silence - nct, norenmin

⍣ 11 ⍣

"jaemin?"

the teenager's head lifted up immediately, turning towards the voice.

it was renjun and jeno.

"can we talk to you?" renjun asked carefully.

jaemin looked at him in the eye, feeling his heartbeat increase.

he took a while to nod, silently telling jeno and renjun to tell him what they wanted to tell.

"i am very sorry for bothering you with being my friend." renjun spoke. "i didn't know you had... huh... well... that you were mute." he whispered the last part.

jaemin's eyes never left the boy who truly looked devastated.

"i feel so guilty. your doctor told me that i had scared you, and i wanted to make sure you knew that this wasn't my intention. i genuinely wanted us to be friends. when i saw you the first day, i found you kind of cute, and i wanted you to feel comfortable here..."

jaemin flushed at renjun's words, his heart speeding up again, but not in fear this time.

renjun had complimented him.

renjun was interested in him.

that made jaemin feel so much better.

"i hope you'll change your mind about me. i swear i can be a very kind boy." renjun finished, doing a cute pose which made jaemin smile a bit.

"oh, and you should know this too." jeno spoke this time. "we heard about what happened yesterday with that guy."

jaemin involuntarily tensed again.

images of the day before flashed through his mind.

first, his feet. then, the guy's face. and finally, the guy's fist that had landed right on his shoulder.

"i took care of it. this boy won't come back to school for a few days. don't worry." jeno told.

jaemin's heartbeat got erratic as he connected the dots in his mind.

his cheeks coloured a deep red once again, and he fumbled around his desk to find a sheet of paper and a pencil to write.

after a second, he handed it to the two boys.

'thank you. sincerely.'

renjun smiled bright, excitedly tugging on jeno's sleeve.

"it's normal." jeno told, smiling as well.

"so... do you agree to be friends now?" renjun asked hesitantly. "you don't have to say yes, i would understand. it's just that... i don't know..."

jaemin chuckled silently as he nodded, making renjun widen his eyes.

"yes?" he asked. "for real?!"

jaemin smiled, nodding for the second time as renjun jumped around in excitement.

jeno blocked his movements by passing an arm around his shoulders as he gave jaemin an apologetic smile.

"sorry about him. he's a bit extra."

jaemin smiled even brighter, looking at his two friends walking to their seats.

it felt so weird saying that after so long.

it seemed like having friends again wouldn't be possible.

but here were jeno and renjun proving him the contrary...

and he was so happy about it.

⍣

"how was school today, sweetie?" jaemin's mother asked, passing the bowl of soup to her husband.

"i was good." jaemin replied simply, not wanting to spill too much.

"it surely was." jaemin's father nodded. "you have been smiling since the second you entered the house."

jaemin flushed in embarrassment.

how come was he so easy to read?

why did his parents know him that much?

"well..." he looked at his empty plate.

"tell us what happened!" his mother said excitedly.

"i made two friends." jaemin told.

"that's so good jaemin! i am so proud of you!" jaemin's mother exclaimed, mouth full of food.

"honey, come on..." jaemin's father told, signalling his wife not to talk with food in her mouth.

"sorry." she said after finished what she had in her mouth. "tell me, baby, how are they?"

"so..." jaemin thought for a second. "one of them is small but very extrovert. the other is quite the opposite. tall but introverted. the small one is renjun. he was the one i told you about."

jaemin's father furrowed his brows.

"the one who kept following you?" he asked.

"yes." jaemin nodded. "he didn't know i was mute, and today, he told me that he found me cute on the first day so that's why he wanted to be my friend. and he couldn't understand why i was running away. but now he does."

jaemin's mother tucked a strand of hair behind er ear. "baby, are you sure he's someone good?"

jaemin nodded. "he apologized today. for long. and he looked so sad because of what he made me endure. i could tell he was overexcited when i told us we could be friends."

jaemin chuckled out loud, remembering the scene that had happened a few hours ago.

"and you know what?" jaemin asked.

"no, tell us." his father invited him to talk.

"jeno heard about the mean boy that hit me yesterday, and he beat him up. he said that now, the guy wouldn't dare approaching me anymore."

jaemin's parents had their mouths agape, and they didn't bat an eye lash.

these two boys seemed particular, and perhaps not so adapted for their fragile son.

but if he was happy having them as friends, they couldn't do anything.

it was his choice...