winter. （jaerosè）

Chapter 12: The Stolen Project

JAEHYUN

NCT was demanded to gather in the meeting room located at the middle of the main lab (run by Ten, Haechan, Doyoung and Kun) which basically covers the whole floor, enclosed with glass walls— transparent enough for the rest to see but thick enough for them to not hear what goes on from within. There are meeting rooms in every floor of the headquarters, and the supreme meeting area would be at the top floor, where deep and mandatory connections are usually handled and discussed over.

And the other meeting areas would just be a place where they would either get scolded by the higher up's or get praised. It's mostly the first one though, and Jaehyun was confident that today's meeting would be the discussion of his reckless order.

After accompanying Rosé to medical laboratory, his presence was vigorously demanded by Kim Heechul, the right hand of the directress of NCT. It was nerve-wrecking, he must admit. He was never the one to refuse to own up to his mistakes, however, today, he had to admit that the order would've ended him completely if it hadn't been prevented.

Jaehyun didn't feel like enduring the crowded elevators, so he took the stairs from the third floor to the seventh floor where he coincidentally bumped into, out of all people, Mark Lee. He didn't look exactly pleased— who wouldn't be? In fact, his expression faintly spoke for himself— it screamed devastating cues of disappointment the moment he saw Jaehyun. They both took a pause from heading up only for his friend to turn to him.

"I'm disappointed," chided Mark.

"I can see that," Jaehyun mumbled, heavily exhaling as a sheepish smile suddenly formed on his lips then it vanished quickly.

"You almost cost innocent lives, today. And for what? Ms. Chaeyoung? We can't hide forever and I thought we were all ready to suffer the consequences— Don't go back, Jaehyun. Leave it right where it belongs. In the past."

"Just because we've already accepted our fate, it doesn't mean we can't take the chance to prevent it from happening at the wrong time," he spitefully retorted, rendering Mark in an abyss of disbelief. "It's not our time yet to come out the shadows, Minhyung. And you know that yourself as much as you know that I didn't just do it for her."

Mark cleared his throat, huffing, "You can tell that to Heechul. But what I only saw, back there, was you being desperate."

With that, he turned his heel. Jaehyun clenched his fist in rage, but took a pause when he felt his heart wrench.

"You know, fragments of the past will stay no matter how much we try to get rid of them completely," he objected, resting his hand into his pockets. He tilts his head downward in shame, "It'll be of use, someday."

"Then if it hasn't sunken yet, let me ask this time," Mark chastised, shoving his hands into his pocket and takes a step toward him only to ask the same question that keeps Jaehyun up all night. "If she finds out, what would you do?"

With that, the latter walked up pass by him. Jaehyun was left dumb-founded as he thought it through. What happens when she does find out? And what would he have to do to make her stay? And if they encounter similar circumstances like this, would making her stay even matter if he has a greater chance of keeping her safe? Even if it meant for them to part ways? Even if it meant her hating him?

He sighed, discontented and feeling inferior to all the questions unanswered due to the persistence of unpredictability. It turns out that he doesn't know her at all. Jaehyun doesn't know what goes on into her mind, not a bit.

Right. He thought. She's different now.

She's turned into pure mystery, he'd claim. Sometimes, he thinks he knows her but then, she does things that proves him wrong. It's dangerous, but utterly captivating.