Bloom// Nomin

02

Mornings on the weekend are Jeno's favorite time in the world. He gets to see his mother for about fifteen minutes before she leaves for work, those are usually the best fifteen minutes of his day. He's on winter break now, which means everyday is like the weekend.

Sometimes they're able to squeeze in a quick breakfast, most times it's just a nice conversation.

"Jeno, who were you talking to last night in your room? You didn't even greet me when I got home."

"Oh sorry mom, I was talking to Donghyuck." Lies.

"How is he these days?"

"Good. Obsessed with girl groups, but good." Jeno smiles, thinking fondly of his friend.

"How about Renjun?" She asks.

"I haven't talked to him much this week. His cousins staying over at his apartment, the one from Wenzhou."

"Aw I like that boy."

"Renjun does too, alot, almost too much. I know this isnt Alabama, but I'm suspicious." Jeno jokes.

His mother rolls her round eyes. "I think that kind of thing is cute, it's good to love your family."

"Not like that Mom."

"Jeno stop it, Renjun is a nice boy!" His mother swats him with a magazine.

Jeno raises his hands in defense. "I'm joking!"

"Sure you are. Gosh you have such an imagination Jeno, you should write stories or something."

"I'll think about it." He smiles and takes a sip of his orange juice.

She checks her phone. "7:30 already? I don't want to be late again. I'll see you tonight Jeno, you know the rules, no going outside alone." She begins stuffing her belongings into her work bag and slipping on her shoes.

"Bye Mom."

"Bye Jeno." She gives him a warm smile, the kind that turns her eyes into crescent moons. That's Jeno's favorite kind of smile because they share the same one.

"By the way, go see Donghyuck today, I don't want you cooped up in here all by yourself." She adds.

"Sure, I will."

And then she's gone. Theres no hug, no kiss, no 'I love you Jeno'. But he's alright with that, because it's always been this way.

Jeno's mother had him at sixteen, she was young and clueless and scared out of her mind. Her parents kicked her out, and just like that, she was alone.

The relationship they'd built was more of a friendship than anything else, sometimes Jeno liked that, most times he didn't.

He tries not to think about it alot.

He puts away his breakfast plate, and his phone buzzes multiple times, snapping him out of his thoughts. Its texts from the groupchat.

Frisco gAng gaNG🤪🤠

Hyuck🤡, Renjun, Jisungie, Mark, Lele

Mark:
r we hanging today yall

Renjun is typing...

Renjun:
sure ^-^ is it alright if my cousin Sicheng tags along?

Hyuck🤡:
sus

You:
^ Tru

Mark:
yea that's cOol

Jisungie:
where are we goin tho