my first and last || renmin

F i v e - Bond Between Us

Renjun sat at the dinner table with his parents, he looked a little bit sullen and he barely touching his food.

Where is he? Did he forget about me? It's been days...

Renjun's phone buzzed in the midst of his thoughts, he tried not to seem too eager with his parents there.

He subtly looked down at the phone in his lap and sure enough, it was a text from Jaemin!

He tried to suppress a smile as he read the message.

Jaemin
A book can't end in the middle of a sentence?!! What the heck!! AAAAAAH!!

Renjun laughed out loud which received his dad clearing his throat in response.

"Do you wanna be excused?" Renjun nodded before quickly running into his backyard.

Renjun lied down on the grass, calling Jaemin.

He answered on the first ring.

"Huang Renjun." Renjun let out a laugh.

"Welcome to the sweet torture of reading 'An imperial-" Renjun sat up after hearing a loud wail from Jaemin's side.

"What? Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine... but I'm with Jeno." Renjun heard more wailing, he had no idea what to make of it.

"Jeno! Dude! Will Renjun make this better or worse?" Renjun heard Jaemin say, he genuinely didn't know what the hell was going on.

"How fast do you think you can get here?"

***

As Renjun walked down the steps into Jaemin's bedroom-basement, he heard an ungodly cry before he saw anything or anyone.

What have I gotten myself into?

Jaemin appeared at the base of the steps.

"Jeno, Renjun is coming downstairs." Jaemin called out to Jeno, he waited for a response but nothing.

He gestured for Renjun to follow him into the room.

"Jeno is in the middle of a psychotic episode, just a reminder." Jaemin smiled, his arm around Renjun's shoulder.

"You look dazzling by the way." Jaemin added, Renjun blushed following Jaemin.

He found Jeno sitting upside down in a gaming chair, tears streaming down his reddened cheeks.

Empty soda cans and bags of junk food were around him.

"Are you okay?" Renjun asked, again, no response.

Renjun looked at Jaemin for an explanation.

"Jeno and Winter aren't an item anymore."

"Oh.. I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" Renjun asked worried about the male.

Jeno looked at Renjun in silence before letting out loud sobs.

"He just wants to cry and play video games." Jaemin whispered, Renjun nodded.

"Pain demands to be felt." Renjun's face lit up.

"You're quoting my book!!" He smiled, Jaemin winked playfully but then Jeno let out another cry.

Jaemin gestured for Renjun to sit while he comfortingly rubbed the crying male's back.

"She said she couldn't handle it. I'm about to go blind and she can't handle it?" Jeno finally spoke.

The atmosphere was silent but then Jeno stood up, a funny look on his face.

"Jeno..?" Jaemin asked, voice laced with confusion.

Suddenly, Jeno started kicking his chair across the room, the chair landed against the bed.

Jaemin handed Jeno something else to throw, a pillow.

Jeno grabbed the pillow and slammed it against the wall before diving onto it and pummelling it like a maniac.

"That's it! Punch it!" Jaemin smiled turning back to Renjun, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"I've wanted to call you on nearly a minutely basis but I waited until I could form a coherent opinion on the book. I can't stop thinking about it! The only problem is the ending." Renjun smiled widely.

"I know right? It is rather abrupt... but that's the part I like about it. It portrays death truthfully. You die in the middle of your life, in the middle of a sentence... I do want to know what happens to everyone though." Renjun added.

"Yeah, like her mom."

"The Dutch tulip man.."

"Sysiphus the hamster.." Renjun beamed, Jaemin totally got the book.

It was a bond between them.

"Have you ever tried contacting this.. This Jung Jaehyun?"

"He's never responded... apparently he moved to Amsterdam." Jaemin nodded, disappointment evident in his face.

"Do you feel better now?" Jaemin turned to Jeno who was now crying and beating the pillow.

Jeno thought about it before shaking his head no, Jaemin put his arm around Jeno but still looked at Renjun.

"That's the thing about pain.. It demands to be felt." Renjun smiled.