crybaby || noren.

𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞.

Renjun woke up groggily, blinking in confusion as he realized he was back in his room. He glanced at his phone and saw it was 9 p.m.

"Damn, how long did I sleep?" He muttered to himself, pushing himself up from the bed. Rubbing his eyes, he shuffled out of his room to find Jeno sitting at the table, wearing glasses and looking intently at his laptop. Renjun couldn't help but notice how attractive Jeno looked in that moment.

"You finally woke up," Jeno remarked, glancing up briefly as Renjun slowly approached the table.

"Yeah," Renjun replied softly.

"Hungry?" Jeno asked.

"N-not really," Renjun lied, his stomach growling in protest. He wasn't sure what he wanted to eat.

Jeno nodded in response and returned to his work. Renjun hesitated for a moment before speaking up again. "Um, Jeno?"

"Hmm?" Jeno looked up, meeting Renjun's shy gaze.

"Or should I call you Jeno Sunbaenim?" Renjun asked, fiddling nervously with his fingers.

"Jeno is fine," he replied with a gentle smile.

"Right!" Renjun awkwardly laughed, feeling out of place. He didn't understand why he was acting so strangely.

"Do you need something?" Jeno inquired, sensing Renjun's unease.

"Huh? Oh! No! Haha," Renjun quickly walked away to grab a glass, but as luck would have it, the glass slipped through his fingers, shattering loudly on the floor. Both Jeno and Renjun flinched at the sound.

Renjun stood frozen, staring at the mess he had just made. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jeno. I-I was just..."

"Keep your explanation, just don't move," Jeno interrupted calmly. He swiftly collected the broken pieces with his bare hands, motioning for Renjun to stay put. Renjun stood there silently, feeling miserable for causing trouble.

After Jeno finished cleaning up, he glanced up at Renjun with a stern look. "I told you not to move, right?"

Renjun looked down, unable to meet Jeno's gaze. He knew he had upset him. Renjun struggled to hold back his tears, but they streamed down his cheeks despite his efforts.

"Why are you crying?" Jeno asked, his voice slightly raised in frustration.

Renjun couldn't find words to answer. He simply sobbed quietly, feeling overwhelmed by his own sensitivity and clumsiness.

"Renjun!" Jeno's tone softened, realizing he had startled Renjun unintentionally. "I'm not mad at you for breaking the glass."

"I'm sorry, Jeno... I know you're mad at me. I didn't mean to..."

"Damn it," Jeno muttered under his breath. He scooped Renjun up in his arms and carried him back to his room. Renjun was taken aback but didn't protest.

Jeno gently placed Renjun on his bed and sat beside him. "Are you expecting me to scold you?"

Renjun sniffled, feeling small and ashamed. "I-I thought you were..."

"What? Oh my god, no, Renjun!" Jeno exclaimed softly, brushing a tear from Renjun's cheek. "I was just frustrated because you almost stepped on the broken glass with your bare feet."

Renjun looked down, noticing for the first time that his foot was bleeding. He hadn't even realized it during the chaos. Jeno fetched the first-aid kit and carefully tended to Renjun's wound.

"Please stop crying," Jeno murmured gently, his concern evident in his eyes.

Renjun nodded weakly, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment. As Jeno patched him up, Renjun couldn't help but appreciate his roommate's unexpected kindness and patience.

"Thank you, Jeno," Renjun whispered softly, his voice filled with gratitude.

Jeno smiled reassuringly. "You're welcome, Renjun. Let's clean up and then maybe we can find something to eat, okay?"

Renjun nodded again, feeling a little lighter now that the tension had eased between them. He realized that despite the rocky start, having Jeno as a roommate might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

And as they cleaned up together and shared a late-night meal, Renjun began to feel a sense of warmth and friendship blooming between them, a bond forged through understanding and compassion in their shared living space.

The next day, Renjun walked to the hall with a slight limp, garnering curious looks from other students due to his injured leg. He noticed their stares but chose to ignore them; after all, getting hurt wasn't a crime. As he reached his locker, Haechan appeared from behind.

"Renjun? Why are you walking like that? What's wrong with your leg?" Haechan asked, clearly surprised.

"Injured," Renjun replied tersely, focusing on retrieving his books.

"How? When did this happen?" Haechan pressed, leaning in with concerned.

"Yesterday, I accidentally broke a glass," Renjun admitted reluctantly.

"Damn Renjun, you're so careless," Haechan teased lightly.

"I know... but luckily Jeno was there to help," Renjun admitted, feeling a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Uwuu, you're admitting that he rescued you?" Haechan grinned mischievously, noticing Renjun's embarrassed reaction. "Bro, calm down! It's not like you like him or anything. Why are you turning so red?" Renjun stiffened. "Wait—don't tell me... Oh my god, Renjun!"

"What?" Renjun protested, trying to keep his composure.

"You like him?" Haechan exclaimed excitedly, his teasing reaching new heights.

"What are you talking about?" Renjun deflected, feeling his face grow even hotter.

"Your face said it all," Haechan teased knowingly.

"Shut up!" Renjun slammed his locker shut and hurried away before Haechan could see how flustered he really was. I hate him!

Haechan chuckled to himself, knowing he hit a nerve with Renjun. He decided to give his cousin some space, but couldn't resist teasing him about Jeno later on.

The day had turned into night, and Renjun finally arrived home a little later than usual. It had been an exhausting day with an extra class that left him drained. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he was surprised to find Jeno and his two friends sitting on the couch, engrossed in something on their laptops.

"Hey Renjun!" Jaemin greeted cheerfully, looking up from his screen. Renjun managed a smile in response as he kicked off his shoes.

"What happened to your leg?" Minhyung asked, noticing Renjun's slight limp.

"Oh, it's nothing serious. Just a minor injury," Renjun replied, trying to play it down.

"Jeno, did you do this to him?" Mark teased, nudging Jeno playfully.

Jeno rolled his eyes. "No, it was an accident. Renjun broke a glass yesterday, and I helped him bandage his foot."

"Ohh, so he rescued you, huh?" Jaemin smirked, looking at Jeno with raised eyebrows. "Character development, I see."

Renjun felt a blush creep up his cheeks at the attention. "I'm going to head to my room," he announced, feeling a bit self-conscious now.

"Dude!" Minhyung exclaimed, giving Jeno a playful slap on the arm.

Jeno sighed, exasperated. "What now, Mark?"

"You should go and change his bandage," Minhyung suggested with a grin. "It's the least you can do after playing nurse."

Jeno frowned but eventually relented. "Fine," he muttered, standing up reluctantly.