Golden ◂ NCT Jaemin

22 ◂ Brother

◂ 22 ▸

Jeno sat down next to Jaemin and gave him his coffee. 

"I still don't know how you can drink that," Jeno noted as he started drinking his tea. 

"What do you mean? It tastes great." 

"Tastes like death." 

Jaemin hummed. "Death must be great then." 

Ignoring him, Jeno looked around. It was a beautiful morning. Clear sky, soft breeze, warm sunlight, flowers blooming, people talking. 

It was a pretty scene that Jeno and Jaemin got a little lost in. They were sitting on a park bench in a nice, yet not well-frequented park. People mainly walked through or past it in passing, which was a shame really. 

However, the two boys were here for a different reason. They had their eyes trained at the building ahead. It was a high-class office that reached far up into the sky, offering countless rooms to do business in. 

"How was it yesterday?" Jeno asked. "You didn't bother her, did you?" 

Jaemin huffed. "What if it was the other way round?" 

"Unlikely. Your hatred towards her is pretty one-sided." 

He narrowed his eyes at the older one. "You really think so?" 

"Mhm," he hummed in affirmation. 

Jaemin nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right," he mumbled in return. It was strange for Jeno to hear him admit that. 

He couldn't help but frown at his behaviour. "What? Did something happen?" 

Actually, that was a good question and one that Jaemin considered hard to answer. Because, of course something happened. But it was nothing grand, nothing severe like Jeno was hinting at.

They just talked and, maybe, continued to break that wall that stood between them down a little. One brick at a time, one word after the other. There was nothing much after that. She slept, he took naps every now and then. 

"There is a reason why I didn't like her but I can't tell you what it is," Jaemin explained briefly. 

He glimpsed at Jeno who was listening closely, nodding but not saying a word. He was just there to listen and help as much as he could. 

"And she keeps telling me that I am wrong and I think she is right but she won't tell me everything I would need to know to really make a judgement." He sighed. "So what do I do?" 

Jeno smiled understandingly. "So you don't - or didn't - trust her because you don't know her well enough?" 

Jaemin pushed his bottom lip out a bit, shrugged. "I guess so, yeah." 

"But you also expect her to trust you and tell you all about herself although she doesn't know you well either?" 

Jeno said that in such a nice way. Soft, friendly tone. Because of that, it barely even sounded like criticism. 

Expressionless, Jaemin stared at the older one. He waited a second and took in Jeno's challenging glare. 

"Okay," the younger said with a nod. "I got it. Thanks." 

"Any time." 

Scrunching his nose, he turned his attention back on the building ahead. 

A police car pulled up, parking quietly in front of its entrance. For a moment, there was no movement surrounding it before the driver and her partner got out of the vehicle. He waited for her to meet him on the other side of the car before they went inside. 

"That was quick," Jeno noted. 

"We were lucky that they took the tip so seriously." 

The police were here, inside the building, yet Jaemin couldn't help but feel nervous. He watched the big glass doors nervously. Were they going to come back out alone? 

Maybe something else would happen. Maybe something went wrong. Maybe Doyun-

"Jaemin, you know they can't just ignore this," Jeno reassured him. "You gathered so much evidence-"

"That's why I am so nervous," he said. "If it doesn't work out, what do I do then? What else can I do?" he mumbled, talking more and more quietly with every word. He couldn't focus, couldn't get himself to put effort into his words. 

Meanwhile, Jeno tried to lift the mood.

"We can go out tonight," he offered. "Regardless of what happens, it sounds like a good idea. Right?" 

"Can't. I'm going to stay with Jie," he declined quickly, offering him an apologetic smile.

"Again?" Jeno wondered. "So you two really started to get along?"

Did they? He wasn't quite so sure himself. He felt closer to her, felt more comfortable and it seemed to be the same for her. 

Jaemin hummed, a deep vibration climbing up his throat. "Kinda?" 

Which wasn't a lot but at least he offered Jeno some kind of answer before their conversation died down once again when those big glass doors opened and the two police officers left the building with a familiar-looking boy walking between them. 

At the sight, Jaemin held his breath. He just watched, lips parted, eyes opened a little wider in disbelief. This wasn't much, of course. But seeing Doyun walk next to the officers, defeated and small, send a wave of relief through the boy's body. 

Jeno smiled, put his hand on Jaemin's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. 

"See? It worked out." 

The jump in his throat kept Jaemin from talking but he quickly nodded and agreed. He continued to watch the scene. 

Was that it? 

Maybe it was. 

One last glimpse of him before Jaemin watched his brother get in the police car.  

◂ Brother ▸

I know that this chapter doesn't make too much sense yet! It will make more sense in the future I promise

Chapter 23 will be up in like 5 minutes~