world outsiders, nct dream

chapter thirty-eight

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
NURSES

❝THEY'RE ONTO US.❞

━ JAEMIN FOCUS ━

That night everyone had gone to the dinner table quietly. Minju was there but made no effort in talking to anyone, only staring down at her food seemingly lost in thought.

Renjun and Eunha were quiet. Jaemin didn't question their encounter he had walked in on, Renjun already knew he'd end up asking before bed.

Jeno and Minsoo noticed the quiet atmosphere and neither felt like starting up on a new conversation they knew would go nowhere.

Donghyuck and Hyeji were both still in pain but it was finally subsiding. They were lucky neither of the nurses walked inside. It would've been better if Jaemin hadn't either but as long as he wasn't official staff, neither of them cared.

Jaemin sat quietly, eating by himself as he thought back to all the events he'd accidentally managed to come across.

Neither of the nurses openly questioned anyone about the sudden quietness in their attitudes but a few of the teenagers could see them talking.

By the time dinner was over, everyone made their way back to their respective rooms and began getting ready for bed.

Renjun and Jaemin were silent walking up the stairs until they got into their room. Renjun found some clothes to change into when he finally broke the silence. "You wanna know what happened in the basement, don't you?"

Jaemin paused as he grabbed some pajamas, "no, I'm pretty sure I already know what happened. I just want to know what the hell possessed me to say I'd throw away those dead rats."

Renjun quietly laughed to him, quickly changing.

"Oh, and after I got out of the basement, I ran into Donghyuck and Hyeji. Those two seem to be suffering quite a bit. Have you figured out what Hyeji is yet?"

Renjun released a sad sigh and shook his head, he hadn't yet figured it out.

It was around four when Jaemin had abruptly awoken with painful throbbing in his head.

He winced as he sat up, his hands connecting to his head as he shut his eyes tightly, small teardrops escaping both sides.

He wiped them away harshly with his right hand before placing it back against his head, the throbbing only becoming worse.

"What the hell.." he questioned through gritted teeth.

His bottom lip quiver in pain before being pulled between his teeth, biting down on it in an attempt to ignore the pain.

It didn't work.

A gasp left his lips, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his bedsheets. His vision went dark before turning white and just like that day at school, a movie-like vision began playing out.

"I'm curious about it all." Nurse Son spoke lowly. Her pinky finger pointed outward as she sipped her coffee.

"As am I. Before they arrived, the boys barely spoke outside of their bedrooms or the media rooms until to tell of Minju. And now they don't stop speaking during meal times." Nurse Min agreed.

Nurse Son raised an eyebrow. "Do you find it suspicious, as well?"

Nurse Min shrugged, grabbing a bag of cookies as she took a seat at the table across from Nurse Son. "What do you mean, exactly?"

"There's something about these three girls that changed the four of them. Even Renjun, of all chances. He used to just stare down at his plate at meals or never speak a word. Now he's having no trouble completing chores with that Eunha girl and he talks more in general."

"So you're saying there's something wrong with the girls?"

"I'm not saying something is wrong. Rather, maybe we aren't paying close enough attention. They could be sharing or communicating about something that's bringing them together and you know we can't have that. It's bad enough we let the four boys get this close already, we can't have them messing around as one big group."

Nurse Min nodded, "I see what you mean. Maybe we should begin paying closer attention."

Jaemin finally drew in a loud breath, the pain finally beginning to subside. He opened his mouth and spoke in a whisper.

"They're onto us," he said quietly before black encased his vision once again and he fell backward.