CHAMPION | NCT

o42

C H A P T E R
F O R T Y - T W O

The street was busy, windows were foggy, and the steam from the baker's oven travelled to my nose. It had an mix of pleasant aroma. Cinnamon and apple pie. Cream and butter.

Ten and I were currently in a bakery. Right after the meeting was dimissed earlier, everyone went home. As for us, we passed by this place first in order to buy a take-out for Taeil. It was always his favorite, especially the bread rolls and the toasts.

I was drinking the cup of espresso that Ten gave to me, while he ordered at the cashier for the take-out. I was leaning over his bike and despite the street being dark, the motor was still shining, like newly-polished shoes.

I hid my medal underneath my coat, in order to conceal its light. A hand was sealed on top of my cup, to refrain snow from falling on my coffee.

There was a cyborg roaming around the street, carrying a brochure with her. The violet and pink glow of her circuits were very visible from my position, bringing a romantic luminescence in the air. She was advertising the Medborg - a unique design indeed. A spherical-shaped head, fingers that looked like screwdrivers, and a chest that had a texture of a pillow - but was way more durable. It had huge, oblate eyes; one that adjust in the darkness. Then, on top of its data sheets, was its price: amounting to a total of 115,000 neons.

I sipped another cup of coffee, before my mind wandered to the lunch from earlier.

I was constantly thinking about what's inside Ten's thoughts. Earlier, he was able to protect my identity. And on top of that, did he and Taeil really placed their cyborg orders? Or was it just an impromptu excuse for me to pass? But, that doesn't make sense. Ten doesn't even know that I'm Chipless. Or maybe that's just what I thought it was. Maybe Ten knew all along...? That I'm not who he thinks I am?

I heard the door from the bakery open, revealing Ten whose hands were full with paper bags that contain the breads.

"You bought way too many for Taeil," I said, finishing the coffee.

Ten smiled. "The others are for the DRM members, Sooji. And maybe Yuta would want some too. You know, the princeling may have missed Capital food."

I smiled for how thoughtful he was. Then he gave me his helmet, telling me that it's getting late and we need to go.

I nodded, still distracted. I wanted to open up to him. To ask him if he knows my secret and how he found it out. I licked my lips, watching the snow fall from the sky. I was about to say it; I had enough of hiding things from him. But some part of me was very terrified to reveal it. What if Sicheng finds out that I screwed it up -

"Sooji," Ten breathed. "It's okay. I already know."

I felt my eyes widen and my stomach churn. I couldn't look at him in the eyes. "How?" I asked softly.

After a long silence, I heard Ten ruffle to his clothes, as if he was searching for something. I squinted, my fingers twitching. Finally, Ten found it. He presented it to me with both of his hands.

"It's your Dectogem. You left it at the party," he said softly. "There was something wrong with it. I couldn't figure out what until I deconstructed it. You," he blinked. "Sooji, you changed its systems, didn't you? How long have you been using this? How long have you been tricking the police, the government? How long have you been tricking me...?"