Monopoly | Norenmin

conversations with the soul

"You want anything?"
Renjun looked up, smiling and shaking his head at Yangyang. "I'm okay, thank you."
The younger boy went up to the vendor, ordering something for both of them regardless of Renjun's request. The elder boy looked down at his phone, scrolling through his phone. He had been avoiding going on most social media, but he went on Pinterest. You can avoid all the gross couple pics and updates about the people he didn't socialise with on Pinterest.

He was still avoiding everyone and everything, he didn't want to be apart of anything anymore. Jaemin and Jeno did try to approach him, waving at him from time to time, but he walked off. He gave an awkward thin lipped smile and turned to walk off somewhere else, even if he had to go that way.
The worst was when he would make eye contact with Donghyuck. They would simply give each other a smile and then go on as if they were strangers. It hurt. But it was the only way. Not until Donghyuck was comfortable. Not until he was too.

He accompanied Yangyang today for a change. He was a person he'd known for a while but wasn't as close with which seemed perfect. Yangyang wouldn't try and ask him what was wrong but would still let him hang around him. They were just roaming, talking about whatnot. Well actually more like Yangyang spoke about everything and Renjun would simply listen to everything, giving his opinion every now and then. He liked Yangyang. They got along. It just didn't feel complete he guessed.

He shut his phone on and off, tapping his feet in boredom. He looked up to see where Yangyang was, seeing that he was waiting for the food. Renjun then glanced back down at his phone, noticing it vibrating in his hand. An unknown number. Might be fun to answer and pester scam callers.

"Hello?" Renjun answered as sweetly as he could, raising the pitch of his voice to make it more feminine. Might as well fuck with them good.
"Hey, Renjun?" Mark's voice came through the speaker, catching him off guard.
Renjun slapped his hand over his mouth, regretting everything he's ever done in his life. "Holy shit, sorry, hi."
Mark laughed, "Hey, hey. I'm glad I got the number right this time."
"Did you get it wrong before?"
"Yeah," Mark replied, chuckling awkwardly, "last time it was actually a woman."
"Oh dear," Renjun laughed, leaning back on the seat, his back against the metallic table. "What's up?"

"Ah, I was actually checking up on how you were," the older boy explained. Renjun froze on the spot, remembering everything. Mark had kept the cafe open for him to essentially flood it with tears. He had tried to keep it down, but it wasn't exactly a secret that he was going through it. Mark checked up on him a couple of times but each time he just kind of shooed him away. He didn't want to burden another person, especially someone he considered friend. He didn't feel like losing another one.
Mark cleared his throat, "I wanted to kinda get what was happening."
"Ah," Renjun chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, "Uh, I kinda like...fucked up really badly...so uh...I'm not really talking to anyone."
"You're talking to me though," Mark countered, "I'd like to think I'm a little closer than Yangyang so it is a start."
"I guess so," Renjun shrugged. Yangyang sat down beside him, placing the food between them and then putting in headphones, Renjun nodding toward him as a thank you.

"I know only the stuff that Donghyuck has said, which is hardly anything so don't worry," Mark said, "I just- did something that bad happen?"
Renjun puffed out his cheeks, "I don't know, you tell me."
Mark sighed a little though the speaker, "Uh, something you were doing to or for Jaemin or something and then Donghyuck kinda leaving you alone to get over himself."
Renjun exhaled a little with a laugh, "Something like that...I'm just not really talking to Jeno and Jaemin right now and giving Donghyuck space."
"...I would know more but I'm not good at remembering," Mark laughed a little, Renjun chuckling a bit himself. "It's great for Donghyuck, bad for me."
Renjun broke into a grin, muttering in agreement.
"That's a little dumb though to be honest," Mark huffed, shuffling a little. "He shouldn't have done that now."
"It's fine, I had it coming," Renjun shrugged, sighing a bit at the end of his sentence.
"That's bullshit, I don't think you deserved to cry that much, Jun. No one does."
Renjun bit his lip, gulping. "Mm," he mumbled out, Mark sighing in response.

Renjun inhaled deeply. "...Hyung, don't you hate me for making Donghyuck upset?"
"...Hyuckie's not upset. Far from it actually," Mark replied, sounding a little confused. Renjun turned his head toward his phone, wondering if he had heard right. Mark chuckled a little, "Hyuck isn't upset at you actually. If anything I think he just misses you. He's being a bit stubborn though."
"Really?" Renjun asked, his lips tilting up a little at his words.
"Yeah," Mark laughed lightly, "I know that he's like trying to get over you and stuff- Oh that's the other thing yeah I dunno if you- no wait you do- fuck." Renjun laughed at Mark's kerfuffle, Mark groaning a little and complaining that his head hurt. "I meant, I know that he thinks this is the best idea but honestly, I think it would be better if you stayed with him."

"Oh." Renjun pursed his lips, stopping himself from smiling. It was sort of nice to get that kind of blessing from the person his best friend was interested in, Mark no less. Mark was a kind, loving person and to be thought of as good enough by someone like him was a gift. It made him feel like maybe he wasn't as bad as he was telling himself.
"I'll tell you a good day, but I think you should just try talking a bit. Please."
"Okay," Renjun answered.

Mark took a deep breath, seeming to sign off before he cut in with "By the way don't tell Donghyuck I said that. I don't wanna die this young."
Renjun grinned, giggling a bit and nodding, "Of course."
"...and don't tell him I stole his phone for  your number cause he's still looking for it and I just realised it's still in my hand."
Renjun broke into a small fit of laughter, responding with "Obviously."
Mark sighed, Renjun faintly hearing Donghyuck yelling out Mark's name in the background. He smiled brightly upon hearing his friend's voice after a while, sighing a bit in relief that he was okay. Mark had covered the microphone a little, yelling back. Renjun vaguely made out that Mark was lying about not knowing where Donghyuck's phone was causing him to chuckle.
Mark grumbled before speaking through to Renjun. "I gotta go hide his phone now, I'll seeya soon, okay?"
"Yeah, hyung, thank you."
"Of course, Injun. Bye!"

Renjun said his goodbye before hanging up his phone. He huffed, settling his phone on his back on his lap. He looked down to his lock screen, holding down on to the picture. The photo animated itself, Jeno dramatically pulling Jaemin's arm, using him as a support system to lean with his arm up in the air and screaming. Jaemin winked at the mirror, putting up a peace sign while Donghyuck pulled Renjun in to hug, pretending to kiss him. Renjun himself burst into laughter and just like that the screen froze, an extra ass mirror photo of his closest friends. It was before he had met Mark. Before Chenle fell for Jisung. It was before he hated Jaemin. When they were just a little younger. Just before he felt like the world imploded.

"They wouldn't mind talking to you, you know?"
Renjun darted his head to Yangyang who was smiling sympathetically toward him. He reached over, ruffling the boy's hair. "It's okay."
Renjun scoffed, smiling teasingly at him even if Yangyang had hit a bit of a nerve. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get rid of me?"
Yangyang laughed, swinging his arm around Renjun's shoulder. "No, but I think you'll feel a bit better if you try getting back to where you were."
Renjun sighed, nodding a little. "Okay."

He didn't want to really take the advice. But, he did miss Donghyuck. Maybe that's what he should fix first.