silence - nct, norenmin

⍣ 12 ⍣

jaemin walked into school, just like any other morning, with his head hung low and his eyes glancing up from time to time not to bump into someone.

the events of a few days before had taught him that getting scared because of the crowd's watch was always better than being molested.

just like any other morning, he walked towards his classroom, trying not to care about his surroundings, but it was pretty hard today.

he could feel the students staring at him, and he could hear them whispering things.

sure, they always did, but today it seemed ten times worse.

"isn't that the guy who made taewon excluded for a week?" someone asked out loud, and jaemin felt the crowd coming near him.

he hesitantly lifted his head, finding himself in the middle of a group of boys, all having their brows furrowed and the meanest faces on.

needless to say, jaemin's legs were trembling in fear.

"are you proud, coward?" the same boy asked, reaching for jaemin's arm, but the teenaged took a step back.

"hey, don't- "

"jaemin!" another voice exclaimed, stepping inside the circle of bullies to shield jaemin from them.

"do not even try harming him." renjun spoke, his voice lower than jaemin had never heard.

"look at that... a fag protecting a coward..." the guy snorted. "do you think we're scared of you?"

renjun's hand formed a fist as he glared at the boy.

"now, get out if you don't want your face hurt, faggot. i want to have a talk with the coward."

before renjun could reply, another boy barged and stood in front of renjun and jaemin.

"careful with your words." jeno said, a menacing glare on. "it's my boyfriend you're talking to."

"and here is the other fag..." the boy snorted, not impressed at all. "is the gay pride around the corner?"

jeno gripped the boy's collar, half strangling him. "i was the one to send your little friend to the hospital and i won't hesitate doing the same for you." jeno warned. "make sure none of you approach my boyfriend or jaemin ever again. otherwise, you know what's going to happen."

jeno let go of the man's collar before turning around, grabbing renjun and jaemin's wrists and pulling them out of the crowdy place.

when they got somewhere less crowdy, jaemin tried pulling his hand out of jeno's grip, but the older didn't feel it because of the amount of rage he had in him.

"jaemin, are you crying?" renjun asked out loud, noticing the boy's trembling bottom lip.

jeno stopped walking immediately, turning around to look at the two boys and seeing renjun's worried face trying to comfort a crying jaemin.

that's when jeno felt that jaemin was trying to pull his hand out form his grip, and so, he let his hand go. "sorry." he mumbled.

"it's okay jaemin, stop crying..." renjun whispered, holding a hand out to wipe a stray tear away from jaemin's eye, but the teenager stepped back with a frightened look, as if he was scared to be touched.

"i'm sorry." renjun apologized. "i won't try touching you again." he added, understanding his mistake.

jaemin nodded slowly, still feeling a bit lightheaded due to too many things happening in little time.

"you don't have to worry about bullies anymore." jeno said. "we'll protect you."

"jeno is right. no one should live bullying, and even less people with... huh... disabilities?"

jaemin nodded again, sniffling.

"do you think that we could... huh... exchange phone numbers?" renjun asked. "this way you'll be able to communicate with us. but only if that's okay with you. if you're not comfortable with communicating, then it's okay..."

jaemin pulled his phone out of his pocked with a trembling hand and he handed it to renjun and jeno.

the two boys smiled and entered their phone numbers before sending themselves a message to make sure they have his number too.

they took their own phones out of their pockets and both created a contact for jaemin.

"jeno is creating a group chat at the moment." renjun explained. "whenever you need to tell us something, you can write there. and we'll answer either by talking or texting."

jaemin looked at his phone after receiving a notification.

effectively, he had been added to a group chat.

it was called 'communication is the key'.

jaemin opened it and typed on his keyboard before sending a message to the two boys.

"you're welcome, jaemin." jeno smiled, seeing jaemin's message.

⍣

"so? what do you think about jaemin?" renjun asked while jeno and him were walking to jeno's house.

"he's weird." jeno answered simply. "i don't see why you're this interested in him."

"being mute isn't being weird, dumbass." renjun raised a brow.

"but he's not only mute." jeno told, ignoring the nickname. "he is scared of everything. he stays far from everybody, and he refuses to let people touch him."

"that's because he's scared of rejection. you would be too if you were in his shoes." renjun replied.

jeno thought for a second, not really knowing what to say.

it could be a reason for jaemin's behaviour, but at the same time, there could be other factors...

"why don't we ask sunmi about it?" he asked.

"what?" renjun questioned back.

"sunmi is the school's nure. and she knew jaemin on the first day of school. maybe she can tell us more about him." jeno explained.

renjun stopped walking, connecting the dots before gasping.

"damn jeno, for once, you had a great idea!" renjun exclaimed, jumping onto his boyfriend's back.