IN A HEARTBEAT ⋮ nomin

𝟵: cherry soda

Something is going on with Jeno.

He is clueless about why every single day he wakes up excited and looks forward to the day, especially when he knows he can meet Jaemin.

It seems like it works the same for the blue-haired guy too. Jaemin's face brightens when he sees Jeno in the distance. The human usually has a resting B face which works like an achievement that Jeno gets another reaction, unlike other people.

If you ask Jeno, he can confidently say they're friends now. The two had been in each other's room and now they even meet up in the park to take photos together right after they leave the library where they sit next to each other too. They're almost together each day and it makes Jeno happy!

He learns new things about Jaemin when they're hanging out together. One of those things is Jaemin being very soft and clingy to the person he feels comfortable close to. The last time Jeno saw something like that was when Jaemin hugged Renjun. Stuff like that is now happening between him and the human, though.

Most of those things are something that Jaemin isn't showing to just anyone. He has to feel safe around a person to unleash his whole personality. One of the examples is Jaemin and his lips. He loves puckering his lips no matter what they're talking about. It sometimes catches Jeno off guard, especially the first times it happened. But he gets kind of used to it. Jaemin can pucker his lips as much as he wants. Now Jeno knows that he doesn't want to kiss him. It's more like acting cute or something.

Another example is Jaemin's habit of staring at the lips of the person who is talking. Again, Jeno notices it happening only when they're close. It seems like Jaemin resisted all of that when they were strangers. Now the human shifts his eyes on Jeno's lips from time to time and then looks up and smiles.

And you know what? Jeno's heart flutters. He has never met such a weird person as Jaemin, but whatever this guy does, the half-demon finds him adorable at some point. Jaemin is cute. And he gets cuter each day.

➷

"You and Jaemin are seeing each other more now," Renjun chirps with a smile.

Jeno looks away from his notebook and focuses his tired eyes on his friend.

"Yeah, we got close," he starts with a voice full of tiredness, but as he continues, he feels how he gets energetic. "Jaemin and I match well. He also exercises once in a while. Should I ask him to go to the gym together?"

"That's a great idea. It's more fun this way," Renjun vigorously nods his head.

"I'll see what I can do."

Jeno looks back at his notebook, but now he's happier, not so tired anymore. He tries to read what he has written on the paper but the only thing he is seeing appears to be Jaemin's name. It makes him sigh, drop his notes on his lap, and rub his eyes.

"I'm acting weird lately," Jeno whispers. "What the heaven is wrong with me?"

"Are you thirsty?"

Jeno shrugs his shoulders, but then he actually does get thirsty.

"Now that you said... I think I would love to drink some–"

"Here."

Jeno moves his fingers away from his eyes and opens them. Renjun has his arm extended with a pink drink.

"Cherry soda," he explains.

Jeno gladly takes the drink, though he chuckles as he notices a heart on the bottle.

"Too many hearts lately," he laughs before he takes a sip. "Mhmm, it's tasty."

"It has to be tasty."

"Why?"

"...It's cherry drink."

"Oh, right."

Jeno tries to focus on studying right after, but he can't. Even when he's trying to think about buildings, all he wants to think about is Jaemin.

➷

Jeno is dying to see Jaemin the next day. He hates that he's able to do it only when it's already afternoon because of his studies. But when it happens, Jeno is waiting for Jaemin to come out of his building in excitement.

Just as he sees the blue-haired boy leaving, Jeno feels like he just got struck by lightning. What is this feeling? The half-demon wonders what is going on with him. He hasn't felt like that for a while, which scares him but at the same time excites him.

He looks at Jaemin, who is already near him and can't help but think that he knows the answer. His heart tells him.

But how?

In such a short time.

They just got close.