Head Down

◤twenty four◢

"Donghyuck, do you want—"

Donghyuck slams the door shut behind him, cutting off the question Youngho was about to ask him. The latter sighs, looking down at the counter with his shoulders hunched.

From where Jeno is sitting on the dining table, his eyes remain focused on the front door, an unreadable expression on his face.

"How long can he keep this up for?" Youngho asks Jeno, not turning around to look at him. He continues to make Jeno's breakfast along with his own, holding both of them in each hand as he walks to the table. "He's worrying me."

Jeno has to resist the urge to shoot a glare at his stepfather, disliking his choice of words.

Maybe, if you hadn't seduced my mother into marriage, this wouldn't have happened, Jeno thinks in his mind, aggressively forking at his pancakes. He's still wholly convinced that Donghyuck's trust issues stem from his childhood with Youngho and Taeil; once being promised everything, before having it all revoked within the span of a month. Youngho shouldn't talk about Donghyuck's current situation like he doesn't have any part in it.

But of course, he'd never say any of this. He'd think it, take his thoughts to his grave, until Youngho could somehow convince him otherwise.

"Do you know how you can fix this?" Jeno mumbles, not believing what he was about to say. In a right state of mind, maybe Jeno would keep these words to himself. But he's angry right now, and honestly? Hadn't stopped being angry in a while.

"What?" Youngho asks, watching with furrowed eyebrows as Jeno stares at his plate. He doesn't think Jeno would know much about Donghyuck's situation, seeing as the latter had been ignoring him too. But of course, Youngho doesn't really know anything regarding Jeno and Donghyuck, which is why what the younger says next, surprises him.

"The problem is Mark Lee. The new one from Vancouver? He's close to Donghyuck. He hurt Donghyuck."

Youngho stares at Jeno, blank, as if trying to process what he's saying. Jeno doesn't give him much time though, already moving onto explaining the course of action.

"You should do something about him, Mr, Seo," he taunts, wanting to remind Youngho that he is the principal, and that he can do something with his authority. Maybe his choice of words were playing it dirty, since he knows that Youngho had only accepted the position as principal in order to secure a life for Donghyuck. Youngho wouldn't want anything bad happening to Donghyuck.

The way Youngho's eyes shift darker, it makes something uneasy settle low in Jeno's stomach. He doesn't think too much of it though, as he's too excited at the prospect of something finally happening about the Mark situation.

"Thanks for telling me Jeno."

Jeno is feeling a bit too bubbly as he makes his way to school.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jeno used to think, that Jaemin really wasn't any different from Mark.

The ways in which they were similar were uncanny, and it made Jeno develop an awful resentment towards Jaemin.

Jaemin and Mark, they were both new. They both came from large urban cities, both having the same ideologies and both didn't fit into the stereotypes and molds of the small town they moved to. Everyone perceived Jaemin and Mark to be their stereotypical city boys, who never knew anything better. They were rough and ragged, and no one took the time to see if their assumptions were true. Jeno didn't even want to take the time to see if they were true or not.

But Jeno is a biology failing student, which is why his teacher had asked Jaemin, apparently top in their class, to help him study. And at first, like any other bad romance, Jeno was reluctant to spend his free time with Jaemin. However, the more time he spent with Jaemin, the more he got to see that his assumptions were incorrect. Jaemin grew up, rough. Jaemin doesn't have it as easy as Jeno thought, and underneath all his denim jackets, basketball shoes and ripped jeans, Jaemin is the softest boy he's ever met.

His time put into finding the real Na Jaemin wasn't in vain, and he's glad he did. He scored a pretty damn amazing boyfriend out of it, and he knows that Jaemin feels the same.

Which is why guilt rises high in his throat when he makes eye contact with the pink haired boy, who skips over to him and pecks his cheek.

"Good morning!" He greets cheerily, completely unaware of the fact that Jeno might've jeopardized Mark's place at this school.

The contrast between Jaemin and Mark is that, well, Jeno knows Jaemin. But he doesn't know Mark, and as much as they bump into each other (granted, under in-amicable ways), Jeno doesn't know Mark. Doesn't know if he's more than a boy who doesn't know any better, more than what his looks perceive him as. And it's not like Jeno likes judging people when they're close to his boyfriend, it's just that after everything Mark had put Donghyuck through, was it even possible to see him in a different way?

He doesn't like having an issue, as big as it is, with Mark. That's his boyfriend's best friend for crying out loud, and Jeno wouldn't want anything to come in between his relationship with Jaemin. He hates having petty arguments with Jaemin about Mark. As much as he doesn't look like it, Jeno adores Jaemin to the ends of the Earth and back. Till this point in his life, Jaemin is, hands down, the best thing that's ever happened to him. But Mark? Mark Lee just comes in between that. With his complex mind and unethical attitude, Jeno can't help but dislike Mark. Dislike Mark for what he's done to his stepbrother, and for how he treats him.

Maybe Mark did in fact have a prejudice against Jeno, like the latter did about him, and he knows that if it's true, it's the reason why they're stuck in this vicious cycle of nonstop hatred.

It's detrimental to the both of them; Jeno, because of relationship with Jaemin and his brotherly bond (although it always has been something more) with Donghyuck. Mark, because of his friendship with Jaemin, and whatever the hell he has with Donghyuck.

It's not good for either of them, but fuck if Jeno knows how to wedge his way into Mark Lee's brain, just to figure out what's going on in there, to try and show him that Donghyuck deserves better. Or maybe Mark knew that, and just didn't know how to approach the subject.

Either way, Jeno had just probably cost Mark his high school education, and here Jaemin was, oblivious as he licks into the older boy's mouth.

Jeno might just throw up.

__________

here's jeno's role and importance in this