IN A HEARTBEAT ⋮ nomin

𝟭𝟭: pink hearts

Jeno just can't believe that instead of summoning Cupid, he got Renjun. But wait... Isn't Renjun human?

"I-I need explanations," Jeno speaks first, breaking the silence the two have around them. "Renjun... What are you doing here?"

"Uh... That's kind of..."

"Are you," Jeno gulps, "Cupid?"

Renjun stays silent. Maybe he's still in shock.

"B-Because I tried to summon Cupid right now! I saw with my eyes how you appeared in this room and I know that you didn't enter it because I have the door boarded!"

Renjun looks over his shoulder to see the chair blocking the door.

"Fuck," he says once again.

"Did you just swear?!"

"What? Is it a fucking miracle to hear me swear? You just summoned me, Jeno. Isn't that the actual miracle?"

Jeno isn't surprised by the summoning part, though. He's summoned lots of demons, nothing new. But hearing his innocent roommate swearing was something that he wouldn't even dream about in his worst nightmares.

"No, because I knew what I was doing! I waited for Cupid, so tell me if you're him or not!"

"I'm his assistant, okay?" Renjun hisses. "A matchmaker, to be exact. He's having a vacation with his bitches in Hawaii for years now. He doesn't even think about returning. And here we're working our asses off."

Jeno stares at his roommate in confusion. The guy he thought of as his friend turns out to be a matchmaker related to the god of love! It almost sounds like he's an agent!

"So why did you need Cupid? You can ask me anything. I'll still be helpful."

Renjun even flutters his eyelashes like an actual Renjun, which becomes weird to witness. But Jeno knows that he's the same Renjun no matter if he's working for Cupid or not. Everyone has secrets and never tells them, especially when it's about another world. Jeno does the same.

"I think you know why I seek help in Cupid," Jeno mumbles, suddenly embarrassed. Maybe because he just remembered Jaemin and all of the feelings returned.

"No, why?"

Renjun is playing dumb. He has to notice how they grew fond of each other.

"I think I like Jaemin," Jeno confesses, his eyes on the floor.

"Like?" Renjun chuckles.

Now the half-demon's face flushes.

"I-I don't know..."

"I think you're already past the like part, Jeno. It's love now."

Jeno gathers his courage and looks up. There he sees Renjun smirking at him and something gets clearer.

"Wait..." Jeno frowns. "You said you're a matchmaker... You introduced me to Jaemin... Don't tell me that–"

"Exactly. I matched you up," Renjun says proudly. "I left you by yourselves to make you learn more about one another, then fed you magical cookies and made you drink magical drinks! Normally, people fall in love after all of this."

"You..."

Jeno takes a step closer and wants to grasp Renjun by his shirt but fails. There's a visible barrier that keeps Renjun protected. Jeno wonders why, but then his friend explains.

"We installed this to protect the matchmakers. Many humans aren't happy about their conditions and the mess we make, so they tend to attack us."

"Installed," Jeno hisses. "It's not an installment, it's a whole shield."

"Well, yeah? I can't let you punch me for doing God's work."

"Did I ever ask to fall in love? Who let you decide it for me?"

"Your heart."

Jeno laughs in confusion. "Hearts don't speak. Try again."

"No, they do," Renjun stares deeply into Jeno's eyes. "Yours and Jaemin's were lonely until you met each other. Your hearts had grey color and now they look pink."

Jeno panics as he covers his chest.

"D-Don't look at my heart!"

"I see it even when you think you covered it," Renjun scoffs. "Cute pink heart it is now."

"Stop!"

Jeno finds this all embarrassing. It's the first time he meets someone as different as him. Like, Jeno can feel the lust from other people and mess with them, meanwhile, his roommate is seeing what... colored hearts?

"I think that you did the summon thingy to get advice, so here it is!" Renjun claps his hands. "Ask Jaemin out to an unofficial date tomorrow! Talk to him a lot, find out what he likes and hates... Then your hearts will turn red, which is the last level of love!"

"Hearts..." Jeno mumbles, but then his eyes go wide. "Hey! You fed those cookies to Jaemin too! Does that mean that–"

"Yeah, you're in the same boat, sweetie. His heart is also pink, maybe even darker than yours."

"Wait..."

"He's also in love," Renjun speaks Jeno's thoughts out loud.