Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 17: Bro Code

ʕ ᵔⰙᵔ⠕ʔ

Haechan's POV : 

Haechan stretched his arms above his head, feeling the satisfying crack of his joints as he sat down at their usual table in the café near his house. It was Saturday afternoon, the air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and the place buzzed with the hum of conversations and the clinking of mugs. This was their spot, the one place where Haechan, Mark, Jaemin, Jaehyun, and Johnny could unwind without the weight of school or other responsibilities hanging over them. It was a small sanctuary in their otherwise busy lives.

Mark and Jaemin were already seated, deep in a hushed conversation about some new gaming strategy they were eager to try out. Jaehyun was pouring over his notes, always the diligent one, while Johnny was scrolling through his phone, no doubt hunting for the latest memes or funny videos. The table was littered with the usual: half-empty coffee cups, notebooks, and wrappers from the snacks they'd ordered earlier.

Haechan flopped into his seat, grabbing a fry from Jaemin's plate without asking. He shoved it in his mouth and leaned back, feeling the weight of the week slowly lift off his shoulders. As he did, Mark glanced up, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"So," Mark began, drawing out the word, "how's our resident Romeo doing? Any luck with the ladies?"

Haechan snorted, rolling his eyes. "Oh, give me a break. Not everything's about girls, Mark."

Jaemin grinned, leaning in with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, really? Because word on the street is, you had a pretty intense argument with a certain someone last week." He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying himself.

Haechan's eyes flicked to Jaehyun and Johnny, who were both looking at him now with interest. Jaehyun set his notes down, his attention fully on Haechan. "Argument?" Jaehyun echoed. "With who?"

Haechan sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this one easily. "Just... this girl from my science class, Bang Narae," he muttered, grabbing another fry.

Johnny, always the one to poke fun, laughed. "Wait, wait, so this is about Narae? The girl who practically treats everyone like they're invisible? I've heard she's kind of... intense."

"She's not that intense," Haechan defended, feeling the need to stick up for her even though he knew she'd probably prefer he didn't. "She's just... focused. Organized."

Mark and Jaemin exchanged a look, and Haechan knew he was in for it. "Focused, huh?" Mark said, barely holding back his laughter. "Is that why you two were practically at each other's throats? What happened, man?"

Haechan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was just over the science project. She thought I wasn't pulling my weight, which, okay, maybe I wasn't at first, but I did try to help towards the end! And then she just... blew up. Called me 'Donghyuck' instead of Haechan. That kind of threw me off, you know?"

Jaemin smirked. "That's serious business if she's using your real name. What's next? Full middle name? Full-on mom mode?"

Johnny laughed. "It's true, though. No one calls him Donghyuck unless they're, like, super close or super pissed."

Haechan's face heated up, and he threw a balled-up napkin at Jaemin, who dodged it easily. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. It's not a big deal."

"But it is," Mark interjected, his tone more serious now. "You care, dude. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so bothered."

Haechan opened his mouth to argue but closed it again. Mark had a point. He was bothered. Ever since the project fiasco, he hadn't been able to get Narae out of his head. It wasn't even the argument that stuck with him; it was the look on her face, the way her eyes had shone with unshed tears, the way her voice had wavered when she told him he'd let her down. That look had haunted him.

Jaehyun noticed the silence and spoke up. "So, what about Heejin? Heard you went on a date with her last weekend. How'd that go?"

Grateful for the change in topic, Haechan shrugged. "Yeah, we went out. It was nice. She's cool and all, but..." His voice trailed off, and he shrugged again, less confidently this time. "I don't know. I wasn't really into it. Kept thinking about other stuff."

Mark's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Other stuff, or other someone?"

Haechan shot him a look. "Stop with the knowing looks, man. It's not like that. Narae and I aren't... whatever. She probably still hates my guts."

Johnny leaned forward, a serious expression on his face. "Did you apologize?"

Haechan hesitated. "Yes. I mean, I tried talking to her, but she's been giving me the silent treatment. Besides, I don't think an apology would change much. She's not the kind to forgive easily."

Mark nodded thoughtfully. "You know, the silent treatment isn't necessarily a bad sign. Could mean she's more hurt than angry."

Jaemin chimed in, grinning. "Yeah, and that's your cue to, you know, do something about it."

Haechan considered this, frowning slightly. He hadn't thought about it like that. Maybe Narae wasn't just angry; maybe she was genuinely hurt by what happened. And if that was the case, maybe there was a way to make things right. But what could he do? Every time he tried to talk to her, she shut him down. And now there was this whole thing with Heejin. Did Narae even care about that? She didn't seem like the type to get jealous.

Johnny clapped him on the back, jolting him from his thoughts. "Look, man, whether it's Narae or Heejin or whoever, just be real with yourself. You clearly care about Narae, so maybe stop overthinking it and just talk to her. No games, no trying to be funny or charming. Just... be you."

Haechan looked around at his friends, feeling a rush of gratitude. They always knew how to cut through the noise and get to the heart of things. It was why he loved hanging out with them. "Thanks, guys. I guess I'll figure it out. I just really hate the drama."

Jaehyun smiled. "Just don't wait too long, or you might miss your chance."

They fell into a comfortable silence, each of them sipping their drinks or picking at the fries in front of them. Haechan's mind wandered back to the picture he'd sent Narae yesterday. Her reply had been cautious at first, then more relaxed as they bantered back and forth. He liked that side of her, the one that could laugh and joke, even if only a little.

"Hey," Jaemin said suddenly, snapping Haechan out of his thoughts. "Think we should invite Jeno next time? Poor guy's been feeling left out lately."

Haechan grinned. "Only if we make him bring his terrible hair as entertainment."

They all laughed, and for the moment, the tension Haechan felt slipped away. Here, surrounded by his friends, things felt simple and uncomplicated. They teased, they joked, and they gave advice when it mattered. And no matter what happened with Narae or Heejin or any other girl, Haechan knew he could always count on these moments, these people, to keep him grounded.

As the afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, the laughter at their table grew louder, and for the first time all week, Haechan felt at ease. He still didn't know what he was going to do about Narae, but he had a feeling he'd figure it out. After all, that's what friends were for.

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1211 words