friends with benefits || nct

<15>

Music played in the background — I suspected to drown out our voices. Ten's posture was slouched, his head lowered. He looked good with his hair slightly curled and glasses perched on his nose.

My lungs constricted, like I was still running. "Ten—"

"I've noticed it, you know. I've felt it lately — well, actually, for the past several months. I could feel you growing distant. I thought, you know, maybe she's just busy with work. But then I thought I — you'd make time for me. Of course you would. You always have.

"But we've stopped hanging out." His eyes shone with unshed tears and I wanted to fall to my knees. "I haven't seen you all month. And before that, I saw you once. Once, Yingyue! What happened? What happened to us?"

I reached my hand out to him, a lump in my throat. "Ten, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I didn't want — I'm so sorry, Ten."

The door to the dance practice room opened, and I held my breath. When Mark's head peeked through, panic shot out to my extremities. I wanted to scream at him to leave but he was already saying, "Hey, Yingyue, is everything — Oh. Ten."

Ten's mouth went slack. And then his expression became angry. Angrier than I'd ever seen it. He pointed at Mark. "What the fuck is this? Why does he know your name, Yingyue? How does he know you?"

I lifted my hands in surrender. "It's not — let me explain."

His eyes widened. "Oh, I see. I see now. You're fucking my member." He turned his blazing gaze to me, index finger in my face now. "Is this what I mean to you? You're just using me, huh? Your pretty idol friend with benefits who can get you anything you ask for, free of charge. Includes access to NCT so you can fuck them."

My nostrils flared and my fists clenched. "Excuse me? Is that how you think of me? Because it isn't like that at all."

Mark rushed to my side. "Yeah, man, it's not like that. We — I wanted to tell you everything but she didn't—"

Ten scoffed, and I rounded on Mark. I wanted to yell at him how much of a fucking idiot he was.

But Ten shook his head and scowled at me. "Now I understand completely. That's how it is. Got it. Well, got your wish. Forget me. Bye, bitch." And he stormed from the room.

"Yingyue, I'm so sor—"

I wrenched my arms from Mark's grasp. "Don't you dare, Mark. Everything is so — it's all messed up now. Thanks a lot. Jus — just leave me alone."

When I stalked from the room, the tears cascaded down my cheeks. And I wondered if Ten was crying too.

;;

a/n: ANGST.

but also, this is The Superior Look (but pls don't fite me on that, i'm fragile)