Summernights, Candle lights and Boys | Jaenoren/Norenmin

Thirty for a Chance

«Jaemin, have you ever heard of polyamoric relationships?»

The question stood in the room, leaving Jaemin stunned. He didn't know what to say. He knew about the concept of polyamory, but he hadn't known that it was a real thing, that it was something that really existed. He blankly stared at Renjun, trying to come up with a response.

«Are you... are you asking me out?» he finally managed to ask.

«If you want to see it like that, then yes,» Renjun nonchalantly replied. «But I would have taken you on a real date first, preferably together with Jeno, and asked you out for real there.» His expression softened and he smiled his first genuine smile today. «I'm not asking you to be in a relationship with the two of us, I'm asking you whether you are willing to think about it. Because that is what Jeno and I feel.»

Jaemin's thoughts were spinning at a rapid speed and wouldn't know. «Can you give me a moment?» he asked, averting his eyes to the remnants of his cake.

Renjun nodded immediately. «Of course.»

«How... how can I be sure that what you say is true though?» Jaemin suddenly asked, stuffing the last crumbs that were on his plate into his mouth.

«What do you mean?» Renjun questioned, not sure what Jaemin was talking about.

«You are here, speaking for Jeno, but how can I be sure that what you say on his behalf is really what he thinks?» Jaemin finally looked up again, meeting Renjun's eyes.

«How about he tells you that yourself?» Renjun asked back, picking up his phone and sending a text message to his boyfriend.

«So he's here too?» Jaemin asked, only mildly surprised.

«Yeah, I am. Hi Jaemin.» Jeno appeared next to their table, his voice quiet and seemed even more nervous than Renjun before. Jaemin noticed the dark bags under his eyes and the red eyes, Jeno had obviously not slept well the last few days.

«Hi,» he just said, not knowing how he should great Jeno.

An awkward silence fell over the three boys, none of them having anything to say. Jaemin was trying to understand what just had happened and what he should do now. He had no idea, but he could see that Jeno had suffered, he wasn't blind. They said that they both had feelings for him and that they wanted to be in a polyamorous relationship with him.

«So,» Renjun dared to break the silence, «have you made up your mind?»

Jaemin took a deep breath. He had no idea what he would answer the two, he just opened his mouth and hoped for something to come out. «I... I don't know.» He frustratedly ran his hand through his hair, this whole thing was starting to stress him out way too much. «I'm a bit scared, that I'll be the third wheel, that there is no space for me, I just don't know,» he tried to explain.

«I would– we would never do that!» Jeno exclaimed, understanding completely what the other boy meant. «I had the same thoughts, and I promise you that it won't be like this. You know...» he hesitated for a second. «My first boyfriend left me for what used to be my best friend. It turned out he only dated me because he wanted to get closer to him. I will never ever let you experience something like that Jaemin, I promise that. And I am so, so sorry that you thought I played you.» Jeno spoke with a serious tone, meaning every single word he had said. He would never let Jaemin get hurt, not if he could prevent it.

Jaemin said nothing. His face became an unreadable mask, an expression he often had while thinking. It made the two boys in front of him nervous, they couldn't tell at all what was going on inside him.