• walk you home | chenle •

03 || awkward

"Yah, Zhong Chenle!" A voice shouted behind me as I walked through the hallways in school.

"Ignoring me?" The boy who yelled my name out loud slung his arm around my neck.

"Jaehyun hyung." I mutter his name. As we both walked together side by side, though it seemed like the other students were minding their own business, I could feel their stares as they observed the both of us.

And I could bet on what they were thinking.

What was I doing with someone with such a low status?

Simple.

Jaehyun wasn't someone that had malice or could have benefitted from getting close to me. Simply said, he had no reason to.

He was someone I could trust, someone that simply wanted to be friends. The only true friend I had besides all the others who only wanted to gain my trust to boost their parent's company's profits.

Jeonghal School of Business and Finance was a school for the rich and wealthy. Jaehyun was not one. He was merely a scholarship student.

Although that was the case, he was definitely different, a mutual friend of both Renjun and I.

"Do you still not enjoy school?" Jaehyun asked, cutting my trail of thoughts.

"The usual. I could never enjoy it." My lips curved into a half-smile.

"Shouldn't have asked. Where's Renjun?"

"Class, obviously. Why are you even here in the first year classrooms?"

"To look for you. What else?" He answered simply. "Just informing you but, your mom came by my house yesterday again, saying that I should stop clinging to you. Am I?"

"She did?" I sighed. "She's always meddling with my life."

Jaehyun hummed.

"Maybe. Anyways, I'm done here. See you." He waves, preparing to leave.

"Hey, wait. Your sister..." I trailed off as he paused in his steps.

"What about my sister?" Jaehyun turns around, awaiting my reply.

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Rubbing my dreary eyes, I yawned as I glanced at my tabletop clock.

1.34am.

Pushing my chair away from the desk, I stretched and quickly put away all my worksheets.

As I get ready for bed, I find myself feeling hungry.

At this time of the day, probably only convenience stores are open.

Without much thought, I left the house without a single jacket or coat in this chilly night.

The cold Breeze could be felt at the tip of my fingers as I briskly made my way to the convenience store.

Upon entering, I made a beeline towards the ramen section and headed to the cashier almost immediately.

"5,000won." The cashier says after he scans the barcode.

"5,000won..." I dig my pockets in search of some coins or notes.

But there was none.

I held my breath as I stopped searching for money to pay. I wasn't sure of what I was supposed to do; my mind went blank.

"Miss?" The cashier broke me out of my standstill.

"Ah. Sorry...but–"

"10.000won for two ramens." A boy stood beside me, holding out some money and one ramen to pay.

A/N: I don't know how much won ramen costs....

I looked up to see who it was.

"You...Renjun?" My eyes widened upon seeing him.

"Thank you for coming." The cashier says as the payment ended, with Renjun taking his ramen out, leaving mine on the counter.

I picked up my ramen and stared at it for a moment before leaving the store soon thereafter.

After cooking my ramen, I looked for tables and chairs I could use to eat outside the store, but my efforts were in vain as there were no free spots.

As I decided to give up on looking for seats, greyish-coloured hair caught my eye.

I walked up to him.

"Excuse me...hey, can we share a table?" I asked the boy.

He nodded.

"Renjun," I started as I placed the piping hot food on the table. "Thanks."

He hummed, continuing to slurp his noodles.

I decide to speak up since the silence was awkward.

"By the way, why are you out this late...?"

"Aren't you the same?" He replies immediately.

"Yeah. I'm just hungry...but you don't seem like you are." I say as I observe how he picks at his food at times.

His lips formed a straight line.

"I just like this timing. It's very calm, and no one can order me about."

"But...at home. Isn't it the same?"

"At home?" His lips curved into a slight frown. "Not really."

"Huh...are you the oldest son?"

He nodded.

"I guess then it's because your parents expect a lot from you? Being the next in line, I mean." I mindlessly say.

He stays silent as he stops eating.

"Um..sorry. That was very insensitive of me." I apologised as I noted the look on his face.

"Yeah, okay," He nods again, resuming his eating as I do the same. "Ha Eun," I freeze up as I hear my name being called for the first time by him.

"You've asked me many questions. Do you think you can answer mine?" He puts down his chopsticks to look at me.

"Uh huh..." I nod, slightly curious.

"What do you think of Chenle?"

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a/n: yayyyy hoho cliff hanger!!
and introduction of our Jeffery!
haha. c y'all next week ;)