothering you so much... he asked us to keep him safe, and we knew perfectly that he was going to ask him back one day..."

"i know, but i'm worried..."

"come here." jaehyun said, patting his lap. taeyong voluntarily sat there, facing jaehyun. "what are you worried about?" jaehyun asked cupping taeyong's cheek with his hand.

"what if sooman can't protect him? exo is still after him!"

jaehyun gently rubbed taeyong's cheek. "sooman is someone powerful... he has the ability to protect himself and donghyuck, don't worry about that..."

"the fact is... i'm also worried about mark."

"mark? what does he have to do with... oh, i see." jaehyun stated.

"the boy has been different since donghyuck came. we could barely have a conversation with him before, he always gave us the silent treatment... but now that donghyuck is here, well... he opens up, he talks, and i've seen him smiling! he had never smiled in front of me since i know him. but the most impressive thing is that he hasn't smoked since donghyuck has been injured. do you realise? it's not something normal! one can't stop smoking from one day to another, especially if this person smokes a whole pack in a day!" taeyong listed. "donghyuck has been changing mark. and i'm afraid that if he leaves, mark will go back to who he was before, or even worst..."

jaehyun sighed, gently posing his hands on taeyong's hips. "i see what you are talking about, but what can we do about it?"

"nothing. we can't do anything! and that's what is torturing me! we really need to find a sol-" taeyong was cut in his words by jaehyun's lips.

the two boys had been together for almost a year now, but keeping their relationship a secret. they didn't want the others to know that they were together. when you're in a gang, having a lover is showing you're weak, and that you can easily be defeated. if someone knew that nct's leader had a lover, it would be easier for any other gang to beat them. so, it was better that their relationship stayed between jaehyun, taeyong and the walls of their rooms.

"tae, calm down. we'll think about it. we still have two days."

the leader nodded.

"for the moment, we'll have to inform the other members, without telling mark or donghyuck." jaehyun finished.