trouble ¦ lee jeno (UNDER REWRITING)

ch ; 16

.・。.・゜⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽ 16 ☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅・゜・。.

A frustrated yell erupted from Jeno's throat, shattering the comfortable silence in the dorm room. He flung his phone across the couch with a dramatic flourish, the device landing with a soft thud against the cushions.

Jaemin, who had just entered the room with Renjun in tow – the latter fresh off a two-day trip to Shanghai – raised an eyebrow at the display. "So," he began cautiously, "what's the verdict?"

Renjun, unlacing his shoes by the doorway, chimed in with a confused, "Verdict? What's going on?"

Jeno remained stubbornly silent, leaving Jaemin to answer with a playful jab. "Just teaching our love-struck friend here the art of conversing with his crush," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Jeno's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Fucking hell. She's not my crush!" he shot back defensively.

Renjun, ever the observant one, perked up at this. "Finally! Did things fizzle out with Ah-in?"

The mere mention of her name sent a wave of annoyance washing over Jeno. He was reminded of the nagging text message he'd received from her the day before, demanding his attendance at some dreaded dinner party on Saturday with her family. There was no way out of it, and the thought already left him simmering with discontent.

Jaemin, sensing the shift in mood, quickly steered the conversation back on track. "I was just telling Jeno to ditch the whole 'ice king' routine with his partner," he explained, using air quotes for emphasis. "You know, the girl from the other department."

Renjun hummed in understanding, then sauntered into the kitchen for a glass of water. "Let me guess," he called out from over his shoulder, "it did not go well?"

Jaemin offered a helpless shrug before turning his attention back to the brooding figure slumped on the couch. Jeno could practically feel their curious stares burning into his back, making him release a frustrated huff.

Jaemin sighed dramatically and reached down, retrieving Jeno's phone from the precarious position it had landed in. With a tap of the screen, he displayed the message exchange between Jeno and Seojin.

A groan escaped Jaemin's lips as he read the terse back-and-forth. "Jeno! I told you to cooperate with her! A simple 'fine' isn't exactly the epitome of friendly collaboration."

Jeno bristled, shooting up from his seat. "But she said she found a new partner! What else did you want me to do?!"

Jaemin's voice grew firm. "Jeno, listen to me. I don't know what happened between you two, but acting like a jerk won't solve anything."

Jeno pressed his tongue against his cheek, his gaze darting away from Jaemin's unwavering stare. Renjun, sensing the tension thickening the air, stepped forward to mediate. "Jaemin's right," he began placatingly.

Jeno scoffed. "Of course you do," he muttered under his breath.

Renjun held up a hand, silencing him. "Let me finish. Jeno, we can't offer any help if you keep shutting us out. We've been your friends for almost ten years, man. We've seen you change so much in the past few months, and it hurts to see you pushing us away like we're strangers."

Jeno's jaw clenched tight, his fists balling at his sides. He took a deep, steadying breath, trying to tamp down the surge of emotions threatening to boil over. Jaemin, his anger seemingly abated, took a tentative step towards Jeno, offering a hand in reconciliation.