Ice Cream | NoMin

Chapter 18

Tension filled the room as Jeno stood facing his mother. She had always been the strong, strict figure in his life. Her sharp eyes met his stubborn gaze, and both of them could feel the silent fight between them.

"I can't believe this!" She said angrily. "Why were you with him? Why are you spending time with that boy? I told you before to stay away from him, didn't I? What did he say to make you ignore me? It's clear he's a bad influence on you!"

Jeno ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his furious mother. He knew he shouldn't argue back and he had no plans to do so. But hearing her talk about Jaemin like that was too much. He really didn't want to have this conversation because he knew it would hurt his heart.

"Please don't say that about him." Jeno said gently, trying not to upset her more. "He's not that kind of person."

His mother’s voice turned cold. "I've seen this kind of thing before." She said and her eyes full of disapproval. "He's just using you. He'll act like a friend, find out your weak spots, and then use them against you."

Jeno’s jaw tightened, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the strap of his bag. He remembered all the hours he and Jaemin had spent studying together, the laughter they shared, and the strong friendship they had built. He couldn’t bear to hear her words attacking something so important to him.

"You don't understand." Jeno said, his voice a little rough but he tried hard to make it steady. "Jaemin is my friend. He's been there for me through everything, and he's not using me. You have no idea how good and kind he really is." And you have no idea how happy I feel when I'm with him.

A cold, empty laugh came from his mother, sending a chill down Jeno's back. "Friends like him are the first ones to stab you in the back the moment they get a chance, Jeno. Don't be so naive."

Her words felt like a heavy weight pressing down on him, squeezing the air out of his chest. It was true that Jaemin had always been right there with him and their friends when it came to achievements, even during times when they weren't speaking. Jeno had never felt threatened by it before. But now, everything felt different.

One tear slipped down Jeno's cheek, and his vision started to blur as the ache inside him grew stronger. "No... you're wrong." He whispered and voice started breaking. "Jaemin isn't like that."

His mother's expression softened when she saw the tears in her son's eyes. She felt confused by how he was acting, but her heart ached because she had seen this exact same situation before with her older son, Jaehyun. A memory of Jaehyun standing in the same way, for the same reason, flashed through her mind.

Could it be?

Why was this happening to them again?

Jeno's shoulders began to shake as the wall he had built to hold back his feelings finally collapsed. The tears came rushing out and he sank into a chair, covering his face with his hands while he cried.

The pain from his mother's words, mixed with the deep fear of losing Jaemin, felt overwhelming and he felt a lot of confusing emotions at the same time.

"Why?" he asked but obviously hurting. "Why do you really hate him? You barely even know him. I'm so confused about why you dislike him so much and why you want me to stay away too. We've been classmates for years, and he's never done anything bad to me."

"I'm just worried about you, Jeno." She replied firmly. "He's not doing anything right now, but he will later. So stay away from him as soon as possible."

Jeno shook his head.

"Just why, Mom?"

His eyes stayed locked on his mother. The air felt thick with tension as she stood there, her words stuck in her throat.