Back To Square One

Chapter 7 - Mishaps

"I think someone's courting mom." It was the first thing Jaemin said upon entering the classroom.

"Woah! Really?" Donghyuck exclaimed but his friend remained pouting.

Jaemin nodded, looking kind of gloomy. "We were eating breakfast when a bouquet of flowers was delivered to our house. Mom was smiling like a teenager who got her first gift from a boy."

With the face he makes, Donghyuck could sense that his best friend doesn't find the idea of his mom having a new boyfriend appealing.

"Y-You don't like it?" Well, it's understandable. However, his friend waved a hand in front of him, as if disagreeing.

"I don't have a say in this. She deserves to be happy, if she is... then I am." But as soon as Jaemin begins biting his nails anxiously, Donghyuck knows it bothers him.

"I can clearly see that you don't want her to get a boyfriend." Donghyuck smiled faintly and patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't lie to me, Nana, I know you sooo~ well... but your mom's pretty and single. It's natural."

Jaemin sighed like an old man. "I know, I know. But just thinking of a new dad is kind of weird and-nothing."

"And you still hope that she could end up with your dad?" Donghyuck tried to finish the other's sentence.

The bunny glared at him. "I hate that you know me so well."

That made him chuckle.

"Am I being selfish if I hope for it, Haechan?" His best friend asked after a while, looking downhearted. "I don't want dad to hurt her again but here I am, wanting my family to be whole again. W-We used to be so happy, mom and dad used to be so in love. It's just nice to think about... if we can go back to those days."

Donghyuck smiled and flicked the bunny's ear to cheer him up. Yeah right, sometimes you need violence to cheer up someone like Jaemin.

"Aww Lee Donghyuck!" The bunny clenched his fist and widened his eyes. "You want me to beat you up, huh?!"

He laughed at him. "I just wanna say that you're ugly when you're sad. Don't think so bad of yourself." He hushed the guy with a wave of hand. "It's not selfishness, it's a normal thing to feel, after all the two of them are your parents. But what matters is how you take it, or how you act upon it. It's not like you're being a brat who's holding back your mom by throwing tantrums. You're actually trying to accept the fact that she can love again and you will support her even if it makes you feel weird. I'm proud of you."

After a while, a smile tugged on Jaemin's lips and Donghyuck wanted to smack him right away. With that mischievous smile, the bunny will certainly tease him for what he said.

"Oh! Really? My bestie's proud of me?" Jaemin giggled and poked at his side. "You're proud of me, huh?"

"Heck-stop it, Nana!" He tried to shove the other's finger away. "Yah! Stop it!" No use, his friend tickles him mercilessly.

"Sto-"

"Ehem... uhmm..."

Someone clearing their throat has stopped the two of them from their banter. Donghyuck's face fell when he saw who it was.

"Professor Kim is coming."

"Oh right." Jaemin rose up. "You can sit now, master."

The newly arrived scowled. "Don't call me that."

But Jaemin's smile only became wider. "Oh, I have so many things I can call you, Mark." That and then he left.

When his friend was gone, Donghyuck turned his back to his seatmate and busied himself reading some Math notes. He should avoid him at all cost, just like what he promised his hyung!