The Lodger; Noren NCT

✿*｡ Twelve ｡*✿

The week had passed by and Jeno had kept his promise. They hadn't spoken to each other once. The most they'd spoken was a quick apology when they had accidentally bumped into each other.

Jeno sat opposite Jaemin at one of the lunch tables, tapping away at his phone and paying very little attention to the conversations going on around him.
"Jeno" Jaemin says, reaching over the table and snatching Jeno's phone from his hands "Jeno I'm talking to you!"

The brunette looks at the empty seats, his brows furrowing a little "where's everyone gone?" They had all been sat there a moment ago.

"They went to lesson. Did you seriously not hear the bell ring?" He asks earning a head shake from the elder. "I guess you're still not talking to Renjun"

Jeno laughs a little and snatches his phone back "you say it like we started"
They both had free periods, usually a teacher came along and told them to get on with some extra work but until that happened they would sit and chat about random things. After all they had nothing better to do.

"Jeno I've said this before and I'll say it again" Jaemin once again takes the phone and sits on it to prevent Jeno getting it back, this causes the boy to grimace a little "you've got the emotional range of a puddle" he says and Jeno rolls his eyes and leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you really not care if you upset him? I know you're bitter about the whole situation but don't take it out on Renjun it's not his fault".

Jeno raises a brow as he listens to Jaemin scold him. Jeno definitely didn't hate Renjun, he friggin carried his drunk ass home and tried to fuck him. If anything Jeno had become rather fond of the guy. "Look, I don't hate him, I just prefer to ignore him. If you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all right?" He lies, reaching over the table and steals a Dorito from Jaemin.

"You could at least try to talk to him and get along with him, do you know how awkward it is for the rest of us?" Jaemin pushes the bag of Doritos over to Jeno, deciding to just let the elder have them.

Could Jaemin not sense the sexual tension between the two? Usually Jaemin was the first to know who Jeno was trying to get without Jeno having to even tell him "I tried that and he told me to stop" he reaches into the bag and takes a handful of the chips before standing up "anyway I'm going, see you later". With that he walks around the table, pushing Jaemin a little so he could grab his phone before walking off leaving Jaemin alone at the table.

•••••

Jeno sat at the dinner table waiting patiently as his mum finished up making the dinner. Renjun was sat opposite, reading through one of his school notebooks frantically. Jeno could see small drawings of the solar system and galaxy's doodled in the margins. Some were used as diagrams with notes attached whereas others were obviously just there because he wanted them to be. Jeno had to admit that the small drawings were actually pretty good.
"Are you ever not studying?" Jeno asks causing the blonde to look up from his notes. It irritated him a little that Renjun was always busy doing school work. He never had opportunities to tease him anymore. He wasn't intentionally staying true to the deal he had made, he just never gets the chance to go against it.

Renjun shrugs and closes the book before placing it on the floor beside him as Jeno's mother places the food on the table. "I have a test" he says, moving his gaze elsewhere, obviously not wanting to talk to Jeno or look at him.

"Oh Jeno maybe you should learn a thing or two from Renjun, your grades haven't been the best lately" his mother says as she takes her usual seat at the head of the table.
Jeno rolls his eyes, ignoring her and beginning to eat. He wasn't in the mood for yet another lecture about Renjun today. He'd already had one from Jaemin.

The two boys eat in silence as Jeno's mother rambles on about how busy she's been at work and how business is going. She also tells an extremely long and uninteresting story about two people in the office having an affair, it sounded like some crazy drama that Jeno was very uninterested in. Of course Renjun nods and reacts to what she was saying, basically just being polite but Jeno doubted he was really listening.

Finally dinner was over and both Jeno and Renjun were glad to finally be able to get away from the chatty woman. Of course they knew she meant no harm but when you begin to repeat yourself it becomes slightly unbearable.

They both run upstairs, desperate to get away. Renjun stops and turns to Jeno, he opens his mouth as if to say something but quickly shuts it and carries on to his room, closing the door.

Jeno shrugs and swings his own door open, slipping inside and leaping onto his bed.