cherry bomb › nct

63 | invitations

NEO CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
MAD CITY BASE
7:23 AM, THURSDAY

"Keiko that's not how you crack the eggs." Mark muttered as he watched her try all over again. Keiko shot him a bitter look, "As if you know better."

He gasps out loud, lightly hitting her arm, "Mean!"

"Why are we cooking breakfast again?" Hendery questioned with sigh, eyes scanning the kitchen only for it to land on Kun who warned him with a certain look.

"Simple. Because two brats decided to leave the base without any permission or notice at all." Kun crossed his arms in front of his chest, slitted eyes glaring down at the Chinese boy and the Japanese girl.

Hendery flinched slightly, a sheepish smile set on his lips as he avoided the older's gaze, quickly nudging Keiko who stood beside him, "Your fault." he murmured.

"Shut up, you had fun didn't you." she retorted making him pull up a bitter look.

Hendery rolled his eyes before snatching away the eggs. "You're not doing it properly."

"Are you sure it's alright to let them cook?" Taeil asked worriedly as he walked into the kitchen, "I mean- they might burn down the whole place."

Hendery and Keiko shot him an offended look, a frown on their faces. "Hey! We can hear you, you know!"

Taeil narrowed his eyes at them, snapping his fingers, "It was meant to be heard, brats."

"What's cookin– why the hell are you making Mark cook eggs?" Renjun said as he peeped inside the kitchen.

Mark scowled, "I can cook eggs!"

"No you can't. Proven and tested. Why are you even helping them?" Donghyuck retorted, scoffing comically as he remembered the time Mark was the one who cooked eggs.

"Like you are any different, Haechan." Yuta spoke behind him making the said boy flinch, a sheepish smile cast on his lips.

"Never let Haechan cook again if you don't want the kitchen to burn down." Sicheng noted, nodding his head as he agreed with Yuta.

"Okay, this is their punishment, why are y'all here?" Doyoung interrupted and started pushing the others who weren't Hendery and Keiko outside.

"Okay, okay, sheesh. We're leaving."

Jeno walked past through, earning a deadpan from Doyoung. He shook his head, "I just... need to get the milk box."

Doyoung sighed, "Fine, hurry up."

"Oh? Jeno." Hendery was the first one to notice the boy, giving him a simple wave. Keiko peered up from the pan, nodding towards Jeno's direction, "Oh, hi."

As Jeno grabbed the milk carton from the refrigerator. He turns around, eyes lingering onto Keiko for a bit. Noticing how she occasionally pushed back her hair for it to avoid getting into her way.

Placing down the carton on the countertop, he tapped the girl's shoulder making her avert her gaze onto him. "Uhh... You need something?" She asks.

Jeno stretches out his arm, showing her his wrist making her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "Um, is there something wrong with your wrist?"

He stifled a laugh, shaking his head as his eyes curved into crescents as he smiled, "Take the hair tie, I think you need it."

"Oh, I- Uhh, thank you." She mumbled quite surprised. Sliding off the black hair tie from Jeno's wrist, she brushed her silver hair together before tying it up in a ponytail.