-ˏˋ FALLING FOR THE FEELING ˎˊ-

+ UH-OH.

" 예의 없어 착한 척 말고 꺼져

이제 와 가식 따위 떨지 말아 "

jeno and the friend group were sitting at the lunch table in front jaemin and shuhua. and since the tables were rather close together, the boy was able to overhear their conversation. it's not that jeno was looking for a way to listen to them, it's just that they happened to be near.

"... you really need to start following the rules jaemin, or else you're just gonna get kicked out again." shuhua said, playing with strands of jaemin's hair as he huffed. "whatever. rules are meant to be broken anyways, so i'll take my chances." the boy mumbled, looking up to see his best-friend pouting at his response. "but if you follow the rules, you won't get in trouble as much." "where's the fun in that?" jaemin inquired, watching shuhua sigh and roll her eyes at each defective response she was receiving. the boy looked up from her chest and giggled at her reaction, "i'm kidding, i'm kidding... kinda."

"aren't you worried about what your dad will do?" shuhua asked, feeling jaemin slightly restrict in her arms and furrow his eyebrows. ".. since when does my family ever care about me?" the boy crossed his arms, tone defeated and voice quiet. shuhua's expression softened, and she casted her gaze down towards jaemin. ".. all i'm saying is you need to stop being so bad in your classes." the boy shrugged, playing with his fingers as shuhua rocked him side to side. they stayed quiet after that, until eventually the lunch period was over and it was time to get back to class.

jeno trudged along the hallways with jisung and his boyfriend again, entering class and taking a seat away from them to not be third-wheeling anymore. the boy put the side of his head down on the desk, resting on his arms and watching as everyone poured into the room. and surprisingly, a certain someone came in before the teacher.

jaemin kept his gaze on his phone as he walked into class, mindlessly choosing whatever seat had nobody was sitting at.

"hey.." jeno spoke before his mind even processed that he was going to speak. jaemin continued going through his phone, sitting down without taking his eyes off the screen. "hey." he replied, feeling jeno's gentle gaze on him. it made jaemin want to smile; jeno's curiosity towards him was really cute.

jeno looked at him, looked away, then looked back at him. he did that a few more times. "... why did you stand up for me?" the older wasn't sure if he was wording that correctly, but he really was just dying to know. especially since jisung told him he never helped anyone. jaemin turned his phone off and placed it into his hoodie pocket, now turning his head to meet eyes with jeno. the younger shrugged simply, "just 'cause nobody likes seeing the new kid get bullied." he said.

"awe look, jaemin's found himself a new little boyfriend this time." a random voice called out, snickering. the room went silent at the mention of jaemin, who turned his head with a scowl on his face. he swore this was why he couldn't ever talk to anybody without getting someone else sticking their ugly nose in his business. jaemin saw everyone looking at him and the other boy that said the stupid comment it sitting in the seat behind him.

jaemin growled something to himself, shaking his head as he turned back around to face the front of the classroom. he knew this particular boy especially loved jabbing at him and causing a scene because he knew just a fraction about his past, and right now he was really not trying to give him any sort of reaction. meanwhile, jeno could literally see the younger getting red in the face, signaling he was about to explode at any moment.

"oh look, he's getting mad again isn't he?" the boy snarled, getting up and leaning closer to jaemin's ear. "just like when his mommy left him to be a hoe with every guy on the block."

and just after his words, the teacher finally walked in to start class. but of course jaemin couldn't care less about that.

jaemin got up from his seat and charged that boy so fast, he was already on the floor holding the side of his face by the time jeno finished blinking. the older backed up slightly, the students in the room just watching as things escalated. jaemin hit him again, and right in the center of his face. jeno's eyes widened at how harshly he did that, because soon after the boy started bleeding from his nose. seeing this, the teacher quickly set everything he was holding down and grabbed jaemin before he could get closer and do anything else.

"it was a joke!" the boy groaned, closing his eyes as he wiped the blood coming down his nose and trying to get back up. "fuck you, you piece of shit." jaemin retorted. "HEY! you do NOT curse nor fight in my classroom!" the teacher exclaimed, to which jaemin shoved his arms away. he turned and snatched his backpack from the desk, leaving the room.

but this time when he left, jeno caught something new just as he rushed out of the room; jaemin's eyes.

his eyes had turned red and teary.

jeno honestly never thought jaemin was one to cry.

"and you, to the nurse." the teacher called out, gesturing for a few students to help him up and walk him to the nurse. they obeyed, and slowly shuffled out of the room. jeno stayed silent and observed everything that was going on and everything that had just happened.

but what he knew for sure, though not precisely why, was that he needed to talk to jaemin.