Eyes Don't Lie

20

Eyes don't lie

20

The next day, when Jeno stood up, he felt heavy inside. It was like some sort of premonition was eating up his organs, making him feel suffocated. Feeling anxious while he was preparing himself to go to school in the bathroom, he clutched a hand over his racing heart and took some deep breaths to calm himself down. He hated the reason why he was feeling like that. 

But thinking about how Renjun and Jaemin might highly probably arrive together at school and smile like the luckiest people on earth, the most delighted soulmates, he got afraid, nervous. Jeno thought he was selfish for feeling this way. At the same time he also believed he was being overdramatic-for nothing. 

"You will be fine," he told himself and adjusted his hair before he went down the stairs and grabbed his bag from the living room, yelling a short goodbye to his mom before the door fell shut and he took his first steps, the stifling sentiment not fading the whole walk to school.

____________________________________ 

"Hey," Jeno was greeted by a voice he knew too well when he was approaching the school building in the sea of other students who were chatting vividly with their friends. 

Before he could see Donghyuck's face, he could feel the other's presence as the younger playfully slung an arm around Jeno's shoulder, smiling radiantly. Normally, this famous grin would erase all of his concerns and grim emotions in the blink of an eye but today, genuinely returning the smile the other presented seemed like a though task in that moment. And yes, his attempt ended up quite unsuccessful as Donghyuck started eyeing him with a confused and slightly worried expression as they completed the last meters to their lockers, Jeno ignoring that. 

Arrived at their lockers, Jeno took some more extra time to get all his stuff together, searching through all the different books and sheets and other things for studying in his locker as if he hadn't already found everything he needed for today's lessons. The boy was desperate to stretch time, if possible he would let the morning run in slow motion in order to avoid what he could be facing soon. 

As always, humans were never safe from situations they wanted to avoid at all costs, blame the universe or whatever force was ruling the world and that was why eventually, after Mark's presence was with the two younger boys who had been clutching their textbooks to their chest, exchanging trivialities as their heads were still to sleepy to comprehend complex information, the two remaining boys made their appearance. 

Jeno held his breath while his eyes immediately turned downwards to take a short look at their hands...which were intertwined. At that moment of realization, Jeno's heart dropped. It was undeniable. Their whole aura was screaming soulmates. This was not only about their hands. Their facial expressions, the way their bodies were turned in each other's direction as Jaemin attentively listened to something Renjun was telling, his eyes gleaming while Jaemin was watching him talk with the most dreamy look. Their fate was sealed. They had been approved by the universe. 

And Jeno hadn't.

Stressing out again inwardly, Jeno tried to remain composed on the outside, hiding his trembling hands by clasping them together with force. He didn't know about his expression but he imagined himself looking like a deer caught in headlights. 

Like in a trance, he listened to Renjun and Jaemin announcing the good news, more (Renjun) or less (Jaemin) shyly showing off their matching soulmate tattoos and Jaemin happily raising their intertwined hands up as if they had won a hard sports match. But it was true, they had indeed won, in love.