mark was currently smoking on the roof.

it was almost 4:00am, and mark couldn't sleep. he had come back from his mission two hours ago, and he knew he was supposed to wake up early the next day, but he had too many things on his mind.

taking his cigarette to his lips, he inhaled and felt the nicotine rushing through his metabolism, calming him on the spot. he slowly exhaled the smoke, closing his eyes.

he was disturbed in his peaceful moment by someone climbing on the roof loudly. he looked towards the boy, not even holding out a hand to help him.

when the other finally managed to get up, he got to sit next to mark, none of them looking in the other's eyes.

"what are you doing here yuta?" mark asked.

"you're just above my room, and your thing stinks."

"sorry." he answered, without a single emotion in his voice.

"why are you here?" yuta questioned, this time looking at mark.

"needed to be alone." he blew some smoke out. "but you're here now."

mark was distant in his voice. actually, he had always been. he is one of the best elements of the gang on the field. but when it comes to feelings, he's far from being at the top. every gang member was worried about him. sure, they were all broken on the inside. that's why they joined nct. to get a family they could never have. but mark didn't seem broken, he seemed totally fucked up. he had no emotions. neither fear, nor compassion, or happiness. he had always that blank face on, making himself impossible to read. and, well, talking about that was the biggest taboo ever for nct.

"mark?" yuta asked, earning a hum from the smoking boy. "don't you think you shouldn't stay all alone like that?"

"i don't see the problem." mark responded, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray he had with him.

"you keep everything on the inside. try open up a bit. it might help."

"are you trying to say there's something wrong with the way i'm dealing with my problems?" mark said, almost aggressively, looking right in yuta's eyes, making the other shiver.

"n-no, that's not what i am saying."

mark lit another cigarette and brought it to his lips. "good then."

"are you going to sleep tonight?" yuta said after a few seconds of silence.

"once i have finished this." mark replied showing the little nicotine stick he had between his fingers.

"i'll let you alone then." yuta rose up to his feet and jumped out of the roof, landing on the grass of their backyard.

he entered the house and met taeyong in the living room.

"what did he say?" the leader asked.

"same as usual." yuta rolled his eyes.

"was he smoking?"

"what do you think?" yuta chuckled. "anyway, i'll go to bed, i'm tired."

XXXXXXXXXX

"so, if i understood well, you all are killers?" donghyuck said, making jeno and jaemin roll their eyes.

"no, that's-" jaemin started but was cut by jisung.

"that's basically it."

"thank you jisung. at least one of you is an honest guy."

renjun, donghyuck and the dreamies were going back to nct's mansion after a long school day. the gang members were explaining the two others how they joined the group, and what they had been doing since then, and donghyuck wasn't the best audience.

the boys continued their conversation until they arrived at the entrance of the property. they entered it and walked across the small garden, finding themselves in front of the porch.

"blondie?" donghyuck said, stopping abruptly when he recognised the figure that was smoking sitting on the porch's steps. the smoking boy lifted his eyes and met donghyuck's brown orbs.

"you?" he responded blankly.

"wait a second." chenle interrupted the staring contest between the two. "you know each other?"

"yes" "no" both boys answered at the same time.

"of course, we do, blondie."

"don't call me that." mark spat.

"that's rude to talk this was to someone who voluntarily helped you."

mark rolled his eyes. "whatever." he said before raising to his feet and leaving.

"does he have his periods or-"

"donghyuck. cut that bitchy attitude of yours." renjun sighed.

the little group entered the house and got to the 'game room' as dream called it.

they threw their bags in a corner and let themselves fall on the sofas and pouffes of the room.

"your gang is wired." donghyuck said, breaking the silence.

renjun approved.

"why?" jeno asked.

"well, first of all, you all are so kind to be gang members, like that's not how it is supposed to be. i saw nct as a big killer gang, with people that were scary and who feared noting..."

jaemin chuckled. "you've never seen any of you on the field. that's something else..."

"second, we learn that both of renjun's boyfriends are part of it."

"yeah, and that was... unexpected." renjun nodded.

"and third, we learn that chenle and jisung are in the gang as well!" donghyuck exclaimed.

"that's life." jisung stated.

"oh yeah, and blondie is as well." donghyuck finished. "is there someone else that we know?"

chenle suddently jumped up, smiling and bouncing. "i know what you need guys!" he said before dashing out of the room.

"has he got ants in his pants?" donghyuck asked, making the whole room laugh.

"he's just... bubbly..." jisung said between laughs.

chenle entered the room with a big ass folder and let it fall on the floor making a loud thud.

"wow! careful there! you almost crushed renjun's foot with that thing." jeno said, circling his arms protectively around his boyfriend's chest.

"anyway. what is this?" renjun asked.

"this is a folder we created last year, to explain to hendery, xiaojun and yangyang, when they joined, every member's role in the gang." jisung said.

"and i guess it's the perfect time to look at it. this way, you can get to know every member." chenle finished.

"let's go then." donghyuck said, approaching the folder. "seems like it's going to be a long ass ride..."