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“What are you guys doing?” Mark asked and sat down in between his two friends, who were way too preoccupied with whatever was playing on their laptop.
“Shh, don’t ruin the moment!” Jungwoo hushed him, then turned the volume up.
Mark could see one man on top of a cliff with another one approaching him dangerously. As the scene got even more dramatic, Sicheng screamed and paused the video, hugging his pillow tightly.
“Aish, why do you have to be like that?” Jungwoo complained and tried to start the series again, but Sicheng wasn’t having any of it.
“If they kill Wei Wuxian, I swear I’m not watching anymore!” he let out a pained cry and Mark furrowed his eyebrows, not fully understanding what was happening.
“You’re an idiot! We saw him resurrected! This is just a flashback to 16 years back!” Jungwoo continued and had to physically restrain the other, in order to press play.
Hearing all the ruckus, Yuta joined them in the living room, staring at the screen over their heads. “Is that the live action of Mo Dao Zu Shi?!” he asked, a little bit too excited, face lighting up with a smile.
“You know this shit?” Mark shot back, scrunching up his nose in disgust.
“It’s a masterpiece! I can only hope to be just as amazing as Lan Zhan-ge!” the older commented and Mark could swear he saw his eyes sparkle for a second.
“That’s it!” Sicheng exclaimed and jumped up, taking the rest by surprise “Let’s make our own version of The Untamed!”.
The youngest was staring at them as if they were insane, but couldn’t stop the chaos that came right after. Yuta was shouting intelligible things, Jungwoo was searching costumes on the internet and Sicheng was already sending messages to their group chat. Honestly, Mark didn’t even know how the latter ended up in their dorm in the first place. WayV had been busy preparing for a comeback and the last thing this guy should be doing was fooling around with some plastic swords and weird wigs.
His protests couldn’t stop them though and soon enough, half of NCT was gathered on the 10th floor, some questioning even their own existence and not trusting these kids for one bit. Out of the blue, Jungwoo pulled from his room a white board with the names of the characters written on it and a black marker.
“So, what are we doing here?” Taeyong asked sheepishly, not feeling ready for whatever was coming his way. Sicheng was usually the normal one and his worries resided with the ideas that could possibly come out of Jungwoo’s and Yuta’s mouths.
“Mo Dao Zu Shi, also known as The Untamed.” the Japanese member plainly stated and took his place next to the other evil masterminds.
“You… do know what the novel is about, right?” Renjun questioned, eyeing his friends suspiciously.
“Umm… bros over hoes? True friendship?” Jungwoo replied, feigning innocence, but the younger didn’t seem too satisfied with the mockery. None of them had previously proclaimed their sexuality and definitely didn’t get to discuss anything about it within the group. Most of them were okay with over the top fanservice, just to satisfy those fandom needs, but there weren’t any official couples or someone who had come out of the closet.
In the novel, the main leads were romancing each other, but due to censorship, a lot of their sweet or spicy scenes were cut out of the live action. Even so, the actors were so amazing they managed to keep a nice atmosphere and convey emotions that subtly showed that Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian were more than friends (and these two weren’t actually the only ones who left that impression on the viewers).
“Well, we’ll stick more to the TV series than the novel, sooo… you don’t have to worry that much.” Yuta assured the younger, but the only thing he got in response was a long sigh.
“I sent you guys a PDF with the lines in both Chinese and Korean. After we distribute the roles, we’ll rehearse for a few hours and then see how it plays out.” Sicheng stated and it was rather shocking how many words could come out of his mouth in under a minute. His usually quiet self was most likely away on vacation.
“So, main leads are Wei Wuxian, who is playful, energetic, handsome, loyal and caring, and Lan Zhan, who mostly keeps to himself (very quiet), rarely strays away from his clan’s guidelines and has a rather interesting relationship with Wei Wuxian.” Jungwoo informed them, scratching his chin and trying to think who’d be the best to play those roles “I’ll be Wei Wuxian, since none of you can even compare to Xiao Zhan’s perfection.”.
Sicheng scoffed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at whatever bullshit his friend was saying. “Who should we choose as Lan Zhan then?” Yuta asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Doyoung hyung!” Donghyuck cheered, a smirk plastered on his pouty lips.
“Why me?” the said boy protested and frowned at the younger’s suggestion.
“Because I just need you to shut up once in a while.” Donghyuck replied, dodging a slipper thrown in his direction.
Yuta raised one eyebrow and got closer to the ones standing next to him, to whisper near their ears, while pointing at the two members who were now fighting “Jiang Cheng and Yanli?”. “Definitely.” Sicheng agreed, rubbing his palms together in excitement.
“What about the pea… cock?” Jungwoo asked and scanned the room from left to right “Johnny hyung!”. Sicheng attempted to hold back his chuckles, but Yuta was not that subtle – he made a loud, weird noise, before dropping to the floor into fits of laughter. Johnny would be such a good Jin Zixuan (although he didn’t really seem to match well with Donghyuck as his forever soulmate).
“That sounds like an insult.” Johnny commented, slightly glaring at them.
“Shh, shh, don’t worry. You die early anyway.” Yuta shot back and wrote his name on the board.
“That means more than half of the straight roles are already gone?” Renjun questioned out loud and everyone turned their attention to him.
“Why? Do you have a certain preference, Renjun-ah?” Jungwoo tested the waters, smirking and playing with the cap of his marker. The younger was glaring at him, but it seemed like for the moment all of his courage had died down. It was a bit weird how invested he was in this whole thing, but Jungwoo didn’t want to push it. He was too excited to find the perfect matches for Xichen and Meng Yao.
“Taeyong hyung, Jaehyunnie, how about you play rivals in this one?” he asked, putting their names on the white board right next to those two characters.
“Uuuh, so our golden boy is the villain? I kinda dig it.” Yuta said cheerfully and drew a heart right next to the younger’s role. “Might not have the attitude, but he has the dimples.” Sicheng continued, pointing to his own cheeks in a cute way and certainly did not expect Taeil to get up and cling to him like his life depended on it (“Winwinnie is sooo cute!” / “Get the fuck off!”).
“How the fuck did I end up in a dress?” Donghyuck complained as he tried on Yanli’s costume.
“Ugh, tell me about it.” Taeil joined in as he fixed the belt on his red robes.
“Shut it. You got Wen Qing ‘cause you just had to piss off Sicheng hyung. I did nothing wrong.” the younger continued, staring at his beautiful figure in the large mirror of their practice room.
Yuta passed by them both, dressed as Wen Ruohan, and cackled loudly, pulling out his long sword. Apparently he claimed this role since he was a Scorpio and you can’t have a Scorpio play someone good. His sign could be the Devil incarnate and that trait can’t be contained. Who else was he supposed to be? Nie Huaisang who doesn’t know anything? Nah, Jisung got that one for sure.
“I am your gege, so you have to listen to me!” someone shouted down the corridor. “No, I don’t! We haven’t started the play yet!” the maknae’s voice could be heard contradicting Chenle. Nie Mingjue was a tough character and didn’t really suit the boy’s frail frame, but the sibling energy him and Jisung emanated was too good to be missed.
Sicheng just wanted to keep himself entertained, so the fact that the rest didn’t bother to interfere in ChenJi’s small fight was rather good. They somehow had to keep up that tension and transfer it on screen, to show Mingjue’s dominant traits and Huaisang’s innocence and purity (although, judging by the way Jisung was holding Chenle by the collar, there wasn’t anything that naïve left in that boy).
“I can’t believe I got stuck in a love triangle!” Renjun complained, fixing his wig with annoyance clearly plastered on his soft features.
“At least you don’t go blind!” Jeno shot back at him, looking absolutely gorgeous in Xiao Xingchen’s white robe. This boy must have been a prince or a king in his past life – he exuded sheer elegance and prestige – almost like you had to pay money to stand close to him, worship the air he breathed and all that. His character also seemed to fit him perfectly – somewhat quiet, kind and well-raised, a great swordsman, but with the tendency of putting his trust in the wrong people.
Suddenly, Jaemin made his way into the practice room and showed off with a slow pirouette in the middle, at the same time pulling out his sword. “I’m here to avenge you, my dear friend! Xue Yang will pay for everything!” he said, sounding rather convincing and Renjun growled at him from one corner, adjusting the accessory on his hand. Apparently, his character was missing one finger, so he wore some sort of glove to hide his handicap.
“Uh-uh, friend! That’s not the right way to address your fuck-buddy!” Chenle replied and had to set off on a lap around the practice room, with Jeno tailing him. “Say that again! I dare you!” the older threatened – as soon as he got the chance, he took a leap and landed on top of his friend. No one even blinked when Chenle’s high-pitched scream cut through the rest of the noise – Jisung even cheered, clapping his hands enthusiastically. It was a real treat.
Taeyong’s long robe swayed around him as he rushed towards the youngsters to stop their fighting. He looked absolutely stunning as Lan Xichen, having the same aura and presence as the original actor. “Hey, hey! Let him be, Jeno-yah!” he tried to persuade the boy, but Chenle’s mouth kept rambling on and on (disregarding any appreciation he might have had for his life) – “So? Who’s the better lover – Xue Yang or Song Lan? Why are you so mad? Not all of us get the opportunity of getting swiped up in such a hot threesome!”.
“This kid!” Renjun said through gritted teeth and cracked his knuckles, walking over to where the others were standing. “Ha! Jeno hyung didn’t choose the hoe life! The hoe life chose him!” Chenle shrieked as Jeno pinched his sides and kicked him with his knee. Jaemin wasn’t bothered at all by the whole spectacle and was now carefully polishing his sword, with his favourite maknae sitting next to him.
“Ey, ey! Stop all this! We need to begin the rehearsals!” Jungwoo instructed and split up the fight, whacking them on the heads with his black, shiny flute.
Chenle got up, a cute pout on his lips. He threw one dirty look in the older’s direction and as soon as he noticed the weapon, his eyes were filled with mischief. “Sooo… you’ll be blowing on something this whole time?” he asked slowly and had to dodge another kick from Jungwoo, as he jumped up and yelped.
“I thought this would be PG-13. It’s not like he can do that to Lan Zhan with all the clothes on.” Renjun commented – as soon as the words left his mouth, the world stood still, the room went quiet and someone had to remind Taeyong to stop gaping at the younger like a fish struggling to breathe. He was known to have quite the sharp tongue, but he’d only attack so viciously the people that were closer to him.
Sicheng was unbothered though (he knew how to properly devise a revenge plan). He fixed his headband and picked up the Bichen from the ground, turning to face the rest with a hand behind his back. “I see you’re getting comfortable with your role. That’s good.” he spoke calmly, but each word seemed to carry a lot of weight. His face was expressionless, his attitude rather stoic, eyes fixed on Renjun, empty and soulless.
“Someone give this man an Oscar!” Taeil cheered, after a few moments of complete silence and some of them couldn’t help, but burst into laughter.
Jungwoo groaned loud enough to make sure his friends heard him and then started spreading among them the printed script for the first rehearsal. The three masterminds worked on it, but no one bothered to check the contents beforehand – this seemed more as a well prepared joke than something to be taken seriously. Those who were familiar with the series and novel decided to go last, so the first scene they’d attempt was the meeting in between Meng Yao and Xichen.
Jaehyun and Taeyong took their places in the middle of the room, carefully reading the lines in turns and trying to replicate the movements specified on paper.
“Master Lan, it is an honor to finally meet you!” Jaehyun bowed 90-degrees, with his arms forming a circle in front of him. Taeyong suddenly grabbed his hands – his gentle touch causing the younger to look up at him in surprise. “There’s no need to be so formal.” he responded, giving Jaehyun a dashing smile. For a few seconds, they remained in that position, faces a few inches away and staring into each other’s eyes.
Somewhere inside the room, random noises began to cut through the silence – one high “wooo!”, a low moan, someone growling sexily, another “oh, yes, baby!”. Then, out of the blue, Yuta got up from the floor and walked towards his two friends. As he got closer to them, he cupped his hand near his mouth and whispered huskily “Now… kiss him.”. Taeyong just looked at him in complete and utter shock, Jaehyun’s ears went completely red and his dimples made a short appearance, before he hid his face behind one of his sleeves.
“That is not in the script!” the leader complained, trying his best to avoid the possible romantic scene. “I am one of the writers and I can change it how I want. Meng Yao and Xichen need that damn kiss!” Yuta shouted, one fist in the air, a hand behind his back, chin raised to make him seem taller and more dangerous. Jungwoo walked up to them and pat his companion on the back “There, there. I can feel your pain, dear friend.”. Yuta fake cried, face buried in the crook of Jungwoo’s neck.
Taeyong groaned loudly and resisted the strong urge to kick the other “Unbelievable.”. “You know…” the Japanese boy began, voice slightly cracking. “They were my favourite pairing and… and… they have such a tragic ending.” he continued, taking slow steps around the ones in the middle, head hanging low. “I just wish I could see them be truly happy, just for a moment.” his eyes were now fixed on his leader, glistening with the tears forming in the corners, lips all pouty “Could you help me with that… please?”.
“Careful, careful, your dirty Scorpio tricks are showing.” Johnny snorted from the side and Yuta glared at him with all of his power, bringing his finger to his lips to hush him, then turned back to the couple next to him “Taeyongie… please?”. The leader sighed deeply, taking a step back from the situation and shaking his head. Jaehyun wasn’t having any of it though – he straightened his back and closed the distance in between him and the older. “Gege, I’ve admired you for such a long time. Please, accept this small token of appreciation.” he began and cupped Taeyong’s cheeks in his palms, his dimples more prominent than ever.
“OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! THEY ARE GOING TO KISS!!!” Yuta shouted, jumping up and down around the pair. The rest were just staring at the two in pure shock, waiting for something to happen. Jaehyun’s right thumb slowly brushed past the leader’s lower lip, as his face inched closer. “Lan Xichen, I’d die a thousand times if I could live just one day by your side.” his voice was barely above a whisper, soft and emotional. One of his hands slid down Taeyong’s body only to settle on his hip and pull the boy towards him, as he clashed their lips together.
A high-pitched scream filled the room and Yuta was literally running from wall to wall in excitement. Jungwoo’s eyes were as wide as saucers, script sliding out of his grip and falling to the ground. “First class acting! Give this man an Oscar!” Taeil shouted, then started applauding his member. “I will kick you if you don’t stop with that.” Sicheng growled and only then the rest noticed that he was holding his phone up, filming the whole situation.
After a few seconds, Jaehyun pulled away, refusing to meet Taeyong’s lost gaze. His ears were burning, palms sweating and he could barely keep his knees from shaking, but what’s done’s done. No use in regretting it now. He sat down, back against the mirror, trying his hardest to ignore the curious eyes that were set on him. Johnny scooted closer to him, hand settling on the younger’s thigh. “Sooo… does this mean you like guys?” he whispered, the corners of his lips rising into a smirk, eyebrows wiggling. “Shut up.” Jaehyun threatened and buried his face in the script, wishing he’d just disappear then and there.
Considering all of them had started out quite young in the industry, they barely had any time to experience any relationships or love and explore their preferences. Also, being obliged to constantly be clingy with the other boys from the team for the sake of fans’ fantasies could be quite confusing. They’d done it almost all: hugging, sleeping together, sitting on each other’s laps, holding hands, almost kissing, sexy dances, flirting – so, this thing they were trying out right now in the practice room meant nothing. Hell! Their concerts probably got more wild moments than the series itself (SM really wasn’t that much into censorship – Super Junior was probably the best example).
For a slight moment, he took advantage of his heart finally settling into a steady rhythm and lifted his head to search for Taeyong. The older was in the opposite corner of the practice room, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. Two strands from his wig were framing his beautiful features, plump lips standing out in a cute pout. His face was slightly still flushed, eyes begging for something to happen, so the attention would be pulled away from him. Damn.
When Yuta ushered three of their members to take the stage and perform their particular scenes, Taeyong’s gaze suddenly scanned his surroundings, staying fixed on Jaehyun when it reached him. He gave the younger a weak smile, expression unreadable. Yeah, that might have been a bit too much, even though the evil masterminds seemed very satisfied with how it played out. If he could blame it on alcohol or a ghost taking control over his body, that would be perfect. But it was middle of Wednesday, sunrays cutting through dirty glass to light up the room, only bottles of water sprawled across the floor along with the boys and no sign of any malicious presence. Just perfect.
“Silly master Xiao! You thought I’d just let you be after all the trouble you’ve put me through?” Renjun’s voice thundered, the tip of his sword dangerously close to Jeno’s nose (good thing Yuta had covered his eyes with a white sash, so he wouldn’t be able to see much).
“I feel… disgusted. It’s not possible!” Jeno cried out, falling to his knees. His fingers were gathered into tight fists, barely touching the ground with the skin on his white knuckles. “You’re lying to me!” he shouted and his lips were slightly trembling from all the emotions cursing through him.
Renjun let out a deep, throaty laugh and used his weapon to push away from Jeno’s face the strands of hair that had strayed from his shoulders. “Xiao Xingchen! I will make you suffer till the end of your days!” he threatened, getting all fired up. The role of Xue Yang seemed to fit him like a glove (get the joke?) and he was doing a great job performing the lines mentioned in the script, until…
“You! You bastard! Leave Xingchennie alone!” Jaemin shouted, sword up in the air straight. He ran up to Renjun and kicked him with his feet a few times, before settling in between him and Jeno.
Yuta groaned and covered his face “Damn child. THIS IS NOT IN THE SCRIPT!”. The rest were startled, but Sicheng and Jungwoo didn’t even flinch, keeping their composure. “Aish! It’s simple, really. Renjun bullies Jeno, Jeno slashes his own throat and then you come in and kill Renjun for torturing your lover!” he continued and grabbed Jaemin by his forearm to pull him to the side.
“I refuse! Why can’t we have a happy ending like Jaehyunnie hyung and Taeyongie hyung?” Jaemin shot back, ignoring the loud groans across the room. “Yah! I don’t wanna kiss any of you, so you’d better zip it!” Renjun shouted, a deep frown darkening his features.
“Moreover, the only way I could possibly ship Song Lan and Xue Yang is to different parts of the world! Xingchen fucks them both, they don’t fuck each other!” Yuta tried to explain, throwing his hands in the air and pointing in between the boys to further express his ideas. “With.” Jungwoo began, supporting his chin on his hand, lips pursed into a thin line, looking unimpressed. “What?” Yuta questioned, clearly confused.
Jungwoo rolled his eyes, before clarifying his interference “Fucks with them, not fucks them.”. “No, no. I believe my wording was quite correct.” Yuta smirked at him and wiggled his eyebrows. “He fucks them, as in sleeps with them, as in they have se-“ before he could continue, Taeyong clasps a hand over his dirty mouth “You idiot! We have children in here!”. “Oh-oh! It’s just his Scorpio ass showing again.” Johnny snickered, not really caring that what he was saying could possibly just add fuel to the fire.
“Ok. Then, let’s move on from these three.” Sicheng said, waving his sword around. Renjun stomped his feet and glared at the older “No one is stealing my scene! I have to at least fight Jaemin once!”. “I thought you weren’t that interested in this.” Sicheng shot back in Chinese, grinning innocently “Or… you’re really hoping you actually get to kiss one of them?”. “OH MY GOD! WHAT DOES HE KNOW AND I DON’T?!” Chenle shouted, continuing the conversation in the language only the three of them understood.
A light blush seemed to be creeping on Renjun’s cheeks, the boy turning his back to the rest in an attempt to hide his flustered expression. From the corner of his eye, he could see Jeno taking his sash off to look up at him in confusion. He bit his lip and swore at his friends in Chinese, trying hard not to also show them his middle finger. His mouth ran before his mind could process what was coming out of it and now he was in deep shit.
“Renjun, should gege help you?” Sicheng teased again, eyes shimmering with pure mischief. “No! Fuck this bullshit! I’m done!” the said boy yelled and wanted to leave the room, but someone was tugging at the hem of his robes, keeping him in place. “Renjunnie, you don’t have to be upset. I’m sure they’ll let us try again.” Jeno tried to calm him down, a sweet smile lighting up his face.
For a moment, Renjun could swear his stomach rose up to his throat, then dropped suddenly, otherwise he couldn’t explain the reason he felt so nauseous and dizzy all of a sudden. Jeno couldn’t have possibly understood their words, right? As far as he knew, his friend barely learned an ounce of Chinese. Unless he was practicing in secret, there was no way he could have made something out of their conversation.
Seeing as there was no reaction, Jeno turned to Yuta and Jaemin “We’ll start from the top.” and covered his eyes again, going back into his previous position. “Fuck.” Renjun muttered under his breath, before pointing his sword towards Jeno once more and getting ready so say his lines.
“Xiao Xingchen! I-I-I will make you suffer…” he began, voice a bit shaky as his heart was beating faster than usual. “Till the end of your days!” Renjun continued and felt a pair of eyes boring into his back. He turned his head a bit to the left to see who was the person fixated on him and noticed in the corner of his eye, Sicheng rubbing his palms together, clearly with no innocent intentions in mind.
The older got up from his seat and walked over to where their actors were standing. He crouched next to Jeno and whispered something into his ear, causing the boy’s face to flush into a dangerous shade of red. “Just do it like this, hmm?” Sicheng instructed, then looked up at Renjun (who was now even more doubting the other’s plan) “Sit down on the floor.”. The boy nodded absent-mindedly and plopped on his knees in the empty space in front of the other.
“Xue Yang, if that puts your heart at ease, then so be it.” Jeno spoke softly, head hanging low. Renjun checked the script and stared at the words that seemed to be mixed together. That line was missing – he wasn’t sure how to react to this sudden change. “Just like that? You’re giving up?” he decided to improvise and not follow Yuta’s story (although this didn’t seem to bother him too much). “I hurt you a lot and now you have your revenge.” Jeno began, slowly lifting his hand from his lap.
His fingers lingered close to Renjun’s face, taking the boy by surprise. “I know you didn’t waste three years of your life just to make me kill innocent people” Jeno continued and cupped the other’s cheek. “Xue Yang, there’s a bit of light even in that burnt heart of yours, isn’t that so?” with each word that left his mouth, Renjun could feel the butterflies filling up his stomach. Nauseating. Even worse than before. Damn it. What was Sicheng’s plan and why was Jeno agreeing with it?
“What are you trying to say Xiao Xingchen? Do you want me to take pity on you? Tch.” he replied, thinking that this would be the best answer that could keep him out of any trouble. Oh, how wrong he was about that… “Just admit it, Xue Yang! The feelings you have for me kept you from becoming a full-fledged Devil! This is our… curse.” Jeno said, voice laced with powerful emotions, fingers pulling Renjun’s face closer to his own. His other hand was grasping tightly the sword’s handle. “Why don’t we end it here and stop bringing more suffering in this world?” he continued softly as he tilted his head to the side.
Before Renjun could say anything more, Jeno brushed his lips lightly against his, swiping his tongue across the other’s bottom lip. At the same time, he pulled the sword out of its’ sheath and thrust it through both of their bodies. His white cloth became damp from the tears streaming down his face, but he refused to end the kiss. Renjun’s eyes were as wide as saucers, arms limp on his lap – on the outside it may have looked calm, but in his mind there was an actual war going on, his internal voice screaming at him to make a move or something, before his chance went by.
After a few seconds, which felt like hours, Jeno pulled away “Let’s forgive each other in our next lives and be happy.”. “Y-Y-You killed me.” Renjun stuttered, finally waking up from his daze. His fingers went up and pulled Jeno’s blindfold off, wiping the tears away from his closed eyes. “My only love… killed… me.” he continued, gently placing a kiss on the other’s forehead, then his nose. With their lips inches apart, Renjun wondered if he should also go for it. Before he could decide, Jeno’s strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled his body towards his own.
“Aren’t you like… going to stop this?” Yuta asked Sicheng, raising one eyebrow. “Nah, this is too good!” the boy replied, grinning as he recorded everything. The rest were quite absorbed in the intense moment – Taeyong’s mouth was hanging open, Chenle had a hand placed over his lips, the other covering Jisung’s eyes, Jaehyun was happy thinking everyone must have already forgotten his earlier slip-up, Johnny was writing down ideas for his next JCC (“I could do something similar with Ten and Mark! Maybe… minus the making-out parts.”), Doyoung looked like he was in shock, trying to process whatever was going on, Mark was holding Donghyuck who was crying his eyes out (“At least this confirms you’re not just a little shit and your soul’s still here.”), Taeil and Jungwoo were just quietly enjoying the scene.
Meanwhile, Jaemin was sitting on the side, hand wrapped tightly around his sword, no expression on his face. He didn’t know how he should react or whether he should say something. This was too much. This wasn’t a game anymore. Maybe Jaehyun and Taeyong were innocent and cute, but this was too over the top. Sure, this kiss looked rather gentle and guiltless, just a short peck, but deep down, he knew it meant more than they let on.
“Your only love… is giving you… his last breath.” Jeno finally spoke out and clashed their lips together, this time fiercely, passionately, as if his life depended on that one moment. His fingers dug into the cloth of Renjun’s robes, slightly trembling from the rush of emotions going through his body. The other placed one hand on the nape of Jeno’s neck, tilting his head a bit just to be able to deepen the kiss and feel more of him, taste more of him, tongue slipping through Jeno’s lips.
Just a moment later, they broke apart, gasping for air and Jeno let himself fall onto Renjun’s lap, faking death. His heart was pounding in his chest, fingertips tingling, aching to touch his friend’s skin once more. The ringing in his ears was deafening, his head spinning even if the world seemed to be standing still. His face was burning, almost painfully, and he was itching to open his eyes and look up at the other and see his reaction, but his brain was screaming at him not to do it. Sicheng just suggested to make the scene a bit more romantic, but somehow… he ended up making out with one of his besties in front of all of their groupmates. Fantastic!
Someone coughed loudly, clearly trying to release the tension inside the room. Renjun didn’t know who did that, but it sort of sounded like Jaemin and he felt thankful. Everyone started clapping as soon as the boys got up from the floor, Taeil being his usual self and screaming on top of all the noise “Someone give these kids an Oscar!”. Sicheng joining in on the normality, began hitting the oldest with his Bichen, telling him to shut (the fuck) up. Jungwoo sighed deeply, but still applauded, feeling content that the rest actually agreed to their madness and a bit annoyed that they didn’t follow the script they’d worked so hard on.
“Ok! Next!” Yuta shouted and pushed the two boys out of the spotlight “Let’s do Jin Zixuan, Jiang Cheng and Yanli!”. Johnny, Doyoung and Donghyuck got up and walked towards the center (after Mark helped Donghyuck dry his tears). While those three were getting into their characters, Renjun and Jeno sat awkwardly next to each other in a corner, avoiding eye contact at any cost. “What the fuck was that?” Jaemin growled lowly looking at one of them and then at the other. He narrowed his eyes, lips pursed in a thin line, expecting some kind of answer, but both of his friends were quiet.
“Fine. Don’t bother talking to me when we’re back at the dorm.” he continued after a few seconds of waiting “Bastards.”. Jaemin left their space to go on the other side of the room, next to Taeyong, back resting against the cold mirror, arms crossed over his chest. Even though he tried to pay attention to Johnny as Jin Zixuan, getting on one knee and proposing to a very excited Donghyuck, right in front of Doyoung, the overprotective brother, he couldn’t stand still. His gaze kept going back to Renjun and Jeno, turning into an intense glare as soon as it reached them. “Bullshit.” he muttered under his breath, ignoring the fact that Taeyong was now frowning and punching him in his side “Language!”.
Jungwoo hushed them both, scrunching up his nose in sheer annoyance. He pointed towards the three members acting in the middle and tilted his head as he waited for them to settle down. “Yanli, I don’t hate you! My days only have meaning when I get to see you!” Johnny’s words were sweet and cheesy, Doyoung automatically wincing after his friend finished his lines and somehow that fit perfectly with the attitude Jiang Cheng would have towards the whole thing. “If you really mean it, aaah, then prove it!” Donghyuck replied in a fake-ass, high pitched voice, placing a hand over his heart dramatically in the middle of the sentence.
Johnny had to bite on the inside of his cheek to hold back his laughter, but his friends were making this task even more difficult. “Didn’t think Yanli would have so much facial hair!” Chenle commented from the sidelines, snorting right after. “That mustache doesn’t really suit her.” Jisung went on, high-fiving his best friend for their smart remarks. “Yah! Yanli can also kick your asses, so you’d better keep your mouths shut!” Donghyuck shouted and raised his fist up in the air menacingly.
“Pffft, can’t take a little constructive criticism.” Doyoung snickered, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away from the group to hide his eye roll. There seemed to be a lot of tension rising in between Doyoung and Donghyuck, Johnny suddenly standing up from his place, just in case he had to interfere and stop the sparks from flying. “Wen Ning! Go save your lady!” Chenle shouted again, causing Mark to throw a dirty look his way.
“OH MY GOD! THAT’S IT! I’M DONE!” Jungwoo got up from his seat, throwing the script on the ground “You guys are impossible!”. He fixed his robe and left the room, slamming the door behind him. “What’s his problem?” Donghyuck asked quietly, a cute pout on his plump lips. “In general? You.” Doyoung began, scratching his chin as if he was thinking deeply “Right now? Still you.”. “Aish! Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” the younger shot back and puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.
Doyoung blinked a few times, a grin spreading across his face “You first. It’s not like anything intelligent comes out of it anyway.”. Johnny had to step in this time, trying to block them from physically hurting each other. Damn children.
“Eh, let’s call it a day for now. I’ll go see what Jungwoo’s doing.” Yuta told them all and there were more sighs of relief inside the room than he would’ve liked to hear. Anyhow, he gathered his stuff and left to find his friend – a loud “Wei Wuxian!” filling the hallway right before the door closed.
“What are you doing here?” Yang Yang questioned, raising an eyebrow as he stared at his bandmate.
“What do you mean? I live here.” Sicheng answered, a deep frown making its’ way on his features.
“No. Not anymore.” the maknae continued and crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the entrance to their dorm “Go back to 127!”.
“Huh? Was your milk spoiled or something? Out of my way!” the older shot back, trying to push his friend to the side.
“No-uh! You are banished from the WayV sect and you shall never cross our borders again!” Yang Yang shouted and the whole commotion finally got the attention of the rest.
“What’s going on here?” Kun asked, as he appeared in the hallway.
“The traitor came back.” the youngest replied, scrunching up his nose in disgust and pointing towards the taller boy.
“What the hell did I do?!” Sicheng finally burst, tired of all the attacks.
Kun lowered his head and threaded his long fingers through his soft hair. “Mo Dao Zu Shi without us. Really?” the leader answered, glaring at the one in front of him.
“Gege. You know we love this series! Plus, I would make a perfect Wei Wuxian!” Yang Yang whined and playfully punched Sicheng’s shoulder.
The complaints continued even after they let their member back into the dorm, Kun saying how he’d make the perfect Jiang Cheng and how he’d love to see Ten as Meng Yao or Xue Yang (“He’s the most vicious out of all of us! I’m telling you!”). Dejun was busy replacing the carpet in their room, considering Bella had peed again in places she wasn’t allowed to do so. The poor animal annoyed him so much, he was just swearing under his breath, not bothering to also fight with his friends.
After a few minutes, Yukhei also joined them – apparently he had to go back to SM’s building to convince Jungwoo to get out of his costume. To calm him down, Yuta had to take hundreds of pictures of him as Wei Ying, until the phone told them there wasn’t any more space left on it. After he checked the gallery, Jungwoo was so enthusiastic with how good he looked, he didn’t want to change back to his normal clothes any more. Yuta ended up calling Yukhei for help. They were in different units, but this boy still remained one of Jungwoo’s closest friends (along with Sungchan and Mark).
“What the fuck did you do?” Yukhei questioned, plopping down on the couch. Sicheng just stared innocently at him and shrugged. “I heard Renjun went to sleep over at Chenle’s place for the whole week, Jeno and Jaemin are not talking, Taeyong refuses to come out of his room and Jaehyun is raiding clubs again with Jungkook and Mingyu!” he continued when he realized the other wasn’t going to say anything to defend himself. “Wow, that’s a lot!” Ten observed from the doorway, trying to dry his damp hair with a towel “Understandable though.”.
All of them turned their attention to him, confusion plastered on their features (except for Sicheng who knew exactly what went down that day). Ten waited a few seconds, then pulled out his phone, unlocked it and went into his chat with Johnny “I got some stuff.”. He played the first video and gave the device to the rest.
Halfway through the content and Kun had his face hidden behind his hands, Yang Yang could barely contain his laugher, Hendery still couldn’t grasp what was currently happening in his group, Dejun was taking breaks to shout at Bella, whenever he remembered what she’d done to the carpet and Yukhei was just standing there, speechless.
“Honestly, I’m not even surprised.” Kun broke the silence and looked up at Ten, pleading for some help with the situation.
“Ohoho, this is priceless!” Yang Yang continued cracking up, until realization suddenly hit him. His eyes widened, hand clasped over his mouth. “Nevermind. It’s good you didn’t ask us to do this.” he let out slowly, panic flashing across his face.
“Are you scared, baby Yang Yang?” Ten teased, not being able to hold back his chuckles.
“FUCKING FINALLY!” Dejun shouted in triumph and they all had to stare at him for half of second. “I know what I need to do now whenever this child is getting on my nerves.” he explained, the corners of his lips rising up in a smirk.
Before the rest could ask what, Dejun jumped off the couch on top of Yang Yang, holding him by the wrists and pretending to try and kiss him. The boy shrieked and attempted to push his friend off of him, but he wasn’t strong enough to succeed at that. Sicheng instantly pulled out his phone to film that, while Kun just groaned loudly, praying that the neighbours wouldn’t come knocking on their door again.
Ten smiled like an evil mastermind and pat Sicheng on the back “I guess we’ve just found our main leads.”. The boy chuckled at that and turned towards the two members on the floor “Dejun, Dejun! Shout once – Wei Wuxian! Do it for the camera!”.
“Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian!”
“Aaaah!!! Someone get him off of me! He doesn’t fit Lan Zhan’s role at all!” Yang Yang complained, turning his head from left to right to dodge the fake kisses, but the rest seemed to be enjoying this too much.
“Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian!”
Kun covered his ears, although deep down he was sort of enjoying the fact that someone was finally avenging all those moments when Yang Yang made fun of him (and his age and his words and his dancing and his… damn, what a rough life) “Ugh, SM just had to put me in the craziest sect.”.
“Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian!”
There was a knock on the door, loud and sharp. Kun looked straight up terrified.
“Open up! It’s 12 am! Just be quiet for once!”
“Oh-oh, our main leads are in trouble~!” Ten teased again, then ran away to his room, taking his feline companions with him.