Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 35: Real Men Live Pink

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The weekend arrived with a rare promise of warmth, the first hint of spring peeking through the lingering chill of winter. Narae stretched her arms over her head, feeling the pull of muscles that had been tense for far too long. A gentle breeze fluttered through her open window, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and the sound of birds chirping in the distance. It was too nice a day to stay inside, she decided. After spending most of the morning halfheartedly flipping through her sketchbooks and trying to study for her upcoming exams, she was ready to escape the confines of her room. The lure of sunshine was impossible to resist.

Just as she was considering a walk, her phone buzzed on the bedside table. It was a message from Jeno.

___________⋆˚࿔  nono(.◜◡◝) ⋆˚࿔ ___________

nono(.◜◡◝): meet us at the park? 

nono(.◜◡◝): renjun and i are already here

A smile tugged at Narae's lips as she typed back a quick response. 

Narae: sure

The walk to the park was soothing. The streets were still damp from the previous night's rain, the sunlight drying most of the sidewalks and leaving only the occasional puddle for Narae to hop over. The fresh air cleared her head, and the sounds of the city waking up for the day filled the silence that had settled over her thoughts. By the time she reached the park, her mood had lightened considerably.

The park was alive with the buzz of people taking advantage of the rare sunny day. Children ran past, their laughter ringing out over the hum of conversations. Narae spotted Jeno and Renjun near a cluster of swings, lounging on the grass and soaking up the sun. Jeno saw her first, his face breaking into a broad grin as he waved her over.

"Narae!" he called, sitting up. "You made it!"

Renjun turned to look, his expression brightening. "Hey, Narae! Come join us. We were just talking about you."

Narae raised an eyebrow, scoffing as she approached. "I don't even want to know."

Jeno laughed, patting the grass next to him. "We were just saying it's nice to see you out and about. You've been kind of MIA lately."

"Yeah," Renjun added, nodding in agreement. "We thought maybe you were avoiding the sun or something. Jeno here even had a theory about you being part vampire."

"Vampire?" Narae echoed, sitting down between them. "Please. If anyone here is pale enough to be a vampire, it's definitely Jeno."

Jeno clutched his chest in mock offense. "Ouch, Narae. My poor, pale complexion is perfectly natural. I'll have you know I have a healthy glow."

Renjun snorted. "Yeah, the kind you get from staring at your computer screen too long. Seriously, you're practically glowing in the dark at this point."

"Don't be jealous just because I've got that ethereal look," Jeno shot back, striking a ridiculous pose that made Narae laugh, a sound she hadn't realized she'd missed so much.

"Honestly, with that hat, you look like someone's lost tourist," Renjun teased, pointing at the oversized straw hat perched precariously on Jeno's head.

Jeno adjusted his hat, giving them both a dramatic side-eye. "This, is fashion. You just wouldn't understand. When it comes to style, I'm way ahead."

Narae shook her head. "Or maybe you're just one bad fashion decision away from a sunburn."