BETRAYAL <NCT OT23>

F I F T E E N

Doyoung knocked at the bathroom door for five times already. The door is locked but he heard no response from the person inside, he ran out of patience and began banging his fists against the door, hoping to finally get an answer from someone inside the bathroom. As expected, no one responded. "Anyone there who saw someone entering the bathroom?"

"I think it was Sungchan, I never saw him since." Renjun answered, not looking at where Doyoung was. "Okay, thanks. Why is he not responding?! Sungchan! I need to take a shit!" Doyoung's impatience made him kick the door multiple times just to open it. He successfully opened the bathroom door, only to find Jung Sungchan lying on the cold floor. Well, it wasn't actually surprising at all to see a dead body almost everyday, but Sungchan was one of the least expected people to get killed. "What happened to him..." He kneeled down to check if Sungchan was just passed out, and as expected, he couldn't feel his pulse anymore. "Alright, who was the last person Sungchan was talking to? Jaemin?" Doyoung can see Jaemin lowering his head as he turned around to search for him. "Jaemin?"

"I didn't do anything to him, Doyoung hyung." In confusion, Doyoung's eyebrows met each other, Jaemin's response made him let go of Sungchan's cold body. "What?" He saw Jaemin roll his eyes before facing Doyoung again. "That was obviously what you're talking about, so I didn't bother to listen to that same shitty question again. I know you're gonna accuse me again just like what happened before."

"Of course we're going to ask you the same question! You're the last one Sungchan was talking to!" They all went silent when they heard Mark raise his voice, except for Jaemin, he instead rose up from his seat to face Mark. "And how could you tell that I was the one who killed Sungchan?!" Mark covered his face and made a frustrated sigh. "You're being dumb right now, you know... You are obviously the last person he was talking to, so why did he die all of a sudden?! Magic?! You're ridiculous Jaemin."

"What's ridiculous is that you're accusing me of something when YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE TO WITNESS EVERYTHING!" Jaemin threw the glass he was holding on the floor, the sound of the shattered glass startled his members, including Mark. "J-Jaemin hyung, please calm down..." Jisung gently whispered behind Doyoung, but Jaemin didn't listen. He then grabbed the jar of the suspicious looking powdered juice and placed it in the front, his sudden weird actions confused the others. "This is the last thing Sungchan drank before he went into the bathroom. You want me to prove to you that I'm innocent right? Okay then..." Jaemin took a big scoop of the powder, and just right before placing the powdered juice in his mouth, they all heard Winwin speak from behind them.

"That's enough, Jaemin. We can talk about this later, let's focus on Sungchan first." Jaemin put the powder back in the jar along with the spoon, he walked past through them to get close to Sungchan, and of course, he took the opportunity to bump his shoulder to Mark's.

Winwin then ran to where Jaemin once stood and grabbed the jar of powdered juice immediately, tossing it in the trash bin after. "Sicheng-ge, why did you throw that away? I understand that those things aren't your thing, but you do know that anyone in this house might want that, right?" Winwin didn't move a muscle just right after he threw all the powder, he waited for Renjun to add some words to speak. "Sicheng-ge, do you know what's actually in that jar?"

"Renjun, it would be better if you go there and help them carry Sungchan." Winwin replied, still not turning his head to see Renjun behind him. "But Sicheng-ge, I have to know why you did that!" Winwin finally took a glance at Renjun, his stare is as cold as ice, it made Renjun take a step back. "You do know what happens to people if they won't shut up, right?" Renjun remained silent, he couldn't lift his own feet to walk away from him. All he could do is to stare at Winwin. "Renjun! We need your hand!" Renjun immediately turned his attention to his other members, he spent no time running away from Winwin. He didn't even bother to look back at him.

•

"Write two more sentences." A man ordered, staring at Renjun who is struggling to write the letter he had told him to do. "I-I can't do this anymore. Please, s-spare my life. I promise not to tell anyone about it!" Renjun's sobs are echoing all over his room, he couldn't stop his hand from shaking. "Your suicide letter won't be believable if you write like that. Stop shaking!" Renjun flinched when the man began to raise his voice at him. "Fine, that's enough, you're wasting my time." He grabbed the pen in a harsh manner. "Fold the paper." A chuckle was released from the man's mouth when Renjun slowly took a glance at the door, he then held Renjun's shoulder to laugh at his face. "Oh no Junnie, you can't get out, and I will make sure that you can't escape this hell house." The man then handed Renjun a kitchen knife, which made him shake in fear. "Well, what are you waiting for? Take it."

Renjun hesitantly took the knife from his hand, he then looked at the man with his eyes showing that he's deeply terrified. He couldn't see the man's face because his room is too dark that the only source of light they could get was from the moon. "Scared? Do you want to do it yourself? Or do you want me to do it to you?" As the man's hand slowly reached the knife, Renjun tightened his grip on the object, making the man chuckle devilishly. "Because if I'll do the work, I will first poke your eyes, then cut your fingers one by one..." The man then brushed his fingers from Renjun's face down to his hands. "I will make you feel how hell actually feels like, and everyone else will just literally accuse anything and anyone. Still want me to do it?" Renjun immediately pulled the knife away from the man when he noticed that his hands are already touching it. "I-I'll do it myself."

"Good, now do it right now. Show me what you've got Renjun." The man slowly stepped out of the dark part of the room, letting Renjun see his face. "Surprised? I know, pretty unexpected right?" Renjun stared at the man in front of him, tears then started to escape mercilessly. "Can't do it?" He leaned closer. "Aren't you tired of seeing your members die everyday? Seeing your members fighting and almost killing each other? Don't tell me you aren't tired of witnessing those things, I too am sick of it. You will never be able to escape, nor call for help. This is your only way, and only chance to escape this hell." Renjun looked back at the knife he was holding, slowly pointing it towards his stomach. A sob begging for mercy escaped before he pushed the sharp object to his stomach, he screamed as the agonizing pain caused by the knife slowly crawled all over his body. "Do it, weakling!"

Renjun did as what he was told, he repeated the step, at the same speed and at the same spot. His blood began to flood all over his mouth. He then felt a hand holding the knife he was gripping, like it was stopping him from stabbing himself. He felt a pinch of relief, but was instantly got taken away when the man pushed it down while the steel was still inside Renjun's stomach. He couldn't even let out a scream because of how painful it feels, he looked at the man who stared at the huge hole he made in his stomach. The last thing he saw is that the man pulled the bloody knife out and stabbed his neck. He couldn't believe that the person who he treated as a brother would do that to him, he felt betrayed.

 He felt betrayed.