Starlight | Nomin

5

             Jaemin goes to school with a skip in his step on Friday morning.

He had skipped Thursday for he was too upset to want to go in that day. His stepfather and mother tried to get him to open up and tell them what was wrong, but he wouldn't budge because in truth, even Jaemin didn't know why he was so upset.

Was it because the hard reality that he'll never be able to find his soulmate crashed on him Wednesday after school, or was it because of him overthinking the things Jeno and his gang had said about him and his family? Was it because he was scared to face Mark Lee?

Jaemin couldn't put his finger on it.

Yeji and Renjun blew his phone up with texts and calls around the time their baking club meeting was over. Apparently, Seungmin and Eunbin had almost burnt the entire room down. He'd have to talk to them later.

But other than that, he didn't say anything to his parents until it was around dinner time and he had emerged from his room for the first time all day with a very small and timid smile gracing his features.

He still didn't manage to give them a reason to why he was so upset.

But Friday morning, when Jaemin skips onto school grounds with a 1000-watt smile? God, he nearly had everyone fooled.

Most people would say he's happy, or that he got a well night sleep the night prior.

But if you're Jaemin's best friends, Yeji and Renjun, you could completely see through his bullshit. Though there was a smile as bright as the sun illuminating the expressions of the delightful students at Sukmyeong High School on his face that morning, there was a large gray cloud hanging over his head of honey hair.

It was an imaginary cloud, but Yeji and Renjun could make out the image of it clearly. Jaemin looked the worse he'd look in a while. But of course, he was such an expert at hiding his emotions, no one could tell.

Yeji and Renjun watch as the student council presidents greeting the students coming through the gate, unamused looks on their faces.

"He doesn't have to do this every morning, especially if he isn't feeling well." Yeji mutters under her breath as watches a group of 3 boys walk through the gates.

Liu Yangyang, Wong Kunhang, and Xiao Dejun.

Xiao Dejun who just so happened to be Yeji's long time crush, shoots her a small smile as he walks by she and Renjun, and dear Lord, Renjun had to catch her before she fell onto the floor.

"Yej, what the hell?!"

Yeji giggles in Renjun's arms, "that's Xiao Dejun." She says dreamily, a haze of love covering her eyes. "He's the cutest boy in the world."

Renjun rolls his own before pushing her up right, "you have the audacity to say that when I'm right in front of you?" He scoffs, focusing back on Jaemin who was greeting Son Hyejoo and Ha Sooyoung.

"You are cute, but Xiao Dejun... he's different." She looks down at the ground with a small smile and Rejun smacks the side of her arm, "snap out of it! We have bigger things to worry about, and one of them is—OH MY GOD IS THAT DIA—"

Yeji slaps a hand over Renjun's mouth before dragging him behind the corner they were standing by. "Shut up!" She hisses, "I don't feel like becoming bait for them, not today!"

Renjun only scowls at her before they peak out behind the wall at Jaemin who was politely greeting them as well, they gulp thinking one of them is about to deck the honey haired boy in the face.