On The Line | Chensung

Place Trust In One's Heart

Jisung gnawed on his lip, aggressively biting off bits off his skin as he waited for the presentations to start. He didn't have to do much, just reveal it and explain the basis of the project since the written component said pretty much everything that had to be explained, but that didn't stop him from becoming a ball of nerves. He really wished he wasn't a year level below Jaemin so he would be in his class, hell their photography classes ran at the same time, but he just had to be younger and suffer with the discomfort that was anxiety. The boss music in a video game constantly playing around him, he just didn't know where the hell it was.

"We'll start the presentations now," Mr Seo beamed at his class, Jisung almost bursting into tears at the statement. Why he did this to himself, he had no idea. He knew as well that he'd get rejected and that Chenle liked someone else, but he really didn't think when it came to Chenle. And now, because his own brain and heart deceived him, he'd basically be giving a confession to him in a public setting and hoping that Chenle wouldn't hate him at the end of the day.

"Chaeryeong, Jeongin and Daehwi, you're up first," Mr Seo gestured to the front of the class. Jisung smiled at his friend as he died inside, sending her a thumbs up with Chaeryeong grinning back. Well at least she was fine.

Jisung tried to pay attention, he really did want to respect and cheer his friend and fellow peers on. But as more time went on, and the closer his presentation came, the more he wanted to throw up, the more his stomach lurched and the more he wanted to just burst out of the classroom and cry into someone's arms. Anyone's arms. Even Johnny's arms. He took a few deep breaths, covering his mouth and trying to control his breathing with shut eyes. He never felt nervous for a presentation, but he did feel nervous about giving his heart out to get crushed.

"Ji," Chenle whispered quietly to Jisung, leaning over to his table, "what's wrong?"
Jisung shook his head, muttering quietly that nothing was wrong and hoping no one could hear him having a silent breakdown. Perks of being in the back corner of the room, no one really paid attention.
Jisung heard Chenle sigh beside him as people applauded the group presenting. Jisung opened his eyes and clapped as the three students bowed, Chaeryeong doing a small fist pump. As Mr Seo called out the next group to present, Chenle moved his table next to Jisung's and took his hand into his. "It's going to be fine, Jisung, you're gonna be fine. This presentation is going to be easy."
"Maybe for you," Jisung huffed quietly as the kids at the front set up their board on the easel up front. Chenle frowned as Jisung simply focused his energy on the table, trying to make sure the food remains in his stomach stayed there. So much for Jeno's father's cooking.

Chenle exhaled softly, picking off the glove he was wearing. He reached up, running his hand through Jisung's hair. The younger boy's eye went wide at the contact, not expecting the cold of Chenle's skin. As Jisung gradually turned his head toward him, Chenle smiled softly at him, cupping his cheek and gracing his thumb across Jisung's skin, Jisung almost instantaneously melting into his touch and wanting him to just hold him forever.
"We don't have to say the essay at all, if you want I can do all the speaking," Chenle tried to rationalise with the crumbling boy, "it's going to be fine."
Jisung sighed deeply, letting himself deflate in his seat and Chenle's hand, "I know, it's just...it's scary." He couldn't tell Chenle exactly why his brain was falling apart in his arms, but maybe there was a comfort Chenle could provide. Hopefully he just wouldn't ask why.
"I get that," Chenle shuffled his seat silently to be closer to Jisung, "it's nerve wracking for me too. But think about it, you've been through scarier." He let his eyes glint silver for a moment, chuckling a bit, "you've seen scarier." He let his eyes go back to normal before landing a short, cold kiss on Jisung's cheek, the younger boy's heart doing a silent flip as he did so. "This is going to be a piece of cake."

Jisung took a shaky breath, looking back to the front of the classroom and watching the next group bow. He felt Chenle take his hand, the elder boy running his thumb across his hand as the next group was called out. As the next few groups stood up to do their presentations, Chenle kept his hand in Jisung's, Jisung holding tightly to soothe his nerves. Well that, and of course why would he pass up an opportunity to hold Chenle's hand.

As the presentations went on, he noticed within his peers the differences in what they sought happiness in. The different-different things each individual put together on the board, each thing linking to different people within their lives. And though these people weren't blatantly slapped on to their respective boards, all of the images linked to someone, even if it was a place. A picture of a snowglobe, linked to a waterfall gift shop, linked to a person's grandmother giving them a small amount of cash to buy something they wanted. A running theme that Mr Seo seemed to be proud of his students for picking up on. The projects were still of their families, the people they found comfort in, just more thought out. Who truly meant the most to them.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Jisung couldn't put his friends on the board. They were still there after all.

"Okay, Chenle, Jisung, you're up."

"Fuck."

Mr Seo shot Jisung a glare as the nervous boy peeled himself off his chair, practically shaking in his shoes as he shuffled behind his partner. Chenle calmly took the lead, lending the teacher a hand in setting up their board as Jisung stood awkwardly on the side, wishing that he was shorter. All the boards had a dramatic sheet draped upon them for theatrical effect as Mr Seo was a drama nerd, trust Jisung, he'd been to enough family reunions to know. Chenle sent Jisung an encouraging smile before turning to their classmate. Jisung opted to stare intently at the floor, simply listening to Chenle so he wouldn't pass out from nerves.

"Our project, as everyone else's is, is based on the idea of finding comfort in people and places." Chenle nodded to their covered board, Jisung slowly looking up to see his classmates all staring in bewilderment at the hooded boy talking animatedly and loudly, a complete 180 of what they all knew him as. Jisung smirked to himself, looking up with slowly accumulating courage. "It was quite difficult, Jisung and I couldn't really find much until we really thought, so most of these images are just places. But they mean a lot to us."
Carefully turning, Chenle gently tugged the sheet off their project, Jisung inhaling deeply to see the finished project, waiting to be internally crushed as he pulled the drape off the board. Time to truly see what Chenle found comfort in.

He blinked at the altered board, the white sheet now covered and cluttered prettily with images of everything they could think of, somehow coming together neatly. He leaned closer to the board, finding the things Chenle had added but only finding about two or three. A small bowl of tteokbokki, his windowsill and a stray, light jacket that seemed way too familiar.