Kiss & Make Up | Lee Jeno

4.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Areum's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest as she froze in place. The familiar voice sent a jolt of shock through her system, leaving her paralyzed for a moment. She hesitated, almost too afraid to turn around, hoping that somehow her imagination was playing tricks on her. But the weight of the gaze behind her was undeniable.

Slowly, almost painfully, she turned her head.

And there he was.

Standing just a few feet away, was the very man whose face had been plastered across her lock screen for months.
He stood casually, his head slightly tilted, his dark eyes fixed on her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

Areum's mind raced with thoughts and she felt as if she could feel her heart rate speed up by the second.

This is not real. There is no way this is happening right now.

Jeno raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping from her phone to her stunned expression. "So..." he said, voice curious, "Is that me?"

Her face was on fire, cheeks flushed bright red as she instinctively fumbled to hide her phone behind her back. Her brain seemed to short circuit, leaving her completely at a loss for words.

Embarrassment and disbelief mingled in a chaotic swirl, and all she could manage was a bewildered, "Huh?"

Jeno's lips curved into a faint smile as he repeated, more slowly this time, "On your lock screen. That's me, right?"

Areum's mind was a total blank, struggling to process the fact that Jeno, the Lee Jeno, was standing in front of her, casually asking about her lock screen.

A weak laugh bubbled up in her throat as panic took over. "What? Uh, no?" she blurted out, though the questioning tone of her voice made it sound far less convincing than she intended.

Jeno raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Are you my fan?" he asked, taking a small step closer, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

Areum's mind continued to race, her thoughts jumbled into a panicked mess.

What the fuck am I supposed to say?

"What? Are you crazy?" she stammered, her voice betraying her flustered state. "Because that would be kind of crazy. No, I'm not—no way." She shook her head a little too enthusiastically, hoping to sound believable, but her rapid denial was doing the exact opposite.

Jeno's grin only grew wider, his gaze locked onto hers with a mischievous glint. "Uh huh," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "So, just a coincidence then? Who's that guy on the screen?"

"Oh..." Areum's throat went dry, panic bubbling up again. "Uh, um... he's my, uh, boyfriend?"

Jeno raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Are you telling me that or asking me?"

"I'm telling—wait." She paused, realizing how ridiculous this was getting. "Uh, it isn't really your business," she added, looking away, hoping to steer the conversation away from her obvious lie and end it.

Jeno chuckled softly, raising his hands in surrender. "Sorry, your boyfriend just looks a lot like me."

Areum's face flushed even deeper, and she stumbled over her words. "You probably saw wrong... I mean, it's just... you know... lighting... or something."

He tilted his head slightly, the playful look was still lingering in his eyes as he glanced down at the pile of brushes and look books scattered across the floor. "Do you need some help with that?"

Areum blinked, momentarily forgetting the disaster around her. "Oh, no. It's fine." She sighed, now painfully aware of the mess. "You should get to the dressing rooms. I'm sure they're waiting for you back there."

Turning her back to him, she crouched down to start gathering the fallen items, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
But to her surprise, Jeno didn't budge. Instead, he crouched down beside her, effortlessly picking up some of the brushes.

Areum gasped, her eyes widening. "You shouldn't-"

But Jeno shook his head, flashing that infamous eye smile that always drove her crazy. "I'm sure they need both of us over there," he said, glancing toward the dressing room "Let me help."

Areum's mind went blank for the second time that morning. There was no way she could protest with him looking at her like that, especially not when her celebrity crush was kneeling on the floor, helping her with makeup brushes. It felt surreal.

Together, they quickly gathered all the scattered brushes and look books, with Areum's hands trembling slightly as she shoved everything back into her arms. Jeno casually balanced a few items in his grip as well, as if this were an everyday task for him.

They stood up in unison, and Areum glanced sideways at him, her brain still struggling to process everything.
Without another word, they began walking down the hallway toward the dressing rooms, their footsteps echoing in the awkward silence.

The quiet between them was thick, tension bubbling just beneath the surface. Areum's thoughts raced as she tried to think of something, anything, to say, but her mind was blank. Jeno, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable, walking beside her without a care in the world.

Every few seconds, she snuck a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to keep her cool, but the silence was suffocating her.

Should I thank him again? Make small talk?

The pressure of the moment weighed heavily on her, and she felt like she might explode if she didn't say something.

But nothing came out.

They continued down the hall, each step stretching out painfully.

Finally, they reached the dressing room doors. Areum paused, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She was about to step ahead and open the door when Jeno reached out and pulled it open for her with a casual smile.

"After you," he said, his tone light.

Areum blinked, nodding silently as she walked through the door, her arms still full of supplies.

As soon as Areum stepped through the door, the chaotic energy of the dressing room hit her again at full force.

But what made her stop dead in her tracks wasn't the flurry of people, it was the sight of the six idols sitting casually at the vanities.

She had expected it, of course, especially after running into Jeno in the hallway. Still, the reality of seeing the rest of Nct Dream right there in front of her sent a jolt through her body. Her breath hitched, and despite herself, she let out a soft gasp.

Her fingers tightened around the supplies in her arms as she desperately tried to calm herself because her favorite group was sitting right in front of her.

But her mind was already spinning, her heart fluttering like crazy as the weight of the situation fully sank in.
She wasn't just a fan watching from afar anymore, she was standing in the same room with them, right there.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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AHHHH they talked.
They're super cute and Areum is a nervous wreck but i think she's adorable 🤭