exhilarating | mark lee

fifteen

When everybody arrived back home, Doyoung and Kun first checked up on the two if they had any injuries.

Taeyong asked if they could report and the two agreed even though some were still concerned for their state.

Everybody then piled into the main meeting room where all the members could fit. When everyone settled down, Taeyong beckoned them to speak.

The rest of the members also wanted to know what exactly happened since they were in the dark. Everything happened like a flash for them, Mark received a call from Chaerin earlier and heard strange noises.

Mark then called Winwin to track where the phone call was coming from.

"There were three men that they started to follow us starting from 73rd street to the alleyways," Jeno started. "It looks like they were targeting Chaerin," He finished grimly.

"Any identification? Did you know what organization did they belong to?" Taeyong asked with a small frown on his face.

"One had the same tattoos as the gang that was following Mark at the convenience store," Chaerin answered, her eyebrows knitted, trying to remember what she saw in that blur.

"It's HMB then?" Johnny asked to no one in particular.

"Most likely it is the hēi màn bā," Jaehyun added.

"They want power over Seoul, they've been trying to expand their territory for years," Hendery sighed.

"They're already preparing and we should too," Taeyong stated, the atmosphere in the room shifting, "They must be planning to attack soon,"

Taeyong looked to each member and Chaerin, determined, "We meet tomorrow after lunch, fix your errands beforehand. Will anybody be absent tomorrow?"

Most of them shook their heads no and when nobody objected, Taeyong adjourned the meeting so the members could get rest.

• • •

3:04 a.m.

Chaerin had been staring at the big bold numbers showing the time on her bedside table for the last hour or so. She gave up trying to sleep eons ago.

She would usually go out for a drive when she couldn't sleep, but due to the circumstances, she didn't want to risk anything.

Maybe a walk would help.

She knew it wouldn't, however she had nothing else to do.

The hallways were quiet as everyone was fast asleep in their rooms. Chaerin tried to make as minimal sound as possible to not disturb anybody, after all, it is three in the morning.

She arrived at the kitchen after aimless wandering. Chaerin was about the open the fridge when she saw a figure to the right of her vision.

She whipped her to the side fast, trying to decipher whether it was her hallucinating or an actual person.

Relief flooded through her veins as she recognized the brown eyes in the dark.

"God," Chaerin let out a deep breath, "I almost hit you with a frying pan,"

Her posture relaxed and she leaned back to the countertop, her left hand supporting her weight while the right was massaging her temples.