we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part twenty-nine

⇉ the one with theories.

part twenty-nine

The coffee is black and bitter.

It's quite fitting, Juno thinks. And while she has the good fortune of not being irritably hungover, the wildness of last night isn't lost on her. Which is putting it lightly, considering the fact that it ended with Jaemin's ex-girlfriend being found dead.

Everyone's mood is dark today. News of what happened has spread quickly, and there is once again a fearful, dreary atmosphere in the school. But it is even worse now, because many had settled into a state of complacency after that long stretch of peace. The recent murder is jarring, to say the least.

The group of eight doesn't bother showing in the cafeteria for breakfast that morning. Some of them, like Juno, still have an inappropriately large appetite and have stopped by to grab something to eat. Others, understandably, cannot stomach anything right now. But they all congregate inside a conference room on the third floor, quiet and forlorn as they each turn over the events of the night in their heads.

"I think... it's time we admit Juno's right. " Jeno's gaze lands on the girl, but she doesn't meet it. "We have a better chance of figuring out what's going on if we look into things ourselves."

"And we're all in danger anyway," Mark mutters. "We've got nothing to lose."

Juno takes a sip of her soul-sucking coffee, then picks off a piece of chocolate-chip muffin. And yet she doesn't even feel the juxtaposition in tastes; her mouth feels like it's filled with sawdust. But she keeps eating. "How did they kill her in a room full of people? That's what I want to know."

"Chaewon was probably murdered elsewhere, like Jihyi and Jaesu." Renjun gets up and walks to the whiteboard at the front of the room, drafting a list of the information and speculation they've reached so far. "Then dragged to the party room."

"But someone would've seen that," Juno presses.

Silence descends until Renjun breaks it. "But we all have an alibi," he says, speaking to Juno but giving Haechan a pointed look. "We were together around the time Chaewon was killed."

Haechan clenches his jaw tightly, but doesn't refute the words. "It's just... very off that the school still hasn't figured out who it is yet," he says. "And everything is just supposed to continue, business as usual? That's such bullshit."

"I wonder what excuse they'll give her family this time," Juno muses. "Alcohol poisoning?"

"No. We weren't supposed to be drinking," Haechan says.

"Well, no shit." Their gazes lock, but as neither one of them is spoiling for a fight this morning, they both glance away.

"But noona, what happened last night?" Jisung speaks up from his spot on the bed. "I mean, what was the entire deal with Dano?"

The other boys glance up, evidently having forgotten about that. Juno sighs, placing her mug down on the table before speaking. "Well, nothing really started going wrong until we went upstairs for the afterparty," she begins.

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say we won't ever be attending another one," Jeno snorts.

Everyone agrees. "Right," Juno says, eyes snapping to him for a quick second before returning to the floor. "Anyway-" A text notification sound draws her attention to her phone, and she glances at it. "Hey, is it okay if Livi joins us here?"

There's some hesitation, but then they all nod. Jeno's face is infuriatingly impassive. "It's fine," he finally tells her.

Juno cocks a brow. "You sure?"