best friend 》 nomin

21

"So what did you two do that night, huh?" Donghyuck smirked, bringing a drink to his lips, his brows raised high as he watched his friend carefully.

Staring back with as much disgust as he could muster, Jeno frowned. "Nothing."

Earlier that day, Donghyuck had been lounging around his house when a panicked Jeno practically barged in. Now they were sitting at the younger's itty-bitty table, Jeno sharing all of his worries.

"That didn't sound like nothing to me! You stayed the night at his house!" The tan male argued, prepared to fight the taller. "Tell me again."

Rolling his eyes, Jeno sighed. "We were at his house, then we went to the movies. I must have passed out or something, because next thing I know, it's morning, I'm at Jaemin's, and he's nowhere to be found."

Listening carefully, Donghyuck just shrugged, no more evidence needed. "Sounds like a one night stand to me."

Jeno's eyes widened as he moved to smack the life out of the younger. "Nothing happened!"

"How would you know? You can't remember a thing!" Even though he was enduring the other boy's torture, Donghyuck continued to tease. A giggle escaped him as he winked at his poor friend. "Maybe you two got a little crazy."

Jeno stopped his attacks to bury his head in his hands, attempting to hide his flustered complexion from the other.

Shaking his head, Jeno chuckled. "Why am I even friends with you?"

"Because you love me." Giving the other boy a wide grin, Donghyuck laughed."And you have no one else to tell your problems to."

Jeno wasn't sure about the first one, but he had to admit Donghyuck nailed the second.

"Fine." He groaned, crossing his arms. As much as the younger drove him crazy, he needed to talk.

"Jaemin finally sent me a text late last night. He explained that he just had to leave early for work and was busy the whole day." Jeno shrugged, thinking nothing of it.

He had worried all of yesterday that something had happened to his best friend, but luckily everything was just fine.

Narrowing his eyes, Jeno stared Donghyuck down. "He did not skip out early for any other scandalous reason."

Donghyuck just smiled, finding his story more exciting.

He was about to move on, but a detail caught his attention.

"Hold on." The tan boy whispered, his face scrunching in confusion as he thought hard. "Jaemin wasn't at the café yesterday."

Tilting his head, Jeno wasn't sure what the younger was implying. "How would you know?"

"I was there." Donghyuck shrugged, the answer seeming obvious. Even though Jeno didn't ask for more details, he gave them anyway. "On a date."

That made the older boy forget his own troubles for a second. Jeno smiled, mirroring his honey-skinned friend. "Oh really?"

"Mhm." Donghyuck hummed, happily replaying yesterday's events in his mind. "First we got ice cream and walked around the park, but then it started raining. We were tolerating it, but it got to be torrential so we ran to the café and stayed there till it stopped."

Jeno didn't fail to notice how content his friend was and he loved it. "How is Mark?"

The mention of the Canadian brought more smiles to Donghyuck's face and woke up the butterflies in his stomach.

"He's fine." The distracted boy whispered, his head filled with thoughts of the older.

Jeno nodded, unable to hide the smirk on his face. Donghyuck liked to pretend he wasn't obsessed, but Jeno could see right through him.

"He finally broke up with that girl?" Jeno asked, realizing he wasn't all caught up on his friend's life.

Donghyuck just stared at the other boy, his brow raised. "You think I'd go out with him if he was still with that monster?"

Jeno nodded, that making sense to him. "Fair point."

"Maybe you just didn't see Jaemin there because you were too busy gazing into Mark's beautiful chocolate eyes." The older teased, wiggling his brows.

"That's quite possible." Donghyuck admitted, not too proud to tell the truth. "But no! He wasn't there! I'm sure of it."

Considering the option, Jeno frowned. "Then what are you saying? That he lied to me?"

Donghyuck hated to do it, but he nodded anyway. "That's what I'm thinking."

Jeno didn't want to think that of his best friend, but it was seeming like the most probable option.

Leaning back, worries flooded Jeno's mind. Resting his head in his hands, the frown stayed concrete. "Why would he have done that?"

Now Donghyuck wished he wouldn't have said anything. It bothered him to see the obvious hurt on Jeno's discouraged face. "It could be nothing. Maybe he's planning you a surprise birthday party!"

"My birthday isn't for a few months." Jeno shook his head, understanding that the younger was grasping at straws.

Well excuse Donghyuck for trying. He was just trying to help the clearly distressed boy.

Placing a hand on the taller's shoulder, Donghyuck painted on a smile. "Please don't worry too much, Jeno. I know Jaemin has a good reason."

Jeno nodded, but internally could not agree to that. Tons of new stresses and worries weighed on top of him, smothering him.

Had he done something wrong?

Offended the younger somehow?

Was Jaemin distancing himself?

But that was ridiculous. He was most likely just overreacting, making something out of nothing.

After all, what could Jeno possibly have done for Jaemin to avoid him?