FADED | NCT 2020

Goodnight, Moon.

4.

Seoul, nine years a go

Taeil had been watching this guy because he always come to the convenience store where Taeil worked at the same exact hours almost every night. He was always in his black hoodie and eat a roll of kimbap with two cups of Shin ramyeon and drank strawberry milk.

What makes him amazed was when the guy pulled off his hoodie and it shows the brightest silver color hair he ever saw on a man. His face is so hard not to stare, the angles, those eyes, the lips, everything makes other people less worthy if compared to him. And Taeil strangely hooked.

It happened for weeks, Taeil eyeing over the ethereal guy without Taeyong pay the attention back towards the older guy. But it changed when Taeil helped his fellow co-workers fixing computer and the CCTV, overheard that Taeil need to stop shopping illegally using someone else's credit card through the internet, that it was a crime, and Taeil was just chuckling. It wasn't a hero action he did, but Taeil feel like Taeyong started to notice him more, he even made conversation when he paid for the food.

More conversation flows and Taeil started to dared himself to sit with the younger guy when he's enjoying his kimbap and two cups of ramyeon and strawberry milk.

He's not a nice guy to start with, but he started to smile often and Taeil thinks it was a good sign of their friendship.

"So I heard you hacked things?" the question made Taeil realized that Taeyong interested in his skill, he started to bluffed more, but Taeyong is conscious about that, "if you're that good, can you try to buy this for me?" he showed Taeil a picture of a gun.

"W-why you need this?"

The anime looking guy smirk, showing the line of pearl white teeth, "everybody need one."

Taeil couldn't say anything.

"Listen, you shopped illegally with someone else's credit card, but I bet you bought legal things... hmmm, my guess is daily essentials?" he raised one eyebrow.

Taeil's mind went to the package of can food that just came this morning, and set of expensive hair care he's about to sell to his colleague to pay his rent.

"How did you do it? Steal hundred won from thousands cards?"

Taeil nodded, "you understand...?"

Taeyong sneered, "you're a good guy, Moon Taeil, that's why you could never buy me this." He lock his phone screen and the picture of the gun's gone.

Maybe this is a sign for him to give up befriending this guy, but just like gravity, he always pulled to Taeyong, at least he wants to be pulled.

Five days later, Taeyong got his 9mm Glock G19.

-

A phone call from Sungchan is the last thing Taeil was expecting that day, moreover with the news he told him, the oldest sat up straight and his heart thumping eratically inside his chest. He ran to Doyoung at instance, ignoring that there are two other Neos in the room.

A single accident?

Black sedan.

Under his name.

"I've heard." Doyoung murmured faintly when Taeil arrived at his door.

Taeil staring at the younger guy, trying to read his face if there's any suspicion towards him, but he failed, Doyoung is too good at hiding many things, moreover, feelings.