All Night Long - [L.JN]

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I couldn't sleep, so I drew a dream myself ~

That night Jeno didn't sleep.
Telling about his stargirl to his friends deeply affected him and he stayed up all night. If he closed his eyes he would see Hanbyeol's pretty face and if he opened them he would remember his little memories with her, imagining meeting her in a not so distant future.
Little did he know that his mind wasn't just playing games.

The next day Jeno seemed a walking dead. Dark circles covered his eyes which he couldn't properly keep open. He didn't seem much alive and Donghyuck nearly got an heart attack seeing him at the school gates. "Jeno, my boy, you played games too much last night."

"I didn't play at all. I just couldn't fall asleep."

"Weird. We don't have any upcoming test..." Renjun said frowning, but Jaemin hushed them all. "C'mon, guys. He was just too hyped for the match."

Although that excuse was very much stupid, the boys fell for it and changed topic. Jeno just felt like he couldn't ask for a better bestfriend in his life, as Jaemin was always there to save his butt.

Eventually, lessons began and they all rushed to their classes. Jeno had a lot of them with Jaemin, so they were almost always together. Sometimes they shared it with Donghyuck, but Renjun had different interests so the three used to meet him outside of his classes.

That day was no exception and the Chinese boy was the last to exit the class, as always. But with him, there was a girl that they had never seen in school before.

"Hey, guys. Meet the new student here, Kim Hanbyeol."

Jaemin and Donghyuck warmly greeted her, but Jeno stood there, motionless.

"H-hanbyeol...?"

It was her. His stargirl. She was all grown up and soon to be a woman. And she was beautiful, just as he remembered her.

"Jeno? God... Is it really you?!"

He coudn't really speak as he was too dumbfounded to see her there, in front of him. He just nodded with his head and that was enough for all of them.

"Wait... So you guys know each other?" Donghyuck asked with a suspecting look. "Yes. We were neighbours for a bit when we were six years old."

"Damn! You are THAT Hanbyeol!" The boy gasped in realization and Jeno felt like burying himself in the ground. "Hyuck-"

"Jeno told us about you! We didn't think we would actually meet you!"

"Yo. What's going on?" Mark, Chenle and Jisung appeared near them and saw the new girl and the stunned faces of their friends. "She's Hanbyeol, Jeno's friend."

"WHAT?!"

"Are we in one of your dreams, hyung?"

"Chenle, don't y-"

"It is nice to meet you all, too" Hanbyeol said avoiding other awkward moments for the boy. "Do you want to have lunch with us? Mark asked and she nodded. "Sure, that would be nice."

So, the girl and the seven boys spent lunch time in the garden, in a secluded side with no one else aside of few silent students.
Jeno's friends took the opportunity to get to know Hanbyeol better and he noticed that she quickly made herself comfortable with them. He was happy to see one of his many dreams come true, but he also needed himself to speak with her, alone.

And when finally the boys got too busy with their jokes and laughs, Jeno approached Hanbyeol.

"Hi." He said, trying not to sound too shy. "Hello."

"I see you guys got closer."

"Yes. Your friends are really funny."

Jeno smiled at her words, thinking about that only time she called him funny. He hoped to still be entertaining to her, for her to call him funny again. He really missed that word and he missed Hanbyeol.

"So... You're back in Seoul."

"Yes. My dad wants to settle here, for his work."

"And you?" He then asked, curious about her ideas. He wanted her to be there for the remaining years of high school, and maybe even for university, but he couldn't hope and imagine without her acceptance.

"I... It is complicated." She stated but noticed Jeno's smile fall from his lips. "But I would certainly like to settle in with my dad and finally have a normal life."

She tried to show him a smile, but he didn't fail to notice the pain in her eyes. What happened to her in all those years?