Kiss & Make Up | Lee Jeno

12.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Areum's eyes widened as she stared at the screen, her breath catching in her throat. She raised her hand, covering her mouth in disbelief, frozen for a moment as she continuously read over the message.

Areum sat frozen, her mind going completely blank as she stared at her phone. She didn't know whether to scream, laugh, or cry.

"What's going on with you?" Harin asked, Areum not even noticing when she walked in. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Without a word, Areum slowly turned the phone around, showing Harin the screen. Harin walked over and leaned in, her eyes darting to the message. A smile immediately lit up her face, and she let out a small gasp.

"Wait, what?! I knew it! I told you he'd text you!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.

But instead of sharing in Harin's joy, Areum turned off her phone, tossed it aside, and buried her face in her hands. "No, Rin! He didn't just text me—he called me!"

Harin's smile faltered. "Wait, what? He called? Is that what the first text is all about?"

"Yes! He called me!" Areum groaned, peeking out from behind her hands. "I thought it was Hera calling me again for another favor, so I yelled into the phone, told her I was done doing her errands, and I hung up!"

Harin's eyes went wide and she covered her own mouth in surprise. "Areum, no."

"Yes!" Areum threw her head back against the couch. "I totally went off on him! I told him I wasn't doing any more favors and then just hung up like it was nothing!"

Harin covered her mouth in disbelief, trying not to laugh. "You... yelled at Lee Jeno and hung up on him? Oh my gosh, this is awesome!"

"No it's not!" Areum groaned louder, her palms pressing harder against her face. "I'm never going to recover from this. He probably thinks I'm a total psycho now."

Harin took a seat beside her, trying to stifle her laughter. "Okay, okay. You just need to call him back, apologize, and explain what happened. It's not the end of the world."

Areum peeked through her fingers. "I can't call him back! I'm freaking out over the fact that he texted me!"

Harin shook her head, still chuckling. "Girl, I'm sure this is the highlight of his day. Idol life is so tiring and busy—this will definitely give him a reason to laugh."

Areum groaned, her hands still covering her face as she slouched further into the couch. "Or he'll think I'm insane! I can't believe I just yelled at him."

Harin gave her a playful nudge. "You're being dramatic. You really think he hasn't dealt with crazier situations? Just text him back, explain what happened, and it'll be fine."

Areum didn't move, staring up at the ceiling in utter distress. "I don't even know how to start the conversation after that."

Harin let out a small sigh, glancing at her watch. "I have to go, I've got one more client to take care of. But seriously, text him back, okay? Stop freaking out, it's not as bad as you think."

Areum stayed still, not acknowledging Harin's words, her mind racing. Harin, sensing her friend's frozen panic, sighed again. "Do you have more clients for today?"

Areum shook her head, finally meeting Harin's eyes. "No, I'm finished."

"Then go home before Hera finds something else for you to do!" Harin grinned, her eyes twinkling. "You know she'll throw give you something to do if she sees you."

Areum couldn't help but laugh, "You're probably right."

"Of course I am," Harin winked. "Now, take my advice and go relax. Text him back."

Areum nodded, feeling slightly more at ease as they both stood up. Harin gave her a quick hug before heading out. "See you tomorrow! And good luck with Jeno!"

"Thanks," Areum muttered, half smiling, as they split ways. But as soon as Harin was out of sight, her mind went back to Jeno.

What was she supposed to say now?

"Why isn't she saying anything?" Jeno muttered under his breath, frowning as he stared at his phone screen. His thumb hovered over the last message he'd sent, debating whether to follow up. The tiny gray letters beneath the text read seen, confirming she had read it.

But still, no response.

He sighed, glancing at the time. Maybe she was busy? Or still mad about the misunderstanding during the call? His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do next. Should he send another message? Or would that make him look desperate?

Jeno locked his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. He needed a distraction. His eyes landed on his manager, who was across the room, overseeing the practice session. Jeno made his way over.

"Hey, hyung?" Jeno called out, catching his manager's attention. "Do you remember which salons we worked with yesterday?"

The manager raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment. "There were a few. Uh, Luxe Beauty, Vanity Lab, and..." He paused. "Oh yeah, Designers, I think."

Jeno nodded but pressed further. "How about the girl I walked in with? We were both late. What salon was she from?"

"Areum?" the manager asked, a suspicious glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, her," Jeno replied, trying to sound casual. "Which salon?"

The manager crossed his arms, giving Jeno a knowing look. "Why do you want to know?"

Jeno quickly thought of an excuse. "She did a pretty good job on Jaemin's makeup, and she fixed mine up too. I was thinking we should work with her salon more often."

His manager's eyebrows rose slightly. "She works at, uh... Designers, I think it's called. The one near that cafe you and the boys go to all the time."

Jeno nodded, hiding his relief with a smile. "Thanks, hyung."

But his manager wasn't done. "I know you, Jeno. Don't get too interested in her. You have a job to do. We already have two members in relationships, three would be too much for my brain."

Jeno laughed, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything. Just asking."

But as he turned to walk away, his mind was already spinning with thoughts of how to approach Areum next.

He didn't know if he wanted her as a friend or more. But the boy was definitely intrigued and interested.

He knew he wanted her in his life.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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TEHEHEHEHE hi guys🤭
What do you think bro is going to do next??
They're so cute already oh my goshhh.
Shy gf x Not so shy bf🥹

And say sike right now because wdym Seunghan isn't coming back. I ranted on my message board, so if any of y'all want to rant abt it, go ahead. I hear you.

For any of you who celebrate halloween, do y'all know what you're going to be? I'm going to be a minion😁