crybaby || noren.

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞.

The next day, Renjun walked through the corridor, feeling the heavy tension in the air. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor, aware of the eyes following him, scrutinizing his every move. The weight of their stares was almost unbearable. Why couldn't people just mind their own business?

His steps faltered as he saw someone standing in front of his locker. The memory of yesterday's event surged back—the letter, and the same girl. Fear gripped him, paralyzing him. He was terrified she might give him another letter. Slowly, he began to back away, only to collide with someone.

"Where are you going, Jun?" a familiar voice asked. Renjun turned quickly, meeting Jeno's warm, puppy-like eyes. Jeno smiled but quickly noticed the distress on Renjun's face. "What's wrong?"

Renjun felt a mix of relief and anxiety. He glanced back at the girl, but she had disappeared. "N-nothing, Jeno!" he stammered. He decided to lie, hoping to prevent Jeno from worrying.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'm heading to class. If anything happens, call me or find my friends." Jeno gave Renjun a reassuring smile before heading off to his class. Renjun nodded, trying to muster a smile in return.

During his painting class, Renjun couldn't shake off the thoughts of yesterday's letter. It gnawed at him, making him overthink. What if he received another letter later? What if it was worse than the last one? What would Jeno do? Should he tell Jeno? What if it annoyed him?

Renjun groaned in frustration. His lecturer, noticing his agitation, approached. "Renjun? Is everything alright?" She glanced at his empty canvas. "Try to clear your mind. Focus on one thing and draft it first, okay?" She patted his shoulder gently before moving on to another student.

Renjun felt a small relief, grateful his lecturer mistook his distress for a creative block. In truth, he had no idea what to paint. His mind was a blank canvas, mirroring the one in front of him. He stared at it, willing for inspiration to strike.

As the class neared its end, the lecturer called for everyone's attention. "I see some of you haven't started painting yet. It's okay. Go home and try to find some inspiration. That's all for today, class dismissed!"

Renjun packed his painting supplies, glancing at his watch. He had two hours before his English class began.

❀

Jeno was jotting down notes in his book when a knock on his desk interrupted him. "Hey Jeno, do you have time after class? I don't quite understand the new topic we learned in physics today. Can you teach me?"

Jeno looked up to see a classmate, a girl whose name he couldn't quite recall. He hesitated, torn between declining and accepting. In the end, he nodded, agreeing to meet her at the library after class. He didn't want to feel bad about rejecting her request, especially since he hadn't outright refused. He had always thought she was one of the smarter students in class.

After his calculus class, Jeno headed to the library and saw his classmate sitting near the window at the back. "Hey!" he greeted.

"Oh, hey! You don't mind sitting by the window, right?"

"Nope, no problem at all."

"Great! Let's get started." The girl smiled warmly at Jeno, who returned the smile, albeit a bit distractedly.

English class finally ended, and Renjun walked alongside Jaemin through the corridor. Chatting with Jaemin was always enjoyable; his friendliness and humor were a welcome distraction from Renjun's worries.

As they reached his locker, Renjun opened it without thinking, only to find two letters inside—one red, the other white. His heart raced as he stared at them. Who could have put these here?

Panic surged through him. He dreaded reading them, fearing they might trigger his anxiety. Jaemin, noticing Renjun's shaky breath, quickly pulled him close, rubbing his back to calm him down. Renjun showed Jaemin the letters with trembling hands, and Jaemin promptly snatched them, shoving them into his bag.

"Forget about the letters for now and just breathe, Renjun. You're okay; it's all fine."

Renjun hated feeling this vulnerable, especially in front of Jaemin. He was sensitive, and situations like this overwhelmed him, making him want to cry. But he held back his tears.

"Let's sit on that bench over there, and I'll call Jeno for you." Renjun nodded, and they walked to a bench near the badminton court. Jaemin tried calling Jeno multiple times, but there was no answer.

"Why isn't he picking up?" Jaemin muttered, frustrated. "This isn't like him."

After several failed attempts, Jaemin gave up and sat next to Renjun, who had calmed down a bit. "I can't reach him."

"It's okay, Jaemin. Maybe he's busy." Renjun forced a smile, though inside he felt a deep sense of disappointment. He had hoped Jeno would come to comfort him.

"Let's grab something to drink. It's on me today," Jaemin said, flashing a bright smile that earned a chuckle from Renjun.

"Sure."

On their way to buy drinks, Renjun happened to glance through a window and saw someone familiar sitting inside, laughing with someone else. He stopped, staring at the person.

Jaemin followed Renjun's gaze and his expression darkened. "Is this why he didn't answer my call? Flirting with someone while his potential boyfriend is panicking," he said loudly.

Renjun was taken aback by the term "potential boyfriend." What did Jaemin mean by that? Nonetheless, he felt a pang of hurt seeing Jeno laughing with someone else when he needed him the most.

"Come on, Renjun, let's go," Jaemin said, grabbing Renjun's wrist and pulling him away from the scene.