arrows of silk | nct renjun.

one | what is love?

Renjun's POV

"Renjun! It's time for dinner!" I hear Mom calling me from downstairs. I groan internally as I throw my new, polished book aside and lazily watch as the pages dance around in the wind. 

I run down the stairs frantically as my stomach screams at me. I missed out on lunch because I was busy burying my nose in the book that my brother Jaehyun gifted me for my birthday a couple days ago. 

Light, merry laughter emits from the dining room and I curiously enter the room, wondering what they're chatting so heartily about. I smile as soon as I see my brother's best friend Taeyong seated next to him, and I sit down as well. 

However, as soon as I do, the laughter dies down and four pairs of eyes turn to look at me. My mom is the first one to look away as she gets up to serve me dinner. 

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I ask, looking at the three remaining people. Jaehyun is the first one to break the silence. 

"Renjun. You know that you're next in line to be Cupid, yeah?" I nod nonchalantly. "I've been doing this job for five years, and I'm retiring soon."

"I already know this, why are you telling me again?" I lowly mumble while munching on a cupcake.

"Renjun, that's for dessert!" My mom exclaims, irritated. 

"He likes to eat his meals backwards." Taeyong knowingly snickers. 

Jaehyun shakes his head before continuing his little 'lecture'. "It's because there's a huge problem. And you know what it is." 

I roll my eyes, unable to answer because my mouth is stuffed with food, so I have no choice but to listen to him ramble on about the same topic that we've been discussing for months now. 

So what if I don't believe in love? It's just a social construct created by human beings who think that they need other people to complete themselves. I, for one, know that I don't need anyone, and no one needs me. I'm perfectly fine on my own. 

But taking over the job of Cupid? Hell to the naw. Why should I help other people find their soulmates? 

Jaehyun continues babbling about things like how love is more than just kisses and lovey-dovey stuff. I try to drown out Jaehyun's voice as I think of what my two best friends, Jeno and Jaemin could be doing right now. They told me they couldn't join us for dinner because they were too busy doing their own jobs- Jaemin's is putting human babies to sleep by playing lullabies that only they could hear, and Jeno's is guarding little children. 

I, however, am stuck with these doltish adults- I have to help them find love? Why do Jaemin and Jeno have much nicer jobs? 

I'm pulled out of my trance when Jaehyun snaps his fingers in front of me, and I assume that what he has to say next is new and important.   

"So, we've decided to send you down to earth as a human, so you can find love yourself." 

WHAT?!

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"We, the Cupid family, are sending you, Renjun, the next cupid in line, down to Earth, the planet that's filled with human beings, to find love!" Jaehyun explains slowly as if I'm some sort of new-born alien. Taeyong just sits next to Jaehyun nodding his head comically, probably not understanding a single thing that Jaehyun has said since I entered the room- of course since he isn't even in the family. He was the previous guardian of children before his younger brother, Jeno took over just last week. 

I look around in disbelief, glancing at both my parents to confirm whether this is a joke or not. But the solemn looks on their faces say it all. I'm going to be sent down to Earth.

-----

"You're going to WHAT?" Jeno screams right into my ear, causing me to flinch. 

"Hey! Don't scream at the child." Jaemin interjects.

"I'm older than you. Shut up." 

The boys are gathered in my room after I had asked them to come over in order to tell them the unfortunate news. Jaemin plays with my blankets while Jeno walks around frenetically, pacing up and down my room. 

"I don't know how long I'll be gone for. I just need to go down, fall in love, then come back up. It's simple." I shrug.

"It's not that simple, Renjun. There are people in their 20's who still haven't found love! Maybe even 30's! What makes you think falling in love is easy??" Jaemin begins to slightly raise his voice, clearly irked that I would say such a thing. 

"He's right. This won't be easy. You may be gone for a very long time." Jeno turns to me with a 'matter-of-fact' look on his face. With these words, I whine loudly and fall back onto my bed with full force. I childishly kick my feet and groan even louder, to the point where Jaehyun and Taeyong burst in with panic-stricken guises. 

"What's wrong? IS SOMEONE BEING MURDERED?!" Taeyong screams, while holding a staff in front of him as a form of self-defence. 

"Renjun's just angry." Jaehyun chuckles cheekily. I grab the nearest pillow I find and throw it right at his face, and he topples backwards right onto Taeyong. The both of them scream with their shrill voices and it only causes us to laugh at them. 

The laughter soon fades away as Jeno and Jaemin suddenly get up and engulf me into a hug. "We're going to miss you, Renjun." I feel Jaemin's arms tighten around my waist and my previously vexed self swiftly becomes crestfallen.

"Me too."